A Review of Three Perspectives (part two)
This is part two of a three-part series of reviews of recent books on magic(k)al theory and practice. In part one I took a brief look at Taylor Ellwood’s “Space/Time Magic” and “Pop Culture Magick”. You can read Taylor’s rebuttal to my review (and my subsequent comments) in the comments of that entry. Today I will focus on Lupa’s book “Fang and Fur Blood and Bone: A Primal Guide to Animal Magic”, but before I begin I would like to point out that all three authors being reviewed in this series have written thought-provoking books. If I didn’t think so I wouldn’t be reviewing them in the first place. Critical comments that I convey shouldn’t be seen as any sort of judgment on their talent as writers (or magicians).
Let me begin this second review by saying that I liked Lupa’s book the best of all three I will be reviewing. “Fang and Fur” is a very bare-bones (no pun intended) and sensible look at animal magic. She has a clear writing style and conveys her ideas well. She tackles some thorny issues with care and wit, and I think it may be one of the better books on this subject written for a modern Pagan audience. While not every idea there was my personal cup of tea, all in all I think it is a very successful first book. So instead of simply listing off its good points I would like to discuss two particularly controversial issues within the book: animal sacrifice and Otherkin.
First off, Otherkin. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, Otherkin (as defined by Wikipedia) are people who “consider themselves non-human or having a connection to a mythical archetype in some way, usually believing to be mythological or legendary creatures.” I wrote an in-depth post on the subject of Otherkin within modern Paganism last year. I wondered at the time if the Otherkin being “stranger” than your average Pagan or Heathen would eventually draw the press in the same manner that the plastic-caped Witches of Salem do.
“…as our faith(s) grow and gain the spotlight we know that it is “interesting” cases that get attention by the media. Journalists have a hard time writing stories about “normal religion”. So we get a lot of coverage of the black-clad flamboyant Salem Witches, and not so much of the average practitioner living in the Midwest raising a family. Which would a reporter on a deadline prefer? A story concentrating on a local Heathen group throwing a charity event or a profile of someone who thinks they are a dragon?”
Some Otherkin felt I was being judgmental towards them, but I do think that the growing number of ‘Kin in our ranks will eventually be noticed by outsiders and have to be explained in a clear sensible manner as part of a spectrum of belief within our faiths. Which brings me to Lupa’s book. I felt that she tackled the issue of Otherkinism in a very diplomatic and reasoned manner that should be emulated. She makes it quite clear that there is a distinct possibility that these “inhuman” feelings could merely be constructed within her mind. She talks of totemic imprinting, the use of imagination, and even that she might be crazy (though no more crazy than the rest of the world) in addition to the theory that her soul is non-human (in her case lupine).
This is a refreshing thing to read. It is this kind of attitude that will succeed in explaining this phenomena to the general public. The fact that she is also writing a “field guide” to this subculture seems to show a growing maturity among Otherkin (a maturity I have had trouble finding when I went looking at online communities).
The second controversial topic is animal sacrifice. Again she writes a clear chapter on the merits of animal sacrifice without shying away from issues of animal abuse and factory farming. I have some pretty strong feelings on the subject, I have been a Vegan for several years (and perfectly healthy if you must know), and have a strong spiritual commitment to that choice. So it may surprise some people to know that I have no problem with compassionate sacrifice for holy rights, or slaughtering your own meat for sustenance (though neither of those paths are mine). I think that our culture has lost all perspective involving the eating of meat, and I share the horror and dread of the factory farm industry (and government’s blind eye to the abuses committed) that any sensible small farmer already holds. Any action that can shock people into reawakening to where that burger comes from can only be a good thing. We have to move beyond being “thankful” for the animals we eat and move towards truly honoring the animals before they wind up processed in the grocery.
Lupa has managed to write a book that includes animal sacrifice and Otherkin that even a Pagan who has no affinity for either can enjoy. In the process she shows a way forward from contrived appropriations from Native cultures, and silly impractical ideas about animals and magic. I dare say this book comes closest to my personal practice (such as it is).
Tomorrow I will write about the third book in this series, Ross G.H. Shott’s “The Dark Arts of Immortality: Transformation Through War, Sex, & Magic”.
4 responses so far
Hey there again!
My turn now
First off, thanks again for taking the time to do the reviews, as well as address concerns.
Now as to this particular review…I’m glad you liked it overall. I wanted to try to write something besides the usual totem animal dictionary; I was a little uncertain at first as to whether to include some of the more controversial topics, particularly the chapter on the modern practice of animal sacrifice. However, I appreciate that you, as a vegan and person concerned with animal welfare, approved of how I handled the topic. I figure I’ll still get people who panic over its inclusion, but as I said in the intro, I wrote this from an amoral (not immoral) stance–I don’t get to make the ethical decisions of others for them.
I’m just going to address Otherkin in general, both in “Fang and Fur” and otherwise. While I am both pagan and Otherkin myself, I can’t speak for everyone in either group. In my upcoming work “A Field Guide to Otherkin” which you mentioned (and, for those interested, is slated for a March ‘07 publication date) I set myself the task of presenting an overview of that particular community with both Otherkin and non-Otherkin as an audience. A lot of this is because Otherkin are becoming more noticed in other subcultures, including the neopagan community, and there are sometimes misunderstandings on both ends as to the motives and definitions all around.
The fact that she is also writing a “field guide” to this subculture seems to show a growing maturity among Otherkin (a maturity I have had trouble finding when I went looking at online communities).
I think the Otherkin community (as with any other group) has the issue of having some very loud people with very strong opinions. I know pagans have talked for years about “Witch Wars”, but the thing is, this is normal behavior for all groups of people. I know quite a few Otherkin who I would consider to be very mature individuals. And keep in mind, too, that this is the internet–people in general have a tendency to be much bolder in their words when there’s the psychological “safety” of the computer screen; Gods know I’ve typed and hit send before I thought out what I was really conveying more times than I think even the Gods themselves can count!
As to my own writings, I try to make it very clear that I’m writing from my own perspective; the therianthropy material in FFBB stems from my own magical experimentations with that part of who I am, and is additionally quite unorthodox. The Field Guide, on the other hand, is my attempt to present a sampling of examples of what Otherkin believe and why we believe it, rather than being “The Ultimate Authority on Otherkin!!!” This particular subculture is highly individualized, so much so IMO that it sometimes makes the pagan community look almost monolithic. This can make it hard to really put a finger on who and what Otherkin are, because there really is no single standard or common thread beyond “We identify as something other than human in some manner”. Again, this can lead to misunderstandings, including the idea that “Otherkin” is a religion, that we all think we’re reincarnated royalty, etc. So I’m hoping that the Field Guide will help non-Otherkin get a little better idea of just what it is we’re about without coming across as dogmatic. I also included a complete annotated bibliography for further research, since the Field Guide isn’t intended to be the do-all and end-all of information on this particular subculture.
Anyway, enough rambling on that. I appreciated the feedback, both on my book and my comments on your review of Taylor’s books, as well as the mention of the Field Guide. Thank you again
Lupa
http://www.thegreenwolf.com
Hey,
Lupa, your book sounds interesting. I was wondering if you (either of you) have read Christine Wicker’s book “Not In Kansas Anymore”? She includes a chapter on attending an Otherkin convention, and I have to say that for a mainstream journalist she gives (as far as I could tell) a well balanced presentation of an easily sensationalizable (new word!) subject.
A thought about your Otherkin question of last year, a tad tangential….
Actually, most reporters would prefer the charity event (I speak as a member of the news-side of the press for eight years). The reason? We already deal with a ton of nutjobs, and would likely view the Otherkin as mentally ill, especially as few of them seem to group together for public purposes. Reporters understand the concept of a charity event and, while they prefer quirky, steer clear of the folks who seem seven bubbles off plumb.
Just a thought from my own experience, anyway.
Dawnpiper–
I have read the Otherkin chapter in Wicker’s book. My take on it is that while it could have been a lot worse, it could have been a lot better. It struck me as very….hmm….”touristy”. She really just kind of skimmed the surface and, IMO, totally missed the point. She seemed so wrapped up in the “exotic” aspect that I didn’t really feel like she figured out that we’re just people who have certain beliefs about ourselves. However, given that her audience was the general public, most of whom have probably never have even heard of Otherkin, and since she was covering a number of other topics in the book, it probably limited how much she could go into. It basically struck me as a very long newspaper article that you might find in the “odds and ends” section.
Still, she didn’t pull a “They’re all crazy!” stunt, and she did a good job of being relatively objective. Like I said–could have been worse, could have been better.
Lupa
http://www.thegreenwolf.com