There is a new book out, I haven't read it, but it does sound very interesting.

A Pagan Testament: The Literary Heritage of the World's Oldest New Religion by Brendan Mayers. The book's blurb-

Pagans often claim that their spiritual inspiration comes not from a written scripture but from personal experience and original creativity. Yet, there are many written works which also constitute its testament. Some of them are thousands of years old, such as the "Descent of Ishtar", and "The Homeric Hymn to Demeter". Others are more recent, such as "The Charge of the Goddess". "A Pagan Testament" collects these original works together, along with the poetry and prose that inspired the founders of the modern Pagan movement. It also includes the largest collection of circle songs and wisdom teachings ever published, which are the Pagan equivalent of the Biblical Psalms and Proverbs. They were collected by the author in a survey of Pagan folklore, from almost 2,000 people in twelve countries around the world. They show that Paganism is continually expanding and developing. Finally, the book includes an original and valuable philosophical commentary and interpretation.


What songs, myths, poems, prose, chants, etc would you want to put into a book like this?

MD

The Song of Amerghin, in its entirety.

The Ballad of Tam Lin

The Mabinogian, and Sumerian stuff. And some obscure folk songs and Gaelic prayers. And stuff my Granny told me.

oooh, yeah.

And a history of Biddy Early

I am a free spirit, I will live my life at all times in honour of the God and Goddess. I will revere, honour and respect them. I will live in harmony with nature; I will love and cherish the planet as I do the Gods. I am born of the Earth, the wind, the stars and the sky.

I believe that I have lived many times before; in my quest to avoid rebirth I will harm no other; even my foes and those who wound me; I will never harm by the art magickal; my enemies have their lessons to learn as have I. Every negative thought; every curse that I transmit will return to me threefold. For this reason I will never eat the flesh of my innocent brothers and sisters of the animal kingdom.

I respect and gaze in wonder at polarity; those marvellous complimentary aspects of existence that manifest throughout nature and the universe. I see Sun and moon, I see spring and autumn , summer and winter, I see night and day, I see male and female; everywhere I look I marvel at the sacred mysteries of duality. Surely god my creator and my source of power must be as male and female? Surely male and female must dwell in every human spirit regardless of physical gender? Though mere mortals cannot comprehend the glory of god ; I can visualise my Gods as being of their own creation.

As time goes by I am grateful for the experience of life (and lives!) and I grow older but wiser. I fear not old age for I know and am grateful for the knowledge and the wisdom that it will bring. When my time comes as I know it must I will pass willingly to the Summerlands to be refreshed and to await rebirth if that is the will of the Lord and Lady and if 'tis my destiny.

I will honour the changing seasons of the year; I will revere each new season as the wheel of the year turns. I will rotate my meditations with the wheel; and i will dance with the Lord and Lady.

Once in the month and better it be when the moon is full, I will collect myself in silent meditation; I will work the sacred Magic to bring healing to those in pain or who may be suffering mentally or physically. I will cast the holy circle to bring hope to those in despair, to counteract greed, black magic and corruption; and I will work to restrain those who would exploit and defile my beloved Earth Mother. I will work against materialism and to restore spirituality to my brethren. I will not work for money nor idle material gain.

I will ever revere and worship the threefold Goddess of the moon and My Lord the sun God. But nevertheless I accept that my path is not the only road to god and to spiritual realisation. A single tree may have hundreds if not thousands of roots; all leading back to the same mighty trunk. The same trunk may have many branches. So all religious paths lead to the same ultimate source. To this end I am a pagan, a christian, a buddhist, a hindu and a confucianist to name only a few. My religion is my sprituality, and I will respect the faiths of others for I know that truth may be found in any spiritual path if only one takes the trouble to seek it out.

I seek and speak with the Gods in all things. They are in the wind, the heavens, mountains, in the Earth, streams; they are in the stars and the cosmos as a whole. I am in them and they in I. The Gods are a universal force that powers storms and turns the Earth on its axis; they are the force which energises the universe and drives the lifeblood through my veins. Be happy and you will find their wisdom. Be wise and you will be happy.

Walk with the Lord and Lady. Worship them. Work the sacred Magic in their names. Adore them and you will be sure that they will never forget you.

Blesses Be

Peter Nash

Agree with many of the above. Also - the poems of Taliesin and the Orphic hymns. Surely some of the Sagas should be there too...

gwyn eich byd

Ffred

Keeping in mind the time it was written and it's Stoic philosophy:

http://classics.mit.edu/Antoninus/meditations.html

A lot (but not all) of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

Marto

Seems like it will be quite similar to the Paganism Reader by Chas Clifton.

I would like to see the Element Chant - cheesy but pleasant.

Oh, and the Burning Times song. I hate the bloody thing, but it seems to have become part of paganism.

'We All Come From The Goddess'

*runs away*

Heheheh.

'Stairway To Heaven'.

If we're going down that road then 'Bat out of Hell'

BB

Mike