Northern Traditions (Paperback)

Northern Traditions is an ongoing publication edited by Gwendolyn Toynton, and contains a collection of material from both Traditional and contemporary sources, encompassing a viewpoint that is intended to be both scholastic and for the spiritual practitioner. Northern Traditions contains articles on the indigenous pagan Traditions of Northern Europe. Authors include Matt Hajduk, Juleigh Howard-Hobson, Amy Johanna Ahlberg, S.R. Hardy, Christopher A. Smith, Stephen Borthwick and Gwendolyn Toynton. Content level is semi-academic and ranges from in-depth mythological studies and translations of texts through to ritual reconstruction. The book is divided into two halves, with one section containing Traditional and historic content. The second half of the book is dedicated to contemporary practice and issues relating to the spiritual practice of Northern Traditions in the modern era. Topics dealt with include a detailed exegesis of Voluspa, examinations of key figures in the Northern mythos such as Odin, Forseti, Tyr and Loki, herbal and botanical uses of plants, ritual reconstruction and ideas for contemporary practice. By combining academic level material with practical work the aim of the book is to take contemporary pagan practices to a new level where they can be accepted as a serious spiritual movement. The second volume of Northern Traditions is now under production for publication for 2012.