Post by mabinogishan on Jan 21, 2016 6:16:03 GMT -1
Greetings all. This has been a welcome find.
I am both a lifelong priestess (and a long life it has been) as well as more recently an academic working on a PhD. In both modes my central focus is the Mabinogi, the Welsh traditions. (I do also have affections and interests in Inanna, Bast, Lucifer and Kuan Yin.)
As a priestess I founded and ran a national (UK) temple called House of the Goddess which networked Pagans and the likeminded across the UK, and initiated the first national Pagan festival, held annually over a weekend of displays, stalls, talks, trance dance and ritual, in London. (1985 - 2001). I wrote several books including Circlework: DIY Handbook of ritual, which was not just recipes, but a guide on how to create your own rituals.
As an academic my PhD dissertation is about Rhiannon, revealing her as much more complex and less romantic than she first appears! Also about restructuring the Four branches of the Mabinogi as a Triad, and finally tracing how Rhiannon can offer a personal vision as an avatar.
I am right now about to write an article for Trilithon about bridging the personal creative vision, and academic research.
I do not myself find this a problem but many do.
Academics can be narrow and snobbish, but their skills of being careful, putting together a mosaic of knowledge, are fascinating. It's slow work but so exciting when bits suddenly fit together.
Some Pagan writers are reluctant to make it clear they are writing a personal view. They state something as if it is universally true when it is really a personal truth. Personal vision can be wildly inaccurate in academic terms, but awen truth is ultimately the most valuable of all.
I hope that makes it clear I respect both academic work and personal vision, while finding annoyances in both! I would love to hear your thoughts as I put together my article; if I quote you I will of course credit you.
I will post part of this elsewhere to try and attract interest as I do think this is an important issue, so I want to write a good article.
I am both a lifelong priestess (and a long life it has been) as well as more recently an academic working on a PhD. In both modes my central focus is the Mabinogi, the Welsh traditions. (I do also have affections and interests in Inanna, Bast, Lucifer and Kuan Yin.)
As a priestess I founded and ran a national (UK) temple called House of the Goddess which networked Pagans and the likeminded across the UK, and initiated the first national Pagan festival, held annually over a weekend of displays, stalls, talks, trance dance and ritual, in London. (1985 - 2001). I wrote several books including Circlework: DIY Handbook of ritual, which was not just recipes, but a guide on how to create your own rituals.
As an academic my PhD dissertation is about Rhiannon, revealing her as much more complex and less romantic than she first appears! Also about restructuring the Four branches of the Mabinogi as a Triad, and finally tracing how Rhiannon can offer a personal vision as an avatar.
I am right now about to write an article for Trilithon about bridging the personal creative vision, and academic research.
I do not myself find this a problem but many do.
Academics can be narrow and snobbish, but their skills of being careful, putting together a mosaic of knowledge, are fascinating. It's slow work but so exciting when bits suddenly fit together.
Some Pagan writers are reluctant to make it clear they are writing a personal view. They state something as if it is universally true when it is really a personal truth. Personal vision can be wildly inaccurate in academic terms, but awen truth is ultimately the most valuable of all.
I hope that makes it clear I respect both academic work and personal vision, while finding annoyances in both! I would love to hear your thoughts as I put together my article; if I quote you I will of course credit you.
I will post part of this elsewhere to try and attract interest as I do think this is an important issue, so I want to write a good article.
Your work with Rhiannon and the Mabinogi sounds really interesting. I left academia part way through my PhD on William Blake and Imagination. My path as an awenydd and Brythonic Polytheist certainly blends vision and academic work so I think we'd have quite a lot on common. I checked out your web-site which looks like an interesting developing research. I like the way you've brought Pwyll and Arawn to life with pictures.
