Glimpses at the Gods
Community Book Announcement - Accepting Submissions
Last year, the Fellowship released its first published book: Rituals from the North. This book contained our thoughts on the nature of ritual, as well as a large compilation of rituals held within our community. Many have reached out to us since publication thanking us for the work and expressing that the rituals have inspired their own personal practice. One idea that I have been reflecting on since the book’s release is how most of the reading material for modern pagans is informational rather than experiential. Of course, pagans love hoarding information just as much as we love hoarding bones and stones. There is great value in learning all that we can from the scant information that has survived about the pagan worshippers of the past, from their culture to their mythology. Rituals from the North, however, had a healthy dose of the experiential: these rituals may have been inspired by the customs of the past in many cases, but they were rooted in the experiences of a community whose heart beats in the present. Each ritual in the book was accompanied by thoughts and feelings about the ritual from the author and included a section suggesting ideas about how the ritual could be adapted for the individual reader’s practice.
The past is important, but we live in the present. As do the gods – they walk among us still. In that spirit, we are proud to announce that we are accepting submissions for our second book: Glimpses at the Gods. The concept is this: for as many gods and goddesses as possible, we hope to provide a handful of personal experiences with that deity from a practicing pagan. The purpose of the book is to provide new pagans, or even experienced pagans reaching out to a new deity, an idea of the nature of the god or goddess – what signs they send, how they communicate or appear in trance, in what aspects of life they can offer aid, and more. We hope that this book, like Rituals of the North, will serve valuably to both new and experienced pagans alike. We also hope this book serves as a testament to the fact that the gods still move among us. Their words are still whispered to worshippers at altars across the land; their messages still flow like rivers amidst the trees, waiting to catch the eye of those who know to look.
Most of all, I hope that you consider submitting your story to be published in this book. What kind of stories are we looking for? Some guidelines:
In general, we are looking for stories of personal experiences with gods and goddesses that offer enlightenment into the nature of the deity. These can be a single occurrence, or more of a gradual story about how your relationship with the deity has grown over time. Did you receive words of wisdom from Njord whilst meditating at the beach? Has your relationship with Freyja over time led to some intense personal growth? Did Odin appear to you in trance and leave you with a quest, wisdom, or mystery? The goal is to give other pagans insight into the nature of the deity – write with this audience and goal in mind! Your submission should be a “glimpse at the god.” It should formatted as your story, your experience, not a bulleted list. If vivid descriptions are not in your usual repertoire as a writer, consider stepping outside your comfort zone. I think you’ll be glad you did.
These should be experiences that you are comfortable being shared publicly in the book. We are happy to accredit you as the author of the experience, or list the submission as anonymous, as you prefer.
As most of our members follow the Nordic pantheon, we will be giving preference to experiences with those deities. We will be accepting experiences with deities from other pantheons, particularly the Celtic pantheon, but please understand that our space will be limited. If we receive a large number of experiences with deities from other pantheons, we will be grateful, but it will be harder to include them all, and we thank you for understanding. Submissions about more “obscure” gods and goddesses are not only allowed, but encouraged! The deities about whom we know little from the “source material” can often be more daunting to reach out to – sharing your experience could help change that.
Please try to keep your submission between 300 and 2000 words. Entries will not be disqualified for being below or above the suggested word count, but if we receive too many submissions, length will be one of the criteria used to decide which make it into the book.
You may send multiple submissions. Please send each submission separately.
Understand that your entry may be lightly edited for grammar and clarity. More significant edits, if needed, will be a collaborative process with the editor.
We look forward to receiving your submissions. All those who offer up their experiences should take pride in strengthening the foundation on which pagans in both the present and future can stand. The expected publication date is late October; please have your submissions in by the end of August.
Submissions and questions may be emailed to: logan.northerntraditions@gmail.com
Blessings,
The Fellowship
