Circe’s Cauldron: Pagan Poems and Tales of Magic and Witchcraft

Edited by Rebecca Buchanan

Price: $10.99 (paperback) 
Publication Date: 1 February 2020
Place of Publication: Asheville, North Carolina
Dimensions: 5×8
Pages: 180 pp
ISBN: 979-8605368342

Aradia. Brigid. Ceridwen. Circe. Enki. Freyja. Hekate. Isis. Medea. Myrddin. Nimüe. Selene. Taliesin.

These are just a few of the Goddesses, Gods, witches, sorcerers, and bards honored in polytheist traditions around the world. Unlike secular publications, the stories related here — whether derived from ancient sources or modern creations — are a form of worship; or, at the very least, a show of respect and an acknowledgement of the power of these more-than-human Beings. Here, you will find poems and tales which draw upon the traditions of ancient Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia, Rome, and Scandinavia; medieval Ireland, Italy, and Wales; and modern Western suburbs and backroads and byways. Some of these poems and tales celebrate the Powers That Be, while others offer cautionary examples, reminding us that we are dealing with beings who have their own agency, their own agenda, and that their interests do not always align with those of mortals.

So find a quiet moment to sit down and lose yourself in these poems and tales of Gods and Goddesses and nymphs and wizards — after all, stories are magic.

Circe’s Cauldron is the latest in Bibliotheca Alexandrina‘s line of fiction anthologies. It can be purchased in paperback through Amazon, and will be available in multiple digital formats shortly.

All of the proceeds from Circe’s Cauldron – as well as many of the other volumes in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina series – will be used to help promote the revival of the worship of the ancient Gods, with a portion of the proceeds given to worthy charitable organizations in their name.  So, not only will you be getting an imaginative collection of tales – but your money will be going to do good work and help the revival of ancient polytheistic religions.

ATTENTION Librarians, Teachers and Retailers: the print version of Circe’s Cauldron will also available at reduced cost for academic institutions, lending libraries (public and private) and retailers. Email baeditor@gmail.com with any questions.

We are rebuilding the Library of Alexandria one book at a time!

Table of Contents

Dedication

L’Envoûteuse (The Sorceress) by Georges Merle … 2

From the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief by Rebecca Buchanan … 7

The Alchemist’s Side of the Story by Marie C. Lecrivain … 9

Allegory by James B. Nicola … 11

Aradia by Hayley Arrington … 12

Brigid by Lee Clark Zumpe … 13

Ceridwen by Rebecca Buchanan … 14

Circe, Starweaving by Clarabelle Fields … 19

Daoine Sidhe by Lee Clark Zumpe … 21

Fleurs du Mal by Ed Ahern … 22

Full Moon Over the Crossroads by Gerri Leen … 43

The Girl in the Moonlight by Gerri Leen … 51

Goddess of Pohjola by Tahni J. Nikitins … 53

Greatest (x3) by Rebecca Buchanan … 58

Hecate by Lee Clark Zumpe … 60

Hecate (Detail from Jupiter and Semele) by Gustave Moreau … 61

Hecate’s Domain by Gerri Leen … 62

Hekate Song by Todd Jackson … 64

Hodh by Shirl Sazynski … 65

Hymn to Freyja VI by Rebecca Buchanan … 73

Hymn to Hekate II by Rebecca Buchanan … 74

Enki by Samuel David … 75

I, Adapa by Samuel David … 76

Inside the Circle by Nick Thompson … 121

Invocation to Medea by Hayley Arrington … 122

Magic of the Magician by Chelsea Luellon Bolton … 123

Myrddin by Lee Clark Zumpe … 128

Nimüe by Hayley Arrington … 129

Nitokris by Ashley Dioses … 131

Pyramids of Giza by David Roberts … 133

Orphic Archeology by Mark J. Mitchell … 134

Priestess by James B. Nicola … 141

The Resting Place by Gerri Leen … 142

Triple-Bodied Hecate by John Cosway … 144

Selene by Gerri Leen … 145

The Sleeping Forest by Rebecca Buchanan … 146

The Spell of the Sorceress Grimhild by Sarah Yasin … 149

Strega by Nancy Byrne Iannucci … 150

Diana by Simon Vouet … 152

Taliesin by Hayley Arrington … 153

Villanelle: Odysseus’ Afterwords by Todd Jackson … 154

Witching Hour in the Suburbs: A Devotional Poem to Hekate by Clarabelle Fields … 155

Young Circe Discovering Witchcraft by Clarabelle Fields … 158

Appendix A: Select Deities and Other Figures … 160

Appendix B: Our Contributors … 166

Appendix C: About Bibliotheca Alexandrina — Current Titles — Forthcoming Titles … 174