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Pagan Portals - The Urban Ovate: The Handbook of Psychological Druidry
Presenting Druidry in an easy-to-understand way, making the concepts open to everyone. Pagan Portals - The Urban Ovate, continues the process started by Brendan Howlin in The Handbook of Urban Druidy by moving deeper into the life of an urban ovate.
80 pages, Paperback
Published November 25, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 9, 2018
The Urban Ovate gives a very basic snapshot of what an ovate training may include for those going through the OBOD course. There is a joke about Druids that captures one of the best aspects of this path:
- What happens when you ask 5 druids the same question?
- You get 10 answers.
This book hints towards this possibility but it is not demonstrating it by example. Every aspect it covers gets one point of view and a rather secular one for a book covering a spiritual practice. There are definitely some secular people following this path and this book might be a good start for these kind of people. Still, I would expect at least two points of view covered by a true Druid writer!
- What happens when you ask 5 druids the same question?
- You get 10 answers.
This book hints towards this possibility but it is not demonstrating it by example. Every aspect it covers gets one point of view and a rather secular one for a book covering a spiritual practice. There are definitely some secular people following this path and this book might be a good start for these kind of people. Still, I would expect at least two points of view covered by a true Druid writer!
November 30, 2018
This is the first book of Dr Holwin I have read and the first book on Druidry too. The book is part 2 of a series on Druidry written by the same author and there are often references to the first book, although you can (as I have) read this book as a stand-alone, since it is mainly focused on one major expect of Druidry, namely the psychological framework and mental benefits of druidic training.
Since I read this book out of sheer intellectual curiosity as I have a passion for spiritual traditions, philosophies and history, and I am not a pagan or a Druid myself (although my ancestors were mostly Celtics), my personal (rather detached) perspective is reflected in this review. If you are a pagan or a druid, you might find useful to read reviews from readers more familiar with the subject matter.
The psychological foundation of Druidry are explained in Dr Howlin’s book in a clear, succinct, no-nonsense style, without the mysticism and pretentiousness one might expect from a typical “spiritual handbooks” with a hooded and rather mysterious druid on the cover. The explanation of Druidry psychology follows the author’s own journey of self-discovery from a childhood in the East End of London to a present as an accomplished academic active in the field of theoretical and quantum chemistry.
There are frequent, very well narrated, anecdotes of the author’s research and teaching experience as well as clear explanation of genetic and environmental effects on the development of personality and behaviour. The biographical episodes that exemplify the author’s teachings are actually very interesting and often amusing, and do create a connection between the reader and the author through links with one’s own life experience.
The relationship between the author and the pagan deities is essentially one of respectful historical and psychological interest, quite devoid of mystical and typically religious connotations. The author’s very pragmatic advice to the readers (or aspiring druids) is to embrace what is useful in the tradition of (European) paganism and use their own reason and logic to determine what to keep and what to discard from it. The author’s own tolerance and respect for people’s own unique spiritual needs and psychological issues is evident and he is always very careful when suggesting spiritual and psychological practices and exercises.
Dr Howlin’s book might well be the pagan response to Professor Jordan Peterson’s “12 Rules of Life” and there are indeed similarities between Howlin’s theory of archetypes, applied to the Celtic Pantheon, and the Jungian reinterpretation of mythological and Biblical stories by Professor Peterson. We all live parallel lives (see Plutarch) and it is remarkable to observe those parallel lines converging sometimes in unpredictable ways and showing us, indeed, as the author of this book writes, that we might be all common descendants of the same 7 daughters of Eve.
Since I read this book out of sheer intellectual curiosity as I have a passion for spiritual traditions, philosophies and history, and I am not a pagan or a Druid myself (although my ancestors were mostly Celtics), my personal (rather detached) perspective is reflected in this review. If you are a pagan or a druid, you might find useful to read reviews from readers more familiar with the subject matter.
The psychological foundation of Druidry are explained in Dr Howlin’s book in a clear, succinct, no-nonsense style, without the mysticism and pretentiousness one might expect from a typical “spiritual handbooks” with a hooded and rather mysterious druid on the cover. The explanation of Druidry psychology follows the author’s own journey of self-discovery from a childhood in the East End of London to a present as an accomplished academic active in the field of theoretical and quantum chemistry.
There are frequent, very well narrated, anecdotes of the author’s research and teaching experience as well as clear explanation of genetic and environmental effects on the development of personality and behaviour. The biographical episodes that exemplify the author’s teachings are actually very interesting and often amusing, and do create a connection between the reader and the author through links with one’s own life experience.
The relationship between the author and the pagan deities is essentially one of respectful historical and psychological interest, quite devoid of mystical and typically religious connotations. The author’s very pragmatic advice to the readers (or aspiring druids) is to embrace what is useful in the tradition of (European) paganism and use their own reason and logic to determine what to keep and what to discard from it. The author’s own tolerance and respect for people’s own unique spiritual needs and psychological issues is evident and he is always very careful when suggesting spiritual and psychological practices and exercises.
Dr Howlin’s book might well be the pagan response to Professor Jordan Peterson’s “12 Rules of Life” and there are indeed similarities between Howlin’s theory of archetypes, applied to the Celtic Pantheon, and the Jungian reinterpretation of mythological and Biblical stories by Professor Peterson. We all live parallel lives (see Plutarch) and it is remarkable to observe those parallel lines converging sometimes in unpredictable ways and showing us, indeed, as the author of this book writes, that we might be all common descendants of the same 7 daughters of Eve.
November 30, 2016
Following on from his excellent Handbook of Urban Druidry Brendan Howlin brings us the Pagan Portals The Urban Ovate.
This is a personal guide to the Ovate stage of druidry with the author providing a structure of information, background and questions to guide you on your own personal journey.
Packed with excellent advice, guidance and prompts to kick your urban ovate energy into gear.
This is a personal guide to the Ovate stage of druidry with the author providing a structure of information, background and questions to guide you on your own personal journey.
Packed with excellent advice, guidance and prompts to kick your urban ovate energy into gear.
April 16, 2020
A slim little volume (like all of the Pagan Portals books) which acts as a great little introduction to ovate work. Recommended for anyone who has an interest in working through the OBOD Ovate course in particular.
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January 28, 2017Common sense stuff from a nice man with a 'thing' about birds
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews