What makes this book so great is that ANYONE can use it. Any path or tradition whatsoever. THe author doesn't preach and tell you it has to be done a certain way. I'm so tired of books that tell you exactly how every little thing should be done as if the author is the only one who really has all the answers -- this book does not do that and it's perfect! The suggestions are excellent and REAL. The poetry is beautiful and not so far out your tongue will get tired trying to use it. This is a down to earth book on rituals that anyone can use and enjoy.

This book is supposed to be a quick reference guide for "Rituals of Life" and "Rituals of Nature". The differentiation as made by the author is that "Rituals of Life" are Rites of Passage - births, deaths, handfastings etc. "Rituals of Nature" are stated as daily events like sunrise and sunset, changing of seasons (changing of leaves, or first snow) and rituals of the elements, such as a Celebration of Air.

The book seems more general and very basic pagan. The book is laid out in chapters offering easy reference for what you want so you can find it fast.

Each event is broken down into basic components. Themes for the rituals are offered based on the situation. Some of them are a good place to start. While the author offers some basics, this is bare bones workings.

To her credit, the material is a good overview of the process. There are some good suggestions for starting points. And the material is generic enough that anyone of any spiritual path can pick this book up and use it.

I wanted to look at this book in two ways. First, I wanted to see it as a quick reference for situations that come up suddenly and you are looking for a quick reference.

Or this could be looked at as a basic "everything" guide without having to have other books. All the information you might need is collected here so you don't need an extensive library. For the individual who practices alone and does not have a budget to use on books that offer guidance and assistance with specific events, well, this might be ok. But if I saw a High Priestess or community Elder pull out this book to do a Handfasting or a Maidening, I would not be too confident in their abilities.

What I did find interesting were the "Rituals of Nature". While sunrise or sunset move me to a daily ritual, meteor showers would not.

If you are looking for a simple, basic first guide to inspiring and working different types of rituals, and you have no budget for books, you can do better than this one, but it wouldn't hurt if you did pick this one up. There are basics here to work with. But you might also find yourself looking for something more. boudica