The History of a book
It’s curious looking back at where I was then, and how much has changed. That was the winter Tom arrived in the UK, and we married. It was the winter before the narrowboat, at the beginning of a hard journey that would take me years and teach me some painful lessons about life. I thought I was broken then, but I was only beginning to be taken apart, and I had a long way to go before healing became an option.
That winter, we were living in a cottage belonging to my family. Seven out of the last 8 generations lived there, but now it’s no longer in family ownership, and houses have been built on the orchard behind it. I would not have chosen this, but I had no say. It was a cottage in much need of love and restoration, single glazed and with a woodstove for heating, we struggled with the coldest winter I have ever experienced. We got through it. During those hard, freezing days, with snow thick on the ground, I started writing Druidy and Meditation.
At that point I’d been writing Pagan articles, essays and blogs for years. I’d never attempted a non-fiction book before, though and the new challenge was a welcome distraction from the many things in life I did not want to have to think about. Writing took me back into good aspects of my history, private practice that I had always enjoyed, and groups that I’d run where I had mostly been happy in what I was doing.
Contemplation and pondering are very much part of Druidry for many Druids. Conscious engagement with the world, seeking relationship through empathy and exploration is key to what we do. There are a great many ways in which a person can meditate, so if your impression of meditation is of just sitting there trying to empty your mind, that’s only one of many options. I’ve been exposed to all kinds of traditions along the way, and have shared meditation with many different people. I’ve been a student far longer than I’ve been a teacher, and I’m still very much in the process of learning. There is always more to discover.
During February, my book, Druidry and Meditation is available on Kindle at the knockdown price of 99p.
You can also buy a discounted ebook version on amazon.com
I wrote that book with no idea if any publisher would take it, or whether anyone would read it, much less like it. At that point I didn’t have much of a name, the blog was small, and my self confidence was in tatters. It took all the courage I had at that time, to try it, and to hand it over. Moon Books offered me a home, and I haven’t looked back.
I’ve worked with many different publishers over the last fifteen years or so. Some barely talk to you. Some are more efficient than others. Some are supportive. Weirdly, some are not as focused on selling books as you might expect. In Moon Books I found a supportive publisher, and a community, and from that the encouragement to keep writing and exploring. The good experience I had in working with them influenced the choice to keep writing spiritual books. There have been two more since – Druidry and the Ancestors, and Spirituality without Structure. There will be a prayer book this year.
Three winters ago I was a lost soul with no sense of belonging here. My work and my choices have brought me into contact with people I value, and communities I feel proud to be part of. That’s been quite some journey, and it has changed me considerably.
