The 21 Lessons of Merlyn: A Study in Druid Magic & Lore

by Douglas Monroe

The Complete Course in Authentic Celtic Druidism

For those with an inner drive to touch genuine Druidism—or who feel that the lore of King Arthur touches them personally—The 21 Lessons of Merlyn will come as an engrossing adventure and psychological journey into history and magic. Here is a masterful reconstruction of Celtic Mythology and Arthurian Legend combined into a program of practical instruction in Mythical Thinking and Magical Techniques.
The 21 Lessons of Merlyn is a complete introductory course in Celtic Druidism, packaged within the framework of 21 authentic and expanded story-lessons.

Genres: Paganism, Occult, Witchcraft, Fantasy, Spirituality, Magic, Wicca

418 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

21 Lessons is allegedly based on the secret teachings of Merlin, as revealed through the Welsh Book of Pheryllt; however this is nothing but a ploy to draw the reader in - the Book of Pheryllt is a well known forgery and there aren't any existing "ancient" lessons of Merlin. Rather the author seems to use these claims to set up his own authenticity as a teacher of true ancient Druidry while actually inventing a system almost whole cloth. I say almost because the author does include at least one "ancient" chant stolen from the 1981 movie Excalibur; anyone familiar with the movie should recognize it right away.
I found this book was not worth reading as well because it was poorly researched and is full of historical inaccuracies and anachronisms. There is little to no actual Celtic mythology or material in the book at all, which is clearly a problem. Monroe at various points asserts that the ancient Druids were vegetarians and that Easter was a Druidic festival to the Goddess Ishtar, neither of which is either true or even possible. He mentions pumpkins as if they were a native European plant when they aren't and also talks about using pumpkin flowers at Samhain, long after the plant has stopped flowering. Worse than all of that though is Monroe's deep-seated misogyny which is displayed throughout the book. For example in 21 Lessons the Druids are divided by gender based on the theory that men generate magical power but women can only gain it by taking it from a man, something that not only makes no sense but goes against basic Celtic cosmology which says that all beings have their own power and which tends to see women as specifically holding the keys to sovereignty and the power of the land.
It may well have spiritual value for some people - as does The Mists of Avalon, another Arthurian novel - but it loses credibility with me for trying to pass itself off as nonfiction. The argument put forth by some supporters of the book that anyone who criticizes it is not enlightened enough to truly understand it is typical of books that can't back up what they claim - since there is no "ancient" document or tradition of Merlin's lessons, which are entirely the author's invention, the only possible defense is to denigrate the spirituality of the books detractors. It might have been alright as an Arthurian novel except for the fact that by passing itself of as legitimate "ancient Druid" teachings I feel that it is actually hurting modern Druidry and Celtic spirituality by misleading people who are new to the spirituality. This book, in fact, has little to do with any actual ancient Druidry and even less to do with modern Druidry, and is worth reading only as a poorly written novel.
If you like Arthurian fiction I'd recommend the The Mists of Avalon series and for studies on ancient Druidry try Hutton's the The Druids or his Blood and Mistletoe or Markale's The Druids: Celtic Priests of Nature. For modern Druidry Brendan Meyers' Mysteries of Druidry, Bonewit's Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism or Carr-Gomm's Druid Mysteries: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century would be a good start.

[Dave/Maggie Bean · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one's a hoot.

From the historical, anthropological, archaeological, and folkloric standpoints, it's utterly worthless. It is however, a goldmine for armchair psychologists.

And I've given the author an extra star for sheer chutzpah: Passing off a bad transliteration of the "Charm of Making" (from the movie _Excalibur_) as an authentic, Druid incantation takes gonads.

[Robyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I first read this book in my teens, I believed nearly every word, and went to work memorizing the rituals and poetry to incorporate into my own practice. As time went on, however, I began to research this book, and found quite a few sites pointing out historical inaccuracies, and tons of other factual errors. I had been feeling a lot of ambivelence toward the material however, because of it's blatant misogyny, and it's purporting to know so much about druids when there is very little written record left of them. I was willing to shrug it off, or to "pick around the bad bits".

But the more I looked at it, the more I realized that it was just a sign of systematized sloppy thinking. One may be able to laugh off the idea of druids using pumpkin blossoms in a traditional druidic drink, since the druids had never seen a pumpkin, and no European did until they were shown the fruit by the native Americans. Less funny is realizing that the exotic sounding incantations in the book mostly come from movies, or are complete gibberish when translated. One of them is actually the nursery song "Mary Had a Little Lamb". Least funny of all is the idea of being poisoned. Mistletoe leaves may have some therapeutic uses, but the berries can be deadly. It's definitely not a plant that should be used at all by a person who has little to no experience, nor should a book encourage a beginner to go and blithely start doling out poison as medicine.

All of that aside, this can be a very useful book, and an entertaining story if taken with the proper amount of skepticism. However, despite the title and apparent intention of the book, this is not something to give to a beginner. Some practitioners with experience may be able to wring something useful from this, if they're careful, and cross check everything Mr. Monroe says. Others who might be considering it, just google the name of the book, and read the criticism before you start. It's best not to approach this book in ignorance.

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a typical Llewellyn book: Not well-researched, edited or put together. Lots of recycled material (most of which is found in Buckland’s Complete Guide to Witchcraft) presented in quasi-fictional form of a conversation between the first-person author and Merlyn of the Arthurian legends. But wait, did I say most of the stuff came from Buckland’s book? Wouldn’t that make this a Wiccan book and not a Druidic resource? I would say yes.

Whereas this might be used as a reference of ideas for rituals and for pronunciation of Welsh, Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaelic words (though he even got many of THOSE wrong when I compared them with native speakers via the internet), but is of little use to eclectic pagans and those leaning toward Druidry otherwise. Not a recommended book to be given to anyone new to the path, but will probably be read by the new-age, airy-fairy druidic wannabe or your local World of Warcraft addict.

On the back cover of the book, Douglas Monroe makes the following “promises”:
You will…
- learn practical founding principles of authentic Druidism
- receive clear and detailed instruction in Druid Rituals only mentioned elsewhere in Celtic lore
- experience authentic Druidism based upon history rather than fantasy
- open doors to entirely new realms of perceptual experiences and insight
- if you dare, actually manipulate the very foundations of physical reality

When you stop laughing, I will cover the first through third items: The first two are patently and obviously false just by flipping through the book as each chapter of the book begins with a fictional conversation between Merlyn and his protégé’s as conceived by the author – which answers the third item.

Nowhere on the ADF or OBOD site will you find this book recommended. In fact, they will laugh at you if you tell them this book was the first one you read. Worse, there is a harsh critique of the book by Lisa Spangenberg, a noted Druid, researcher and blogger about Celtic and Medieval history. She provided a “guest review” by Ceisiwr Serith (“A Book Of Pagan Prayer”) to review the book. You can find that review here: http://digitalmedievalist.com/reviews/. There was another review by ADF founding member, Isaac Bonewits that basically calls this book “hogwash.” You can find THAT review here: http://www.neopagan.net/21-Lessons.html

At best, it may be an entertaining way to read Buckland’s book, but it has very little to do with actual Druidism. I didn’t find it on the ADF or OBOD “recommended reading” lists and, given what Bonewits had to say, you probably never will.

[David]

I don't know why I let this into my library. Probably because someone gave it to me for free. Total crap. While you're at it, just stay away from any other book that spells Merlin with a "y." Real Druids will appreciate the trees you saved by not supporting the continued printing of this book and its ilk.

[Amber Vance · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually liked this book. Now I will note that AT LEAST 2/3 of it are total bullshit. But I am a Merlin fan, so I enjoyed reading the stories of the interactions between him and the boy Arthur. Just as long as you don't plan on taking up Druidism after reading it (as you'd be hopelessly confused and pretty much wasting your time) it's a decent read, if you ask me. And if the author would have left out his own "teachings" and interpretations of the old ways, it could have been even better.

[Fernanda Sarcasmo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Últimamente he sentido mucha curiosidad por la cultura celta y me recomendaron éste libro.
Me gustó porque está fácil de leer y te da una probadita de todo, además de que después de cada capítulo te resume y te habla sobre los símbolos y significados de cada una de las cosas.
Es un libro muy completo pero le doy 3 estrellas porque tiende a ser muy tedioso o cansado

[Onyx · Rating 2 out of 5]

A long time ago, someone bought this book and was shocked that a few things taught in advanced class (now intermediate class) was found there, stuff no one was supposed to know about. The teacher, after reading it himself, advised the class not to read it because they weren't ready yet for what was there...the students needed more what he termed "foundation." After a while, though, he felt that they were prepared enough to read it. I myself bought the book later, but didn't read it until now.
Yeah, I ended up being as shocked as the other students were who first read it. But I was equally as shocked at just how much misinformation it contained. There was so much of both so mixed together that I wouldn't even advise anyone to depend on it for reliable information on Druidism. It kind of sucks that way that a book so ill-written could be published and passed off as totally the real deal without the publishers looking askance at the writer.
Let's start with the story form being used as a teaching tool. First off, let me say that the narrative was boring and two-dimensional until you get through over half-way through the book. Then it starts picking up and getting interesting. I was about to post a early review that the book was about as uninteresting as The Celestine Prophecy, with only moments of brilliance. I'm kind of glad that I resisted the temptation now. I'm also glad that I didn't just give up, put the book down, and walk away. The story ended up being that good....you just had to wait for it.
But in spite of the claims made that he has all this experience behind him which makes him qualified to write on this subject, I'm afraid it takes a trained eye that knows what to look for to realize that the author is not only of not much Bardic worth, nor does he quite know what he's talking about, but he brutally destroys into submission his subject matter using story, poetry, and song. It's like, wtf? And why?
Second, the beginning of the book speaks of so many inaccuracies that it bordered on the obscene. Take the part that states that the Ovates and Bards were allowed to marry, but the Druids had to remain celibate for their spiritual good. (Did he know what he was talking about??) Either he didn't know, nor did he bother to explain, that the way they saw marriage back then and the way we generally see it now were probably very different, especially before the coming of the Roman Catholic Church. I doubt they saw commitment in the same way. Then there's the matter of Druid celibacy. Anyone who knows anything about the natural Druid would know that for them to follow the code of celibacy is for them to be asking for trouble....the kind of trouble you now find within both Catholic and Protestant churches now. If Druids were really people of Nature, you would anticipate them to act like the Nature they are supposed to be aligned with....in other words you would anticipate them to be getting laid all the time, every day, all their lives. They would be procreating like rabbits, cats, and salmon. For them to devote their lives to celibacy would be to condemn their lives to insanity...and even warfare. And isn't that what lifetime celibacy mostly turns people into; mean, hateful, violent, judgmental devotees, hungry for power more than hungry for life? Druids would probably look more for the balance in life, rather than the destruction of it. But this is what you have with pent-up unexpressed natural desires of any kind...the kind that's more the marks of the Church than it would be of Druids. And Monroe seems to confuse the Druids with Catholic priests...a lot; way too much...so much that makes me uneasy.
Also, even though Monroe seems to make note that the Druid priesthood in general consists of both males and females, he separates them into their own camps, saying that this is historical and traditional. That might be so, but I doubt it's to the extreme he makes it out to be. Furthermore, he turns men into untouched virgins, while women are viewed as becoming sluts sooner or later, fulfilling the maiden-mother-crone triad archetype, symbolized by the Moon. Women are weak, seductive, passive, can't-be-trusted femme fatales, all the stereotypes that have been passed down through the centuries and propagated by none other than Christianity, in the form of the Roman Catholic Church in the West. In short, women should be avoided like the plague if men want to maintain their purity.
What? Women get to have sex and men don't? And women get to be slut-shamed for it? Even if it's natural? It's a serious role reversal of what you find in secular society now.
What Monroe isn't saying can be easily understood...men are so much better than women.
But Druid men end up having all this pent-up anger and frustration, yet women are looked down upon for their promiscuity. Monroe's inaccurate view of Druidism isn't the kind of Druidism I would want to follow, no matter how utopian it looks on paper. In reality, it would look like....like the lives of celibate monks and demonized sluts.
What I give Monroe credit for is that he recognizes Druidism and Wicca are one and the same, that Witches and Druidesses, Wizards and Druids, are the same thing, that they all came from the same place. Then he screws it up by saying the Wicca branch follows a predominately female current, while Druidism proper ought to be exclusively male....Monroe advocates the ritual separation of the sexes. Historical Druidism doesn't have evidence for that.
Of course there are more problems...the use of punkins and golden seal, both Native American plants that Celtic peoples didn't know about back then; naming Ishtar, a black goddess from the Middle East, as one of of the Celtic goddesses; rituals that are used by Wicca, ceremonial magicians, or both, but are certainly not of Druid origin; using mistletoe as a harmless medicine (Uh...it's poisonous...); and reference to the Spells of Making (Hint: One of those is NOT a Spell of Making. I wouldn't suggest you even try it, or you might regret it.)
Then there's the slaying of the shadow self (as in the story of Merlyn and his twin brother Morlyn)....anyone who knows anything about shamanism, and traditional Druidism would have been considered a Celtic form of shamanism....would probably know you are not only supposed to face your demons (the shadow self), but struggle with them until you recognize that they are not demons after all, but vital parts of you that have been made into enemies but are, in reality, very much your allies. You don't kill the shadow. To do that is to kill a part of yourself. But Monroe is clueless about that, which makes him the equivalent of a quack, a dangerous one at that.
But last, not least, is where he draws his source material for his research. Yes, he does list his references near the back of the book, which number 59 altogether, and these sources probably do exist in real life, but there's one source he doesn't mention...the one he refers to a lot. And that is something called the Book of Pheryllt.
I was initially excited to know that such a book existed where he got the amazing information from. So halfway through the book, I decided to go online and try to find out more about it. To my horror, I discovered from a number of websites, including Issac Bonewits', an author who I respect, that no such book exists, and no such book ever existed.
Needless to say, I felt ripped off. It was pretty much unanimous from the reviewers' points of view, Monroe's book was a major fraud, that the "Book of Pheryllt" Monroe referred constantly to was actually called The Book of Virgil, which in reality, referred to someone Greek who was considered a magician, and none of the stuff Monroe wrote about ever came from the book.
To make matters worse, when I got near to the end of the book, it said:
"....you should be willing to work through the System -- to play the Druids' grand games of learning--after which the BOOK OF THE PHERYLLT can be acquired....earned, as a symbol of accomplishment and initiation. It can be properly had in no other way......"
To me, it sounded suspiciously like the golden tablets that Joseph Smith found buried under a tree in New York State, with which he went on to found the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (The Mormons.)
Scary, isn't it?
In looking back, I began to wonder if all this book was is a just ploy, an introduction, a marketing scheme for a new kind of Druidism in which he's the leader of, wanting others to join his religion. That's dirty in my opinion if it is, and by trying to copy such people as Gerald Gardener, Robert Heinlein, or even L. Ron Hubbard, he has done a sloppy job of an attempt to form some new cult. Yes, the book has some good stuff in it...excellent, brilliant stuff. And the closer you got to the end, the better it got. But I later found out that all this was was common witchcraft knowledge in Britain and Ireland....everybody over there knows about it, where here in the United States, it's fresh new wisdom! Wow, what idiots we turned out to be, ripe for the picking! That is, those of us who became enthralled over this book.
So is the book a piece of junk? Not entirely. But like I said before, unless you have a trained eye for it, it's nearly impossible to separate the real stuff from counterfeit, or even the half-way counterfeit. For now, I'll just say that unless you're down for a decent story or unless you know what you're doing, I suggest you leave the book where you found it. As it stands, those in the modern Druid world have already said that this book has already done a lot of damage to the perception of Druidism that has been hard to rectify. And even though I read this book late, I say I would agree. However, I hope to read Monroe's other two books on the subject (yes, even after all this, he wrote two more!) and then tell you what I think about them.

[Gwyn Crowe · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can tell this book was published 30 years ago and it isn't in a very good way.

The Good
There's good bits of wisdom found within the pages like stumbling upon a needle in the hay mountain. A lot of it is generic but there's some genuinely thought provoking things in there. The fictional sections of the chapters are also fairly well written and interesting.

The Bad
There is so much wrong in the book. Just outright falsehoods tied in with multiple mentions of the ills of christanity and the Celts being descendant from Atlantis, which is mention on page 2 and even later stated by Merlin himself as if he knew about it. The first of the problems is the author's attitude towards said issues:

... my concern is not how authentic my sources are; this, one may only guess at, but rather how effective their philosophies and methodologies ...(Monroe, The Lost Books of Merlyn)

So if you approach this as a thought exercise and nothing more, that's fine. You might get something out of it. But the book isn't summarized or advertised as that - it calls itself an "instuctory course in Celtic Druidism".
Onto specifics. This book is Wiccan. It's not even subtle about it either. So long as you've read enough or existed in the pagan space for more than six months you'd know that this is the gender-essentialist and hetero-normative Wicca of the 1990s. It even has soft polytheism shoved in there on top of that. The sexism and reinforcement of the binary are in basically every chapter and it's actively detracts from the information you could potentially want. Despite the lessons Arthur learns being about accepting himself and his destiny there's nothing for anyone that's not a white man. The Christanity in the book matters for three seconds and accepts Pagan teachings for a boy who would have grown up to become a monk.
Dangerously, the herbs in the book aren't give any warnings. No mention of Saint John's Wort being potentially deadly to those taking anti-depressants. No mention that all parts of American Mistletoe (not European, which is very different) are toxic. He tells you to gather dew off leaves to use in drinks.
The biggest problem though is the nature of the book itself - we know very, very little about the druids last I checked with academic sources. We know, for a fact, that Caesar never said anything positive about the Druids or Celts. The quote is completely wrong and undermines basically everything that the book claims to be based on. And that's ignoring the fact that we know The Book of Pheryllt, which is the entire basis of the book, is not real and also was written by someone Monroe considers his apprentice.
The Petty
Neither Arthur nor Merlin would know what pumpkin or corn is. Also, as the fiction is written from Arthur's point of view he shouldn't know when Merlin is quoting something or not. First-person-omniscience is not a good point of view.

Final Thoughts:
Read if you'd like, even a bad book can give you something if you approach it with enough salt and a few almanacs.

[Carolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheguei até esse livro na mais perfeita inocência, esperando encontrar aqui uma fonte sólida para o meu mínimo conhecimento sobre os druidas. Achei que finalmente ia entender como a coisa toda funciona e começaria até a fazer uso desse conhecimento no meu dia a dia, mas infelizmente, preciso deixar aqui o aviso: se a sua intenção é encontrar um livro para apoiar seus estudos de druidismo, descarte esse título.
Esse livro pode ser um bom passatempo como uma obra de ficção, e eu sinceramente me diverti com essa parte ficcional da obra. Mas o conteúdo esotérico em si deixa a desejar. Outros reviews aqui serão mais claros do que eu para apontar as falhas - e foram essas opiniões que fizeram minha ficha cair e me decepcionar com a falta do conhecimento espiritual que eu buscava. Por isso reforço: se você quer apenas se divertir com uma história fantástica, ok. Mas procure outras fontes para nutrir seu conhecimento sobre druidismo, combinado?

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a pretty interesting story. it comes off as a non-fiction type book but as you read you quickly see why its not. its a story of how merlyn came to be arthurs teacher, how they meat where they go on their travels and the task arthur has to pass to be ready for his destiny. its a toned down story of the start of arthurs life with added meditation vishions that help the story go. at the end of the book it give the very short over shot of the real arthur and merlyn. it also gives a few examples of the real arthur compaired to the story tale one. on top of all that i did some research on the over all book and come to find out some of the sayings that are in this book that were ment to be "facts" really came off movies and the herbs that are added to drinks are poisonous. so with all this itdose makes for a good story.

[daelin · Rating 2 out of 5]

i wasn’t able to finish it— but i suppose that’s more my fault. i got this book when i was vaguely interested in druidism as a religion, and never finished it. i tried to reread it, and the book and prose is fine. narratively, it’s fine. it’s just okay. obviously, the book is not a reliable source of information on rituals or magic, but if someone is into king arthur and merlyn, it’s an okay narrative.

[Redmachus · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to think of the number of trees that died because this trash got printed. I'd say it could be put to use as toilet paper, but that might lead to unfortunate paper cuts. Wild inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims abound, even by Llewylen standards. Avoid.

[Allison ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a friend, who was trying to explain his religion to me.


As for the "information", take it in stride. But there is wisdom to be found here. And some good points were made as far as self reflection and understanding things around you.

[Elizabeth Cleve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fresh take on the story surround King Author and Merlin and their relationship. In this book, Arthur is a young lad whom Merlin takes under-wing to teach him the Druid's path. This story takes you on a journey that brings legend to life. This is not your typical book of war on witches or sorcerers, but rather a book of magical mysteries unfolding. Adventurous! Intriguing! Lessons are given at the end of each chapter in which you have an opportunity to participate in the magick. Loved! Loved! Loved! Will definitely read again!

[Katherine B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't think this book could decide what genre it was in. The writing was stilted and uncomfortable, and the "story" was terrible.

[Leland Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the High Priest of The Order of Eternal Light (OEL) and a Reiki Master/Teacher (R.M.T.). I've been teaching out of this book since 2011 and have found it spiritually lifting not only to myself but my students. Some question the ancient source which this book derives but I've discovered that all the lessons are real do work as described at the end of each chapter. In addition to that, this book has a nice and entertaining story, unlike many other books that read like an encyclopedia. I don't tell my students to believe in the book but to discover what the book has to teach and what they can use to enhancer their own life and practice. Out of all the years and students I've taught only a single person ever had anything negative to say about this book series. I believe, for the most part, that this book is misjudged because there are those that want to pull down such a great author in an attempt to get others not to read it because of their belief of "the facts" of materials original ancient origins. Read it for yourself and practice the lessons at the end of each chapter, read the story and take everything with a grain of salt until you know what personally works for you.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me begin by saying that I am a fan of the Arthur legend. Two of my favorite books are" The Once and Future King" and " Le Morte d' Arthur".

This book has two parts. The part I am reviewing and enjoyed is a re-telling and reorganization of a series of Welsh folk tales about the youth who would become King Arthur. These are, as the title says," 21 Lessons of Merlyn" ,for Arthur, each a parable imparting an important nugget of wisdom.

The second part of this book has to do with Druid magic; each lesson is followed by an example of magic related to it. I was not interested in this (I guess it's a little too esoteric for me), and stopped reading these sections after the first couple of chapters. On balance I liked the book, but it's not for everyone and some of it was not for me. If Good Reads had half stars I would probably give this book two and one half stars.

[Joseph Inzirillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read the many mixed reviews of this book and have come to a conclusion that people should read a book like this with a more open mind.

This was my second time reading it and it still struck me the same way it did the first time. The book cannot be approached as an answer to everything or a catch all of Druidic knowledge. The author give us a story based on the historical “Arthur” and “Merlyn” while also teaching us a bit about Druidic Lore, beliefs and magic.

Of course the story is embellished. Of course the rituals won’t work for everyone.

But what did you learn from reading this? A book like this is about the journey and should be approached as such. If even one section changes, enlightens or helps the reader than it did good.

Give a try. Maybe try it with a different approach. Take something away from this book of epic lessons in life.

[Eliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the historical accuracy is debatable, that's not really the reason you should pick this book up. I was introduced to The 21 Lessons of Merlyn by a well-meaning friend who noted that I was interested in Satanism and had it in her mind to sway me from that path. It can come off as a little preachy at times, but the lessons it provides are sort of irrefutable, and can be applied to really any path. When I was younger, it really knocked me off the rails of the steady diet of Cabot, Cunningham and Amber K I was on. 21 Lessons shouldn't be taken as a history book or ancient tome of Druidic lore. It's a tale to draw you in and enchant you, to open your mind to the whimsy and "play" that magick and spirituality should be, regardless of your path.

[Steve Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading allege reviews I felt in necessary to leave my own. This was a great book, very interesting and I completed enjoyed it. In fact I have the second and am reading it presently. I am very well educated and read, however when I read this book I knew little of The Druids. Either way, I took this book in a similar way as the Celestine Prophecy or te Carlos Castanda books. If your too much into religion, Magik or Druidery this book may not be for you maybe it was just for me?

[Ahad Hadden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is making my 'best books' tier

It is a mixture between a novel and a general synopsis. Initially, I didn't think I'd like this sort of format, but the more I read, the more I enjoyed it.

Young Arthur is trained by Merlin in the Druidic arts for his future position as King. Alongside Arthur you get to learn Druidic knowledge.

It is very well researched and an enjoyable read. This was a nice wat for me to connect with my ancestors and our indigenous knowledge

a bit long though

[Brimate · Rating 4 out of 5]

my friend and i were pagan in 7-9 or 10th grades (partially at catholic school). this book is unique. it teaches magick in the framework of historical fiction. the book is a good story of its own, but imparts cool knowledge and is semi-historical to boot.

the dates that i read the pagan books are approximate.

[Jon B · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cack! Bleacht, drool..... This is what may happen if you read this! Seriously folks, this may be an interesting read to those who might find the subject passivly amusing, but to anyone with a genuine interest in Neo-Pagan Druidry, take nothing you read in 12 LoM as fact or remotly plausable. It is pure drivle.

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Druid buffs seem to hate this book. I knew nothing about Druidism before reading it, so I really enjoyed the well-written account of Arthur's education. The Rite of Three Rays is a cool form of meditation too. apparently the Druid magic and lore is inaccurate. So much for summoning Merlin's shade...

[Eric Williamson · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is so much wrong with this book I wouldn't know where to start. Other reviewers on Goodreads have already done so, anyhow. I saw one at Half Price Books the other day and started to do scholarship a favor and toss it in the trash can beside the coffee & tea station. Thought better of it as I didn't want to get booted from the store.

[imarwood · Rating 1 out of 5]

Complete and total trash, which the inexperienced must be warned against.
Starting from the fakes used as source material, adding blatant misogyny and ridiculous botanical mistakes, topped with presenting random mythological and folklore figures of questionable importance as deities.
Hope you enjoyed the money, Mr. Monroe.

[Surrey Pagans · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible to read. It is a work of fiction, not in any way historically accurate. Not even close. There is so much misinformation in this book that I recommend knowledge-seekers to either stay away from this book or to read it to get an idea of what NOT to look for in a book about paganism.

[C.J. Prince]

I resisted this book. Chauvinistic? Sexist? Misogynistic? I can't remember. There are too many good books on Merlyn (Merlin) and Arthur and belief systems to spend one page on something that doesn't work. It didn't work for me though I slogged through a lot of it.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it an entertaining book. I didn't realize till I was a ways into it that it is meant to be a lesson book. I'm not pagan but enjoyed book for the entertainment value. It's a good read and I would recommend it as a decent read even for non-pagans, such as myself.