Bridging the Gap

by Crystal Blanton

As we evolve it becomes increasingly clear that being an incredible ritualist is not all that is needed to be a competent leader or member of our pagan society. Unless they come to the Craft already equipped with these skills from professional training or other life experience, the leaders in our community have not possessed the skills to effectively model or train in these techniques. For all the intensive training we endure in the Craft, pagans as a society are still ill-equipped to competently cope with the growing needs of our own community. Bridging the Working Within the Dynamics of Pagan Groups and Society will look at filling the common gaps in our community by using techniques as tools to assess, understand, and work with the changing dynamic of any group or coven. While maintaining a professional polish, the book uses humor, common scenarios, exercises, and resources to examine the commonalities between techniques used in the counseling profession; giving the reader concrete, professional solutions to coping with common problems. The book • Basics of common techniques used in counseling including anger management, assessment tools, boundaries, behavior shaping, restorative justice and many others • The common traps that occur within groups, which lead to devastating effects and dissolution • The creation of the group mind and how it is effected by the budding dynamics of a group • Creating boundaries to effectively mentor students • The importance of creating clear objectives and expectations as a group • The art of holding your group members accountable • When it is not your fight

148 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2010

About the author

Crystal Blanton is an activist, writer, priestess, mother, wife and social worker in the Bay Area. She works with disenfranchised youth in Oakland, and is in graduate school at a California State University for Social Work.

Crystal has published two books (Bridging the Gap and Pain and Faith in a Wiccan World) and she is the editor of the anthology Shades of Faith; Minority Voices in Paganism. Her work is also published at Sage Woman, and on the Daughters of Eve blog at Patheos.

Crystal is passionate about the integration of community, spirituality and healing from our ancestral past, and is an advocate for true diversity and multiculturalism within the Pagan community. She continues to work in her local community and within the Pagan community by facilitating and participating in discussions on topics of social justice, diversity, leadership, and the use of restorative justice practices to empower the community voice.

Reviews

[Dean Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hat trick of a book in that it's not only good for the topic at hand (Pagan Group Dynamics) but it's also a great book for any type of group dynamic, laid out in a simple easy to read and engaging style. (It's two books in one so to speak.)
This book is written well. Every chapter and paragraph is just enough and not too much. Blanton writes expertly and authoritatively (she knows what she's talking about in other words) but she's never boring or pedantic.
If you belong to a coven, or any type of pagan group or organization do yourself a favor and get this book.
I honestly felt like I could use this for work as much as pagan groups, it's that good. I would love to see the author put out a workbook to accompany this, but I know that's a lot to ask. I am looking forward to reading more by this wonderful author.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very useful and well-done book. Excellent, simple evocative metaphors that memorably bring concepts into clear understanding. Great resource for anyone involved with any kind of group (as we all are since groups are a defining facet of being human!)--I readily applied it to our playgroup, work part group, women's spirituality group, breastfeeding support group, and the classroom. I actually think it is best described as a book as a user-friendly introduction to group dynamics using a variety of pagan groups as examples, rather than a book specifically about pagan groups/pagan group dynamics.