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by Maria Ede-Weaving<\/em><\/p>\r\n Druidry teaches us to honour death and to remember the dead with reverence. However, for most of us, our wider culture has hidden much of death\u2019s processes from view. The physical realities of this most inevitable and unavoidable rite of passage have been obscured and this has only served to intensify the fear of death and sever the connection to its deeper mysteries. We live in a world of plastic, a substance which by its very nature defies the laws of decomposition, and this seems to reflect on some inner level, the chronic fear with have of the dissolution and decay that are the vital foundations of renewal and life. Chronique litt\u00e9raire du livre de Kristoffer Hughes\u00a0The journey into Spirit : A Pagan\u2019s Perspective on Death, Dying and Bereavement (Le voyage vers l\u2019esprit: une perspective pa\u00efenne sur la mort, mourir et le deuil)<\/em>\u00a0par Maria Ede-Weaving. Traduction par Dany Seignabou. by Maria Ede-Weaving Druidry teaches us to honour death and to remember the dead with reverence. However, for most of us, our wider culture has hidden much of death\u2019s processes from view. The physical realities of this most inevitable and unavoidable rite of passage have been obscured and this has only served to intensify the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5298,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-reviews"],"acf":[],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/druidry.org","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/druidry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/druidry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/druidry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/druidry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/druidry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5297"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/druidry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17128,"href":"https:\/\/druidry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5297\/revisions\/17128"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/druidry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/druidry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/druidry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/druidry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
This is a subject close to my heart. I have lost most of my close family over time and last year my father died. We were very close and his death was unexpected; the grieving has been intense. When Philip asked me to read and review Kristoffer Hughes\u2019 The Journey into Spirit: A Pagan\u2019s Perspective on Death, Dying and Bereavement, I had mixed feelings \u2013 although of late I have sensed an emerging from the darker spaces of my grief, parts of me still feel a little raw, and I wasn\u2019t sure if I wanted to gaze into death\u2019s face again quite so soon, even if only in the pages of a book. Despite my fears, I am so pleased that I read this wonderful book.
Kristoffer Hughes is uniquely qualified to guide his readers through the realm of the shades. For over two decades he has worked in morgues as a pathology technologist and this coupled with his roles as a Druid Priest and Funeral Celebrant, gives him a special sensitivity and understanding of this challenging subject matter. As we read, it is clear that Hughes is acting as Psychopomp, a wise and compassionate guide on an extraordinary journey into the dark light that is death and loss. I found that from the very first page I trusted him to guide me with honesty and sensitivity. The tone is never patronising; Hughes\u2019 exploration of death expresses both reverence and empathy for both the dead and the living. It\u2019s a book where the author\u2019s humanity shines through constantly, and in doing so, keeps us connected to our own as we are inevitably taken back to our memories of death and bereavement, and ponder our own mortality.
The book is divided into four main sections, three of which take us through the Druid Realms of Abred, Gwynvyd and Ceugant.In the circle of Abred, Hughes explores the physical dimensions of death, the visceral reality of it. He shows that an honest engagement with the physical processes of death and dissolution are a gateway to the spirit and the soul, which he examines in the Circle of Gwynvyd and Ceugant respectively. The last section of the book is a selection of beautifully written rituals, one of which is a particularly moving preparation of the body ceremony.
Hughes manages to maintain an extraordinary balance throughout between his role as guide and priest on the one hand and as a fellow companion of bereavement on the other. He doesn\u2019t flinch from revealing the rawness and pain of his own grieving, sharing accounts of his personal losses with a tender honesty that adds a power to his overall message: death serves life, and when we engage with it with an open heart it reveals to us its healing and transformative nature.
There is a fantastic section about the \u2018Seasons of Grief\u2019 which, as a grieving person, I found enormously insightful and helpful. There are also useful and thought-provoking exercises and meditations throughout the book. Hughes encourages the reader to explore the mystery of death for themselves; illustrating that we can become our own wise and trusted guides, and in doing so, find an authentic understanding of death\u2019s greater mysteries, one that has meaning and relevance for us personally.
I cried at sections, laughed too, and had numerous \u2018Yes!\u2019 moments. The Journey into Spirit is never morbid; from the painful core of our loss, Hughes shows us the pearl of light at its heart. With wisdom and humility he encourages us to recognise just how magical and awesome the process of death is, of how it connects us to the whole of creation \u2013 all that has preceded us and all that will come after.
The Journey into Spirit reminds us of the potency and potential wisdom and healing inherent in our most painful and dreaded experiences. It is a life-affirming work of value not only to Druids and Pagans but to those of all faiths and none. A beautifully written book, full of deep wisdom \u2013 hard-won but generously and compassionately shared.
Kristoffer is founder and head of the Anglesey Druid Order. Their website can be found\u00a0here.<\/a><\/p>\r\n
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Le druidisme nous apprend \u00e0 honorer la mort et \u00e0 nous souvenir des morts avec r\u00e9v\u00e9rence. Cependant, pour la plupart d\u2019entre nous, notre culture plus g\u00e9n\u00e9rale nous a dissimul\u00e9 une grande partie du processus de la mort. Les r\u00e9alit\u00e9s physiques de cet incontournable autant qu\u2019in\u00e9luctable rite de passage ont \u00e9t\u00e9 obscurcies n\u2019ayant pour cons\u00e9quences que d\u2019intensifier notre peur de la mort et de briser le lien vers ses plus profonds myst\u00e8res. Nous vivons dans un monde de plastique, une substance qui en raison de sa nature d\u00e9fie les lois de la d\u00e9composition. Et cela semble refl\u00e9ter, \u00e0 un certain niveau interne, la peur chronique qui est la n\u00f4tre de la dissolution et du pourrissement qui constituent les fondements vitaux du renouvellement et de la vie.
C\u2019est un sujet qui me tient \u00e0 c\u0153ur. J\u2019ai perdu au fil du temps la plus grande partie de mes proches et l\u2019an dernier, mon p\u00e8re s\u2019est \u00e9teint. Nous \u00e9tions tr\u00e8s proches et sa mort nous a pris par surprise ; mon chagrin a \u00e9t\u00e9 immense. C\u2019est avec des sentiments mitig\u00e9s que j\u2019ai r\u00e9agi \u00e0 l\u2019invitation de Philip de lire et d\u2019\u00e9crire une critique du livre de Kristoffer Hughes : The Journey into Spirit : A Pagan\u2019s Perpective on Death, Dying and Bereavement. Bien qu\u2019ayant ressenti, derni\u00e8rement, l\u2019impression d\u2019\u00e9merger des confins sombres de mon chagrin, une partie de moi-m\u00eame reste \u00e0 vif et je n\u2019\u00e9tais pas certaine d\u2019\u00eatre pr\u00eate \u00e0 regarder la mort en face m\u00eame si cela n\u2019\u00e9tait qu\u2019\u00e0 travers les pages d\u2019un livre. En d\u00e9pit de mes peurs, je suis tr\u00e8s heureuse d\u2019avoir lu ce livre merveilleux.
Kristoffer Hughes est le mieux apte \u00e0 guider ses lecteurs \u00e0 travers le royaume des ombres.
Plus de 20 ans de travail de technicien en pathologie dans les morgues ajout\u00e9 \u00e0 ses fonctions de Pr\u00eatre druidique et de C\u00e9l\u00e9brant de fun\u00e9railles lui conf\u00e8rent une sensibilit\u00e9 et une compr\u00e9hension unique de ce sujet tr\u00e8s \u00e9prouvant. Il appara\u00eet \u00e9vident, au fil de notre lecture, que Hughes agit en tant que \u00ab Psychopomp \u00bb, un guide sage et rempli de compassion au cours d\u2019un voyage extraordinaire \u00e0 travers la lumi\u00e8re sombre de la mort et de la disparition. D\u00e8s la premi\u00e8re page, je me suis d\u00e9couverte pr\u00eate \u00e0 lui faire confiance pour me guider avec honn\u00eatet\u00e9 et sensibilit\u00e9. Son ton n\u2019est jamais condescendant ; l\u2019exploration de la mort qu\u2019entreprend Hughes t\u00e9moigne \u00e0 la fois de sa r\u00e9v\u00e9rence et de son empathie aussi bien pour les morts que pour les vivants. C\u2019est un livre qui refl\u00e8te continuellement l\u2019humanit\u00e9 de son auteur et qui de cette mani\u00e8re, nous maintient en contact avec notre propre humanit\u00e9 pendant que nous sommes in\u00e9luctablement transport\u00e9s vers nos souvenirs de la mort et du deuil et que nous nous penchons sur notre propre mortalit\u00e9.
Le livre est divis\u00e9 en quatre parties principales dont trois nous emm\u00e8nent \u00e0 travers les royaumes druidiques d\u2019Abred, Gwynvyd et Ceugant. Dans le cercle d\u2019Abred, Hughes explore les dimensions physiques de la mort, et de sa r\u00e9alit\u00e9 visc\u00e9rale. Il montre qu\u2019un engagement honn\u00eate avec les processus physiques de la mort et de la dissolution constitue un passage vers l\u2019esprit et l\u2019\u00e2me, et il les examine respectivement dans les cercles de Gwynvyd et de Ceugant. La derni\u00e8re partie du livre pr\u00e9sente une s\u00e9lection de rituels d\u2019une tr\u00e8s belle \u00e9criture parmi lesquels se trouve une c\u00e9r\u00e9monie particuli\u00e8rement \u00e9mouvante de la pr\u00e9paration d\u2019un corps.
Hughes r\u00e9ussit \u00e0 maintenir un \u00e9quilibre constant extraordinaire entre son r\u00f4le de guide et de pr\u00eatre d\u2019un c\u00f4t\u00e9, et de l\u2019autre, son propre r\u00f4le : celui d\u2019une personne encore plong\u00e9e dans le deuil. Et c\u2019est sans se d\u00e9rober qu\u2019il nous r\u00e9v\u00e8le l\u2019\u00e9tendue de son propre chagrin encore \u00e0 vif et qu\u2019il partage les r\u00e9cits de ses deuils personnels avec une douce honn\u00eatet\u00e9 qui ajoute de la force \u00e0 l\u2019ensemble de son message : la mort est au service de la vie et c\u2019est lorsque nous nous engageons avec elle d\u2019un c\u0153ur sinc\u00e8re qu\u2019elle nous r\u00e9v\u00e8le sa nature de gu\u00e9rison et de transformation.
Il y a, dans le livre, une partie remarquable sur les \u00ab Saisons du chagrin \u00bb que j\u2019ai trouv\u00e9e, \u00e9tant moi-m\u00eame en souffrance, extr\u00eamement perspicace et salutaire. On trouve \u00e9galement, tout au long du livre, un ensemble d\u2019exercices et de m\u00e9ditations tr\u00e8s utiles et qui nous incitent \u00e0 la r\u00e9flexion. Hughes encourage le lecteur \u00e0 explorer pour lui-m\u00eame le myst\u00e8re de la mort ; il illustre notre capacit\u00e9 \u00e0 devenir notre propre guide sage et digne de confiance et ce faisant \u00e0 trouver une compr\u00e9hension authentique des grands myst\u00e8res de la mort, une compr\u00e9hension \u00e0 la fois pertinente et personnelle.
\u00c0 certains passages, j\u2019ai pleur\u00e9, j\u2019ai ri \u00e9galement et j\u2019ai souvent pens\u00e9 \u00ab Oui ! \u00bb The Journey into Spirit n\u2019est jamais morbide ; Hughes nous r\u00e9v\u00e8le la perle de lumi\u00e8re au c\u0153ur de notre douloureux chagrin. Avec sagesse et humilit\u00e9, il nous encourage \u00e0 reconna\u00eetre \u00e0 quel point le processus de la mort est magique et incroyable et comment il nous relie \u00e0 l\u2019ensemble de la cr\u00e9ation \u2013 tout ce qui nous a pr\u00e9c\u00e9d\u00e9 et tout ce qui nous succ\u00e9dera.
The Journey into Spirit nous rappelle qu\u2019il existe, au sein de nos exp\u00e9riences les plus douloureuses et les plus redout\u00e9es, une puissance intrins\u00e8que et un potentiel de sagesse et de gu\u00e9rison. C\u2019est un travail porteur d\u2019un message de vie, b\u00e9n\u00e9fique non seulement aux Druides et aux pa\u00efens, mais \u00e9galement aux gens de toutes confessions comme aux non-croyants. Un livre magnifiquement \u00e9crit, rempli d\u2019une sagesse profonde durement gagn\u00e9e, mais partag\u00e9e g\u00e9n\u00e9reusement et avec compassion.
Kristoffer est le fondateur et le Chef de l\u2019Ordre des Druides d\u2019Anglesey.\u00a0http:\/\/www.kristofferhughes.co.uk\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"