Pros: Very interesting read, a soul searching, informative and magical novel.
Cons: Content may chase the reserved away.
The Bottom Line: This is a wonderful book of historical facts and fictions that will promote self awareness and spirituality. I highly recommend opening up to it.
lyoness913's Full Review: Douglas Monroe - 21 Lessons of Merlyn: A Study in ...
The 21 Lessons of Merlyn was originally recommended to me by a friend who was interested in Wiccan culture and faith. Being the born and raised Catholic I was, it sparked my interest (kind of like trying not to laugh in Church) One day I found myself at a bookstore in the mall, looking forward. Alas, there was one copy left.
I thought the novel, by the author Douglas Monroe, would be fluffy and sort of silly. I was curious to see if there were magic tricks and spells and witches, like I was used to seeing on television or in movies. This book absolutely captured all of my attention from beginning to end, not as a ridiculous collection of witches' brew, but as an historical lesson and a journey into my own soul.
The 21 Lessons of Merlyn deal with a unique segment of British history, 'The Time of Legends.' This dark age period of wizards and knights and damsels in distress is seldom explored in the light of reliable historic documentation. Monroe and his impressive research re-tell and clarify a series of Welsh folk-tales concerning the boyhood of King Arthur. The novel deals with the apprenticeship of the boy-king under the traditional guidance of Merlyn, the last of the great Druids. This is a rich story of Britain's magical past.
I found examples of some of the interesting Druid traditions that have become westernized interesting. For instance, the Easter Bunny and the colouring of eggs originated from the old Gaelic festival of the goddess Ostara, whose totem was the hare or rabbit, and the eggs symbolized new life. Another example is the Carving of the Pumpkin at Halloween. That tradition goes back to the Celtic 'Adoration of the Head' as a prize to ward off evil. Originally turnip and squash were carved and had candles placed in them, on 'head' as a safeguard for each child in the home.
The book is very well organized. A thorough forward by the author explains much of the druidic tradition including the basic teachings and beliefs. Surprisingly, many of these are roots of our common 'self help' expressions today. Druids followed many sacred teachings, but most of all with age came wisdom and experience, and one should not ever develop a closed mind. They also advocated keeping your childhood or 'child within' alive at all times.
According to the Druid, the things a Man is are:
What He Thinks He Is
What Others Think He Is
What He Really Is.
The forward also discusses the parallels of their beliefs with Christ's, Budda's and Mohammed's teachings. The forward eases the reader into understanding that the novel isn't about evil doing, and it made me feel compelled to read the 21 lessons.
The 21 lessons are presented in 21 chapters. First there is a short story presented in the first person character of the boy-king Arthur. He talks of Merlyn and what he is learning, and gives a setting for the lesson ahead. Then, the lesson begins.
I admit, some of the lessons are not exactly things that one would do in a 'normal' sense. They consist of poetry, druidic chants and songs, calendars, moons, oceans, herbs, potions, spices, and candles. There is so much to read and all of it is completely fascinating. The book is filled with graphic pictures of druid signs and symbols which made it much easier for me to follow. I'll admit I haven't tried to do any 'magic'...but eerily enough, the author promises results. I don't know if after all I've read, I'd even try to cross that line, but it's very absorbing.
There are so many morals to every story/lesson/fact and fiction in this novel. The 21 Lessons of Merlyn, A Study in Druid Magic and Lore, took me on a road to self discovery and made obscure things make perfect sense to me. The most important message I received was that according to the Druids, Nature is the Great Teacher, and..there is an apprentice within us all.
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