Book recommendation: ‘Polytheistic Monasticism – Voices from Pagan Cloisters’, anthology edited by Janet Munin

The monastic path is one few people feel called to already within widespread and well-established religions. But what to do of your spiritual tradition has no monastic orders? Or if you don’t identify with any specific spiritual tradition at all? For many Polytheist aspiring monastics, that is the conundrum.

Now a new book has come out where contemplative practitioners of polytheistic monasticism share their experiences.

On this anthology, they share their practices, routines and rituals. They tell of their struggles and successes in following their calling in a world that devalues both spirituality and turning away from materialism. Some of the practioners live in houses, others flats. Most are solitary monastics forging new paths where there wasn’t any before.

Although Polytheistic monasticism seems like a doubly obscure topic, I think this book is a thought provoking read for anyone interested in spirituality and a devotional life. It will make you question what you really need to be happy, what is truly important to focus on in life and what things are unnecessarily sapping your time and energy.

Even if you are not a monastic and have no plans on becoming one, the rituals and routines described in this book could also enrich your own practice. I personally really enjoyed the chapter on ‘lectio divina’ for Pagans and have already started incorporating it into my daily life.

I can but recommend this ground-breaking anthology and I hope the movement of Pagan and Polytheistic monasticism will continue to grow. The Powers know it is needed.

The book can be found in ebook and paperback format here.