My name is Gwydion.

Though I'm not one of the founding members of Sylvan Circle, I *do* currently hold the distinction of being the oldest fart in the coven.  So what I lack in knowledge and experience, I make up for in decrepitude ;-).

Like many, I began my spiritual quest at an early age.  I think children often question and explore the nature of the universe with an openness that sadly gets lost as we grow older and get distracted by things like paying bills, watching our hairlines recede, and wondering what the hell the Republicans are up to.

For good or ill, I was born into a fundamentalist Southern Baptist family and raised on a steady diet of hellfire and brimstone.  Not exactly a faith conducive to open-minded questioning or acceptance of other beliefs.  I grew up attending church an average of 4 times a week, constantly hearing that human nature is inherently sinful and an obstacle to higher spirituality.  At the same time, I also devoured a steady diet of art, music, mythology, literature, history, and science... exploring whatever forms of human expression and thought that were available to me.  Needless to say, it was a very bipolar childhood.

When I went to college, I finally shrugged off the constraining cocoon that the church had woven around me.  As part of this catharsis, I became very bitter about Christianity (and spirituality in general) and became an avowed atheist.  At that point in my life, I saw little spiritual difference between people or animals or trees or streams... and, since I didn't think of ANY of these things as spiritual creatures, I concluded that spirituality was a pleasant self-delusion -- a fabrication of the weak and desperate who were unable to accept the harsher realities of existence.  To me, I vastly preferred stark truth over what felt like a warm and fuzzy lie.

But after a decade or so, my bitterness eventually thawed.  I was surprised to one day discover myself open to exploring the idea of spirituality again.  Because it occurred to me that maybe I had things turned around -- not that nothing has a spiritual nature, but that everything has a spiritual nature.

As I picked up the threads of my spiritual quest again, I remembered how much I enjoyed the Greek and Norse myths as a kid... and was delighted to discover the diverse paths of the thriving Neo-Pagan movement.  While I tried to remain open to as many paths as possible, Wicca spoke to me strongly and immediately.  I began inhaling books as rapidly as I could find them and spent a great deal of time visiting Wiccan and Witchy web sites.

I quickly learned, however, that books and web sites can only get you so far.  Upon looking for covens in my area that taught classes and were open to new members, it was my great good fortune and blessing that I discovered Sylvan Circle.

At this point, I'm currently a second degree priest.  My specific areas of interest tend to be, um, "varied" (translated: "ultra-flightly" -- I become genuinely engrossed with whatever idea happens to pique my interest today :-).  At this particular moment, however, I'm most interested in exploring the kind of magickal energy associated with the creativite arts -- primarily through music and visual arts and crafts.   I'm also very interested in herbology, specifically the making of incenses.

I currently live with my partner in Columbia, MD... where we share our home with 3 senior citizen cats.  With 5 males in residence, I guess you could think of it as the ultimate testosterone-laden homestead.   Y'know, lotsa belching, farting, etc. ;-).

But enough about me.  Let's talk about you.

If you're looking at this page because you're interested in exploring a Wiccan or Pagan path, then my best advice is to suggest that you spend plenty of time looking within yourself for the answers you seek.  I think that most people (myself among them) spend too much time looking to others for answers.  Here's a smidge of advice: just because something is published, that doesn't mean it's not bullshit.  And just because someone said something 30 or 300 or 3000 years ago, it doesn't necessarily have any more value than the thought that occurred to you last time you were contemplating your bellybutton in the bathtub.

You are the captain of your own spirituality.  And no one else.

Having said that, you're probably already aware of the scads of books, web sites, etc. that are now available.  In this day and age, the issue is no longer trying to FIND information that was once very hard to come by -- it's instead trying to figure out how to FILTER out all the dreck to find something worthwhile.  Here are a few of my suggestions...


Web Sites:

The Witches' Voice: Excellent source of easily digestible information.  Also the best resource (bar none) for finding and connecting with Wiccan-friendly resources in your area (circles, teachers, shops, individuals, etc).

US Army Chaplain's Handbook: Excerpt on Wicca: If you want a concise, objective, no-nonsense description of Wicca... the army chaplain's handbook does a surprisingly good job.

Encyclopedia Mythica: Comprehensive mythological resource.  You can find something on just about anything here.  What it lacks in depth, it more than makes up for in breadth -- in other words, an excellent site to look up a quick blurb on obscure deities, etc.

Bullfinch's Mythology: Great resource for mythological tales, especially Greco-Roman and Arthurian.  Weak or under construction in other areas.

The Mabinogion: Tales of Welsh mythology.

Kabalarian Name Analysis: Trying to decide on a new magickal name?  This is a nifty resource for looking up meanings associated with just about any name under the sun.

Internet Medieval Sourcebook, by Paul Halsall: Outstanding resource for all things medieval.

Books:
(Note: All books are linked to Amazon.com.  Not that I'm necessarily encouraging you to buy from Amazon, especially if you have a local Pagan/Wiccan friendly shop in your neighborhood more in need of your support.  This is simply a handy means for you find out more if you're interested.)

(Also note: In my opinion, you would be wise to be wary of almost anything published by Llewellyn's without a hearty endorsement from someone who's opinion you trust.  In response to the explosive growth in interest in Wicca over past decade or so, Llewellyn's has pumped out volumes and volumes of truly lousy books.  So a general warning: buyer beware.)

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, by Scott Cunningham
Yes, everyone recommends this book as good starting point.  There's good reason.  I've yet to see anyone else do it better.

21st Century Wicca: A Young Witch's Guide to Living the Magical Life, by Jennifer Hunter
A good introductory book, comparable to Cunningham's "Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" in scope.