eiblyn | Review: Faith and Magick in the Armed Forces : A Handbook for Pagans in the Military

This book slips into what may seem to be a small niche in the realm of Pagan texts. But the number of Pagans in the US Armed Forces is steadily growing and including those who are not willing to be known, is quite large. A text of this nature has been sadly lacking for years.

I have known a number of military Pagans in my life. I currently know roughly a dozen Pagan or Pagan-leaning soldiers. As I read this book, I was struck by how many of their opinions and thoughts I saw echoed on the page. All of them long for peace; all of them struggle with the role of the Warrior in a society that neither respects it nor understands it. This book outlined some very moving rituals that could be easily adapted. It had excellent suggestions for how to maintain and grow your faith in the face of uncertainty. Included were ideas on making a *tiny* travel altar (think altoid box), rituals to prepare yourself for battle and to heal yourself afterwards.

This book is largely aimed towards active-duty Pagans. Beyond that, it is also geared towards married soldiers with children rather than single soldiers. I believe this is due to the viewpoint of the author, her being the wife of a military Pagan with children. Most of the rituals could still be performed with the help of a close friend. And the magickal items created by some of the spells could be made with a close band of friends; home is after all, where you make it.

It contains an excellent run-down of the rights of a military Pagan both in dealing with the civilian world and the military one. It also has some excellent suggestions of things to consider before enlisting or re-enlisting.

Overall, I would recommend this book to any Pagan who is in the military or considering joining. I'm not sure it would be as useful for the veteran, but some of the rituals and discussions of the role of the Warrior could prove useful fodder for thought and conversation.