I have been reading a lot on ancestral trauma lately - both spiritual and psychology based. This book is 112 pages of essays by different authors. I felt it was very easy to read, and each essay covered a different topic related to ancestral healing.

Pagan Portals: Ancestral Healing is a great introduction to the complex and varied practice of ancestral healing, bringing together different authors from different perspectives and traditions to offer a useful overview for those who are just starting out or those who are intrigued and want to know more.

As a concept, ancestral healing has been getting more and more popular, though some have been working in this field for years (e.g. Daniel Foor). The arrival of this book is timely, with everything our world is facing at present, and with many people — magical practitioners and otherwise — seeking ways of connecting with, and healing, any pain, suffering, and trauma collected through their ancestral lines. This little book is a great collection of essays covering various aspects of ancestral healing, whether it be funerary and bereavement processses, oppression and trauma, rage and our ancestors, challenging emotions, animism and the ancestral line, or reconnecting with our pasts. The inclusion of rituals is a nice touch, one which would appeal to both newcomers and more seasoned practitioners.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher, Moon Books, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I picked up this book I didn't realise it was a series of essays but I have to say I loved that about it! It meant that I could read it in small chunks and digest each one instead of having a large mass of information rattling around in my head. Each one was interesting and thought-provoking, they gave me plenty to think on.

Although the subject was interesting, there were many things I wish would have been covered in more detail. For example, I wanted to see more on moon phases or the wheel of the year. It is a great introductory book for beginners. I think It is a wonderful start to learning about various pagan aspects.

I found hard to get into this book and reflect on what I read. Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Pagan Portal Ancestral Healing Edited by Trevor Greenfield

112 Pages
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
Release Date: July 31, 2020

Self-Help, Religion & Spirituality, Multicultural Interest

Trevor Greenfield has been a practicing Shaman for over 25 years.

The book is written as short stories by multiple authors all on the same topic.

Healing in the Ancestral Soul by Kenn Day: The author talks about Family Constellation Work technique. He includes a very powerful paragraph about forgiveness that I have copied and read over and over.

Walking the Bones: Reconnecting with our Ancient Past by Taz Thornton: She discusses animism and the belief everything has an energy or spirit.

Intergenerational Silence: Witnessing Yesterday to Heal Today by Irisanya Moon: The author discusses trauma (including rape and abusive relationships) and how we as humans deal with it.

Of Things Lost and Love Gained by Imelda Almqvist: She tells us about pain and trauma and how we can become more spiritual by learning from the past.

Dealing with Ancestral Shame by Mabh Savage: The author explains how it is okay not to accept the past mistakes of our ancestors as our own. She also states that it is okay to cut someone out of your life if they have harmed you.

Ancestral Healing by Elen Sentier: She talks about ancestral healing not only with connecting with our human ancestors but also with the land.

Stuck in the Rage Stage? By Dorothy Abrams: The author discusses denial and the importance to move onto the next step of anger. She also provides rituals to help with this action.

Looking them in the Eyes: Animals, Ancestry and Animism by Andrew Anderson: He discusses the importance of all life and how he became an ethical vegan to honor his animal ancestors.

Recovering the Bones Healing the Past by Angela Paine: The author explains how mourning for a lost loved one allows both people to heal and move one.

Saving the Tinkers’ Heart by Fiona Tinker: She provides a statement from her website which describes the Tinkers’ Heart as a space sacred to Scotland’s Travelling people.

Schism & Split: Wounds that can never heal by Melusine Draco. The author provides explanations on how words can cause harm. Words become actions and damage can occur.

When I first started the book, I didn’t realize the stories were written by separate authors since they flow together so well. Actually, had to start reading the book a second time so I could feel each story separately. The feelings and emotions along with forgiveness and love are brought to the forefront with this book.

A great introduction to Pagan beliefs and traditions. It covers everything from healing herbs and plants, trees and spirit animals to making your own mead! I thought it could have had more detail about moon cycles and the wheel of the year, but it will be helpful to the beginner and those wanting to know more. I was gifted this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Today is a time of trials and tribulations. More anger, more violence are all around us. I believe it is time for everyone to begin exploring other cultures and religions, so we can be better informed and understand on a more personal level how we can find similarities with each other and celebrate the differences.

Spirituality is so important to so many people; however, there are people who don’t necessarily agree with a religion or belief they were brought up as when a child. As I’ve grown as an individual and experienced many different events, while also reading and listening to theories and controversies, I have been on a quest to somehow feel spiritual without accepting parts of a religion I just can’t agree with. I also am heavily involved in genealogy, and learning about my past ancestors and their stories. When I saw this title “Pagan Portals - Ancestral Healing,” I immediately was drawn to the book. I figured this was a great way to begin exploring Paganism, and see how it related to ancestry.

This book, was in fact an interesting read to me, because it brought forth concepts I had either never considered before, or resonated as a connection to other cultures’ spiritualism concepts.

Although this title was not necessarily written as an introduction to Paganism, I was able to tease apart what I believe are some of the core concepts. I felt the essays presented in the book were very pertinent to today and the challenges were are facing as a human race, from our disconnect to Nature, to impacts of Past traumas. Trauma truly shapes a person, and it was fascinating for me to read how studies are beginning to show how ancestral trauma can in fact mutate DNA for the next generation, and our experiences or traumas can be oftentimes linked with those who came before us.

Peaking my interest, I intend to delve deeper into the concepts of Paganism.

This is an anthology of essays by modern pagan healers about helping people heal from multi-generational trauma. I am not pagan but I am intrigued by any book that covers healing and I appreciate perspectives besides my own. That said, I had a hard time connecting to these essays. They tend to be very academic and seem designed to be read by other professional pagan healers. For instance, there's an essay about leading practices where people in the room serve as placeholders for the person's family of origin (even dead members) and that they will automatically know how to respond to the person and will help with healing. This isn't really something I personally would have a lot of faith in working, and I'm not really in a position to either take part in or lead this sort of thing. While I do absolutely believe that trauma can affect us over generations and be passed down in some way (science is now showing that this is even done on the gene level), these essays don't really seem designed to help people personally in dealing with these things. Other essays relate to the subject in different ways, like one that explores the topic of feeling shame about your ancestors (for instance, if they were involved in slavery or violence).

For those who want intellectual reads on this general topic, especially those who work in this field as pagan practitioners, this will probably be a great read. For me, it was a little like reading medical journals -- I do get something out of them but I have to translate and filter quite a lot, and don't read necessarily them for enjoyment.

I read a digital ARC of this book for review.

I was in over my head with this one, I'm ashamed to say. Because of this, it did not resonate with me. That's my fault. Don't hold it against the author.

This may be a desirable book for someone who is more spiritually aware and informed than I am

This collection of essays by various authors focuses on various facets around healing with and through our ancestors. Irisanya Moon's piece, "Intergenerational Silence: Witnessing Yesterday to Heal Today," highlights the dangers around keeping silent after trauma and the ways in which we can heal through directly confronting the ancestors who kept us silent, as well as leaning on other ancestors to speak the trauma to.

Andrew Anderson in "Looking Them in the Eyes: Animals, Ancestry and Animism" links ancestral work to reconnecting in real ways to our animal brethren, specifically by becoming more aware of the role animals play in our modern food chain. Additionally, the fact that the animals we ingest ultimately become a part of our biological make-up, animals become, in their own way, ancestors to us humans.

Angela Paine addressed the importance of burying the dead to the grieving process in "Recovering the Bones, Healing the Past," while Mabh Savage explores "Dealing with Ancestral Shame." This one was my personal favorite, as I have been largely ambivalent to toward ancestral veneration in my own pagan practice primarily because I don't know that everyone in my line deserves such veneration. Savage makes the case for selective ancestor worship, which strikes me as a much less daunting approach.

While these essays have certainly given me a lot to consider on a personal level, I do find the collection to be a bit uneven. The great essays are really great, but there is an equal number here that struck me as rather meh, and some would have benefited from a bit more editing. Still, the essays that struck me have stuck with me, so this is certainly a collection worth checking out if ancestral work is important to you.

Healing our wounds is an important thing that can help to live more successfully and peacefully, But what about the wounds of those who have long passed? Does their trauma live on in us and effect our lives?
After reading this very interesting and practical book I can see how important it is to heal at all levels. I enjoyed reading this and found some ways to bring more peace .