FROM A DROP OF WATER
A Collection of Magickal Reflections on the Nature, Creatures, Uses and Symbolism of Water
Edited by Kim Huggens
This creation is, in its totality, a drop of Water; man himself has originated from a drop of Water" Bundahishn 28,2
FROM A DROP OF WATER is a unique collection of 17 essays by some of today's foremost modern esoteric writers, pagan scholars and magickal practitioners. Each contribution reflects the writer's own understanding and passion for Water, and they share their unique insights, experiences and their diverse research on the subject with the reader. The powerful nature of Water as transformer and healer, initiator into the mysteries and bringer of both life and death, is emphasised throughout.
The multitude of spiritual beings associated with Water are powerful and volatile forces of nature. They include the Undines and Nymphs of European folklore, as well as mythical creatures such as mermaids and krakens, sirens and selkies. The importance of Water is often taken for granted, yet its symbolism connects every religion, spiritual path and philosophy. Many of the earliest creation myths have Water as a central theme, and man has forever been telling tales of the Waters of this Earth, and has since time immemorial gazed up at the Moon who governs the ebb and flow of the ocean's tides. Likewise, deities associated with Water often play a central role in myths, legends and practices, and this is explored in many of the essays in this anthology.
From Anahita, the Persian Goddess of rain and abundance, to the Afro-Brazilian Goddess Yemanyá, the Egyptian Mother Goddess Isis as portrayed in Dion Fortune's Sea Priestess and Nimue in the Arthurian Legends, the power of Water is ever-present. Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love, is born from the foam of the oceans, and many of the Vodou Lwa - including Agwe, Mambo La Sirene, Erzulie Freda, Damballah Wedo and the Simbis also have strong associations with Water, all of which are explored in this collection. The magical qualities and symbolism of Water are introduced through examples of meditation, ritual, song and dance, its magic being manifested through examples of talismans, poetry, art and invocation. Finally, Living Water as used in the Kabbalah and Grimoires, as well as the role of Water in Baptism, are also discussed.
This exceptional collection of essays brings together a great breadth of experience, deomonstrated through the diversity of traditions here represented. These include Vodou, Thelema, the Western Mystery Tradition, Wicca, Paganism, and English Root Magick, as well as Grimoire Magicians who work the magick of the Key of Solomon and Goetia.
Water both allures and terrifies - just like the stark contrast between the glimmering of moonlight upon the ocean's surface on a clear night and the hulking gloom of its fathomless depths. But the planet's oceans and its many waters are vast and unfathomable, and herein is offered but a few drops of wisdom in a sea of possibilities.
2009, 178 pages. Paperback & Kindle editions available.
ISBN 978-1-905297-34-4
B&W 6.14 x 9.21 in or 234 x 156 mm (Royal 8vo) Perfect Bound on White w/Gloss Lam
From A Drop Of Water edited by Kim Huggens
Foreword by Kim Huggens
The Contributors
Anahita - Lady of Persia by Payam Nabarz
Dancing With Water by Nina Falaise
The Mirror of the Soul - Assessing the Function of Watery Rituals and Folk Beliefs by Yvonne Aburrow
Married to the Sea - Eroticism in Ocean Lore by Chrissy Derbyshire
The Admiral, the Siren And Whale - Water Spirits in the Vodou Tradition by Kim Huggens
To Dare - the Element of Water in the Western Esoteric Traditions by Sorita D’este
The Well Spring of Wisdom Sacred Wells in Faith Through the Ages by Katherine Sutherland
A Flow of Water through the Grimoire World - Exploring Holy Water, Cleansing Baths as well as magical operations like the Water of Life and turning water into blood by Maestro Nestor
Nimue - the Archetypal Priestess by Emily Carding
Quenching the Thirst, Drinking the Spirit - Water and Water Guardians in Root Magick by John Canard
The Queen of the Oceans - the Afro-Brazilian Goddess Yemanyá and Sea Magic by Andrea Salgado Reyes
Mayans, Maize and Much-Needed Rain by Rachel Donaldson
A Feast For Water - Baptism in the Thelemic Tradition by Rodney Orpheus & Cathryn Orchard
Strung Like Pearls - Dion Fortune’s Sea Priestess and its Relationship to the Elemental Contacts of Water by Diane M. Champigny
Rituals of Water by Magin Rose
Water: A Key to Healing by Harry Barron
The Moon - the Door of Dreams, and the Tides Within - by Melissa Harrington
Index
Kim Huggens is a researcher and author, focusing on the malefic-erotic magic of the Late Antique period, world mythology, Tarot, and Vodou. Kim is the editor of three anthologies published by Avalonia, being From a Drop of Water, Vs. and Memento Mori. She is a Tarot reader of 17 years experience, and co-creator of Sol Invictus: The God Tarot and Pistis Sophia: The Goddess Tarot with Nic Phillips. She is the author of the Llewellyn book, Tarot 101: Mastering the Art of Reading the Cards (June 2010) and also writes articles and papers for various anthologies and journals.
Kim is a Vodou practitioner and Hounsi Lave Tet with Sosyete Gade Nou Leve, and Body Master of the Tamion Camp of the Ordo Templi Orientis.
In her spare time she makes jewellery, sequin flags and spirit dolls, runs Tarot workshops and classes, writes short fiction, and roleplays.