cover image The Urban Primitive: Paganism in the Concrete Jungle

The Urban Primitive: Paganism in the Concrete Jungle

Raven Kaldera. Llewellyn Publications, $14.95 (268pp) ISBN 978-0-7387-0259-9

When people think of Wicca, say authors Raven Kaldera and Tannin Schwartzstein, they tend to conjure images of bucolic festivals, dryadic rituals and flower-wreathed maidens. In other words, the public mind associates paganism with the seasons and the countryside. But that's only a part of the picture. In The Urban Primitive: Paganism in the Concrete Jungle, Kaldera and Schwartzstein contend that modern neo-paganism is actually an urban-based movement, and they offer specific rituals and hints on living in the city. Here, readers will learn how to use magick to find an elusive parking space, understand the symbolic meaning of various body piercings and discover spells for unearthing treasures in a junkyard. There is even a chapter on the magickal properties of urban weeds such as bittersweet, dandelion, kudzu (who knew?) and ragweed. The tone is brassy and hip, with comic-book style illustrations and cartoons. Concerning graffiti, for example, the authors claim that ""any or all naked women or female body parts, no matter how badly drawn, are figures of the Goddess and thus can be invoked for her protection. Consider it to be a work of reclaiming.""