Guide Patti: With the amount of information out there right now for people new to Wicca and other Pagan paths, I often get emails from people who ask, "What should I read?" If you were to recommend five books that any serious student of modern Paganism should have in their library, what would they be -- and why those particular titles?
Dorothy Morrison:
- The White Goddess, by Robert Graves. Admittedly, this is rather dry reading, but unfortunately, that's the case with most historical and academic texts. However, I don't think there's anything better for explaining our Pagan roots and lending insight to why we practice the Craft as we do today.
- Positive Magic, by Marion Weinstein. This classic gives a good overall view of the modern Craft, and its contents have kept many a newcomer from making magical messes they'd have to learn to clean up later.
- The Craft, by Dorothy Morrison. At the risk of sounding pompous, I still think this book is the best for giving a beginners a starting point as it includes a year's worth of general exercises in preparation for further Craft study.
- The complete works of Scott Cunningham. Okay, I know this makes more than five, but nobody ever explained the Craft to newcomers better than Cunningham. Besides, his encyclopedias still contain some of the best reference material on the market - and no library should be without them.
Guide Patti: You keep a really busy schedule, what with touring and writing -- and of course your cool dollhouse projects. Is there something you've been wanting to do or work on that you just haven't had time to put together yet?
Dorothy Morrison: I'd love to find the time to really get into some fabulous needlework projects I've had on the back burner, finish some that I've started, and design some really cool Pagan-oriented knitting and crochet patterns. Of course, I have an ulterior motive: I'd like to be able to use it all in a sequel to Magical Needlework.
So…if any of you knitters and crocheters would be willing to design a few patterns - lacey shawl patterns would be especially appreciated - and submit them for possible inclusion, I'd be extremely grateful. Just email me from the link provided at Morrison Manor for more information. And that way, maybe I could finally get back to work on that circular crazy quilt project I've been dying to finish!
Guide Patti: I know you spent many years working for the Humane Society, and you do put a lot of energy into being an animal rights activist, and you're a big advocate of spaying and neutering. I think it's interesting because some people see spaying and neutering as a violation of that whole "Harm None" guideline. Do you think we'll ever reach a point where people understand that it's not harmful at all to be a responsible pet owner?
Dorothy Morrison: I certainly hope so, because by refusing to spay and neuter, these people - even if they find homes for all the puppies and kittens they allow to be produced - are totally and solely responsible for the murder of literally millions of wonderful, loving animals every single day. And I think it's high time that they realized that. It's also time that they realized that by their refusal, they could be subjecting their own pets to horrible deaths, since spaying and neutering obliterates the possible contraction of many diseases, including ovarian and testicular cancer.
Obviously, this is a very sore subject with me... if you are one of the people who will not spay or neuter your pet because you're hiding behind the Harm None Law, I am more ashamed of you than you can ever imagine. My wish for you is that someday, you will be forced - as I was - to put down forty to fifty perfectly wonderful dogs and cats every day. Gentle animals that trust you and you have grown to love. Loving animals whose pleading eyes beg you not to hurt them, but who still lick you in the face as you thread the needle into their veins, knowing that you are the reason they are dying. Maybe then, you'll understand why I feel the way I do. And maybe then, you'll find the gumption to do what you should for your pets, take responsibility for your actions, and do your part to prevent this travesty from ever happening again.
Guide Patti: There's a lot of rumbling these days about the conservative climate in our government. What are some things that Wiccans can do to stay aware and involved in policies and events that affect them?
Dorothy Morrison: Read constantly and research well. Be aware that not everything you see on the internet is true; if in doubt, run a search on Snopes. Once you've got the facts in hand, use your time wisely. Don't bother with phone calls to your congressmen and senators. Folks can and will hang up on you. Don't waste your day joining a protest march. An organized protest never changed anything; it only serves to tie up traffic so folks - just like you - are late to work and get docked for the time. Take the time, instead, to send well thought out letters to your public officials. There's nothing that makes a politician sit up and take notice like a full mailbox!
But don't stop there. If you're not registered to vote, do so. And then…get to the polls and cast your ballots. It's the best way I know to effect change. Besides, if you don't vote, you've just thrown away your right to complain.
