Labrys and Horns
An Introduction to Modern Minoan Paganism
New Second Edition Now Available!
In this newly revised and updated second edition of Labrys and Horns, you’ll find the pantheon, rituals, symbols and practices of Modern Minoan Paganism (MMP). The second edition is enlarged and expanded, including a great deal of new information as MMP has grown and evolved over the past few years.
MMP is a revivalist tradition that connects the deities of ancient Crete with modern Pagans in a living spiritual practice. With a pantheon headed by a triplicity of mother goddesses who embody the three sacred realms of land, sky, and sea, MMP calls us to remember a time when women were valued as equals to men, when the Great Mothers took care of all their children, and when the sacred touched every person every day of their lives.
Minoan spirituality is so relevant to our times, when we’re doing our best to move forward and away from inequality and oppression.
This book can help you build relationships with the Minoan gods and goddesses and bring their blessings into your life, and from there, into the larger world.
What's inside:
The World of the Ancient Minoans: how the Minoans fit in with the rest of the ancient world, the seasons in the Mediterranean and how that impacts our sacred calendar, ancient Minoan spiritual life
Modern Minoan Paganism: our symbols and basic spiritual practices
The Pantheon: our gods and goddesses, their characteristics, and ways to develop relationships with them in the modern world
The Minoan Sacred Calendar: the holy days and festivals we celebrate as a modern revivalist Pagan tradition
The Rituals: our standard ritual format for groups and solitaries, rituals to consecrate your altar and connect with the Minoan pantheon, how to make offerings, an exploration of ecstatic postures
Devotionals: a great way to connect with the Minoan gods and goddesses - there's a devotional for every deity in our pantheon
Create It Yourself: make your own finger labyrinth, labrys-and-horns, or drop spindle
Compendium: find out about the foods, stones, incense, and herbs and Minoans used so you can add them to your practice
Resources: books and music to enrich your spiritual path
Labrys and Horns is available in print and e-book format from:
Amazon.com and other Amazon platforms worldwide
Paperback ISBN 979-8648863491
E-book ISBN 978-0463176153
Reader love for Labrys and Horns:
An authentic scholar and practitioner, Perry offers a gorgeously structured and informative guide to the cultic history of Crete and the integration and relevance of Neo-Minoan spirituality in contemporary life.
When it comes to what we think we know of ancient Crete, much has been made of very little. Perry's integrity sets her apart from the many well meaning re-imaginers of ancient paganism. The book begins with a thorough digest of the real evidence we have of Bronze Age Minoan culture, and a number of honest best guesses inspired by later Mycenaen archeology and Linear B writings. She does a masterful job of making the often confusing history accessible to the interested layperson. Carefully selected line images of Minoan artifacts and sacred symbols, and a well chosen roster of the most important goddesses and other divinities create an invaluable basis for the aspiring practicioner of this important but largely lost Pagan tradition.
But the heart and soul Perry brings to her subject matter makes Labrys and Horns truly special. Her unspoken assumption that the Pagan spirit will recognize itself in the remnant testimony of Minoan Crete rings true, and the book, while compelling to anyone, will resonate most powerfully with those already familiar with other strains of Pagan belief and practice.
It is equally affirming and inspiring to the informed afficionado. I have spent years researching ancient Crete as an historical novelist, but found dozens of fascinating nuggets I either didn't know or had not connected: the worship of sacral vestments, the extensive plethora of horned deities other than the bull, and the possible ritual and meditative uses of wine and the open fisted "Minoan salute," to name just a few.
Perry concludes with clear, detailed suggestions for real life practice, including the wonderful admonition to "listen to your inner voice." Well said. Her personal testimony is perhaps the book's strongest virtue. Enthusiastically recommended.
|| J.P. Jamin, author of The Seas Come Still
As a fussy former English professor, and as a scholar/writer on Minoans for 40 years, I Highly Recommend “Labrys & Horns” for your hard-copy bookshelf. Cover to cover, Perry’s pages are careful, clear, down-to-earth practical and graceful too. Her solid, broad, detailed research is well-organized for learning (and then building on) what we know of Minoan Crete’s traditions from the ecological ground up, from herbs to instruments. While the book has generous features from 37 well-selected and precise line-drawings to a thorough subject-index, the sections build toward exemplary fusion of fact and fresh action. From “Basic Rituals” to “Daily Devotionals” and “Create It Yourself,” Perry’s multiple approaches to helping people real-ize the best of the ancient West truly capture its POETRY---and that’s to say they will inspire and unleash new energies as deep and positive as our real Minoan heritage. All in all, “Labrys & Horns” is a well-honed instrument for bringing the facts and wildness, the depths, powers and wisdom of Minoan spirituality back to the forefront of Western education and living---on your own and in the fellowship of Nature and community.
|| Dr. Jack Dempsey, author of The Knossos Calendar and Ariadne's Brother
I just got this book and I am just starting to read it and I am hooked! Thank you Laura for writing this book for what seems like just me! Can't wait to order my Tarot Deck and Coloring book then I will have a complete set so far!
|| Amazon reviewer
If you'd like to find out more about Modern Minoan Paganism, check out our official website then head over to our Facebook group Ariadne's Tribe. Modern Minoan Paganism is a welcoming path, happily open to people of any race, ethnicity, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, ability level, disability, geographic location, language, education, or socio-economic status. We're all in this together.