The Path of the Blue Raven
A remarkable new book has just been published by OBOD member and dazzling mentalist magician Mark Townsend. Called ‘The Path of the Blue Raven’ it tells the story of a struggling man who all his life has wrestled with questions, searched for meaning and discovered it in unexpected places. Although representing the beginning of a new adventure in one man’s life, this book is not just his story for it also offers a beautiful and breath-taking collection of real-life stories of others who walked a similar path and have found great healing and blessing through nature based spirituality. To many cultures, the raven was and is a symbol of initiation into a new path. In sharing his own journey, the author introduces readers to a world of like-minded people who have stepped off the mainstream path onto the path of personal magic. As the ex-Catholic monk Thomas Moore says, ‘The soul has an absolute, unforgiving need for regular excursions into enchantment. It requires them like the body needs food and the mind needs thought.’ This book offers pilgrims (of any path) a way back to the rich and deep inner magic of childhood dreams.
Ronald Hutton said of it: “I started this book expecting to skim it and found myself reading every page. It is a wonderful quest romance, a story about the nature of religion, magic, England, modernity and many other things as well.” Link to Amazon here.
One Response to “The Path of the Blue Raven”
I’ve read the book and thought it was excellent.
Path of the Blue Raven is an inspiring book that explores the challenge of developing an authentic relationship with the Divine. Part biographical part exploration, the author looks at the way his own path has developed over the past few years and the influences that inspired him. The book is very easy read as Mark is a very humorous writer. I read it in a couple of days as I couldn’t put it down! His approach is to tell his life as it is which is often painful honest but he shows how pain brings great insightful treasures. Mark treads the path from entrenched `churchianity’ absorbed by ideas of perfectionism and being successful to realising authentic spiritual life wells from unconditional love and acceptance.
Later in the book are contributions from others who have chosen paths off the beaten track. They range from Christo-Druid, Celtic Christian, Pagan Druid and Native American. These offerings add further insights into what it means to live an authentic spiritual life from other faith viewpoints.
This book will help anyone who is struggling to come to terms with their sense of faith but struggle to find their faith reflected in any institutional church. I really recommend anyone to buy this book. Read it and then buy Mark’s other books, especially The Gospel of Falling down which is currently making huge waves in the church.
The book will also upset many that become insecure when others discuss anything other than what they think is the `right way to God’. Yet such a book that invites us to think through what we are doing can be no bad thing.
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