Kenaz Filan (Houngan Coquille du Mer) was initiated in Société la Belle Venus in March 2003 after 10 years of solitary service to the lwa. Filan is the author of several books, including The New Orleans Voodoo Handbook, and coauthor with Raven Kaldera of Drawing Down the Spirits. Filan lives in Short Hills, New Jersey. Raven Kaldera is a Northern Tradition Pagan shaman who has been a practicing astrologer since 1984 and a Pagan since 1986. The author of many books, including Moon Phase Astrology, and coauthor of Neolithic Shamanism, Kaldera lives in Hubbardston, Massachusetts.
Introduction
Reclaiming Our Gods, Reconstructing Our Faith
1 Why Personal Gnosis?
2 Definitions
3 Divine Downloads
What Personal Gnosis Feels Like
4 Legends, Lore, and Living Faith
On Primary Sources and Holy Writ
5 Delusions, Lies, and Skepticism
6 So Who Can Be a Mystic?
7 Judging the Message by Yourself
The Process of Discernment, Part 1
8 Mad Wisdom
Mental Illness and Personal Gnosis
9 Signal Clarity
Hearing the Divine Voice
10 Solo Divination
The Process of Discernment, Part 2
11 Silence and Faith
12 Neo-Paganism and Its Attitudes
13 Historical Precedents
Gnosis in Ancient Times
14 Responsibilities
Sorting Out the Tangled Mass
15 Community Divination
The Process of Discernment, Part 3
16 Groups and Gnosis
17 Judging the Message in Groups
The Process of Discernment, Part
18 The Rocky Road to Intrafaith Dialogue
Epilogue
The Future of Peer-Corroborated Personal Gnosis
Notes
Index
