[Review] Pagan Portals: Sexual Dynamics in the Circle: Magic, Man & Woman

Title: Pagan Portals Sexual Dynamics in the Circle: Magic, Man & Woman
Author: Melusine Draco
Publisher: Moon Books
Pages: 81
Publication Date: April 26, 2021

One of the most significant social changes in the 20th-century was the wedge driven between the males and females of Craft as a result of social media and political feminism. From a purely magical point of view the battle of the sexes has been one of the most negative crusades in the history of mankind since everything in the entire Universe is made up from a balance or harmony of opposite energies. Men and women are different as night and day but still part of the same homo sapiens coin, regardless of their individual sexuality.

A big thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I'm always so thankful to have these opportunities! 

I believe this review is going to be a little more critical than I normally write. I had a sinking feeling the moment I started this book and the entire publication started out with:

"One of the most significant social changes in the 20th-century was the wedge driven between the men and women of Craft as a result of negative social media and political feminism."

This is the first sentence of the book so I decided to keep reading - although I disagreed with the author already. Social media, in my opinion, isn't the cause of any divides between men and women - there is no war on men ; social media is simply giving people a way to keep others accountable. All feminism - if you're doing it right - is political. 

This reads to me like someone who is upset that traditions are being disturbed, rather than accept that traditions can be toxic. 

And then I kept reading and was met with: 

"From a purely magical perspective the battle of the sexes has possible been one of the most negative crusades in the history of humankind since everything in the entire Universe is made up from a balance or harmony of opposing energies. Men and women are as different as night to day but they still part of the same homo sapiens coin - regardless of their individual sexuality and diversity.

The blanket statements, and the separation of men and women into this very limited, narrow-minded binary wasn't making me hopeful for the rest of the book. The author reads as someone who is very outdated and has problematic tendencies, especially when just a little later on in the paragraph she stated:

"...those with an uncompromising chauvinistic or feminist outlook should carry out a considerable amount of soul-searching with regard to magical practice because none of us can afford to be blinkered by prejudice or hampered by refusing to accept another witch or magus on the grounds of gender incompatibility alone." 

This proves to me that the author has no understanding of what feminism is or what it stands for. While continuing to read, this was proven. The author seems to believe that feminism = misandry, which is untrue and harmful to repeat over and over. 

Several paragraphs don't seem to make sense or lend any beneficial information to the topic of the book. It often read as a college student's term paper where many pages were just filler to make a word or page count, without any regard to if the information was necessary or needed. Why do we have so many quotes from other authors and speakers? Why so many mini biographies? None of this information is needed and none of it helps to bolster the author's opinions on sexual dynamics within the circle.

1 star to this book - I wouldn't bother reading this one if you aren't cis-gendered, you won't be gaining anything from this one. 

About the Author

Mélusine Draco originally trained in the magical arts of traditional British Old Craft with Bob and Mériém Clay-Egerton. She has been a magical and spiritual instructor for over 20 years with Coven of the Scales and the Temple of Khem, and writer of numerous popular books including Liber Agyptius: the Book of Egyptian Magic; The Egyptian Book of Days; The Egyptian Book of Nights; The Thelemic Handbook; The Hollow Tree, an elementary guide to the Qabalah; A Witch's Treasury of the Countryside; Root & Branch: British Magical Tree Lore and Starchild: a rediscovery of stellar wisdom. Her highly individualistic teaching methods and writing draws on ancient sources supported by academic texts and current archaeological findings. She now lives in Ireland near the Galtee Mountains and has several titles currently published with John Hunt Publishing including the Traditional Witchcraft series.