Greetings!
First of all, life is largely good. :-) Last weekend I got my Aura portrait done at
Power of the Rainbow (in Arlington, TX). I love it. :-) Also the second episode of
Shhh! There Are Pagans in Texas is out! I really love doing these podcasts with Rose. She's so much fun, it's a blast!
And finally, I'd like to mention the book I finished this weekend:
The Sin Eater's Last Confessions by Ross Heaven, Llewellyn 2008. It's a true story about Ross' childhood friendship with his English village's "Sin Eater". This friendship develops into an apprenticeship where Ross learns about herbs, philosophy, the nature of life/being, fairies, omens/divination, and of course what a Sin Eater is/does.
I don't love
wikipedia, but here is what it has to say about a Sin Eater:
The term sin-eater refers to a person who, through ritual means, would take on by means of food and drink the sins of a deceased person, thus absolving his or her soul and allowing that person to rest in peace. In the study of folklore sin-eating is considered a form of religious magic.
This ritual is said to have been practised in parts of England and Scotland, and allegedly survived until modern times in Wales. Traditionally, it is performed by a beggar and certain villages maintained their own sin-eaters. They would be brought to the dying person's bedside, where a relative would place a crust of bread on the breast of the dying and pass a bowl of ale to him over the corpse. After praying or reciting the ritual, he would then drink and remove the bread from the breast and eat it, the act of which would remove the sin from the dying person and take it into himself.
Formally speaking, Sin Eating appears to have been primarily practiced in the British Isles; however, the book does reference similar (but not identical) rites/traditions practiced throughout Eastern and Western Europe. Though text books and many resources would inform you that Sin Eating Died out in the Early 20th Century (think 1920 or so), this book offers proof of a mid-century Sin Eater. It also briefly mentions that some believe it to be practiced even now in the US' Appalachian Mountain Region.
A Sin Eater does far more than just eat bread off of a dead or dying body and this book reveals the deeper meaning/action of that particular ritual and of the spirituality of this unique brand of British Shaman. It is a fascinating read, well and concisely written, chocked full of information and tidbits. The last portion of the book is a workbook; providing more detail on some the practices, meditations, and concoctions so that you may try them yourself.
I recommend this to anyone interested in History/Religion/Lore of the UK Region, Shamanism, Herbalism, Naturalism, Psychic Development, Fairies, Omens, and Death/Burial Practices.
Chao for now,
Renny
