About the AuthorEmma Restall Orr (aka Bobcat) is considered one of the most well-known Druids worldwide. She worked for the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids, was Joint Chief of the British Druid Order, and in 2002 created The Druid Network. In 2004, she founded Honouring the Ancient Dead, which advocates with heritage organisations around the issue of ancient and Pagan British human remains. She is a practising priest and teacher, and regularly lectures at universities and within the Pagan community.
Living with Honour: A Pagan Ethics is a labor of love and dignity by the author. A beautifully written book that is well researched and lived. It starts with the author’s childhood experience of watching a man die while her father bargained for a cage of birds is nothing short of brilliance. It demonstrates that well-meaning people immerse themselves in the trivial while ignoring the major elements of being a fellow traveler. It would benefit anyone to read Living with Honour no matter what their religious affiliation. The book was born from a simple query from a Christian clergy wondering if Pagans had any ethics and the obvious evidence that often part-time practitioners appear not to.
Author, Emma Restall Orr gave the simple inquiry deep thought. She knew that often people mistake Pagans for people who have no set doctrine or ethics. Unfortunately, the word pagan is often interpreted as people who revere nothing. Orr knew this wasn’t true, especially of those who have aspired to follow a true path, but perhaps others need more guidance and encouragement.
Author Orr deals with how Pagans should deal with other people, animals, the environment, and the web that bind us all to one another. This thoughtful book should be read slowly, allowing thought between each paragraph. There is much to ponder. It would be a shame to rush through it. The book is for those who care about walking the Pagan path with honour as opposed to those who think it would be a lark to do so or just rebelling against a conservative upbringing.
There’s also an extensive bibliography at the end for those who wish to delve deeper into how Author Orr came about writing this much-needed book. Thank you Emma Restall Orr for addressing issues that have concerned me for some time in an intelligent and insightful manner.
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