But it's a book ABOUT the Autumnal Equinox !

I'm sorry, I know I've been whining about this for years but in this case I just couldn't restrain myself. My intentions are constructive and I tried to blunt the sharper edges of my prose and even gave her an "out" for my primary complaint. Nonetheless there's at least one counter-review accusing me of being unnecessarily mean to the author. Well, you be the judge...

Mabon: Celebrating the Autumn Equinox
(Llewellyn Paperback, (c) 2002)

MY REVIEW on AMAZON:

OK Kristin, what IS the date of the September Equinox?

I'm sorry but every time I get a chance and have the time in the bookstore I grab this book and scan and scan til my eyes are blurry and my head is spinning... I've probably logged 40 minutes this way over the last couple years and still have not found one place in your whole book about this Pagan holy-day where it states THE DATE of the actual equinox. Perhaps I'm wrong and I've consistently overlooked it?

If it's really not in there, why? What about the likelihood of a book about Christmas or Independence Day being published which never cites the calendar date of the subject? Initially, the absurdity of this just boggles the mind...

If it's really not in there, I can hardly blame you, Kristin, since virtually NONE of the books on Wicca and Neopaganism or Celtic Spirituality ever published by Llewellyn (or their competitors) -ever- get this date right. As a result there is such a towering body of incorrect citations for the date out-there that I could easily imagine Llewellyn's editors forcing you to not give the correct information since it would then indicate that the related statements in 99 of 100 of their other books as being wrong.

Well, regardless, here's the deal: for Western Europe, Britain, and North America, the September Equinox occurs usually on September 23rd and on the other years on September 22nd. NEVER on the 25th; NEVER on the 21st, etc...

If you don't believe me, here is where astronomers and calendar makers go for the actual data for such things, rather than Pagan writers eternally cribbing off of other ill-informed Pagan writers as they seem to have done for generations.

Maybe in the next edition?
Otherwise it could have been a charming little book.

Blessed be,

EARRACH,
Pittsburgh PA