Review: Áine

Pagan Portals – Áine

Goddess of the Sun, Fairy Queen of Ireland

by Kelle BanDea

Discover the ancient sun goddess’ light and dark sides.

Aine is a popular goddess known for her associations with love, fertility and the sun, celebrated at the height of summer and at the first harvests. A fairy queen of the Tuatha de Danaan, she is beloved both by the Irish people whose land she is entwined with and by neopagans across the world. Even her name means ‘bright.’ But she also has a dark side. Caution may be advised. For Aine is also known as a dark muse in Victorian fairytales, a neopagan goddess who seeks justice and revenge for trauma survivors, and a powerful queen of the hollow hills in native Irish folklore. This book will introduce you to Aine and suggest ways to honour her in your practice, as well as exploring her deep and complex history.

REVIEW

5 out of 5

This is an excellent introduction to Áine, both the myths surrounding her, her various aspects, and working with her as a modern pagan. The book is broken down into two main sections, with each section being broken down into smaller chapters. The bibliography at the back is a great resource if you’d like to do a deeper dive after reading this, because while this is great as an intro, it doesn’t go very in-depth. I do recommend reading the introduction by the author, as it helps set the tone for the rest of the book. I found the myths section very interesting, as I was only familiar with some of them, but the modern practice is what I found most helpful. Furthermore, I love that you can work with Áine and her different aspects year round, and for different purposes. I wasn’t as familiar with her darker side, but I’ve learned quite a bit even from this short intro. Definitely recommend!

LEARN MORE

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Moon Books | Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR