Kna'ani: Impressions of Tess Dawson, Canaanite Polytheist (Blog)
Interviews Coming throughout Autumn 2011
I am pleased to announce that I have interviews scheduled this autumn with Karagan at WitchTalk, Andrieh Vitimus at Deeper Down the Rabbit Hole, Angelique Mroczka of Pagan Writers, and Amanda Blake of Temple of Athena the Savior.
July 27, 2011: Release of Anointed: A Devotional Anthology for the Deities of the Near and Middle East.
I had the privilege of editing this large volume of works dedicated to the ancient deities throughout the Near and Middle East, including the cultures of the Canaanites, Hittites, Hurrians, Arabians, and Mesopotamians. Full of articles and artwork, prayers and poems, songs and spells, this tome has something for everyone interested in these ancient deities, and it includes a glossary which gives a description of each deitycovered in the book. Proceeds from this book go to charity. For details about charities see Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
July 24, 2011: Amulet Class in Easthampton, MA (USA)
I had a delightful afternoon teaching and sharing ideas on amulet making at AwenTree. Students participated in crafting and painting their own flour-and-water amulets and their own paper amulets.
February 9, 2011 Galina Krasskova, author of the Highway to Hel blog at Patheos interviews Tess Dawson.
November 7, 2009: Book Signing and Dream Consultations in Enfield, CT (USA)
I'll be signing books and offering dream consultations at Gayle's Thyme Herbal Apothecary in Enfield (near Hartford), from 11:00am-3:00pm. Book Whisper of Stone: Natib Qadish, Modern Canaanite Religion will be available for purchase and I will be there to sign it. Dream consultations offered for a small fee; each consultation will last for 15 minutes. Come by and say hello!
November 15, 2009: Workshop, Ritual, and Book Signing in Chicago, IL (USA)
Come to The Occult Bookstore in Chicago for a full workshop on modern Canaanite religion, plus a small informal ritual. Workshop is only $16! Book Whisper of Stone: Natib Qadish, Modern Canaanite Religion and I will be there to sign it. Workshop is sponsored by Earth Spiritualists of Chicago. Times TBA: estimated times somewhere between 12:00pm-5:00pm.
September 24, 2009 Joined Unitarian Universalist's Church of the Larger Fellowship Congregation
I had been thinking about joining the Unitarian Universalist Church (UU) for a while because I respect that they honor religious, spiritual, and philosophical differences. Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) is a congregation without a bricks-and-mortar church: they offer services to people through out the USA and different parts of the world at large. They are the church you can carry with you throughout your journeys wherever your travels or changes of residence take you. CLF also offers special ministry programs for military members and prison inmates. I hope to become a CUUPS (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) soon.
August 10, 2009 Interview in Sequential Tart eMagazine
I was interviewed in Sequential Tart, a webzine dedicated to the comics industry, news, arts, culture, and women's interest: Ancient Stones: An interview of Tess Dawson by Rebecca Buchanan.
June 25, 2009 Meeting of Coffee in Canaan (Massachusetts, USA)
For more information on Coffee in Canaan meetups, see Coffee in Canaan. Topic: Magic, potions
May 1, 2009 Just Deserts: Pagan Sacrifice in a Modern Age in Pentacle Magazine
This article explores concepts of honoring the deities by giving offerings, and discusses our preconceptions and misconceptions regarding the term "sacrifice." See a sample of the article.
December 31, 2008 Ordination by ULC
Just in time for the secular new year! I have received my ordination through Universal Life Church and am now officially a minister.
December 23, 2008 Middle East Peace Meditation in Circle Magazine
I've just been informed that this piece has gone to print for the Winter 2008-2009 issue of Circle Magazine. In this meditation, the reader is guided through sending peace to a tumultuous part of the world. May our world be filled with healing peace, not just for this season, but for all seasons.
October 22, 2008 Article Chariot of the Sun in SageWoman Magazine
Look for this article in SageWoman magazine, the current issue, #75: Surrendering and Awakening. In Chariot, I contemplate Lady Shapshu as she rides in her chariot through the cycles of life and death. The article features wonderful artwork by Ingrid Sundberg.
July 10, 2008 Whisper of Stone book estimated date for July 31, 2009
May 19, 2007 Chudthu, New Moon RitualThis summer has brought many beginnings and endings. A mother robin nested just outside my office door, and I have had the chance to watch the little ones begin life from the egg and grow into fledglings. Oh, how she fretted and fussed with her mate as they built the little cradle of twigs. Just this week, Mother Robin decided to give her wee ones flying lessons. As the three young birds have left the nest, I think about my own creative projects that are also leaving the nest.
I am excited to report that after years of work, my manuscript for Whisper of Stone: Modern Canaanite Religion, Natib Qadish is finally leaving my desk. Look for it perched on bookstore shelves and virtual shelves Summer 2009. Useful, well-documented information about a rarely explored path. Cover image courtesy of O-Books.
It is wonderful to see a book where the ancient texts of Canaan are analyzed then intelligently crafted into a modern workable Pagan Path. This enormous undertaking is handled with a wisdom, skill, and grace that afford opportunities for individual adaptation. Thought provoking, illuminating, realistic, and exciting on all levels, yet immensely readable, this book is a treasure and a must for the library of every modern Pagan. Ann Moura, Author of the Green Witch series.
The god of the Israelites was a jealous god, stating “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” [Exodus 20:3] Despite this injunction, the Israelites would frequently ascend to “high places,” and worship Baal, a Canaanite fertility deity. While the Bible portrays Canaanites and Israelites as being culturally separate, archaeological data indicates that the two cultures largely overlapped, with that of the Israelites having derived from the Canaanites. This suggests that understanding Canaanite religious practices would cast new light on Hebrew spirituality, including the Qabala, which is of pivotal importance to many contemporary magickal traditions.
Tess Dawson has done a commendable job in combing through copious dry academic texts, extracting historical data and what little is known of the religious practices of the Canaanites. The end result is a comprehensive overview of the Canaanite culture. Ms Dawson then presents her own techniques of worshipping the Canaanite deities in the hope of inspiring others to follow in her footsteps. Readers seeking a unique spiritual path to embrace, or perhaps wishing to spice up their current practices, are presented with a wonderful opportunity.
Tony Mierzwicki, author of Graeco-Egyptian Magick: Everyday Empowerment.
Whisper of Stone is a linguistically rich exploration of a truly unique topic. Readers will discover another world filled with potential spiritual and magical practices that can still support modern Paths. For those drawn to this cultural context, this resource is valuable! Patricia Telesco, Author of Kitchen Witch's Companion, Exploring Candle Magick, and Charmed Life.
March 24, 2007 Presentation at Gaia's Awakening FaireI created and officiated a Chudthu (New Moon) ritual at a Unitarian Universalist church in Washington. Five people attended the ritual which reenacted the symbolic construction of Ba'lu's temple based on Ugaritic literature, celebrated the creation of the universe based on Phoenician literature, and included a modern meditation to meet 'Athirat. During the ritual, participants enjoyed a ritual feast.
June 2006 Article Natib Qadish: Rediscovering the Gods of CanaanI gave a presentation on Canaanite Polytheism at the Gaia's Awakening Faire at a Unitarian Universalist church in Washington.
February 2006 Article Anger: Catalyst of ChangeMy article Natib Qadish: Rediscovering the Gods of Canaan is published in issue #44 of PanGaia magazine.
September 28, 2005 Dream Interpretation ClassMy article Anger: Catalyst of Change was published in the current issue, #37 Winter/Spring, of The Beltane Papers: A Journal of Women's Mysteries.
2002-2004 Coffee in CanaanI gave a dream interpretation class at shop in New Jersey called "My Favorite Place," 114c Creek Rd, Mt. Laurel, NJ
We learned much exploring together how to interpret dreams for ourselves, and how to understand our own personal dream-languages. We discussed how to remember dreams, how to keep a dream journal, how to break a dream into individual components (events, characters, sights, sounds, etc.), then how to put those components back together for a final interpretation. We also covered recurring dreams, people who visit others via the "astral plane," as well as shared dreams and spirit guides.
2003 Article for Phantom ImmortalityFrom September 2002 and March 2004, I organized and hostessed a weekly to bi-monthly coffee chat called "Coffee in Canaan."
In Summer of 2003, I wrote an article on Canaanite Religion that was published in the local Chicago periodical Phantom Immortality.
View all Tess Dawson tour dates
At a get-together, Near Eastern gods discuss and bemoan the rise of monotheism. Baal brags about his magnificent palace and admires his biceps. The human Zoroaster tries to crash the party.
Witches and Pagans Magazine (formerly newWitch Magazine), Issue #19, Autumn, 2009, p. 13.
Ask anyone on the street about pagan sacrifice, and you’re bound to hear macabre stories of hooded blood-soaked miscreants slaughtering screeching cats on Halloween.
I am no stranger to Pagan gatherings, especially small ones in celebration of Sabbats. Most typical gatherings consist of calling quarters, invoking deities, meditating on a seasonal theme, and partaking of cakes and ale, or as is more likely, cookies and punch. It’s my understanding that the cakes and ale serve as a communal feast and sacrifice to the deities. Sacrifice has become the desert after a ritual well done, when I wonder if it should have been the entree.
In its simplest form, sacrifice denotes something given in honour of the divine. We have loaded the word “sacrifice” with preconceptions and stereotypes, and thus it seems that both the term and the act itself have fallen out of favour in the Pagan community at large. Perhaps it is the death of animals that bothers us: feel squeamish about animal sacrifice, so we eschew all forms of sacrifice, even of non-animal offerings. Maybe we became weary of churches and charities fleecing us for change. If ancient sacrifice was not the spiritual equivalent of a B-grade horror movie, self-imposed guilt tax, or grammar school snack time, what was it? Why was sacrifice important and what can that mean to us today?
© 2008 Tess Dawson
This article was published in the Beltane 2009 issue of Pentacle Magazine.
So many times we are bombarded by the most horrific accounts of the war-torn Middle East . Despite our differing political opinions, the fact remains that many of us will know of someone entrenched in the conflict, and many of us have already had loved ones sent into harm’s way. Indeed some of us may have been personally scarred by the war. Instead of getting caught up in a cycle of despair we can make a difference by sending healing, and this meditation is designed to do just that.
© 2008 Tess Dawson
This article was published in Winter 2008 issue #103, "Sacred Brooms" of Circle Magazine.
I filled my small green and white Hawaiian print shoulder bag with a lighter, incense, ink pens, my cell phone, house keys, and a snake carved from tiger’s eye. The chilly early March breeze reddened my cheeks, but the sunlight felt warm and inviting. Like most people at that time of year, I eagerly marked the transition from the season of rest, and cold, and dark to the spring renewal of life. I needed to stretch my face to the sunlight like a leaf bud. I walked on the winding horseshoe-shaped road through the residential area, and made my way to the center-point of the U to the location of a small park. I crossed atop the pedestrian bridge that spans the pinky finger of a pond. The sun had given her bright kiss to the brown waters: I could see the plant life below and illuminated the green algal blooms. I saw no fish, though. Their sleek silver streaking bodies rested in deeper waters in preparation for feeding at dusk. A couple of mallards lazily swam by, droplets of moisture beaded like swarovski crystals on their dun and iridescent forest-green feathers. (Excerpt)
© 2008 Tess Dawson
This article is published in issue #75 "Ritual and Ceremony" of SageWoman magazine. It features wonderful artwork by Ingrid Sundberg. Back issues are available through BBI Media Store and a bookstore near you.
Kali’s black rage, Hera’s cold jealousy, Anat’s fiery adolescent temper, Ishtar’s sexual fury, Sekhmet’s bloodlust…these images simultaneously draw and repel us, encourage us and frighten us. At times, in the deep dark corners of our hearts—the place we hate to admit even to ourselves—we are Kali, Hera, Anat, Ishtar, and Sekhmet.
So very often we deny ourselves this incredible source of self-power and sense of completion. How often have you heard someone say, “Oh, I’m not angry…I’m (blank),” where the blank is filled in by any other excuse-emotion (sad, hurt, shocked, upset, confused, et cetera), anything at all but anger. How many times have you yourself said it? I know I have. How many times have we all been angry and steadfastly refused to admit it? Why? What’s so scary about saying “I’m angry”? By admitting these words, we will not automatically sink into an uncontrollable berserker(1)-fit…we are merely admitting what we honestly feel. And if you fear that others will think you are a “bad person” for being angry, it could be that it’s because they are jealous of your new-found emotional honesty and fear being that emotionally honest with themselves.
© 2006 Tess Dawson
This article was published in 2006, issue #37 Winter/Spring of The Beltane Papers: A Journal of Women's Mysteries.
Back issues are available.
So what happens when you hear the call of a deity you never knew existed? What do you do when that deity is Canaanite? Yes, I said Canaanite.
The general heading that many of us fondly, yet with debate, entitle “Paganism” or “Neo-Paganism” includes a myriad of different religions from many different parts of the world. Yet it seems that the heaviest concentration of information falls under a more specific category of Western European Paganism or Heathenry, while other Pagan world cultures have not had as much exposure. Information, research, sharing ritual practices, trading philosophical ideas are essential for a thriving Pagan tradition and nourishing to the solitary Pagan practitioner; information and sharing information defines the nature of a Pagan path. For a follower of an ancient Near Eastern form of Paganism, the path becomes decidedly more difficult, obscure, and seemingly covered in the sands of time. For example, a Kemetic/Egyptian Pagan, for which many scholarly works are available, would still have difficulty finding information on the modern-day Kemetic’s path.
© 2005 Tess Dawson
This article was published in issue #44 "Ritual and Ceremony" of PanGaia magazine. It featured inspiring artwork by Chris Beetow. Back issues are available through BBI Media Store. Hurry--there are only a few left!
Well, I must say that this movie was not the worst movie I’ve ever seen. That dubious honor goes to the likes of Horror at Party Beach, The Avengers (Uma Thurman not the dynamic Diana Rigg), Highlander: The Source, Wild Guitar, and Mars Attacks when I was pumped up with codeine after oral surgery.
Having made this unofficial disclaimer, I will say that Ba’al: the Storm God which aired Saturday, September 13, 2008 on the SciFi Channel was bad. I could come up with a host of other adjectives, but it is unseemly to dress up the truth. It wasn’t bad in an I-got-mugged-at-my-mother’s-funeral sort of way, but it was bad in a gee-I-could-have-saved-that-spot-in-my-brain-for-something-far-better sort of way. In this case, B-movie stands for Bad Movie, even from the first few minutes where the thieves that would rob the museum were easily discernable in their mock-up utility van.
I know that many folks like to create sacred space using the Four Elements: Earth, Air, Wind, and Fire. I'm a bit different: I like to create "temple space." Temple space is space that is sacred, but I call it "temple space" because I am, in essence, re-creating a temple to the ancient deities. Many ancient cultures had temples set aside for their deities, and clergy regularly maintained these temples as sacred space. Sometimes we don't have that luxury, but we can always find ways to set up temporary temples that can be created and dismantled. There are many ways of creating/ re-creating temple space, and it will depend on one's personal path.
Thanks for visiting! Peace and wellbeing to you.
Natib Qadish: Modern Canaanite Polytheism is a site about Canaanite religion, also called Canaanite revivalism, or Canaanite reconstructionism. This site explores topics of interest for people who practice Canaanite religion, information regarding the ancient Canaanites themselves, and includes both ancient Canaanite religion and its modern counterpart.
Feel free to drop me a note: admin at canaanitepath.com
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All original written work on this site is copyright © 2005, 2011 Tess Dawson, unless otherwise noted.
Please do not use without permission, proper crediting, and a link to my site.
All original artwork and photographs on this site are copyright © 2005, 2009 Tess Dawson, unless otherwise noted.
Please do not use without permission, proper crediting, and a link to my site.