Book Purge 09 – non fiction, the esoteric

I am still working on the non fiction part of my bookcases. I have moved on to the esoteric case – books on spirituality, the goddess, Wicca, druids, philosophy, tarot, Arthuriana and child rearing.

Some of my goddess spirituality books

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Some of my tarot books

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Does a woman who had not really read the cards in 7 years actually *need* 36 books about tarot? That’s not counting the books that come with the decks. I have 77 tarot decks (I was a collector in my child free days), at least 30 came with substantial sized books. Do I really need 77 tarot decks? No. No I don’t, but that is a purge for another day. 

I also don’t need quite so many goddess books. I’ve been walking this path for almost 16 years now. I am beyond the ‘gather every book you can find on the broadly defined topic’ stage and my interest has drifted from the Celtic focus. Working with ruthless determination & speed I kept maybe 10 of those books and about that many tarot ones.

I wish I could show you my shelves of child rearing and Arthuriana books. But there is only about 18 inches between them & the back of the sofa and it is impossible to get a shot of them.

Most of the child rearing books were passed on to me. I am passing those on too. I am beyond the Happiest Toddler stage and my kids are finally sleeping  so the half a dozen ‘get you child to sleep’ books Havoc led me to find, can at last leave my home. I’m keeping the 3 ‘raising boys’ books and Protecting the Gift, Spiritual Parenting and Buddhism for Mothers. But the rest will be going.

I’m torn on the Arthuriana books. I loved Arthurian legends and read everything – fact & fiction about that era and those people.  The fiction ones are for the most part well done & entertaining, the scholarly ones are mostly really dry reading.  But what if the boys take an interest?

*sigh*

I can’t go there. I just can’t. If I accept that as a valid reason to keep books, then I will only be able to purge the romance section of fiction. I’ll keep the Stephen Lawhead series and Mists of Avalon but the rest need to go.

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The first of many trips to Goodwill, the library and other donation places *sob*

Fiction will have to wait until next week. Havoc and Mayhem have today and tomorrow off from school for Parent-Teacher conferences. Havoc has been getting notes home lately about him making poor choices in his behavior, so it’s probably not going to be the happiest of conferences this evening.

Comments

  1. Mea Culpa Bath and BodyMarch 20, 2009 at 7:54 AM

    ohhhh...I feel ya on the books :-) I am thinking of giving away my fiction books - Stephen King and Koontz type books....but I keep thinking - maybe my girls will like to read them...I a such a book worm and never gave away a single book.

    And non-fiction and spirituality books...wow...I dont know what to do with half of them...totem books that are general same things over and over again with little different things; wicca books that tell you how to do the circle over and over again....and I do feel bad gettin rid of them :-(

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am HarrietMarch 21, 2009 at 11:23 AM

    Hi There.
    Today I'm leaving 100 comments.
    Wish me luck!
    http://iamharriet.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 22, 2009 at 1:07 PM

    Oh you are a brave brave woman. I have stacks of books just waiting for new bookshelves but unfortunately I have run out of wall space..oops. I am able to recycle some novels, but I have great difficulty even thinking about thinning out the shelves.. and you never know when someone will need a book that only I have lol.. cheers Kim ps. I wish that I lived closer I would definitely help you clean out your book

    ReplyDelete
  4. Deana BirksNovember 15, 2009 at 6:59 AM

    I found your blog from Shimelle's class and now I'm deep in your archives reading about your book purge. :) I just had to respond to this post because I used to have the majority of those books and purged them. I haven't read the cards in years, but I did hold onto a handful of books (Mary K. Greer, Rachel Pollack) and just a few basic decks. I sold the rest of the decks on eBay and actually made enough to pay for a short weekend trip! I can't bring myself to part with the remaining tarot stuff, even if I never use it again.

    ReplyDelete

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