FAQS
Questions from readers…please add yours!
Q. Behold has a number of parallel themes running through it. What genre best describes it?
A. Good question! Behold encompasses a few genres…Classic fiction since its mostly character driven, Mythic fiction, Inspirational fiction, Mystical fiction, Spiritual fiction, Feminist fiction, Archetypal fiction, Historical fiction – to name but a few.
Q. How influenced were you by the work of Carl Jung and Jungian theorists?
A. Jungian archetypes and symbolism have had a huge effect on my work and on my writing. They are part of our collective humanity. Look at the emoji symbols we all use now. They communicate feelings and experience, bypassing our different languages.
Q. The name Hekate in Behold is spelled as Hecate on a number of websites? What is the difference in the names?
A. I believe Hekate is more in keeping with the Greek spelling, whereas Hecate is the anglicised version.
Q. Lilith has a bad rep. Is this why you brought her into the story?
A. Yes indeed! Lilith has been associated with a primordial demon and figure of darkness. As first wife of Adam in traditional history she needed to tell her own story as an independent Femina of significance. A true Dark Goddess with Healing Power.
Q. The tales of Witches and Wicca, especially the Malleus Maleficarum in Behold are new to me. How was it to research and write about these awful things?
A. Thank you for asking. The Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witches) and historical accounts of women accused of and being tortured as Witches is deeply disturbing. I visited a few Museums of Torture in Europe and noticed that most were designed to interrogate women. I wanted to show the historical subjugation of women in Behold, to show how fear seeps through countless generations and how silencing it is.
Q. Why did you decide to include Celtic folklore and myth in your book?
A. I included Celtic folklore because it segued beautifully between the affinity with Druidism, seasonal rituals and Nature Wisdom, (paganism) to Witchery. The characters were also a delight to write!
Q. I noticed you made a few references to the stars, especially the Moon in the book. Can you tell me what the significance of the Moon and astrology is?
A. The movement of the planets, in particular the course of the Moon is well-known to affect us Earth dwellers! It is believed that 60-70% of our bodies are comprised of water. It stands to reason that if the tides of the great oceans of the world are affected by the gravitational pull of the Moon, then as beings largely comprised of water we might also be affected. Emergency services and first -responders know something of this phenomenon. The study of Astrology as an archetypal, symbolic system was well-supported by Jung.
Q. This isn’t really a question but I wanted to say I love that you have resurrected the Crone. Older women have been so overlooked and here we all are with lots of practical wisdom.
A. So true! The patriarchal lens through which we are viewed does not value aging women. And yet here we are – strong, sexy (if we want to be), wise and humorous beings able to bring so much to the world. We are the voices of common sense. And if we choose, we are also the voices of the deep and mysterious Dark Goddess.