Jenna Paulden
Writer • Singer • Editor
The Alchemy of Avalon
IN TURBULENT TIMES, AN AVALON INITIATE FALLS IN LOVE WITH A ROMAN SOLDIER…
Enter an enchanted world of Song, Ceremony, and reverence for the Earth’s seasonal cycles. The Tribes of Albion honor their wise Druid advisors, their prophetic Healers and Seers, and their divinely inspired Bards. In this culture, women stand as respected equals with men. Cerridwen is born into this world in 43 CE, on the small Island of Ynys Môn, home of a famed Druid College.
When she reaches womanhood, her Druid parents send her to study at the Mystery School on the sacred Isle of Avalon. Here, a student must undergo years of challenging initiations in order to move beyond academic knowledge and become an enlightened Knower. Cerridwen thrives in Avalon under the tutelage of the Merlin and the Lady of Avalon.
Then she meets Marcus, a Roman soldier her own age, and her world turns upside down. The young lovers personally experience the painful clash between Empire expansion and the Earth-based spirituality of the ancient Druid Way.
The Alchemy of Avalon is a poignant, believable love story and an awakening reminder of the Old Wisdom. It shines as an ode to life-affirming ritual and the deep alchemy of Soul evolution.
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About the Author
Jenna Paulden is a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. She has a B.A. in Theatre and Dramatic Literature from Grinnell College. She’s a retired Waldorf/Steiner school educator and music teacher, a life-long mystic, a singer and a co-creative gardener.
She and her husband love walking mountains and coastal paths. They live in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Taos, New Mexico.
If you loved The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, this tale of Avalon in the first half of the 1st Century CE will utterly absorb you. It takes place in a time just before the Mists were cast and it deftly paints a picture of the Avalon Mystery School guided by the Lady of Avalon and a male Druid, the Merlin. Jenna Paulden’s imaginative historical novel truly enchants the reader in a magical spell. It was hard to put down.
Jenny Bird,
Singer-Songwriter
Musician for
Gregg Braden retreats
Riveting and mesmerizing! I couldn’t bear for it to end, and I look forward to the sequel. In this well woven tale, Jenna Paulden evokes a passionate love story grounded in vivid historical detail, and galvanized by a timeless wisdom that feels more relevant and urgent now than ever. Highly recommended.
Mirabai Starr,
Writer
Teacher and Author of Wild Mercy, Caravan of No Despair and other acclaimed works
The Alchemy of Avalon slipped into my mind and soul like cool spring water, nourishing my roots. This book is historical fiction at its best: masterfully researched world-building that seamlessly taught me about a time period through the lives of characters I couldn’t help but love. I wanted to stay in the deeply profound world of Avalon long after I’d finished reading, so that I could continue along Cerridwen’s journey to womanhood. I promise—this story will move you in the most surprising ways
Sarah Pyatt,
Film Producer’s Assistant
Goodreads user and young Pagan
The reader can involve themselves as deeply as they wish in this story, using the Pronunciation Guide, Wheel of the Year image, Bibliography, Glossary and Ogham moon calendar. And, in case that sounds heavy, the book is also a cracking read with lyrical, evocative passages carrying the narrative inexorably on.
“In turbulent times, an Avalon initiate falls in love with a Roman soldier…“ And there you have it, a deceptively simple synopsis of a complex and engrossing story of love at the time of the clash of cultures and inevitability of events, starting at Ynys Mon in 42 CE. Every reference in the book completely inhabits this world. The evidence of research, which never intrudes but touches memory in the reader - of Alchemy, Akashic records, Kabbalah - is very satisfying, as is the inclusivity; Pagan and Christian coexist harmoniously.
I appreciated the sections on the Romans’ arrival to these islands, the mirroring of the two characters until they meet and the special operation that will end in the sailing to Ynys Mon. The dates of the Roman invasion earthed this story of spiritual impulse, heritage, karma, love and conflict in the journeys of the hero and heroine. Second edition at all online venues--including UK /US Amazon, WH Smith, Barnes & Noble and more.
Penny Billington,
Touchstone Magazine / Dec 2022
Published by the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids
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Contact
For any inquiries, please contact Jenna Paulden
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