Pagan Portals – Iris, by Irisanya Moon Pagan Portals – Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow and Messenger of the Godds, by Irisanya Moon Moon Books, 1789047110, 96 pages, July 2021 When was the last time you saw a rainbow? Seeing one is always such a miraculous gift to me. It feels so spiritual, like a harbinger of blessings. Moments after seeing a rainbow about a month ago, I discovered the book Pagan Portals – Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow and Messenger of the Godds by Irisanya Moon. As Moon describes, “She [Iris] offers magick in the way rainbows form, seemingly from nothing, but truly from the perfect alignment of conditions.”1 With this synchronicity, it was as though the rainbow was calling me to delve into this book. Moon introduces herself to the reader and gives a bit of background on her experience with Iris, who she connected with to include as part of her magical name. I especially enjoyed reading about her experience with Reclaiming on her path, as all the Reclaiming workshops I’ve attended have been some of the greatest portals to magic! To start with, Moon provides quite a few stories of Iris to assist the reader with getting acquainted with her mythology. Reading stories of Iris delivering messages for Hera and Zues was interesting, along with realizing she was the messenger sent to Demeter to coax her out of grief at the loss of her daughter Perspehone. I also learned Iris is the consort of Zephyrus, god of the west winds — so cool! After reading the stories of Iris in mythology and hearing Moon’s thoughts, I really resonated with her view that Iris can teach us about being of service without being in servitude. For any person who feels calls to share their gifts, Iris’s story is a wonderful reminder of the need for personal self-care as well. Moon encourages the practice of self-service alongside serving deities and one’s communities, and relates the story of Iris to the need for this. As she writes, “A tired and burnt out priestess is not a very effective servant, after all.”2 The main bulk of the book is Moon’s magical practice called Traveling the Rainbow. She guides the reader through all the colors of the rainbow, offering exercises to connect with each energy. For instance, doing mirror work with the color orange and water gazing for the color blue. Working the way through the rainbow proved to be quite insightful. I really enjoyed making a collage for yellow and a meditative journey for indigo. Towards the end, Moon offers ideas on how to do a ritual to honor or petition Iris. There’s an absolutely beautiful devotional poem that Moon has written to Iris that made my heart melt. It is so well written, while also emotionally evoking. She also offers quite a few ways one can create a relationship with Iris through options such as altar building, artwork, journaling, and meditation. Moon calls readers to be intentional in their work with Iris, and to be honest, gives more background than any book I’ve ever read about the process of choosing to work with a deity and focusing attention on that relationship. She is very honest in her approach to deity work, acknowledging there’s different reasons people choose to work with a particular deity, from being called to building a long-term relationship, while some might just want to create a connection for a specific purpose. It was helpful to read her thoughts, tips, and techniques, and regardless if one plans on connecting with Iris, one would surely benefit from her insight about relationships with deities. While I have not formally created a relationship with Iris, this book was immensely helpful in learning more about her, her role in mythology, and her special energy. I really enjoyed being immersed in the feeling of rainbows while reading, and within I felt a multitude of colors illuminating my creativity through artwork and time spent in nature. I also did a lot of reflection on the similarities and differences between Iris and Hermes, my patron deity, as they are both messengers that have the ability to move freely through all realms. I recommend Iris to those hoping to learn more about her mythology, wishing to connect with the goddess of the rainbow, or even establish a relationship with her as a deity. Moon has done a great job of piecing together her story and sharing her method of connection with Iris. As already mentioned, the wisdom of Moon’s work with deity is very insightful and sure to be beneficial to any reading looking to petition or dedicating themselves to a godd. Next time I see a rainbow, I certainly will be wondering what messages Iris is delivering and pause for a moment to give her my praise. Alanna Kali Alanna Kali Alanna Kali is an astrologer, numerologist, and pioneer spirit that loves to explore life through the lens of depth psychology. She has a passion for studying the humanities and social trends. Her academic work is centered upon reuniting body, mind, and spirit through eco-psychology. She loves reading, spending time in nature, and travel. www.travelingtarotxo.com ~ Musing Mystical, https://musingmystical.com/pagan-portals-iris-by-irisanya-moon/

She is Iris. In ancient myths and contemporary Hellenic polytheism, she is the messenger of Olympus, her passage marked by the rainbow. Sister of the harpies, wife of Zephyrus, she is the special servant of Hera, one of the few Deities able to cross at will between heaven, earth, and the underworld. In this short primer, Moon — who took the name Irisanya has an act of ritual dedication — introduces readers to the Goddess; draws extensively on ancient sources to explore her nature and the myths surrounding her; argues for the place and importance of the Goddess in modern practices; and offers readers suggestions on how they can build a relationship with Iris, as well, through trance, meditative journeys, offerings, and rituals. Moon’s writing style is warm and inviting, welcoming readers to sit down and have a chat. She offers numerous personal anecdotes, discussing how she came to be devoted to Iris, and why the Goddess is vital to her practices: “… the world needs to remember the godds in all of their forms. In all of their roles. In all of their service. And in doing so, readers and seekers will remember and recognize they too have roles, however big or small, to play. She wants to remind us that we are not alone. That there are messages everywhere if only we are willing to listen.” (p. 6) As much as Iris teaches us how to serve the Deities, she also teaches us how to serve ourselves; taking care of our own needs allows us to take care of others. This is the rainbow path, and to follow it is to be a messenger, too. Moon is quite clear, however, that the rainbow path is not the same for everyone; nor will the Goddess necessarily manifest in the same way for everyone. The “way of opening and hearing and knowing and listening” will vary depending on one’s individual circumstances, needs, and what the Goddess (or the godds) need of them. A quick note: Moon uses the term “godds” throughout the text. I thought that was odd until she explained its purpose. “Godd” is meant to be gender neutral, encompassing the masculine god, the feminine goddess, nonbinary Deities, and Deities beyond gender. I find this an intriguing gender neutral alternative to “Gods” and I’ll be curious to see if it catches on. Pagan Portals: Iris is a quick and informative read. Hellenic polytheists will find it of particular interest, but I also recommend it to those who practice Goddess spirituality, or who are devotees of messenger and psychopomp Deities. ~ Urban Green Witch at Pagansquare, https://www.urbangreenwitch.com/review-pagan-portals-iris-pagansquare-pagansquare/

Book Review - Pagan Portals: Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow and Messenger of the Godds BOOK REVIEW I recently read “Iris: Goddess of the Rainbow and Messenger of the Godds” by Irisanya Moon which is a Pagan Portals book coming in at a lovely 79 pages long. As someone who has only recently begun working with Deities, this book was intriguing to me, particularly because I had never heard of this Goddess! What fun to explore something totally new. I also invited the author, Irisanya Moon onto the Witch Talks Podcast so stay tuned for that future episode! Here's what the publisher has to say about this book. “Iris, the Goddess of the Rainbow, is an often-overlooked Goddess in Greek mythology. As a messenger, she offers us the words and wisdom of the Gods, traveling between worlds to tell us what we need to know. In Pagan Portals – Iris: Goddess of the Rainbow and Messenger of the Godds, we will explore the mysterious Iris, following the colours of her magick to inspire out lives What I liked They say don’t judge a book by its cover but WOW is this cover pretty. I’m considering taking it to my hairdresser to replicate on me! I also loved that I received tiny mini bookmarks with the cover on them, like I was marking the book with a mini version of itself, super cute and very appreciated. On Page 1 of this book it opens with this sentence “I invite you to consider the places rainbows have already shown up for you” and when I tell you, I was sobbing, on my couch, crying into my cup of tea at this introduction because earlier this year, in January, I lost my Nanna and on the day of her funeral, we attended the burial. The moment we threw the first handful of dirt on her grave, the heavens opened up and rained down upon us. My Dad joked that she liked a little drama, my grandfather said she was trying to make us all stay a bit longer and I said, No, she wants a rainbow. Once the rains finished, which was only about 10 minutes later, she got her rainbow. I will also note that Noahs Ark is one of her favourite bible stories, so it felt extra fitting that she was sending us some hope and a message that it was all going to be ok. I honestly believe this book about Iris, the Goddess of the Rainbow showed up for me in perfect divine timing, a sentiment that is echoed throughout the book by Irisanya. I loved the gender neutral term ‘Godds’ which is used throughout this book too. The author states “I will use ‘godd’ to help move away from gendered words for deity who I believe move beyond human categorization.” Not only is it wonderful to see such inclusive language, but it makes total sense to me that the Godds are so much more than the gender binary we have been taught to see them within. This book was a lovely, light filled introduction to the Goddess Iris. There are excerpts from mythology that paint a wonderful picture of who this Goddess is and what she represents. Irisanya does such an incredible job of giving you all the necessary information to go and meet with this Goddess yourself if you so wish. I particularly loved the chapter on aspecting, a form of consensual deity possession which I have found rarely discussed in pagan and witchy books. I’m always grateful to find words of wisdom tucked into the books I read, whether they’re the authors words, or others that they’ve shared. There is a quote on page 10 that says “unspoken expectations are pre-meditated resentments” by John A Johnson PHD which blew my mind and was a major takeaway for me from this book. What I disliked I wanted more! I love Pagan Portals because they’re short and to the point and make absorbing the knowledge quick and easy, but I wanted to go deeper with Iris and unfortunately the key takeaway from this book is that there simply isn’t a lot of information on this often overlooked Rainbow Goddess. I believe Irisanya has offered us most of what is out there which is a hard pill to swallow when your curiosity has been piqued. Do I recommend it? Yes I do. If you’re interested in deity work, the Greek Pantheon or drawn to rainbows & messenger Godds then this book may be just right for you. Overall I give this wonderful little book a 4 out of 5 witches hats and I can’t wait to chat further with Irisanya on the Witch Talks Podcast. My witches’ hats rating system: 0 - Problematic, this book should be burned. 1 - Did not like this book, do not read 2 - It was ok, wouldn’t recommend it though. 3 - I liked it but it might not be for everyone 4 - I really liked it and think most people will like it 5 - AMAZING, I loved it and everyone should read it ~ Suburban Witchery, https://www.suburbanwitchery.com/blog/bookreviewiris

"Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow and Messenger of the Godds," is a heartfelt, insightful exploration of how this ethereal goddess can infuse your life with happiness and healing. Author Irisanya Moon guides readers to "work the rainbow," and travels through each color of Iris' prism, with activities for body and mind. Relatively little is known about this essential Greek goddess, but the author fills those gaps with her own personal experience, practices, and relationship with this swift, colorful deity of communication, color, and light. ~ Debra DeAngelo, author of "The Elements of Horse Spirit—The Magical Bond Between Humans and Horses," and "Pagan Curious—A Beginner's Guide to Nature, Magic and Spirituality.” ~ Debra DeAngelo

Irisanya Moon calls attention to this beautiful, oft-overlooked goddess with loving devotion, excellent research, and with step by step guidance in developing a divine relationships. Finally, the storm-swift rainbow goddess is getting the attention and honor she deserves. Diana Rajchel, author of Urban Magick: a Guide for the City Witch and Hex Twisting: Counter Magick Spells for the Irritated Witch ~ Diana Rajchel

Irisanya Moon shines a bright light on the Greek goddess Iris, revealing her multi-faceted nature and importance in the world today. This book has many valuable aspects, including interpretations of her myths, a powerful meditation to encounter her, enlightening journaling activities, and a magical rainbow practice to experience the spectrum of Iris’ energy. Moon’s personal gnosis and accounts of her heartfelt, modern devotion are particularly illuminating, as there are few known ancient cultural practices related to Iris. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a deeper relationship with Iris. --Astrea Taylor, author of Intuitive Witchcraft and Air Magic ~ Astrea Taylor

"Welcome to the beautiful world of rainbows. Irisanya leads the reader through a kaleidoscope of information to this beautiful goddess, it is a captivating read." Rachel Patterson - author of The Cailleach, Witchcraft into the Wilds and the Kitchen Witchcraft series ~ Rachel Patterson

"'Iris: Goddess of the Rainbow and Messenger of the Godds" from Irisanya Moon is a valuable tool on how to develop a relationship with the Goddess of Rainbows, Iris. With historic sources, how to work the colors of the rainbow, and how to create rituals in her mighty name, this book will open your eyes and soul to this Messenger of the Gods." Jennifer Teixeira - Author of “Pagan Portals: Temple of the Bones; Rituals to the Goddess Hekate” ~ Jennifer Teixeira - Author of “Pagan Portals: Temple of the Bones; Rituals to the Goddess Hekate”