The Circle Within: Creating a Wiccan Spiritual Tradition (Paperback)

by Dianne Sylvan (Author) "Her sacred grove is a one-bedroom apartment on the East Side, where the traffic noise rattles the windows and rain leaks in through the crack..." (more)
Key Phrases: magical tools, Wheel of the Year, Book of Shadows, Book of Moonlight (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
2004 COVR AWARD 2ND RUNNER-UP!

The Circle Within is your guide to creating a personal spiritual practice for daily life. The first section is a  thoughtful examination of Wiccan ethics and philosophy that explores how to truly live Wicca. The second section includes devotional prayers and rituals that provide inspiration for group or solitary practice.

Topics include: cultivating an ongoing personal relationship with deity, ethics and standards of behavior, concepts of sacred space, elements of a daily practice, tuning into the Wheel of the Year and the elements, and creating meaningful personal rituals.

Move beyond the basics of Wicca and enter the sacred space of the circle within.



About the Author
Dianne Sylvan (Austin, TX) has been a practicing Wiccan since the age of sixteen. She is co-founder and President of Blessedways, a Wiccan educational and spiritual organization based out of Central Texas.  Through Blessedways she teaches classes on Wicca, the Runes, spiritual magic, and ecstatic dance.  

In addition to her books, Dianne's work has appeared in Circle Magazine, NewWitch magazine, and the Llewellyn Wicca Almanac and Witches' Calendar; she has also been interviewed by the Wiccan Pagan Times.  More of her articles on living Wiccan spirituality can be found on her website, Dancing Down the Moon.



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Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0712678131
• ISBN-13: 978-0738703480
• ASIN: 0738703486
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #208,777 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Packed with great ideas..., November 2, 2003

By	Keslynn (DE, United States) - See all my reviews

This is not yet another Wicca 101 book. Instead, this book focuses on helping Wiccans to fill their lives with their spirituality rather than just being Wiccan for sabbats and esbats. For a relatively small book, this one is packed with great ideas on how to deepen your Wiccan/pagan spiritual practice. Added to that, the tips are actually solid practical things that anyone can do, nothing airy-fairy or impossibly complicated. In fact, I felt that many of the points were fairly obvious, but these are definitely things that need to be pointed out. For example, she suggests that the reader go out into nature (in whatever form it's available) and attune to his/her local environment. Seems pretty evident for a nature-based religion, but it's easy to forget to commune with nature and deity when you're working full time and juggling a jillion other things too.

Another thing I found very useful was the section of 3 things to think about at the end of each chapter. Mostly, these are questions that relate to personal practice and make you think about things you can do to integrate it into your daily life and make it more meaningful. I like that she didn't just spout out information and leave you hanging; she gives you the beginning steps to help you digest and use the concepts.

Finally, at the end of the book is "The Book of Moonlight" which contains some prayers and rituals to jump start you into daily practice. The prayers and invocations are beautifully written and useful.

Dianne Sylvan is not at all pompous and doesn't pretend to be the ultimate authority. She writes with humor and practicality, and best of all, she wants the reader to not get stuck on her words alone. Several times, she tells the reader to adjust her material to suit their own lives and spirituality. This is a very nice and refreshing change from the endless slew of Wicca 101 books. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be a Wiccan, even while at work, school, etc.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fills a void in Wiccan literature, September 29, 2003

By	"starkiegrrrl" (Harrah, OK USA) - See all my reviews

I've never written a review for Amazon.com, but had to do one for this book. I came across Dianne's website some time ago & was intrigued with her way of looking at Wicca. When I found out she'd published a book, I tracked it down & was even more profoundly moved by her observations. This is a woman who will make you THINK.

There are many books I've read about Witchcraft & Wicca. Plenty of info on tools, quarter calls, the gods/goddesses, etc. But I found something missing in most of them.

The most basic, essential thing of all: relationship with the Divine & how it affects your life on a very basic level.

There were times during this book where I had to stop & say, "YES! YES!" Cheers for Ms. Sylvan for having the heart & drive to write this book & get it out to the public.

Also, I have to say that the litergy in this book is some of the most beautiful I have ever read. The chapter titled "The Book of Moonlight" is going to be used often in my practices.

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful read, December 24, 2003

By	Dionne M. Sloan "goddess_dionisia" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ms. Sylvan has written a very personable, enjoyable book. It is a great resource for pagans who are looking to develop a more personal relationship with the Divine. I loved the "Things to think on" at the end of each chapter in which she ask some questions pertaining to how you felt about the information covered in the chapter. I think this would be a great book for covens (or solitaries) to use for discussion and Part 2 "The Book of Moonlight" containing daily prayers and rituals has inspired me to create my own "book of moonlight". I have begun to incorporate several of her suggestions (morning and evening devotionals) into my daily life and I must say that I have really made a difference to me.