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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top of the shelf,
By LadyOwl (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess (Paperback)
If there was truly a "Bible" for pagans of all sorts, be they Witch, Pagan/NeoPagan, Wiccan, etc., this book is by far THE book to have.
Every individual who practices the Old Religion must have this book. From Novice, to Elder, and everyone in between, there is just not enough words in the dictionary to describe such a masterpiece. Truly a work of art, Miriam Simos, aka Starhawk, is an author of well repute. Although there are some minor discrepencies in TSD, they are not of importance, as one should never, EVER practice any form of magic without some sort of guidance first. You don't learn how to swim, by jumping in head first into the deep end of the pool, do you? Exactly. Therefore, for the Novice, I would recommend some 'primers' before taking this one on. It is quite academic, bordering on feminism, but most definitly a masterpiece that has stood the test of time. I remember buying my first copy as soon as the first printing came out, which I have to this day, autographed by Starhawk herself. There is now a 20th Anniversary Edition, which I would recommend for every Witch/Wiccan/Pagan who is familiar with this book. For as with all books, revisions are always necessary, as Ms. Simos points out. She is quite candid at self deprecation, lighthearted, and joking, as well as very serious, and centered. One of my required reading lists for all my students, as I am a High Priestess of the Old Religion for over 25 years now.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An easy read,
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This review is from: The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess (Paperback)
A good study group book with exercises at the end of the chapters. A good source of information for beginners.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A MAGNIFICENT, BEAUTIFULLY-STATED SUMMARY OF WICCAN/GODDESS RELIGION,
By
This review is from: The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess (Paperback)
Starhawk (born Miriam Simos in 1951) is an American writer and anarchist activist, well-known for her work in Wicca (e.g., the "Reclaiming" Collective in San Francisco) and ecofeminism. She is a columnist for Beliefnet.com and "On Faith" (the Newsweek/Washington Post online forum). She has also written books such as Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery, Dreaming the Dark, The Fifth Sacred Thing, Walking to Mercury, etc.
This book was first published in 1979; this edition is the "Revised and Updated" 10th Anniversary Edition. She wrote in the first chapter, "This book is structured around those elements that I feel are constants among all the varied traditions of the Craft. Interest in Witchcraft is growing rapidly. Colleges and Universities are beginning to feature courses in the Craft in their religious studies departments. Women in ever greater numbers are turning to the Goddess. There is a desperate need for maerial that will intelligently explain Witchcraft to non-Witches in enough depth so that both the practices and philosophy can be understood. Because entrance to a coven is a slow and delicate process, there are many more people who want to practice the Craft than there are covens to accommodate them. So this book also contains exercises and practical suggestions that can lead to a personal Craft practice. A person blessed with imagination and a moderate amount of daring could also use it as a manual to start her or his own coven. It is not, however, meant to be followed slavishly; it is more like a musical score, on which you can improvise." Here are some additional quotations from the book: "And Goddess religion, at its heart, is precisely about the erotic dance of life playing through all of nature and culture." (Pg. 9) "Every initiate is considered a priestess or priest. Witchcraft is a religion of clergy." (Pg. 29) "In the beginning, the Goddess is the All, virgin, meaning complete within Herself. Although She is called 'Goddess,' She could just as easily be called 'God'---sex had not yet come into being." (Pg. 38) "Sex is the most basic of differences; we cannot become whole by pretending difference does not exist, or by denying either male or female." (Pg. 41) "In Witchcraft, the dark, waning aspect of the God is not evil---it is a vital part of the natural cycle." (Pg. 43-44) "There is no hierarchical authority, no Dalai Lama, no Pope. The structure of Witchcraft is cellular, based on small circles whose members share a deep commitment to each other and the Craft." (Pg. 49) "Unfortunately, a lot of people claim to be Witches who are merely unsavory characters." (Pg. 55) "People often ask me if I believe in the Goddess. I reply, 'Do you believe in rocks?' ... The phrase 'believe in' itself implies that we cannot KNOW the Goddess, that She is somehow intangible, incomprehensible. But we do not BELIEVE in rocks ... We know them, we connect with them. In the Craft, we do not BELIEVE in the Goddess---we connect with Her... (Pg. 91) "I have spoken of the Goddess as psychological symbol and also as manifest reality. She is both. She exists, AND we create Her." (Pg. 95) "Witches do not believe in or worship the Devil---they consider it a concept peculiar to Christianity." (Pg. 108) "A spell is a symbolic act done in an altered state of consciousness in order to cause a desired change... Props may be useful, but it is the mind that works the magic." (Pg. 124) "If Goddess religion is not to become mindless idiocy, we must win clear of the tendency of magic to become superstition." (Pg. 204)
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