Customer Reviews

The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Goddess: 20th Anniversary Edition

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

The Spiral Dance is not an easy book for me to evaluate. Or to live with either. Add the pluses and minuses together, and the two extremes of what's good and what I find troubling pretty much cancel each other out.

First the pluses. Nobody nowhere can *ever* measure just how influential this book has been on the modern neopagan movement. I would guess that just about every pagan I know, myself included, has a copy on the shelf. I'd also venture to guess that it's also been responsible for more women starting up their own covens than any other single book in the United States. (Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner may be the most popular beginner's book these days, but Spiral Dance is still likely to be the #1 coven source book around.) The hugely important thing that Starhawk did was to take some of the basic ideas of modern Witchcraft as it was being exported from Britain to the United States and to marry those concepts with the developing feminist/earth-first/spiritual sensibilities that were active out on the West Coast in the early to mid 70's. Put the two together and in a blaze of white light you've given birth to the Goddess Movement. The Goddess movement, its core ideas and sensiblities, expanded the vocabulary of American Witches and allowed those Witches to continue to develop their own spiritual forms independently from the traditional Garnderian structures. Much of this was going on anyway, (check out the 13 Principles of Wiccan Beliefs, as promulgated by the Council of American Witches in 1974) but the Spiral Dance gave it an immediately accessible shape.

However, in that innovation itself lies some of the problems I have with Starhawk's work. Simply put, the Goddess Movement is not the same thing as Witchcraft or Wicca. The Goddess Movement is feminism turned into a religion, and its purpose is essentially political. This is not to say that this makes Goddess spirituality somehow illegitimate. It just means that it doesn't have the same purposes, meaning or heritage as Witchcraft, and it shouldn't pretend to be the same thing. For example, I for one find it disturbing that Starhawk herself admits that she and her associates were *teaching* witchcraft courses at the local university long before they'd ever even met a coven-trained witch.

Let me say something here before I go on, because for a lot of people reading this I'm sure I'm opening up a topic that's already caused hundreds upon hundreds of flame wars and arguements. I am emphatically *not* saying that the only legitimate witch is a traditional coven-trained witch. The Wicca that I practice myself is very much in the eclectic, find-what-works-and-make-up-what-you-don't-borrow mode. The thing that bothers me is that in the Spiral Dance, Starhawk is presenting her Goddess-centered, eco-feminist brand of Witchcraft (a perfectly fine thing in itself) as if it were Witchcraft itself, a revival of some millenia-old universal matriarchal belief system. Frankly, she puts a lot of claims forth in the Spiral Dance as if they were Facts and Truth, when they're really just Opinions and Stories. I have no problem with making things up. I absolutely agree with the value of Myth. I just ask that folks admit it when they invent their stories, instead of asserting that they're revealing ancient human wisdom.

The other problem I have with The Spiral Dance is that despite all her claims to the contrary, Starhawk is definitely a female chauvanist. For all her talk of valuing men and women equally, I firmly believe that in her heart of hearts, coming through between the lines in almost every chapter, Starhawk really does believe that men are inferior. I don't believe that she either understands or trusts men, and all throughout the Spiral Dance I could feel her unspoken premise that Goddess-worship and Witchcraft are the province of women. She does not see men and women as equal partners, or does so only when men essentially begin acting like women. Starhawk may not be as openly seperatist as some writers (check out Z. Budapest's assertion that Witchcraft is "wombyn's religion") but I got a very clear sense that she's really only speaking for folks who were born with a uterus.

So there you have it. An absolute cornerstone of the modern neopagan movement, an immeasurably liberating source-book for thousands upon thousands of women, beloved by mulitudes. And also very weak in scholarship, over-reaching in its claims, and quite off-putting in parts for this male witch. You buys your ticket, you takes your chance.

Peace all!

I am 33 years old. I've been practicing the Craft and neo-paganism for 12 years with diviations from the path to study Buddhism, Pantheism & Athiesm. I own the first edition of this book. It was my first introduction to the Craft along with Drawing Down the Moon. At the time it was one of FEW books on the subject of Witchcraft and Goddess Religion. I have extremely fond memories of it. When I read it I couldn't put it down. It described so many of my feelings about religion and spirituality and it didn't talk down to me like so many of the books I read later like stuff from Llewellyn Publishing. It spoke to my heart as no other religion had. Also, I kept expecting the chapter on magic to tell me that it was a state of mind not a thing that you could actually do and have it work! I have kept my tattered copy through seven moves. It survived a purging of my Craft books when I had moved beyond 101 stuff and decided not to keep hauling a huge library around for other people.

Now that I'm moving back to focus on the Craft again it was the first book I picked up, of course. And I was disappointed. Since I read it 12 years ago I have gotten a degree in History. It has become common knowlege that Margaret Murray's history is at best nice mythology. There is now a real debate going on about the Goddess utopia in ancient prehistory that is leaning HEAVILY towards the assertion that the concept is again, nice mythology. YET she still uses this bogus/controversial history as fact--in the main text!

She did not rewrite the chapter on The God at all for the *newest edition*, and it needed it because most of her information comes from Murray. I have not read through the whole thing only the chapter on The God, and breifly at that, but I also have it on good authority from someone who has read it that she only glosses over trying to correct SOME of the poor history--i.e. 9 million witches burned during the Burning Times--NOT.

I have read all the footnotes in the second edition and in them she completely made her Craft the dreaded "politically correct" with few corrections.

As much as this book brings back good memories and gives me the warm fuzzies, like the sound of rain after a long hot day, the smell of spring, my favorite soft blanket (and for that my copy will always stay in my library) it is old fashioned and out of date. And it breaks my heart to say it, because Starhawk will always have a very well tended place in my heart. She gave me the greatest gift I've ever gotten--she set me on the path to spiritual and psychologial self-healing through magick and devotion that gave me the gift of me.

I wish she'd break down and rewrite the Spiral Dance altogether. She goes into great detail that other 101 books don't dare to try. Her notions of how magick works and how the Other-realms function and interact with us is deep and thought provoking. She, from my understanding, is an LCSW (masters in social work) so she's well trained in sociolgy and the healing of the mind. What she writes is not psychobabble. If you want to heal your life, she has a great spiritual way for women and some men to start their journey. I just wish that she would redo so a new generation of Witches and Neo-pagans who know the historical facts, could have the chance to enjoy it for all its good points like I did 12 years ago.

If you don't mind the eco-feminist spiritual focus she takes her other books are interesting journeys. I have very much enjoyed The Pagan Book of Living and Dying. I am a solitary so her books about the Craft are not geared for me. All of the exersizes need a HPs to lead a student/coven-memeber through the exersizes. And all the rituals require a coven. :o(

The Spiral Dance is a complex myriad of thoughts, dreams, creation and spiritual exercises that can challenge even the most experienced magical practicioners. This is not a light'n'fluffy read, definitely not a basic introduction to witchcraft, wicca or paganism in any of its forms. For many years, this book was the only widely available text on the Great Goddess religion and, with two updates to the original work, remains relevant to this day. This book challenges the reader to take their spiritual path more seriously and can be a truly life-changing and mind-expanding experience. All readers will find exercises to suit them, as there are plenty to choose from. The feminist aspects teaches respect for the feminine to both men and women, being honest and confronting without going to excess. I'd recommend this to anyone seeking to find/understand themselves and their spiritual path, however this is not really a starting point but a way to expand your knowledge and practices. Beginners would be better off looking at Scott Cunningham and Jennifer Hunter first. Starhawk's book goes into more depth on the Goddess aspect and on meditation and ritual, and it is useful to have a little grounding in the basics before moving into more complex intellectual and experiential territory. Fiona Horne's books are also great basic guides, with extra information for those of us in the southern hemisphere.

The Spiral Dance remains one of the most important and influential books on modern American NeoPaganism and one that I highly recommend.

Starhawk essentially married some core Wiccan beliefs and practices to the social and political ideas of the 70s -- feminism, environmentalism, gay rights, civil rights, and the peace movement. In doing so, she created a new path that is less concerned with secrecy and tradition and more with a sustainable future. Her tradition continues to thrive.

Many criticize Starhawk unfairly, forgetting that The Spiral Dance was published in 1979 and is clearly a product of its time. Starhawk makes no distinctions between Paganism, Wicca, and Witchcraft, but few writers did in the 70s. She also presents Wicca as an ancient religion and the Burning Times as a persecution of Witches. These ideas have since been debunked, but they were prevalent at the time. Starhawk is well aware of this and she revisits these issues in her commentary.

With The Spiral Dance, Starhawk presented an entirely new model of spirituality in an era where there were scarcely any models of women's spiritual power and leadership. It may be hard to see now just how mind altering the very concept of a Goddess is, but at the time, it was a radical, illuminating idea. So, yes, Starhawk spends a lot of time talking about the Goddess and what a liberating path this is for women. But by no means is this a women-only book. On the contrary, Starhawk emphasizes that Wicca is for everyone and is clear about her position: that a female-only model of the universe would prove to be as constricting and oppressive, to women and men, as the patriarchal model has been.

Chapters deal with the basics of Starhawk's flavor of Wicca -- world view, initiation, the coven, creating sacred space, magical symbols, energy, initiation, moon rituals, the God, the Goddess, and the Wheel of the Year. The Spiral Dance also includes over 60 exercises, invocations, chants, blessings, spells, and herbal charms that are easily adapted to solitary or group work.

Even if some of the information is outdated, The Spiral Dance remains a poetic, intelligent, and inspiring work.

The Spiral Dance is magnificient - I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Starhawk has done a truly outstanding job of providing the reader with an excellent groundwork for an introduction to wicca, providing invocations, rituals and meditations. But what I found most useful were her numerous mental exercises designed to develop awareness, improve visualization and meditaiton techniques. They have been extremely valuable to me.

Starhawk discusses the various aspects of Witchcraft at length as well, which is also useful reading. Chapters are devoted to the Goddess, the God, summoning and grounding energy, casting - everything one would expect in a book for beginner practioners but with much more depth in explaining the "whys" rather then simply the "hows."

I would only add that the book is a little "advanced" for many new to witchcraft or wicca - the writing is pretty mature and techincal, albiet very good. If you have read Cunningham or Sliverwolf (who are both good), and are looking for something a little more mature, this would be my first choice. Enjoy! And bright blessings.

This is one of the first books I read on Wicca, and it blew my socks off! Every third or fourth page, I thought, "This is me! This is how I feel about things. I'm not alone anymore!" For me, this book was transcendent. It changed my life for the better. That it centers on the Goddess is not an issue for me, and should not be for others either, IMHO. Her idea of Goddess encompasses the God. Anyway, I don't like attaching a gender to Deity, but that is just me I guess. Excellent book. I highly recommend it to those seeking information on what it _means_ to be a witch.

OK, I'll say this up-front. Starhawk is very, very political. She is a strong proponent of feminism and the environment. She is out to change societal sex-role conditioning for both males and females. She uses Dion Fortune's definition of magic, "the art of changing consciousness at will", and interprets it to mean both magical and political consciousness. If you're dead-set against ecofeminism, maybe you shouldn't read this book. If you prefer not to mix your spirituality with your politics, you might have to skip some chapters. If you tune out whenever psychobabble commences, you may have to skip some chapters. That said, let's go on...

One of the reasons _The Spiral Dance_ has become such a classic in NeoPagan circles is its "magic education" exercises. Starhawk gives the reader "homework" in energy-raising, concentration, grounding and centering, trance, and more. This is the most complete source I have seen on this kind of work. Her exercises have been borrowed and recycled in many more recent books. If you've read any Wicca 101 books, you've probably read versions of Starhawk's exercises, whether you know it or not. All of them are useful in some way, and can help you learn to use the powers of your mind for magic.

I also must rave about the breathtaking beauty Starhawk's language achieves from time to time. I'm a woman, so I don't know what a man feels when reading this book, but I find it a wonderful mood-booster when I'm going through tough times. Just read the passage beginning, "Mother Goddess is awakening, and we can begin to reclaim our primal birthright, the sheer intoxicating joy of being alive." Just read some of the ritual poetry written by Starhawk and her coven. The goosebumps on your arms and the tears in your eyes--now that's magic.

Starhawk envisions a world transformed by spiritual power, a world where women are strong and powerful and comfortable in their bodies, and a world where men are free of the urge to "one-up" each other and free to show emotion. It's an inspiring idea. If you like this sort of thing, or if you want a comprehensive set of magical exercises, or if you want to read some gorgeously written Pagan rituals, by all means, get a copy of this classic.

I was stunned when I read some of these reviews that were critical of Starhawk's celebration of the female (feminism, the earth (ecology), and political action.) The backlash against women's liberation is upon us surely....and as someone who ran a battered women's shelter for 15 years, I know what the backlash looks like..

No, you cannot separate Starhawk's feminism or devotion to preservation of the earth, the rivers, the ocean, and other species from her witchcraft. Nor should you. This is part of her dynamic, fascinating, compelling message that has drawn countless people into becoming a witch.

The first book I read was Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon. The second was Z Budapest's the Holy Book of Women's Mysteries (which IS female centered and exclusively female). The third was the Spiral Dance.

The Spiral Dance is very specific about spells, rituals, and how to practice. It's a basic book about witchcraft. I keep returning to it, when I need to dedicate an athame, or practice grounding. Every witch should read it.

Thank the Goddess for Starhawk. Otherwise, I would have been stuck with rules about requiring male/female polarity in my rituals. I would have been told (as I have been by others) that if I don't circle with men I can't be a witch. Etc. etc. etc. Ironic, isn't it, that Starhawk is in a mixed gender coven, now practices with her husband, etc. etc. But to the anti-feminists, all focus on the female must be anti-male. It does get tiring.

I also highly recommend Truth or Dare to all witches.

Blessed be!

Susan McGee
Northern California

With additional notes, this classic moves beyond an essential book for any Wiccan or Neo-Pagan to be also a remarkable historical document and chronicle of a life-in-progress. (How many other pagan philosophers have said without shame or hestitation, I got parts of this wrong?) The vast number of exercises in this book, which can be done with others or (almost always) as a solitary are incredibly useful for any pagan. There are flaws in the history, and problems in how she originally perceived feminine/masculine polarity, which she documents in 10 and 20 year anniversary notes, and reflects on what-we-know-today-versus 20-years-ago; criticisms of the book on these issues are cheap and basically unfair. There is strong emphasis on equality of the sexes and recognition of the God as well as the Goddess; unless you are frightfully insecure about gender roles, the pre-eminance edge she gives the Goddess and women should be refreshing. A major strength of the book is the appeal of the imagry and clarity of the writing, which is unfortunately outstanding for a more-than-just-101 book. For the 30 year anniversary, I hope for more notes but no re-write; we could use another book, but this classic stands solidly as is.

Contrary to what other Pagans may have written on this site, I LOVE "The Spiral Dance" precisely because of its political overtones. As an anticapitalist, ecofeminist gay man, I am deeply moved by Starhawk's vision of an earth-based spirituality that honors women, community, the earth, sexuality and the body. Frankly, I am shocked by the outright sexist reviews some people have given of this book, not to mention the widespread denial of the burning times as a patriarchal holocaust against women, gays, and non-Christian people. The eagerness of certain Pagans to minimize the suffering of this period is, to me, a disturbing reflection of the larger culture's willingness to silence the histories and voices of feminist women and other marginalized groups. Furthermore, in at least one review of this book, I detect anti-Semitism, implying that Starhawk can't fully be a Witch if she retains her Jewishness. Such a narrow definition of what constitutes a Pagan denies us the complexities, nuances, individual choices and ancestries that enrich our lives. Need I remind the reader of the many Hebrew Goddesses of the Middle East or the ecological undercurrents, feminism, and social consciousness that informs Jewish tradition (the contradictions of right-wing Zionism aside). Without a doubt, what seperates Starhawk's writings on the Craft from many other Pagan authors is her passion for social justice, ecological sustainability and peace. Personally, I believe that spirituality devoid of concern for other human beings and the earth is nothing more than right-wing, reactionary navel-gazing. Unfortunately, I have met far too many witches who are much more interested in fluffy, woo-woo nonsense like astral projection and past live regression than they are in restoring the land (the living body of the Ancient Mother we supposedly worship). Moreover, as someone who strongly values participatory democracy, egalitarianism and consensus, I really appreciate Starhawk's insights on coven structure and group dynamics. (Coven hierarchies, like corporate hierarchies, do not appeal to me in the least!) Simply put, if you are looking for another New Age book on channeling spirits or casting hexes, then this book is not for you. However, if your idea of magic involves planting seeds in a community garden or marching for peace, then read this book immediately. It just may change your life forever.
Blessed be and tikkun olam.