Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries: Intuitive Ritual Creation [Paperback]

Ruth Barrett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 8, 2007

How can women turn birthday parties, baby showers, and other rites of passage into empowering celebrations brimming with meaning and fiery feminine spirit?

Emphasizing the Dianic Wiccan tradition, Barrett shows women how they can create empowering, transformative rituals that strengthen their profound connection to the Goddess. Instead of providing shortcuts, scripts, or rote rituals, she teaches women how to think like a ritualist. Step by step, readers learn the ritual-making process: developing a purpose and theme, building an altar, preparing emotionally and mentally (energetics), spellcasting, and more. For beginners or experienced ritualists, solitaries or groups, this thorough, engaging guide to the art of ritual-making can help women commemorate every sacred milestone-from menstruation to marriage to menopause-that touches their lives.

"Ruth Barrett brings her many years of experience in teaching and priestessing in the Dianic tradition to this book. Her thoughtfulness, intelligence and depth of understanding make it a valuable resource and will open a new perspective for many Pagans." -Starhawk, best-selling author of
The Spiral Dance and The Fifth Sacred Thing

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ruth Barrett has over twenty-five years of experience in ritual. She is a Dianic High Priestess and award-winning recording artist of Goddess songs. For two decades she served the Goddess community of Circle of Aradia in Los Angeles. As a teacher of magick and ritual arts, she has appeared at festivals and conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain. Today she lives in Wisconsin, where she co-founded Temple of Diana, a national Dianic religious organization.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; 2nd edition (March 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738709247
• ISBN-13: 978-0738709246
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #568,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely WONDERFUL!, September 9, 2007

By 

Morgaine Swann, H.Ps. "Morgan" (Eastern KY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries: Intuitive Ritual Creation (Paperback)

As much as I loved the main text of the book, I was more impressed by the appendices that followed - clear, concise history and information about the Dianic tradition. That is a rare find, indeed, and it's very well done. As important as the other works by Z. Budapest and Shekhinah Mountainwater are, this is the book to buy if you want to hand something short, sweet and positive to a loved one that is trying to understand where you are coming from. This belongs on every woman's bookshelf because it's a part of feminist history as well as the return to the Goddess spirituality that allowed humans to live in peace for untold millenia before patriarchy reared it's ugly head. We never needed the Goddess more than we do right now.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Create ritual FOR YOU, July 19, 2008

By 

womyn_green (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries: Intuitive Ritual Creation (Paperback)

What I greatly appreciated about this book is that Ruth Barrett gives you exercises and tools to create a ritual that works for you... heart and soul. It's definitely NOT a recipe book, and you won't find any long lists of correspondences here, nor any line by line poetry to recite (although there are wonderful examples of what other women have written for their specific rituals).

If you are looking to create intensely personal, meaningful ritual I would strongly recommmend this book. It will give you powerful tools to ritually tackle issues such as healing from sexual abuse, miscarriages, abortion..to celebrating incredible life changes, new baby, a move, new jobs, honoring your Cronehood. etc. Several chapters address creating and facilitating rituals for the public. There is also a wonderful chapter on the Wheel of the Year, that has ample ideas for the Sabbaths.

Included in the Appendix is an explanation of the Dianic Tradition (in the Z Budapest lineage), as well as the roots and history of Dianic Wicca.

There is a bounty of questions and exercises throughout the book to deepen your understanding of ritual creation. Ruth offers up her toolbox and shows you way to dig deeper, build stronger and make your magical work resonate with incredible depth.

Recommended for any woman on the Goddess path, Dianic or otherwise.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book on Ritual, August 30, 2007

By 

A. Hamilton (Tulsa, OK United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries: Intuitive Ritual Creation (Paperback)

I've read numerous books on rituals, goddess and pagan spirituality/practices. This book is unique in that it provides deeper spiritual context to ritual creation. I'm not quite finished reading it, but I would recommend this book to anyone who is involved with women's circles.