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

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I wish anyone that has negative attitudes in this area would read this book.

Rating:
Summary: If I ran a coven and you were in it, I'd have you read this.
Review: Other books set me on the path of Wicca, this is the one that keeps me there. Every time I pick it up I learn something new, I use Starhawk's beautiful poetic invocations regularly in my rituals. Working through this book got me through a very hard time, the first time I went out into the world without my parents or best friends to support me. I cannot overstate how wonderful I find it. The exercises are incredible, both simple and powerful, like the Tree of Life ground. And some are challenging and thoughtful like the Pentacle of Pearl and the Pentacle of Iron.

The only tiny criticism I have is with the 10th and 20th anniversary editions. I wish the notes and additions were added straight into the text rather than in appendices. It's confusing to read the book, see the ** and have to flip to the back to see what Starhawk said 20 years later.

For me this book would be necessary coven reading. It has given me a solid grounding in magical basics and I use the visualizations and exercises nearly every day. I believe you are really missing out if you haven't read this book. Even if you read it and don't find Starhawk's feminist politics to your taste, you will gain something the experience.

Rating:
Summary: Ever inspiring
Review: This is the book I reach for first whenever I hit a magical or spiritual slump. Starhawk's words never fail to inspire me or to remind just why I practice magic in the first place.
While I prefer Cunningham or Buckland to guide me on my Wiccan path, I credit Spiral Dance for leading towards that path to begin with.
I highly reccommend it to get your imagination churning and to make you question yourself in just the right way to inspire spiritual growth.

Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: I know a lot of people won't be happy with my review of this book, but I am being perfectly honest. I read this book when I first begun in my path, I really enjoyed a change from all the other light-hearted and well , fluffy, books that I had been reading, but honestly I could do without the politics, feminism, and talk about how everything up to using the toilet is sacred.

BUT! Don't get me wrong this book was very educational for me, and I agree that every *Wiccan* should read this at least once. I did enjoy most of this book and have kept it and re-read it over the years.

Rating:
Summary: Essential reading
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: A good book for beginners on this path
Review: This is a good starter book, for those intersted in the "ancient ways" and the "old religion". If you have read more than a few books on this subject already, you should probably look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: a book close to my heart
Review: i met 'the spiral dance' when it was already in it's 10 year edition. i was in my mid 20's and reeling from my 1st real experience of loss with the the deaths of my mother and grandmother and break-up of a significant relationship. starhawk spoke straight to my mystical soul and the little girl in my heart who'd never stopped whispering to faeries and dancing with the falling leaves. (sounds flakey, i know!! :)~ a couple of years before coming across 'the spiral dance', i'd begun my spiritual journey with quakerism, the religion of my mom's side of the family. i'd quickly become drawn to native american spirituality, too, for it's mirror of my own inherent sense of spirit in nature. 'the spiral dance' marked the beginning of my understanding that my own celtic & european ancestors worshipped the divine through the earth, also. perhaps even more significantly for me at that time, starhawk was the 1st to really show me that my own image - the human female, that is - was just as much a reflection of the divine as a man's was. reading this book enabled me to finally begin feeling unashamed and equal to my male friends and counterparts - possibly for the 1st time in my life! i don't think these were things i'd even realized i felt at all before reading it. as i began to better comprehend the relationship between our view of the divine our society's view of women, i could start questioning assumptions i'd always made about my view of myself, my expectations, and even the dominant god-view of my society. for this i thank starhawk with all of my heart. i have to add one more thing here: it's funny to me how so many people seem to see starhawk's work as anti-men, or even just harshly feminist. i've never, ever responded to it that way. certainly i'd define her as a feminist, as i would myself. and i won't bother going into the crazy, propagandized distortions the years following the 60's have placed on this word. i suspect most college kids today, if not most of us in general, think 'radical, man-hating dyke' or something close to it, when hearing the 'F word'...but that's another whole essay! the truth is, for me starhawk has always been a loving, inclusive teacher whose life has been, among other things, about nurturing the sorely-unsupported feminine soul. why is it that our society seems to deem people man-haters for this? ten years ago, i had the good fortune to study with starhawk (and many other amazing teachers) at a school in oakland, ca. she showed no signs then of resentment towards men, and - believe me - i looked. it was an important thing to me then that a teacher be truly balanced and loving towards all - not just women, not just men. in fact, there's a great number of men who participate regularly with the 'reclaiming collective', an umbrella organization of wiccan groups which starhawk and friends created in the bay area. in my last semester of studies, the class starhawk taught had our final meeting at the townhouse she shares with her husband and several housemates. i still remember the palpable burst of love i felt when she opened the door to myself and my classmates. i wasn't expecting it. i don't know if she'd cast a spell of love and healing about the premises, or if what we felt was just the accrued energy of the place; either way, it was a lovely experience. i thank starhawk for the beauty of her writing and the healing she's brought to my life. i definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in deepening their investigation into the relationship between religion, politics and power, and to anyone drawn to the sacred beauty of our earth. i celebrate this 20th anniversary edition of 'the spiral dance'!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book for Beginners
Review: This book serves two great purposes. It is one of the first major books on Wicca when it exploded into public consciousness, combining the mystical with a lived political ethic. It is also a primer for beginners providing two decades worth of evolution of thought by Starhawk. I enjoyed every edition and Starhawk's willingness to share how she has grown and changed her understanding (and history). Excellent book!