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The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess
The twentieth anniversary edition of The Spiral Dance celebrates the pivotal role the book has had in bringing Goddess worship to the religious forefront. This bestselling classic is both an unparalleled reference on the practices and philosophies of Witchcraft and a guide to the life-affirming ways in which readers can turn to the Goddess to deepen their sense of personal pride, develop their inner power, and integrate mind, body, and spirit. Starhawk's brilliant, comprehensive overview of the growth, suppression, and modern-day re-emergence of Wicca as a Goddess-worshipping religion has left an indelible mark on the feminist spiritual consciousness.
326 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
1,045 people are currently reading
15.3k people want to read
About the author
Starhawk
47books984followersStarhawk is an author, activist, permaculture designer and teacher, and a prominent voice in modern Goddess religion and earth-based spirituality. She is the author or coauthor of thirteen books, including the classics The Spiral Dance and The Fifth Sacred Thing. Her latest is the newly published fiction novel City of Refuge, the long-awaited sequel to The Fifth Sacred Thing.
Starhawk directs Earth Activist Training, (), teaching permaculture design grounded in spirit and with a focus on organizing and activism. “Social permaculture”—the conscious design of regenerative human systems, is a particular focus of hers.
She lives on Golden Rabbit Ranch in Western Sonoma County, CA, where she is developing a model of carbon-sequestering land use incorporating food forests and savannahs, planned grazing, and regenerative forestry.
She travels internationally, lecturing and teaching on earth-based spirituality, permaculture, and the skills of activism. Her web site is .
Starhawk directs Earth Activist Training, (), teaching permaculture design grounded in spirit and with a focus on organizing and activism. “Social permaculture”—the conscious design of regenerative human systems, is a particular focus of hers.
She lives on Golden Rabbit Ranch in Western Sonoma County, CA, where she is developing a model of carbon-sequestering land use incorporating food forests and savannahs, planned grazing, and regenerative forestry.
She travels internationally, lecturing and teaching on earth-based spirituality, permaculture, and the skills of activism. Her web site is .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews
August 30, 2021
I borrowed a 1970s copy of this book from a friend. It belonged to his mother - complete with notes in the margins. I absolutely loved this book. Yes, it is in part a product of its time - describing the God as "rape fighter," heavily peppered with social justice statements, heavily feminist oriented. I would be very excited to read the 20th anniversary edition in which the author comments on how things have changed since then. I also know the 'history' presented here is a little romanticized, but that being said.
This is the religion I wish to follow (almost :) Some of the rituals suggested are a bit theatrical for me, and I do not think I would ever want to be naked in front of coven members, and I disagree when she says magick is best worked with a group. However, the basic outline she provides here is fabulous and empowering. The mythology to follow, the way to view the self and emotions, how your every day life is magickal and how YOU are the divine.
I especially love, in the last chapter, her view of science and religion. As a scientist by career, I greatly resonate with her feeling that science IS religion and religion IS science - when you view the entire world as mystical and powerful, and you view the very processes taking place as holy, there is no fight.
I would say this book is a must-read for anyone interested in Paganism. It is not a must-follow - most definitely not - however, I think it offers great insight that anyone would benefit from reading.
This is the religion I wish to follow (almost :) Some of the rituals suggested are a bit theatrical for me, and I do not think I would ever want to be naked in front of coven members, and I disagree when she says magick is best worked with a group. However, the basic outline she provides here is fabulous and empowering. The mythology to follow, the way to view the self and emotions, how your every day life is magickal and how YOU are the divine.
I especially love, in the last chapter, her view of science and religion. As a scientist by career, I greatly resonate with her feeling that science IS religion and religion IS science - when you view the entire world as mystical and powerful, and you view the very processes taking place as holy, there is no fight.
I would say this book is a must-read for anyone interested in Paganism. It is not a must-follow - most definitely not - however, I think it offers great insight that anyone would benefit from reading.
June 4, 2010
Huh.
This was intriguing, and covered a lot of the basic underpinnings of generic modern pagan thought, such as the mortal god/immortal goddess stuff, the maiden/mother/crone stuff, and other stuff. I enjoyed all this stuff pretty well. Mythology is fun, even if it's something new pretending to be something old.
But the last half of the book is actually a spell book, with candles and little knives and visualizing the four winds and who knows what else. This part I just couldn't read. It was just so bloody silly. After reading this book several years ago, I realized that, despite my best efforts, I was never going to be a pagan. I'm a born atheist, and I'm finally okay with that now.
This was intriguing, and covered a lot of the basic underpinnings of generic modern pagan thought, such as the mortal god/immortal goddess stuff, the maiden/mother/crone stuff, and other stuff. I enjoyed all this stuff pretty well. Mythology is fun, even if it's something new pretending to be something old.
But the last half of the book is actually a spell book, with candles and little knives and visualizing the four winds and who knows what else. This part I just couldn't read. It was just so bloody silly. After reading this book several years ago, I realized that, despite my best efforts, I was never going to be a pagan. I'm a born atheist, and I'm finally okay with that now.
April 8, 2012
This book by far is the most influential book on Witchcraft to date. I would venture that every Pagan has a copy. Which is one reason why I hesitated to read it. It is highly feminist which was something I was not looking for. History and archaeology show that most of man's history was patriarchal. Man was in charge, he wanted to control the womb thus control the future. I must say that there were matriarchal societies in the Mediterranean. This was not the norm for all over the world. Her first chapter gives over a history that most society with exceptions with matriarchal and worshiped the goddess.After all she was the one who gave birth. The earth or the womb of the planet was where we returned to when we died in order to be reborn. She basically recycles or restates Margarette Murry's thesis albeit with simpler words. Her mythos, which she readily states is just that mythos meant to convey a truth. It is not fact per se. This too me is a strong point in the book. The use of mythos used as a tool to get the witch into a proper frame of mind.
According to Starhawk and Murray, life in Europe and all over the world was matriarchal. Everything was peaceful and fine with absolutely no violence. Men hunted and magic was discovered by dancing in circle and visualizing success in the hunt, as drawn by pictures in caves. This gave the hunters better success. As humankind grew older they domesticated animals and became farmer. Their rituals became agricultural and fertility oriented. They developed rituals for the solstices and equinoxes. Then came the Indoeuropean invaders from the east. As they stormed across Europe they brought with them a militaristic way of life and worship of male warlike gods. The original inhabitants fled to the hills and stayed hidden. They would have their rituals in secret. In time there would be some intermarriage between the conquerors and the conquered. The conquered people became known as faeries or Pixies after the people name thee Picts.
A complimentary mythos which I have never seen written anywhere else before was penned by Starhawk. Miria the star goddess is the primal creator she sees her reflection and falls in love with it and decides to create an other. The others starts out close and then slowly moves away. First he is the God of the hunt and then god of the crops. His intention is to reunite with the stargoddess. Miria has many connections. Marian is the sea goddess in Robert grave's work " White Goddess" There are a few other connections as well.
Leaving aside the myths and pseudo history this book has some great practical information for the beginning witch or magician. There are a gazillion exercises for both covens and solitaries to use. The range is from meditation, trancework, rituals, spells and group bonding exercises. These alone make the book very valuable to the beginner. Starhawk also traces her own development she started of like most of us reading books and doing it from there. She formed her own group , The Compost Coven. As leader she really got into the leadership role and sort of hogged it all. But she learned and grew out of it. She then went on to learn the Feri tradition from Victor and Cora Andersen. This is her primary model of spirituality. Starhawk would later found the Reclaiming movement.
There are several views of magic. Several magicians put forward the view that magic is causing a change in reality in accordance with ones will. Dion Fortune posited that magic is altering consciousness at will. Starhawk subscribes to Dion Fortune's view of magic. In the spell section and through out the book she gives techniques on raising energy and directing towards a magical goal. She gives techniques on making poppets and how to charge them. Starhawk is realistic about what magic can do. It will will not work miracles for you. Magic has limitations. Limitations are based on how much energy is required to reach a goal. Other energy currents which may hinder the reaching of a goal. Magic used as a transformation agent which forces our evolution seems to be the most realistic and effective magic.
Witchcraft is also about making things work for you. Tweeking it to meet your individual and group needs. Practical down to Earth leaving no room for a central or absolute authority to come in and tell you how to do things. Most witches work in covens or circles. These small groups are intimate, cozy, nourishing and involved. Witchcraft is not a passive religion. Gaining access to the divine is based on reaching states of ecstasy to alter your consciousness. Speaking of the mind Starhawk uses a modified Freudian/Jungian view of things. There is the Talking Mind which is our everyday conscious, the younger mind or our unconscious and Deep mind which functions as our higher self or connection to the divine. Accessing the deep mind via the unconscious mind is what magic is about.
The view of witchcraft is one of a transformational model. We transform our selves, our environment and our world.Starhawk is a staunch feminist and environmentalist. She uses her magic to change the situation. This comes through as she traces through the autobiographical elements of her life. The beginning witch or just the casual reader should enjoy reading this book. If you wish to go further I would advise reading the back and delve into the bibliography and suggested reading.
According to Starhawk and Murray, life in Europe and all over the world was matriarchal. Everything was peaceful and fine with absolutely no violence. Men hunted and magic was discovered by dancing in circle and visualizing success in the hunt, as drawn by pictures in caves. This gave the hunters better success. As humankind grew older they domesticated animals and became farmer. Their rituals became agricultural and fertility oriented. They developed rituals for the solstices and equinoxes. Then came the Indoeuropean invaders from the east. As they stormed across Europe they brought with them a militaristic way of life and worship of male warlike gods. The original inhabitants fled to the hills and stayed hidden. They would have their rituals in secret. In time there would be some intermarriage between the conquerors and the conquered. The conquered people became known as faeries or Pixies after the people name thee Picts.
A complimentary mythos which I have never seen written anywhere else before was penned by Starhawk. Miria the star goddess is the primal creator she sees her reflection and falls in love with it and decides to create an other. The others starts out close and then slowly moves away. First he is the God of the hunt and then god of the crops. His intention is to reunite with the stargoddess. Miria has many connections. Marian is the sea goddess in Robert grave's work " White Goddess" There are a few other connections as well.
Leaving aside the myths and pseudo history this book has some great practical information for the beginning witch or magician. There are a gazillion exercises for both covens and solitaries to use. The range is from meditation, trancework, rituals, spells and group bonding exercises. These alone make the book very valuable to the beginner. Starhawk also traces her own development she started of like most of us reading books and doing it from there. She formed her own group , The Compost Coven. As leader she really got into the leadership role and sort of hogged it all. But she learned and grew out of it. She then went on to learn the Feri tradition from Victor and Cora Andersen. This is her primary model of spirituality. Starhawk would later found the Reclaiming movement.
There are several views of magic. Several magicians put forward the view that magic is causing a change in reality in accordance with ones will. Dion Fortune posited that magic is altering consciousness at will. Starhawk subscribes to Dion Fortune's view of magic. In the spell section and through out the book she gives techniques on raising energy and directing towards a magical goal. She gives techniques on making poppets and how to charge them. Starhawk is realistic about what magic can do. It will will not work miracles for you. Magic has limitations. Limitations are based on how much energy is required to reach a goal. Other energy currents which may hinder the reaching of a goal. Magic used as a transformation agent which forces our evolution seems to be the most realistic and effective magic.
Witchcraft is also about making things work for you. Tweeking it to meet your individual and group needs. Practical down to Earth leaving no room for a central or absolute authority to come in and tell you how to do things. Most witches work in covens or circles. These small groups are intimate, cozy, nourishing and involved. Witchcraft is not a passive religion. Gaining access to the divine is based on reaching states of ecstasy to alter your consciousness. Speaking of the mind Starhawk uses a modified Freudian/Jungian view of things. There is the Talking Mind which is our everyday conscious, the younger mind or our unconscious and Deep mind which functions as our higher self or connection to the divine. Accessing the deep mind via the unconscious mind is what magic is about.
The view of witchcraft is one of a transformational model. We transform our selves, our environment and our world.Starhawk is a staunch feminist and environmentalist. She uses her magic to change the situation. This comes through as she traces through the autobiographical elements of her life. The beginning witch or just the casual reader should enjoy reading this book. If you wish to go further I would advise reading the back and delve into the bibliography and suggested reading.
February 4, 2019
Ok so who's in on the coven?
If you read this book, I highly recommend getting the 20th anniversary edition. This allows you to read how Starhawk's thought has developed in the decades since the book was published. The two introductions were some of my favorite parts, highlighting her changed thinking on gender, political engagement, and other issues. I love to see a wise old witch remain open to learning new things, queering her old beliefs.
And I'm also a sucker for all her wild and weird ritual write-ups. A valuable how-to for covenless, rootless, secular witches like myself. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again, Starhawk!
If you read this book, I highly recommend getting the 20th anniversary edition. This allows you to read how Starhawk's thought has developed in the decades since the book was published. The two introductions were some of my favorite parts, highlighting her changed thinking on gender, political engagement, and other issues. I love to see a wise old witch remain open to learning new things, queering her old beliefs.
And I'm also a sucker for all her wild and weird ritual write-ups. A valuable how-to for covenless, rootless, secular witches like myself. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again, Starhawk!
December 4, 2020
This is a hard book to rate. I read The Spiral Dance spread out over about 8 months, with a small online group reading it together -- it was my first time reading it but for quite a few folks it was a re-read. Prior to this the only Starhawk I'd read was her fiction. I am really grateful to have read this in the way that I did because we had some really fantastic discussions.
I will get out of the way that I definitely have some problems with The Spiral Dance -- quite a bit of the commentary on gender and feminism I have serious issue with (some of these issues were helped with the anniversary notes - Starhawk's thinking has of course changed in the decades since the book was written, and she understands problems with sexual essentialism etc - but not all of my issues were addressed). There are clear problems with some of the historical claims as well, and the politics more broadly at times I was really into and at others had issue with. I feel like this is best read as a historical text -- an important book in the history of Reclaiming tradition witchcraft in particular, which reflects the time at which it was written. Read in that spirit, I got a lot out of it. There are so many good lines in this book that I've copied down, and I've definitely got areas of interest for further reading. The anniversary notes are indispensable -- I really appreciated the insight into Starhawk's changing thought and learning over many decades in the craft and appreciated her willingness to acknowledge, in the notes, when she had come to vehemently disagree with something she'd written in the original text.
I came to this book as someone who identifies as Pagan, anarchist, and feminist, interested in exploring Reclaiming tradition and connections between religious practice and social justice, but also as someone who is not interested in group-based practice and who also doesn't work with personified deity / Goddess in any way, metaphorical or otherwise. This meant that a good number of the exercises felt irrelevant to my practice personally; however, I found them interesting to read and discuss regardless. Other activities felt extremely familiar to me, having done cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety before. Others felt like they could very readily be incorporated into any number of styles of Earth-based / Pagan / meditative practices, including mine. Definitely an interesting read.
I will get out of the way that I definitely have some problems with The Spiral Dance -- quite a bit of the commentary on gender and feminism I have serious issue with (some of these issues were helped with the anniversary notes - Starhawk's thinking has of course changed in the decades since the book was written, and she understands problems with sexual essentialism etc - but not all of my issues were addressed). There are clear problems with some of the historical claims as well, and the politics more broadly at times I was really into and at others had issue with. I feel like this is best read as a historical text -- an important book in the history of Reclaiming tradition witchcraft in particular, which reflects the time at which it was written. Read in that spirit, I got a lot out of it. There are so many good lines in this book that I've copied down, and I've definitely got areas of interest for further reading. The anniversary notes are indispensable -- I really appreciated the insight into Starhawk's changing thought and learning over many decades in the craft and appreciated her willingness to acknowledge, in the notes, when she had come to vehemently disagree with something she'd written in the original text.
I came to this book as someone who identifies as Pagan, anarchist, and feminist, interested in exploring Reclaiming tradition and connections between religious practice and social justice, but also as someone who is not interested in group-based practice and who also doesn't work with personified deity / Goddess in any way, metaphorical or otherwise. This meant that a good number of the exercises felt irrelevant to my practice personally; however, I found them interesting to read and discuss regardless. Other activities felt extremely familiar to me, having done cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety before. Others felt like they could very readily be incorporated into any number of styles of Earth-based / Pagan / meditative practices, including mine. Definitely an interesting read.
August 27, 2012
I first read The Spiral Dance when I was 15 or 16 and practicing with a group of awesome older pagan ladies. In the 15 or 16 years since then, I moved away from this book and the ladies that I practiced with. I forgot about this book. Or, rather, what I remembered about this book was very much a misremembering of it.
The text of Starhawk's chapters is really good. And in the chapter text, I can totally get down with what she's talking about: a sex-positive, earth-based, power-from-within rather than power-over spirituality, recognizing our oneness with nature and each other, and valuing that oneness as sacred. She presents the Goddess religion as a feminist religion. And, on the whole, in the body of the chapters, I love the presentation.
Where she loses me is the description of the rituals. Some of the meditative practices I have used and found very effective (i.e., grounding and centering, the tree of life meditation, focused breathing meditation). Others, however, seem kind of forced and false to me. There's a lot of invoking this goddess or that god and (although she's careful to point out that she doesn't actually believe in gods and goddesses and uses them as mythological symbols), all the god-naming and appealing to them really loses me.
What saves the book for me, however, is the fact that she talks about how personal this kind of spirituality is. How everything can be a sacred ritual if the right state of consciousness is brought to it. How what's important is finding wholeness and connection, and therefore anything that increases your wholeness or connection to the divine is a valuable and worthy ritual.
It's a good book, but to me more of an inspirational example of what works for her and the ladies she practices with, than a guidebook explaining what neo-paganism/earth based religion is and should be.
The text of Starhawk's chapters is really good. And in the chapter text, I can totally get down with what she's talking about: a sex-positive, earth-based, power-from-within rather than power-over spirituality, recognizing our oneness with nature and each other, and valuing that oneness as sacred. She presents the Goddess religion as a feminist religion. And, on the whole, in the body of the chapters, I love the presentation.
Where she loses me is the description of the rituals. Some of the meditative practices I have used and found very effective (i.e., grounding and centering, the tree of life meditation, focused breathing meditation). Others, however, seem kind of forced and false to me. There's a lot of invoking this goddess or that god and (although she's careful to point out that she doesn't actually believe in gods and goddesses and uses them as mythological symbols), all the god-naming and appealing to them really loses me.
What saves the book for me, however, is the fact that she talks about how personal this kind of spirituality is. How everything can be a sacred ritual if the right state of consciousness is brought to it. How what's important is finding wholeness and connection, and therefore anything that increases your wholeness or connection to the divine is a valuable and worthy ritual.
It's a good book, but to me more of an inspirational example of what works for her and the ladies she practices with, than a guidebook explaining what neo-paganism/earth based religion is and should be.
February 25, 2019
I have very complicated feelings about this book. I have always been very interested in witchcraft and feminist spirituality, so this book has felt like a must read (both in terms of subject matter, but also its influence). There were parts I loved and reading them made me feel like I was an instrument harmonizing with a tuning fork. Her understanding of the connection between spirituality and politics, the nature of magic etc was wonderful. In many ways, I think she is deeply admirable in the spiritual and political work she has done.
Other parts made me feel very out of sync. There are parts that are very corny and of suspicious origin, in second-wave style it can be very gender essentiallist and regularly condemns pornography, sex work and strangely enough mental health care/psychology/psychiatry. It is also very limited in its perspective and that perspective is very white, middle class euro-american college education woman. Which like, hello, is also me. Starhawk tries to acknowledge and correct some, but not all, of these things in her 10th and 20th anniversary introductions and notes. However, perusal through her suggested reading was still kind of disappointing. Understandably dated (we're due for a 40th anniversary edition this year!) but not so understandably white.
I'm definitely left wondering if what I am looking for exists as works that are more recently published and ostensibly third/fourth wave feminist also leave me dissatisfied, just in different ways. (Hopefully "Jailbreaking the Goddess" will be what I'm looking for??)
I read the introductions and notes in a digital edition I check out from a library, but I read the body of this book in print, in the original 1979 printing (that I got from a thrift store for 99 cents the same day I actually committed myself to reading it! ~*~synchronicity~*~)
Other parts made me feel very out of sync. There are parts that are very corny and of suspicious origin, in second-wave style it can be very gender essentiallist and regularly condemns pornography, sex work and strangely enough mental health care/psychology/psychiatry. It is also very limited in its perspective and that perspective is very white, middle class euro-american college education woman. Which like, hello, is also me. Starhawk tries to acknowledge and correct some, but not all, of these things in her 10th and 20th anniversary introductions and notes. However, perusal through her suggested reading was still kind of disappointing. Understandably dated (we're due for a 40th anniversary edition this year!) but not so understandably white.
I'm definitely left wondering if what I am looking for exists as works that are more recently published and ostensibly third/fourth wave feminist also leave me dissatisfied, just in different ways. (Hopefully "Jailbreaking the Goddess" will be what I'm looking for??)
I read the introductions and notes in a digital edition I check out from a library, but I read the body of this book in print, in the original 1979 printing (that I got from a thrift store for 99 cents the same day I actually committed myself to reading it! ~*~synchronicity~*~)
April 25, 2023
I cannot believe that I never reviewed this book. It was an important reference for me during the two years or so, around 1995 if memory serves, that I was a mostly solitary Wiccan. Many of the tools that she teaches helped me through debilitating panic attacks at that time, and kept me working on my Tai Chi, as moving meditation, and my seated mindfulness meditation. Most of all, I was able to connect with a small number of other women who found help through this type of spirituality, if only for a time.
October 25, 2009
This book is by far the very best book for those interested in pursuing Wicca. Starhawk writes from a strictly Dianic view - basically, emphasis in placed on the Divine Feminine. There are many men involved in Wicca, but for the most part, they are Gardnerians (Ceremonial Magicians.)
The reason for this, as Starhawk explains, is that women are far more connected to the earth than their opposite gender. We give birth and, in the old days, washed the bodies of our loved ones, and prepared them for burial.
The Spiral Dance itself is as old as time. I would unhesitatingly recommend this book to anyone who does not have a fellow Wiccan around, to answer some of the many questions that quite naturally occur. First, read Scott Cunningham's "Wicca; a Guide For the Solitary Practitioner" -- then, if this appeals to you, follow with "The Spiral Dance."
The reason for this, as Starhawk explains, is that women are far more connected to the earth than their opposite gender. We give birth and, in the old days, washed the bodies of our loved ones, and prepared them for burial.
The Spiral Dance itself is as old as time. I would unhesitatingly recommend this book to anyone who does not have a fellow Wiccan around, to answer some of the many questions that quite naturally occur. First, read Scott Cunningham's "Wicca; a Guide For the Solitary Practitioner" -- then, if this appeals to you, follow with "The Spiral Dance."
March 1, 2019
I struggled most with the historical presumptions of this book. I realize that, at the time the first edition was written, Starhawk was referencing history as proposed by other authors. However, I read the 20th anniversary edition and I was disappointed that glaring historical inaccuracies were not called out until the last two chapters of the book, which were appended with later editions. Her version of events paints a pretty story but it's painfully incorrect.
I honestly found the majority of this book to be a bit of a slog. I felt like it wandered all over the county from mortifying herstory to romanticized personal accounts of rituals, back and forth through various feminist perspectives, occasionally touching on environmental activism. Sometimes it read like a manual, sometimes it read like a personal journal, sometimes it read like a fairytale... I just got lost with it (and, unfortunately, not in a good way).
I was going to give this book one star. But I enjoyed some of Chapter 13 (the last original chapter) and the notes added with later editions. So I thought I'd give it an extra star for that.
All that being said, I'd strongly recommend reading Adler's instead of or before Spiral Dance.
I honestly found the majority of this book to be a bit of a slog. I felt like it wandered all over the county from mortifying herstory to romanticized personal accounts of rituals, back and forth through various feminist perspectives, occasionally touching on environmental activism. Sometimes it read like a manual, sometimes it read like a personal journal, sometimes it read like a fairytale... I just got lost with it (and, unfortunately, not in a good way).
I was going to give this book one star. But I enjoyed some of Chapter 13 (the last original chapter) and the notes added with later editions. So I thought I'd give it an extra star for that.
All that being said, I'd strongly recommend reading Adler's instead of or before Spiral Dance.
September 10, 2018
An introduction to the religion of wicca. I already get confused by religion (strikes me as watered-down philosophy), add magical symbolism and things just get frustratingly confusing.
Moon rituals and the like? There's also an exercise about 'grounding the tree of life'? Maybe it's combining jungian symbolism to form some type of meditation, only with physical rituals involved?
Very... VERY confusing.
I do not understand what is going on.
Nor do I have the drugs necessary to possibly understand what is going on...
Moon rituals and the like? There's also an exercise about 'grounding the tree of life'? Maybe it's combining jungian symbolism to form some type of meditation, only with physical rituals involved?
Very... VERY confusing.
I do not understand what is going on.
Nor do I have the drugs necessary to possibly understand what is going on...
August 25, 2023
The magic began for my metaphysical book study group weeks before we chose to read The Spiral Dance. We draw oracle cards before we begin our meetings for personal messages and we share dreams and synchronous events from our week to become more aware of symbols that are important to us individually and collectively and to grow our intuitive abilities. Someone suggested we read The Spiral Dance by Starhawk. I didn’t think it likely to be chosen as we had already narrowed down our long list of books we’d like to read to a couple to vote on, but the week after the suggestion 5 people drew the Grouse card from the Medicine Cards oracle deck. That never happened before. Rarely two people will draw the same card. The Grouse represents the Sacred Spiral and grouse medicine is an invitation to sacred spiral dance and learning to dance with Earth’s cycles. We took this as a sign to read Starhawk’s book, of course, and our membership doubled.
We practiced many of the rituals and exercises in the book and found them easy to make our own. Those practices that we found to be most effective in increasing the power of our group energy are now part of our weekly meetings. We read the 20th anniversary edition which includes commentary on the chapters 10 years later and 20 years later that reveal important changes in the author and in the Goddess movement.
A few of our members were hesitant to read a book about witchcraft, but by Chapter 7 recognized that the primary difference from what they learned in Joe Dispenza’s and Lynne McTaggart’s books is language. That and that Wicca is earth-based, which we all greatly appreciate. We did not feel a need to form a coven, but by the end of the book, we were exchanging ideas for healing the planet, talking with our children and grandchildren about patriarchy (It’s no accident that our timing for reading this book coincided with the release of the Barbie movie!), and loving ourselves better.
We practiced many of the rituals and exercises in the book and found them easy to make our own. Those practices that we found to be most effective in increasing the power of our group energy are now part of our weekly meetings. We read the 20th anniversary edition which includes commentary on the chapters 10 years later and 20 years later that reveal important changes in the author and in the Goddess movement.
A few of our members were hesitant to read a book about witchcraft, but by Chapter 7 recognized that the primary difference from what they learned in Joe Dispenza’s and Lynne McTaggart’s books is language. That and that Wicca is earth-based, which we all greatly appreciate. We did not feel a need to form a coven, but by the end of the book, we were exchanging ideas for healing the planet, talking with our children and grandchildren about patriarchy (It’s no accident that our timing for reading this book coincided with the release of the Barbie movie!), and loving ourselves better.
February 27, 2025
During my search through different spiritual paths and organized religions (and this was one of the stepstones in that search), this neo pagan view interpreted through Starhawk’s eyes, ended up resonating with me.
From the same author, I read also the Earth Path and the Pagan Book of Living and Dying, and, along with Spiral Dance, all 3 gave me hope on constructing a coherent view of self, world, life and death. As well as understanding for the first time the real meaning of magic in a neo-pagan view.
I didn’t follow in its steps in any formal way, but the truth is that it left a trace in me e - I would define it as a poetic and philosophical influence.
It’s very well written, and much recommended either for neo pagans or curious about the theme, or those in search for answers for the great themes of life.
From the same author, I read also the Earth Path and the Pagan Book of Living and Dying, and, along with Spiral Dance, all 3 gave me hope on constructing a coherent view of self, world, life and death. As well as understanding for the first time the real meaning of magic in a neo-pagan view.
I didn’t follow in its steps in any formal way, but the truth is that it left a trace in me e - I would define it as a poetic and philosophical influence.
It’s very well written, and much recommended either for neo pagans or curious about the theme, or those in search for answers for the great themes of life.
April 13, 2023
Overview:
This is the Tenth Anniversary Edition to The Spiral Dance.
In this book Starhawk goes through the history and suppression and growth that Witchcraft has gone through and still does today.
This book includes many exercises to follow.
Note: Remember when reading this book that since this is a updated and revised version you need to go back and forth from pages to see the authors notes in the back. And what Starhawk has revised and corrected from the original text.
Thoughts:
Before I begin, I realize that there are currently updated versions of this book. I found this book on my moms shelf and wanted to read it. So this review is on this particular book. Not the updated ones.
I also understand THIS book was published in 1989. So I realize things were different with views on things and such.
In this book I didn't mind it and at points I enjoyed reading it. And I found it empowering for cis women, but if your a transgender women your excluded from this book.
I also found it interesting because the book kept mentioning how sacred the womb and a (cis) women's body is. Which I agree with. But it also forgot that a transgender man and someone non-binary can have a womb and a baby and can menstruate. I understand in society we tend to forget transgender people and non-binary people and exclude them and I don't blame the author or anyone who does that because we are born and bred in a society rooted in excluding others who aren't cisgendered white people. And it is so rooted in society and our everyday lives even people in marginalized groups do this. As a queer person, I constantly need to keep reminding myself to not exclude and forget that transgender and non-binary people also exist, And we are erased and forgotten about. And books and people do that a lot.
I do enjoy that it was empowering though.
Another thing I didn't enjoy was the wording. I ran into a word that I don't think should be used anymore. The word was "mentally retarded" and after reading the full sentence again which is "If I were mentally retarded because of early malnutrition" I feel like that is a full on hit in the face because that happened to me. Can I give this book a one and a half star? (don't answer that, I already know the answer, haha)
When I was near the end of the book, I honestly started blanking out because I just didn't understand what was even happening anymore.
I wouldn't read this book again. I would consider the newer version though.
This is the Tenth Anniversary Edition to The Spiral Dance.
In this book Starhawk goes through the history and suppression and growth that Witchcraft has gone through and still does today.
This book includes many exercises to follow.
Note: Remember when reading this book that since this is a updated and revised version you need to go back and forth from pages to see the authors notes in the back. And what Starhawk has revised and corrected from the original text.
Thoughts:
Before I begin, I realize that there are currently updated versions of this book. I found this book on my moms shelf and wanted to read it. So this review is on this particular book. Not the updated ones.
I also understand THIS book was published in 1989. So I realize things were different with views on things and such.
In this book I didn't mind it and at points I enjoyed reading it. And I found it empowering for cis women, but if your a transgender women your excluded from this book.
I also found it interesting because the book kept mentioning how sacred the womb and a (cis) women's body is. Which I agree with. But it also forgot that a transgender man and someone non-binary can have a womb and a baby and can menstruate. I understand in society we tend to forget transgender people and non-binary people and exclude them and I don't blame the author or anyone who does that because we are born and bred in a society rooted in excluding others who aren't cisgendered white people. And it is so rooted in society and our everyday lives even people in marginalized groups do this. As a queer person, I constantly need to keep reminding myself to not exclude and forget that transgender and non-binary people also exist, And we are erased and forgotten about. And books and people do that a lot.
I do enjoy that it was empowering though.
Another thing I didn't enjoy was the wording. I ran into a word that I don't think should be used anymore. The word was "mentally retarded" and after reading the full sentence again which is "If I were mentally retarded because of early malnutrition" I feel like that is a full on hit in the face because that happened to me. Can I give this book a one and a half star? (don't answer that, I already know the answer, haha)
When I was near the end of the book, I honestly started blanking out because I just didn't understand what was even happening anymore.
I wouldn't read this book again. I would consider the newer version though.
December 18, 2019
This is the book that made me realize that I wasn't a Christian anymore. It had a huge impact on college Laura.
March 12, 2017
Easily the most bogus of the three Wiccan books I've read. Scott Cunningham's book does a better job of understanding that the laws of Wicca are very much made up by individuals as they go along and explains the principles behind the practices in psychological terms. I guess Starhawk tries to do the same here but she also gets buried in lengthy descriptions of her own esoteric rituals and she is, let's face it, not an expert in any of the fields that this book touches on (besides witchcraft itself) so her attempts to explain her ideas with snatches of Jungian psychology were somewhat cringe-worthy.
Another problem with Wicca is that the whole thing has all been made up by a bunch of enthusiasts in the 20th century. It is a religious movement that so desperately wants to connect itself to a tradition that undoubtedly existed in some form many centuries ago but unfortunately actual historical documents that might tell us anything about the real druids and witches and pagans of the dark ages are extinct. All the knowledge and wisdom inherent in this religion has been created anew and the elements of historical tradition are based on highly speculative academia and modern mythologising. Starhawk answers this point by saying something along the lines of "just because the popular history of Wicca may not actually be true, that does not mean that it isn't true to us in an emotional sense". Well, that's a fair point but it doesn't really explain why any of the rest of us should care to read about this wild speculation, which she bombards us with throughout the book.
I guess the function of this book is to provide us with some of her own, seemingly effective Wiccan rituals, examples of how the ideas can be put into practice. That's a worthwhile premise, but it only really justifies about 20% of the content of this book. Compared to Scott Cunningham's book, this is overlong and excessively subjective. Compared to Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon, it's just a bad piece of academia.
Another problem with Wicca is that the whole thing has all been made up by a bunch of enthusiasts in the 20th century. It is a religious movement that so desperately wants to connect itself to a tradition that undoubtedly existed in some form many centuries ago but unfortunately actual historical documents that might tell us anything about the real druids and witches and pagans of the dark ages are extinct. All the knowledge and wisdom inherent in this religion has been created anew and the elements of historical tradition are based on highly speculative academia and modern mythologising. Starhawk answers this point by saying something along the lines of "just because the popular history of Wicca may not actually be true, that does not mean that it isn't true to us in an emotional sense". Well, that's a fair point but it doesn't really explain why any of the rest of us should care to read about this wild speculation, which she bombards us with throughout the book.
I guess the function of this book is to provide us with some of her own, seemingly effective Wiccan rituals, examples of how the ideas can be put into practice. That's a worthwhile premise, but it only really justifies about 20% of the content of this book. Compared to Scott Cunningham's book, this is overlong and excessively subjective. Compared to Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon, it's just a bad piece of academia.
December 5, 2013
I read the original back in grad school in the 90's. Even then it was dated. I think there's good information here but it's biased by an assumption that is not known to be true. The "ancient religion of the goddess" is just a hypothesis by anthropologists based on artifacts. There is no proof that such a thing ever existed. Modern witchcraft is very much that: modern. These things are important to keep in mind when studying about modern paganism.
That said, even if ancient goddess worship never existed (who knows?), Wicca and other modern day pagan belief systems are no less legitimate for it. Starhawk does a good job of talking about how 20th century people blend ancient folklore with modern tradition in their worship and spirituality.
That said, even if ancient goddess worship never existed (who knows?), Wicca and other modern day pagan belief systems are no less legitimate for it. Starhawk does a good job of talking about how 20th century people blend ancient folklore with modern tradition in their worship and spirituality.
May 28, 2023
I give this book, specifically of course the 20th anniversary edition, 5 stars because it is a cornerstone work of an Elder in both the witchcraft and feminist communities. Some parts of the book reflect the times of the initial publication, but her notes from the 10th and the 20th anniversary prove insightful and very reflective of modern thoughts and research, even with this edition being from 1999. Starhawk, now in her 70s, is still an active member in the tradition she helped to found, Reclaiming. Her lifelong activism and commitment to growing and learning is reflected in her work. This book is passionate and thoughtful, I think many of the exercises still have value today, and if nothing else- this book is a necessity to understand the modern witchcraft movement and how we got here.
March 29, 2014
It seems that part of my journey is not only reading this book, but admitting I am a person who read this book. This is doubtless character-building, since I was initially embarrassed to borrow it, apparently on the theory that its owner would think my desire to read it more laugable than its presence on her own bookshelf. I may hold onto a copy to reference for ideas. (Fair warning: some passages hating on porn, sex work, and kink, and quoting Mary Daly, and one sort of transphobic footnote. The 10- and 20-years-on notes make up for a lot of original 1979 edition weaknesses, but not these.)
October 14, 2010
The only thing bogging down the rating is that it was very difficult to get past all the wordiness. There is very good information in here, and was the first non-fiction pagan book I ever read. Evidently, it didn't turn me off to being pagan, so it must have been good enough. It just took forever to read. I was bored a lot when reading it.
November 21, 2013
Interesting. A bit misguided on archeological facts, but the ideas developed have a lot of merit. Also interesting to read the notes from the 10th and 20th anniversary editions, and see how her ideas evolved.
November 12, 2017
Great beginner's book to help get you off your feet LOL. Easy to read and rituals are easy to follow. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone new to the craft.
February 4, 2023
Un libro assolutamente geniale e necessario, spaventoso per quanto è attuale. Una disamina attenta, precisa e lucida sull'importanza di riconnettere l'essere umano con tutto ciò che lo circonda per ricominciare a vivere in armonia con se stessx, l'altrx (umanx o animale che sia) e la natura. Al di là delle categorie binarie e opposte, al di là dell'essenzialismo, Starhawk racconta con gioia e semplicità la bellezza del reclamare e accogliere la divinità dentro ognunx di noi e lo fa senza ricorrere al misticismo, non ne ha bisogno. Tutto ciò che ha a che fare col pratico, col materiale, col corpo è degno di essere trattato e integrato nella riscoperta e nella ricostruzione della spiritualità profondamente politica e femminista che ha a che fare con la grande Dea.
April 10, 2019
It's become a classic. Starhawk's groundbreaking work was well received when first published, as a useful introductory work on witchcraft.
Although commonly read as a book on Wicca,The Spiral Danceis distinguished by its visionary mysticism and ecstatic experience, and by its emphasis on women and the Goddess (with a lesser emphasis on the God, unlike most forms of Wicca).
Starhawk trained with Victor and Cora Anderson, founders of the Feri Tradition of witchcraft, and with Zsuzsanna Budapest, a feminist separatist involved in Dianic Witchcraft.
Although commonly read as a book on Wicca,The Spiral Danceis distinguished by its visionary mysticism and ecstatic experience, and by its emphasis on women and the Goddess (with a lesser emphasis on the God, unlike most forms of Wicca).
Starhawk trained with Victor and Cora Anderson, founders of the Feri Tradition of witchcraft, and with Zsuzsanna Budapest, a feminist separatist involved in Dianic Witchcraft.
April 1, 2020
I would actually give this book a 3.5 stars if I could. I enjoyed much of the information in it. The history was interesting and I found the writing style poetic in a lot of places. I am always looking for good books on the subject and Starhawk is one of the better authors I have found. On the negatives for me, I did find this book a bit heavy on the feminist history for me, which I realize is the point of the book, but I found myself kindof slogging through parts of it. I found it information heavy with not enough language that kept me not wanting to put the book down. The Crooked Path is still my favorite witchy book of the year!
October 6, 2020
I love the title. The hint to energy moving around is just perfect for the book. The book itself is a majestic well of information on witchcraft. It talks about the craft, but it also highlights the most important aspects of the religion. It covers the main points of it through chapters, but it clearly states on which parts of the concept it will keep focus on. If you are interested to read about Wicca, and learn more about it, this book is perfect. There are loads of exercises to help you in keeping in tone of the craft. There are loads of examples of rituals, to get an understanding of them. There are, also, loads of poems and invocations to keep.
April 12, 2025
Historical revisionism claiming to be facts, the cherry on top is that tucked into the garbage are occasional pearls of wisdom that ring true for me. Something broken clocks being right twice I guess.
Definitely not what I thought this was and I’m glad I didn’t buy it
Definitely not what I thought this was and I’m glad I didn’t buy it
October 14, 2020
I feel like I should read it again. I liked it and I related to it, the process were ones that I was going for and it felt reassuring. I plan on trying the rituals when I reread it
January 18, 2023
taught me as much as 3 semesters of seminary has abt being a religious professional
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