šŸ“˜ The Spiral Dance by Starhawk

Include me here as well. My other book is meant to be done over a year!
Wendy

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Sure thing, @wendy4! You have been added to the reading list. Have fun and enjoy! :open_book::grin:

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I am still reading The Inner Temple of Witchcraft, but I am taking the time, and doing the work. Christopher is teaching about things I read in other sources. I need self-work as well. Thanks TravelWitch.

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I have two sons. My husband was a gentle soul who supported the feminine. However, children will be who they are as well. My husband was a long-haired hippie in sandals. My sons were preppy dressed who never had to be reminded to cut their hair. Jerry spent a great deal of time with them. My youngest granddaughter misses him the most. He taught her compassion is the goal and helped her save a praying mantis from other children who harmed her. They kept a terrarium with wounded wildlife ( lizards, bugs, etc,")

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:books: Iā€™m finally making my way through this book and have worked through the two introductions (Iā€™m reading the 20th Anniversary Edition) and I found some powerful and informative things that really show how Starhawk themselves have evolved in their practice and beliefs over time. Most of what Iā€™ve highlighted came from the 10th Anniversary edition and I wanted to share them here.

So my major critique of this work [speaking of their own writing] now centers on questions of inclusiveness. (pg.40)

But that journey cannot be rich and varied unless we are willing to let go of seeing our own experience, our own answers and styles and insights, as defining reality for everyone. We need not deny our experience but must recognize that it is one facet of the gifts that are there for us in other perspectives. (pg.40)

:heart: It really shows a lot that Starhawk makes mention of inclusivity in this part of the introduction because it shows their growth and allows us to also see how they have changed. I find it extremely important to be inclusive in my own craft and beliefs, so it is refreshing to see that in an edition that was published more than 10 years ago, Starhawk was still speaking of inclusivity.

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Itā€™s great to be able to browse through the notes: 10 years after, and 20 years after, and see how things have changed in the mind of the author through time.

Itā€™s like seeing that growth and reassessment of her own writing. Really an unique experience that doesnā€™t happen with many books!

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Didnā€™t join the book club because donā€™t want to commit, I have a full plate with a lot going on right now. However Iā€™ve been reading the book every since Francisco mentioned it-in the forum a month back, I think. I completely resonate with what your saying, Francisco. I understand exactly what the author is saying. We canā€™t have one without the other. Godā€™s and Goddesses are in all of us, male and female alike. Its a very interesting book!

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Ugh this :raised_hands:t2:
From Chapter 5: The Goddess (Page 103 in 20th anniversary edition)

In the Craft, we do not believe in the Goddess-we connect with Her; through the moon, the stars, the ocean, the Earth, through trees, animals, through other human beings, through ourselves. She is here. She is within us all. She is the full circle: earth, air, fire, water and essence-body, mind, spirit, emotions, change.

What a beautiful explanation, and so refreshingly different to how I ever felt learning about God as a Catholic child. Donā€™t get me wrong, I can fully appreciate the religion and those who connect with it but for me it felt suffocating. Reading this chapter gives me hope that when my family are celebrating Catholic holidays I can use this new knowledge to peacefully celebrate alongside them in my own way. Sorry, total tangent but the mention of ā€˜beliefā€™ is where this led my mind.

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Also chapter 5, (page 109)

Witchcraft demands intellectual freedom and the courage to confront our own assumptions. It is not a belief system; it is a constantly self-renewed attitude of joy and wonder to the world.

:heart:

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I opened the book today and read exactly that same page!! :sweat_smile:

Itā€™s a great message and it definitely helps. Itā€™s good to challenge our own beliefs once in a while.

I had one of my friends ask me ā€œdo you believe in astrology?ā€ recently. And I felt like saying, well: ā€œdo you believe in meditation?ā€ (I know he practices) or ā€œdo you believe in Yoga?ā€.

I donā€™t really go for ā€œbeliefsā€. I try everything until I find what works best for myself.

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Hi all! :wave:

Just popping in with a friendly reminder for all Starhawk readers that the current Book Club reading period will end in One Week!

I hope everyone is enjoying the book so far- Iā€™m looking forward to hearing your final takes and opinions about it next Friday! Blessed be :open_book::two_hearts:

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I havenā€™t read this book yet, but have been following this forum wondering if I should. I am picking it up today! Love all of your insights and thoughts. Thank you!

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Sharing another interesting quote from the Spiral Dance. This one helped me understand a lot of the performative aspects of ritual scripts that Iā€™ve seen in different traditional (coven/group) books of shadows:

ā€œA common practice in the medieval Craft was for the Priest and Priestess to enact the parts of God and Goddess, who were believed to be physically incarnate in the rites. One old account cited by Margaret Murray expresses the importance of this custom to illiterate peasants, for whom seeing was believing.ā€

Notes on later editions:

ā€œThese accounts seem to indicate the practice of trance possession by the Goddesses and Gods, similar to the way initiates of the Yoruba-based Afro-Caribbean traditions are ā€œriddenā€ by the orishas. Power is not just dramatized, but manifested.ā€

ā€œTrance possession seems to have been a practice in what we know of early Witchcraftā€.

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Hooray! I hope you enjoy reading Starhawk, @erin9 :blush: :open_book: If youā€™d like, I can add you to the Reading List for Book Club- a discussion will open up on Friday where everyone is warmly encouraged to share their thoughts and insights on whichever book(s) they read/are reading :grin:

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That would be great. Ty!

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Interesting. I think this is very true in our western culture especially. I like the ā€˜ideaā€™ that those stereotypes may not exist in pagan worship and that there is more equality, but I did wonder about the emphasis on the triple goddess from the male perspective. I donā€™t know if I am curious enough to plow through this book right nowā€¦ but I might put it on my ā€˜wish listā€™ for later exploration.

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OMG Iā€™ve finished the main book, I still have some notes to read through at the backā€¦ and then Iā€™m pretty sure I need to go back and read the whole book again to fully absorb it. Woah. Anyone else find this book amazing but kinda :exploding_head:?
The chapter on trance though :sweat_smile: I was reading it like woop this sounds great! My body might be going into the UKā€™s Lockdown2.0 but my mind is gonna be GOING PLACES once I figure this out :joy: :joy: :joy:

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I have to be honest, I hit a wall with this one. Im still trying but at a turtle pace it seems. It started out great for me, then somewhere after Chpt 5 I just lost interest, I guess. :neutral_face:
Im going to continue trying to finish it, and possibly print out all my notes I took.

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Hello Starhawk readers! :wave:

The October 16 - November 6 Reading Period is now complete- well done to everyone, whether you were able to finish or not! :clap:

While this thread will remain open for Starhawk-only readers, feel free to head on over to:

:memo: Spells8 Book Club I - Readersā€™ Review

To swap insights, share interesting knowledge, and discuss with those that read other books :open_book::face_with_monocle:

I have just been glancing through this topic- so I am looking forward to hearing about everyoneā€™s unique experience with Starhawk :star_struck:

Love and light! :star2:

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This book was reviewed as part of the Spells8 Book Club. Are you a book-lover? Visit the Activities Category to join the current session of Book Club! :books: