📘 The Spiral Dance by Starhawk

[walter]

Didn’t join the book club because don’t want to commit, I have a full plate with a lot going on right now. However I’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 can’t have one without the other. God’s and Goddesses are in all of us, male and female alike. Its a very interesting book!

[Limeberry]

Ugh this
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. Don’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 ‘belief’ is where this led my mind.

[Limeberry]

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.

[Francisco]

@Limeberry

Chapter 5: The Goddess (Page 103

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

It’s a great message and it definitely helps. It’s good to challenge our own beliefs once in a while.

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

I don’t really go for “beliefs”. I try everything until I find what works best for myself.

[BryWisteria]

Hi all!

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- I’m looking forward to hearing your final takes and opinions about it next Friday! Blessed be

[erin9]

I haven’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!

[Francisco]

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

“A 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.”

Notes on later editions:

“These 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 “ridden” by the orishas. Power is not just dramatized, but manifested.”

“Trance possession seems to have been a practice in what we know of early Witchcraft”.

[BryWisteria]

@erin9

I am picking it up today! Love all of your insights and thoughts.

Hooray! I hope you enjoy reading Starhawk, @erin9 If you’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

[erin9]

That would be great. Ty!

[berta]

Interesting. I think this is very true in our western culture especially. I like the ‘idea’ 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 don’t know if I am curious enough to plow through this book right now… but I might put it on my ‘wish list’ for later exploration.

[Limeberry]

OMG I’ve finished the main book, I still have some notes to read through at the back… and then I’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 ?
The chapter on trance though I was reading it like woop this sounds great! My body might be going into the UK’s Lockdown2.0 but my mind is gonna be GOING PLACES once I figure this out

[Rowan]

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.
Im going to continue trying to finish it, and possibly print out all my notes I took.

[BryWisteria]

Hello Starhawk readers!

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

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

Spells8 Book Club I - Readers’ Review

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

I have just been glancing through this topic- so I am looking forward to hearing about everyone’s unique experience with Starhawk

Love and light!