Hecate's Secret Book Club ~ June 2021

I reread "The Spiral Dance" by Starhawk (20th Anniversary edition with a preface by the author). I haven't read this text since I was in college (more years ago than I care to admit!)

Now, as then, I was struck by Starhawk's vision of a witchcraft community that prioritizes power-sharing rather than "power over," and clearly envisions spaces for all genders rather than solely women (particularly in the time during which this book was released, when Dianic and female-separatist traditions were at the height of popularity). It is this vision, as well as the many excellent practical exercises in the book, that make The Spiral Dance a text of continued relevance, as well as historical importance, to witches from many traditions (including the Reclaiming Tradition which Starhawk went on to co-found).

However, all books are a product of their time and there are some aspects of The Spiral Dance that do not sit particularly easily with me. The historical material presented in the book is not particularly rigorously researched. It is emotionally stirring and evocative, but I think it is best to relate to Starhawk's history of witchcraft as spiritual/mythological truth than as a fully reliable account of events that happened on this physical plane. Likewise, Starhawk's comparison of the persecution of witches with the oppression of Black people under slavery was provocative when the book was originally written, but does not read as well in the current social climate. Starhawk herself talks about some of these issues in her 20th anniversary foreword.

Overall, The Spiral Dance remains a valuable resource and a foundational text of modern witchcraft. Rereading it was both a pleasure and an opportunity to learn new things from an old companion.

The Magical Writing Grimoire by Lisa Marie Basile is not just another book on how to organize your grimoire into chapters. It is about the underlying magic of the act of writing in itself. It includes writing exercises to be done while in a trance state. Rituals and prompts focus on archetypes, the elements, shadow work, accessibility, and intuition.

"The archetype of the witch anchors this book. The witch is a symbol of power: the feral, the sexual, the unapologetic. The witch is the being within us who blooms outside the constraints of social order, who seeks agency, resistance, progress, personal change, and healing." p.26

I'll be working my way through this book slowly, in a deep manner, choosing the chapters in the order that call to me.

Highly recommended for witches who journal and are creative, inward-looking, intuitive.

I've just finished reading Year One: Chronicles of The One, written by Nora Roberts. I am not a romance fan and would never have picked this up if not for a friends recommendation (it's her book) and it was amazing! There is a plague - the Doom that begins on New Years Eve in Scotland and sweeps around the world... This book is much more graphic than I would ever have thought Nora Roberts to be! Yet it is not gory in any way, just explicit in the crime and death - there is a unique happening during this Doom; a rise in mystics or the "Uncanny." This is pure fiction but it is fun :) I've just begun Of Blood and Bone, which is book 2 of the 3 book set. My friend has ordered book 3 already. So far it seems to be a classic good vs evil story ~ a plague story with Harry Potter overtones.

Sorry for the delay I was on holiday without wifi for a few days so I missed the deadline :/

I'm going to share with you a very sweet non-fiction graphic novel about witches: Witch Please: Magical Musings on Life, Love, and Owning Your Power by Sonia Lazo. It's such a fun and powerful reminder that witchcraft comes in every shape and size, no matter what you do:if you feel like a witch, you're one. It's also a very good reminder to surround yourself with like-minded friends, and that no matter what you're never alone! I really need to reread this once my friends give it back haha It would be a perfect summer read, on the beach or just to bring sunshine into your life on grey days. I also absolutely recommend you check out the author's Instagram, she creates beautiful and colourful illustrations :D