In this issue:

Merry Meet and Welcome...

... to the Imbolc edition of Cauldrons and Broomsticks. We would like to apologise once again for not putting out a full edition at Yule. We are, however, pleased to say that normal service has now been resumed.  We had a wonderful Yule visiting Garnet's family in the US and feel much recovered from all the bugs and viruses that seemed to want to take up residence with us.

So the Wheel turns and Imbolc is here, bringing a much welcome warming of the earth. It is a joy to walk in the garden and see the plants with buds about to burst into life and the reminder they give that the Goddess has now returned in her aspect as maiden. If you would like to read more information about Imbolc, please see the full article on the main weavings pages.  Imbolc is a time when many of us turn our minds to spring cleaning, both on a physical and spiritual level.  For practical advice on cleaning your home without chemicals, have a read of Natural Cleaning.

Imbolc also sees the launch of our online training programme.  I was at a quandary as to what to call it as it isn't geared up to any single path. That being said, if you want to carry it through to the end, it will give you a firm grounding in and a practical tool kit for the magickal arts as well as allow you to travel forward as you explore the deeper meanings of the path you walk. Much of what has been produced will sound very familiar to those of you how lean towards Wicca. And yet, much will be familiar to anyone who favours Ceremonial Magick. So, at the end of the day, I opted for Starting Out and Going Beyond as it is intended for both beginners and those more experienced in the magickal arts.

We have also brought together all of the book reviews that have been published in Cauldrons & Broomsticks onto a single page.  If you would like to submit a review, please email us at address at the end of this newsletter

In this issue of Cauldrons and Broomsticks, as well as interesting and informative articles on how to cleanse crystals, dreams, and energy and its uses in magick, we continue our series on My Path with a look at what it means to be a kitchen witch.  The People in Magick series also continues with a profile of Starhawk.   And then of course there are the book reviews.

Have a blessed and light filled Imbolc

Garnet and Magi

MY PATH - KITCHEN WITCHERY
by Garnet Winddancer

I’d be the first to admit that my particular brand of worship is a total dichotomy and probably does not make a lot of sense to outsiders.  In fact, I’m still trying to make sense of it for myself but that’s half the fun, isn’t it?  As far as naming the witchy path I walk, I fall mostly under the title of Kitchen Witch.  Have you ever taken one of those quizzes in a fashion magazine that says “if most of your answers are 1s, then you are the flirty type and if most of your answers are 2s then you are more laid back and casual?”  It’s kind of like that for me and my spirituality.  While I have broad interests and beliefs, my daily practice is very practical and seems to center on hearth and home.  And to add to the confusion, Aphrodite is my patron Goddess!

 You could rightfully argue that Aphrodite is not a stay-at-home, cooking in the kitchen type of Goddess and you’d be absolutely right.  She isn’t.  But She is the Goddess of Love and we all know that Love is expressed in a variety of ways.  Very recently, I have been drawn to the Goddess Hestia, as well.  She is most definitely more in keeping with the path of the Kitchen Witch!  I did a lot of soul-searching and meditating before deciding to bring another goddess into my home.  My husband, Magi, and I together keep an altar to the Lord and Lady but I also have a shrine to Aphrodite in our bedroom.  Hestia is such a gentle presence that the two Goddesses work beautifully together and between Them, pretty much sum up my personality! 

Hestia’s shrine is on the kitchen window sill.  There’s not much written of Her in classical Greek literature but what there is shows that She was honoured at all rituals.  There’s a line in a Homeric hymn that calls for the practitioner to pour a sacrifice of sweet wine to Hestia “who should be honoured first and last”.  For this purpose, on the next full moon, I plan to make ritual wine to keep on Hestia’s altar.   

The kitchen witch can trace her lineage directly back to the village wise women of old.  These women understood the magical and medicinal qualities of herbs and were frequently seen as healers and midwives before the rise of the male-dominated medical practice.  The elderly were held in high esteem by our ancestors for their wisdom and experience. Older wise women were naturally thought to possess more knowledge and have access to greater power.  For hundreds of years, wise women were allowed to openly practice their 'arts'. Some called these women Witches, but at the time this was no crime. Female Witches were akin to fairy godmothers: they were respected, not feared. 

Being a kitchen witch goes beyond any specific tradition, it's more of an attitude. Gardening, cooking, herbs and crafts all tend to be part of kitchen witchery.  Being based on folk magick, it blends together components found in, and around, the sacred space of the home for spellcraft.  Cookery, brewing and herbalism remain well-loved arts because of their familiarity and ease of integration into daily practices. For examples, stitching love into a child's coat when mending it, biding the magick with a knot and so on.

CLEANSING CRYSTALS
by Dream Weaver

Cleansing Crystals
There are numerous ways to cleanse crystals.  Some methods are very elaborate while others are quite simple.  Although I tend to use the more simple methods on a daily basis, every few months I like to cleanse them with a day in the sun.  Anytime you purchase or find stones, take the time to cleanse them properly.  Stones carry the vibrations of the people who handled them prior to you.  You definitely want to remove these before you start trying to influence them with your magick. 

The Elements
My favorite method for a good “deep cleaning” is to place my crystals outside in the direct sunlight.  Although a window sill may work, the glass blocks the sun’s rays and will not be as effective.  When using this method, be sure to bring them inside by nightfall.  The length of time you will have to leave them outside will vary from stone to stone.  A few hours may be long enough for one, while another may require a few days or even an entire week.  Another method, although not as accessible to most people is to use the running water of a creek or river.  With this method you place your stones in a mesh bag and anchor or tie it off.  Leave it overnight.  By morning your stones should be clean.  Lastly, a more easily accessible method for most would be utilizing our Mother Earth.  With this method bury your stones in the ground for one week.  If they do not feel as though they are ready for use, bury them for another week.  How will you know when your stones are ready for magical use? Place the stone in your receptive hand.  If the vibration feels regular; the cleansing has been a success. 

Other Methods
A few crystals never need cleansing ~ they are self cleaning.  These are Citrine, Kyanite and Azeztulite.  Clear Quartz and Carnelian can be used to cleanse other stones.  This is especially useful on brittle, porous stones that cannot be cleansed with sea salt or may fade in sunlight.  When Carnelian is placed in a bag of tumbled stones, your never need to clean these stones by another method again.  A crystal that is smaller than a quartz crystal cluster can be placed on the cluster over night for cleansing.  These stones (Carnelian and Clear Quartz) do still need to be cleansed themselves.  You can also smudge crystals by passing them through the light of a candle.  And lastly, your sea salt is very useful.  I do not typically rely on this for a first cleansing, but I confess I do keep a bag of sea salt next to the sink in the master bath.  While cleansing the crystal I plan to use I generally say something to help me visualize the negative energies leaving the stone, a spell of sorts I suppose.  I charge the crystal with a similar method. 

HELP
“I live in an apartment, a dorm, or with my parents.  I can’t leave my crystals out in the backyard, I can’t bury them and I don’t have a creek or river I can cleanse them in.” Now what? As you have probably figured out by now, magick is 90% you! Improvise! The important thing is that you visualize the negative energies leaving the stone.  I would recommend performing the ritual on your alter or wherever you feel your magick will be strongest. 

Charging Crystals Hold it in your projective hand and state your intention.  What do you hope to achieve? The power will flow throughout your body and out through your projective (dominant) hand and into the stone.  This empowers your stone.  That’s all there is to it.  You can wear it as a piece of jewelry, carry it in your pocket as a touchstone, or set it on a piece of furniture in your house or office.  I’m a believer in crystal magick.  I’ve felt it work in my life.  Most recently, I cleaned my alter and had put most of them away.  I usually carry one in my pocket as a touchstone, whatever seems most fitting that day.  But..  out of sight out of mind I suppose, or maybe it was all the added stress at work.  Either way I hadn’t been carrying one with me.  All week I had been experiencing a high level of stress and anxiety.  I remembered that I had a nice piece of tumbled Howlite.  I cleansed and charged it.  The whole process took less than five minutes, but my day went so much better.  The anxiety I had been feeling was lessened.  The environment wasn’t better but how I dealt with it greatly improved. 

Stone Properties

Citrine
Energy: Projective
Planet: Saturn
Element: Earth
Power(s): Money
Additional uses: Promotes self confidence, and emotional and mental clarity.   Helps reduce fear, stress, anxiety, depression, stomach tension, food disorders and allergies and negativity.
Chakra: Solar plexus and third eye.

Kyanite
Energy: Receptive
Power(s): Endurance, love, and meditation
Additional uses: Stimulates psychic abilities and intuition.   This crystal can also help connect you to spirit guides and instill compassion.  Can help you recall dreams and promotes healing dreams  It restores “Qi” to the physical body.   Helps balance Ying-yang energy.   Encourages self expression and communication.    
Chakra: Good for aligning the Chakras.  Opens the throat Chakra.  

Azeztulite (this stone is extremely rare, it is considered a stone for the New Age.)
Powers: This crystal carries a high vibration and is very powerful.   It must be used with caution.   This stone can help you reach higher spiritual realms.   You may experience unpleasant side effects until has been fully assimilated.   Using other spiritual crystals such as Ametrine and Aquamarine prepares the way.    This stone will help you achieve a meditative state instantly.  
Additional uses: Cancer treatment, cellular disorders and inflammation.  It also aids the chronically ill by restoring their will to live.
Chakra: Third eye or crown (or as otherwise appropriate)

Clear Quartz
Folk names: Crystal, Witch’s mirror, star stone, iris (from the prismatic effect of quartz crystals).  Zaztun(Mayan)
Energies: Projective, receptive
Planet: Sun, moon
Element: Fire, water
Deity: The Great Mother Earth
Associated metals: Silver, copper and gold
Associated herbs: Copal, mugwort, chicory, sage and  sweetgrass
Power(s): Protection, healing, psychism, power and  lactation
Chakra: All Chakras

Carnelian
Energy: Projective
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Power(s): Protection, peace, eloquence, healing, courage, sexual energy
Additional uses: Improves personal power, self-confidence and increases inner receptivity.  Increases concentration, balancing creativity and the mental processes.
Chakra: Sacral

 Yule Stones

 Quartz Crystal See above

Emerald
Energy: Receptive
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Deities: Isis, Venus, Ceres and Vishnu
Associated metals: Copper and silver
Power(s): Love, money, mental powers, psychism, protection, exorcist and eyesight
Additional uses: Helps to calm the mind and emotions.   Instills balance, harmony, patience, maturity and love.  Lifts depression and provides peace and prosperity.
Chakra: Heart

Ruby
Folk name: Carbuncle
Energy:Projective
Element: Fire
Deities: Buddha, Krishna (not to be confused with the modern expression of Krishna-centered reverence)
Power(s): Wealth, protection, power, joy, anti-nightmare
Chakra: Heart

Sapphire
Folk name: Holy stone, star sapphire: Astrae
Energy: Receptive
Planet: Moon
Element: Water
Deity: Apollo
Power(s): Psychism, love, meditation, peace, defensive magick, healing, power, money
Additional uses: Helps relieve frustration and encourage self expression.    Aligns the physical, mental and spiritual planes and restores balance within the body.  
Chakra: Throat

 Imbolc Stones

 Quartz crystal (see above)

 Opal (see Samhain)  

Aventurine
Energy: Projective
Planet: Mercury
Element: Air
Power(s): Mental Powers, eyesight, gambling, money, peace, healing, luck
Additional uses: increases creativity, perception, and enhance intelligence.   Can be used in spells for the same reason also a talisman for  attracting money.
Chakra: Heart

Moon Stone
Energy: Receptive
Planet: Moon
Element: Water
Deities: Diana, Selene, Isis, all lunar goddesses
Associated stone: Quartz Crystal
Associated metal: Silver
Power(s): Love, divination, psychism, sleep, gardening, protection, youth, dieting
Additional uses: fertility, women’s reproduction, emotional stability, traveler’s protection stone
Chakra: Sacral and solar plexus.

Sunstone
Energy: Projective
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Associated Stone: Moonstone
Associated metal: Gold
Power(s): Protection, energy, health, sexual energy
Additional uses: Very good for those suffering from SAD (Seasonal Effective Disorder) or lifting any depression.   When carried or worn can lend extra physical strength during times of illness or stress.   When placed in a bag of healing herbs strengthens their energies.
Chakra: Clears all Chakras

Sources and recommended reading:

THE NATURE OF ENERGY AND ITS USE IN MAGICK
by Magi

Pick up any book on magick and the chances are it will tell you all about how energy is used in magick.  Ask any experienced witch, and they will tell you that energy forms the basis of any magickal working.  But what exactly is energy and how is it used?

Well, the answer to the first question is easy.  We all know that according to Einstein energy=mass x the speed of light2.  Don’t we?  But then does anyone other than a physicist really know what e=mc² really means? Ok, before everyone shouts “I do”, the point I am trying to make is that people often use terms and quote theories that they do not really understand.  “Yeah man, creating magick is all about directing energy to get what you want”.  Pardon me? What energy?

One particular definition of energy might be “Energy is a fundamental quantity that every physical system possesses; it allows us to predict how much work the system could be made to do, or how much heat it can produce or absorb.  In the past, energy was discussed in terms of easily observable effects it has on the properties of objects or changes in state of various systems.  Basically, if something changes, some sort of energy was involved in that change”.  In my opinion, so far as magick is concerned, the most important part of that statement is: if something changes, some sort of energy was involved in that change.

This does gives us something of a clue about the nature of energy.  It cannot be created as it is something which already exists by virtue of the fact that “every physical system possess [it]”.  It cannot be destroyed, only converted into a different form.  For example, the wheel of a bike spins by virtue of its energy.  To stop the wheel spinning, that energy is converted to heat by the brakes. 

And so to magick.  The energy we use already exists, both within us and without us.  After any ritual or magickal operation, we can either be left feeling pretty much ok; bursting with energy as a result of not using all of the energy we have drawn into ourselves; or exhausted.  The exhaustion comes about as a result of using our own energy rather than drawing any in from 'outside' and so leads to our reserves becoming depleted.  The exhaustion will normally continue until we replace that energy by resting or from eating.  But where does the outside energy come from and how do we draw it into ourselves?

The answer to the question 'where does it come from from and what is its source?' will lie with your own beliefs.  To a creationist, it was created by god.  To a Kabbalist it might be the result of the Devine manifesting into the material world through the spheres, stepping down the energy level in much they same way that electric current might be reduced in voltage before it comes into our homes to avoid blowing up whatever appliance we want to use.  To a scientist it might be as a result of the creation of the universe by the big bang.  But whatever its origin it is there for us to use in magick.  And in the same way that the energy from a spinning wheel is converted into heat by applying the brakes, so we can convert the energy we use in magick to our own ends. 

The energy we use can come from a number of sources.  It might be the elemental energy brought into the circle when we call the elements; some say watchtowers.  On a brief side note, the main purpose for casting a circle is not protection but for it to be as a container for the energy raised during the ritual or magickal operation.  It might be something different again such as energy raised during chanting, dancing or by simply visualising it flowing into us from a higher source or the earth.  One particular magickal operation called the Middle Pillar requires energy to be brought down into ourselves from a higher self which is balanced with energy drawn from the earth.  That energy is then mixed and sent spiralling around our bodies to strengthen the aura. 

For any form of magickal working to be successful, it is essential to learn how to control that energy.  It can be raised for many purposes: it can be directed into your work; sent out into the universe for the good of all; sent to the deities and the spirits as an offering; sent into the earth for healing; sent into tools for power; used directly for magick and/or healing.  Its uses are only limited to your imagination. 

Here are some simple exercises which can help you feel the reality of that energy. 

Put the palms of your hands together and rub them really fast until they get hot.  Now separate them and hold them close together, palms facing each other about an inch or two apart.  You should feel something tingling and as though there is something there.  That is energy.  Albeit, physical energy.  You can practice this as often as you like until you really feel the energy buzz.  It is also possible to feel the energy as a ball between your hands without rubbing them together first. 

Once you can feel the energy in your hands, work on shaping it.  Feel it change form between your hands.  Slowly open the space between your hands, sending the energy from one hand to the other.  Work at it until you can open your hands shoulder-width apart and send the energy back and forth. 

In ritual work, energy can be raised in a number of ways such as chanting, dancing, drumming, visualisation, and so on. 

One visualisation you might try in circle is to imagine a ball of pure white light above you.  A shaft of light pours down from the ball and illuminates your head.  The light is drawn in through the top of your head and slowly fills the whole of your body.  Now imagine roots growing down into the ground from your feet.  The roots go deep down into the earth like the roots of the strongest tree.  The roots draw up the energy of the earth.  Imagine this as a green light filling your body from your feet up.  Next the energy from above begins to mix with the energy from the earth.  Feel it coursing through your body faster and faster as the energy continues to fill you both from above and from below. 

Another method you could try is to use a simple chant based on the names of the Goddess or God, or make up your own using a mix of the two. 

Goddess Chant
Isis – Astarte – Diana – Hecate – Demeter – Kali – Inanna

God
chant Dionysus, Cernunnos, Uriah-Mazda, Manatu, Loki, Ra, Brahma

Repeat over and over like a mantra. 

Whatever form of energy raising you use, you should really feel the energy in your body rising to a higher and higher level.  If you are working with others, join hands and feel the energy enter you through your receptive hand (left) which should be palm up.  Mix the energy you have received with your own energy before passing it to the next person through your projective hand (right) which should be palm down. 

As the energy rises to higher and higher levels, see it forming a cone around you (the cone of power) which is in the shape of the traditional witches hat and concentrate on the single goal you wish to use it for.  When you feel the time is right, or if working in a group on a signal from the leader, release the energy to do its work.  Visualise it shooting off to achieve what you have been concentrating on.  As with any sensation, it is very difficult to describe just how this feels.  One analogy might me like a giant sneeze.  Your body drawing in as you raise energy to greater and greater heights, before a tremendous release (sneeze) as it is released and directed out from you.  Perhaps a better description might be that experienced in the build up to and the release experienced during orgasm – one of the reasons why sex magick is so powerful. 

One final note on energy raising, which is often neglected, is the need to ground yourself properly afterwards.  If you don’t you might go on buzzing through half the night with excess energy before collapsing in a state of exhaustion; it has happened to us all! The simplest way to do this is to eat and drink something – the cake and ales in a ritual and visualise any excess energy draining harmlessly into the ground. 

Whether you work solitary or in a group, I hope you have found something in this article of interest and, hopefully that will be of practical use.

DREAMS

by Wunjo Moonchild

Some say it’s only a dream, implying that dreams are unreal and unworthy of attention.  The many who hold this opinion are not witches.  For the witch, dreams hold a great significance.  Dreams are a form of transportation to magickal realms.  While dreaming is more passive, it allows your subconscious to send you messages without the interference of your conscious.  Dreaming is as natural to us as using any of our five senses. 

Our conscious rests when we sleep and allows our subconscious to take over.  Our subconscious is then free to deliver communiqués from other realms in the form of dreams.  Guardians communicate in dreams, as do animal totems, ancestral protectors or ancients.  Even our patron deities communicate to us through our dreams.  We receive answers to petitions and messages from oracles.  Glimpses of past lives and visions of the future are shown to us in our dreams. 

Healing of our physical, mental, and spiritual bodies occur during our sleep time.  Dreams may even speed this progression, making dreams apart of the renewal process, allowing us to cope with the stresses of each day.  During our waking hours, we fill our conscious, subconscious, including our chakras, with information and bane energies from the outside world.  Our dreamtime allows us to sort out this information and deal with these negative energies.  Sometimes however, these negative energies affect us so deeply they remain within our chakras, causing blockages.  These blockages, if left blocked and unbalanced, can result in physical illness. 

Without sleep and the dream process, our physical, mental, and spiritual health suffers.  Some witches would say that without dreams, we would be cut off from much needed advice and intervention from the beyond.  The reason being, most of us refuse to allow channeled information to flow into our consciousness during our awake time.  However, it is not impossible.  Some witches have diligently trained themselves to hear their inner voice or see with their inner vision (third eye). 

With sufficient sleep, the average person will dream multiple dreams every night.  Most would agree, the last dream that occurs just before waking is usually the most spiritually significant and is the one most remembered. 

Dreams cannot always be interpreted in the literal sense.  They are fluid and are related to the element of water, full of symbolism and secret codes.  Dreams can also be filled with personal languages, even inner jokes. 

Nightmares, with our worst fears and suppressed memories make up the dark side of our dream life.  Many magickal tools have been created and used to weed out these nightmares, tools such as the dream catcher.  Spells have been written and botanicals used under our pillows to calm our minds and cast out these types of dreams. 

An uninterrupted dream is like not having access to our voice mail.  Dreams can carry advice and forewarnings, or protection from vigilant ancestors and guardians.  The interpretation can only come from the dreamer. 

Scribe the details of your dream on paper for analysis; include any feelings you have.  Break down the areas you can comprehend and the areas that are jumbled.  The illusive areas can be translated.  This can be done through petitions of clarification or perhaps a meditation.  There are many ways to seek an answer as thousands of spell books will prove.  However, a simple meditation with your need in mind should allow you to reach your subconscious and perhaps the true interpretation. 

PEOPLE IN MAGICK: STARHAWK

Continuing our series of people in magick, this month we look at Starhawk.  The following is her bio and bibliography as it appears on www.starhawk.org. 

Starhawk is one of the most respected voices in modern earth-based spirituality.  She is also well-known as a global justice activist and organizer, whose work and writings have inspired many to action.  She is the author or coauthor of ten books, including The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess, long considered the essential text for the Neo-Pagan movement, and the now-classic ecotopian novel The Fifth Sacred Thing.  Starhawk's newest book is The Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature. 

Her works have been translated into German, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Japanese.  Her essays are reprinted across the world, and have been included in numerous anthologies.  Starhawk's writing is influential and has been quoted by hundreds of other authors, turning up in magazines, trade and academic press, and even inspirational calendars.  Her books are often found in college curriculums.  The Spiral Dance has been continuously in-print for over twenty-five years and revised twice; in 1999 HarperSanFrancisco published the Twentieth Anniversary Edition.  Beacon, which has published three editions of Dreaming the Dark: Magic, Sex, and Politics, reports that the book remains a backlist bestseller.  Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery won the Media Alliance Meritorious Achievement Award for nonfiction in 1988.  Starhawk's first novel, The Fifth Sacred Thing, won the Lambda award for best Gay and Lesbian Science Fiction in 1994.  Her second novel, Walking to Mercury, was published by Bantam in 1997.  She cowrote The Pagan Book of Living and Dying, an anthology compiled by Reclaiming and M.  Macha NightMare.  Together with Anne Hill and Diane Baker, she cowrote Circle Round: Raising Children in the Goddess Tradition.  In 2000 HarperSF published The Twelve Wild Swans: A Journey to the Realm of Magic, Healing, and Action, cowritten with Hilary Valentine.  Many of Starhawk's best political essays--credited with helping the global justice movement find and define itself--were collected into her book Webs of Power: Notes from the Global Uprising.  At the Book Expo America, Webs of Power won a 2003 Nautilus Award from the trade association NAPRA. 

Starhawk is a veteran of progressive movements, from anti-war to anti-nukes, and is deeply committed to bringing the techniques and creative power of spirituality to political activism.  Her work in progressive movements spans over 35 years, beginning as an organizer in her high school during the days of the Vietnam War.  In the years since, she has organized, trained protestors, and been on the front lines of antinuclear actions at Diablo Canyon, Livermore Weapons Lab, Vandenberg Air Force Base, and the Nevada Test Site, among others.  She traveled to Nicaragua with Witness for Peace in 1984 and made two trips to El Salvador to give ongoing support for sustainability programs.  For a number of years she has traveled to the Occupied Territories of Palestine and to Israel, working for peace with local activists of both sides.  A main focus for the last several years has been the global justice movement; Starhawk has taken part in many of the major actions, including those in Seattle, Washington DC, Quebec City, Genoa, New York City, Cancun, Mexico, and Miami.  She co-founded RANT, Root Activists' Network of Trainers (www.rant.org), and teaches non-violent direct action trainings for these demonstrations, as well as for groups throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Palestine, and South America.  She is active in the revived American peace movement, and contributes her time to countless environmental and land use issues.  Together with Penny Livingston-Stark and Erik Ohlsen, she coteaches EAT, Earth Activist Training, intensive seminars that combine permaculture design, effective activism, and earth-based spirituality (www.earthactivisttraining.org). 

Starhawk is perhaps best known as an articulate pioneer in the revival of earth-based spirituality and Goddess religion.  Besides her inspiring, much-read books, she is a cofounder of Reclaiming, an activist branch of modern Pagan religion, and continues to work closely with the Reclaiming community (www.reclaiming.org).  She consulted on and contributed to the popular trio of films known as the Women's Spirituality series (directed by Donna Read): Goddess Remembered, The Burning Times, and Full Circle.  Starhawk and Donna Read recently formed their own film company, Belili Productions.  Their first release is Signs Out of Time (2004), a documentary on the life of archaeologist Marija Gimbutas, the scholar whose discoveries sparked the Goddess movement (www.belili.org).  Starhawk and Donna are at work on their next film, an introduction to permaculture. 

Starhawk has also recorded several tapes and CDs; the latest are "Wicca for Beginners" (2002) and "Wiccan Rituals and Blessings" (2003), both produced by Sounds True.  A songwriter on occasion, quite a few of her songs and chants turn up in rituals across the globe; they are included in songbooks and hymnals, covered by other artists, and recorded by the Reclaiming musical community. 

Starhawk travels internationally teaching magic, the tools of ritual, and the skills of activism.  She lives part-time San Francisco, in a collective house with her partner and friends, and part-time in a little hut in the woods in western Sonoma County, California, where she practices permaculture in her extensive gardens, and writes.  Her website is www.starhawk.org. 

Bibliography: Starhawk's Books and Novels:

BOOK REVIEWS

If you decide to buy these, or any other book from Amazon, it would be gratefully appreciated if you could use the links at the end of this newsletter and help us to keep Weavings online. 

The Druids by Stuart Piggott, Thames & Hudson, Inc. 
Review by Wyldwytch

Piggott is a seasoned archaeologist who has long studied the Celts, and delivers a great deal of information in this compact but powerful read.  Do keep this in mind when approaching this book, it is not for those of the Neo-Pagan genre looking for rituals and spells.  The confusion surrounding these peoples as well as the Druids is incredible – history has been muddled to the extent of sheer confusion and Piggott helps to shed some light on this.  The technical aspects of this book can hinder the novice reader, but press on, they are few and far between, and do not hinder the work as a whole in the least and very docile in the end.  For those with some archaeological background or knowledge, you will easily grasp the concepts, and perhaps follow up on some of his conclusions. 

The book tackles the issue of the Druids in three aspects; archaeology, text, and the romantic view.  This consists of reviews of excavation sites, which is done superbly – coming from someone with a very limited archaeological exposure, I have to say Piggott did not lose me for a moment.  Piggott then covers several texts from Greece, Rome, and Irish, comparing and contrasting all.  He dubs the term “druids-as-wished-for” that really explores the reality of the matter when the Druids were ‘re-discovered,’ even including some wonderful parallels to similar mystical societies being established at the time.  I was none to surprise to find the first reemergence of Druid groups being associated with the stonecutters. 

For those who crave some actual content here are a few things you may learn about (in no particular order); what cauldrons were used for, where wishing wells originated, the use of pole sanctuaries, the inaccuracies of the modern Druid depiction, earthen devotionals, the reliability of the classical texts, and finally about the wicker man.  Yes, the wicker man.  It is a practice that has never been duplicated and is barely understood, but comprised of making a large man out of wood, filling it with people, and burning it.  Interesting indeed!

This book is an invaluable resource in terms of understanding the practices, the hype, and the reality of the Druids – and serves as a wonderful overall Celtic introduction as well.  One of the key aspects of this book has to do not with the subject matter, but Piggott’s way of really bringing the reader into his world.  He allows you additional information on society, culture, religion, and understanding of cross-cultural references that really elevate this book past the recommended mark to the highly recommended mark.  The reader will walk away feeling more educated and even better able to examine other areas of interest they may have. 

To conclude, I would like to point out the connection between a recent news event posted on the Weavings forum and this book that may provide an added “grab” for those teetering about the book.  The news article entitled “Germany To Reopen 6,800-year-old Mystery Circle” can be found in the News forum over at Weavings – take a look.  Much of this will be found in the book, in fact there is a rather large section dedicated to ritual shafts, pole sanctuaries, and the lot, all trying to discern their possible uses.  As you will soon find out, an assumption is all we can make about those Druids long ago, I suggest Piggott for those who want to begin or continue their studies in the factual rather than fictional direction. 

Dot-Com Witchin’ : M.  Macha NightMare’s Witchcraft and the Web
reviewed By Calypso

It’s always interesting to come across books on contemporary paganism that don’t just reiterate the same basic principles and practices of Wiccanesque spirituality.  M.  Macha NightMare’s second book, Witchcraft and the Web, takes an intelligent and emotional look at how the growth of the internet has influenced and assisted the expansion of modern witchcraft.  Using a poetic image taken from Native American tradition – that of the Spider Woman – NightMare examines the nature and constituency of contemporary witchcraft online.  Trained originally in “terraspace”, she explores the history of cybertechnology in modern “witchen” culture, the theory and practice of virtual rituals and covens, and the political empowerment that the web offers to those who walk this non-mainstream spiritual path. 

The book begins by considering the vast resources now available to witches online – not just in terms of places for meetings, communication, and the performance of rituals, but also for the ongoing exploration of the natural world.  NightMare cites web resources that deal with geology, forestry, and social and political justice, and considers the potential that the web offers for escape to the natural world from within an urban environment.  As the book progresses, she documents the history of the earliest virtual pagan groups, and examines the magical theory behind online ritual.  NightMare’s focus is ultimately on the significance of the web as a pagan resource, and she offers ample anecdotal evidence – some of her own, some culled from research among pagan groups online – of the web as a connecting space, and, appropriately, a “space between the worlds.”

The idea of connectedness runs throughout the book, in fact – NightMare places heavy emphasis on joining up the different threads of her exploration by noting the points at which they separate and rejoin.  This ultimately seems unnecessary: she frequently includes parenthetical notes telling the reader that “This thread reappears in Chapter X”, but because the book is not structured so that the thread can be easily found again, the note seems largely pointless.  However, her use of marginal notes is really helpful: rather than hiding potentially unfamiliar terms in a glossary at the back, she defines both technological and pagan-specific language at the side of the text in which it’s introduced, saving non-techno-savvy readers like myself the trouble of flipping back and forward. 

NightMare comes from the same Reclaiming tradition as Starhawk – they wrote The Pagan Book of Living and Dying together – so her work, as one might expect, is infused with the politics of activism and equity, though she never descends into polemic.  The book – like other works about contemporary paganism as a movement – is not exhaustive: its focus is primarily on Wicca and other Witchcraft traditions, rather than the full range of contemporary pagan paths.  However, this is emphasized from the outset and NightMare is very careful not to use language that suggests all pagan paths share the common practices of these traditions.  For the most part, though, this is an interesting and informative read, well researched and well written – and, like all good books, thought-provoking.  M.  Macha NightMare’s book offers an alternative perspective on the way we view ourselves as a community, and considers realistically the paradoxical fusion between technology and the natural world that inspires our spirituality. 

IN THE NEWS

California School Sued Over Intelligent Design Course

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)
Copyright 2006 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH

Los Angeles (dpa) - A group of California parents has sued to stop a school from teaching the controversial theories of intelligent design under the guise of a philosophy course, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday. 

The group claims that the decision of the school board in Lebec, some 100 kilometres north of Los Angeles, violated a constitutional ban on teaching religion in school. 

The suit follows a court decision in Pennsylvania last month that banned a school district from teaching intelligent design as part of its science curriculum, ruling that design was "an interesting theological argument, but ...  not science."

The plaintiffs in Lebec said in their suit that the course "was designed to advance religious theories on the origins of life, including creationism and its offshoot 'intelligent design.'"

They quoted a course description that said the course would examine flaws in Darwin's theory of evolution and discuss the alternative theory of intelligent design, including evidence "suggesting the earth is thousands of years old, not billions."

The course, which began January 3, is being taught by Sharon Lemburg, the wife of a local Christian fundamentalist preacher and a proponent of a creationist world view, the suit alleged.  The parents are asking a U.S.  District Court judge in Fresno to issue a temporary order barring the course. 

Intelligent design holds that some biological systems are so complex they could not have evolved through random mutations, as the vast majority of biologists teach. 

They argue that complexity is proof that life was formed by an intelligent designer - usually understood to mean God. 

Site of pagan well to be restored

One of Wales' oldest wells, thought to be a pagan site rededicated by early Christians, is to be restored. Ffynnon Rhedyw in Llanllyfni, near Caernarfon, is believed to be older than nearby St Rhedyw's church, which dates from 600AD.

Gwynedd Archaeological Trust hopes the project will set a precedent for similar projects around Wales.

A public meeting will be held at Llanllyfni Memorial Hall on 17 November (1830 GMT) to show villagers the plans.

"This site is an interesting example of a class of little-understood monuments which are numerous across Wales, but which are often overlooked," said David Thompson, the trust's head of heritage management.

"We hope it will set a precedent for future, similar, projects which seek to record and present local heritage," he added.

The well's restoration is one part of plans by the community group Menter Llyfni, which hopes to create a network of footpaths in the area to commemorate important people or events from the past.

Ffynnon Rhedyw's footpath would run from the church, through the cemetery, to the well site on nearby land.

A notice board will provide information on the well's background.

Llanllyfni Church is dedicated to Saint Rhedyw. No early written history exists, but there is a strong tradition that either he was born in the area or that he founded the first Christian church there.

St Rhedyw's feast day is 6 July, when Llanllyfni Fair is still held each year.

"Llanllyfni was an important pagan site, and pilgrims used to stop here on the way to Bardsey island," said Menter Llyfni chairman O P Huws.