Revenge, 100, 112, 129–31
Reya (teacher), 215, 220
Ritual, xvi, 166–86; activism, 181–82; anger, 102–3; breaking the wicked vow, affirming the wonderful ones, 103–4; cauldron, 234–35, 293; circle safety, 159–60; community and, xvii; core of, 170; creating, 168–70, 278–79; dance, chants, sound incorporated into, 161–66, 171, 182, 309; devoking in, 170; ecstasy in, 146, 166; Elements Path and, xxii, 13–23; energy, orchestrating, 171–74; fear, for groups, 299–300; fire purification: breaking the wicked vow, 124–25; focus of, 40; full moon, 279–80; healing, 308–11; identifying/clarifying ritual intention, 83–84, 169–70, 182; invocation, use of, 18–19, 171; masks in, 157–58; mystery, veil exercise, 158–59; natural cycles celebrated with, 9; praising and invoking, 182; priestess role, 40; Reclaiming, basic forms of large group, 174–82; sacred space, making, 170–71; sacred voice for leader of, 94–95; safety of the circles, 182–86; She Who Listens and listening exercise, 159; silent, 210; solar, 280–82; spontaneous, 82–84, 98; structure, 167–68; support roles for any large scale or public, 184–86; transitions of life celebrated in, 282; trust building, exercise, the round, 157; victory, 311
River, 58, 67, 74, 84, 92, 94, 95, 98
Rob (teacher), 15
Sacred space, xxiv, 11; casting a circle, 16–17; creating, 12–13; devoking, 20; grounding, 13–14; invocation, 18–19, 65–67; purification, 14–16; salt, 62, 104
Sacred task, 212–18; feeling of doom and, 214; finding a source of strength, 216–17; person with the pickup truck, 215–16; sacrifice, 212, 213; warning signals, 214–15
Sage (teacher), 128, 217
San (teacher), 176
Scrying, 64, 154
Seattle, WTO protest, xvii, 108, 306–7
Seed (woman), 208
Self-blessing, 71
Self-care and self-love, 68–69, 218–23
Self-knowledge (awareness): character work for, 269–75; exercises, 251–53
Service, xvii, xxii xxiii, 38–39
Shadow self, 131–34, 226–27
Shame, 35, 113
Shielding, 110–11, 254, 255–57, 263–64
Silence, xxii, 187–88, 207, 209–11, 221
Soul: ecology, 27; retrieval of, xxii; three of the energy body, Talking Self, Younger Self, Deep Self, 105, 149–50; time for, 68–69
Soule, Deb, 194
Spells: casting, basic, 194–97; disposing of, 72, 207; Law of Threefold Return, 195; nettle doll, 207; personal, for releasing anger, 125–26; support during, 126; Valentine, 72; weaving a basket, 160; wonderful vows, affirming, 104
Spiral dance, 140, 171, 185, 216, 282
Spiral Dance, The (Starhawk), xvii, xxiv, 18, 27, 64
Storm, Patricia (teacher), 175, 219, 221, 252, 308
Sun; King, wake, 281; Solar holidays, 280–81
Suzanne (teacher), 93–94
Symposium (Plato), 241–42
Talamantes, Inez, 38
Talking self, 11–12, 27, 33, 79, 149–50, 151, 161, 195
Target groups, 133, 134
Tarot cards, 31–32, 64, 117, 164–65, 273
Teachers and teaching: choosing, xxiv; ethics of, xxiv; guidance from, 64–65, 75–77; guidance, offering, issues of, 84–91; inflated or deflated self, 42, 43–45, 85–86; Outer Path and, 38; payment of money, xxiii, 87–92; precious object exchange, 266; Reclaiming, 265–66; ritual, approach to, xxv
Teish, Luisah, 46, 48, 300
Thorn (teacher), 227, 268, 301, 308
Trance, xvi, 41, 95–98, 146–54; asking the Old Woman, 78–79; beginner’s, 151–52, 161; breakdowns and crossing borders, 150–51, 275; bringing someone back, 274–75; Companion Self, 242–43; Crone’s Three Gifts, 248–50; Cyhele’s teaching, 76; Drum, 174–75, 291–94; ending and returning, 148–49; Fairy Story, going into, 165–66; Fata Morgana, receiving challenge from, 201; Healing, Well of, 152, 164; Jaybird’s dream, 146–49; leading an induction, 95–97; “long journey over water,” 146, 166; meditation: asking the old nurse, 35–36; Natural Process, going into, 165; nettle nourishment, 204–5; offerings, 152; possession, 271–73; rainbow induction, 147–48; reversing the induction and ending, 97–98; sacred voice for leader of, 94–95; salt shore, finding the wicked vow, 115; Tarot Card, 164–65; tending (helping friend in), 153; treasure cave of the ancestors, 54–56; visiting the world of Younger Self, 149–50; work, trance-inducing, 205–7
Transformation, xv, xvi xxiii, 6, 8, 100, 205–7, 289–98. See also Initiation
“Twelve Wild Swans, The,” 1–4; analysis, approach to, xxi; brothers, symbolism, 6, 100, 145; carried away, commentary, 145–47, 155, 166; challenge in, commentary, 187–88, 194, 199, 202, 205, 207, 209–10, 211; encoded instructions for healer, xxii, 218; family secrets and dysfunction in, 23–24, 29, 33–34; generosity of Rose, 58, 84; guidance in, Old Woman and river, 67, 74, 84, 145; holding center, commentary, 229–30, 234, 240–41, 243–45, 250, 259, 260; as initiation tale, xxi; leaving the castle, commentary, 5–8, 29, 34, 35, 37; loss of brothers, 10; opposing injustice and, 126–27; origins, xx; quest of, 37–38, 58–59; spellcasting in, 195; theme of growth and empowerment, xxi; transformation, commentary, 276–77, 282–83, 288–89, 297, 302, 303, 311; wandering in the wilderness, commentary, 57–58; wicked vow, commentary, 99–101, 112, 132, 133, training and, xxi, xxii
Valentine spell, 72
Valiente, Doreen, 182
“Vaselisa,” 206
Visualization, 22–23, 96, 254
Voice, sacred, 93–95
Wand, 104; meditation, 262
Wandering, 59–62, 79–98
Water, 18, 19, 64, 68, 70–71, 154–55
“Weaver, Weaver” (song), 178
Weavers/weaving, 160, 208, 229–30, 307
Wicca, xv, 9; Wiccaning, 282
Wicked vow, 9, 99–144
Wilderness Awareness School, 77, 89, 253
Williams, William Carlos, 97
Willow, 167
Wintet Solstice, 9–10, 161, 169–70, 181, 237, 281
Witchcamps, xix, 45, 52, 80, 121–32, 175–76, 178–81, 227, 257, 263, 266, 301; bringing someone back, training in, 274–75; fairytales or myth, use, xxi, xxii; rules and boundaries, 265
Witchcraft, xv, 9, 39–40, 156
Witches, xv, xvi, 9, 167; acceptance, 284–84; dreams and story symbols, 28; ecstasy, 156–66; energy of the universe, 13; law and ethics, 193; meditations on fear, 285–86; negative stereotype, xvi; nonviolence, principles, 142–44; persecutions of (burning times), xvi, 10, 230, 283; prejudice against, 134; worldview, 192–93
Work, 205–7
Yoruba, 46–47, 48–49
Younger Self, 11–12, 15, 17, 20, 26–28, 29, 30, 33, 35, 42, 65, 72, 73, 79, 104, 106, 149–50, 151, 161, 195, 206, 207, 245, 289, 303
Yule, 281
Zacubi, Wilow Fire, 190–91, 194, 275
Acknowledgments
This book is a collective work, a compilation of insights, exercises, and rituals developed by all of us who have taught in the Reclaiming tradition. We thank everyone who has contributed to this book. Some are named in the text or the resources, but in reality everyone in our extended community has contributed to the development of this material. We thank our students, too, for we learn from you as much as we teach.
Many people have previously attempted to write some version of this book. We thank Rose May Dance, M. Macha Nightmare, Diane Baker, Beverly Frederick, Doug Orton, and all the others whose attempts laid the groundwork for this. Sharon Jackson’s research and insights into the story were invaluable. And we are deeply grateful for Marie Cantlon’s editorial suggestions at an early stage.
There are many people who work tirelessly in Reclaiming in capacities other than teaching, who organize rituals, Witchcamps, and events, who produce the Quarterly, maintain the Web page, keep the books, take notes at the meetings, and generally do all the hundreds of tasks that keep our community growing and thriving. We are deeply grateful for their work and for the dedication, imagination,
and courage of those who have taken their magic into political activism.
We also want to thank our wonderful editors, Liz Perle and David Hennessy, for their caring work and support, and the entire team at Harper San Francisco, including Terri Leonard, Liza Hetherington, and Calla Devlin. Our agent, Ken Sherman, is always a stalwart advocate.
Finally, we thank our partners and families for loving us through this process.
STARHAWK
HILARY VALENTINE
MAY 2000
About the Author
STARHAWK is one of the leading voices in the feminist spirituality movement. A founder of the Reclaiming Tradition of Witchcraft, she teaches and lectures worldwide. HILARY VALENTINE has been practicing and teaching Reclaiming Tradition magic since 1985.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
Praise
“Starhawk‘s magic is the ultimate realism for our times. This marvelous book, majestic in its sweep and tender in its details, will become a well-thumbed manual.” —JOANNA MACY, author of Coming Back to Life
“The Twelve Wild Swans is a treasure trove of wisdom and techniques destined to become a classic of Wiccan literature. Beautifully written…” —PHYLLIS CUROTT, Wiccan priestess and author of Book of Shadows
“This is a treasure.” —M. MACHA NIGHTMARE, coauthor of The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
“Within these covers are keys to manifesting our intention of the sacred into the unfolding of our lives.” —JULIA BUTTERFLY HILL, author of The Legacy of Luna
“Starhawk’s done it again! This in-depth guide to Goddess practices helps us reclaim our power and wisdom, and gain profound self-fulfillment.” —FRANCESCA DE GRANDIS, author of Be a Goddess!
“Engagingly written … should be wildly and deservedly popular with neo-pagan readers and other seekers.” —Library Journal
“Well written, highly practical and … sure to become another classic text.” —RAVEN GRIMASSI, author of The Wiccan Mysteries
“With The Twelve Wild Swans [Starhawk] has taken the Reclaiming Tradition to new heights.” —PATRICIA TELESCO, author of Magick Made Easy
Other Works
Circle Round
(with Anne Hill and Diane Baker)
Dreaming the Dark
The Fifth Sacred Thing
The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
(with M. Macha Nightmare and the Reclaiming Collective)
The Spiral Dance
Truth or Dare
Walking to Mercury
Resources
Teaching and Training
Reclaiming
P.O. Box 14404
San Francisco, CA 94114
www.reclaiming.org
Classes, workshops, Witchcamps, connections, and a magazine, the Reclaiming Quarterly, plus information on local communities and events. Reclaiming-affiliated communities exist in many areas across the United States, Canada, and Europe, and many Reclaiming teachers are available for teaching and community mentoring. Check the Web site or the Quarterly for the schedules of many of the teachers mentioned in this book.
Diana’s Grove
P.O. Box 159
Salem, MO 65560
phone: 573–689–2400
dianasgrove@dianasgrove.com
www.dianasgrove.com
Diana’s Grove is a 102-acre sanctuary in the Ozarks that hosts the Missouri Witchcamp, among many other wonderful events. Cynthia and Patricia lead an ongoing Mystery School that offers advanced training in ritual and magic. Gwenyth Brigit Dwyn also teaches at Diana’s Grove.
VelaDanza Healing Arts
phone: 415-339-8313
Veladanza@aol.com
Beverly Frederick produced two compilations of Reclaiming’s ritual music: Through the Darkness and In the Arms of the Wild. She and Doug Orton offer classes, apprenticeships, and weekend retreats in the Reclaiming tradition.
Anne Hill and Diane Baker
www.circleround.com
Anne and Diane are coauthors with Starhawk of Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Tradition. They offer resources for Pagan parenting, teaching children, and creating rituals with children.
M. Macha Nightmare
www.machanightmare.com
Macha is coauthor with Starhawk of The Pagan Book of Living and Dying. She offers resources on death and dying from a Pagan perspective. She is also a resource for rituals, teaching, funerals, handfastings, and weddings.
Margo Adair
madair@aol.com
www.toolsforchange.org
Margo leads workshops in Applied Meditation, anti-oppression and diversity work, facilitation, consensus, and organizational visioning and development through Tools for Change. Her “Shared Intent” meditation (see the Outer Path in chapter seven) will be published in her forthcoming book, The Applied Meditation Sourcebook.
Luisah Teish
5111 Telegraph Avenue
P.O. Box 305
Oakland, CA 94609
ibukole5@aol.com
www.jambalayaspirit.org
Teish teaches and offers workshops and storytelling in the Yoruba-based traditions of West Africa. She is starting a Mystery School: School of Ancient Mysteries and Sacred Arts Center (SAMSAC).
Wilderness Awareness
Wilderness Awareness School
www.NatureOutlet.com
Tom Brown Jr.’s Tracker School
www.trackerschool.com
Two great resources for deepening your awareness of nature and wilderness skills, with workshops, courses, and independent study programs.
Music, Chants, and Songs
Serpentine Music
P.O. Box 2564
Sebastopol, CA 95473
phone: 707–823–7465
fax: 707–823–6664
www.serpentinemusic.com/serpentine/
Reclaiming tapes and CDs available through Serpentine include Chants, Second Chants, and Let It Begin Now. Tapes and CDs by Reclaiming teachers include Circle Round and Sing, by Anne Hill (music for children’s rituals); Face of a New Day, by T. Thorn Coyle; and Through the Darkness and In the Arms of the Wild, by Beverly Frederick.
Mary Ellen Donald/Mary Ellen Books
P.O. Box 7589
San Francisco, CA 94120–7589
phone: 415–826–DRUM
Drumming tapes, books, and lessons.
Layne Redmond
www.layneredmond.com
Drumming workshops, tapes, and book.
Pagan Organizations
There are thousands, but here are three to begin with:
Covenant of the Goddess
P.O. Box 1226
Berkeley, CA 94701
www.conjure.com (Web page for the Northern California Local Council of the Covenant of the Goddess)
P.O. Box 640
Cambridge, MA 12140
Pagans within the Unitarian Church.
Pagan Federation USA
c/o Michael Thorn
P.O. Box 408
Shirley, NY 11967–0408
PaganFedUS@aol.com
www.hexhus.a.se/pfint/
International Pagan Networking. Please include small donation ($2) with requests for info.
Best Web Site Resource
The Witches’ Voice
www.witchvox.com
The most comprehensive Pagan Web site, with thousands of links, updates on events, news, political struggles, and networking.
Starhawk’s Personal Web Site
www.reclaiming.org/starhawk
Credits
Cover design: Jim Warner
Copyright
THE TWELVE WILD SWANS: A Journey to the Realm of Magic, Healing, and Action. Copyright © 2000 by Miriam Simos and Hilary Gordon. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and
read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
HarperCollins Web site: http://www.harpercollins.com
HarperCollins®, ®, and HarperSanFrancisco™ are trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
FIRST HARPERCOLLINS PAPERBACK EDITION PUBLISHED IN 2001
* * *
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Starhawk
The twelve wild swans: a journey to the realm of magic, healing, and action / Starhawk and Hilary Valentine. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 0–06–251684–1 (cloth)—ISBN 0–06–251669–8 (pbk.)
1. Witchcraft. 2. Goddess religion. 3. Magic. I. Valentine, Hilary. II. Title.
BF1566 S.7713 2001
299—dc21
00-039547
* * *
EPub Edition © NOVEMBER 2011 ISBN: 9780062125231
05 /RRD(H) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4
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