– Customer review on 24/05/2007

This is a seminal text in the goddess movement which I have found as relevant today as it was over 20 years ago...what a ground-breaker it must have been back then! In particular I have found this 20th anniversary edition particularly valuable as it includes both Starhawk's 10th anniversary commentary and her 20th anniversary commentary, which demonstrate the evolution of her understanding of this movement. Starhawk, honestly and with humility reviews her work, indicating where time, maturity and global consciousness has informed and modified her beliefs. In particular, her understanding of other religious beliefs and philosophies, and the male/female dichotomies. This is a must have for all you goddesses out there...especially if you are interested in the history that informs much of what you may have accepted about earth-based or goddess-based spirituality. Good stuff!

– Customer review on 20/11/2006

An interesting look at wicca and neopaganism, with some advice. Despite her superhero name, this is not full of crazy talk and weirdness. It is worth a read of you are interested in that movement, and want to discover what makes them tick, even if you have no interest in being a religious practictioner, or having a religion at all.

– Customer review on 13/02/2009

This book is an introduction to modern pagan Witchcraft. The author (Starhawk - use of a "magical" name is common in the pagan community) is a co-founder of Reclaiming, a branch of neopaganism with a focus on activism and community work, and, to quote her website, is "an articulate pioneer in the revival of earth-based spirituality and Goddess religion".

The subject of this book is given away in the subtitle: "A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess". This isn't a book about Wicca, although the practice detailed within shares a lot of the same inspiration and purpose as Wicca. This isn't a book about neopaganism in general. But if you're looking for a pagan path that emphasises personal development, ecology, feminism and the Goddess, then look no further. The exercises and rituals alone make this book worth the cover price.

My only reservation is that the shoddy history that was so beloved by pagans in the 60s and 70s is present in the first few chapters of this book. And sadly, this hasn't changed in the revised edition. The 20th Anniversary Edition includes a chapter by chapter commentary on the original text, documenting author's 1989 thoughts as well as those in 1999, and while Starhawk does make allowance for (and mentions the value of) that history as a mythic, rather than factual, one, I don't know that she makes it clear enough.

Read this for the beautiful prose, fantastic exercises, and magical inspiration. Forget about the history.

– Customer review on 16/09/2007

This is an excellent book for anyone at any stage of their life or spiritual journey. It would suit beginners and those far more advanced in Wiccan traditions. I found it to be like like a mini encylopedia and a valuable too in planning rituals and sabbats. The only thing that saddens me about this writer is that she has now become very commercialsed.