Twelve Wild Swans: A Journey to the Realm of Magic, Healing, and Action : Rituals, Exercises, and Magical Training in the Recaliming Tradition - Hardcover

Starhawk; Valentine, Hilary

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062516841 ISBN 13: 9780062516848

Publisher: Harper San Francisco, 2000

Synopsis

A sequel to the best-selling The Spiral Dance interprets a classic tale of twelve swans, showing how the myth offers a metaphorical view of magic and witchcraft and providing reference material on spiritual development for covens and magical groups.

About this title

Review:

Starhawk and Hilary Valentine, renowned leaders in the Wicca movement, use the transformative fairy tale of The Twelve Wild Swans to teach an advanced class on magic. More significantly, this is an introduction to a mature level of Wicca called "Reclaiming"--a model of witchcraft that blends magic, personal growth and activism. The book begins with the first chapter of the fairytale, in which a foolish queen wishes to exchange her 12 sons for a daughter. An old woman "dressed all in black" overhears the queen and makes the wish come true--granting the queen a daughter but turning her sons into wild swans.

From here the coauthors launch into a back-and forth structure of telling the story and then stopping to show how it applies to a witch's initiation and transformation. For example, we all must leave the castle in order to heal our past. We all must spend some time wandering in the wilderness before finding our true home and we all must conquer some form of "wicked vows" before we can reach full maturity. These are wise leaders and strong guides--well worth following on this life-altering fairytale. --Tara West

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper San Francisco
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0062516841
• ISBN 13: 9780062516848
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 326