Review: Circle Round

Last updated on: December 12, 2012 at 8:45 pm by Sarah Whedon

Review: Circle Round 2012-12-12T20:45:32-05:00 Sarah Whedon

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The day before Samhain, Diane Baker stood in her kitchen thinking about needing to plan a celebration for her family and wondered, “Why isn’t there just a book I could open?” So she collaborated with Anne Hill and Starhawk to write the book she wanted to read, Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions.

Circle Round offers resources divided into four sections:

*Part One: Welcome to the Circle introduces the book and the practice of Goddess traditions with children.
*Part Two: Cycles of the Moon and Sun covers new and full moon activities and the wheel of the year.
*Part Three: The Life Cycle addresses birth, growth, and death.
*Finally, Part Four: Circle of Elements covers ritual and play with the five sacred elements.

This book covers so much ground that only the first chapter in Part Three – Beginnings could specifically address the childbearing year. The chapter begins with these words:

Births need no ritual to make them sacred. The energy of birthing casts its own circle . . . That being said, it is also true that birth is a time to make special magic.

The special magic offered here includes visualization, altar-building, newborn blessing, and umbilical cord magic. This short chapter packs in chants, ritual descriptions, and mythology, all derived from families’ real experiences. The chapter also addresses adoption and miscarriage.

If you’re just looking for the 13 page Beginnings chapter, it might be best to borrow this 439 page book from the library, but if your Beginnings will lead to raising children, you may want your own copy on the shelf for the other 426 pages on raising children.

Starhawk, Diane Baker, and Anne Hill, Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions. New York: Bantam Books, 1998.

Sarah Whedon teaches in the Department of Theology and Religious History at Cherry Hill Seminary and is the founding editor of Pagan Families: Resources for Pagan Pregnancy and Birth. Sarah’s teaching, research, and advocacy work center around topics of spirituality, feminism, and reproduction. She makes her home in San Francisco with her partner and their children.

Previous Post

June 23, 2011

How to make birth art

Next Post

July 5, 2011 What color is your pain? Magic for pregnant aches

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abortion Adoption birth Birth Guardians birth stories breastfeeding Contraception divorce Flash Points From the Editor's Desk grandparenting home infertility marriage menstruation Miscarriage Pagan Families Parenting poetry postpartum pregnancy review ritual sex education Uncategorized Wednesday Wisdom

Select a Month September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many Psalms are attributed to David?

Select your answer to see how you score.

73 50 40 100