Finished book = book review

12 wild swans by Starhawk

I like to start this review with a quote from

Scott Cunningham's book Living Wicca, " Books can lift spirits, heal our wounds, steel our courage and strengthen our religious resolve.... Books are a great source of wisdom... Books aren't foolproof. Some books contain virtually no accurate information. Many readers are apt to believe anything in print. 'After all they say 'its in this book right here. That proves it's true.' Unfortunately, nearly anyone can write a book and even have it publish. Does this ensure that its contents are true?... Listen to your intuition. In other words feel free to pick and choose among the published... textbooks to decide what feels right... Books are tools to be used mark them with pencil or bookmarks".

I like this quote because I have read several Books from which even though most I have found very helpful or that had some helpful information from time to time I have read a book and found that I disagree with the writer. However there are times that despite this I have found some tiny bits of good info. This book is one of those books. I came across this book when looking for A spiral dance which had been recommended to me for my daughter. 12 wild swans popped up on amazon's suggested reading. Though I haven't read a Spiral Dance I went a head and grabbed 12 wild swans since it had such good reviews, for me to read.
This book has a lot of info that I disagree with, info that I found great and helpful. There were times I was very disappointed as I felt her motivations as an activist sometimes were to strong and disrupted the flow of the book.
The Book's has good info like that on "a wicked vow", how to deal with anger, both within and directed at you. Also finding your shadow self.
However her opinions on dreams I strongly disagree with as a Dream interpreter and reader. Furthermore she makes a statement about no "real witch" uses certain terms, such as unconscience, which she claims Freud used yet there is NO definition for this in the dictionary and what she defines is the sub-conscience which is the term I think she meant. Since I do use Sub-conscience is she saying I am not a real witch or Wiccan? Perhaps she should have said no one in her tradition uses it and why. I have no problem using sub-conscience and conscience and in my opinion to say they do not exist is like saying that frontal vision and peripheral vision doesn’t exist, as it is my opinion that the sub-conscience is for our mind like the peripheral vision.
She goes from giving advice that is logical and sensible in the section on nettles to writing about things in a way that is not factual.
She writes Why as witches we must sometimes endure the sting and it begins very well. Her info on plant allies and our ancestors and their knowledge of plants is excellent and very factual.
For more info I recommend The SouthEastern Indians.
Getting to know your plant allies is thoroughly enjoyable. Her view on respecting all living things was beautifully written and then she makes a false statement. In her attempt to use an example how we must endure pain she lists Yoga. Continuing her false statement by saying we have to endure bumps bruises and discomfort. WHAT?!?! This is NOT yoga. We do not teach bruising the body or "Bruising egos" but loving the body and letting go of the ego. One problem with those new to yoga is they have been programmed with the no pain no gain and this is not yoga. Pain and discomfort is not yoga. On the contrary we are taught to listen to the body and avoid pain and discomfort. For her to use yoga and list it in the way she did showed her ignorance about yoga. It also lost the point she was trying to make. I suggest finding books or classes with a certified Yogi. Here section on Silence takes another view than is in Scot Cullingham's book Living Wicca and is a good read for comparing pov. Some of the suggested meditations and rituals are very good and can be used for uses other than magic and rituals. For those who are a nervous type or talk-a-tive this could be a meditation that would interest you. The section on empowerment is very interesting and the section on "The privilege" is also a nice read.

A quote from the book, "the behavior or pattern that my have served us well when we were powerless can become destructive and abusive when we gain power"

It was a very good well of describing how a victim can become the abuser. The sections and exercises on working on core worth to levitate deflation/inflation of the self were also very good. As a reiki healer if I become inflated and forget I am only the vessel and the healing power doesn’t come from me then I block the flow of healing energy with my ego. This section is very interesting, as well as the sections on shielding, glamour, character work, aspecting and gathering allies. When she writes about the Sabbaths she wrote them in a way that is poetic, colorful and easy to vision. It was a great read. When she begins to speak of fear esp. the fear of death it hit a personal chord. As I fear death and found her trance the orchard of immortally EXCELLENT! The book is worth buying for this alone in my opinion despite its other flaws. In the last chapter of the outer path she breaks the flow of the book again with returning to her activist motives.
Most of the book's exercises are written for a group or at least a pair and not for a solitary witch. To work with these rituals, meditations and exercises one may have to adjust them for the solitaire. For those who are activists and involved in political protests and so forth the book is good, however for those who lead a more humble life her activist views, and constant use of hers and others experiences as activist could possibly spoil the book for you. If you can get around it and pass over the few flaws then you may also find some helpful information.


I gave this book 3 stars at amazon.