Circle Round: Raising Children In Goddess Traditions

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0553100165 ISBN 13: 9780553100167

Publisher: Bantam, 1998

Harvesting the first tomato from the garden.  Marking new and full moons.  Saying grace and evening prayers.  Losing the first tooth.  All these are part of Goddess celebration--and this lovingly written book shows the way to share the celebration with children.

As a one-of-a-kind resource for people of many faiths and beliefs, Circle Round encourages us to gently open children's awareness to the sacredness of life, our connection to Mother Earth, and our responsibility to preserve Her gifts.  At a time when child-rearing is intensely affected by the stresses of modern life, Starhawk, Diane Baker, and Anne Hill offer new ways to foster a strong sense of family, whether that family is headed by a single parent, stepparents, same-sex parents, or loving communities of friends.  Here then are new traditions, meaningful and symbolic, to bring to your home.

Of paramount importance in Goddess tradition is the wheel of life, the never-ending cycle of birth, growth, love, fulfillment, and death.  Each turn of the wheel is presented here, in eight holidays spanning the changing seasons, in rites of passage for life transitions, and in the elements of fire, air, water, earth, and spirit as they embody ever-changing nature.  And each holiday, rite, and element section is enriched with songs and rituals, step-by-step craft and cooking projects, family-oriented activities and read-aloud stories for you and your children to share.

On December's Winter Solstice try baking Wish Bread with your child, putting in hopes and dreams for the coming year.  For Beltane in May you may choose to say a blessing for mothers or make an altar of flowers in bloom.  If your teenager is going off to college, the Leaving Behind and Carrying With rituals may ease anxiety.  Water play is important as you give your toddler a bath.  And you may want to encourage your older child to grow a plant and experience firsthand the life-giving power of the earth.

Crafted with your limited free time in mind, Circle Round offers an array of easily adaptable material to fit your own needs and worldview.The result is a sourcebook filled with wisdom--and the hope that you will add a piece of Goddess tradition to your family's life, to honor Mother Earth and bring Her presence to your home and your children's world.

Review:

The 20th-century reclamation of Goddess traditions has evolved from a small counterculture revolution of the mid-1900s to the birthright of an entire generation of children and young teenagers. However, the parents--who were adults when they first turned to paganism--are discovering that raising children in a pagan tradition can prove difficult amidst the near void of resources to assist them in teaching this way of life. Relying on age-old learning methods, such as songs and storytelling, Circle Round fills this void with techniques that are truly rooted in traditions. This priceless resource offers guidelines for helping children discover the different facets of the Goddess tradition--from altars to sabbats--and suggests recipes, creative projects, and other activities resuscitating the values of family in our latchkey society. --Brian Patterson

From the Publisher:

From the Earth to our hearts...

Festivals for holidays from Halloween to Fall Equinox

Moon and sun celebrations

Home altars and seasonal decorations

Craft projects

Sacred baking and recipes

Rituals for children and adolescents

Family activities for ordinary days and weekends

Blessings for birth and rites of passage