April/May 1983 RAIN Page 13 ACCESS: SPIRITUALITY Mother Wik A Feminist Guide to Psychic Development Diane Mariechild The Crossing Press Trvunansburg, NY 14886 $6.95, 1981, 154 pp. This guide contains a series of practical exercises to aid in bringing forth woman’s natural psychic and healing abilities. It is a primer for those who are brave enough to delve into their innermost being. The exercises have evolved out of Diane Mariechild’s experiences, and have been influenced by womancraft, witchcraft, mind games, the Seth books and hatha and kundalini yoga. Herein are her beliefs, those things that have proven true for her. As she says, "These beliefs are not absolute: they grow and change as I grow and change. Truth is not absolute or permanent.” In a culture that is almost wholly outer-directed and goal-oriented, women have received guidance only in doing and not in being. There exists little tradition for the truly mystical and religious experience. To overcome this neglect in woman’s education she details many exercises, Eiffirmations, meditations and other psychic tools for healing, growth, and spiritual awareness. Deep relaxation is essential to receiving psychic and spiritual information and energy. It is necessary to clear the body of tension before embarking upon this journey which has no end. She encourages women to make their egos more flexible, thus expandimg their awareness to include all levels of existence. She expounds, "Spirituality isn’t an escape from the world, but an expansion of the world. It enriches and sus-^^ tains us—it does not limit or deny us.” Mariechild also encourages the development of psychic awareness in children. In her chapter "Psychic Skills For Children” she gives different exercises to start a child on the road to inner awareness. Mother Wit proclaims, "It is time to reclaim the spiritual quality of ourselves and re-establish our deep and loving connection with the universe.” She stresses the fact we have within ourselves the power to transcend, to transform ourselves. Through this understanding of our inner lives we become centered, more whole and from this clear inner space, we can assume more control over our outer reality. While these concepts will not be accepted by every woman, for those who are ready for this challenge it will prove to be an exciting, enlightening experience. —Patricia Hogan Pat Hogan lives in Ridgefield, Washington. She views the individual as being responsible for herlhis development. Dreaming the Dark: Magic, Sex, and Politics Starhawk Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. 10 E. 53rd St. New York, NY 10022 $7.25, 1982, 242 pp. Do you believe in magic? Would you like to tap deep inner strengths, develop rituals for group bonding, build close communities with creative political goals? In Dreaming the Dark, Starhawk shows us how we can begin individually and collectively to shape our society based on "power-from-within.” Starhawk is a witch and a psychotherapist, a writer, teacher, political activist, nonviolence trainer, and a founding member of Reclaiming a center for feminist spirituality and counseling in San Francisco. Her magic is not the magic of control over nature. Quite the opposite, her magic invokes power- from-within, power to transform ourselves, our community, our culture. In the spirit of Native Americans and tribal peoples, Starhawk teaches us that the transformative power conies through an aw2ireness of the immanence of all things, "an awareness of the world and everything in it as alive, dynamic, interdependent, interacting, and infused with moving energies: a living being, a weaving dance.” Throughout the book Starhawk weaves the personal and the political. As an example of a "magicopolitical event,” she takes us through her participation in the blockade of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, a blockade which succeeded "not by physically stopping the workers, but by changing the reality, the consciousness^^ of the society in which the plant exists.” To show us how magic works in "reclaiming personal power,” she super- To show us how magic works in "reclaiming personal power,” she super- which succeeds in reintegrating her warring parts. In "cycles of group transformation,” she shows us the structure and dynamics of her own circle "coven,” a microcosm of constantly transforming, healing communities within society. This witchcraft won’t turn you into a toad or make you a prince. But reading this book can be a transformative process, invoking our power-from-within and our shared vision of hope for the future. —Robin Havenick Robin Havenick is a feminist and a writer who lives in Northwest Portland. The Politics of Women’s Spirituality Charlene Spretnak, Editor Anchor Books, Doubleday & Company 501 Franklin Avenue Garden City, NY 11530 $12.95, 1982, 590 pp. Two things about this book make it indispensable to any student of matriarchy — the beginning of the book and its ending. In the beginning (to coin a phrase), Spretnak gives a lengthy, but not too academic, accounting of some of the major threads of feminist thought and practice in regards to woman- centered spiritual consciousness. In the end, she argues with a Marxist- feminist, Sally R. Binford, about the necessity for such a study. Each of the women make a series of excellent points and I wish they would call it a draw, shake hands, and share a cup of tea or something. Binford argues that religion of whatever ilk is still the opiate of the people, that the real need is for economic equality. Spretnak responds with the argument that "feminist spirituality contributes to a truly comprehensive analysis because it acknowledges the politics of the psyche in patriarchal oppression.” This is the "my world view is bigger than your world view” wrangling that always reminds me of neighborhood disputes that would begin with "my daddy is bigger than your daddy.” Between these dialogues, the body of the book is a collection of poems, essays and critiques which describe "the what and why of women’s spirituality.” If you have read nothing about goddesses or witches or magic that made you feel good to be alive, read this book. What emerges is not only "sisterhood as cos- ■ mic covenant,” but a model to take us beyond the constraints of patriarchal society, and a way of dealing with issues while affirming values imbued with the sacredness of life. If we really intend to save our planet from ourselves, we might pause for a few hours to at least wonder about a time when there was harmony and peace, and what made it come and go. What have we got to lose? —Carlotta Collette Carlotta Collette is a former editor of RAIN, who is currently a freelance writer and consultant. cont.
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