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Circle Round: Raising Children In Goddess Traditions
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.
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.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
65 people are currently reading
1507 people want to read
About the author
Starhawk
61 books1,023 followersStarhawk is an author, activist, permaculture designer and teacher, and a prominent voice in modern Goddess religion and earth-based spirituality. She is the author or coauthor of thirteen books, including the classics The Spiral Dance and The Fifth Sacred Thing. Her latest is the newly published fiction novel City of Refuge, the long-awaited sequel to The Fifth Sacred Thing.
Starhawk directs Earth Activist Training, (www.earthactivisttraining.org), teaching permaculture design grounded in spirit and with a focus on organizing and activism. “Social permaculture”—the conscious design of regenerative human systems, is a particular focus of hers.
She lives on Golden Rabbit Ranch in Western Sonoma County, CA, where she is developing a model of carbon-sequestering land use incorporating food forests and savannahs, planned grazing, and regenerative forestry.
She travels internationally, lecturing and teaching on earth-based spirituality, permaculture, and the skills of activism. Her web site is www.starhawk.org.
Starhawk directs Earth Activist Training, (www.earthactivisttraining.org), teaching permaculture design grounded in spirit and with a focus on organizing and activism. “Social permaculture”—the conscious design of regenerative human systems, is a particular focus of hers.
She lives on Golden Rabbit Ranch in Western Sonoma County, CA, where she is developing a model of carbon-sequestering land use incorporating food forests and savannahs, planned grazing, and regenerative forestry.
She travels internationally, lecturing and teaching on earth-based spirituality, permaculture, and the skills of activism. Her web site is www.starhawk.org.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
November 19, 2016
This book is something I've read around Sixteen times. Every season my mother reads me the stories. Some of these stories have shaped my life is so many positive ways! Thank you mom!
November 9, 2016
Thanks to my unique struggle with religion, I had to seriously think about what faith (if any) I wanted to present to my daughter, what I wanted to say about the celebrations and customs our culture holds with nary a thought to "is this what I have chosen to believe or what I accept as fact due to early domestication?" Automatic, default behaviours, mimicking whatever came before me, was not going to happen.
I was raised as a strict isolationist Christian, and, finding those beliefs severely crippling, I chose to reject raising my daughter with those same beliefs. I explored Eastern religions, especially Buddhism and Shintoism, and while I respect those beliefs far more than Christianity, I found they were not exactly right for me either. The faith of the goddess religion, which is a sort of amalgamation of many ancient tribal and earth-based beliefs, hit some beautiful notes too, but, again, not entirely right for me. In the end, I'm eclectic, and happy with this discovery. And I decided to offer my daughter the religion of open-minded exploration. After all, she's an individual, separate from me.
All that brings me to why I only gave this book three stars: it wasn't all that useful to me personally, since it's filled with practical applications.
Which is exactly what it promised to bring to the reader. So, it really is an excellent book.
So, if you are following the goddess tradition, and would like a pragmatic discussion of day-to-day living and fostering these humanistic beliefs in your children, this is the book for you. It accessible, kind, creative, bright, and useful. Since there isn't a strong "organized" congregational presence to this religion, and it is often practiced privately, this is a helpful, practical book with balanced discussions. And a method that, if embraced, would help a child be loving, open-minded, fluid: a fully-functioning human.
I was raised as a strict isolationist Christian, and, finding those beliefs severely crippling, I chose to reject raising my daughter with those same beliefs. I explored Eastern religions, especially Buddhism and Shintoism, and while I respect those beliefs far more than Christianity, I found they were not exactly right for me either. The faith of the goddess religion, which is a sort of amalgamation of many ancient tribal and earth-based beliefs, hit some beautiful notes too, but, again, not entirely right for me. In the end, I'm eclectic, and happy with this discovery. And I decided to offer my daughter the religion of open-minded exploration. After all, she's an individual, separate from me.
All that brings me to why I only gave this book three stars: it wasn't all that useful to me personally, since it's filled with practical applications.
Which is exactly what it promised to bring to the reader. So, it really is an excellent book.
So, if you are following the goddess tradition, and would like a pragmatic discussion of day-to-day living and fostering these humanistic beliefs in your children, this is the book for you. It accessible, kind, creative, bright, and useful. Since there isn't a strong "organized" congregational presence to this religion, and it is often practiced privately, this is a helpful, practical book with balanced discussions. And a method that, if embraced, would help a child be loving, open-minded, fluid: a fully-functioning human.
June 19, 2008
This book is amazing! I pick it up over and over again. Bought it on a trip on a whim. Have spent a weekend with Starhawk and she is truly magical. This is a great way to learn about the earth based spirituality that she practices and teaches.
Feel like there is a strong lack and need of ritual in our modern life and want to raise my child with spirituality outside of religion. It is very comforting and helpful to have a guidebook. Love the different perspectives and experiences of the three different women. Lots of fun activities that are really bonding for the family and community. Great songs and stories about goddesses, deities, fairies, etc. What a wonderful way to celebrate the significance of events throughout the year in the natural world!
Feel like there is a strong lack and need of ritual in our modern life and want to raise my child with spirituality outside of religion. It is very comforting and helpful to have a guidebook. Love the different perspectives and experiences of the three different women. Lots of fun activities that are really bonding for the family and community. Great songs and stories about goddesses, deities, fairies, etc. What a wonderful way to celebrate the significance of events throughout the year in the natural world!
November 20, 2016
This is an amazing book for beginners or those who are trying to raise their children in the wiccan/pagan life style and need help doing so. Though I will warn that this book is from a feminist view. The stories are lovely and my own children love them. There are some fun crafts to do and great teachings of each holiday. There are some great songs to sing along to. This is something I would suggest for a family not as much for without children. Great book I give others this book as presents when they have kids if they are fellow members of the craft.
January 17, 2023
Excellent resource for parents with small children.
April 3, 2012
While this book earns points as being an important work - a much-needed reference for a growing number of Pagan families - and one of the first of its' kind, I found it to be of average quality and content.
Aside from the retelling of stories through the book, it was difficult to tell if it was being written for an adult audience or for pre-teens. It seemed to fluctuate back and forth.
There were many wonderful songs, stories and activities, along with ideas for building Earth-based traditions within one's own family structure. I would have liked to see photos of craft projects, however, and get an idea of the "tune" each song should be sung to (since I can't read musical notes).
All in all, it's a worthwhile read. Perhaps I expected more coming from Starhawk based on some of her other works, or perhaps I'm simply partial to the ideas I've created myself for raising children in a Pagan atmosphere. I did appreciate the stories and ideas presented, even though I felt they could have been explored in much more depth and meaning.
Aside from the retelling of stories through the book, it was difficult to tell if it was being written for an adult audience or for pre-teens. It seemed to fluctuate back and forth.
There were many wonderful songs, stories and activities, along with ideas for building Earth-based traditions within one's own family structure. I would have liked to see photos of craft projects, however, and get an idea of the "tune" each song should be sung to (since I can't read musical notes).
All in all, it's a worthwhile read. Perhaps I expected more coming from Starhawk based on some of her other works, or perhaps I'm simply partial to the ideas I've created myself for raising children in a Pagan atmosphere. I did appreciate the stories and ideas presented, even though I felt they could have been explored in much more depth and meaning.
August 7, 2011
I didn't really read this one cover to cover, because it is more of a reference guide. Rather, I just skimmed through it. But it seems like something I'd like to have around the house to refer back to in the future.
October 29, 2017
A beautiful book for raising families in pagan traditions. The CD that was created along with this book is so, so beautiful as well.
June 18, 2019
I've read this book over the course of a few years while I've taken ideas to celebrate the Earth and start some family traditions with my family. Each Sabbat contains stories to tell, crafts to make, food to cook and bake, and songs to sing. It's been very easy to make each one my own according to my family's needs. Even though we aren't Pagan, the activities and stories are very relatable and adaptable to whatever you need. Great resource.
January 1, 2023
This came highly recommended for witch's with young children in the craft. It provides lore, arts and crafts and other interactive activities for the whole family. My children enjoyed them. It was a fun book.
(2010)
(2010)
March 1, 2023
Good for a reference for Wiccans, not for me though as a witch. Plus I kinda have biases in that I don't believe in a binary system and know too much about how binary based Wiccan beliefs actually are. Which honestly just had me skipping around and just could not read all of it
January 27, 2019
Let's say 4.5 for its creativity and relatability. I wish there were more resources like it.
August 1, 2019
My family users this book all the time. Our child pulls it off the shelf for songs regularly, and she always loves the stories we read for the sabbats.
April 6, 2020
Love this and sharing with my daughter so much! Now we can celebrate together!
April 16, 2020
Love the seasonal nature inspired activities and stories!
December 18, 2020
LOVE this book. Great for moms.
February 17, 2021
A deep look at traditions you can do with your children if you are raising them alongside the goddess path.
September 1, 2021
This book was exactly what I was looking for to help me create pagan traditions that work with the Goddess and the Earth’s cycles for my family.
July 25, 2022
A charming volume with some good ideas! Some of it was a bit corny, but I appreciated the earnestness. The personal anecdotes are lovely.
June 14, 2023
Activities, rituals, and personal anecdotes are great. The history given is now outdated and I'm not a fan of the rewritten myths.
April 5, 2025
If I ever have them, my children will know this book very well. And love it like I did.
January 15, 2011
What is to say about Circle Round? It isn't really a book you finish. It is both a great primer for a young one who is of competent reading ability who wants to learn about Earth Traditions and is a great guide for a parent or guardian who wants to help a child learn about the same.
It is filled with stories, facts, songs, and some easy activities to help ease a child into the sometimes more rigorous world of practicing Pagan traditions. It helps teach ways for a child to learn to meditate, and relaxation, and even how to properly channel emotions like anger and frustration in order to release them in a healthy and safe manner.
I love this book, and would recommend it to any parent, especially one with an avid reader who has those millions of questions you hear about! This is, hands down, the best book on Pagan instruction I have ever purchased!
It is filled with stories, facts, songs, and some easy activities to help ease a child into the sometimes more rigorous world of practicing Pagan traditions. It helps teach ways for a child to learn to meditate, and relaxation, and even how to properly channel emotions like anger and frustration in order to release them in a healthy and safe manner.
I love this book, and would recommend it to any parent, especially one with an avid reader who has those millions of questions you hear about! This is, hands down, the best book on Pagan instruction I have ever purchased!
January 16, 2010
Not only a helpful way for Pagan's to explain their religion to their children but provides fun activities and recipes to bring the family closer together. Even if you don't have children the explantions are worth reading if you ever want to explain Paganism to a friend or family member. The explanations are simple and the stories are easy to understand yet interesting. The recipes and crafts are also things you find at a local store or at home so you won't have to search all everywhere trying to look for them.
April 18, 2008
A must have resource for Earth Spiritualist parents, imo. Full of story and myth retellings to offer a younger audience, children's songs, ritual and handcraft ideas, recipes, and advice on raising children with a healthy, authentic experience of Goddess and Earth Spirituality. Organized with chapters for each turn of the Wheel of the Year, plus more sections on rites of passage and other topics. I refer to this often.
March 2, 2009
This seems to be useful mostly as a reference for families who already have a grounding in some Pagan tradition. As a holiday approaches you can turn to the relevant section and find stories, activities, and ideas for ritual. My daughter and I have enjoyed a number of them. I feel like there's a lot more to be said about raising children in these traditions, and I was hoping they'd get into more than they did - but there are a lot of good ideas in here.
January 11, 2014
This book was much better than I expected when I placed a hold at the library. I expected a feminist, Goddess-centric activity book. What I found was a huge comprehensive parenting tome that, while certainly Goddess leaning, did not leave out the God or fathers or sons. I really liked the format of sheet music, recipes, stories (written mostly by the fabulous storyteller Starhawk) and yes some goofy activities too. I ended up buying my own copy of this book.
February 23, 2016
This gem has accompanied me and guided me through parenthood!
It's assisted me in giving my child an awareness of cycles/rhythms of life, a deeper awareness, respect, and love for the Earth, and that there are many other beliefs and ways in addition to the predominant ones. Included are stories, myths, crafts, rituals, (the rite of passage celebrations are wonderful)recipes, love and acceptance. I try and review every change of season.
It's assisted me in giving my child an awareness of cycles/rhythms of life, a deeper awareness, respect, and love for the Earth, and that there are many other beliefs and ways in addition to the predominant ones. Included are stories, myths, crafts, rituals, (the rite of passage celebrations are wonderful)recipes, love and acceptance. I try and review every change of season.
November 30, 2008
One of my favorite books on my "pagan" shelf, this book has been a great guide and companion as we've raised our son in the Goddess tradition. We've read stories, made crafts and cooked recipies from the book. The authors discuss of Goddesses and Gods from different traditions, and share some stories of the ways their own families bring these forces into their lives.
April 19, 2009
This book is great for trying to find ways to bring earth based tradtions to Sometimes its hard to figure ways to bring these tradtions and others into the 21st century in a authentic, simple way. Although I dont use many of her suggestions I read them and adapt them to my own way of belief.
I'm a Starhawk fan.
I'm a Starhawk fan.
May 6, 2011
I picked this up at my local library and will definitely buy it. I've been an unorganized practitioner who barely knows about holidays or any of the traditions. This book has helped me to feel more confident in reaching out to the community and participating in rituals. It has all the info i need to finally share my spiritual life with my family.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews