The Fifth Sacred Thing (96 page)
Read The Fifth Sacred Thing Online
Authors: Starhawk
This is a work of fiction, and all of the characters in it are my own inventions. As the saying goes, any resemblance to persons living or dead is pure coincidence. I do, however, really live in a collective house, which in physical structure resembles Black Dragon House. I thank my housemates for providing me with just the proper mix of affection, stimulation, irritation, entertainment, and humor. My
compañero
, David Miller, walked into my life in the middle of this work and sustained me with more love and support than I had imagined was possible. Florence Ida Dabo Kemp is my daily reminder of what is at stake. This book is dedicated to her, to her brand new sister, Aminatou Kaira Dabo Kemp, to my newest Goddesschildren, Casey Cooper Quirke and Emily Sunrise Iverson, and to all the new ones who must live in the future that we create or destroy with our choices today.
S
TARHAWK
is the author of
The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess, Dreaming the Dark: Magic, Sex, and Politics,
and
Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority and Mystery.
A feminist and peace activist, she is one of the foremost voices of ecofeminism, and travels widely in North America and Europe giving lectures and workshops. She holds an M.A. in Psychology from Antioch West University and since 1983 has been a lecturer at the Institute for Culture and Creation Spirituality at Holy Names College in Oakland. She consulted on the films
Goddess Remembered
and
The Burning Times,
directed by Donna Read and produced by the National Film Board of Canada, and co-wrote the commentary for
Full Circle,
a third film forthcoming in the same Women’s Spirituality series
. The Fifth Sacred Thing
is her first novel
.
She lives in San Francisco, where she works with the Reclaiming collective, which offers classes, workshops, and public rituals in earth-based spirituality
.
The only book of its kind, a groundbreaking guide to childrearing!
CIRCLE ROUND
Raising Children in Goddess Traditions
by Starhawk, Diane Baker, and Anne Hill
a Bantam hardcover available now
In 1979 Starhawk’s
The Spiral Dance
introduced men and women to a spirituality based on a deeply felt appreciation of the Goddess earth. Now Starhawk, along with Diane Baker and Anne Hill, shows a way to pass this wisdom on to children.
CIRCLE ROUND
brings Goddess traditions to life with an array of lavishly illustrated material for the entire family to share: explanations in language children can understand, songs and rituals, craft and cooking ideas, fun activities and read-aloud stories—all easily adaptable to fit any worldview. Carefully crafted with everyone’s limited free time in mind, it is a unique sourcebook, a practical and jubilant guide toward enriching children’s lives with meaningful spirituality.
FB 29 11/98