The Circle Within: Creating a Wiccan Spiritual Tradition by Dianne Sylvan Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Circle Within: Creating a Wiccan Spiritual Tradition
Book Review: Great job Dianne Sylvan!
Summary: 5 Stars
You have made my heart sing! This book is the direct answer to my prayers. Systematically, chapter by chapter, I have learned how to put together my day and find the sacred in my everyday life. I've learned much important new information for my life. For me, the 'Wheel of the Year' is going to be observed every day from my two very special places outside!(instead of the eight times a year). And I just love your view on 'JOY', thanks. It's great to know that I've been experiencing joy in my everyday life and now you can bet I'll be very aware of it each and every day.The prayers are just beautiful and they give me lots of great ideas for my own. Thanks for a great book.... Blue Turtle.Book Review: Finally Somthing Beyond Wicca 101!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you've been a witch for as long as I have, you've probably begun to despair of finding books that will help you to grow spiritually. I initially became a witch as a result of reading The Politics of Women's Spirituality, Drawing Down the Moon, The Spiral Dance -- books that grabbed my attention and changed my life. And, of course, there are now hundreds of what I'd call Wicca 101 books which re-hash the basics of witchcraft and then provide what I find to be incredibly boring lists of correspondences, cookie-cutter rituals and spells, bland discussions of ethics, etc. And then, almost nothing. (Ellen Reed Canon is one shining exception.) Until now. Dianne Sylvan has written a delightful book for witches who want to develop a daily spiritual practice. And, also surprising in this genre, she really writes very well; reading her clear lucid prose is a pleasure. Suffice it to say that I've copied quite a few quotes from her book into my journal and loaned this book to others within my circle who have also loved it. In particular, I enjoyed Sylvan's discussion of making one's home a temple.Book Review: Wonderful read
Summary: 5 Stars
Ms. Sylvan has written a very personable, enjoyable book. It is a great resource for pagans who are looking to develop a more personal relationship with the Divine. I loved the "Things to think on" at the end of each chapter in which she ask some questions pertaining to how you felt about the information covered in the chapter. I think this would be a great book for covens (or solitaries) to use for discussion and Part 2 "The Book of Moonlight" containing daily prayers and rituals has inspired me to create my own "book of moonlight". I have begun to incorporate several of her suggestions (morning and evening devotionals) into my daily life and I must say that I have really made a difference to me.Book Review: A Nice Change
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a book for the spiritually thirsty person who is disillusioned by the growing number of fluffy bunnies. It is very educational, designed to enlighten and present an advanced, non-fluffy alternative to the more popular readers. After reading this book and a few anti-fluff rants, I am surprised how my outlook has changed where some authors, such as RavenWolf, are concerned. I love this book and I have little doubt that it will become one of the central books of my practice. It is designed to help cultivate a spiritual Wiccan lifestlye, and I believe many of the topics discussed are essential. I hope Dianne Sylvan creates more works like this in the future.Book Review: Packed with great ideas...
Summary: 4 Stars
This is not yet another Wicca 101 book. Instead, this book focuses on helping Wiccans to fill their lives with their spirituality rather than just being Wiccan for sabbats and esbats. For a relatively small book, this one is packed with great ideas on how to deepen your Wiccan/pagan spiritual practice. Added to that, the tips are actually solid practical things that anyone can do, nothing airy-fairy or impossibly complicated. In fact, I felt that many of the points were fairly obvious, but these are definitely things that need to be pointed out. For example, she suggests that the reader go out into nature (in whatever form it's available) and attune to his/her local environment. Seems pretty evident for a nature-based religion, but it's easy to forget to commune with nature and deity when you're working full time and juggling a jillion other things too.Another thing I found very useful was the section of 3 things to think about at the end of each chapter. Mostly, these are questions that relate to personal practice and make you think about things you can do to integrate it into your daily life and make it more meaningful. I like that she didn't just spout out information and leave you hanging; she gives you the beginning steps to help you digest and use the concepts.
Finally, at the end of the book is "The Book of Moonlight" which contains some prayers and rituals to jump start you into daily practice. The prayers and invocations are beautifully written and useful.
Dianne Sylvan is not at all pompous and doesn't pretend to be the ultimate authority. She writes with humor and practicality, and best of all, she wants the reader to not get stuck on her words alone. Several times, she tells the reader to adjust her material to suit their own lives and spirituality. This is a very nice and refreshing change from the endless slew of Wicca 101 books. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be a Wiccan, even while at work, school, etc.