Witchcraft and Women's Culture

This reading by Starhawk resonated with me. The way the author describes her religion is how religion should be, in my opinion. She describes that this sect of religion is extremely open--and that is missing in many organized religions. Witchcraft is nature and earth entered, and practicers worship the Goddess- the giver of life. Although Christianity is very prevalent in the US, and most people would say they do not practice witchcraft, I think more people than you think do things similar to "witches".

The author writes that in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, "When Christianity first began to spread, the country people held to the old ways, and for hundreds of years the two faiths coexisted quite peacefully," (261.) This line made me think of my home life a lot. Although I'd never categorize my parents as Pagan, Wiccan, or practicers of witchcraft, I would say that they worship nature and the earth. I live on a farm and a big part of the values my parents instilled in me has to do with appreciating nature and respecting it. Because we make a living off of the crops from the earth, a respect and celebration of nature starts to come naturally. I like the idea that Christianity and a faith based in nature can coexist instead of directly competing.

Starhawk also writes about how women are starting to look deeper into ideas about the Goddess. "The feminist movement, which began as a political, economic and social struggle, is opening to a spiritual dimension," (262.) I have learned about the feminist movement many years of my life, but I never thought about how it would affect religion. I do believe that women reconnecting with the Goddess is in large part due to the women's movement. The movement is all about freeing up women and their minds, and instilling in them the same freedom that men have-- we can do anything.