The Spiral Dance celebrates 30 years

Spiral Dance swirls around Starhawk. Photo by Richard Man.

May be the most moving tradition amongst the remaining pagan customs is the image of a community swirling on the hilltops holding the hands of each other, the young and the old. This is a dance of celebrating survival. Counting the heads of the living, still remembering the beloveds who left for the great happy Summerlands.

There is a hunger in all folks for this dance. This is why they had shown up for many, many years at the Dianic Spiral Dances I lead back in Los Angeles in the 70’s and from the 80’s on, annually, at the old Women’s Building in San Francisco. Always a couple of hundred women creating a vortex of energies for the good of all.

Already in action, the Reclaiming Collective was producing Spiral Dances, at the Woman’s Building in San Francisco, then later they moved to bigger venues.

Led by Starhawk, an old friend and sister, the Spiral Dance has gone though many changes. I finally managed to attend again for the 30th year anniversary, lead by Starhawk in its new incarnation.

The Bay Bridge was closed. We had to make a pilgrimage, over another bridge to get from the East Bay to San Francisco.  The venue was a good building, well suited for ritual, and a parking lot adjacent. Excellent planning.

The crowd was composed of both old timers and the young. The names of the departed were read over the PA system; 500 plus. There was awareness, but normal concert behavior … milling around, being polite and admiring the spectacular costumes on display by the attendees.

The walls were lined with beautiful and moving altars.

There was an altar to war heroes, to ancestors, to the Elements, etc. Only pagans can come up with creating sacred spaces without lit candles. No incense either. I think these were conditions in their rental agreement. It’s always a burden, yet witches have never started forest fires or burned down buildings with carelessness.

Then after elaborate invocations of the four corners, and four elements, and the pixies and the fairies, finally the center was invoked. A spectacular group of bare armed, strong young women Taiko drumming called down the north. I got goose bumps and wept. There is nothing more spectacular to me than to see female excellence.

Taiko drumming is athletic, requires strong upper bodies, a sense of rhythm and cooperation with the other drummers. It was an image of a world where strength is shared, the drums were talking peace, but with a fierce love; in a perfect world this is how women would rule. A creative female universe.

Effortlessly and gracefully the disjointed crowd was connected by the left hand to left hand, the heart side. In time, all twirlings were knitted together into a swirling human supernova, but without self-destruction.

There was a long chanting time, feeling our power, feeling our common purpose for peace. Everything was blessed that deserved it, our children our loved ones our earth.

I thank all those relentless pagans who continued the traditions, wherever they live,  who call together the likeminded people, and worship the passing of time and the life force that makes the circle return again and again.

When we make history it’s not always clear how dear a cultural treasure we have created, but after 30 years it’s pretty clear. Spiral Dance is forever!

The connecting of souls is a visceral need in humans. And I think the dead want to be remembered, as the chant goes … “What is remembered lives!”  

If you want to learn more about Samhain, the pagan Day of the Dead, you can read our  Goddess magazine.