Truth or Dare visit this excerpt page.
Starhawk's
Writings
Truth or Dare
Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority and Mystery. (San
Francisco, HarperSanFrancisco, 1988). A rich, complex, and radiant examination of the nature of power. Spinning
together myth, history, ritual, poetry, spells, psychology, and activism,
Starhawk offers new and creative alternatives for positive change in our
personal lives, our communities, and our world.
This much-needed examination of the nature of power will enable women and
men first to understand the different facets of power, then to act upon
that knowledge to create positive change. Starhawk distinguishes three
types of power: "power-over," referring to domination and control;
"power-from-within," meaning personal ability and spiritual integrity; and
"power-with," pertaining to social power or influence among equals.
Drawing on one of the most ancient myths
extant, the Descent of Innana, Starhawk
develops a psychology of liberation, analyzing
our internalized oppressor, the Self-hater;
its faces are the Judge, the Conqueror,
the Censor, the Master of Servants, and
the Orderer. Interwoven is Starhawk's reconstruction
of a pivotal time in history: how it was
that the early peaceful society of ancient
Sumer became strangled by warfare and how
the rise of kingship led to the institution
of patriarchy. And Starhawk tells of her
first-hand experience as an activist and
organizer in the anti-nukes campaigns. Truth
or Dare is rich with insights on personal
healing, group process, and accessing the
genuine sources of power.
"A magical storehouse of spells, rituals,
myths, aphorisms, and games designed to
awaken us from an enchanted sleep of compliance
to patriarchal forms of authority." --
The New York Times
"Starhawk gives readers an excellent base
from which to evaluate their own cultural
context...Encourages personal healing as
a microcosmic process toward healing our
society and planet as a whole..." --
Creation
"Starhawk's brilliance shines brighter than
ever. Her astoundingly clear insight into
life's patterns and processes is dazzling.
She glides around the earth, observing,
then dives into the heart of how destructive
modes continue, and soars, finally, to the
heights of a better world, taking us with
her. She is one of the most brilliant minds
of our time." -- Merlin Stone, author
of When God Was a Woman
"The spirituality of Truth or Dare
is rooted in the wisdom of common people,
sustained by the courage of the oppressed,
and applied with a concern for all of creation.
Starhawk not only confronts patriarchal
domination, but provides us with rituals
and exercises that will help us reclaim
our power and suggests balanced ways to
apply that power in our defense. Starhawk
has dared to speak truth to power. She has
spoken in a woman's voice -- poetic and
clear." --Luisah Teish, author of
Jambalaya
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"An important contribution to the development of that 'deep ecumenism' which is required if we are to have a spirituality which can speak to the urgent needs of Mother Earth and her children." --Matthew Fox, author of Original Blessing, and founding director of the Institute for Creation Spirituality
"A dark and complex work with a brilliant analysis of power and a troubling message: that only by entering the nether regions of our psyche can we -- and the planet -- be reborn. Truth or Dare, Starhawk's best book to date, lights a path through the abyss. It gives us a method by which our own sacred life-generating powers can overcome centuries of hierarchy and domination." --Margo Adler, author of Drawing Down the Moon
To read extended excerpts from
Truth or Dare visit this excerpt page.
