Wicca dance is a form of sacred movement that is inspired by the beliefs and practices of the Wiccan religion. Wicca is a modern pagan, witchcraft religion that is centered around nature worship and the celebration of the cycles of the seasons. In Wiccan rituals and ceremonies, dance is often used as a means of connecting with the divine and expressing spiritual energy. Wicca dance can take many forms, ranging from slow and meditative movements to fast-paced and energetic dances. The purpose of Wicca dance is to create a sacred space, raise energy, and commune with the gods and goddesses of the Wiccan pantheon. It is believed that through dance, practitioners are able to connect with the natural forces of the universe and tap into their own inner power.

Sacred Dance in Pagan Practice

“All she wants to do is dance, dance, dance…”. Yes, that pertains to witches and Pagans, too! Within a Pagan circle or community, sacred dance is often incorporated in ritual and ceremony. Therefore, energy is raised and we connect with Majick and The Goddess in a special way.

Movement is the most valuable and beneficial gift we can give ourselves! Movement is innate, undeniable and powerful! Additionally, dance is a beautiful manifestation of movement, including rhythm, full body involvement, joy and often sharing of energy.

Crowwommen love to dance in Ritual

The Crowommyn are certainly musicians and singers; we also dance, for ourselves, and in the larger Pagan community. As you might expect, many songs we have written and recorded refer to dance, as movement has a role in our spiritual lives. Here are a few of our dance-oriented songs, according to the album where they can be found. We hope you will use any of these songs in your own rituals and ceremonies, as you move to your inner dance magic.

• Crow Goddess: Let’s Go Down, Song of Beltane, We Won’t Sleep Tonight
• Crow Magic: Dance of Dreams, I Am Flame, Sing Ho! For the Mead, Ecomancy, Bless our Mead
• Seasons: We Turn the Wheel, Dance of Spring, Beltane Spirits, Join Together, Celebrate Summer

Of these, one that really celebrates sacred dance is Dance of Dreams which came to Alane in a magical way at Dragonfest‘s Freedom Circle, during an epic dance and drum jam.

Our other song that explores the sacred nature of dance is Laura’s Dance of Spring. “Dance with the Goddess the maiden of spring”!

One venue for dance is within sacred spaces. My background includes facilitating dance/movement for ceremony and ritual, which is a powerful contribution to a sacred occasion. I have worked this way in a various church settings, but more often with Pagan and Wiccan ritual. Sometimes we create the magical Spiral Dance. There are also other dance opportunities for raising energy and offering praise to the Goddess and the God. When we truly forget ourselves and allow the movement and music to rise within us, we are offering the best of our human selves to Deity.

Let’s encourage everyone to dance!

As a dance teacher, choreographer and performer, I have worked with many different populations of people to create dance opportunities. These include college students and community members, elders, therapeutic groups, persons with intellectual challenges and individuals with schizophrenia. As soon as one releases the notion that we have to be “good” dancers to be able to dance, then this wonderful activity is available to all manner of folks.

In fact, I invite you to reject that too-common phrase; “dance as if no one is watching”. What’s the message here? That when you dance, you should be so embarrassed about the way you look that you don’t want to be seen? That our individual movement style is something to be ashamed of? That is a defeatist attitude! Let us replace that phrase with; “dance as if everyone is dancing!” I suggest that we all reject judgement about how we look when we dance. That evaluation may be OK for professional dancers that we pay good money to watch, but not for us normal people, for whom movement is our birthright!

Pagan tradition includes many dancing deities

Notably, we recognize that Dance is a special talent of many deities celebrated by the Pagan community. For instance, Pan, the goat-featured God of revelry is often called “The Lord of the Dance”. Can’t you picture him, playing his pipes and leading a merry dance of festive followers in the springtime madness of love and lust? Another deity, also named Lord of the Dance, is Shiva in his aspect as Nataraja. We see Shiva stomping his feet in a dance of creation and destruction…that’s how powerful his dancing is! Additionally, one of the Muses, Terpsichore, is the Mistress of both song and dance.

Let Spirit move us all

Recently, I have been the originator and facilitator of the Spirit Movers, a group within the congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango in Colorado. As many of you know, the UU church is very Pagan-friendly. I feel that my membership in this organization enhances my spiritual practice. With a group of women and men, we co-create movement that is then offered during some of our worship services, accompanied by hymn or reading. It is in the spirit of sharing our work that the dancers take part in these services. Here’s the link to my video.

I encourage you to include dance and movement in your own rituals, both solitary and communal. Move around the central altar or fire, singing, beating rhythm with your rattles and drums. Snake a line of dancers through a sacred grove or meadow. In these ways, we are all creating a sacred circle, within which our Majick strengthens and infuses our deepest selves. So, dance on! Dance as if everyone is dancing! Dance to the drumbeat of your body, dance your inner joy, your fiercest moods…and the Goddess and the Lord of the Dance will bless you!

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The Power of the Spiral Dance

The spiral is a common shape in nature. We see examples of spirals in pine cones, pineapples, hurricanes, seashells, and more. Why is this the case? The Franklin Institute in Philly says plants use a spiral form because “they are constantly trying to grow but stay secure. A spiral shape causes plants to condense themselves and not take up as much space, causing them to be stronger and more durable against the elements.”

The spiral allows not only a plant to stay secure but humans too, as is reflected in our psychological growth. Carl Jung said, “Psychologically you develop in a spiral; you always come over the same point where you have been before, but it is never exactly the same – it is either above or below.” In the quote’s context, he’s speaking about how internal healing is not linear, but this sort of spiral healing is something people potentially can experience externally too. One example is the Spiral Dance.

The Spiral Dance (also known as the grapevine dance and the weaver’s dance) is a group dance practiced in neopagan circles, especially in feminist Wicca and the associated "Reclaiming" movement. It emphasizes community, rebirth, and raises power in a ritual, according to Starhawk, a witch who wrote a book, The Spiral Dance, in 1979.

The first Spiral Dance was performed at Fort Mason in San Francisco and was intended to meld art, music, and politics as well as to celebrate the publication of Starhawk’s book, according to Georgie Craig. “Dancing was key to the original Spiral Dance,” she wrote. “Medea Maquis created a tree of life with the faces of the Triple Goddess around which the Goddess invokers danced.”

Since then, the Spiral Dance has turned into a yearly ritual and currently exists as a Samhain celebration to honor the dead and celebrate rebirth. And yes, it also took place during the pandemic, when it was held online!

The dance usually involves a drumming group and a chant or song in addition to the dancers. All members hold hands and follow a leader in a counter-clockwise motion using a grapevine step. As the leader nearly closes the circle, the person whips around and begins moving clockwise while facing the rest of the dancers. By continuing the formation, every dancer in the line will eventually be face to face with every other dancer. In this way, the Spiral Dance itself is an embodied practice of healing not being linear.

I was first introduced to Starhawk in 1998 via an undergraduate teacher and mentor. We went to hear a lecture by, move with, and meet Starhawk at UPenn. When I moved to the West Coast, I participated in the Spiral Dance regularly and entered an alternative state of consciousness. It was like a psychedelic experience without the external substance. The group experience was important…seeing all the faces….feeling the hands I was holding and the energy that both surrounded me and was being generated from within and without.

The richness of the Spiral Dance stems from not only the movements and the crowd of people, but also the ecopsychology aspect. Ecopsychology asserts the human psyche can be more deeply understood through and with a relationship to nature. The Spiral Dance invokes nature by acknowledging the presence of our environment as a living being that we interact with. In that way, the Spiral Dance is spiritual, but also it mirrors healing taking place among community because people are joined together, holding hands, and supporting one another in the process.

It goes back to a principle I affirm over and over again: It takes a village to be a human. If you’re at all interested in the Spiral Dance, I recommend researching it further and watching the YouTube link of 2021’s Spiral Dance. Who knows? It may potentially bring healing and integration.

References

Craig, Georgie. “The Beginning of the Spiral Dance.” Reclaiming Quarterly. http://www.reclaimingquarterly.org/web/spiraldance/spiral4.html. Accessed April 5, 2022.

Starhawk. The Spiral Dance. New York: HarperCollins, 1979.

Divine Mother Prayer Dance

The Divine Mother Prayer Dance is a ritual dance that was created especially for Swami Radha, of Yasodhara Ashram.

In her secular life, Swami Radha was a renowned professional dancer. This is a skill she turned to devotion as sacred dance to the Divine.

The dance is performed with Mudras - that is, sacred and meaningful gestures of the body. Unfortunately, these are very difficult to explain in written form. If you'd like to learn the Divine Mother Prayer Dance mudras, it is taught through Radha Centres and Yasodhara Ashram. (Links open in new windows.)

But even when recited without the dance, the Divine Mother Prayer has incredible potential to reconnect you with the Goddess Within.

I recommend saying or dancing it several times in a row, before beginning your day.

This is the short form of the Divine Mother Prayer. There is a longer version, below, that invokes the Goddess in four of Her many forms, and expands the devotional part.

Divine Mother Prayer

O Divine Mother May all my speech and idle talk be mantra All actions of my hands be mudra All eating and drinking be the offerings of oblations unto Thee All lying down prostrations before Thee May all pleasures be as dedicating my entire self unto Thee May everything I do be taken as Thy worship O Divine Mother

Divine Mother Prayer Dance (The Whole Thing)

O Divine Mother In the form of Annapurna, the giver of food, we worship Thee. May we ever be grateful for the nourishment of the teachings.

In the form of Lakshmi, you hold the Lotus of Higher Consciousness, which is rooted in the mud of earthy existence. Bless me.

As Durga, seated on the Lion's throne, you courageously slew the buffalo-headed demon of egoism and pride. Though you are fierce, yet we need not fear you. You seek only to liberate us from selfish ignorance.

As the Goddess Saraswati, you play the Veena, and inspire us with the heavenly lure of Divine Inspiration. Goddess of Wisdom, come to me.

O Divine Mother May all my speech and idle talk be mantra All actions of my hands be mudra

I place down the Siva Linga, and pick up rose petals for my worship. I scatter the petals in gratitude for thy Divine Abundance.

Placing down the flower basket, I lift up the sacred lamp. I shine it in all directions, ever seeking a vision of Thee.

Placing down the lamp I pick up the sacred bell. May it ring clear and dispel all gloom and negativity. May I ever hear your call.

Please accept my offerings.

May all eating and drinking be the offering of oblations unto Thee. All lying down prostrations before Thee. May all pleasures be as offering my entire self unto Thee, May everything I do be taken as Thy worship. O Divine Mother.

It is believed that through dance, practitioners are able to connect with the natural forces of the universe and tap into their own inner power. Wicca dance often incorporates elements of improvisation and free movement, allowing participants to express themselves and connect with the energy of the ritual. It is not about performing set choreography or adhering to strict movements, but rather about allowing the body to move in response to the music and the energy of the moment.

How to Pray with the Divine Mother Prayer Dance

When praying to Divine Mother, this prayer dance is a powerful expression of devotion. You are using your body, your mind, your breath, your heart . . . all in a harmony of celebration.

Every aspect of that is a gift from Divine Mother, and when you show Her this prayer dance, She receives not only the gift of your prayer, but the understanding that you value these wonderful gifts.

With Brightest Blessings,

Dance is a powerful tool for magical and spiritual work in Wicca, as it engages both the body and the spirit. It can be a transformative experience, allowing practitioners to release negative energy, awaken their senses, and open themselves to the divine. Wicca dance is often performed in a circle or sacred space, with the dancers holding hands and moving together in rhythm. The circle represents the unity and interconnectedness of all things, and the movement within the circle is a way of honoring and celebrating this connection. In conclusion, Wicca dance is an integral part of Wiccan rituals and ceremonies. It is a way of connecting with the divine, raising energy, and expressing spirituality through movement. By engaging in Wicca dance, practitioners are able to tap into their inner power and create a sacred space for connection with the gods and goddesses of the Wiccan pantheon..

Reviews for "Dance of the Witch: Channeling Ancient Wisdom in Wicca Rituals"

1. Emily - 2/5 - I was really excited to attend a performance of "Wicca Dance" as I am a fan of contemporary dance. However, I was left disappointed with the overall experience. The choreography lacked depth and originality, and it seemed like a mishmash of random movements with no coherent theme. The dancers also appeared unsure and hesitant at times, which further detracted from the performance. Overall, "Wicca Dance" failed to captivate me and left me wanting more from a contemporary dance piece.

2. Mark - 2/5 - Unfortunately, I found "Wicca Dance" to be highly underwhelming. The choreography lacked imagination and failed to build any emotional connection with the audience. The dancers seemed disconnected and the performance as a whole felt disjointed. The music choice was also questionable, as it did not enhance the mood or flow of the piece. I had high hopes for "Wicca Dance", but it ultimately fell short of delivering a memorable and impactful experience.

3. Sarah - 3/5 - While "Wicca Dance" had its moments, overall, I found it to be lackluster. The choreography had potential, but it never fully reached its peak and left me feeling unsatisfied. The dancers had skill, but their execution seemed forced and unnatural at times. Additionally, the lack of a clear narrative or theme left me feeling confused and disconnected from the performance. "Wicca Dance" had some promising elements, but it failed to leave a lasting impression.

4. Michael - 2/5 - As a fan of contemporary dance, I had high expectations for "Wicca Dance", but unfortunately, it fell short. The choreography lacked innovation and failed to captivate me. The dancers lacked synchronization and their movements seemed disjointed, which made it difficult to fully engage with the piece. The overall performance felt unpolished and left me searching for a deeper meaning or purpose. While some sections showed potential, "Wicca Dance" ultimately left me disappointed and wanting more from a contemporary dance performance.

Weaving Magick with Movement: How Wicca Dance Enhances Spellwork