Woman Most Wild: Three Keys to Liberating the Witch Within

Do you know someone who has been interested in the feminine divine for a long time but hasn’t taken that next step forward? Danielle Dulsky provides the three keys to unlocking “the broom closet” in Woman Most Wild: Three Keys to Liberating the Witch Within.

For the author, the three keys are: Each woman’s physical, emotional and spiritual rhythms as they intimately converse with those of the natural world; personal practices of magick and ritual; and “a sacred circle of other wild women.” Dulsky gives many different rituals, meditations, and resources to help unlock each woman’s connection to the feminine divine.

Woman Most Wild points out that the term witch may be spiritual, but is not religious; Dulsky differentiates between the religion of Wicca and its associate spiritual practice, Witchcraft, and asserts that no matter what religion you may practice the techniques in this book will deepen your feminine self.

You’ll find quite a number of resources in this book, including work with the lunar and solar cycles, spells, and exercises.

I especially liked the exercise in making your own personal goddess cards; in a given week, starting on any day of one’s choosing, you make representations of the goddess based on what you are feeling. This invites additional exploration of a particular part of the feminine divine and imbues a much deeper meaning than if the witch had purchased a tarot or oracle deck that focused on the feminine divine. Having the reader make her own tools is a great step toward the second key, the personal practice of magick and ritual.

The most challenging of the three keys to me is the last one. Finding people of a like mind to practice with can be difficult, especially for those who are still stuck in the broom closet. It takes a tremendous amount of bravery to step out and wholly embrace, but this book gives you the tools to do just that.

Dulsky uses a style in this book that I haven’t seen used in a long time: It’s written in the 2nd person. In other words, she speaks directly to the one person who is reading this book. It may take a little time to become accustomed to it, simply because very few books are written this way. But it is a welcome addition here; it can be exceptionally empowering, because the reader feels another spiritual woman is personally guiding them. And as the author identifies herself as an equal—not as superior to the reader--the style doesn’t come off as a power play.

While I am male, I didn’t consider myself an outsider reading this book because, as Dulsky says, “Every living aspect of our natural world embodies the masculine and the feminine.” Given the title, many men may not pick up this book right away. But I feel it’s an excellent choice for anyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender, who is serious about exploring the feminine divine in their own life.
 
~review by John Marani

Author: Danielle Dulsky      
New World Library, 2017
pp. 235, $15.95 US