Women’s Rites, Women’s Mysteries is a well-written, thoughtful, and useful book that can help women with important passages in our lives, as well as with everyday life. The book is well grounded in research and analysis. Ruth Barrett provides a level of insight seldom found in books of this genre.

     —Riane Eisler, best-selling author of The Chalice and the Blade and Sacred Pleasure

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Ruth Barrett brings her many years of experience in teaching and priestessing in the Dianic tradition to this book. Her thoughtfulness, intelligence, and depth of understanding make it a valuable resource and will open a new perspective for many Pagans. 

     —Starhawk, best-selling author of The Spiral Dance and The Fifth Sacred Thing

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Ruth Barrett has given us the missing link between a good and the great ritual. Millions of women are interested in goddess worship today, in personal or communal activities. There are many books to learn from, but Ruth Barrett has given us the depth and reasons why. She reframes the knowledge once again for the new generation, as we must for webbing the Goddess back into herstory. Ruth has thoughtfully deepened and filled the rest of the Dianic sacred script.

     —Zsuzsanna Budapest, best-selling author of The Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries and       Summoning the Fates

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Ruth Barrett’s wise words open the door to a greater connection with spirit through ritual. This book will be of aid and interest to any woman who wishes to deepen her understanding of this aspect of the spiritual search.

     —Patricia Monaghan, author of The Book of Goddesses and Heroines and Seasons of the   Witch

 

Even though this book was written for women, its lessons can be applied in any ritual context. Ruth Barrett challenges the reader to think about the process of creating rituals. This is no “cookbook.” Ruth covers many angles that are missing in previous books on ritual and fills in important details that other authors leave out. Definitely the best book on creating rituals that I have read.

     —Kerr Cuhulain, author of The Wiccan Warrior and Full Contact Magick

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Ruth is a great priestess. It is wonderful to have some of her vast experience captured on pages at last. With this book she has brought the Dianic tradition forward, clarified its Goddess-centered premise, developed its thealogy, and provided strong material for ritual building. Women will use this book and the world will change. Most importantly, she has emphasized sisterhood and shared power; the soul of our movement.

     —Shekhinah Mountainwater, author of Ariadne’s Thread

 

Women’s Rites, Women’s Mysteries by Ruth Rhiannon Barrett, high priestess emerita of the Los Angeles Circle of Aradia, is the best book anyone, female or male, who has anything to do with rituals is going to find. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of practical experience in constructing and facilitating private and public rituals for large and small groups, Ruth speaks from her heart when she tells us how to do the work. This book addresses numerous issues of vital importance to all Pagans . . . Women’s Rites is one of the most useful books you’ll ever find on how to construct and facilitate a ritual. Whether you’re a hidebound Gardnerian or a hidden Myjestic or an adventuresome eclectic, whether you’re male or female, whether you do rituals every time the moon changes or just find a public Samhain ritual to attend—this is the book you need to be reading before you attend or participate in any ritual. As the thousands of women who have attended Circle of Aradia’s public rituals for twenty years can attest, Ruth is a superb ritualist. She knows how to construct and lead a ritual that will be meaningful to everyone in the room. She knows how to move the energy and keep people’s attention. If you have anything to do with ritual, buy this book and read it carefully. You won’t find better, more practical information anywhere else.

     —Sagewoman Magazine review, 2005

 

Women’s Rites, Women’s Mysteries is at out one of the most useful books ever written on ritual. The writing is very clear, the concepts are very understandable and the directions are concise and easy to follow. The rituals are adaptable for individual work or for group workings. Meditations are provided, as well as follow-up for after the ritual, for personal reflection on what you did or did not achieve. If you ever want to engage in ritual—public or private—buy this book!

     —The Beltane Papers review, Issue #39, 2006

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Ruth is a fabulous teacher and knows more about ritual than any priestess I’ve ever met.

     — Wendy Griffin, Academic Dean Emerita of Cherry Hill Seminary.

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