Books
The Circle Within:
Creating a Wiccan
Spiritual Tradition
(2003, Llewellyn Worldwide)
The Circle Within is your guide to creating a personal spiritual practice for daily life. The first section is a thoughtful examination of Wiccan ethics and philosophy that explores how to truly live Wicca. The second section includes devotional prayers and rituals that provide inspiration for group or solitary practice.
Topics include: cultivating an ongoing personal relationship with deity, ethics and standards of behavior, concepts of sacred space, elements of a daily practice, tuning into the Wheel of the Year and the elements, and creating meaningful personal rituals.
Move beyond the basics of Wicca and enter the sacred space of the circle within.
The Body Sacred
(2005, Llewellyn Worldwide)
When you look in the mirror, do you see a Goddess?
For anyone who’s experienced a “fat day” or wished a doctor could make them younger, Wiccan Dianne Sylvan speaks candidly about overcoming body hatred and offers a spiritual path back to Divine femininity.
Sharing her own struggles with poor body image and self-acceptance, Sylvan explores how the impossible standard of female beauty has developed and endured. Emphasizing the Mother, the Healer, the Lover, and other archetypes of one’s relationship with the sacred body, the author provides a uniquely Wiccan approach to achieving a healthy, new self-perception as Goddess.
Other Works of Nonfiction
E-Books
Bowl, Book, & Spoon
(44 page .pdf download, available for $5 from Lulu.com.)
A collection of recipes, kitchen Witchery, and ideas for making the most important room of your home a sacred space.
Includes baked goods, desserts, main dishes, and cooking tips; Sylvan’s favorite magical herbs, prayers and blessings, and more!
(Check back soon for the 2nd Edition)
A Holy Instrument of Joy: 14 Days of Ecstatic Dance
(30 page .pdf download, $7)
A two week spiritual movement practice.
Daily prompts, suggested music, and opening/closing rituals to help you embody the sacred through dance.
Click on the cover art for more details.
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Essays and Articles
Of Gods, Goddesses, and Everything In Between – a piece I wrote for the Guardian.co.uk’s section “Comment is Free” which is normally populated with atheists and agnostics; read the article and the resulting commentary for the full effect.
From the Book of Menses – a humorous piece that I’ve always had a soft spot for, poking gentle fun at religions of various types but mostly at the ups and downs of being female.
Witch, Please – one of my most popular posts ever. Who knew that a fit of pique could bring such a positive response?
Dyslexic Cows Make the Best Meditators – on my evolution away from Wicca and toward…giraffe-dom.
On Being a Total Whackjob for God - kind of self-explanatory, really. Although it does mention burritos.
The Spirit of Nia – My experience at a Nia special event in February 2009.
Cooking and Food Essays
Third-Degree Secrets of a Kitchen Goddess – People often ask me, “Sylvan…why aren’t you wearing pants?” and I say, “What are you doing in my bathroom?”
Grand Times – Reminiscing about my grandmother’s gardens
Songs from the White & Nerdy Kitchen – It’s all about the tunes.
Spice, Spice Baby! – Working with spices isn’t nearly as scary as it seems. Here are a few tips.
Click here for the recipe archive.
On Ahimsa
Don’t Just Sit There Bitching – Doing something, no matter how small, can make a difference.
Cheer Up, Vegan Kid – Angry vegans and the alternative.
[...] part of life as sex was treated as something shameful and dirty. I had read Dianne Sylvan’s The Body Sacred (if you haven’t read it, seriously, drop whatever it is you’re doing (after reading [...]