The Dance Continues at the 35th Annual Spiral Dance Ritual in San Francisco

San Francisco, CA, October 01, 2014 --(PR.com)-- On November 1, 2014, Reclaiming, a San Francisco Bay Area based international spiritual network of Pagans and Witches, celebrates its 35th Anniversary of the Spiral Dance Ritual at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco. This annual Reclaiming ritual is one of the largest and oldest Pagan ceremonies in the United States. Linked into a giant chain, over a thousand people will participate in the winding dance that symbolizes rebirth and renewal. Over 250 volunteers create this event, which raises funds for Reclaiming’s classes, workshops, free pubic rituals, and publications throughout the year.

This year’s intention: "With the help of ancestors, descendants, and the great powers of nature, we weave magic and action to save our home!"

“This ritual is elaborate and spectacular, but also very personal and intimate—a chance to experience the real meaning of Halloween: that death is not something to fear, but a part of the circle of life, and our Beloved Dead remain connected to our community. We come together to mourn, but the ritual is a true celebration of life.” -- Starhawk, author of The Spiral Dance

Halloween, or Samhain (pronounced sah win), is the Witches’ high holiday marking the beginning of the New Year. It is a time to honor the ancestors, and those who have recently died, and acknowledge the newly born in celebration of the regeneration of life.

Witchcraft or Wicca, the ancient, pre-Christian nature-based indigenous religion of Europe and the Middle East, and its sister earth-based Pagan traditions are among the fastest growing religions in the U.S. today. (Billips, Andrea, "What a Wicca Situation!" Insight on the News, Jan. 1, 2001, vol. 17, issue 1, 1051-4880; (2) "Religion Notes," Publishers Weekly, Aug. 28, 2000, vol. 247, issue 3)