"Circle Round and Sing!" Brings Family-Values Songs to Pagan Homes

If you don't like one song on "Circle Round and Sing!" just wait; there's a good chance you may like the next one.

"Circle Round and Sing!: Songs for Family Celebrations in the Goddess Traditions" (Serpentine Music) is Anne Hill's companion CD to the book "Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions" by Hill, Starhawk, and Diane Baker. The 19 songs focus on magical practice and on connecting with natural phenomena--animals, the moon, the ocean, the sun. While some songs feature lyrics that refer explicitly to witches and goddess worship ("The Witch Song," "Holy Water, Sacred Flame"), most wouldn't raise an eyebrow in the most conservative households.

All the songs won't be to everyone's taste (for example, the first song, "Circle Round," has a distinctive bluegrass twang that some may find off-putting), but the album features such a variety of styles that all should find something to enjoy. "Circle Round and Sing!" is less about artistry than it is about building family togetherness. The lyrics are simple, and the singing and instrumentation fairly basic.

But despite its simplicity (or perhaps because of it), "Circle Round and Sing!" achieves its objective; it's almost impossible not to sing along to the catchy melodies and repeated words. Some of the songs will get you dancing too ("Heat of Our Heart's Desire"), and others are deeply spiritually uplifting ("Dance the Gift of the Summer Sun"). The album is a must for any pagan family, indeed for any family with a reverence for the natural world.