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Cover of Drawing down the Moon

Drawing down the Moon

Margot Adler

First published 1979 · 646 pages

An immersive, empathetic journey into the living rooms and forest clearings of America's modern magical revival.

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What it feels like

Reading this feels like sitting in a circle of wise, eccentric friends as they share their deepest spiritual truths. It is a steady, deeply grounded exploration that blends the rigor of investigative journalism with the warmth of a shared campfire. The prose is clear and inquisitive, guiding the reader through living rooms, covens, and forest clearings with an empathetic and non-judgmental eye. Rather than sensationalizing its subject, the narrative cultivates an earthy, communal mood, inviting you to understand the profound human desire for a connection to nature and the divine. It is a foundational, deeply respectful read that will delight spiritual seekers, historians of counterculture, and anyone fascinated by the quiet, persistent magic of alternative communities.

Mood
  • earthy
  • communal
  • grounded
  • curious
Tone
  • empathetic
  • inquisitive
  • journalistic
  • respectful
  • earnest
Pace
steady
Themes
reclaiming spirituality · connection to nature · alternative communities · feminist awakening · seeking the divine
The writing
Clear, engagingly journalistic, and deeply empathetic, blending sociological rigor with warm personal observation.
The arc
Moves from open-minded curiosity to a deep, grounded appreciation for the diversity of earth-based spiritualities.
Who it's for
Seekers, counterculture historians, and anyone drawn to the roots of modern witchcraft and earth-based spirituality.
Content notes
  • religious prejudice
  • discussions of marginalization

About the book

Almost thirty years since its original publication, Drawing Down the Moon continues to be the only detailed history of the burgeoning but still widely misunderstood Neo-Pagan subculture. Margot Adler attended ritual gatherings and interviewed a diverse, colorful gallery of people across the United States, people who find inspiration in ancient deities, nature, myth, even science fiction. Contrary to stereotype, what Adler discovered was neither cults nor odd sects, but religious groups that are nonauthoritarian in spirit and share the belief that there is no one single path to divinity.

This fully revised edition of Drawing Down the Moon has been expanded to include an updated resource guide of newsletters, journals, books, groups, and festivals.

Description from Open Library.

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