As new life blossoms forth, Reclaiming witches gather and sing our favorite Springtime chant: She Changes Everything She Touches (aka Koré Chant) by Starhawk.
The chant celebrates the changing of the seasons and calls forth the Goddess in each of us. In a time when our magic is urgently needed to reshape the world, the chant challenges us to become world-changers.
She changes everything She touches, and everything She touches changes
Ella cambia todo lo que toca, y todo lo que toca, cambia
She Changes Everything/Ella Cambia Todo was one of the earliest chants written by Starhawk. First sung around 1980 for a crossing-over ceremony, the song became a chant to the maiden goddess Koré (aka Persephone) when new verses were added – see below.
Koré Chant and Persephone’s Return
Koré /Persephone is a Mediterranean deity who bridges Earthly life and the Underworld. Ancient myths tell how she joins Hades in the Underworld for part of each year (in Reclaiming we emphasize Persephone’s agency and choice, not abduction), then returns to the Earth to join her mother Demeter and rejuvenate life.
Although there is a lively debate as to when Persephone’s return occurred in ancient times, many Northern Hemisphere Reclaiming groups celebrate it at Spring Equinox, when new life is sprouting in our locales.
Reclaiming’s Spring Equinox often includes an “Ostara Egg Hunt” for kids and adults alike. As people return to the ritual circle, we mix a big bowl of egg salad, stirring in the magic as we sing She Changes Everything/Ella Cambia Todo.
The Koré Chant, an Evolution
The Koré verses were written and sung by Rose May Dance and other members of the original Reclaiming collective, and recorded for the Chants: Ritual Music album.
Her name cannot be spoken, her face was not forgotten
Her power is to open, Her promise can never be brokenAll seeds are deeply buried, She weaves the thread of seasons
Her secrets darkness carries, to love beyond all reasonAll sleeping seeds to waken, the rainbow is Her token
Now Winter’s power is shaken, in love all things are brokenEverything lost is found again, in a new form, in a new way
Everything hurt is healed again, in a new time, in a new dayBright as a flower and strong as a tree, with our love and with our rage
Breaking our chains so we can be free, with our love and with our rageWe are changers, everything we touch can change
Changes, touches, touches, changes
Reclaiming Chants Go Bilingual & Electronic!
Reclaiming first recorded this song around 1990, which is included as Koré Chant on the Chants: Ritual Music album. In addition to the 2024 bilingual Spanish-English folk-rock arrangement, we have also released a house version as the first of several classic chants to go electronic.
As we worked on new arrangements of favorite chants by Starhawk and others, it struck us that many of the classics are around 120 bpm – perfect for house and dance mixes!
The new mixes suit a new generation of singers and musicians. Young folks who sang backups on past recordings are now lead vocalists for our ensemble.
You’ll hear Irene Rojas-Carroll singing in English and Spanish on this chant, including the house remix/electropulse version above.
You’ll also find new versions of We All Come from the Goddess, Rise with the Fire, and other neopagan chants on streaming sites.
A Muzak Remix?!
Rumor has it that this elevator version is Starhawk’s favorite version of the chant – especially as she gets older and has to get up and down flights of stairs.
More Starhawk Chants
She Changes Everything (folk blues version) is the opening track on Reclaiming’s new album of chants written by Starhawk: Starhawk’s Pagan Chants. The album includes Rise with the Fire (samba version), Weave and Spin (campfire version plus a disco remix!), Rising of the Moon, When We Are Gone, and more, recorded by Reclaiming’s Campfire Chorus – perfect for rituals, classes, and singing along! You can learn more and listen to the whole album here.
And check out all of the Reclaiming Playlists: https://www.weaveandspin.org/playlists
This post composed for Reclaiming by Luke Hauser.
Featured photo: Campfire at Witchlets in the Woods by Alla Irwin
For more information about Reclaiming, including their collected articles here on Pagan Song, their bio, and links to Reclaiming on the web, check out the Reclaiming page here on Pagan Song
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