The Myth of the Goddess; Evolution of an Image details the cultural confirmation of Goddess worship since before the beginning of civilization to more recent times. The Goddess is revealed through time from Ancient Earth Mother to the Virgin Mary as an integral part of the human religious experience.

Detailed examinations of artifacts and sacred sites provide a compelling image of societies devoted to the Goddess as seen through Nature and the world around them. Themes in mythology and folklore are also explored as a means of further demonstrating the cultural and religious significance of Goddess to ancient people.

Epiphanies are hidden within the richness of the text, caught within the weaving patterns of the reality of the Great Goddess. Ideas and thoughts you once thought of as your own will suddenly be seen as intuitive realizations - reality forged through mystery.

This is a book that every Goddess-person should own - both clergy and lay person. The work contained in its pages will serve as a practical foundation for the (re)building of inherent human religious tradition and practice.



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Labels: Book Discussion and Review, Goddess

A note from this author's publicist was recently sent to my inbox. I have not read the book so I can not express my feelings on it just yet. It does look like something worth checking out though.

From my inbox: "Penned by Canadian author Tim Ward, Savage Breast, One Man's Search for the Goddess, is an honest and raw look at one man's growing awareness of his own deeply buried misogyny, his frustrated longing for women, and at the sametime his desperate fear of women and love. It examines how Western men may have damaged themselves by cutting themselves off from a feminine divine, and how earlier cultures viewed and worshipped their goddesses. Filled with amazing pictures of little known ancient Goddess temples and statues from around the world, Savage Breast is a fascinating mix of archaeology, travel, psychology, mythology ... and a love story as well."

Labels: Book Discussion and Review, Misc. News

I am currently reading this title for the second time which is something I usually do with a book that has many meditations and exercises. I read it once straight through and now I am going through and reading it more in depth and doing the journeys within its pages.

I must admit that I am fascinated by the idea of Celtic Shamanism. It's not a new concept to me, but it is one that I was not aware that I knew so much about. It seems Shamanism is something that most Pagans practice on a regular basis. It involves such things as "Know Thyself" (as talked about below) and Shadow Work that all spiritual people should complete - especially if they plan to be of service to others. There is much journey work involved as well which most of us are familiar with through meditation studies.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned so far is that Shamanism is universal. It is not for any one people to practice, but all people at one time practiced it and some still do today. Calling it Celtic Shamanism is simply an effective way for those of Western European decent to connect with the practice and the pivotal aspect of working with one's ancestors.

Within the book Shamanism is said to encompass many aspects; Healing, Divination, Bardic Arts, Warrior traits, Priest/esshood... It seems most practicing Pagans are involved in some form of Shamanism - connecting with the Earth and honoring ancestors, service to others through healing and education, knowing and accepting oneself and others, ect.

As I go through the pages again I will try to post my reflections here.

Labels: Book Discussion and Review

"The Self is free from qualities." That thing which is so deep, which belongs to all, it either--as I have already said--has all qualities, or it has none. You, to whom I am speaking now, your qualities, good and bad, are all mine. I am perfectly willing to accept them. They are all right enough and in place--if one can only find the places for them. But I know that in most cases they have got so confused and mixed up that they cause great conflict and pain in the souls that harbor them. If you attain to knowing yourself to be other than and separate from the qualities, then you will pass below and beyond them all. You will be able to accept all your qualities and harmonize them, and your soul will be at peace. You will be free from the domination of qualities then because you will know that among all the multitudes of them there are none of any importance!

Click the title of this post to be taken to the full work Pagan & Christian Creeds:
Their Origin and Meaning by Edward Carpenter

I was particularly interested in his take on the the three evolutions of human existence and his overall understanding of balance and oneness. This very compelling and thought provoking work was written in 1920.

Labels: Book Discussion and Review