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Ancient Wisdom For Times Of Change From Over 70 Goddesses
illustrator: Sarah Young Hay House 2003 ISBN #1-4019-0559-5
Goddesses is an absolutely amazing tool of personal empowerment through connection with the ancient wisdom of the Goddesses. Done in muted pastel colors, and with gorgeous, detailed illustrations, this book grabs your attention (and your soul) from page one. A soft cover book, the front and back covers utilize a technique that I have never seen before - they carry a flap that is approximately half the size of the page, with the front flap detailing information about the book, and the back flap detailing information about the author. I found this quite intriguing - Hay House continues to impress with the presentation of its publications! Dr. Jennings is a state registered drama-therapist, play therapist and personal coach in the UK. She also lectures internationally, and is a social anthropologist. One of the biggest gifts that her work brings us is that anyone, from any cultural or religious background, can assess and put to use the Goddess myths and stories, as well as the meditations, exercises, chants and reflections that are all a part of this book. We begin our journey into the world of the Goddesses with an introduction that talks about what the journey ahead entails, that it will involve change, and that by accessing the ancient wisdom of the Goddesses we can bring balance into our lives. The focus is on taking this ancient wisdom and placing it into our modern lives on a working basis, focusing strongly on connection to the natural world around us. Section 1 is where we meet and greet the elemental Goddesses. We see the myths a stories of individual Goddesses, and see how to put their energy into our daily lives. We meet the Goddesses of Fire (Fuji, Pele, Vesta, Sekhmet, Uvavnuk, and Brigid); Water (Oshun, Isis, Epona, Cordelia, Yemaya, and Sedna); Air (Ilmater, Freya, Hine Titama, the Harpies, Hyrokkin, and Lilith); and Earth (Pomona, Pachamama, the Black Madonna, and White Buffalo Calf Woman). Section 2 is where we meet and greet the Goddesses of the heavenly bodies: the Stars (Tara, Inanna, Ariadne, Nut, Evening Star Woman, and Venus); the Moon (Hina, Artemis/Diana, Arianrhod, Bendis, Anahita, and Rhiannon); and the Sun (Saule, Sophia, Ama-Terasu-O-Mi-Kami, Maya, Beiwe, and Olwen). Section 3 is where we meet and greet the Goddesses of the Journey of Life: Triple Goddesses - Maiden/Mother/Crone (Demeter, Persephone, Hecate, Morrigan, the Norns, the Muses, and Shakti); fertility Goddesses (Gaia, Arundhati, Thisbe, Atargatis, Uks Akka, Sar-Akka, Parvati, and Hathor); healing Goddesses (Mela, Kuan Yin, Panacea, Airmed, Die Hexe, and Sul/Sulis); and the Goddesses of creativity and knowledge (Bast, Minerva, Athena, Adriamhilala, Cerredwin, and Grandmother Spider). Dr. Jennings ends this book in grand fashion - with a discussion of the journey that the reader has just taken in their own lives, and of the beginnings that are found in all endings. This is a must read section if the reader truly wants to experience change in their life. The celebration of the end of the journey - a section on closings and blessings. It allows the reader to put the wisdom of the Goddesses, and the wisdom of their inner journey, into proper perspective. Filled with beautiful illustrations, myths, stories, meditations and exercises, this is a wonderful tool of personal empowerment. Each page, done in colors that compliment the Goddesses being presented (there are no white pages in this book), is a short, inspiring "time out" from the busyness of everyday life. Anyone, from any background, will feel comfortable working with this material.
Bonnie Cehovet
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