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Women's Spirituality Books from Amazon

The red tent is the place where women gathered during their cycles of birthing, menses, and even illness. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insider's look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of mothers and wives and their one and only daughter, Dinah. Told in the voice of Jacob's daughter Dinah (who only received a glimpse of recognition in the Book of Genesis), we are privy to the fascinating feminine characters who bled within the red tent.

Folklore, fairy tales and dream symbols are called on to help restore women's neglected intuitive and instinctive abilities in this earthy first book by a Jungian analyst. According to Estes, wolves and women share a psychic bond in their fierceness, grace and devotion to mate and community. This comparison defines the archetype of the Wild Woman, a female in touch with her primitive side and able to rely on gut feelings to make choices. The tales here, from various cultures, are not necessarily about wolves; instead, they illuminate fresh perspectives on relationships, self-image, even addiction.

Dance of the Dissident Daughter
by Sue Monk Kidd

This now classic memoir of an woman’s unexpected transformational journey from traditional Christianity to feminine spirituality has brought questions, clarity and deep wisdom to many, many women.  As Sue Monk Kidd’s story demonstrates, “the Truth may set you free, but first it will shatter the safe, sweet way you live.”  ~KVS

When I was in grade school band class and we were asked to choose an instrument, my first choice was drums.  The band director in the small town where I lived at the time flatly refused.  "Drums are for boys," he said.  Girls aren't strong enough to carry them in marching band." I didn't have any aspirations to play in his marching band (although if I would have, I'd have found a way to carry them).  What I wanted was to play the drums--for my own enjoyment.  That was denied me, so I chose the flute.  I was fascinated, then, to read Layne Redmond's historical account (based on research of humanity back to the Paleolithic Era as well as visits to many ancient sites) of women's spiritual power being linked to drumming as a way to move between the worlds, and the fact that one of the first acts of suppressing women was to take a way their drums.  Redmond also discusses the revival of drumming in women's circles and shamanistic practices.  Whether or not you're interested in drumming yourself, this is an interesting and accessible description of women's spiritual history.  ~KVS

The authors interviewed women across the country about "the unfolding of the sacred in their lives." A Seneca elder in upstate New York tells how the stones speak to her. "I'm just a vessel that God works through," says a community worker in Watts, Los Angeles, who radiates love to her "extended family." Other interviewees include a massage therapist, a professor of English, a rabbi, an ex-nun, artists, a Jungian analyst, Maya Angelou and members of a feminist spiritual community in Maine. Anderson, a Zen teacher, and Hopkins, coauthor of Good-bye to Guilt , conduct workshops across the country on feminine spirituality. If their writing has a rosy New Age tinge, the in-depth personal stories they relate are insightful, and their illuminating narrative is structured like a spiritual journey (childhood, leaving home, gateways, entering the sacred garden, relationships) to assist women in defining for themselves what is sacred. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In 1986, in the midst of a midlife crisis, Bolen (Ring of Power, HarperSanFrancisco, 1992) received an invitation to a pilgrimage to sacred sites in Europe. With three other women, she traveled to places such as Chartres Cathedral, Iona, and Glastonbury-where traditionally "one crossed the mists to Avalon, the realm of the Goddess." Bolen interweaves her personal spiritual journey and midlife passage with a discussion of the psychological significance of mythic quests and a reinterpretation of the Grail Legend that illuminates its feminine aspects. While lacking the storytelling immediacy of Clarissa Pinkola Estes's Women Who Run with the Wolves, Bolen's narrative has a sweetness that lingers with the reader. Many will respond to the author's hopes that her story will remind others of the importance of their own "soul journey." An essential purchase for public libraries; important also for academic libraries with popular psychology, women's, and religious studies collections.
Carolynne Myall, Eastern Washington Univ. Libs., Cheney

A classic from the day it was published in 1991, Sophia: The Goddess of Wisdom is an intensely scholarly yet highly poetic work. Modern history (his story) may have buried the Great Goddess under suffocating layers of denial and revisionism, yet as we move deeper into the "sophianic millennium," scraping away the fallow ground of patriarchy, She emerges anew. Author Caitlin Matthews unveils the veiled Black Goddess (the primal manifestation of the Divine Feminine) in her many hiding places over the last several thousand years.  --P. Randall Cohan

Powell, translator of Meditations on the Tarot and author of The Christ Mystery, brings an anthroposophic perspective to the feminine principle of the divine. While in the best anthroposophical manner Powell makes his subject somewhat elusive, it is clear enough that he finds evidence of the importance of divine and female Wisdom, East and West, ancient and contemporary. For larger collections, where there is strong interest in women's issues in religion. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Dancing in the Flames

According to the authors, the "Dark Goddess" is a female figure increasingly represented in the dreams and fantasies of modern people. The appearance of this creator/destroyer goddess who presides over both birth and death can lead the dreamer to a higher consciousness and greater engagement in living. The bulk of this book outlines the progress of patients undergoing analysis, describing the ways in which the Dark Goddess figure appeared in their dreams and fantasies. Unfortunately, Jungian analyst Woodman and clinical psychologist Dickson are clearly preaching to the converted. No attempt is made to explain the central importance of dreams, nor is evidence offered to support the supposed resurgence of the Dark Goddess. Patrons of most libraries will find better explanations of Jungian psychology from a female point of view in Jean Shinoda Bolen's Goddesses in Everywoman: A New Psychology of Women (LJ 7/84) or Clarissa Pinkola Estes's Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype (LJ 6/15/92). For very specialized collections of Jungian depth psychology material. Mary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, Wash.

The Way of Woman: Awakening the Perennial Feminine

Equality of value between men and women is an eternal truth, but this does not mean that men and women are not psychically and spiritually different -- profoundly so. A woman must live her life as a woman, with a woman's values, or she fails. In The Way Of Woman, Luke drew from the riches of the Bible, mythology, folklore, Greek tragedies, and modern poetry to reconnect women with lost feminine images, symbols, and values. She speaks with the power of a true sage on continuity, relationships, the women's movement, marriage and divorce, and mothering. Profound, graceful, and transforming, The Way Of Woman is a true celebration of feminine worth.

From Publishers Weekly
Waldherr (Persephone and the Pomegranate) ambitiously tackles no less than 26 goddesses in this comprehensive guide, which spans the globe from Navajo to Celtic to Japanese culture. Its ambitiousness, however, may be its Achilles' heel. Relegating each subject to one page of text with a facing page of illustration, Waldherr does not have the luxury of creating tension, crafting dialogue or establishing settings. The result feels uncomfortably like a series of highly compressed encyclopedia entries. Outside the context of a myth or story, these summaries may not hold the reader's attention, unless, perhaps, as research for school. In that scenario, the book is a useful resource, supplemented by an extensive bibliography and lush watercolors of each goddess in a setting reflective of her culture. All ages. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly
Boldly announcing her intent in the subtitle of the book, Matthews (My Very First Book of Princesses) retells the story of Genesis with a new spin, replacing original sin with the idea of "original blessing." Here, when Man and Woman eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge, God is not angry that they have ignored His warning (nor does the pair clothe themselves thereafter). Instead, God sympathizes: "You are frightened and upset." He explains that even though they have made a mistake, the "seeds of learning and caring will grow inside [them]" if they follow the four paths of life that lead out from the tree. Their special gift will be "a blessing seed.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6–Little more than an expanded dictionary, this book is more suitable for browsing than research. More than 100 goddesses are featured in the alphabetically arranged entries; each deity is allotted a paragraph that briefly explains her attributes or outlines a legend associated with her. The attention to goddesses from a dazzling multiplicity of cultures is laudable, but the shallowness of the material presented is regrettable. The writing is clear but lifeless. Ranging in size from small vignettes to full-page paintings, the watercolor-and-gouache illustrations are colorful and serve to break up the blocks of text. A different vertical border decorates the pages for each letter of the alphabet. Perhaps this broad introduction will whet readers' appetites and encourage them to delve further into the topic, but it's additional at best.
–Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY  Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Publishers Weekly
Eight different goddesses from Egypt to North America to Nigeria take center stage in The Lady of Ten Thousand Names: Goddess Stories from Many Cultures retold by Burleigh Mutan, illus. by Helen Cann. Readers learn about saintly goddesses such as Kuan Yin, who has been worshipped for centuries in China as the "goddess of kindness, mercy and grace" as well as deities with a darker side, such as Freya, the Scandinavian goddess of love and desire, sorcery and magic, war and death. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Beautifully illustrated, the book has 10 Bible-Based prayer stories: "God Birthing the World" (Genesis1:1); "Mother God Watches Over You" (not even one sparrow will fall without God knowing it. Matthew 6:26); "Grandmother God" (Psalm 128:5-6). The adults' preparation guide gives suggestions for making these stories more meaningful for childen- related play activities, questions for reflection and sharing of feelings. Children are invited to jump up in Mother God's lap as she tells them a story from her wonderful book the Bible. As the story and reflection come to a close, they are invited to give Mother God a hug and whisper "I'll be back" as they slide off Her lap. This is a nurturing and comforting book for adults as well. "I'll be back, too". Michele Anderson

Those of us who were raised in the Judeo-Christian tradition rarely heard the stories of Biblical women in church or synagogue.  I enjoyed reading these Old Testament tales--some familiar and some new to me--from the perspective of the women.  It was also a treat to share them with my daughter and a great supplement to her Catholic religious education.  KVS

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3. In a departure from the numerous versions of Noah and the ark, this story centers on Noah's wife, Naamah. After God commands Noah to build an ark and gather all the animals, he then commands Naamah to gather two of every seed. Dutifully, she collects seeds from every tree from "acacia to ziziphus," from every flower from "the amaryllis to the zinnia," and fruits and vegetables from "apples to zucchini." They are carefully arranged on the ark and clearly labeled as a garden, not as food supplies. This garden provides a peaceful respite for Noah and Naamah from the fretful and noisy storm-tossed animals. Later, it is Naamah who soothes the Raven sent out as the first messenger and plants all the growing things after the Flood and whom God calls the Mother of Seed. The text is low-key, descriptive, and suitable for reading aloud to audiences in search of a gentle heroine; it will appeal to those who revere growing things and enjoy biblical tales. The watercolor art aptly conveys the mood and provides vivid splashes of greens, reds, oranges, and blues although some of the scenes seem more appropriate for the Garden of Eden than the Flood. Susan Pine, New York Public Library
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The Star in My Heart: Experiencing Sophia, Inner Wisdom by Joyce Rupp

SOPHIA is the Greek word for wisdom and is the name of the feminine face of God in the Hebrew scriptures. Learning to call on Her for guidance and support is the core lesson offered by the author, a psychologically minded spiritual teacher. She uses personal examples and clear reasoning to help people find the direction we often overlook when we are feeling alone, betrayed, injured, or disillusioned by others. By calling on Sophia--more of an angel or patron saint than a female goddess--we feel less alone, less vulnerable, and stronger in our faith and generosity. . T.W. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine--

Prayers to Sophia is a touching and beautiful collection of prayers to a wisdom God. Over and over again, I found Joyce using words to express my own heart feelings when trying to articulate my God experience. I am grateful for her generous, honest and open sharing of her own personal experiences in these prayers.  Nancy McNulty, RSM

This book reproduces 41 paintings in full color, full page with white borders. It also includes a black and white photo of the artist on the back cover. The text is by the artist and provides insight in into the paintings' meanings, both personal and on a universal level. In the form of prose-poems, the ideas expressed are full of touching memories especially those of the artist's grandmother. The paintings are full of female imagery, multi-cultural Goddess symbols, and also Roman Catholic imagery.

Women's spirituality, suggests educator Harris, is a "dance of the Spirit" consisting of seven steps: "Awakening, Discovering, Creating, Dwelling, Nourishing, Traditioning, and Transforming." Each correction: The publisher informs us that the ISBN for Hyam Macco by and Wolf Mankowitz's The Day God Laughed: Sayings, Fables and Entertainments of the Jewish Sages (LJ 6/1/89) is 0-86051-467-6. We regret the error. step has its own chapter here, with introductory guidance in "Centering" (being still) and concluding exercises to help readers connect with insights. Very much an interfaith book (Harris draws on Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism), this is also quite feminist in a gentle, nonmilitant way and should appeal to questing women with a slightly New Age bent.  Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Women approaching fifty years of age will find this a celebration of change, teaching how to embrace the 'inner elder' and how to appreciate the increased freedom and sense of self which the aging process brings. Here is an excellent and lively story of celebration which should appeal to a wide audience.

Sampling from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, and Moslem traditions, Borysenko illustrates how women have, in fact, been journeying toward God in every age and in every culture.  Through a fresh look at old traditions, case studies, new rituals, her own story, and the stories of others whom she has encountered in their struggle to find God, Borysenko seeks to help women heal the anger they have felt toward their own spiritual traditions and discover a way back that incorporates their needs. 

Bridget Mary Meehan shows us that every single one of us is called to live a life beyond the ordinary. She presents the stories of mystics and activists in a language appealing to today's readers. You get to read about women who open a path of beauty and passionate living that can inspire everyone. What a great gift book this is for everyone from teens to seniors!  Artist Barbara Garro

Exploring the Feminine Face of God by Bridget Mary Meehan

This book provides a rich resource for women and men to discover the Divine Feminine within the Christian tradition in Scriptures, the mystics and contemporary writings. Through story, song, dance and journaling, individuals or groups can use this a source of inspiration to prayerfully engage a feminine image of God.

In this text the reader is allowed both the freedom to accept and the freedom to affirm those human traits and values that western culture has traditionally identified with woman.

This book Explores the spiritual dimensions of women's middle and late years through the use of stories, experiences and research from a variety of traditions and cultures.

 

Books By Isabella Catalog

Circle of Stones
Woman's Journey to Herself- The Bestselling Classic by Judith Duerk