The Book of Goddesses A Celebration of the Divine Feminine author: Kris Waldherr illustrator: Kris Waldherr Abrams 2006 ISBN #0-8109-7054-6 This is a revised and expanded Anniversary Edition of "The Book of Goddesses", which was originally published in 1996. Waldherr presents one hundred goddesses, from diverse traditions and cultures, through the vehicles of story and symbolism. Structured around the important feminine rites of passage (beginnings, love, motherhood, creativity, strength and transformation), "The Book of Goddesses" acts as a powerful statement of celebration of the Divine Feminine. Several things make this a must have book for anyone interested in Goddess wisdom: the depth of research, the clear, concise writing and the vibrant, stunning artistry. Waldherr has the innate ability to present her subject matter well, bringing to life, in great detail, abstract ideas. In her introduction, Waldherr goes into the history of goddesses, in their representation of the Divine Feminine. She describes the qualities that the individual goddesses carry as archetypal qualities, depicting the creative powers and talents that have always been associated with women. She discusses the concept of the triple goddess, representing youth, the fertile woman and the post-menstral woman, each of which carries her own distinctive energy. Waldherr has woven into "The Book of Goddess" most of the content of "Embracing The Goddess Within", the sequel to the original "Book of Goddesses". Her intent was to encourage the exploration and celebration of goddesses throughout history. In "Beginnings", Waldherr presents creation goddesses, including Gaia, Spider Woman, Tara, Aditi, Erda, Chang O, and Hathor. She also presents synopsis for several related goddesses: Amaterasu, Astarte, Biliku, Birra Nula, Mama Quila, Nogua, Nut, Shakti and White Buffalo Woman. In "Love", Waldherr presents goddesses who represent our personal experiences, including Venus, Rati, Persephone, Oshun, Psyche, Benzai-Ten, Hera and Xochiquetzal. Synopsis are also included for the related goddesses Aine, Arundhati, Blodeuwedd,Erzulie, Fortuna Virginensis, Fricka, Ken, Lalita and Tlazolteotl. in "Motherhood", Waldherr presents the concept of motherhood - Mother Moon, Mother Earth, Mother Nature, through the goddesses Yemanja, Juno, Haumea, Renenet, The Wawalak, Demeter and Maia. Synopsis are included for the related goddesses Abeona, Ajysit, Anuket, Heqet, Kishijoten, Mut, Rohzenitzn, Sar-Akka and Saule. In "Creativity", Waldherr presents the feminine connection with creative spirit. The goddesses presented include Brigit, Sophia, Athena, Freyja, Vesta, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, and Rhiannon. Synopsis are included for the goddesses Annapurna, Berchta, Danu, Glipsa, Haltia, Huchi-Fuchi, Ix Chebel Yax and Zhinu. In "Strength", Waldherr talks about the strengths inherent in women's souls. The goddesses presented include Oya, Kuan Yin, Isis, Artemis, Pele, The Zorya, Nyai Loro Kidul and Gwenhywfar. Synopsis are included for the related goddesses Cimidye, Cybele, Hygea, ogboinba, Saci, Satyavati, Sedna and Sekhmet. In "Transformations", Waldherr talks about the time of the crone, and the wisdom she carries. The goddesses in this section represent "magical powers that can lead us into the dark hollows of death and back again". The goddesses represented include Hekate, Maman Brigitte, Arianrhod, Inanna, Ukemochi, Iduna, Hsi Wang Mu and Changing Woman. Synopsis are included for the related goddesses Baba Yaga, Coatlicue, Isamba, Kali Ma, Mebuyan. The Moirae, Myesyats and Pajau Yan. Included at the end of the book are source notes and a selected bibliography. This is much, much more than a beautiful coffee table book. It is a book of celebration, and a book that can be worked with in many different ways. For anyone who wants to place goddess energy into their life, or to call on the energy of a specific goddess to help accomplish a goal, this book is an excellent resource. We need to retain our connection to the Divine Feminine within each of us. It is our connection to each other as well. © October 2006 Bonnie Cehovet Personal Lifestyle Reading - I offer a Personal Lifestyle Reading using Tarot that looks at past, present and future influences in your life, at the energies that are currently available to help you along your path, and at those energies that are appearing as challanges. My goal is to offer you insight into your decision making process, as well as tools that you can use to both better understand your path and make conscious, choice centered decisions. Home Personal Empowerment links Personal Empowerment articles Graphics by Art for the web