Customer Reviews

Circle of Stones: Woman's Journey to Herself (Circle of Stone Series)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Upon reading the first page, I wept. "Circle of Stones," started me on a journey I have yet to complete. It's not a long book, but it is profound. It allows the reader to believe she is able to experience any feeling and neither be put down nor be 'punished' for living with these very real sensations. "Circle of Stones" is a book to be read many times, each page will mean something else yet again, depending on the mood, the need or 'where' the reader is at any given time. It is a book based on the experience(s)of the author and a women's group...Reading "Circle of Stones," I am just beginning to believe I too could be part of a group...this book has opened my 'self.' Today I would dare to think of joining a group of women and share my deepest feelings. Read "Circle of Stones" and begin your own journey...it'll be some trip!

I can't tell you how this book touched my spirit. "How might (my) life have been different," if I had read this book when I was young and not 52 years. Better yet, how different it might have been if my own mother had read this book, or one like it, when I was young! I have recommended it to every woman who will listen, regardless of age. It is an oh, so gentle, yet oh, so powerful call to reconnect with ourselves and other women for common experience. It is NOT a man bashing book, quite the contrary, it merely calls for natural balance to be restored in our world. If you are a single father of a daughter, I recommend you read this book as a way of guiding your child...read it while she is young for future reference guidance. Mother's, it is not too late for you to learn from this book, and for you to guide your own daughters with it's wisdom.

This book has been a significant source of women finding within themselves the freedom to move ahead in our lives, to honor our past, and the pasts of our mothers, and grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. It is a wonderful source book for understanding how awesome Woman truly is, and it leads us deeper into knowing who we are, at a cellular level. As a group leader,I have found it to be of tremendous value as a guide book. A woman's group of 20, we call ourselves the "Circle of Stones Women's Group" and have been together for over a year now, in spiritual partnership, and as Earth sisters walking and working together for a better world. Another group will be starting soon! I highly recommend this book for groups and individual reading!

This book reads like poetry. It is deeply lyrical and has a flow to it like a dreamy, winding stream of music. It draws you in then goes inside of you, affecting your heart and ultimately your soul. There are moments of tears, moments of smiles and moments when you will say, "Ah, I understand that." You simply can't read this book and leave without being changed by it.

My process for ingesting this book was much like a holiday with the family: I gourged myself on everything I could get to, then grazed the rest of the day until I had consumed too much at once. I started out being frustrated by Ms. Duerk's writing style; but as I settled in, I became engulfed by the rhythm of the words, leading me to their wisdom. I realized that the writing style was necessary to slow me down enough to become immersed. "Circle of Stones" is the touchstone I've needed to start standing on my own in my own journey. I'm making a gift of this to several of my women friends.

With a combination of dreams and real life experiences, the author takes you down a path that many of us have walked before but never could give a name to. I have read this book many times, and many times, I am still moved by an empathy to the imagery given that can only come from the feminine. To find someone else give a name and a place to the 'void', and in turn, show you the way out exists without a 12-step program and a help-group, is an amazing feeling. Though the book is geared for a woman's group, it is not necessary in the least to have one to enjoy it 100%.

This book opened my life to freedom - what I have sought my whole life. It confirmed and helped me put into words the feelings and losses I've experienced. It helped me take the high-road and realize that "it's worth every inch." I now seek to pass it on, daily as I work as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Great book!

This book really put many of my feelings and ideas into perspective. It is a must for any woman who has ever suffered from depression. The first chapter was a little difficult as Judith Duerk builds the foundation for her Jungian philosophy of the lost archetype of the Great Mother. The following chapters flowed like honey through some pretty difficult concepts.
The philosophy of accepting "down time" and the lost art of slowing down to smell the flowers, is desribed and re- illuminated. A beacon of hope and understanding to any woman who wonders why they can't perform at 100% every day.
The supportive image of the woman's lodge where the Great Mother in all of us expresses herself, is comforting. The process where we individuate ourselves from the Great Mother really helped me accept both my masculine and feminine traits.
If you have ever put a career on hold, or struggled with the decision to choose betwenn a family and a career this book is for you.

This book is an excellant one to use for women's indepth retreats.
It aids in healing our negative memories. The group would focus on how to expand their horizons, challenge their mind, inspire their spirit while nourishing the soul. It is a good book for a multi-generational women's group. This book helps us to find the path to healing.

A senstive portrayal of modern woman's inward search for the meaning of her life, the quiet places in our souls, that must be found again. Her writing is fluid and poetic, a must for every modern woman, and refreshing after the barrage of feminist books of the seventies.