Dancing in the Flames [Hardcover]

Marion Woodman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 1996

Dark, earthy, and immensely powerful, the Black Goddess has been a key force in world history, manifesting in images as diverse as the Indian goddess Kali and the Black Madonnas of medieval Europe. She embodies the energy of chaos and creativity, creation and destruction, death and rebirth. Images of Her, however, have been conspicuously missing in the Western world for centuries—until now, when awareness of the Goddess is re-arising in many spheres, from the women's movement to traditional religion, from the new discoveries of quantum physics to the dreams of ordinary men and women. Why now particularly? The answer provided by Marion Woodman and Elinor Dickson is bold and thrilling: the reemergence of the Divine Feminine in our time indicates our readiness to move to an entirely new level of consciousness. The reemerging Goddess calls for a shattering of rigid categories, a willingness to hold opposites without opposition. She calls us to marry reason and order to creativity, and to embrace the chaos that can ultimately lead to wisdom and transformation on personal and global levels.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

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.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Dancing in the Flames contains a veritable feast. . . . Powerful theoretical writing."—Psychological Perspectives



"This powerful book about the Dark Goddess is a rich and intimate exploration that brings together history, mythology, psychology, and religion. The authors have written a seed text that is wise, vigorous, and
revelatory."—Joan Halifax, author of The Fruitful Darkness



"Dancing in the Flames gives us a remarkably rich and deep knowledge of the Dark Goddess. Her hidden presence in the psyches of men and women becomes visible through Marion Woodman and Elinor Dickson's perceptive insights. Seen and unseen, appreciated or denigrated, in history, myth, and culture as well as in individuals, the Dark Goddess carries transformative power and feminine wisdom, which are revealed in this beautifully conceived book that can affect the reader like a major dream or evocative poem."—Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D., author of Crossing to Avalon and Goddesses in Everywoman --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala; 1st edition (April 9, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570621993
• ISBN-13: 978-1570621994
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #432,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great take on the role of female mythology in society., August 23, 1998

By 

David Chai ([e-mail]) (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dancing in the Flames (Paperback)

Dancing in the flames really does shed a new light on a fascinating subject close to all of us, the role of the feminine and masculine in society. And it does this in such a simple and easily digestible fashion, that powerful concepts can easily be understood by almost anyone. It both challenges and inspires. I highly recommend it.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crocodile in "Mud", August 26, 2006

By 

D. anderson "Spiritual Quest" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dancing in the Flames (Paperback)

I like this book immensely. The imagine of a crocodile in mud has great imagery for me. Stuck in the mud! What a concept! The book is about transformation, transform the soul, thoughts and viewpoint. The first chapter blew me away. When I read, even if we had a bad mother that raised us, we will always be searching for the creative and loving mom. Our society has hit that peak a long time ago, where mothers turned to alcohol,drugs, food sex, shopping and fear.
We all have a need to know who we are and how the feminine, truly the feminine can affect us and everyone around us. The book is easy to read and you can get it with in the first few pages.I would reccommend this book for anyone on path of knowing. Men and woman!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books out on Transformation, October 29, 2008

By 

Sacred Flame "sacred flame" (Menlo Park,, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dancing in the Flames (Paperback)

I have loved every minute of this book. I'm still trying to absorb and identify with the transformational processes described in this book. Woodman does an excellent job of explaining the abstract images the mind provides us in dreams, as a way of understanding our past and our path to transformation and healing. I plan on giving this book to every friend who is ready to dig deep and work on healing the past.