Review
The first calendars were lunar, menstrual ones used by Paleolithic shaman-midwives in community rituals and ceremony. Our ancestors knew that this primal pattern of the phases/faces of the Moon Mother can be projected onto larger and larger cycles, for understanding the passing of the seasons and the orbiting of celestial bodies. Like all of life, we humans are contained within holograms that imitate the simple lunar \"swing\" from light to dark, and back again.
Rowena Pattee Kryder\'s The Faces of the Moon Mother is a handy little guide-book for women (and men) who want to realign with the Mystery of the natural cyclic processes recognized by ancient people. She has synthesized esoteric from many different cultural traditions, and expresses her broad knowledge through her own poetry and drawings, commentary about how each phase of the cycle might be experienced, and simple visualization themes. She anchors the constantly changing emotional reality reflected in the monthly phases of the moon, and then applies that knowledge to the larger 29.5 year \"progressed\" lunar cycle that so significantly structures the transformational development of the human soul. This is a simple and profound book. --Vicki Noble author of Motherpeace Tarot and Shakti Woman
About the Author
from ART THERAPIST, ROBERTA SHUMACHER-BEAL: I know you would love Rowena\'s work, because she skillfully creates great artwork, AND, as well, incorporates the latest \"truths\" from science\" into her poster like pieces.... She seems to be an innate teacher, as well as artist, writer of 12 books and 5 card decks. Participation with the card decks allows the user to interactively have a whole brain, visual~verbal experience while \"working and playing\" with the decks.
Considering her imagery, I have some few specific differences of perception, from my symbology studies of 30 years, of looking at 1000\'s of unique individual imagery in art therapy sessions, yet her images, have come into an over view of a study which she calls morphology that is astounding, and may reach beyond the human limitations of archetypal image designations. ... Her imagery does have a certain coherence, within an extensive imagery that is entirely inventive and on an innovative pathway, that seems to build over a lifetime of work by a dedicated introvert, who is motivated by sharing her perceptions to help us travel through the millennial paradigm shift which is currently with us... Two things seem to contribute to her motivations: she is a mother of two brilliant sons, and now a grandmother.......... and her incessant curiosity about a world view, that goes beyond even a non-typical Western and esoteric view.
Rowena, from my perspectives, is more comprehensive, given her journey along a creative pathway that is even documented in one of her books. The Golden Echo: the life and art of Rowena Pattee Kryder, 1935-2007. Given my art therapy work with life review and my desire to read about the lives of artists since adolescence, I have seen NO OTHER book, like her Golden Echo, which documents the life journey of a visionary, with such rich illustrations and self-aware copy. The book is for sale on her web site, but I can share a copy with you........... especially if we go to visit her... I feel it needs to be in the library of every art department around.... I will be taking a copy to the Woods program when I go to teach in August....
