God Wears Lipstick: Kabbalah for Women [Hardcover]

Karen Berg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 24, 2005

For millennia, the spiritual science known as Kabbalah has not only been skewed towards men and their issues, but women have literally been forbidden to study it — and in many cases, still are. Now, Karen Berg, co-director of The Kabbalah Centre, the largest international organization devoted to teaching and promoting Kabbalah wisdom, breaks this barrier. God Wears Lipstick contains the tools for women to dramatically increase their sense of fulfillment, passion, communication, and understanding of life. The author covers such subjects as what it means to be a woman, the meaning of life and love, transforming potential, attracting the perfect mate, and how to create a better sex life. The book is structured around Kabbalistic "tools" — the Sharing Tool, the Conflict Tool, the Effort Tool — which makes its ancient lessons intelligible and inspiring to modern readers.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 190 pages
• Publisher: Kabbalah Publishing; First Edition edition (February 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571892435
• ISBN-13: 978-1571892430
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,090,180 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I don't know much about kabbalah but..., August 2, 2005

By 

bookfan - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Wears Lipstick: Kabbalah for Women (Hardcover)

I don't know much about Kabbalah, but I do know that the section in this book called "TOOLS" has just become my Bible. The author explains how to have compassion without being a doormat, how to take responsibility without feeling guilty, how to love yourself without becoming full of yourself and more. In life, you can never have enough support. I feel like Karen Berg has become one of my best girlfriends, guiding me along life without being condescending, and with all of her wisdom, I truly wish she could be my friend.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Its the subtle things that count, August 2, 2005

By 

S. E. Kelman (Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God Wears Lipstick: Kabbalah for Women (Hardcover)

I've read a lot of Kabbalah, studied with a lot of 'experts', but no one's words have spoken to me the way Karen Berg did. This book shows a real, live woman putting Kabbalah into action in her own life, and therefore changing the world. This book is obviously a must read for any woman who feels even remotely like she could use a little help here and there, and would also be a big help for any guys who are looking for insight into Kabbalah and the female mystique. Karen does an amazing job of keeping her feet on the ground and her sights on the heavens, and I think we could all use a little guidance on how to do that in our own lives.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Engaging Read, March 17, 2006

By 

Janet Boyer "Author, Blogger, Radio Host" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God Wears Lipstick: Kabbalah for Women (Hardcover)

"All energy is good because there's only one source for it. And what is that? The Light of the Creator, of course. There are no other batteries in this world. But the manner in which we receive the Light will determine if that energy will manifest itself as a short circuit or as a lasting current of fulfillment." - From the book

There was a time when the ability to study the Kabbalah was reserved only for 40-year old men. Thankfully, Kabbalists such as Karen Berg-co-founder of the Kabbalah Centre-are bringing this ancient Hebrew wisdom to the mainstream, allowing women and people of all ages to benefit.

There are three types of "Kabbalah". The original Kabbalah-and that which the Kabbalah Centre teaches-is an ancient Hebrew esoteric system. At some point, Christians began tailoring the teachings to their beliefs, which is known as Cabala. Finally, ceremonial magicians and some Tarot readers use an occultic version of this system-Qabalah-concentrating mostly on the Tree of Life.

The Tree of Life is a consistent part of all three systems, and while Berg doesn't mention the Tree directly, she does address the left, right and middle columns in her book God Wears Lipstick. According to Kabbalah, the right column is the Desire to Share and is characterized by giving, strength, and the energy of fulfillment. This is the masculine part of the Tree called Zeir Anpin. The left column is the realm of feminine energy and the Desire to Receive. That is, there is a natural motivation to accomplish things and get things in life. This is known as Malchut, which means recipient or vessel.

Using a light bulb analogy to explain the creation of the Universe according to Kabbalah, Berg describes the middle column of the Tree as a "filament" that resists the energy given by the left column. This resistance to receiving for the self alone determines whether we have a megawatt shine or the proverbial dim bulb. Humans generate Light when they "restrict", or hold back, habitual negative, selfish reactions and allowing our proactive, sharing nature to emerge.

Berg has written God Wears Lipstick to show the spiritual complexity of women as Light bearers, who are imbued with dual energy-that of both receiving and sharing. She says, "The female is born with tremendous spiritual power, whereas the male has to earn his." Thus, masculine energy needs to be corrected in both males and females so we can live out of the middle column of the Tree. That is, the idea of being proactive and not receiving for the self alone, which is known in Kabbalah as the Bread of Shame.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from God Wears Lipstick:

"...Kabbalah explains to us that spirituality is about accepting that our whole reason for being is to share."

"Rather than relying on an ego that says, `I'm okay and the rest of the world is a problem', it's the capacity to say, `I'm willing to see that I need to improve myself, and I'm willing to give before I take.'"

"We are attracted to those who reveal unresolved issues in our own lives-the tikune we have come to earth to correct."

"You must share of yourself in a way that permanently improves the quality of life in this world."

"Spending too much time concentrating on yourself-the gravitational pull of `me, me, me'-is the seed of all problems."

"A sense of entitlement and the act of complaining are two clear-cut indicators that you're mired in Bread of Shame."

"From your soul's perspective, you're fortunate when a driving force appears from above that removes you from your comfort zone."

The author encourages women to be proactive and self-responsible, explaining Kabbalistic tools such as forgiveness, tolerance, honesty, astrology, reincarnation and prayer. Berg believes that relationships are the number one Kabbalistic tool, providing us with wonderful opportunities for spiritual growth and transformation. Thus, she spends a good deal of time discussing intimate relationships, as well as friendships and the parent/child interactions.

Although I am familiar with the western magical tradition known as Qabalah, I'm not well versed in the pure Hebrew version of Kabbalah. Yet, I "got" the author because of my familiarity with the columns. If I wouldn't have had some background on the Tree of Life, however, I would have been lost reading God Wears Lipstick. Yet, I found this engrossing book irresistible. Berg is an able teacher and engaging writer, taking the Kabbalah from the realm of the abstract, distilling it, and presenting its wisdom for practical use. If you're interested in exploring Kabbalah, especially in terms of feminine energy and self-empowerment, God Wears Lipstick is a fine introduction to this fascinating Hebrew esoteric system.