Customer Reviews

Goddess Alive!: Inviting Celtic & Norse Goddesses into Your Life

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4 star:		(1)
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Being a male in the Pagan community is sometimes difficult. Many Pagan books are geared to the female (and rightly so) but they are also mostly written FOR the female to read. NOT so with this book!! Michelle Skye has a wonderfull writing style that is extremely informative as well as 'Multi-genedered'. We men also worship our Goddeses, and it's a refreshing change to read such a WONDERFUL book that is writen for ANY person to read.
WELL DONE!!

As a folklore writer, I am always interested in acquiring new research materials for my library. As I already have a pretty extensive library, when I first saw "Goddess Alive!" by Michelle Skye I wondered if it could possibly offer me any information I didn't already have access to.

I was pleasantly surprised. The first section I turned to was the chapter on the Valkyries. I was so pleased to find that this chapter not only contained information about the Norse Goddesses who escort the slain battle heroes to Valhalla, and the Norse Goddess Freyja, but it also had some information on Brunhildr (sometimes spelled Brynhilde) that I'd never seen before. The names of the Valkyries are also given.

Goddess Alive! features 13 goddesses from Norse and Celtic folklore. They are connected to either seasonal dates or moon phases.

The first part of the book is titled "The Turning of the Year" and features the following goddesses:

The Winter Solstice: Cerridwyn, Welsh Goddess of Rebirth and Renewal
Imbolc: Brigid, Irish Goddess of Fire
The Spring Equinox: Eostre, Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring
Beltane: Freyja, Norse Goddess of Love and War
The Summer Solstice: Aine, Irish Goddess of Faeries and Fertility
Lammas/Lughnasadh: Danu, Irish Mother Goddess of Wisdom
The Autumn Equinox: Modron, Welsh Mother Goddess of Mystery
Samhain: Hella, Norse Goddess of the Underworld

The second part of the book is titled "The Faces of the Moon" and features the following goddesses:

Waxing Moon: Branwen, Welsh Goddess of Sovereignty
Full Moon: Maeve, Irish Goddess of Personal Power
Waning Moon: The Valkyries, Norse Goddesses of Battle Magic and Soul Journey
Dark Moon: Morrighan, Irish Goddess of Magic and Death
New Moon: Rhiannon, Welsh Great Queen and Horse Goddess

Each chapter is laid out into sections which include information on that particular goddess, the holiday or moon that they represent, a guide to a pathworking for that particular goddess, a guided meditation, an invocation to that goddess, an activity, and then a ritual.

The guided meditation is visually appealing, and rather complex, so you'd either want to record it or have someone read it to you. In the chapter on the Valkyries I chose to read the meditation several times over, then I just did the meditation on my own. I didn't enjoy this quite as much as recording it myself first, but it can definitely be done.

The information on the different goddesses is extensive and well-researched, and the details on the holidays and moon times are very informative. For the spiritual soul, the pathworking, activity and rituals are beautifully done and are sure to please.

Much more than a simple guide to ancient goddess mythology, I found "Goddess Alive!" to be not only informative, but beautifully laid out and rich in tradition and legend. I thoroughly enjoyed Michelle Skye's easy to read (and understand) writing style, and the illustrations by Kris Waldherr were beautifully done. I would highly recommend it to not only the folklore buff, but to all those interested in furthering their own spiritual practice.

I have to be honest, this isn't a book I'd typically pick up. The search tags include terms like "witchcraft", "Pagan rituals" and other terms, when really women, historical power, goddesses and learning from one's surroundings should be included. It's like a meditation or relaxation; a way to take a step back for a few minutes and re-examine oneself. The connections Michelle Skye makes to historical goddesses and their sources of power/ links to mother nature etc. are fascinating. I read a few lines, and despite my typical fantasy/literature/classical reading tendencies, found myself fascinated with the background and author's approach. I now own a copy : ) I love the way traditional ceremonies are examined in a new light. In today's world people are often too concerned with moving forward, quickly, rather than looking back and making connections. This book urges readers to ground themselves in the tradition of the past, while using that basis to move forward intelligently and in an informed way. The language is beautiful, painting a picture with every syllable, and the goddesses are beautifully illustrated. These images and female figures are strong, once again urging readers to examine (wo)mankind's role and goals in life and the potential outcomes.

I got a sneak peek of this book when I saw it as a friends house. I read a bit of it and was hooked. My friend said that she would loan it to me but I wanted my own copy. SOOOO I ordered it and I would highly recommend this book!!

I did enjoy this book, but was very saddened to see only 4 chapters dedicated to the Norse Goddesses out of the 13 in the book. She only covers Freyja, Eostre, Hella and the Valkyries. There are so many others in the Norse Pantheon that could have been included. I did see she included 4 more in her next book Goddess Afoot, which is nice, but still the Irish and Celtic Goddesses are more in number. I would love to see her write a book just about the Norse Goddesses.

She has done her research, but as I said before, I was disappointed to see only 4 Norse Goddesses in the book.

I'm really impressed with this book.So much information on each of the goddeses.The author shows you what these individual goddesses are all about by taking you on a personal journey to meet them.
There is so much more to this book than can be easily conveyed.
I'm certain that anyone who is interested in developing a more real and intimate connection with the celtic and norse goddesses will be right at home with this book.

My mom knows my interest in the Goddess, and picked this book up as a present for me. I was surprised and so happy! Skye really brings the myth of the different goddesses to life, and she writes in a way that tells the truth w/out alienating Christians. The illustrations are also beautiful. I'll definitly look forward to reading more of Skye's work, and trying some of the ideas and meditations in the book. There's nothing groundbreaking here, but it's a breath of fresh air all the same. I never thought there'd be a day when my Catholic mother asked to borrow her 28 year old daughters' book on Celtic and Nordic goddesses, but I was wrong. If nothing else, this book teaches the valuable lesson that the Goddess is for all women, not only Witches.

A well researched, and fundamentally sound book. As a retired world history teacher a found this book to be a wealth of information on Celtic culture. This early Indo-European people-The Celts-had a significant impact on the development of several Western European cultures. Many people are not aware of this early influnce. The Celts once dominated Europe from Spain to Scotland with a particularly strong predominance in Ireland and Wales. The history of both Ireland and Wales began decades before the arrival of Christianity.
Furthermore, in my opinion, this book recognizes the influnce of women in the culture of Celtic society. It is a creditable presentation of the role and efficacy of women in ancient cultures. Good Job Michelle Skye.

When I was able to sit down and read this book, which I've heard was coming for quite a while, I was immediately drawn into a universe of many of the Goddesses I know and love. Being able to travel with Them through Michelle Skye's immensely eloquent writing was a Goddess-send. I have been waiting for a book which would allow me to learn more about the Goddesses and also a way to meditate with Them and become more attuned with Them.
As a Pagan women, I guide my family in honoring the cycle of our year and the different cycles of the moon, and being able to associate a Goddess with each turn of those cycles is amazing. What an incredible tool to bring our beloved Goddesses back into our homes.
When I finished reading, I heard myself say "finally"! Finally an author who really understands! An author who understands that the majority of Pagan women and men need and WANT and CRAVE a way to connect to our roots... to the Goddesses of old. I truly believe it is Michelle Skye's calling to share the stories of the Goddesses with us ALL.
Thank you Michelle for your book and I will wait anxiously for the arrival of your next work of art.

I'm amazed at what I learned about the Goddesses, beyond what I ever imagined - what a delightful book and so well written. Michelle Skye, you definately have my interest. Looking forward to your next book.