Customer Reviews

Ode to Minoa

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

 

 

A wonderful story that deals with timeless ideas and issues of birth, love, transition, initiation, and death. This book is a great mixture of history and fantasy of a Snake Priestess of Minoa in the Bronze Age who has visions of the future. The imagery in the book is incredible and I found it spellbinding.

I found myself living right along with Aureillia in her experiences of leaving childhood, claiming her power, becoming a priestess, and birthing her child. The power of her life, ruled by the cycles of the moon, rekindled in me an ache to have ceremonies as a part of everyday life. As a mother, it also reminded me of the power of initiation in life, one generation to the next.

Ode to Minoa's characters are strong, confident and magical. Theresa Dintino creates male and female characters that are equally strong; dealing timeless issues. The author is very knowledgeable about history, ritual and ceremony and weaves it into the story in a way that I felt myself right in the Bronze Age of Crete. (And, believe me that's not a place I've ever longed to study!)

I recommend it to anyone who likes good books! It would make a beautiful movie!

This book transports you to the exotic within you. It is a mythic journey that we all take. However, for all its spiritual growth and aesthetic appeal, the characters are as relatable as your cousin. This is no new age grope fest. It is a gorgeously written tale of love and personal evolution. You feel part of a powerful goddess sisterhood while staying with these intriguing women; however, the book is lovely in that it loves and respects men at the same time. I can't wait for Dintino's next book.

I have recommended this books to many friends & reading groups. This is a window into the past. It is the story of Crete of old & its Priestesses, one in particular. A new girl come of age, who shows the signs of having the gifts necessary to lead worship & receive the word of the Divine.
Her journey from beginner to Priestess is a magical and thrilling ride, which we are taken along with her. Through dance, snakes who bite induces prophecy, and underworld tunnels, this book is a must for all who crave an adventure on a spiritual level.
A 5 Star Winner!

In her story of the Cretan snake-princess, Auriellia, Theresa C. Dintino points all women in a direction where through meditation and experience they will find meaning regarding themselves. At a young age, Auriellia hears voices and sees things; the Cretan hierarchy interprets this as a divine calling to the priesthood of the snake. Under the tutelage of Barbara, Auriella undergoes the bitter journey of the acolyte, where when bitten by the snakes and saturated with their venom, her visions form prophesies that are recorded by the council of elders. She sees a future where the goddess is no longer worshipped and sadly women are persecuted for their herblore and mutilated by the world of men. Horrified, Auriellia is driven to look further into the meaning of her own life and to insure that people of the future remember the ancient mysteries.
Dintino manages to create the vibrant doggedness of Auriellia's character yet fails to give the reader the sense that she is a woman of another time. Her selection of the matriarical society of Minoan Crete to backdrop her message while intriguing was lackluster. I did not get a sense of the people or community. Mostly I would have liked to see more myth wrapped within the tale. Case in point, as the labyrinth is detailed within the story's structure as an intitiation ground, I would have enjoyed a reference to the minotaur myth. . . but, perhaps Dintino's tale predates this.
Overall this was an interesting spiritiual read; Auriellia's awakened feelings as a mother are right on the mark and beautiful to read.

I found the book mesmerizing. The content was uncomfortable at times but always thought provoking. I loved the spirtuality and depth in the book. I found myself wanting to share and discuss the book with a friend to absorb even more than I could by just reading it once. It captures the complexity of being a woman and leaves me feeling proud,purposeful and sad all at the same time.