Customer Reviews

Releasing the Goddess Within

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

 

 

This is the kind of book that just perfectly fills the void. It's positive, fun and inspiring. I picked it up when I was in a little bit of a funk. One of those things where I was going to the gym regularly, eating healthy stuff, not smoking, and not staying late at parties where I wasn't having a good time. And you know how if you behave extremely healthfully sometimes you can be left with a sad, empty feeling in the middle of it when you should be feeling good? This hit the spot. I've read a little about goddess stuff before, not a lot, and I was worried this would be way out there but I found it totally accessible. I think any woman who wants to explore the spirit and meaning in herself and in the world would find great stuff in here to think about, and exercises that can get you moving in a whole new direction.

I am very active in the pagan community, so I read a LOT of books on subjects like exploring goddess energy and changing your life through pagan-oriented practices. Let me tell you, most of them are BAD BAD BAD. Fortunately, Gleason and Feldman get it right in this fun book. This isn't heavy reading; it's a witty, practical, and USEFUL guide to unleashing the goddess forces that reside within all women. You don't have to be a pagan or into goddess worship to appreciate what the authors have to say, you just have to be open to embracing the powers of creativity, adventure, and self-acceptance. After all, goddesses were "created" to reflect the forces of nature and human spirit. This book encourages readers to define their own "magic powers" and develop more healthy, focused, and unpredictable lives!

This self-help (*not* hardcore pagan) book will do a lot to bridge the gap between women who already *know it all* about The Goddess/es and those who are just getting their feet wet in Aphrodite's ocean.It's a highly imaginative book that declares that Goddess is everywhere and in every woman. You just have to know how to see Her. I enjoyed the multicultural inclusion of Goddesses from around the globe and only wish that the cover design--though absolutely lovely--had been similarly inclusive. I quibble with the notion of every pop star and literary character being declared a goddess; I see actual goddesses as wild, untamed, universal energies, not pet rocks or pop celebrities or fictional characters. (And, yes, I also can see where the authors are going with this, and that's okay in a way.) But I think this book offers a useful, healthy, fresh perspective for women who are willing to give it a go, play a little, dream a little, and awaken Goddess Self within. Not every suggestion or exercise will work for every woman but--good golly!--there's enough of them in here to cover a lot of different tastes and needs. I've been involved in this type of work for many years, and even I found surprising stuff I checked off or made a note of! Give it a shot and you might be surprised.

After reading Releasing the Goddess Within, I must compliment the clear, concise manner in which author Katherine Gleason transmits her uplifting messages of self-love in this tome. Like the handy reference guide on Wicca and Witchcraft she helped compile last year, this book will surely become a well-worn addition to the personal library of the spiritually attuned woman, or to her who strives to be so.

Wherever you are on the Triple Goddess life path, from maiden to mother to mature woman, you possess a divine Goddess spark within you. This book leads you on a quest to find that spark and use it to kindle a greater spirituality in your life. Through enlightening essays and specially designed, fun-to-do exercises, goddesses from varied cultures and times help you explore your own Goddess qualities, from Sumeria's Inanna to China's Kwan Yin.

i found this book in the "new age" section under "magical arts" in the book store. and it is co-authored by the co-author of "the complete idiot's guide to wicca and witchcraft--so i was expecting this book to be more pagan and spiritual.what it is actually is a self-help book. it is not addressed to pagans--it seems more written for a housewife that is starting to be interested in "new age" stuff. it contains things like connecting with your goddess self by listening to oprea or reading shakespear plays.not all the goddesses they would have us connect with are goddesses (like the mona lisa, st teresa of avila, or sheherazade of arabian knights)the advice it gives is about eating right, sleeping right, exercizing, meditating, sex, and creativity. none of it is really appropriate for a pagan woman ... all the advice is really basic, like, get enough sleep, eat organic, and the metaphysical stuff, like meditation is very basic and does not go into detail. i didn't do any of the exercises and don't plan to. none of them will seem to exciting to someone who has practiced ritual or performed magic.it was an easy read that you can polish off in an afternoon.so why did i give it two stars? well, i didn't pay for so i am not angry about wasting my money (no i didn't steal it my sig-ot paid). i enjoyed the little boxes that had goddess stories and also the drawings of the goddesses (although they are miniscule).i really can't reccomend this book to anyone--except to maybe people who have no knowledge of the goddess and enjoy easy magazine-type reading (although if you like magazines for the pictures this isn't for you either) its sort of the readers digest of new age stuff for women.