Customer Reviews

Teen Goddess: How to Look, Love & Live Like a Goddess

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is horrible way to introduce anyone to Goddesses of any kind. It will give the girls who read it all the wrong ideas about the goddesses it presents and just make it harder for them to get to know the real deal. Her information is poor and often outright wrong and I would really like to know what her sources are since I've never heard of most of the things she's attributing to the various Goddesses and I've done a fair amount of study on the matter. Then there's her blather about the paleolithic Goddess worship and female veneration. The fact is we just don't know that much about what went on or what people believed at that time. We have no written sources, since it didn't exist and limited archaeological finds. It's all hints and guesswork and she's presenting it like we have well known documentation and facts from a time so long before written language existed that not even the faintest of legends survived.

I also have a problem with her emphasis on getting a guy. What if a girl is interested in another girl? Or if she's okay with just being single? We don't all need an SO to be complete, even at that age.

I don't recommend this book at all. Steer clear and find yourselves and your daughters something better to read.

Do not open this book if you are in any way interested about goddesses, or looking for information on specific deities. This book doesn't have a clue. Freyja is not an "air goddess". I don't know where the author got her information, but whatever her source it it wasn't the myths! Suffice it to say the Eddas are not listed in her bibliography!

She even lists Boadicea (More properly "Boudicca") the Iceni queen as a goddess. Why would you deify a mortal queen? It's bad enough that she deified Mary. And Mary as a moon goddess?

The author says that "throughout this book you will get to know specific goddesses from different cultures". You won't. If you're interested in knowing any of the goddesses she names here, this book will only hinder your efforts to form relationships with them. And two of them aren't goddesses at all!

Taking just Freya as an example, the list of errors is just beyond belief:

Freya is not an air goddess. She is a goddess of magic, sexuality and fertility, and to a slightly lesser extent, warfare. She is not related to the air in any way.

Freya is not the goddess of spring, dawn or the new moon as claimed.

The sharp blade of her sword, if she has one, is not a metaphor for intellect. The Norse deities use their swords for smiting.

Freya does not have a cloak that looks like a cloud and changes with her mood. She has a falcon cloak.

Freya is not married to Odin. She is married to Odh.

She goes out seeking her husband as the story suggests, however, she does not find him. And IIRC, he left not because he wanted adventure, but because she had sex with several dwarfs so that they would craft her a necklace.

Freya is not a goddess of creativity.

Freya does not ride in a chariot with her brother. She has her own chariot, which is drawn by cats.

TL;DR: This is a shallow book more aimed at five year olds than teens and full of inaccuracies so bad I can only imagine she made them up. AVOID!

The title of this book is misleading. It's called "Teen Goddess," but I really feel that the material in this book is useful for any woman (of any age) exploring goddess spirituality.

In the first part, Wishart discusses important tools such as prayer, affirmations and the basic ideas behind magic. It should be noted that her explanation of magic covers mostly principles rather than going into a detailed how to explanation (like "sprinkle herbs on altar" or "anoint the candle with ____ oil"). Also, her conceptions of prayer and magic are very similar. Even so, the explanations are all clear and the text is good so long as you're not stuck on the processes explained in all the Wicca 101 books.

The next section of the book introduces the goddesses. There is a chapter for each one. In each goddess chapter, Wishart tells a myth, suggests prayers and rituals to get in touch with the goddess, and tells what situations this goddess can best help you with. Sometimes the spells are tailored for teens, but for the most part, anyone can use them as they are applicable to life situations that adults face as well. What seperates this book from all the other goddess spirituality books is the beauty advice. For each goddess, Wishart suggests ways to dress and do makeup and hair to invoke the goddess's energy. I personally think this is a great way to bring your spirituality into everyday life or just to bring a little extra something to rituals.

Other great features of the book are the exercises, called "Goddess Workout," sprinkled liberally throughout. These allow you to take the material in the book and actually use it in your life. The exercises range from guided meditations to journaling to artwork and more. You're sure to find something to inspire your imagination!

The only thing I might change is the juvenile tone in some places. For example, "magic can help you get cute boys to kiss you." Even if I were a teen, I probably wouldn't like that sort of phrasing. However, the good news is that this sort of writing is very rare so it's only a very minor problem.

Overall, this book gets a huge thumbs up. It's full of wonderful ideas and helpful information.

Let's get one thing straight here: This is not a book about paganism or wicca of any kind. Many reviewers have been stating that they were dissapointed or displeased with how the author portrayed goddesses and magick, but this isn't a book devoted to paganism! This is simply a book to help empower and inspire girls through the goddess. The author even stresses that you don't have to give up any religion you follow to do any of the things she suggests, in fact, it can go along with any religion. I was raised Catholic and I like the fact that she put in Mary as a goddess. Technically, I suppose she is, and that's appreciated in a religion where women are not held in high regard. I could see a christian girl, a jewish girl, a muslim girl, and a pagan girl all reading this book and getting good things out of it without betraying their faith. And as a girl who is a lesbian, I do kind of hate that the author puts a big emphasis on boys. However, a lot of the spells that are aimed at romance are easily translated to anything you want. Let's face it: Most girls like guys. The author was writing with most girls in mind.

The goddess info in the book is general, not very in depth, but nonetheless good. The rituals are relevant. The makeup and clothing ideas are really stellar. This is a really good book to buy if you'd like to help out a girl in your life, between the ages of 13 and 17. It has a good, empowering message, and I really do like it.

Oh, and p.s. I originally read this book at my library, and I kept checking it out over and over, so I think that's a good indicator that this is an awesome book.

I absoloutly loved this book.

I found that it brought me well on my way down the path of paganism, and it even introduced me to my patron goddess, Scathach. This book changed my life.

It has very good spells and rituals that have all worked for me before, and is one of the few books I've read where the author doesn't seem a little bit preachy and bothersome.

I had such fun reading this book. Catherine Wishart combines a genuine knowledge of Goddess lore and Wiccan/Magickal practise with an amazing array of rituals, make-overs and sabbatical delights. It might be aimed at teens, but I picked up several ideas that I'll be using in a more advanced context. And the young Craft aspirant to whom I gave it as a gift was over the moon with its beautiful presentation and clear affirmations - 'I can be anything that I want to be!' Not a bad message to give to a child, as I'm sure anybody would agree.

Best of all, Catherine Wishart uses the artistic imagination as a direct conduit to the Goddess. Being rather gothically-inclined myself, I was especially taken by 'Huesuda's Glamour', a banishing spell which includes ideas and specific instructions for making oneself up a la Morticia. Catherine has been trained as a beautician and she knows her stuff. She thereby manages to combine the old elements of ritual magick with a fresh and utterly modern outlook. The end result for anybody who practises Catherine's Arts is that you do great magick and look fantastic to boot!

'Teen Goddess' is packed full of ideas, all based on sound research and practise, and is an absolute must for anybody who enjoys a good ritual, loves the Goddess in Her many forms, and particularly for those who work with or are training younger folk. It is not confined to girls either - I know plenty of men who'd have a ball with 'Scathach - Punk Rock Warrior Goddess', and with several of the other superb workings given in this book. There are even tips on magickal tattooing, with special reference to the tattoo culture of Catherine's native New Zealand. Not to mention those on clairsentience, working out, losing weight, healing a broken heart, using makeup as a magickal tool, and many, many others...

All in all this book scintillates. It's glamourous but sound, funky but never pretentious, and it positively sparks with beautiful, creative vibes. Definitely one of the most enjoyable and practicable Goddess books available!

If you want to envoke the goddess within yourself in a fun and magical way, this is the book! Although written for teens, it's also written for the teens within us all. (This is an excellent way to begin to rewrite your past. Let the 15 year old within read, learn, grow and have fun with it!) I haven't yet completed the book, but already have a much stronger, more magical relationship with her and am bringing her more within myself with every paragraph.

The title of my review is the title of her book tour workshop I recently attended and throughly enjoyed. (Unfortunately, didn't get a signed copy as I bought the book the day after meeting her). If you get the opportunity to go to her tour workshop, do so! She is a fabulous woman who really does live magic in every moment of every day. It's so evident how very natural this is for her and she clearly expresses how natural it can be for you too. This same energy abounds in her book.

A wonderful, enriching journey!

This is a great book to give your daughter. In reading the book it allows her to feel empowered and special. Sometimes as parents we forget to instill these ideas in our daughters and it is nice to find a book that can do that for us.

Girls ages 12 and older with a prior affinity to metaphysical, spiritual or goddess concepts will find Teen Goddess a wonderful and enthusiastically recommended introduction to accessing 'goddess power'. From learning about goddess mythology and ritual practices, to reading about fifteen powerful goddesses from different cultures and learning 'glamour recipes', Teen Goddess packs in the tips to Wiccan beliefs and ideals from cover to cover.

This is the perfect book for the begining teen witch. Even if you are not a witch this book has captivating stories and great makeup tips.