Virgin Mother Crone: Myths and Mysteries of the Triple Goddess [Paperback]

Donna Wilshire (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1993

In Virgin Mother Crone Donna Wilshire charges us to remember the early Pagan religion of the Earth Mother and the ancient Triple Goddess: the Virgin, responsible for herself; Mother, the nurturing woman in the fullness of life; and Crone, the wise, old healing woman. Includes more than eighty original black-and-white drawings and seventeen watercolor paintings.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In an unusual format of anthropological text followed by poetic script, actress and playwright Donna Wilshire explores the full terrain of the ancient female Great Mother and Creatrix. Fans of Riane Eisler (who wrote the foreword to this book as well as that commonsensical, fascinating anthropological study of ancient cultures, The Chalice and the Blade ) will find more of the same explication of how dimensionally rich and satisfying life was "when women ruled the world." Wilshire promotes the necessary power of story, perhaps above all else, and gives this format wings in her performance scripts that illuminate the powerful dimensions of what, she believes, we have lost through the ages. Her assurance to men that there is nothing "dismissive or derogatory about males here" is a weak counterpoint to the other themes. On a fascinating par with the excellent text are the endnotes in the splendid trove of images and icons. Illustrations .
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Enough literature on goddesses is now available that specialized popular works like this can find a niche. Wilshire excavates and explores the myths of the Greek Hera as well as their contemporary meanings. You may remember Hera as the shrewish wife of Zeus, always whining about his dalliances with nymphs. But before her "marriage" to the Hellenic interloper, Hera was an indigenous Great Goddess, honored as an exemplar of women's lives from girlhood through croneship. Wilshire examines Hera's manifestations as the virginal Hebe, the full-bodied Teleia, and the transformative Hecate. Long chants to each form of Hera are the centerpieces of the chapters on these figures. An intriguing, well-researched, passionately wrought study. Pat Monaghan

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Product Details

• Paperback: 322 pages
• Publisher: Inner Traditions (November 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892814942
• ISBN-13: 978-0892814947
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,506,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring..a real study of the Goddess, December 4, 1999

By 

"tess73" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Virgin Mother Crone: Myths and Mysteries of the Triple Goddess (Paperback)

A wonderful study, backed up by history and archaeology, of Goddess worship through the ages. There are no wishy-washy theories here - rather, everything is backed up by reference after reference. A delightful read, a must for any serious student of the Goddess.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important Alternative View, December 14, 2001

By 

Barbara Grcar (Mountain View, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Virgin Mother Crone: Myths and Mysteries of the Triple Goddess (Paperback)

Anyone interested in exploring spirituality must read this book. It provides a thorough and well documented alternative view to the beliefs of people like Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung, James Hillman and more recently, Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy. Reading this book will raise your consciousness and help you complete your own life puzzle.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FABULOUS!, April 12, 2001

By 

Christina (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Virgin Mother Crone: Myths and Mysteries of the Triple Goddess (Paperback)

This book has impacted my view of and relationship with the Goddess on many levels. Each manifestation: Virgin, Mother and Crone, is examined in a scrumptiously poetic style that speaks to the womansoul. Thorough explorations of each image are complemented by poem/scripts honoring each face of the Goddess. Time is spent comparing the ways of the Goddess to those of the patriarchal God.

Of particular interest are discussions on the topics of the suitability of worshipping a Goddess and no God, and the refutation of the Goddess as Warrior archetype and the notion of the Divine as sexless.

This book has crystalized my relationship with and understanding of the Goddess. I would encourage any interested party to read it.