Customer Reviews

The Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Barbare G. Walker has done a great job with wonderful attention to detail. This book is good for the novice or more advanced people interested in Feminie/spiritual studies. Granted the information contained is contrary to what I had been brought up with my whole life, I find the information revealing and mentally inspiring. I am no historian, nor bible thumper.. I have read some of the other reviews her book has generated. That is what prompted me to write this review. I had to speak out on the books behalf. The material in her book is going to be controversial. History has long been censored and rewritten by the winners. You know, the people who only want you to know 'so much'. Show me an author who does not write with a point of view and I'll show you a phone book. So in order to wake from ignorance one must educate themselves. This book can have a nice part in that.

Barbara Walker has superbly researched this book and its sister publication, Myths and Secrets. For those involved in meditation or spiritual development work, this book is a must and will assist in understanding that which comes to us in dreams and reflection.

As someone who teaches interpretation of symbology in spiritual work, Barbara Walker's book has been invaluable and is a major recommendation to all course participants.

I have yet to find a better book on symbology

I LOVED her other book, Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, and so I snapped this one up, but was hugely disappointed by it. The content and the research in it are just not as good. And the artwork that accompanies stuff is not very good, nor is there very much of it.

Frankly, I think this book was churned out in order to cash in on the success of the Myths and Secrets book. A lot of the material in it is a re-hashing of that book, which I personally can't recommend enough. It really realigned my whole perception of all different kinds of religious and cultural stuff, and I sincerely recommend that if you're wondering whether or not to buy this book or that one, go get the Myths and Secrets one instead. I don't think this adds substantially to her work.

Someone should start the "Buy Barbara Walker an Etymological Dictionary" Fund, except that I'm sure she must be able to afford one by now from the royalties on her books. Seriously, although this book can be a fun read if you don't take it too seriously, it's filled with fallacies and fantasies, and the "research" in it is suspect to say the least.

When I first read this book about 10 years ago, I found it fascinating and quite inspiring, though I was somewhat doubtful of the "facts" contained within it. When I showed it to someone who'd studied Sanskrit, and he saw that she'd translated "swastika" as "so mote it be," he pointed out that she'd obviously made that up, as "swastika" really means "small lucky thing." Many of her other etymologies are just as made-up as the one for "swastika," such as her etymology of "Jehovah" as "I, Woman."

It's hard to believe that there are some who take this work seriously, beyond as an inspiration for non-critically thinking Goddess-worshippers. You don't have to be a "patriarchal monotheist" to realize that Walker is no scholar and that her writings do much more to discredit Paganism (Neo- or otherwise) than any fundamentalist Christian's rantings and ravings against the subject.

Someone should start the "Buy Barbara Walker an Etymological Dictionary" Fund, except that I'm sure she must be able to afford one by now from the royalties on her books. Seriously, although this book can be a fun read if you don't take it too seriously, it's filled with fallacies and fantasies, and the "research" in it is suspect to say the least.

When I first read this book about 10 years ago, I found it fascinating and quite inspiring, though I was somewhat doubtful of the "facts" contained within it. When I showed it to someone who'd studied Sanskrit, and he saw that she'd translated "swastika" as "so mote it be," he pointed out that she'd obviously made that up, as "swastika" really means "small lucky thing." Many of her other etymologies are just as made-up as the one for "swastika," such as her etymology of "Jehovah" as "I, Woman."

It's hard to believe that there are some who take this work seriously, beyond as an inspiration for non-critically thinking Goddess-worshippers. You don't have to be a "patriarchal monotheist" to realize that Walker is no scholar and that her writings do much more to discredit Paganism (Neo- or otherwise) than any fundamentalist Christian's rantings and ravings against the subject.

Ever wanted to know the original meanings of everyday-take-for-granted items? This is the book for you. Learn the origins of secular-sacred objects such as "broomstick", "comb", "cradle", "Egg and Dart Frieze", "Flail and Crook". Discover the true and original uses and meanings of DEITIES' SIGNS such as "Alpha-and-Omega Cross", "Shekina", "Sin", "Sophia". Read how the Christians have copied and stolen symbols from the earlier sacred earth-based religions and concepts. You will never look at things the same way again or literally believe anything in the Bible again!!! Get this book ASAP and you will be fascinated and educated all at once!

The author takes her same personal approach. Leaving one to wonder the "true" meaning behind her books. She only focuses on Norse and Christian symbols. (Well, Greek too). I've read her other books as well and I'm growing tired of the same underlying negative tone regarding men. However...there is something about her that I like...I'll keep her books and refer back to them at later date. Maybe my feelings will change.

I cannot recommend this book to anyone. From my perspective, it is an example of the kind of wishful thinking that passed for scholarly writing on feminist spirituality in the 1980s.

The book does not seem adequately sourced, and some of the alleged connections Walker writes about seem conjured up out of whole cloth. Her bibliography is unimpressive, too.

This is the kind of writing that gives women's spirituality a bad name. And what distresses me the most is that Walker's material is picked up and regurgitated over and over again in so many subsequent books in this subject area. Too many naive readers take everything in this book as gospel truth, simply because Walker has said it is so. And they are using this as a primary source!

At core, this book is embarrassing to me. I do hope some 3rd-wave feminist with scholarly credentials and training comes along to write a badly-needed better version.

Barbara Walker has superbly researched this book and its sister publication, Myths and Secrets. For those involved in meditation or spiritual development work, this book is a must and will assist in understanding that which comes to us in dreams and reflection.

As someone who teaches interpretation of symbology in spiritual work, Barbara Walker's book has been invaluable and is a major recommendation to all course participants.

I have yet to find a better book on symbology

If you're seeking a book about women's symbols, you won't find this one to be comprehensive. It is very, very Eurocentric. Unlike 'Goddesses in World Mythology', you won't learn non-European/non-Western info. There are a few references to Hinduism, but hardly any of that, even. It also seems to lack basic info. For example, in the index, there is no mention of Madonna. One would think that in this type of book, there would at least be some info on Madonna symbols and how they originated. In fact, it doesn't even cover European symbols extensively. It focuses mainly on Greek, Norse, and Christian symbols.
The book is also written quite personally. I mean that it doesn't read like a scholarly book and I find that a little disconcerting. It makes me suspicious of the quality of research and the book's accuracy.
Despite all I've said though, it's handy to have on hand. Just don't expect too much.