Woman's Mysteries: Ancient & Modern [Paperback]

M. Esther Harding (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 1990

1935. Contents: myth and the modern mind; giver of fertility; moon cycle of women; man in the moon; moon mother; Ishtar; Isis and Osiris; priests and priestesses of the moon; emblems of the moon; moon in modern life; inner meaning of the moon cycle; Virgin Goddess; sacrifice of the son; immortality and inspiration. Includes more than 47 illustrations and Plates.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This investigation is valuable and important, not only for the specialist, but also for the educated layman, who is interested in a psychology founded on experience of life and the understanding of people."—C. G. Jung --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

M. Esther Harding, M.D., was a leading Jungian analyst for many years and a founder of the Analytical Psychology Club of New York. She is also the author of Women's Mysteries: Ancient and Modern; Psychic Energy: Its Sources and Its Transformation; and I & the "Not-I": A Study of the Development of Consciousness. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (March 31, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877735328
• ISBN-13: 978-0877735328
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,771,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Crime not to Re-Print this Book, February 1, 2000

By 

Lisa Sullivan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women's Mysteries: Ancient & Modern (C. G. Jung Foundation Books) (Paperback)

Please do not let this book fall into the Out-of-Print Abyss! This book is a must for anyone studying or wanting to comprehend the feminine nature, personally and archetypally. The forerunner of all current Woman Studies, its a fundamental must. Why start with the copied, watered - down versions? A classic stands the ultimate test of time, expresses the Eternal. Most women- oriented movements have given way to a Full Moon biased, illuminated consciousness, once again letting the Darker, Waning Moon consciouness disappear out of sight. Harding presents a very insightful piece on the darker more instinctual feminine, "Our women have learned human manners and emotions-pity, consideration,love;but not so far beneath the surface, slumbering in unconsciousness, the old primitive form of feminine instinct lurks, ready to spring up again and perhaps even to reassert its power over consciousness in any critical situation(p50,1971)." It takes not only someone who has achieved great Logos through her scholarly background, but someone who has lived it as well. Esther Harding is a lesser known American Treasure that needs to be brought back to life so she can continue to inspire all women striving to connect to their true feminine nature.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful in ideas, not as wonderful in factual info, July 11, 2005

By 

Titanium Lili (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Woman's Mysteries: Ancient and Modern (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book for exploration of women's mysteries and the relation to instinct and the moon. I would recommend it with a warning about two things, however:
1. MANY assertions of fact in the book needed citations and had none, leaving me asking where she got the particular assertion she was making at that time.
2. There were a number of factual errors of which I am aware (and possibly more I don't know), such as claiming millions of witches were burned during the Inquisition period - a faulty claim made by Margaret Murray which has been reputably refuted since.
If one reads this book with a critical eye to the information presented as facts, however, this book does have a lot to offer, and I would recommend it.

9 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Difficult but necessary, April 18, 2001

By 

Arwen "AKA Arwen" (Austin, TX, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Women's Mysteries: Ancient & Modern (C. G. Jung Foundation Books) (Paperback)

I was handed this book in 1985. It was required reading for my training as a follower of Wicca. I can not recommend it highly enough. Dr. Harding's book was difficult to read at times, but very necessary for me. The way she wrote about intuition and history changed my life.