The Goddess Path: Myths, Invocations, and Rituals (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: holy night, original worshipers, goddess path, Miao Shan, Saules Meita, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

(It is Booklist policy that a book written by a regular contributor receive a brief descriptive announcement rather than a recommending review.)

The author of The New Book of Goddesses and Heroines (1997) offers prospective followers of a feminine rather than a masculine conception of deity 20 examples from throughout the world: Gaia, Athena, Kuan-Yin, Isis, Kali, etc. For each, she provides a historic prayer in contemporary language; a retelling of the goddess' essential myth; discussion of interpretations, symbolism, major feasts, and principal means of honoring the goddess; and suggestions for modern honoring rituals. Ray Olson

Product Description

Now you can find more meaning and joy in your life, journey inward, find the divine, and become transformed, when you read The Goddess Path by Patricia Monaghan.

The Goddess Path can be your guide to speed you on your spiritual quest. Think of this book as a signpost on your spiritual travels, designed to help you nurture your own connection to the goddess and share in her boundless wisdom. Call her into your life with beautiful and ancient invocations. Create your own rituals to honor the lessons she has to teach. As you ponder life-changing questions and venture on brave new experiments, you fan the divine spark into flame—and, in that fire, you are transformed.

The Goddess Path includes myths, symbols, feast days, ancient invocations, and suggestions for connecting with the following goddesses for these purposes and more:

·Amaterasu for clarity
·Aphrodite for passion
·Artemis for protection
·Athena for strength
·Brigid for survival
·The Cailleach for power
·Demeter and Persephone for initiation
·Gaia for abundance
·Hathor for affection
·Hera for dignity
·Inanna for inner strength
·Isis for restorative love
·Kali for freedom
·Kuan-Yin for mercy
·The Maenads for ecstasy
·The Muses for inspiration
·Oshun for healing love
·Paivatar for release
·Pomona for joy
·Asule and Saules Meita for family health

Monaghan, a faculty member at DePaul University, is a leader of the contemporary goddess movement. In The Goddess Path, she presents a means to work with the goddess, using ancient and modern techniques that will thrill and amaze you. For new levels of peace, joy, and increased closeness to the Divine, get The Goddess Path.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567184677
• ISBN-13: 978-1567184679
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #81,939 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #20 in

  Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Goddesses

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Overall very pleasing effort, May 21, 2000

By	"princess_belle" (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

The Goddess Path is a wonderful book for anyone seeking a more intimate contact with feminine deity. What I found impressive about this text is that unlike other psuedo mystic new agey books on similar topics, it is historically accurate and does not resort to blasphemy by treating the Deities as some kind of telephone directory service (i.e. Call on Kali for banishment, oh and if you need futher assistance, make sure you call Isis for further spiritual enquiries.) This book gives in depth information, but not too academic to the point where it would become inaccessible to a larger audience. The author possess a lively and sometimes humourous writing style which I found very appealing. Another bonus is the questions at the end of each chapter aimed for personal contemplation. I would recommend this book as a guide for women's healing or spiritual groups as I am sure that this book would provide interesting discussion and the revelation of deeper personal truths for the reader

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic scholarship, October 21, 1999

By	"dawn_work" (USA) - See all my reviews

Patricia Monaghan's lovely new book, The Goddess Path, follows The New Book of Goddesses and Heroines, O Mother Sun, Magickal Gardens, and Seasons of the Witch. These books all gift women's spiritual communities with a poetic scholarship of the Goddess.

The Goddess Path is a welcome addition to the literature, and a wonderful introduction for women (and men!) who are just entering the universe of feminist Goddess Spirituality. The book's introductory chapters are inclusive of male lovers and sons who might find themselves seeking this path along with their beloved women. The Goddess is central; this is not a book about the God. The Goddess is a deity all people can love and honor.

The opening chapters, "The Goddess Defined," give clear descriptions of the basics of the Goddess' spirituality: Who is the Goddess? What are Her images? What are Her rituals like? What are the beliefs and worldview in a religion of the Goddess? The remainder of the text, indeed the bulk of the volume, is "The Goddess Revealed." These twenty chapters delve deeply into twenty goddesses, from Gaia's abundance to Pomona's joy.

Patricia Monaghan's very special gift, revealed in all her writings, is her ability to present wonderfully detailed scholarship, not in a dry way, but in writing that is poetic and gorgeous. Perhaps the most special thing about this book is the invocations to the Goddesses that begin each chapter. These invocations are Patricia's poetic translations and recreations of invocations to these Goddesses, invocations used by Her people in each culture, from ancient times. There is a special sort of connection and recognition, reading such words as "Brigid, lead me home," and imagining a Celtic woman of ancient times breathing the same prayer.

Each chapter teaches myth and meaning, symbols, feasts, invocations, suggestions and activities. There is a wealth of knowledge here, and a wealth of beauty, challenges for personal growth, and visions for ritual. The chapter on Saule and Saules Meita, from the Lithuanian tradition, helps women heal from family violence by walking the Goddess Path. Work with Brigid for survival, or Isis when it is time for restorative love.

This is a book to be savored. Enjoy!

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and informative., August 13, 2004

By	T. Tyne (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Explaining how the Goddesses have evolved, this book includes modern translations of invocations used in the past. Using these invocations, the author suggest rituals that make you feel as if you are reaching back through time and are celebrating the glory of the Goddesses with our brother and sisters centuries ago.

What I especially liked is that she included The Muses and The Maenads. It's refreshing to come across an author who appreciates and understands their power and importance along with the other more well known Goddesses.

At the end of each section there are questions and activities to help you identify and draw closer to that particular Goddess. Although many books include the same, these are the best ones I have come across because you can really understand why the author wants you to work on these areas. In other words, they make sense!

Overall, this book is well written, informative and a should be on the bookshelf of those who follow the Goddess's path.