For millennia a patriarchal society has ruled to the exclusion of the feminine or the Goddess who was peacefully worshipped before being completely replaced by a warrior Father God. The Goddess and hence women have been relegated to second-class citizens. The concept of woman as defined by traditional patriarchal society has disempowered the female sex and deemed them inferior. This exclusion and denigration of the divine feminine has done serious damage to women and men both individually and collectively, not to mention the damage this masculine mindset has caused to the environment through wars and other aggressive acts. In this dissertation, the history of the Goddess from the Paleolithic to the present is discussed and causes for the rise of patriarchy, such as invasions by warrior cults, the advent of language and the development of the ego are explored. Then the re-emergence of the divine feminine and its psychological, spiritual and evolutionary effects are discussed. This negative perception of the self by women is challenged by re-imaging women after the Greek Goddess archetypes: Athena, Hera, Demeter, Artemis, Aphrodite and Persephone. The Goddess archetypes are discussed in a therapeutical context as well as other therapeutical techniques such as aspecting, visualizations and women's' groups and circles. The author proposes the re-introduction of the "Sacred Marriage," a sacred ritual performed in temples since Neolithic times and in certain sects today, as a technique for therapy. This sexual ritual along with an understanding of the history of the divine feminine will have individual, collective and evolutionary effects with its use.

Honorable Mention for the Wallace K. Ferguson Prize from the Canadian Historical AssociationChosen by Choice Magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title of 2003 In 1891, newspapers all over the world carried reports of the death of H. P. Blavatsky, the mysterious Russian woman who was the spiritual founder of the Theosophical Society. With the help of the equally mysterious Mahatmas who were her teachers, Blavatsky claimed to have brought the "ancient wisdom of the East" to the rescue of a materialistic West. In England, Blavatsky's earliest followers were mostly men, but a generation later the Theosophical Society was dominated by women, and theosophy had become a crucial part of feminist political culture. Divine Feminine is the first full-length study of the relationship between alternative or esoteric spirituality and the feminist movement in England. Historian Joy Dixon examines the Theosophical Society's claims that women and the East were the repositories of spiritual forces which English men had forfeited in their scramble for material and imperial power. Theosophists produced arguments that became key tools in many feminist campaigns. Many women of the Theosophical Society became suffragists to promote the spiritualizing of politics, attempting to create a political role for women as a way to "sacralize the public sphere." Dixon also shows that theosophy provides much of the framework and the vocabulary for today's New Age movement. Many of the assumptions about class, race, and gender which marked the emergence of esoteric religions at the end of the nineteenth century continue to shape alternative spiritualities today.

If you long for your dream life but feel trapped in mediocrity & disappointment, then keep reading… 2 Titles inside: Manifesting For Women & Feminine Energy Awakening by Angela Grace. Are you sick and tired of missing out in life & seeing everyone around you succeed while you're left behind, broke in a job you hate, in a toxic relationship, or trapped in a body you're unhappy with? Perhaps you often close off parts of yourself you wish you could express, judge yourself, & feel ashamed. Society may have conditioned you to suppress & shame the divine part of yourself. Do you finally want to say goodbye to all of these low-vibrational frequencies & see what works for you? If so, then it's not by chance that you're reading this. You see, Manifesting all of your wants & desires doesn't have to be difficult, even if you feel like you've already tried everything else. You should never have to wonder, "Is the law of attraction actually real or not?". In fact, it's easier than you think. Here's just a tiny fraction of what you'll discover: The ridiculously easy way to hack your brain, boost performance, & release blocks holding you back from greatness (that you can do from home) The fatal mistakes to avoid when attracting the partner of your dreams Scripting done-for-you. New easy to fill in, powerful scripting templates The easy 3-step detoxification process that will cleanse your life of unhealthy relationships & people Why relying on luck or "fate" will get you nowhere Why modesty is harming you & attracting a mediocre life How you can easily release your whole life's trauma from your body at home & skyrocket your vibration What is preventing you from contacting your divine energy & what you must heal to fix it How you're unknowingly damaging your karma (& how to clear it) Why scripting & meditation alone are not enough to successfully manifest your desires A powerful energy-tapping guide to easily manifest your true love The mistakes to avoid & how to keep the relationship after you have manifested it This powerful secret to manipulate your vibration & attract that specific person 20 unique power affirmations to manifest a specific person into your arms The fatal scripting traps everyone is falling into & how you can avoid them Moon phase manifesting secrets & what everyone is missing Why the Law of Attraction hasn't been working for you & how to crush your roadblocks An amazing daily manifestation ritual done for you (simply rinse & repeat at home) How to create a supercharged manifesting potion with items in your kitchen A treasure-trove of *bonuses*, including a companion video course with over 4.5 hours of empowering content, energy-tapping videos, powerful guided meditations, journals, & so much more. Take a second to imagine how you'll feel once you can effortlessly manifest your dreams into reality. Even if you're broke, at rock bottom, or haven't been able to manifest in the past, you can mold your ideal life starting today with the amazing secrets inside. If you're done with settling in life, wasting precious time, & ready to attract your highest potential to you, then turn the first page.

Endorsements: "A calm, well-balanced, carefully prepared book. . . . Excellent for adult Bible discussion groups, for occasional sermons, for suggesting ways of inclusive language. This book teaches and directs without antagonizing." --The Bible Today "A persuasive book, useful for personal reflection and group discussion, and ideal for gift-giving." --Daughters of Sarah "This is no dry erudite volume. It rubs salve in personal wounds inflicted by centuries of biblical misreading." --Sojourners "The book reflects careful research; it is written in a style that will appeal to those interested in the implications of biblical research but without the time or inclination to follow the involved discussions of biblical scholarship." --National Catholic Reporter

Intended to explore the feminine in our idea of "godliness", this fascinating collection brings together readings from the following spiritual traditions--Native, Sumerian and Babylonian, Grecian, Egyptian, Judaic, Christian, Islamic, Taoist, and Buddhist. Each section begins with a helpful, comprehensive introduction to that tradition's particular perspective on the feminine. Color illustrations.

• Restores the feminine essence of the Tao Te Ching as well as the simplicity and poetic undertones of the chapters • Offers commentary for each of the 81 chapters and key Chinese characters to reveal their profound wisdom • Translated from ancient silk and bamboo slip manuscripts, the oldest known copies of the Tao Te Ching • Paper with French flaps In this book, Rosemarie Anderson shares her discoveries of the Divine Feminine Tao alongside her original translation of the Tao Te Ching. Working from ancient silk and bamboo slip manuscripts, the oldest known copies of the Tao Te Ching, the author slowly translated all 81 chapters over the course of two years, allowing each section to reveal its intimate poetic and spiritual nature. To her surprise, she discovered that the Tao was unmistakably feminine, consistently referred to as “mother,” “virgin,” and the “womb” of creation. Anderson explains how the Tao is a feminine force, the Dark Womb of Creation, the Immortal Void renewing life again and again in ordinary times and in times of crisis. She offers commentary for each of the 81 chapters to help reveal their profound wisdom. The author also restores the chapters’ simplicity and musical undertones, explaining how, in the original Chinese manuscripts, the text is poetic and rhymed because the Tao Te Ching was often recited or sung--yet most English translations are written in scholarly prose with long sentences and complex syntax. She shows how the great Tao’s message of wei wu wei--“act without acting” and “do without doing”--offers a path of peace and well-being for ourselves and for our relationships with others and the earth, a path that arises from spontaneous action that seeks no gain for the self. Capturing the original feminine nature of this ancient text, Anderson’s translation sheds new light on the esoteric wisdom contained within the Tao Te Ching and on the mystical feminine essence of the Tao.

"The scholarship in this book is superior, revealing a depth of insight and a scope of knowledge possible only from a scholar who has lived with the concerns of feminist theology for decades. Ruether is a gifted storyteller, and lucidly translates complex ideas and debates. This work is of the highest importance, and Ruether asks the right questions at the right time. The text is groundbreaking."—Nancy Pineda-Madrid, Saint Mary's College of California "Ruether has provided a valuable introduction to an important feminist topic: what can we know about sacred female imagery in Western culture? She guides us through contemporary feminist scholarship, providing engaging narrative, and venturing her own interpretations. Ruether calls for feminists to move beyond divisions created by our different interpretations of prehistory and work together towards our common project of a more peaceful, just, and ecological world."—Carol Hepokoski, Meadville Lombard Theological School