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Goddesses for Every Season
This collection of 52 goddesses - one for each week of the year - depicts many of the forms in which the female deity has been worshipped around the world since ancient times. The book includes heroines, queens, witches, healers, princesses and crones from Greek, Roman, Chinese, African, Polynesian and American mythology. The book groups these goddesses according to the seasons when their energies are most potent, so that week-by-week, the reader can draw on their nurturing, creative powers. There is information on mythology, historical and geographical associations, and spiritual practices connected with each deity. There is a brief prayer or affirmation to each goddess.
Hardcover
First published December 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 4, 2022
This was a book picked up from a library sale by my sister and after flipping through it it did seem a bit graphic. As such it was foisted on me just to see what I would possibly think of it after reading it since the content didn't seem to be just focused on goddesses.
This book is most definitely a starter book as it isn't quite a book about goddesses as it does include some divine female forms such as shamans, Vila and Gorgons just to name. At the same time the book also explores a few of the entries are also just stereotypes like the Triple Goddess and the Primal Mother and Child.
The formatting of the book makes each season a section. This start of the section is led by the name of the season followed by a small poem and then an Introduction that explores aspects of the season and what one may feel as well as having a ritual provided. This is then all followed by 13 profiles for each season.
Within the profile each being is provided her name and then some paragraphs dedicated to her. Unfortunately not all these entries were written in the same since for those who are more well-known more is shared and for those who are lesser well-known like the Cretan Snake Goddess you really don't get much more information to education yourself on her. This is then followed by information that focuses on what the Goddess may teach you, how you should respond to her and how you should carry yourself or some such. This is then closed with a possible small ritual to help the reader as well as an affirmation to remind the reader of how to assimilate the "goddess" into her being.
First of all a word to the wise for those who are just starting down the path of the Wise Woman and one that was surely lacking from the actual Introduction. Just because the author provides you with 52 beings to look forward to you may not find an affinity for a few of them. Instead in this path you are encouraged to explore, research and get to know these divine women for they are just as complex in their lore thus how Nancy Blair perceives one may not be the way that you come to perceive another and you also may find a divine being who wasn't mentioned in this book whom you are more attracted to.
Second the emphasis here on the book is on the Mother figure and the Goddess while it seems quite ultra feminist the way Nancy writes some of her entries. The Goddess is equal to the God while it should be told to readers that even if they may base their practice on Goddess worship it normally is much healthier to include both aspects but to each their own.
Finally each entry does include an illustrated means of the being in question. Due to various artists these means can range from what may have been watercolor to photographs to other types to . Unfortunately instead of adding color they are all in black-and-white thus making it hard to perceive details such as in the entry for Nut. And of course some of the older pieces are also quite graphic so not suitable for younger readers.
In the end it was okay but more a basic guide than an actual one to write home about. If you are looking for a quick read and one to introduce you to the divine women of the world this would make for a rather decent stepping stone into the world of lore.
This book is most definitely a starter book as it isn't quite a book about goddesses as it does include some divine female forms such as shamans, Vila and Gorgons just to name. At the same time the book also explores a few of the entries are also just stereotypes like the Triple Goddess and the Primal Mother and Child.
The formatting of the book makes each season a section. This start of the section is led by the name of the season followed by a small poem and then an Introduction that explores aspects of the season and what one may feel as well as having a ritual provided. This is then all followed by 13 profiles for each season.
Within the profile each being is provided her name and then some paragraphs dedicated to her. Unfortunately not all these entries were written in the same since for those who are more well-known more is shared and for those who are lesser well-known like the Cretan Snake Goddess you really don't get much more information to education yourself on her. This is then followed by information that focuses on what the Goddess may teach you, how you should respond to her and how you should carry yourself or some such. This is then closed with a possible small ritual to help the reader as well as an affirmation to remind the reader of how to assimilate the "goddess" into her being.
First of all a word to the wise for those who are just starting down the path of the Wise Woman and one that was surely lacking from the actual Introduction. Just because the author provides you with 52 beings to look forward to you may not find an affinity for a few of them. Instead in this path you are encouraged to explore, research and get to know these divine women for they are just as complex in their lore thus how Nancy Blair perceives one may not be the way that you come to perceive another and you also may find a divine being who wasn't mentioned in this book whom you are more attracted to.
Second the emphasis here on the book is on the Mother figure and the Goddess while it seems quite ultra feminist the way Nancy writes some of her entries. The Goddess is equal to the God while it should be told to readers that even if they may base their practice on Goddess worship it normally is much healthier to include both aspects but to each their own.
Finally each entry does include an illustrated means of the being in question. Due to various artists these means can range from what may have been watercolor to photographs to other types to . Unfortunately instead of adding color they are all in black-and-white thus making it hard to perceive details such as in the entry for Nut. And of course some of the older pieces are also quite graphic so not suitable for younger readers.
In the end it was okay but more a basic guide than an actual one to write home about. If you are looking for a quick read and one to introduce you to the divine women of the world this would make for a rather decent stepping stone into the world of lore.
July 4, 2023
Cute little book gifted to me, a bit outdated since it was first published in 1995. She writes that Hekate is a crone goddess (inaccurate) and that Aphrodite is a goddess of sexual love and beauty (also slightly inaccurate). And the Venus of Willendorf is no longer the oldest sacred feminine statue, now replaced by the Venus of Hohle Fels, Germany. But it is a nice little book to dip into as part of my research.
April 4, 2019
excellent reference
March 13, 2020
I Love this book. I got it as a gift from a friend.
May 22, 2007
Title in German:
Göttinnen für jede Jahreszeit
In this book Nancy Blair introduces 4 x 13 goddesses – 13 for every season, one for every week – with a short! description, a black-and-white picture (from various artists - I like the pics by Helen Nelson-Reed most), suggestions fo rituals and adequate affirmations. The goddesses are variegated from very different cultures, for summer there are e.g. Isis, Selene, Oshun, Sekmet, Diana and more.
The goddesses are described a bit onesided and shallow, almost all of them do have many (not mentioned) aspects – especially the goddesses from ancient egppt – and in my opinion could be placed into an other season too but it´s as always a point of view. For example I like to place Isis into the time around winter solstice because I like to emphasize the aspect of her being a mother (of Horus) and midwinter is the time of birth of the new light. But she also has aspects for being placed in summer either. So everyone has to find out for themselves which aspect should become the focus of attention and make her/his own assignments. It´s a nice book if you´re looking for some inspiration but if you truly want to learn something about a special goddess you will have to look elsewhere.
Homepage of the author: http://www.nancyblair.com/
Göttinnen für jede Jahreszeit
In this book Nancy Blair introduces 4 x 13 goddesses – 13 for every season, one for every week – with a short! description, a black-and-white picture (from various artists - I like the pics by Helen Nelson-Reed most), suggestions fo rituals and adequate affirmations. The goddesses are variegated from very different cultures, for summer there are e.g. Isis, Selene, Oshun, Sekmet, Diana and more.
The goddesses are described a bit onesided and shallow, almost all of them do have many (not mentioned) aspects – especially the goddesses from ancient egppt – and in my opinion could be placed into an other season too but it´s as always a point of view. For example I like to place Isis into the time around winter solstice because I like to emphasize the aspect of her being a mother (of Horus) and midwinter is the time of birth of the new light. But she also has aspects for being placed in summer either. So everyone has to find out for themselves which aspect should become the focus of attention and make her/his own assignments. It´s a nice book if you´re looking for some inspiration but if you truly want to learn something about a special goddess you will have to look elsewhere.
Homepage of the author: http://www.nancyblair.com/
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews