THE GODDESS PAGES

A reverend offers a how-to guide for unleashing one’s inner goddess.

Brockway opens her discussion by analyzing the Garden of Eden from alternative perspectives, reframing the biblical Eve as a liberator. She then presents her views on 36 female spiritual figures, each of whom, she says, offer women pathways to fulfilling their potential, divided into five categories: “Self-Empowerment and Strength,” “Love and Romance,” “Family Life and Friendship,” “Work and Finances,” and “Play and Lightheartedness.” These heroes include famous goddesses, such as Venus, representing self-appreciation, and Isis, channeling the healing of relationships, as well as lesser-known figures, such as White Buffalo Calf Woman, symbolizing sacred female leadership, and Brigid, embodying creativity and inspiration. Brockway also includes Christian religious figures, such as the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Saint Térèse, uniting them through themes of female encouragement and strength. Brockway ultimately offers a book about self-love, encouraging women to connect with a more genuine sense of beauty and power than mainstream media offers. Brockway offers a diverse pantheon, including divine women from Asia, Africa, and northern Europe, and she adds a practical element to an otherwise esoteric work, proposing self-care activities to help one “connect” with these divines, including affirmations, mantras, healing baths, runes, and meditations. Furthermore, Brockway’s work uses accessible language that adds color and humor to the narrative, bringing the goddesses to life. That said, this is not a history text, and much of the content is focused on simply portraying the goddesses as symbols of feminine inspiration. Some readers may also find the largely heteronormative tone lacking in inclusivity. For the most part, however, readers are likely to enjoy Brockway’s affirmative text.

An often engaging book that uses wit and wisdom to connect women to a sense of divinity.