Goddess Secret Lives of

by Christine Downing

Book Overview

In a series of chapters each focusing on a different goddess or mythical woman, Christine Downing traces her own path of individuation from maiden-daughter to mature woman. A therapist, university... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0824506243
• ISBN13: 9780824506247
• Release Date: March 1984
• Publisher: Crossroad Publishing
• Length: 250 Pages
• Weight: 0.87 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

The Goddess Reigns Supreme

THE GODDESS was originally titled THE GODDESS PAPERS because it grew out of a series of explorations into the nature of the Greek Goddesses that author Christine Downing did over a series of months during a crucial transition point in her life. Part of the reason for these explorations was a need to explore the shadow aspects both of her own psyche and of the larger mythological figures with whom she was dealing in scholarly and imaginal ways. Perhaps this is the reason that this book, far from being a dry exercise in strictly academic concerns, still has the power to shock--as is evidenced by the review from the 28-year old woman, above, who was so upset by the personal revelations that she had a hard time even completing the reading of the book! To my mind, the book does us a great service by these confessions and by the larger theme they serve: to make it clear how powerfully the images of myth speak to the wholeness of our humanity, and how much they continue to illuminate those aspects of ourselves with which we are always struggling to come to terms. In doing so, she makes us understand aspects of Artemis or of Aphrodite or of Hera or even of Athena which it is very easy to overlook when dealing with these divine figures through the rose-colored lenses of most treatments of them for the general public, which often bear a kind of Disneyfied glow entirely untrue to the reality of their natures, or to the rituals and stories through which they were born. For example, it is no accident, as Downing shows, that Athena has the head of the Gorgon Medusa on her breastplate, or that Aphrodite has mythic links with the chthonic Underworld Goddesses I not only recommend this book (or any book by Christine Downing) most highly, I consider it essential to our modern understanding of the Ancient Greeks and to our understanding of contemporary feminist re-visionings of them. The fact that is being re-issued some thirty years after its original generation is indicative of the fact that I am not alone in this assessment.

The Greek Goddesses and Life

This book takes the archetypes presented in the myths of the Great Greek Goddesses and relates them to the lives of women today. The author lookes at the characters in these myths and what they mean to her. This may seem totally self-centered but the themes examined, like the loss of innocence and sexual awakening of Persephone, are central to the lives of all women. Each chapter takes on one Goddess and looks at several quotes from ancient Greek texts, the central myths, and overall impression of the Goddess to fully explore what she means to us as women. My one complaint is that she expects us to know the outline of each myth first, and examines only the parts she thinks are important so I did have to look elsewhere on one occasion for the full myth in sequential order. Not hard to find though. The Goddesses covered are; Persephone, Aridne, Hera, Athene, Gaia, Artemis, Aphrodite. I only wish I had a book like this for every pantheon I use.

A Classic of Feminist Spirituality

It is difficult to remember that when Christine first wrote and published this book in 1981, there were few books about women's spirituality and connection to the ancient Goddesses. Chris Downing is a foundational person in feminist religious studies. This book blends strong scholarly research with personal reflections to create a deep psychological and spiritual offering. It is a classic, a book that anyone interested in the Goddess movement should own.

I have mixed feelings about this book.

The book covers 7 Greek Goddesses: Persephone, Ariadne, Hera, Athene, Gaia, Artemis and Aphrodite. The writing is beautiful but I am not sure I can relate to the author. It is like her voice is from a different age--being 28 years old, her view of "the Feminine" is foreign to me.The book assumes the reader is familiar with Greek mythology--I would say that I have a moderate amount of exposure to the Greek myths, and to Homer and not much knowledge at all of the tragedies and I understood the book pretty well. But if you know nothing of Greek myth--you might be a little lost.There were two things about this book that disturbed me. The first was that in the chapter on Persephone, the author states that the rape needed to happen. This may be true on a psychological/mythological level--but the author did nothing to say that actual physical rape is a horribly scaring violation. Perhaps she imagined her readers to be her peers and does not think a young rape victem would have exposure to this book--but I find it hurtful to not take into account the feelings of real women.The other thing that disturbed me was the autobiographical portions of the book. To read about the author's affair while married, and it's devasting effect on her lover's wife--clouded the whole book for me. She speaks of affairs as if they are something natural. I found myself not liking the author and doubting everything she wrote and questioning whether it had any meaning for me. Because the author's morals are so different from my own, her credibility as a guide to the Greek Goddesses was lost to me.I do think this is a very good book--but my feelings are mixed. Read it and decide for yourself.

Exceptional psychological mythology!

I have read most of the books available which blend psychology and mythology -- and have written in the field of myself -- and after 15 years still believe Goddess by Downing belongs in the TOP FIVE of all time - perhaps it deserves #1. This is the most outstanding in-depth portrayal of the goddesses and their psychological meanings that I have encountered; in comparison, Bolen's work and other contemporary interpretations of the goddeses appear superficial. Over and over again, I return to GODDESS and find new meanings continually unfolding for me within it. Although the scholarship in the book is outstanding, its strength is how it relates the myths to the deeply personal. DON'T MISS THIS BOOK! Get it while it's still in print.