Wise Woman's Way: A Guide to Growing Older with Purpose and Passion

By Berta Parrish

Wise Woman's Way stimulates and guides older women through the life-changing initiatary experience to the vibrant roles and meaningful purposes of Wise Womanhood, an initiation that our society lacks.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0972500014
• ISBN13: 9780972500012
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Morro Press
• Length: 294 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.5" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A Wisdom Workbook

I truly believe that what we need comes to us when we need it. My discovery of Wise Woman's Way has made me realize that I've been on the threshold of "wise-woman-apprenticeship" since I retired 4 years ago, but, for some reason, just wasn't quite ready to step over and begin the journey until now. This is a workbook - not novel to kick back with, nor a book of advice, nor a memoir. This book engages the reader to actively participate in her own transition and journey to wise womanhood. The book is full of thought-provoking insights into how cultures condition our perceptions of becoming old, and how we can change the negative perceptions for ourselves. In addition, there are many valuable resources mentioned in the book to enhance and enrich the reader's journey further. I would recommend this book to all women and men, especially those who equate beauty with youth.

Initiation into elderhood

Berta Parrish's "Wise Woman's Way" is a unique contribution to the subject of spirituality and aging. And even though it addresses specifically Women's issues, it has a universality that makes it highly valuable even for the male reader and seeker. Parrish's approach is extremely valuable in the way she combines three genres in a remarkably clear style: the theoretical or "idea" exposition, the practical guidance or "workbook" approach, and-- a most appealing quality in a book that urges lifestyle transformation-- the personal memoir. Parrish, in a word, provides the ideas, activities, and the personal biographical background that credibly grounds spirituality in the practical world of real experiences...the reader's and her own. Parrish is especially convincing in her insistance that to enter fully into "elderhood" (the "crone" archetype for women; "wise old man" for men), one must pass through an initiation. This is very conter-cultural in our current American society, which defines itself by corporate answers for buying into the unlivable myth of perpetual youth. Parrish cuts through this siren's song of "forever young" by providing a step-by-step means for the reader to pass through the gates (viz., "initiation") into one's own "personal myth", which can never be found in a product or service, but can only be found within oneself. Unlike some books that do a good job of critiquing our cultural denial of the aging process, "Wise Woman's Way" does not fall into the "spirituality-lite" category of works that then try to offer quick fixes. Supported by many personal examples of her own trial and error process in living and in writing this book (the book itself was a five-year "initiation"), Parrish stresses the need for concrete inner work as the basis for achieving a meaningful transition into elderhood. She is particularly effective in showing the ongoing importance of ancient myths, and then showing how to use one's own dreams to see how these myths apply to one's personal life today. Her book also abounds in practical suggestion for single and group activities, as well as resources for going beyond the material within the text itself. "Wise Woman's Way", in other words, is not just a good read; it is not just a concise summary and pleasant excursion into the fascinating way that contemporary psychology (particularly Jungian) and ancient myth invite each of us to go deeply and consciously into the later phase of our very individual spiritual journey- it moves the reader into the personally experienced landscape of the author's own journey...and leaves the reader with the map and the means to initiate oneself into the fascinating and beckoning land of elderhood.

Know thy self...

This book truly speaks to the journey of the self - as well as - to the rites of passage that women, throughout history, have experienced. Berta Parrish reminds us that "The unexamined life is not worth living" - and in doing so challenges us to not only explore the deep recesses of the psyche but to also contemplate the seemingly idle meanderings of daily life. She shows us how to identify and integrate "the ways of the wise woman" into all facets of living. And as a 40 year old woman (yikes how time flies...) I found this information to be relevant to women of all ages - including my 84 year old grandmother - my 65 year old mother and my 18 year old daughter. The exercises are fun and thought provoking. The wisdom is practical. And the questions Berta posses have elicited some pretty amazing conversations between my daughter, my mother, my grandmother and myself. It is my sincere hope that this book generates a dialogue and exchange of ideas between all women - AND - reminds us that the wise woman lives in all of us...and that all we need to do is look inside to find her. Thanks so much Berta for being a light on my path.

Pick a Page

This is one of those wonderful books that contain useful and inspiring information on every page. So if you don't have time to read it from cover to cover at the moment, just open it to any page, and be prepared for wisdom to lift your spirits and enrich your day.