Anne Baring

“They will remain shut away behind a hedge of thorns. The journey in search of soul is difficult and even dangerous because it requires that we relinquish the certainty of what we think we know and what we have been taught for generations to believe. It means surrendering the desire to be in control and opening ourselves to a quest, a path of discovery. Many myths and fairy tales emphasize the need for surrender and trust in the strange non-rational guidance offered by animals or shamans on the quest. As the hero follows their guidance, so the hedge opens, the way unfolds. Following the guidance and wisdom of the instinct is the royal road into the realm of soul.”
― Anne Baring, The Dream of the Cosmos: A Quest for the Soul

“Because of this a special shrine may have been set aside in which women came to give birth, named by Mellaart the ‘Red Shrine’ because the plastered walls and floor were coloured red – the colour of life – throughout.”
― Anne Baring, The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image