What do you think?
Rate this book
The Goddess: Power, Sexuality, and the Feminine Divine
Drawing on myth, religious beliefs, and a revealing selection of iconography from the Paleolithic Venus of Willendorf and ancient Egyptian images of Isis to medieval Madonnas and contemporary visions of female Hindu deities, psychotherapist and folklorist Shahrukh Husain offers readers a comprehensive, cross-cultural panorama of goddess worship through the ages.
Using a wealth of examples from every era and tradition, she traces a long and primal struggle that over the course of millennia saw originally female deities usurped by male-dominated priestly hierarchies, a process reflected both in myth and in actual religious practice, which saw the goddess principle attacked, diminished, and eclipsed, but never entirely eliminated. Husain examines cosmic concepts of creation and seasonal fertility, the mythic rivalries and partnerships between male and female divinities, and the explicitly sexual duality personified in the West by the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene (but common to cultures all over the world), as well as such other aspects as the warrior, the queen, and the witch or crone who snips the threads of Fate. Finally, she reviews contemporary attitudes, values, and rites, finding a new vitality after centuries of the goddess is today a subject of renewed interest to feminist theorists, cultural historians, Wiccans and Paganists, and even environmentalists, for whom the Gaia hypothesis offers a powerful metaphor reconciling modern science with ancient wisdom.
Filled with vivid full-color illustrations and dozens of informative sidebars on subjects as diverse as the Vestal Virgins of Rome, the Matronit of the Kabbala, and the almost universal association of the planet Venus with goddess figures, this is a book that will appeal to a wide audience, from scholars in women's studies, anthropology, folklore, and ancient history to more general readers interested in the female influence on cultural evolution and the antecedents to modern New Age thought.
Shahrukh Husain is a psychotherapist, folklorist, and storyteller. She has lectured extensively and has worked as a consultant on TV documentaries and in an advisory role to members of Parliament on cultural matters ranging from marriage and race to religion and language issues. Her publications include Daughters of the Witch Tales from around the World (1993) and Handsome Heroines (1996).
Using a wealth of examples from every era and tradition, she traces a long and primal struggle that over the course of millennia saw originally female deities usurped by male-dominated priestly hierarchies, a process reflected both in myth and in actual religious practice, which saw the goddess principle attacked, diminished, and eclipsed, but never entirely eliminated. Husain examines cosmic concepts of creation and seasonal fertility, the mythic rivalries and partnerships between male and female divinities, and the explicitly sexual duality personified in the West by the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene (but common to cultures all over the world), as well as such other aspects as the warrior, the queen, and the witch or crone who snips the threads of Fate. Finally, she reviews contemporary attitudes, values, and rites, finding a new vitality after centuries of the goddess is today a subject of renewed interest to feminist theorists, cultural historians, Wiccans and Paganists, and even environmentalists, for whom the Gaia hypothesis offers a powerful metaphor reconciling modern science with ancient wisdom.
Filled with vivid full-color illustrations and dozens of informative sidebars on subjects as diverse as the Vestal Virgins of Rome, the Matronit of the Kabbala, and the almost universal association of the planet Venus with goddess figures, this is a book that will appeal to a wide audience, from scholars in women's studies, anthropology, folklore, and ancient history to more general readers interested in the female influence on cultural evolution and the antecedents to modern New Age thought.
Shahrukh Husain is a psychotherapist, folklorist, and storyteller. She has lectured extensively and has worked as a consultant on TV documentaries and in an advisory role to members of Parliament on cultural matters ranging from marriage and race to religion and language issues. Her publications include Daughters of the Witch Tales from around the World (1993) and Handsome Heroines (1996).
186 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
8 people are currently reading
374 people want to read
About the author
Shahrukh Husain
47 books17 followersBorn 28 April 1950, she is the daughter of Prince Ahmed Husain and Sabeeha (Ahmed) Husain. In 1979 Shahrukh Husain received her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
Shahrukh Husain has lectured extensively and has worked as a consultant on TV documentaries and in an advisory role to members of Parliament on cultural matters ranging from marriage and race to religion and language issues. Husain practises as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist specialising in transcultural work. Currently, she is working on an historical screenplay for Bend It Films and completing a series of mythology books for children. Husain resides in London.
Shahrukh Husain is best known for her works. Her adaptation of "In Custody" was Ismail Merchant's directorial debut and was nominated for Best Foreign Film Oscar in 1995.
Shahrukh Husain has lectured extensively and has worked as a consultant on TV documentaries and in an advisory role to members of Parliament on cultural matters ranging from marriage and race to religion and language issues. Husain practises as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist specialising in transcultural work. Currently, she is working on an historical screenplay for Bend It Films and completing a series of mythology books for children. Husain resides in London.
Shahrukh Husain is best known for her works. Her adaptation of "In Custody" was Ismail Merchant's directorial debut and was nominated for Best Foreign Film Oscar in 1995.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 27, 2019
This book is beautifully designed and rendered with incredible images of artifacts, art, and photographs. More importantly, it was a delightful survey of goddess worship throughout history. The themes of this extremely common religious practice as well as the human desire to connect with nature and the divine feminine are compiled in a manner that is thoughtful, scholarly, and reverent.
February 6, 2014
Excellent guide to feminity in its most deep meanings. The different aspects of beign a woman are covered in sufficient detail, enriching the imagination and understanding of womanhood. Highly recommended not just for those interested in mithology, but for all who want to understand women.
May 25, 2016
this book is well-researched that explains not only the history of goddess worship but how the goddess is for all women. 8 covers true feminism using the strength and power of the goddess to show that women are beautiful and strong
July 18, 2020
Beautiful book about the history, development and contemporary practices of Goddess worship. Recommended if you're interested in goddesses and are looking for a low key yet complete starter book on the subject!
January 10, 2026
Very easy to read, but also very disheartening. Chronicles the destruction of the Goddess figure across most cultures, quite sad. Informative read though.
July 6, 2016
I feel this is an excellent introduction to goddess mythology. It gives numerous examples of the similarities and differences not just in different cultures, but across time. The book examines goddess worship and mythology from the neolithic era to the modern day. It lost one star as I noticed some information about Greek myth and modern Wicca and the goddess movement were off (so I can assume information on other subjects was off as well), but only one star because of the numerous details that were correct when similar texts wouldn't even bother to go into those details. Overall it was extremely well researched, well presented, and an enjoyable read. Also, the pictures were a huge bonus!
May 20, 2019
I obtained and retained this book as a possible reference for creative art projects. However, this book is unsuitable for this purpose. This book is removed from my personal library, and I do not recommend it.
July 8, 2013
It's a very well told book about the origins of the feminine myths and archetypes, of the Goddess and her wordhipings and worshippers. It's also very well researched, great images and foot notes.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews