The Women's Wheel of Life

by Elizabeth Davis, Carol Leonard

Maiden, Mother, or Crone-where does a woman in her forties fit in?Women who have turned to feminist spirituality for appreciation of women's ways of knowing have struggled with the confining concept of the Triple Goddess. Though no longer raising children, a woman may not yet be ready to be a "wise old woman." The Women's Wheel of Life offers a new archetype for this woman-the Matriarch.The Matriarch is the Queen of the Harvest-reaping the rewards of sustained work and effort, at the height of her sexual and professional power. Elegantly self-possessed, fueled by an intensity and direction, she is poised to rekindle the passions, dreams and spiritual pursuits of youth. She represents the challenge facing midlife women today-how to reap the harvest of one's work and make time for new creative and personal explorations.The Matriarch is but one of thirteen empowering archetypes presented in this book. From Daughter to Blood Sister, Mother to Amazon, Sorceress to Crone, this groundbreaking work reveals the grand pattern of women's lives, rich and complex, beautiful and mysterious.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Goddess

242 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book full of valuable insights. I picked it up because I was feeling lost between the Mother and the Crone phases of life. It gave me a new vision of what my life can be in this next phase. I wish I had this book 20 years ago. I will definitely re-read it and use it in my daily life.

[Rach Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life changing

This book had answers for many of my self enquiry.

Especially loved the inclusion about importance of circling with women at the end and how to do it.

[Caitlyn Kilgore · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it starts off kind of out there, it's always nice to be shown something you couldn't imagine or never thought about. Perhaps I'll never do a Birthingway or Menarche ritual, but I know that those things are out there as possibilities for me now if I so choose.

This was another book that was difficult to get into. I kept wanting the chapters to be structured differently, organized in a way that was more my style and easier for my brain to follow. I felt like the book did a lot of jumping around from culture to culture about archetypes without enough depth or explanation. What I came to realize is that there is no right answer about things nor a single interpretation. I now really appreciate that things were left fairly open-ended so that the reader can make their own connections and interpretations, brining to their lives what's most salient for them.