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The Secret Life of Lady Liberty: Goddess in the New World
The goddess origins of the Statue of Liberty and her connections with the founding and the future of America
• Examines Lady Liberty’s ties to Native American spiritual traditions, the Earth Mother, Roman goddesses, Black Madonnas, and Mary Magdalene
• Reveals the sharp contrast between depicting “liberty” as a female and the reality of women and other suppressed classes even today
• Explains how this Goddess of the New World inspires all people toward equality, compassion, peace-keeping, and environmental stewardship
Uncovering the forgotten lineage of the Statue of Liberty, Bob Hieronimus and Laura Cortner explain how she is based on a female symbol representing America on the earliest maps of the continent in the form of a Native American “Queen.” The image of a woman symbolizing independence was embraced by the American revolutionaries to rally the populace against the King, filling the role of “Founding Mother” and protector of the fledgling republic. Incorporating Libertas, the Roman goddess of freed slaves, with Minerva, Demeter, Justice, and the Indian Princess, Lady Liberty is seen all over the nation’s capital, and on the seals and flags of many states.
Showing how a new appreciation for the Statue of Liberty as the American goddess can serve as a unifying inspiration for activism, the authors explore how this Lady Liberty is a personification of America and its destiny. They examine multiple traditions that influenced her symbolism, from the Neolithic Earth Mother, to Mary Magdalene, Columbia, and Joan of Arc, while revealing the sharp contrast between depicting “liberty” as a female and the reality of women and other suppressed classes throughout history. Their study of “Liberty Enlightening the World” led them to conclude that the empowerment of contemporary women is essential for achieving sustainable liberty for all.
Sounding the call for this “Goddess of the New World” to inspire us all toward peacekeeping, nurturing, compassion, and environmental stewardship, the authors explain how the Statue of Liberty serves as the conscience of our nation and is a symbol of both the myths that unite us and the diversity that strengthens us.
• Examines Lady Liberty’s ties to Native American spiritual traditions, the Earth Mother, Roman goddesses, Black Madonnas, and Mary Magdalene
• Reveals the sharp contrast between depicting “liberty” as a female and the reality of women and other suppressed classes even today
• Explains how this Goddess of the New World inspires all people toward equality, compassion, peace-keeping, and environmental stewardship
Uncovering the forgotten lineage of the Statue of Liberty, Bob Hieronimus and Laura Cortner explain how she is based on a female symbol representing America on the earliest maps of the continent in the form of a Native American “Queen.” The image of a woman symbolizing independence was embraced by the American revolutionaries to rally the populace against the King, filling the role of “Founding Mother” and protector of the fledgling republic. Incorporating Libertas, the Roman goddess of freed slaves, with Minerva, Demeter, Justice, and the Indian Princess, Lady Liberty is seen all over the nation’s capital, and on the seals and flags of many states.
Showing how a new appreciation for the Statue of Liberty as the American goddess can serve as a unifying inspiration for activism, the authors explore how this Lady Liberty is a personification of America and its destiny. They examine multiple traditions that influenced her symbolism, from the Neolithic Earth Mother, to Mary Magdalene, Columbia, and Joan of Arc, while revealing the sharp contrast between depicting “liberty” as a female and the reality of women and other suppressed classes throughout history. Their study of “Liberty Enlightening the World” led them to conclude that the empowerment of contemporary women is essential for achieving sustainable liberty for all.
Sounding the call for this “Goddess of the New World” to inspire us all toward peacekeeping, nurturing, compassion, and environmental stewardship, the authors explain how the Statue of Liberty serves as the conscience of our nation and is a symbol of both the myths that unite us and the diversity that strengthens us.
448 pages, Paperback
Published August 22, 2016
3 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Robert Hieronimus
12 books10 followersRobert R. Hieronimus, Ph.D. has been an acknowledged pioneer in the "New Paradigm" movement for over 45 years. After traveling with numerous rock and roll bands in the 1960s to share information about esoterica and design posters and album covers, Bob began a long career as a muralist and painter. His highly acclaimed occult and symbolic artcars and murals include the 2,700 square foot prophetic "Apocalypse" at the Johns Hopkins University, which led to Dr. Bob being called "one of this country's best muralists" (Forecast Magazine). Dr. Bob’s most famous Artcar, the Volkswagen bus known as “the Woodstock bus”, was photographed by the Associated Press and Rolling Stone at the original 1969 Woodstock, and is still seen today regularly reprinted in media all over the world. In 1969 Bob founded AUM, the first state approved school of esoteric studies in the country which granted certificates in the occult sciences, mystic arts and religious metaphysics. PBS documented his leadership and contributions in 1971 with the feature, "The Artist of Savitria" produced by Maryland Public Television and seen nationwide.
Dr. Bob received his Ph.D. from Saybrook Graduate School in 1981 for the doctoral thesis, An Historic Analysis of the Reverse of the American Great Seal and Its Relationship to the Ideology of Humanistic Psychology. His research on the Great Seal has been used in the speeches, literature, and libraries of the White House (1976, 1982), the State Department (1978), and the Department of Interior (1982). His Independence Hall speech on the Great Seal's bicentennial was published in the Congressional Record (1983, 1984), and his research was shared in a personal meeting with the late Egyptian President Anwar El-Sadat.
Dr. Bob has been a frequent guest on radio and television talk shows across the country since 1967 sharing his research in metaphysical symbolism, the founding fathers, America's Great Seal, UFOs and the paranormal, and even synchronistic methods for picking winning lottery numbers. Since January 1988 he has hosted 21st Century Radio®, featuring interviews with the leading experts in many alternative fields and mythological history. He has been featured in documentaries on the National Geographic, Discovery, and History Channels as well as on Syfy, Fox, BBC, FOX, Der Speigel, and Russian TV, and his books have been translated into German, French, Russian, Japanese, and Spanish.
Dr. Bob received his Ph.D. from Saybrook Graduate School in 1981 for the doctoral thesis, An Historic Analysis of the Reverse of the American Great Seal and Its Relationship to the Ideology of Humanistic Psychology. His research on the Great Seal has been used in the speeches, literature, and libraries of the White House (1976, 1982), the State Department (1978), and the Department of Interior (1982). His Independence Hall speech on the Great Seal's bicentennial was published in the Congressional Record (1983, 1984), and his research was shared in a personal meeting with the late Egyptian President Anwar El-Sadat.
Dr. Bob has been a frequent guest on radio and television talk shows across the country since 1967 sharing his research in metaphysical symbolism, the founding fathers, America's Great Seal, UFOs and the paranormal, and even synchronistic methods for picking winning lottery numbers. Since January 1988 he has hosted 21st Century Radio®, featuring interviews with the leading experts in many alternative fields and mythological history. He has been featured in documentaries on the National Geographic, Discovery, and History Channels as well as on Syfy, Fox, BBC, FOX, Der Speigel, and Russian TV, and his books have been translated into German, French, Russian, Japanese, and Spanish.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 30, 2023
Had I read this book upon its publication in 2016, I likely would've nodded my head approvingly throughout. It's a little too woke for my palate now, what with such eye-rolling virtue-signaling pablum such as "If we can learn the compassionate connection of the goddess to be gained from this insight on a national scale, then the next American revolution could be the energy innovation revolution needed to save the planet. Let's change, America", but despite this it remains a very well-researched and fascinating dive into the history and symbolism of Liberty's most famous face. The photographs and editorial cartoons provided are illuminating and worth the price of admission alone and provide insight that what we have been taught about the history of the United States isn't quite the way things actually went. Flawed but recommended.
"The Statue of Liberty feels like a mother to many Americans because it is through her that we see ourselves connected to the whole, to the nation as a whole, and to our national soul. We could look to the Statue of Liberty as a steadfast reminder that in order to maintain the kind of enlightened liberty she is designed to stand for, we, her children, must nurture her. We must tend the laws that ensure these liberties and be on constant vigil to keep them safe"
"It's important to examine the portions of our history that make us cringe, especially in regard to our evolving sense of human rights and equal justice"
"The Statue of Liberty feels like a mother to many Americans because it is through her that we see ourselves connected to the whole, to the nation as a whole, and to our national soul. We could look to the Statue of Liberty as a steadfast reminder that in order to maintain the kind of enlightened liberty she is designed to stand for, we, her children, must nurture her. We must tend the laws that ensure these liberties and be on constant vigil to keep them safe"
"It's important to examine the portions of our history that make us cringe, especially in regard to our evolving sense of human rights and equal justice"
February 12, 2017
The Secret Life of Lady Liberty is an engaging, eye-opening, and entertaining look at the symbolism of liberty and the divine feminine in American history. Hieronimus and Cortner approach their subject from perspectives that have all too often been ignored, and tell us things we never learned in History 101 but need to know going forward. Their inescapable conclusion is that we must transition away from being a society based on competition, dominance, and consumerism, and quickly move toward one of environmental sustainability rooted in co-equal female/male partnership. Whether you’re a student of history or someone concerned about the future of our country and planet, this book is a must-read.
September 15, 2016
If you ever wondered what was the story behind Lady Liberty’s face and legacy, the answers are here in this compelling book. The authors lay out the layers of lifetimes it took to construct not only her 305 foot statuesque form, but the founding ideas of our country, their Native American inspirations and influences, and the divine feminine mystique that is woven into her robes that are colored in the hues of environmental consciousness. The authors span the depths of Lady Liberty’s history to explain the factual information that the myths grew from and into this modern day goddess, and along the way tell the stories of other historical findings and anecdotes about American History that are uncommon (the “secret” part of the title). Such as the story of Morrnah Simeona, a Hawaiian Spiritual woman who petitioned the government to recognize the Statue of Freedom-liberty on top the U.S. Capitol as “a symbol of World Peace” put here to “rectify and release past errors.” Stories like these make this 370 page book a fast and fascinating read, filled with bonus material in two appendices, footnotes and an extensive bibliography. Thank you for writing such a comprehensive piece about women and symbol of balance for us all.
November 18, 2016
As I began to write the review for this extraordinary book, The Secret Life of Lady Liberty, this is the quote that came to my mind, “All the forces in the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come” from Victor Hugo. This is a very powerful and inspiring book especially at this time in the history of our country. I was captivated by its message. This book is an eye opener and I believe that excerpts of the book need to be included as a required history course in the public schools today. This fascinating and well researched book gives us insight into the true history of the Statue of Liberty. It is definitely a MUST READ!
Sylvia Mallonee, An Avid Reader, Professional Transcriptionist and Author.
Sylvia Mallonee, An Avid Reader, Professional Transcriptionist and Author.
January 22, 2017
This fascinating book provides a great deal of historical perspective on the Statue of Liberty and her connection with other goddess symbols in American history and makes a powerful case for inclusiveness, especially of women and people of color. I recommend this book to everyone!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews