Discover how to utilize the many faces of the dark goddess to navigate the process of deep and rewarding change. This empowering, practical guide looks at the misconceptions surrounding challenging deities and encourages you to draw on their power to work through aspects of yourself or your life that you wish to change. Organized into three sections―descent, challenge, and rebirth― Dark Goddess Craft guides you through your own shadow work and helps you emerge renewed. Every step on your path of transformation is connected to a different face of the dark goddess, and Stephanie Woodfield provides rituals, invocations, and offerings for eleven of them. You can mourn loss with the Washer at the Ford, learn to move past betrayal with Sedna, gain personal independence with Blodeuwedd, and become the champion of your own life with Sca?thach. Like a torch to light your way, this book helps you heal and transform into the best version of yourself.
Stephanie Woodfield (Brookfield, CT) has been a practicing Witch for over fourteen years and a Priestess for ten years. Her lifelong love of Irish mythology led to a close study of Celtic Witchcraft. A natural clairvoyant and empath, she has worked as a tarot card reader and is ordained as a minister with the Universal Life Church.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
People hear of dark goddesses or dark things in general and think evil, bad, negative and are scared of them. That isn't the case here, and no this doesn't deal with dark magick. Yes, things in this book deal with things that frighten us, but they aren't evil. It helps teach how to deal with our demons, we all have them. How to deal with the darkness within us. That balance is a necessary part of the world and sometimes, what we think of as dark, is just something we have trouble with and are scared of. Honestly this book is hard to describe and review as it's non-fiction and spiritual based.
I think almost anyone could learn things from this book though. I learned a lot reading it. About mythology, about humanity, about myself. I hope to go through this book again at some point but take it much slower really taking the time to go through each part as I am pagan too. Even if someone is not pagan, if you are open to it I do think anyone could gain things from this book, even if everything in it is not for you. Also please keep in mind if something in particular does not work for you, your path is your own and you can rework things so they work for you and your life and ignore what doesn't work for you.
For not knowing how to put it in better words, i'll let the book speak for itself. Please keep in my mind I got an uncorrected proof from Netgalley, which may differ in the final version.
"The dark goddess and the lessons she teaches are vital to our lives. Her destructive aspects teach us that there is death within life, that we are constantly changing and evolving. No matter what we have been through in our lives, we can rise from the ashes and like Kali dance ecstatically on the ruins of our old selves toward rebirth. As the fierce warrior drinking the blood of the slain, she is a no-nonsense goddess, teaching us to make our voices heard, to stand up and be counted, and inspiring us to bring about change, both in ourselves and the world around us. And she is also the shadowy keeper of the dead, teaching us how to pierce the veil, to see into the future, and to commune with the beloved dead. But she is also the side of the Divine we avoid the most, and as a consequence we often have difficulty working with her."
"Dark Gods rule over the things we fear the most. Some fear that working with this aspect of the dark goddess will bring out the darkest or worst parts of themselves. Other times we are simply afraid to welcome change into our lives and finally release the things we keep buried deep within our souls. While working with the darker aspects of the Goddess may make you face things about yourself you would rather ignore, her path is one of transformation and ultimately one of healing."
"Today we like to think of the world in terms of everything having its opposite, instead of seeing that most things, including the gods, fall into a gray area. There is male and female, night and day, and good and evil. Dark deities are in no way evil, but what we have learned to do when we approach the gods in this manner is to label any deity that holds sway over a realm or concept that frightens us as "dark." Gods who rule over death, change, war, violence, anger, and all the things that make life difficult or painful must also be dangerous and untrustable in some way, not unlike the things they hold sway over. What we often fail to see is that dark gods are not the cause of these things, but rather the very beings who teach us to understand them, who challenge us to move past our fears and give us the strength to face some of the more painful unavoidable things in life."
"Defining "dark" as a term that always indicates something negative also has racial connotations. There is an element of cultural baggage around the idea that lightness is good or preferable and being darker is shameful when it comes to skin color. There is even a myth about how Parvati is shamed by another god who calls her dark-skinned, and she takes measures to lighten her appearance, the darkness she sheds transforming into the goddess Kali, whose name means "black." We have to let go of the idea that "dark," within any context, is a bad thing. These attitudes influence not just the way we look at each other but how we perceive deity."
"You may be a parent, a spouse, a child, and a coworker and play many roles to different people, but you are still one person. When we put a label on something, we tend to forget that it is anything else but the label we have given it. It took me many years to see that the Morrigan has other aspects and faces. She can be dark and scary, but that is not the limit of her power or scope as a deity. The problem with labeling something "dark" or "light" is that we put blinders on and forget that the gods are more than the title or box people put them in."
"Throughout this book, I will refer to the goddesses we are working with as dark, but only because this has evolved into the terminology that we are most familiar with."
I know that's a lot but there is so much more I have highlighted. So much more i'd love to share and talk about but I want others to experience the book for themselves. This is a very educational and thought-provoking book, and one I really should work more in-depth with.
This book was different from what I expected. As the Title says "dark goddess" - as in one - and the cover shows Hekates sign, I initially thought it would be a devotional work towards Hekate. In fact it is an introduction to various "dark goddesses" and suggestions how to work with them. The book is aimed towards helping you with your shadow work by invocing their specific energies to aid you with the issues that may arrise in your life. It is very well written and I especially enjoyed the texts at the beginning of each chapter where you get a little story/meditation to get to know the goddess/energy the chapter is about. But of course you cannot get much in depth with these ladys if they only get 5-8 pages each, so this is merely an introduction to get you going. If you choose to do this work you still have to dig further yourself. It was a very enjoyable read though.
I did the audio version of this book and absolutely enjoyed it, but I’m definitely going to purchase the paper back and go through it again. There was a lot of great information that I want take my time going through.
This is a great follow up book to “Journey to the dark goddess” by Jane Meredith. It follows the path of what we now think of as an “existential crisis” but is not a crisis at all, but the regular cycle or change in our lives. Using goddesses from Greek, Celtic, and Hindu traditions, Woodfield traces the following psychological labyrinth path:
Descent - warning & mourning - shattered/never not broken - the crossroads - choose: betrayal teaches discernment
The center - joyful change (relief) - rage as absolute commitment/absorb fears - struggle/strife/chaos - taking responsibility/stripped bare
Ascent - sovereignty of self - discipline - rest/tending the flame
This is my interpretation of her layout, but it is helpful I think to have a list of phases or steps of sorts. After laying out this structure and the spells she offers underneath, I think I would choose different spells and rituals. I also think I would move “joyful change” to be either the last step of the center or the first step of ascent. I don’t know exactly what I think about pulling goddesses from these three traditions, but I wonder if I can find similar goddesses in my own tradition to make up the guides along this path.
But overall, I think this book offers a great structure for navigating shadow work and understanding this cyclical process in our lives. It’s really not a crisis when you know where you’re going.
*I received a review copy from NetGalley Dark Goddess Craft by Stephanie Woodfield is a non-fiction book about working with the dark goddesses of the Craft. Woodfield delves into the nature of the dark goddesses and how we can get to know them. There are several goddesses the book specifically explores, including Eris, Persephone, Bloudewedd and more. Dark Goddess Craft explores the dark goddesses as essential aspects of transformation, connecting with the shadow, and defensive magick. The book includes spells for charging protective amulets, meditations for getting to know the dark goddesses, and spells for working with each goddess.
I thoroughly enjoyed Dark Goddess Craft. I think the dark goddesses are crucial for growth and transformation, and I was thrilled to see a book dedicated to working with them. Woodfield explores numerous goddesses, so finding a few I resonated with was easy. One aspect of the book that I particularly enjoyed was the story of meeting the goddess at the beginning of each section. The story is written like a meditation, but it is the myth of each goddess. I particularly loved Woodfield’s interpretation of Bloudewedd’s story. I am a huge fan of Welsh myth, but Bloudewedd’s story always struck me as sad and unfair. However, Woodfield has interpreted Bloudewedd’s story as one of choice and freedom, which has given me a whole new outlook on one of my favorite goddesses. I think Dark Goddess Craft is a wonderful read for every pagan, but it’s a must-read for anyone going through a rough patch or needing to grow through transformation. I found insights in this book that have already helped me better understand transformation and how to work with the dark goddesses to grow. I highly recommend reading it.
Full review to be published. People tend to think that darkness is evil, malign and dangerous, that anything that is feared or hidden should be avoided, only to be seen in the distance. Some pagans often decide to focus on what shines, the commonly descriptive as the ‘light’ side of magic, while the ‘dark’ is approached with more caution, more fear and even with doubt. With her book “Dark Goddess Craft: A Journey Through the Heart of Transformation,” which is filled with Goddesses from different cultures and myths, each a new face of the same Goddess many pagans worship in their rituals and ceremonies, author Stephanie Woodfield showed that there’s nothing to be afraid of in the dark. Dark Goddess Craft: A Journey Through the Heart of Transformation is a book many Pagans should read, and that could even be of use for those who are uninformed about what Paganism is about in order to corrects wrong interpretations and fight ignorance about a topic, perhaps controversial, but that can bring a lot of good and light, no matter how contradictory or ironic it can sound.
So, this review is a long time coming. This was an excellent book, and I enjoyed it a lot. Stephanie Woodfield's "Dark Goddess Craft" was filled with an enormous amount of information about the realms of the dark goddesses.
Dark goddess work is something I've gotten interested into lately, and this is something I plan on adding to my bookshelf. I like Woodfield's writing style and her approach to subject manner. She doesn't assume you know everything, nor does she speak to you as if you're a complete novice without any background information at all.
As you would expect, there is not only histories and mythologies about the dark goddesses, but also meditations and activities to do with to work with dark goddesses. This book is something that someone could go back to over again and again. I read it over a few days, so I didn't even delve into the great resources this book provides.
I received an e-copy of this book for my honest review from NetGalley.
This book was chock a block full of information and mediations that can be done at any time. I loved how this book was split into 3 sections and had different deities that had a part in each section of the journey. This book completely surrounded the idea of Shadow Work and working within yourself to be a better version of yourself for the future. This book is definitely for those who wish to begin their journey within and to complete the process of transformation. Props to Stephanie Woodfield who had different female deities that each had a part to play in the process of going through shadow work and how it begins with the descent, the journey and the revival. Such a great book if you're looking to heal and wanting to work on yourself more.
Dark Goddess Craft is a thoughtful guide for anyone interested in working with the shadow side of goddess energy. Stephanie Woodfield writes in a way that feels approachable while still digging into deep topics like transformation, death, and rebirth. I liked how she connects mythology to practical rituals, giving readers ways to actually bring these lessons into their own practice.
At times it feels more like a workbook than just a read-through, which makes it useful if you enjoy journaling, meditating, or trying out rituals as you go. Some parts are heavier, but that matches the theme of the book. Overall, it’s a good resource for witches, pagans, or anyone drawn to the darker aspects of the divine feminine.
This is a great introduction to the “darker” goddesses. It is sectioned off for the underworld journey (though I will say Journey to the Dark Goddess covers that aspect much better than this book). Each chapter begins with a meditation to the specific goddess, followed by a summary of her myths. Unlike a majority of the books with quick summaries, Woodfield does a fantastic job of quick retellings for the myths. There are at least a couple rituals keeping the theme of each goddess, an invocation or two, and usually an incense recipe for each. Overall, this is a great resource for those looking into the darker goddesses.
While I have no religious bone in my body, I love mythology, and I love Stephanie Woodfields books. Her way of interpreting the myths revolving around the dark goddesses really struck a chord with me. Connecting these goddesses to themes like fear, guilt, failing and betrayal gives more meaning to stories, and the way Woodfield writes about it makes you connect to them in a personal way. This book was very helpful to me. I had to stop reading at several points to let the stories sink in, and give them some more thought. It is a recommendation for anyone for whom spirituality is not just love and light but who also want to explore the "dark" side, and do some shadow work.
I've had to toss around my opinion on this book. I think there are some genuinely helpful statements, there were portions where I related deeply to what the author was talking about, and it seems like a good start on each of the Goddesses in this book. However...Woodfield quotes JK Rowling in a positive light, mentions using smudging (a closed practice) multiple times, and pulls Goddesses from other closed practices like Santería and Yoruba. There is little education about these topics as well.
I'd say it is relatable, but there are problematic bits that really knocked down my opinion of this book.
I found this book useful and interesting. I felt that the author had a unique view on what "dark goddess craft" actually entails. This isn't a book about "black magick" or anything like that, it is simply a book that is written by a pagan practitioner who is in touch with the darker side of herself and her magical practice. I found all the background information and personal accounts of experiences with the dark goddesses fascinating. The book is not frightening or scary so to say, but there is a healthy respect for the power and temperament of these goddesses, as there should be.
It's a engaging book! I've had some insights about bringing magic in everyday life. the author talks about some goddesses like hecate, oya and kali and how to connect with them
A great book to beginners
/É um livro muito bom e envolvente. Traz insights de aplicação da magia no dia a dia de forma simples envolvendo outros deuses. O livro fala de algumas deusas como hekate, kali e oya.
Bom para iniciantes e também para que ja tem uma certa experiencia e quer relembrar o 101 da magia
This is a very good book that describes goddesses of a "darker" nature or origin. The author has written lovely narratives introducing each goddess, and the entire volume is presented in a straight forward no-nonsense manner. Although the book is written primarily for women, men and third genders can still gain amazing insight from reading Dark Goddess Craft.
I was hoping it would be good after all the praise I had heard about it, but I didnt realize how wonderful and transformative it would be! The cover says "a journey through the heart of transformation" and I didn't really take that seriously at first, but it is no joke! This was an incredible read and I will be reading more by her in the future for sure
I really enjoyed the knowledge and mythos of the darker Goddesses. The presentation is easy to understand and incorporate. Wish the author had more on the Morrigan and Hecate. Loved the perspective of these Goddesses being transformative and inspirational. I also like the explanation that yes tools are neat but we are the magic.
I can’t adequately describe the profound effect this book has had on me. My reading of it has happened at a time when I’ve lost hope and I feel relief from reading this book. I have felt the call of The Morrigan for a long time now, with increasing insistence and now I know how to respond. Thank you for this book. I utterly adore it. And it will help put me back together.
This book goes pretty much against everything I have heard and read about the Wiccan World. I have always heard not to go to the dark side. This book tells you how and leads you to the Dark Goddess to help you renew yourself by taking on the Dark in yourself. It was very interesting.
Perfectamente estructurado, el acercamiento a lo que es el trabajo con diosas "oscuras" es muy racional y saliéndose de los mitos y recelos, explicando todo con sencillez y muy claramente, sin entrar en meter paja. Me ha gustado mucho.
It seems like this time of year I'm always reading something about dark goddesses and this book is exactly what it says on the tin. The author gives her pov on a series of goddesses from different mythologies and how she works with them for personal transformation. What's not to like?
I really enjoyed the guided meditations and ideas for working with the various dark goddesses. This book has been an excellent resource and source of inspiration for creating my own dark goddess journey and doing shadow work. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Brilliant I have never heard all the tales told for all the women in mythology who are considered evil or bad told from a pov of strength and persevering. Very good read if loving the villan is for you.