What do you think?
Rate this book
The Way of the Rose: The Radical Path of the Divine Feminine Hidden in the Rosary
What happens when a former Zen Buddhist monk and his feminist wife experience an apparition of the Virgin Mary?
When a vision of a mysterious "Lady" invited Clark Strand and Perdita Finn to pray the rosary, not only were they disinterested in becoming Catholic, they were finished with institutional religion altogether. Their main spiritual concerns were the fate of the planet and the future of their children and grandchildren in an age of ecological collapse. But this Lady barely even referred to the Church and its proscriptions. She spoke of the miraculous power of the rosary to transform lives and heal the planet, revealing the secrets she had hidden within its prayers and mysteries--secrets of a past age when forests were the only cathedrals and people wove "rose garlands" for a Mother whose loving presence was as close as the ground beneath their feet. She told Strand and Finn:
The rosary is My body,
and My body is the body of the world.
Your body is one with that body.
What cause could there be for fear?
Weaving together their own remarkable story of how they came to the rosary, their discoveries about the eco-feminist wisdom at the heart of this ancient devotion, and the life-changing revelations of the Lady herself, the authors reveal an ancestral path--available to everyone, religious or not--that returns us to the powerful healing rhythms of the natural world.
When a vision of a mysterious "Lady" invited Clark Strand and Perdita Finn to pray the rosary, not only were they disinterested in becoming Catholic, they were finished with institutional religion altogether. Their main spiritual concerns were the fate of the planet and the future of their children and grandchildren in an age of ecological collapse. But this Lady barely even referred to the Church and its proscriptions. She spoke of the miraculous power of the rosary to transform lives and heal the planet, revealing the secrets she had hidden within its prayers and mysteries--secrets of a past age when forests were the only cathedrals and people wove "rose garlands" for a Mother whose loving presence was as close as the ground beneath their feet. She told Strand and Finn:
The rosary is My body,
and My body is the body of the world.
Your body is one with that body.
What cause could there be for fear?
Weaving together their own remarkable story of how they came to the rosary, their discoveries about the eco-feminist wisdom at the heart of this ancient devotion, and the life-changing revelations of the Lady herself, the authors reveal an ancestral path--available to everyone, religious or not--that returns us to the powerful healing rhythms of the natural world.
Audible Audio
First published November 5, 2019
387 people are currently reading
3704 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
December 18, 2023
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. I really wanted to love this. I thought I would love this. I'd say I liked it, in the same way I like a lot of the teachings of Christianity. I can like something and still dislike aspects of it. To me this was a solid 50/50.
The Good:
-This book starts off very promising. We have some simply presented, factual information about ancient Mother Goddesses and Mary that I'd not heard of despite being fascinated by the concept for about 6 years (and arguably longer if you count my attempts to find the Divine Feminine within Christianity and my obsession with Mother Goddesses as a very young girl).
- The authors bare their souls and speak of trial and tribulation, as well as healing and hope through their relationship with Mother Earth. I did feel like I had a picture of their lives and what kind of people they were. It was very vulnerable which can't have been easy to put out in to the world.
- While I have some disagreements with it (which I'll get in to later), I appreciated the no-holds-barred, unapologetic approach to climate change, ecofeminism, what have you. Despite not agreeing with some of it, I'm always glad to see people unafraid to state that there's a sickness in our culture (though I have slight disagreements about what that sickness actually is). Furthermore, I also appreciated that the authors take a somewhat traditionalist approach (although they probably wouldn't view it that way) that 'progress' and 'science' aren't always the beacon of hope we think they are (but they're also forces of good sometimes- there is a lot of nuance). More and more these days I'm finding myself frustrated with proposed 'solutions' to climate change which basically amount to caking more and more makeup on to a person's face to hide their blemishes. It's all artificial.
- The beautiful reminders that we are always held, supported and cared for by our Mother and our Ancestors (and indeed the places where they overlap). We need only listen for their voices. God is real and we only need to look for signs of Her in nature. Miracles are real. We have nought to fear.
- Last but certainly not least, I'm glad that more and more people are waking up to the truth many have held in their hearts for, well, probably as old as Marian veneration itself: Mary is the Goddess. She is God Herself. She is the Divine Feminine. Many of the ancient Goddesses we once worshipped have all but vanished from our consciousness, but Mary hasn't. Most people are at least familiar with her even if they aren't Catholic. The East has Tara, Guanyin, Kali and Durga. The West has Mary. When Catholic Christianity gained the spiritual monopoly in Europe, Mary, for all intents and purposes, became the Goddess- that is, not one individual goddess, but God Herself. This book is helping more and more people realise this truth for themselves (and surely many of them have always known it to be true and were just waiting for permission to profess it). I've seen the community they've built and it's genuinely so beautiful to me that so many people, even ones who don't consider themselves religious in any way, Just Love Mary. To me, that's no different than hearing someone proclaim they just love the Goddess.
The Bad:
- There is a fair bit of hypocrisy here in many ways. The first of which: the authors claim to be anti-religion, and that they're not trying to start a new one. They demonize anyone who considers spirituality to be their vocation (including pagan priestesses) and yet they have a community in which they are undoubtedly the leaders of. Their words are taken as gospel. Literally- the author calls his personal experiences with the Divine a 'Gospel' and other people follow it. How is that not indicative of a religion? Just because it's earth focused and not heaven focused doesn't make it not a religion. I'd have much less of a problem with this if they could admit that's what it was. It brings me the same sort of feelings I get when Christians tell me Christianity isn't a religion: "it's a relationship", or when new agers use Eastern religious practices and claim they're not religious. I don't know if it's fair to mention this as it isn't directly related to the book, but a couple of weeks ago I attended an online rosary circle in which the monthly 'Words of Our Lady' were read aloud and discussed. When I inquired where they came from, I was told "Clarke. He receives the apparitions." To be honest, that gave me chills. I don't see that as much different than the Mormon church claiming it still receives direct revelation from God, and yet they claim to be against any sort of priest, prophet or preacher. What would happen if I or anyone else came to one of the meetings with a message from Our Lady that contradicted that of Clarke's? Would we be booted? I'd be more comfortable with this if it weren't for the (ironically) 'holier-than-thou', judgemental attitudes towards any sort of clergy or religion that isn't theirs. Only 'spiritual but not religious' pantheism is valid, any other way of experiencing the Divine is flawed and wrong. Shortly after that, I mentioned Glastonbury Goddess Temple to one of the authors, who promptly told me the whole concept of having temples and priestesses devoted to the Goddess was patriarchal abuse. Given that this 'movement' is led by one man's monthly UPG (Unique Personal Gnosis, a term in pagan circles to describe personal revelation), I find that quite ironic. These priestesses aren't participating in patriarchal abuse by teaching goddess lore and holding goddess ceremonies any more than this well-meaning gentleman is by sharing his personal spiritual writings with the world.
- Hypocrisy #2: This book expresses in no shortage of words the idea that we're all born with the stain of original sin/the Fall, and that the fall is... Agriculture. Agriculture and civilization are constantly demonized throughout the book as The Root of All Evil, and 'Our Lady' continually chastises humanity as a whole, when a handful of corporations are directly responsible for what's happening to our planet. Every day people aren't to blame for the impending climate collapse, it's capitalism, it's greed. Farming isn't Original Sin. Electricity isn't inherently evil. Electricity was used to print the book, for them to hold their online rosary meetings. You can't downright demonize something and then happily partake in it. If these people lived like true hunter gatherers then this book would never exist. The things like "Our Lady is calling for a rapidly decreasing population" was genuinely bizarre to me because how exactly do you propose that happen? Do you want us to kill people off like true ecofascists? Do you think everyone in your 'movement' who strives to have children despite impending climate catastrophe is a sinner?
- This sort of ties back in to my first 'bad' point, but because the author claims to have received all these messages from God Herself, there's the underlying message of "You're not allowed to disagree with this, because you're disagreeing with God Herself". Personal revelation is something I very much believe in, but when it's shared with others, it should NEVER be something that others are guilt tripped in to believing, that gives way to spiritual abuse and ultimately, cults. I wanted to avoid the word but given everything I've said I do see potential for this with this 'movement'. The fact that they claim to not be a religion doesn't preclude them from cult-like red flags. Many new age, hippie cults over the past few decades had similar claims of 'circles of friendship', 'we're not a religion', etc. I don't believe that the authors have any malicious intent but I don't believe most cult leaders did to begin with. It's something that builds slowly, over time.
- This is a very minor gripe as I can't really blame the authors of this particular book for this one, seeing as it's so prominent in Goddess worship circles (largely thanks to the influence of Wicca in the 70s and 80s): It's annoying to me to claim Mary as this wide-ruling Mother Goddess, and then put Her in this box of 'Earth Mother' when Her title, and the title of many of the most ancient faces of the Mother in the Middle East and surrounding areas, was 'Queen of Heaven', and to put Her in this dichotomy with a male Sky God. I understand them wanting 'balance' between masculine and feminine, but making the earth the domain of the feminine and the Heavens the domain of the masculine has some really sexist connotations and ultimately keeps the Lady in an inferior position as Mediatrix to Her husband. (EDIT: Leaving this up but I no longer agree with myself here after embracing a more earth based path myself. I realised the only reason you'd really think this is if you view the earth as passive and unimportant, but not if it's actively, powerful and necessary for our survival. So I redact this part for the most part, although I still think it's important we recognise that the Goddess is more than just an Earth Mother in Her totality.)
So yes. I wouldn't advise anyone not to read this book. There's certainly a lot of wisdom here, but also a not insignificant amount of what borders on Malthusian ecofascism, and hypocrisy. Tread carefully. I passionately agree with and resonate with plenty in this book, but an equal amount genuinely really doesn't sit right with me at all. But everyone's opinion will vary. Clearly this book has touched a lot of people's hearts for a reason and if anything I think it gets conversations going. And I am greatly appreciative for the work the authors are doing to help prove to the world that the Queen of Heaven isn't bound to Catholicism.
The Good:
-This book starts off very promising. We have some simply presented, factual information about ancient Mother Goddesses and Mary that I'd not heard of despite being fascinated by the concept for about 6 years (and arguably longer if you count my attempts to find the Divine Feminine within Christianity and my obsession with Mother Goddesses as a very young girl).
- The authors bare their souls and speak of trial and tribulation, as well as healing and hope through their relationship with Mother Earth. I did feel like I had a picture of their lives and what kind of people they were. It was very vulnerable which can't have been easy to put out in to the world.
- While I have some disagreements with it (which I'll get in to later), I appreciated the no-holds-barred, unapologetic approach to climate change, ecofeminism, what have you. Despite not agreeing with some of it, I'm always glad to see people unafraid to state that there's a sickness in our culture (though I have slight disagreements about what that sickness actually is). Furthermore, I also appreciated that the authors take a somewhat traditionalist approach (although they probably wouldn't view it that way) that 'progress' and 'science' aren't always the beacon of hope we think they are (but they're also forces of good sometimes- there is a lot of nuance). More and more these days I'm finding myself frustrated with proposed 'solutions' to climate change which basically amount to caking more and more makeup on to a person's face to hide their blemishes. It's all artificial.
- The beautiful reminders that we are always held, supported and cared for by our Mother and our Ancestors (and indeed the places where they overlap). We need only listen for their voices. God is real and we only need to look for signs of Her in nature. Miracles are real. We have nought to fear.
- Last but certainly not least, I'm glad that more and more people are waking up to the truth many have held in their hearts for, well, probably as old as Marian veneration itself: Mary is the Goddess. She is God Herself. She is the Divine Feminine. Many of the ancient Goddesses we once worshipped have all but vanished from our consciousness, but Mary hasn't. Most people are at least familiar with her even if they aren't Catholic. The East has Tara, Guanyin, Kali and Durga. The West has Mary. When Catholic Christianity gained the spiritual monopoly in Europe, Mary, for all intents and purposes, became the Goddess- that is, not one individual goddess, but God Herself. This book is helping more and more people realise this truth for themselves (and surely many of them have always known it to be true and were just waiting for permission to profess it). I've seen the community they've built and it's genuinely so beautiful to me that so many people, even ones who don't consider themselves religious in any way, Just Love Mary. To me, that's no different than hearing someone proclaim they just love the Goddess.
The Bad:
- There is a fair bit of hypocrisy here in many ways. The first of which: the authors claim to be anti-religion, and that they're not trying to start a new one. They demonize anyone who considers spirituality to be their vocation (including pagan priestesses) and yet they have a community in which they are undoubtedly the leaders of. Their words are taken as gospel. Literally- the author calls his personal experiences with the Divine a 'Gospel' and other people follow it. How is that not indicative of a religion? Just because it's earth focused and not heaven focused doesn't make it not a religion. I'd have much less of a problem with this if they could admit that's what it was. It brings me the same sort of feelings I get when Christians tell me Christianity isn't a religion: "it's a relationship", or when new agers use Eastern religious practices and claim they're not religious. I don't know if it's fair to mention this as it isn't directly related to the book, but a couple of weeks ago I attended an online rosary circle in which the monthly 'Words of Our Lady' were read aloud and discussed. When I inquired where they came from, I was told "Clarke. He receives the apparitions." To be honest, that gave me chills. I don't see that as much different than the Mormon church claiming it still receives direct revelation from God, and yet they claim to be against any sort of priest, prophet or preacher. What would happen if I or anyone else came to one of the meetings with a message from Our Lady that contradicted that of Clarke's? Would we be booted? I'd be more comfortable with this if it weren't for the (ironically) 'holier-than-thou', judgemental attitudes towards any sort of clergy or religion that isn't theirs. Only 'spiritual but not religious' pantheism is valid, any other way of experiencing the Divine is flawed and wrong. Shortly after that, I mentioned Glastonbury Goddess Temple to one of the authors, who promptly told me the whole concept of having temples and priestesses devoted to the Goddess was patriarchal abuse. Given that this 'movement' is led by one man's monthly UPG (Unique Personal Gnosis, a term in pagan circles to describe personal revelation), I find that quite ironic. These priestesses aren't participating in patriarchal abuse by teaching goddess lore and holding goddess ceremonies any more than this well-meaning gentleman is by sharing his personal spiritual writings with the world.
- Hypocrisy #2: This book expresses in no shortage of words the idea that we're all born with the stain of original sin/the Fall, and that the fall is... Agriculture. Agriculture and civilization are constantly demonized throughout the book as The Root of All Evil, and 'Our Lady' continually chastises humanity as a whole, when a handful of corporations are directly responsible for what's happening to our planet. Every day people aren't to blame for the impending climate collapse, it's capitalism, it's greed. Farming isn't Original Sin. Electricity isn't inherently evil. Electricity was used to print the book, for them to hold their online rosary meetings. You can't downright demonize something and then happily partake in it. If these people lived like true hunter gatherers then this book would never exist. The things like "Our Lady is calling for a rapidly decreasing population" was genuinely bizarre to me because how exactly do you propose that happen? Do you want us to kill people off like true ecofascists? Do you think everyone in your 'movement' who strives to have children despite impending climate catastrophe is a sinner?
- This sort of ties back in to my first 'bad' point, but because the author claims to have received all these messages from God Herself, there's the underlying message of "You're not allowed to disagree with this, because you're disagreeing with God Herself". Personal revelation is something I very much believe in, but when it's shared with others, it should NEVER be something that others are guilt tripped in to believing, that gives way to spiritual abuse and ultimately, cults. I wanted to avoid the word but given everything I've said I do see potential for this with this 'movement'. The fact that they claim to not be a religion doesn't preclude them from cult-like red flags. Many new age, hippie cults over the past few decades had similar claims of 'circles of friendship', 'we're not a religion', etc. I don't believe that the authors have any malicious intent but I don't believe most cult leaders did to begin with. It's something that builds slowly, over time.
- This is a very minor gripe as I can't really blame the authors of this particular book for this one, seeing as it's so prominent in Goddess worship circles (largely thanks to the influence of Wicca in the 70s and 80s): It's annoying to me to claim Mary as this wide-ruling Mother Goddess, and then put Her in this box of 'Earth Mother' when Her title, and the title of many of the most ancient faces of the Mother in the Middle East and surrounding areas, was 'Queen of Heaven', and to put Her in this dichotomy with a male Sky God. I understand them wanting 'balance' between masculine and feminine, but making the earth the domain of the feminine and the Heavens the domain of the masculine has some really sexist connotations and ultimately keeps the Lady in an inferior position as Mediatrix to Her husband. (EDIT: Leaving this up but I no longer agree with myself here after embracing a more earth based path myself. I realised the only reason you'd really think this is if you view the earth as passive and unimportant, but not if it's actively, powerful and necessary for our survival. So I redact this part for the most part, although I still think it's important we recognise that the Goddess is more than just an Earth Mother in Her totality.)
So yes. I wouldn't advise anyone not to read this book. There's certainly a lot of wisdom here, but also a not insignificant amount of what borders on Malthusian ecofascism, and hypocrisy. Tread carefully. I passionately agree with and resonate with plenty in this book, but an equal amount genuinely really doesn't sit right with me at all. But everyone's opinion will vary. Clearly this book has touched a lot of people's hearts for a reason and if anything I think it gets conversations going. And I am greatly appreciative for the work the authors are doing to help prove to the world that the Queen of Heaven isn't bound to Catholicism.
August 20, 2019
As a Protestant, I had never understood the Catholic preoccupation with Mary. This book not only helped me be open to Marion spirituality, it also set the concept of a feminine God into a context of worldwide, pre-Christian beliefs. I found this book fascinating, and I'll have to admit, I've started using Rosary beads in my prayer life.
The authors of this book alternate the narratives and devotionals, and I found them both fascinating. Neither of them is Roman Catholic, and neither of them is affiliated with any particular church or religion. However, they both have a close affiliation to Mary and a dedicated practice of praying the Rosary.
This book covered a lot of territory - the idea of a feminine deity, an urgency to protect the earth, and a passionate interest in praying with Rosary beads. Those interested in theology and ways in which religion and spirituality are evolving will find much in this book to ponder. Highly recommended for those serious about spirituality.
The authors of this book alternate the narratives and devotionals, and I found them both fascinating. Neither of them is Roman Catholic, and neither of them is affiliated with any particular church or religion. However, they both have a close affiliation to Mary and a dedicated practice of praying the Rosary.
This book covered a lot of territory - the idea of a feminine deity, an urgency to protect the earth, and a passionate interest in praying with Rosary beads. Those interested in theology and ways in which religion and spirituality are evolving will find much in this book to ponder. Highly recommended for those serious about spirituality.
January 16, 2020
This book is based on total bunk theology. Not accurate information regarding the beautiful prayer devotion that is the Rosary. If you’re into new age, private revelation superstitions and making up your own religion, you may like this book.
But it’s not orthodox in any way, this couple is not an authority on Catholicism, they are not even Christians nor are they affiliated with anything close to the Church. And claiming that the woman who appeared to them is anywhere close to being the BVM is near blasphemous, but definitely ludicrous considering their beliefs and what they claim she said to them. Sacred Scripture in the Bible says that even if an angel from heaven should appear to you and preach a gospel different to this let them be anathema!
This book is a distraction, at best, to teach idolatrous love of the earth while twisting the use of an ancient means of prayer. Don’t even get me started on the Divine Feminine crap that is touted. The Rosary is centered around using prayer beads to connect you to the heart of God, the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit, by meditating on the life, death and resurrection of Christ. This book is not about that in any way.
So, please don’t waste your time but at least know what you’re getting into: paganism. Catholics do not worship a feminine god, nor do we worship the earth, nor do we worship Mary. We worship the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are the only ones who can claim Divinity.
This was extremely disappointing and even appalling in many areas throughout. Untruths abound and it’s obvious in many places where political ideologies are heavy, laced with anti-church agendas and third wave feminism which is woven into pretending this is all about some liberating kind of spiritual practice that is supported by the Blessed Virgin Mary. Total trash.
As a practicing Catholic and devout Christian, I know my history, I know my Rosary, I know my Church, I know my beliefs and to pretend this book is in any way connected to Catholicism or Christianity is highly offensive to me.
But it’s not orthodox in any way, this couple is not an authority on Catholicism, they are not even Christians nor are they affiliated with anything close to the Church. And claiming that the woman who appeared to them is anywhere close to being the BVM is near blasphemous, but definitely ludicrous considering their beliefs and what they claim she said to them. Sacred Scripture in the Bible says that even if an angel from heaven should appear to you and preach a gospel different to this let them be anathema!
This book is a distraction, at best, to teach idolatrous love of the earth while twisting the use of an ancient means of prayer. Don’t even get me started on the Divine Feminine crap that is touted. The Rosary is centered around using prayer beads to connect you to the heart of God, the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit, by meditating on the life, death and resurrection of Christ. This book is not about that in any way.
So, please don’t waste your time but at least know what you’re getting into: paganism. Catholics do not worship a feminine god, nor do we worship the earth, nor do we worship Mary. We worship the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are the only ones who can claim Divinity.
This was extremely disappointing and even appalling in many areas throughout. Untruths abound and it’s obvious in many places where political ideologies are heavy, laced with anti-church agendas and third wave feminism which is woven into pretending this is all about some liberating kind of spiritual practice that is supported by the Blessed Virgin Mary. Total trash.
As a practicing Catholic and devout Christian, I know my history, I know my Rosary, I know my Church, I know my beliefs and to pretend this book is in any way connected to Catholicism or Christianity is highly offensive to me.
August 13, 2019
I definitely enjoyed this book, even though I am no longer Catholic and never had instruction in how to pray the rosary. I am a big believer in the Divine Feminine and found this book freeing as well as informative about Mother Mary and how other cultures perceive and worship the Divine Feminine. I learned a LOT and have been inspired to create my own set of prayer beads along with my own prayers as a daily ritual.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
February 1, 2020
This isn't just a book, it's a movement, a community, a prayer for the divine feminine, a tender antidote to our toxic patriarchy, and a much-needed call to action. I was a life long Buddhist but aside from some basic tenants, was feeling drawn to "Mother Mary" and other female saints and icons to whom I'd started praying and developing "personal relationships" with the last few years (thanks to many trips to Mexico and it's churches, I think). I truly appreciated Clark and Perdita providing a historical context for the Rosary that predates Catholicism and explores the use of prayer beads in other cultures. After reading WOTR during a very challenging personal period, I would say that my spirituality has become beautifully focused on praying the Rosary in a non-traditional, personal way that works for me. While teaching the traditional way to pray the Rosary, Clark and Perdita also invite you to pray the Rosary in whatever way works best for you. I've since joined their lovely Facebook community and it's greatly enriched my life. They also have a call in weekly Rosary prayer group. I feel I've made new friends and am looking forward to meeting some of them in person as Clark and Perdita travel the country on their book tour.
November 9, 2019
This book got weird.
None of the material connecting Mary to other goddess figures is new. Or even very freshly delivered. The instructions on the rosary are nice enough. The authors' relationships with the rosary are perhaps overplayed, and the sense that they left Buddhism for their rosary devotions feels awkward (like someone should point out that these aren't mutually exclusive).
There's some awkward reading where we go from first person narration by Clark to first person narration by Perdita that needed help from an editor. Also, since there's no change in tone between the two, that was probably a bad style choice.
But all of that is fine, really.
It's when Clark apparently starts having visions and getting messages that it got weird. I didn't sign on for this dude's visions and his call to join his latest cult.
Maybe he is having genuine religious experiences. But from a dude who appears to make his living as what Alan Watts called a spiritual entertainer, I am maybe not buying it.
None of the material connecting Mary to other goddess figures is new. Or even very freshly delivered. The instructions on the rosary are nice enough. The authors' relationships with the rosary are perhaps overplayed, and the sense that they left Buddhism for their rosary devotions feels awkward (like someone should point out that these aren't mutually exclusive).
There's some awkward reading where we go from first person narration by Clark to first person narration by Perdita that needed help from an editor. Also, since there's no change in tone between the two, that was probably a bad style choice.
But all of that is fine, really.
It's when Clark apparently starts having visions and getting messages that it got weird. I didn't sign on for this dude's visions and his call to join his latest cult.
Maybe he is having genuine religious experiences. But from a dude who appears to make his living as what Alan Watts called a spiritual entertainer, I am maybe not buying it.
January 19, 2022
All in all, I am glad I read The Way of the Rose. It’s a sweet book that has the capacity to actually change a life by kickstarting a rosary routine replete with emotional and spiritual benefits. At a couple points, when feeling more merciful, I was close to giving it a higher rating as I adore the fact these new-agers are promulgating such a beautiful and healthy spiritual practice. There’s just one big issue I couldn’t get past, as much as I hate to feel like some sort of single-issue voter. First I’ll say the positives then I’ll go on my annoyed single-minded rant below.
The book has a disjointed but easy flow, with each little chapter loosely tied together by an overarching theme. The cute random poems in italics at the end of each chapter added a special something in some chapters, though at other times just seemed like a way to take up space in chapters which were quite skinny. The Way of the Rose is one of those sweet books you could probably open up to a random page if you’re looking for some soul food, and get some nice message out of whichever page or two you end up on. Moreover, the book’s emphasis on the environment and humanity’s rampant abuse of the Earth seemed a suitable theme to weave in with discussions on the neglect of Marian spirituality and mankind’s disregard for the divine feminine and all things “motherly”. I rolled my eyes when there was waxing poetic about hunter gatherer pre-civ life, but this didn’t dilute the positive message.
The authors seem like cool people who seek meaning in all they do, and often have it revealed to them. I’m glad they are trying to make the Rosary more accessible to all, as it should be. I feel that many people would view the Rosary (if they even give it a thought in today’s social climate of chic cynicism) as this stodgy religious practice that one cannot even attempt unless they have a substantial baseline of religious knowledge. This isn’t true, and the Strands are good at getting you in the relaxed mindset to give it a try. They encourage easing your perfectionism to help you not be so intimidated by the prospect of using the Rosary for prayer. I know a great many people who could benefit from such an approach.
The reason I lowered my rating was because of all the digs at Catholicism (some subtle, some outright, some just willfully ignoring the role of the Church), the religion that made the damn thing’s spiritual importance what it is. Sure other people can use the Rosary if they’re not Catholic, but outside the Strands’ niche circle, have you ever met a non-Catholic who uses the Rosary? Have you ever met a non-Catholic who wears the Miraculous Medal? I certainly haven’t, and if the authors were more intellectually honest, they would admit that the Church’s elevation of Mary, if anything, was responsible for allowing the tradition of the divine feminine to continue in the West AT ALL. Members of the Catholic Church have lovingly carved out a social space to praise a godly woman, and these efforts were all but totally discounted in the Way of the Rose, thanks to numerous attempts by the authors to flippantly toss aside the role of the Church as if it were some nasty byproduct of Marian spirituality. I am not against people of other faiths and diverse spiritualities using the Rosary in the slightest, but while reading the book, it seemed like the authors deliberately neglected taking a truly meaningful look at the Rosary’s importance for practicing Catholics. Instead they opted for a shallow and cherry-picked interpretation of the role of Mary in Catholicism. To totally bulldoze right over an ancient religion with outrageous comments like the Catholic Church being “built on the oppression of women and children” revealed an extraordinary degree of intellectual laziness and self-righteousness on that subject. Again, I take no issue with interpretations of spirituality that transcend organized religion, nor do I think Catholics should have a monopoly over the Rosary. But I do take great issue with such careless treatment of an institution that has, as opposed to the authors’ monolithic interpretations, been the ultimate comfort to billions of men and women for thousands of years (especially women- in my own Catholic family it was always said that it was the women who carry on the torch of faith). I simply can’t reconcile this huge flaw in the book with the fact it’s overall quite nice. I wish I could but I can’t. When it comes to topics other than the Catholic Church the authors showed they could be perfectly inquisitive and thoughtful, and they have these lovely descriptions of Marian apparitions which they clearly did their research on. Hell, if the Strands got a little more intellectual or personal in their criticisms of the Church I might have had more patience with these anti-Catholic tidbits strewn throughout. I’m always amused by how people will designate themselves as “recovering” Catholics and then cannot name a single concrete or believable way in which the Church actually harmed them. If they can’t come up with it, they’ll deflect to priestly sexual scandals. But as Clark Strand himself remarked while discussing the hypocrisy of institutional Zen Buddhism, the occurrences of these horrible abuses are inherent in every single organization, certainly not usually condoned by the hearts of the faiths themselves. At least, in the case of the Catholic Church which is too huge to even attempt to lump into a category, this is the case. Anyway, a book about the Rosary with blatant anti-Catholic leanings is just an asinine irony to me. It is unfair and rather unkind and I know the book was not intended to be either of those things. I hope the Strands’ spiritual journey leads them to some strand of enlightenment on this front.
The book has a disjointed but easy flow, with each little chapter loosely tied together by an overarching theme. The cute random poems in italics at the end of each chapter added a special something in some chapters, though at other times just seemed like a way to take up space in chapters which were quite skinny. The Way of the Rose is one of those sweet books you could probably open up to a random page if you’re looking for some soul food, and get some nice message out of whichever page or two you end up on. Moreover, the book’s emphasis on the environment and humanity’s rampant abuse of the Earth seemed a suitable theme to weave in with discussions on the neglect of Marian spirituality and mankind’s disregard for the divine feminine and all things “motherly”. I rolled my eyes when there was waxing poetic about hunter gatherer pre-civ life, but this didn’t dilute the positive message.
The authors seem like cool people who seek meaning in all they do, and often have it revealed to them. I’m glad they are trying to make the Rosary more accessible to all, as it should be. I feel that many people would view the Rosary (if they even give it a thought in today’s social climate of chic cynicism) as this stodgy religious practice that one cannot even attempt unless they have a substantial baseline of religious knowledge. This isn’t true, and the Strands are good at getting you in the relaxed mindset to give it a try. They encourage easing your perfectionism to help you not be so intimidated by the prospect of using the Rosary for prayer. I know a great many people who could benefit from such an approach.
The reason I lowered my rating was because of all the digs at Catholicism (some subtle, some outright, some just willfully ignoring the role of the Church), the religion that made the damn thing’s spiritual importance what it is. Sure other people can use the Rosary if they’re not Catholic, but outside the Strands’ niche circle, have you ever met a non-Catholic who uses the Rosary? Have you ever met a non-Catholic who wears the Miraculous Medal? I certainly haven’t, and if the authors were more intellectually honest, they would admit that the Church’s elevation of Mary, if anything, was responsible for allowing the tradition of the divine feminine to continue in the West AT ALL. Members of the Catholic Church have lovingly carved out a social space to praise a godly woman, and these efforts were all but totally discounted in the Way of the Rose, thanks to numerous attempts by the authors to flippantly toss aside the role of the Church as if it were some nasty byproduct of Marian spirituality. I am not against people of other faiths and diverse spiritualities using the Rosary in the slightest, but while reading the book, it seemed like the authors deliberately neglected taking a truly meaningful look at the Rosary’s importance for practicing Catholics. Instead they opted for a shallow and cherry-picked interpretation of the role of Mary in Catholicism. To totally bulldoze right over an ancient religion with outrageous comments like the Catholic Church being “built on the oppression of women and children” revealed an extraordinary degree of intellectual laziness and self-righteousness on that subject. Again, I take no issue with interpretations of spirituality that transcend organized religion, nor do I think Catholics should have a monopoly over the Rosary. But I do take great issue with such careless treatment of an institution that has, as opposed to the authors’ monolithic interpretations, been the ultimate comfort to billions of men and women for thousands of years (especially women- in my own Catholic family it was always said that it was the women who carry on the torch of faith). I simply can’t reconcile this huge flaw in the book with the fact it’s overall quite nice. I wish I could but I can’t. When it comes to topics other than the Catholic Church the authors showed they could be perfectly inquisitive and thoughtful, and they have these lovely descriptions of Marian apparitions which they clearly did their research on. Hell, if the Strands got a little more intellectual or personal in their criticisms of the Church I might have had more patience with these anti-Catholic tidbits strewn throughout. I’m always amused by how people will designate themselves as “recovering” Catholics and then cannot name a single concrete or believable way in which the Church actually harmed them. If they can’t come up with it, they’ll deflect to priestly sexual scandals. But as Clark Strand himself remarked while discussing the hypocrisy of institutional Zen Buddhism, the occurrences of these horrible abuses are inherent in every single organization, certainly not usually condoned by the hearts of the faiths themselves. At least, in the case of the Catholic Church which is too huge to even attempt to lump into a category, this is the case. Anyway, a book about the Rosary with blatant anti-Catholic leanings is just an asinine irony to me. It is unfair and rather unkind and I know the book was not intended to be either of those things. I hope the Strands’ spiritual journey leads them to some strand of enlightenment on this front.
January 12, 2021
This book should be called “Our Lady of Calling Humanity Out on Our Bullshit”.
But in all seriousness....this book came into my life at a time when I needed it most, as cliche as that may sound. I still identify as a Catholic, but I’ve begun questioning a lot of the things I was taught as a child, and have felt very confused and apprehensive about claiming Catholicism as my religion in my adult life. However, Mary has always been the deepest connection that I have had with the Catholic Church. This book helped me to connect with her again in a way that did not make me feel ostracized for not believing every pillar of the Catholic faith. It’s not Catholicism this book talks about, just Mary. Just the mother. I feel more connected with her after reading this than I have in years.
But in all seriousness....this book came into my life at a time when I needed it most, as cliche as that may sound. I still identify as a Catholic, but I’ve begun questioning a lot of the things I was taught as a child, and have felt very confused and apprehensive about claiming Catholicism as my religion in my adult life. However, Mary has always been the deepest connection that I have had with the Catholic Church. This book helped me to connect with her again in a way that did not make me feel ostracized for not believing every pillar of the Catholic faith. It’s not Catholicism this book talks about, just Mary. Just the mother. I feel more connected with her after reading this than I have in years.
August 6, 2020
Now, I'm a devotee of the Rosary. I feel as if this book gave me the permission I needed.
On the recommendation of Mallorie Vaudoise and Vanessa Irena at the Good Bones podcast, I downloaded this audiobook. It sat unlistened to in my queue through the months until the spring of the virus lockdown, and something brought it to mind.
The personal biographical story of the authors -- a white American married couple, a recovering ex-Catholic and a disillusioned Buddhist convert -- weave with history of Mary through the Western Church. They convincingly argue the sustained veneration of femininity and motherhood via the figure of Queen of Heaven Mary Ever-Virgin, not much diminished by the institutional religion that gave uncomfortable place to her while building out the bureaucratic Roman edifice of Catholicism.
Most striking to me was the very place-based aspect of Marian apparitions -- the Virgin of Lourdes, of Guadalupe, of Fatima, etc. -- always and again affirming the specificity of time and location to spirit contact. Further, the emphasis on Mary's apocalyptic aspects -- warning her hearers of troubles ongoing and yet to come, and assuring that she will remain with us and be here for us if we but call upon her.
This pairs well with inner child work, to re-align oneself with an ideal spiritual Motherhood beyond personality, as well as redeeming perhaps some of the European tradition that becomes so covered over in patriarchal imagery as to be gender-imbalanced. This is not neo-pagan goddess worship, but it does touch those feminine mystery chords many of us long to hear played from within our own historic culture.
On the recommendation of Mallorie Vaudoise and Vanessa Irena at the Good Bones podcast, I downloaded this audiobook. It sat unlistened to in my queue through the months until the spring of the virus lockdown, and something brought it to mind.
The personal biographical story of the authors -- a white American married couple, a recovering ex-Catholic and a disillusioned Buddhist convert -- weave with history of Mary through the Western Church. They convincingly argue the sustained veneration of femininity and motherhood via the figure of Queen of Heaven Mary Ever-Virgin, not much diminished by the institutional religion that gave uncomfortable place to her while building out the bureaucratic Roman edifice of Catholicism.
Most striking to me was the very place-based aspect of Marian apparitions -- the Virgin of Lourdes, of Guadalupe, of Fatima, etc. -- always and again affirming the specificity of time and location to spirit contact. Further, the emphasis on Mary's apocalyptic aspects -- warning her hearers of troubles ongoing and yet to come, and assuring that she will remain with us and be here for us if we but call upon her.
This pairs well with inner child work, to re-align oneself with an ideal spiritual Motherhood beyond personality, as well as redeeming perhaps some of the European tradition that becomes so covered over in patriarchal imagery as to be gender-imbalanced. This is not neo-pagan goddess worship, but it does touch those feminine mystery chords many of us long to hear played from within our own historic culture.
April 16, 2021
I was really excited to purchase this book, but after 172 pages, I abandoned it. I hate not finishing texts, but I just find it lacking any real sustenance or meaningful content. Pray the rosary and, oddly, stop climate change are the two points the authors really try to drive home. It might be for some, but I found it really hard to connect with - and I love books about all types of spirituality. Currently reading, The Magic by Rhonda Byrnes, and am really enjoying the practices within it. I have an interest in praying the rosary, and will purchase one, but this book did not leave me feeling empowered or anymore spiritual than when I started. I love underlining in all my books, and I maybe found one sentence worth doing so in the big chunk that I read. That being said, every book deserves to find it’s perfect audiences, so be sure to read the reviews of several others before making your decision to purchase. I’m sure there are plenty of people who enjoyed it, too.
January 22, 2021
This book demolishes the Holy Trinity and changes the rosary’s prayers to suit the authors. How awful that Mary’s prayers have had the name of her son Jesus removed, and to swap her out with the Holy Spirit by whom that son was conceived, elevating her to Goddess and diminishing the sacrifice her son made on the cross. What an insult it must be to her who wept the tears of watching her son conquer death, as if the life she led was worth nothing! If you are Catholic, you may not want to waste your time with this book. It is an abuse of our Blessed Mother and you would get more out of simply reading the pamphlets at the front of your parish church.
June 22, 2019
Such an important book for our times. A feminine shift is sweeping the planet. Philosophically, women’s voices are finally being heard within important discourses. Understanding the importance of this work is essential if we are to sustain the human race. A perfect book for people who care about humanity.
April 9, 2022
i am all for making up your own religion! take what you need and leave the rest type of belief is cool as hell imo. so the reviews that knock that are boring and reductive. and this book is actively working in that field but in the most condescending way possible. it starts out interesting and i wish they dove deeper into the history and mysticism of the blessed mother and rosary. unfortunately what they are actually interested in is making thread bare connections between the rosary and modern catastrophes. correlation is causation to these authors and though they never say it out right they have take it upon themselves to speak for the divine without truly and deeply looking at the problems of the world. disappointing.
August 14, 2024
What a hot mess this book is! It makes very little sense and manages to be both culturally insensitive and ultimately, pointless. The historical errors alone made me cringe. Why would anyone look back on the hunter-gatherer stage of human existence with nostalgia? Agriculture gave some stability to life and made civilization possible. Ironically, the earliest planting was done by women, so it makes little sense to claim their efforts have destroyed our connection to the earth and the benevolent Mother Goddess. Okay, perhaps Vatican II did ruin things for all the peasant grandmothers who were happily fingering their beads during Latin Masses, but one can hardly argue that Catholics no longer pray the rosary. (Somehow the authors managed to completely ignore Pope John Paul II's creation of the Luminous Mysteries.)
I remembered Clark Strand as the editor of Tricycle: the Buddhist Review and so I assumed this book would have some intellectual integrity. Nope! The Way of the Rose consists of some family stories and bits of so-called "wisdom" that Strand claimed were given to him during his visions of the Virgin Mary. (Confusingly, he describes the person he calls "My Girl" as both a freckled teenager with short red hair and the Black Madonna of various European shrines. He also identifies her with Our Lady of Guadalupe and compares himself to Juan Diego.) This book is, apparently, a joint project of Strand and his wife, Perdita Finn, whose Facebook page describes her as "writer, woodwife, witch-author."
I bought this book because I was intrigued by the idea of the rosary separated from traditional Catholic piety, but I would not have done so if I had realized that it was actually the second volumn of a trilogy. The first part, Waking Up to the Dark: The Black Madonna's Gospel for An Age of Extinction and Collapse goes on at length about the supposedly wonderful things that happen to people who give up artificial light (I assume this includes the use of computers, ebooks, and probably refrigeration - since all of these things expose one to light) so they can reconnect to the more natural rhythms of our ancient forebears. The third, yet to be published title, Take Back the Magic, deals with communicating with the dead. (Perdita Finn also ghostwrote an earlier book with the psychic who helped her speak with her deceased mother.) HUH??????
The point of The Way of the Rose seems to be that human civilization has severed our ties to the innate truth of the Mother Goddess and brought us to the brink of ecological disaster. And the solution to this truly devastating problem is - wait for it- praying the rosary! That's it! People are going to save the world by gathering in little nondenominational leaderless groups (similar to those used by 12 step programs) and saying the very Christian Our Father and Hail Mary Prayers while meditating on the biblical mysteries designed to connect Catholics with events in the life of Jesus. Of course, if they don't like the religious aspects (the prayers and the stories) they are free to ignore them and - I'm not really clear about this - think good thoughts over the beads?
What a waste of time and money this book was! I feel like I just ate a meal of tainted food and this review is my way of vomiting out the toxins. I feel better now.
I remembered Clark Strand as the editor of Tricycle: the Buddhist Review and so I assumed this book would have some intellectual integrity. Nope! The Way of the Rose consists of some family stories and bits of so-called "wisdom" that Strand claimed were given to him during his visions of the Virgin Mary. (Confusingly, he describes the person he calls "My Girl" as both a freckled teenager with short red hair and the Black Madonna of various European shrines. He also identifies her with Our Lady of Guadalupe and compares himself to Juan Diego.) This book is, apparently, a joint project of Strand and his wife, Perdita Finn, whose Facebook page describes her as "writer, woodwife, witch-author."
I bought this book because I was intrigued by the idea of the rosary separated from traditional Catholic piety, but I would not have done so if I had realized that it was actually the second volumn of a trilogy. The first part, Waking Up to the Dark: The Black Madonna's Gospel for An Age of Extinction and Collapse goes on at length about the supposedly wonderful things that happen to people who give up artificial light (I assume this includes the use of computers, ebooks, and probably refrigeration - since all of these things expose one to light) so they can reconnect to the more natural rhythms of our ancient forebears. The third, yet to be published title, Take Back the Magic, deals with communicating with the dead. (Perdita Finn also ghostwrote an earlier book with the psychic who helped her speak with her deceased mother.) HUH??????
The point of The Way of the Rose seems to be that human civilization has severed our ties to the innate truth of the Mother Goddess and brought us to the brink of ecological disaster. And the solution to this truly devastating problem is - wait for it- praying the rosary! That's it! People are going to save the world by gathering in little nondenominational leaderless groups (similar to those used by 12 step programs) and saying the very Christian Our Father and Hail Mary Prayers while meditating on the biblical mysteries designed to connect Catholics with events in the life of Jesus. Of course, if they don't like the religious aspects (the prayers and the stories) they are free to ignore them and - I'm not really clear about this - think good thoughts over the beads?
What a waste of time and money this book was! I feel like I just ate a meal of tainted food and this review is my way of vomiting out the toxins. I feel better now.
December 11, 2020
Seems to confuse, or equate, Mother Mary with Mother Nature seeking to disassociate with Catholicism at every turn.
November 7, 2022
2.5
It got me interested in the rosary but it felt weirdly cultish.
It got me interested in the rosary but it felt weirdly cultish.
April 3, 2021
Read with my study group.
This book, both spiritual archeology and memoir, uncovers the long and hidden history of the rosary and devotion to Our Lady/Great Goddess/Mother Earth. Before the Romans brought Christianity to Eastern Europe, my own ancestors revered the Lady in the Trees. I attended a small painted Catholic Church built by immigrant farmers where the mass was said in Latin, the hymns and rosary were in Czech, bees zipped through the open windows in summer, evergreens were brought in at the start of winter, and children laid flowering branches on the altar of Mother Mary on Mayday. All of that beauty was taken away with Vatican II and, for me, the church and religion died then. But my reverence for the Mother that supports us never did.
The Way of the Rose beautifully personifies the planet as holy mother and wraps us in her love through Clark's visions of Our Lady, his and Perdita's synchronicities and stories of healing, and a deep dive into history and prehistory. Clark and Perdita visited the Dordogne in SW France to view the evidence of hundreds of thousands of years of hominid habitation there. They asked the guide who took them on tours of ancient cave paintings in the area, "'What can you tell us about the people who once lived here? What do you think they were like?' 'Joie!' she said at last. 'They knew what joy was,' she continued in English. 'A joy we do not know anymore, a joy that we have lost.'" That joy comes from truly being here, on this planet, centered in her and trusting her. Two years ago, I dreamed that I was on a space station circling the earth. I was in complete despair in that artificial environment, so devoid of beauty and anything natural. I asked to be allowed to return to Earth. My request was granted and, upon my return, I fell to the ground and tried to hold it all in my arms, knowing that joy.
This book is wonderful for unblocking or strengthening a deep connection to Earth and for establishing a lovely non-religious devotional prayer practice. The non-religious members of my spiritual book study group have found or created alternative prayers for the rosary that they enjoy saying. The book includes copious notes, a great bibliography, and advice for starting and holding rosary circles.
This book, both spiritual archeology and memoir, uncovers the long and hidden history of the rosary and devotion to Our Lady/Great Goddess/Mother Earth. Before the Romans brought Christianity to Eastern Europe, my own ancestors revered the Lady in the Trees. I attended a small painted Catholic Church built by immigrant farmers where the mass was said in Latin, the hymns and rosary were in Czech, bees zipped through the open windows in summer, evergreens were brought in at the start of winter, and children laid flowering branches on the altar of Mother Mary on Mayday. All of that beauty was taken away with Vatican II and, for me, the church and religion died then. But my reverence for the Mother that supports us never did.
The Way of the Rose beautifully personifies the planet as holy mother and wraps us in her love through Clark's visions of Our Lady, his and Perdita's synchronicities and stories of healing, and a deep dive into history and prehistory. Clark and Perdita visited the Dordogne in SW France to view the evidence of hundreds of thousands of years of hominid habitation there. They asked the guide who took them on tours of ancient cave paintings in the area, "'What can you tell us about the people who once lived here? What do you think they were like?' 'Joie!' she said at last. 'They knew what joy was,' she continued in English. 'A joy we do not know anymore, a joy that we have lost.'" That joy comes from truly being here, on this planet, centered in her and trusting her. Two years ago, I dreamed that I was on a space station circling the earth. I was in complete despair in that artificial environment, so devoid of beauty and anything natural. I asked to be allowed to return to Earth. My request was granted and, upon my return, I fell to the ground and tried to hold it all in my arms, knowing that joy.
This book is wonderful for unblocking or strengthening a deep connection to Earth and for establishing a lovely non-religious devotional prayer practice. The non-religious members of my spiritual book study group have found or created alternative prayers for the rosary that they enjoy saying. The book includes copious notes, a great bibliography, and advice for starting and holding rosary circles.
March 10, 2022
Four stars for the message and writing, 2 stars for lack of factualness in much of the history. If you're reading this more for the spiritual message the latter bit may not bother you. I was a religious studies major and am rather factually-minded, so I was annoyed by it. There are bunch of issues here, but the two major ones are 1. the idea that there has been an unbroken line of pagan goddess-worshippers around the world since ancient times, and 2. that people in Europe in the medieval period weren't actually Christians, but were illiterate and still practicing an old form of paganism with a Christian veneer. I won't go into the details on the problems here, but if you're interested two great books to read on the topic are Ronald Hutton's Triumph of the Moon and his Pagan Britain, where you'll find facts and background on these issues and tons of sources. There were a few other, smaller issues--at one point a Jewish prayer practice is said to be "lost," but it's not. It's mostly practiced by certain Hasidim now, but it's most definitely still around. These sorts of issues bother me because I just don't find them necessary. You can pray the rosary to a Mary that you see as an earth goddess and assume she's in a sense the same goddess as other earth goddesses throughout history without needing to put a false historical narrative about paganism through the centuries. Newer religions and spiritual practices can be valid in and of themselves. I found the chapter The Boy Drawer especially interesting, and I'd be interested in reading more about the author's troubles with Zen and Buddhism, because that's not something you see written about very often--usually books are about how Buddhism helped someone solve their problems. I identified with that part and with the authors' search for a spirituality that admitted the realities of climate change.
September 17, 2019
A beautiful tapestry of a story! This read was more magical realism than anything else. It was a multi-genre adventure about what it means to be human. There's mystery with Clark trying to interpret his visions, realistic observations of the world and magical with its insight and hopefulness. What I loved was reaching the end of the story and then realizing that the characters were the authors. I realized that the names didn't just match up, but this was Clark and Perdita's true story. Even if the story feels far-fetched, I believe that something magical and or powerful was working alongside them.
This is a one of a kind books that you can't explain. You can't talk about this book with someone, mainly because the plot is obtuse. The story switches narration styles and there's a religious history section every other chapter. At first, this description doesn't make much sense. Yet once you dive into the story, everything comes together. The history melded perfectly with the family's story and it was an enriching account of world religions. With the divided state of the world nowadays, this book was a breath of fresh air. It discusses problems of climate change, religious adversity and quarrels, sexism, harassment and privilege. Specifically, I admired that Clark was able to point out the negative aspects of both Buddhism and Catholicism. It needed to be said when he said it.
More than anything this books needs to be shared! A book club would be the perfect atmosphere. This is the sort of unusual book that makes sense as you compare notes on it with friends. It's an excellent buddy read.
This is a one of a kind books that you can't explain. You can't talk about this book with someone, mainly because the plot is obtuse. The story switches narration styles and there's a religious history section every other chapter. At first, this description doesn't make much sense. Yet once you dive into the story, everything comes together. The history melded perfectly with the family's story and it was an enriching account of world religions. With the divided state of the world nowadays, this book was a breath of fresh air. It discusses problems of climate change, religious adversity and quarrels, sexism, harassment and privilege. Specifically, I admired that Clark was able to point out the negative aspects of both Buddhism and Catholicism. It needed to be said when he said it.
More than anything this books needs to be shared! A book club would be the perfect atmosphere. This is the sort of unusual book that makes sense as you compare notes on it with friends. It's an excellent buddy read.
April 30, 2022
I can't even begin to explain how much this book touched my soul and my heart. I was born into a Roman Catholic family but my mum was always a pretty chilled out devout. Still we were all oppressed by the patriarchy in one way or another. What woman isn't especially in a South Asian country like Sri Lanka. My maternal grandma prayed the rosary pretty much 24/7, at least that's what I remember growing up. I always told her to leave her rosary to me, and a few days before she passed away she gave it to me. It's like she knew she was moving on and wanted to make sure I'd have it. I've since misplaced it, which has broken my heart but I really hope I find it again somewhere. I always felt a strong connection to the rosary, and started praying it daily when I moved to the UK for university. Weird right, what 20 year old randomly starts saying the rosary daily when she moves to another country for the first time?? I know my grandma is still with me and that her prayers protect me to this day. There is nothing like the Divine Feminine/Mother Earth and prayers of a mother. This book touched on so many things that matter to me but I had somehow forgotten to access due to patriarchal religion. I have finally let go of mainstream Christianity and now pray to the Great Mother primarily. I have never felt so liberated and strengthened as a woman. If you are interested in prayer beads, meditation, the divine feminine and nature, and you worry about climate change/the state of planet Earth, this book is 100000% for you. I can't recommend it highly enough! Thank you Clark Strand and Perdita Finn. You have changed my life for the better, forever.
June 6, 2023
Coming from my own background which is very Catholic, I found this book both beautiful and challenging at times. I feel that interpretation and response is would be altered by the reader’s own faith background. For me, the Virgin Mary and the Rosary were ever-present in my childhood, as was talk of Marian apparitions. I moved away from this as an adult, thinking of the Catholic fixation on Mary as a man-made construct and heavily superstitious. To a child, the idea of Mary appearing was both fascinating and frightening at the same time. This book took me back to those beliefs and so it was a sense of coming full cycle - back to my own cultural heritage but from a very new perspective.
Some of the concepts made beautiful sense -especially the sentiments about the earth and nature. Others were much trickier to comprehend. It is well-written and carefully constructed, though I was unsure at times where the narrative began and where it ended - perhaps just like the Rosary, it doesn’t.
Some of the concepts made beautiful sense -especially the sentiments about the earth and nature. Others were much trickier to comprehend. It is well-written and carefully constructed, though I was unsure at times where the narrative began and where it ended - perhaps just like the Rosary, it doesn’t.
June 20, 2023
Wow- this was a disappointing read. I was exposed to feminist accounts of Mary in college, and had absolutely loved revisiting of a biblical figure who I previously had believed was solely passive. I thought I would dive into the subject more with this book-revisiting the Christian tradition of Mary through the lens of feminism (or even eco-feminism).
What I got was a strange spiritual hybrid that merged fact with fiction so confusingly. It tried to be a book of spiritual teaching using the framework of Mary and the rosary, but it quickly felt like appropriating the Catholic tradition for a new religion. I can’t tell who this book is for, but it was not for me.
What I got was a strange spiritual hybrid that merged fact with fiction so confusingly. It tried to be a book of spiritual teaching using the framework of Mary and the rosary, but it quickly felt like appropriating the Catholic tradition for a new religion. I can’t tell who this book is for, but it was not for me.
December 20, 2019
This book opened my heart and mind to the mystical Divine Mother. The Rosary, for me, has undergone a metamorphosis of sorts and taken on a completely new meaning. The Way of the Rose introduces prayer, in all forms, as a way of connecting with devotion to Mother Earth and awakening us to Interconnectedness of Everything and the Wisdom of Mother Earth. As I read, I had a deep sense of resonance with the natural world.
June 30, 2022
This turned out to be an enticing call to immerse oneself in a seductive hodgepodge of paganism, New Age solipsism, and a bit of Catholic tradition. The reader must be prepared to accept that the authors are currently being visited and instructed by the Virgin Mary and that the mother of God talks directly to Clark Strand. It might be a good time to go into crafting overpriced rosaries for sale on Etsy, if this book takes off.
February 13, 2021
Worth the read! A valuable glimpse into the secrets of Mother Mary, a beautiful interpretation of the meaning behind the rosary.
April 29, 2020
My relationship with the Catholic church has been good, bad, indifferent: it's ritual, pomp, history, art has drawn me, its history has repelled me, as a place for spiritual growth, it's never even been on my radar. I would have never independently picked up a book about the rosary. However, I heard Clark and Perdita interviewed on my favorite podcast: Janet Conner's The Prayer Artist. And I was blown away by their content. Before I went to bed that night, I ordered the book. Once I opened it, I could hardly put it down.
Like the podcast, the content was compelling and powerful and opened up a whole new door of spiritual exploration. The information that was life changing for me is found in the Prologue on page 7:
"As a mystical practice, meditation has always been a primarily masculine discipline.... it evolved from hunting behaviors -- the need for radical stillness and silence, for focused awareness, for the pinpoint readiness to act when the moment is precisely right. Bead practices.... evolved from the gathering practices of women as they collected seeds and nuts and berries. If the hunter is quiet and concentrated, the gatherer is a multitasker -- chattering, muttering, moving about, and communing with others. Legions of grandmothers have wrapped their rosaries around their wrists, sneaking in a prayer or two between the dishes and the laundry. Children can be tended, old people cared for, and the carrots chopped for dinner, all while staying in conversation with the Lady."
This concept answered longtime questions of mine, such as: Why are all the great yogis and meditation masters men? Is my instinctive practice of constant mental conversation with the divine a legitimate prayer practice? The light went on when I read the above paragraph and I knew this book held a treasure for me. It did not disappoint.
I love discovering new angles, new windows, new perspectives on things which often change the entire picture. And this book was one of those luscious reads. My copy has many highlights, notes and exclamations shared with friends. I am very glad that I was unexpectedly introduced to this book and the concepts in it.
Like the podcast, the content was compelling and powerful and opened up a whole new door of spiritual exploration. The information that was life changing for me is found in the Prologue on page 7:
"As a mystical practice, meditation has always been a primarily masculine discipline.... it evolved from hunting behaviors -- the need for radical stillness and silence, for focused awareness, for the pinpoint readiness to act when the moment is precisely right. Bead practices.... evolved from the gathering practices of women as they collected seeds and nuts and berries. If the hunter is quiet and concentrated, the gatherer is a multitasker -- chattering, muttering, moving about, and communing with others. Legions of grandmothers have wrapped their rosaries around their wrists, sneaking in a prayer or two between the dishes and the laundry. Children can be tended, old people cared for, and the carrots chopped for dinner, all while staying in conversation with the Lady."
This concept answered longtime questions of mine, such as: Why are all the great yogis and meditation masters men? Is my instinctive practice of constant mental conversation with the divine a legitimate prayer practice? The light went on when I read the above paragraph and I knew this book held a treasure for me. It did not disappoint.
I love discovering new angles, new windows, new perspectives on things which often change the entire picture. And this book was one of those luscious reads. My copy has many highlights, notes and exclamations shared with friends. I am very glad that I was unexpectedly introduced to this book and the concepts in it.
September 10, 2022
As a cradle Catholic, the Rosary has always played a prominent role in my prayer life. When I picture my grandmother, her crystal rosary beads are wrapped around her hand. I can feel the hard back pew supporting me as I prayed my first Novena in the hallowed space of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the French Quarter. The Rosary feels familial, ancestral and like a straight shot to a meditative space for me.
Over the past decade, my faith has shifted away from much of the dogma of the church but my pull toward the Rosary has remained constant. This book, “The Way of the Rose” suggests that the tradition of the Rosary predates religion and instead is a return to our veneration of the divine feminine. It sits well with my soul.
I can’t fully encapsulate all the magic and the mystery of this book in a way that will do it true justice. But I can offer this little story. About a third of the way into the book, the authors explain the concept of prayer as a petition for your heart’s desire. Our Lady wants us to petition her more than anything, they claim, because she is always cradling us in her love and would love to offer us signs of her presence. I thought deeply about what my heart truly desires right now. “Blessed Mother,” I prayed as I began my circle around the beads, “I truly wish to be called upon to companion a dying person in my community, right now.” Fifteen minutes later, my new client reached out for the first time.
Our universe is filled with so much magic, mystery is prevalent and unseen energy interconnects us and our world all as one. Yet we also live and love amidst climate crisis, genocide and the ravages of consumerism and self-interest. How do we move through our world with the hope and grace of the divine and the honesty and courage to truly see the affect of humanity on our universal home? This book offers us a path, a chance, a dream … to do just that.
Over the past decade, my faith has shifted away from much of the dogma of the church but my pull toward the Rosary has remained constant. This book, “The Way of the Rose” suggests that the tradition of the Rosary predates religion and instead is a return to our veneration of the divine feminine. It sits well with my soul.
I can’t fully encapsulate all the magic and the mystery of this book in a way that will do it true justice. But I can offer this little story. About a third of the way into the book, the authors explain the concept of prayer as a petition for your heart’s desire. Our Lady wants us to petition her more than anything, they claim, because she is always cradling us in her love and would love to offer us signs of her presence. I thought deeply about what my heart truly desires right now. “Blessed Mother,” I prayed as I began my circle around the beads, “I truly wish to be called upon to companion a dying person in my community, right now.” Fifteen minutes later, my new client reached out for the first time.
Our universe is filled with so much magic, mystery is prevalent and unseen energy interconnects us and our world all as one. Yet we also live and love amidst climate crisis, genocide and the ravages of consumerism and self-interest. How do we move through our world with the hope and grace of the divine and the honesty and courage to truly see the affect of humanity on our universal home? This book offers us a path, a chance, a dream … to do just that.
June 13, 2021
I appreciate the spiritual yet secular approach the authors take to the rosary and the divine feminine. I separated myself from Catholicism because the way it was practiced in the States downplayed the power of women and the divine feminine and the power of embracing devotion to Mary and saints, which are the parts of Catholicism that most nurture my soul. In many countries and cultures, Mary remains a critical centerpiece of faith and worship/adoration and devotion; without her, without the feminine, there would be no god/God, there would be no masculine.
I found myself wishing for more of the authors' stories and research but also realize I can pursue texts myself for further support. I dug out my old beads from when I was 8 years old (they glow in the dark! The very coolest set you could have back at St. Charles) and found I remembered the prayers with little prompting. It's muscle memory; it's inscribed in you. It's incredibly soothing and meditative to work your way through a rosary, and I have found that recentering the divine feminine in my spiritual practice helps inform everything else I do. I also recognize the close ties between Catholic ritual, particularly those of folk and mystical Catholicism, and feminine-centered witchcraft practices and brujeria. Catholic ritual can be extremely witchy if you reclaim it. All of this has been helping me repair the fractured and harmful influence Catholicism had on me and is helping me heal and strengthen my own connections to the divine in my own ways.
/woowoo review 🙏🏼📿
I found myself wishing for more of the authors' stories and research but also realize I can pursue texts myself for further support. I dug out my old beads from when I was 8 years old (they glow in the dark! The very coolest set you could have back at St. Charles) and found I remembered the prayers with little prompting. It's muscle memory; it's inscribed in you. It's incredibly soothing and meditative to work your way through a rosary, and I have found that recentering the divine feminine in my spiritual practice helps inform everything else I do. I also recognize the close ties between Catholic ritual, particularly those of folk and mystical Catholicism, and feminine-centered witchcraft practices and brujeria. Catholic ritual can be extremely witchy if you reclaim it. All of this has been helping me repair the fractured and harmful influence Catholicism had on me and is helping me heal and strengthen my own connections to the divine in my own ways.
/woowoo review 🙏🏼📿
July 4, 2024
Appropriating Catholic spiritual tech for Wiccan style earth worship? Sign me up.
This book has a lot of pros and cons, but let me get this out of the way first. Avoid this book if you are Christain, unless you love the smell of heresy.
This book goes over a pseudohistory of the Rosary claiming that praying to Mary was a way to maintain worship of the goddess throughout christain reign. Academically, i must say, cite your source. Most of the history feels like neoWiccans discussing "the burning times", which factually did not happen.
This book also claims that civilization is the worst thing humanity has ever done and was a scourge forced on us by the ominous them. "Monoculture, Monotheism, Monsanto" was the cringist thing ive read in a while. In which case, if you agree, I invite you to be a hunter gatherer. I personally like my car and apartment with air-conditioning thank you very much.
But spiritually I agree with the sentiments, the recieved texts by Mary herself slapped, and I agree that the practice of the Rosary could be invaluable for people in the west trying to define their religon outside of christainity. Honestly I'm more validated than anything else in my own adapted practice of the Rosary to for my personal religious practice, which does include a healthy amount of Earth and Solar worship.
If your new agey like I am you may like this book, and you may like an adapted Rosary. If you're not, this probably isn't the book for you.
This book has a lot of pros and cons, but let me get this out of the way first. Avoid this book if you are Christain, unless you love the smell of heresy.
This book goes over a pseudohistory of the Rosary claiming that praying to Mary was a way to maintain worship of the goddess throughout christain reign. Academically, i must say, cite your source. Most of the history feels like neoWiccans discussing "the burning times", which factually did not happen.
This book also claims that civilization is the worst thing humanity has ever done and was a scourge forced on us by the ominous them. "Monoculture, Monotheism, Monsanto" was the cringist thing ive read in a while. In which case, if you agree, I invite you to be a hunter gatherer. I personally like my car and apartment with air-conditioning thank you very much.
But spiritually I agree with the sentiments, the recieved texts by Mary herself slapped, and I agree that the practice of the Rosary could be invaluable for people in the west trying to define their religon outside of christainity. Honestly I'm more validated than anything else in my own adapted practice of the Rosary to for my personal religious practice, which does include a healthy amount of Earth and Solar worship.
If your new agey like I am you may like this book, and you may like an adapted Rosary. If you're not, this probably isn't the book for you.
March 24, 2021
I loved this book. As a Catholic, I am always looking for the power and presence of the feminine within the patriarchal church. So of course I am particularly drawn to Mary, and to the rosary.
There is much in this book that challenges traditional Catholic thinking and I'm not sure I accept it all. But the union of ourselves with our mother seems both Catholic and human. Praying and the trust that our prayers are heard and answered to me is a fundamental tenet of faith.
The Strands search for the mother and their engagement with the rosary is the heart of the book. As someone who prays the rosary daily, I found that this work increased the depth of my prayer and my connection with the Blessed Mother. It also gave me hope in this dark time for the salvation of the world and the belief that climate change will be a transition to another kind of life, a hope I very much need right now (unfortunately, I was left with the sense that this new life might not contain people as we know them so that was less than comforting).
I loved this book even without accepting all of it. It opened up many areas for thought and contemplation as well as deepening my own faith and pointing the way to a more vibrant prayer life. That is a lot to get from one book!
There is much in this book that challenges traditional Catholic thinking and I'm not sure I accept it all. But the union of ourselves with our mother seems both Catholic and human. Praying and the trust that our prayers are heard and answered to me is a fundamental tenet of faith.
The Strands search for the mother and their engagement with the rosary is the heart of the book. As someone who prays the rosary daily, I found that this work increased the depth of my prayer and my connection with the Blessed Mother. It also gave me hope in this dark time for the salvation of the world and the belief that climate change will be a transition to another kind of life, a hope I very much need right now (unfortunately, I was left with the sense that this new life might not contain people as we know them so that was less than comforting).
I loved this book even without accepting all of it. It opened up many areas for thought and contemplation as well as deepening my own faith and pointing the way to a more vibrant prayer life. That is a lot to get from one book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews