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Crafting the Body Divine: Ritual, Movement and Body Art
Yasmine Galenorn presents a nurturing guide for loving the body and allowing it to become a more expressive vehicle for the spirit within. Offering personal revelations as well as interviews, rituals, exercises, visualizations, spells, and practical tips, she helps readers achieve balance in their physical and spiritual self-perceptions.
Beginning with the author’s insights on body image, self-esteem, and soul, CRAFTING THE BODY DIVINE presents health and beauty tips geared to radiating a positive self-image, and looks at how society defines beauty and how individuals can liberate themselves from the restrictions of such ideals. The second part of the book focuses on movement as ritual, and exercise as the experience of spiritual energy. Finally, Galenorn explores body modification, such as tattooing and piercing, as personal expressions of spirit.
Beginning with the author’s insights on body image, self-esteem, and soul, CRAFTING THE BODY DIVINE presents health and beauty tips geared to radiating a positive self-image, and looks at how society defines beauty and how individuals can liberate themselves from the restrictions of such ideals. The second part of the book focuses on movement as ritual, and exercise as the experience of spiritual energy. Finally, Galenorn explores body modification, such as tattooing and piercing, as personal expressions of spirit.
220 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2001
2 people are currently reading
470 people want to read
About the author
Yasmine Galenorn
247 books3,472 followersNOTE: I SELDOM visit Goodreads and do very little here. Please see my website for more information on my work: https://galenorn.com
New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and is the author of over 80 books & numerous series, including the Wild Hunt Series, the Moonshadow Bay Series, the Fury Unbound Series, the Otherworld Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, and more. She wrote for trad publishers for 20 years until she went indie in 2016.
She’s also written nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine. Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch and High Priestess. She describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Kirkland, WA, with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her web site at Galenorn.com. Sign up for her newsletter at: http://galenorn.com/newsletter/
NOTE: ALWAYS check the website and blog, and please sign up for her newsletter there to keep current with new and upcoming releases. Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter are NOT viable places to find out all this information.
New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and is the author of over 80 books & numerous series, including the Wild Hunt Series, the Moonshadow Bay Series, the Fury Unbound Series, the Otherworld Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, and more. She wrote for trad publishers for 20 years until she went indie in 2016.
She’s also written nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine. Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch and High Priestess. She describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Kirkland, WA, with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her web site at Galenorn.com. Sign up for her newsletter at: http://galenorn.com/newsletter/
NOTE: ALWAYS check the website and blog, and please sign up for her newsletter there to keep current with new and upcoming releases. Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter are NOT viable places to find out all this information.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 6, 2013
This book could be a high school AP English student final project. That's about the level of writing skill, organization of content, and presentation you should expect. Please don't waste your time trying to soldier through this book when a few directed searches on google will be far more rewarding.
Ridiculous.
Ridiculous.
July 24, 2013
When I read a book, I often think about the review I will write on it. What are the things that stand out to me? What makes this a good or bad read?
While reading this book, I kept thinking about how terrible it is. I don't know where to start.
First, I can start off with the aesthetics of the book. The photograph on the cover displays a pierced and tattooed person. The tattoo is pretty bad; that should have been a sign. Second, I really disliked the spacing of the words/font in the book.
The author's writing ability is limited. Throughout the book, she continues to rely on certain words to an annoying degree. The most annoying of all was "sensuous." That word began to make my skin crawl.
On to the structure. In each section of this book, the author attempts to address different topics that are related to the body -- self-esteem, hair, make-up (more on this later,) diet, exercise, tattoo, and piercing. Then, she gives related meditations and rituals.
When the author addresses each topic, she rambles. A paragraph's beginning idea frequently merges into an unrelated one. There are many notes where she felt the need to include a personal opinion that had nothing to do with the book (i.e, tucking in some thoughts on s & m.) This book has a companion, and I think she may have been trying to interest people in the other book (which is about sex,) at times. No thanks, I'm definitely good.
The author clearly didn't do much research. Each chapter has one or two sources, which would be fine if this book was mainly about rituals. It's not. There were many facts she gave that seemed questionable, but there was no evidence. I ended up not believing half of what she wrote. And you should! As someone who has spent more time in a tattoo chair then she had at the time of writing that book, and someone who has worked in a tattoo shop, a lot of the things she said about tattooing are wrong -- especially her idea behind neo-tribalism being the primary thing that made tattooing popular in the main community.
This woman is so fucking judgmental. Early on in the book, she states that she is anti-P.C. Why, you ask? She is a woman, and she wants to wear a feminine haircut and dress femininely. First, I want to say, when did P.C. say women couldn't do this? Secondly, the way she presents her argument really demeans those of us who are women and aren't feminine. She implies that we are not genuine or that we are merely tools of some P.C. regime. She goes on to say that sexual harassment (she gives the example of being whistled at at work,) should be allowed. How can we be sexual creatures if we never get a chance to express ourselves? Wait, I know! By having respectful and consenting adult relationships! I don't need to whistle at somebody to acknowledge my sexuality. This woman is so immature.
She also has a lot of racial issues. She thinks your own racial problems, whatever they may be, can be solved away with a meditation where your skin color changes. She also is really appropriative. She lists different exercise practices in the book. She goes on a long, actually factual tangent about the spiritual importance of hula in Hawaiian tradition. About how it was appropriated at certain times by Western culture. Then goes on to say, that she, as a white woman (oh don't forget, she has some Cherokee too! Yeah, probably one percent.) has practiced it. The Hawaiian tradition is a closed one. They do not welcome people that aren't of their heritage.
Overall, I wouldn't trust any of the "facts" in this book. I don't know how it got published, to be honest. The only reason I'll be keeping it is for some of the rituals, and for the deity charts and correspondences. Those are the only reasons to keep a bad Wiccan/neo-pagan book!
While reading this book, I kept thinking about how terrible it is. I don't know where to start.
First, I can start off with the aesthetics of the book. The photograph on the cover displays a pierced and tattooed person. The tattoo is pretty bad; that should have been a sign. Second, I really disliked the spacing of the words/font in the book.
The author's writing ability is limited. Throughout the book, she continues to rely on certain words to an annoying degree. The most annoying of all was "sensuous." That word began to make my skin crawl.
On to the structure. In each section of this book, the author attempts to address different topics that are related to the body -- self-esteem, hair, make-up (more on this later,) diet, exercise, tattoo, and piercing. Then, she gives related meditations and rituals.
When the author addresses each topic, she rambles. A paragraph's beginning idea frequently merges into an unrelated one. There are many notes where she felt the need to include a personal opinion that had nothing to do with the book (i.e, tucking in some thoughts on s & m.) This book has a companion, and I think she may have been trying to interest people in the other book (which is about sex,) at times. No thanks, I'm definitely good.
The author clearly didn't do much research. Each chapter has one or two sources, which would be fine if this book was mainly about rituals. It's not. There were many facts she gave that seemed questionable, but there was no evidence. I ended up not believing half of what she wrote. And you should! As someone who has spent more time in a tattoo chair then she had at the time of writing that book, and someone who has worked in a tattoo shop, a lot of the things she said about tattooing are wrong -- especially her idea behind neo-tribalism being the primary thing that made tattooing popular in the main community.
This woman is so fucking judgmental. Early on in the book, she states that she is anti-P.C. Why, you ask? She is a woman, and she wants to wear a feminine haircut and dress femininely. First, I want to say, when did P.C. say women couldn't do this? Secondly, the way she presents her argument really demeans those of us who are women and aren't feminine. She implies that we are not genuine or that we are merely tools of some P.C. regime. She goes on to say that sexual harassment (she gives the example of being whistled at at work,) should be allowed. How can we be sexual creatures if we never get a chance to express ourselves? Wait, I know! By having respectful and consenting adult relationships! I don't need to whistle at somebody to acknowledge my sexuality. This woman is so immature.
She also has a lot of racial issues. She thinks your own racial problems, whatever they may be, can be solved away with a meditation where your skin color changes. She also is really appropriative. She lists different exercise practices in the book. She goes on a long, actually factual tangent about the spiritual importance of hula in Hawaiian tradition. About how it was appropriated at certain times by Western culture. Then goes on to say, that she, as a white woman (oh don't forget, she has some Cherokee too! Yeah, probably one percent.) has practiced it. The Hawaiian tradition is a closed one. They do not welcome people that aren't of their heritage.
Overall, I wouldn't trust any of the "facts" in this book. I don't know how it got published, to be honest. The only reason I'll be keeping it is for some of the rituals, and for the deity charts and correspondences. Those are the only reasons to keep a bad Wiccan/neo-pagan book!
October 19, 2011
I am a fan of Yasmine Galenorn's work, but this book (that I have been lusting over for years) was a disappointment for me. Simply, it did not live up to my expectations.
I expected a book to discuss some of the history of body rituals, from making one more attractive to using tattoos and body piercing as a way to connect to the divine or otherworld. Instead, it reads more as a self-empowerment text, rooted firmly in the here and now. Galenorn provides spells, ritual suggestions, and guided meditations for body rituals, but they are all completely modern. They are valid and beautiful, but I was hoping for some history and myth from other cultures to be mixed in.
She included interviews with a disabled person, a massage therapist, a marathon running, and a tattoo artist to provide perspectives from these different body workers. I think that was a nice touch to the book.
I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for ritual help to boost their self-esteem or body image; or wants to incorporate body work in a ritual manner. It simply was not my cup of tea.
I expected a book to discuss some of the history of body rituals, from making one more attractive to using tattoos and body piercing as a way to connect to the divine or otherworld. Instead, it reads more as a self-empowerment text, rooted firmly in the here and now. Galenorn provides spells, ritual suggestions, and guided meditations for body rituals, but they are all completely modern. They are valid and beautiful, but I was hoping for some history and myth from other cultures to be mixed in.
She included interviews with a disabled person, a massage therapist, a marathon running, and a tattoo artist to provide perspectives from these different body workers. I think that was a nice touch to the book.
I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for ritual help to boost their self-esteem or body image; or wants to incorporate body work in a ritual manner. It simply was not my cup of tea.
February 28, 2010
Not my favorite from Galenorn but not terrible. I think it was meant to empower women or at least to help the begin a path of self discovery. For some reason I thought it had to do with more body art and was somewhat disappointed. However in the end I enjoyed it but probably would never read it again.
March 14, 2014
I was really excited for this book but I was very disappointed, its mostly interviews and basic info...
February 26, 2015
I wanted to love this book, and maybe I would have if I had read it as a teen instead of as an adult. She (the author)had some interesting stories, but she was overly preachy.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews