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The Witches' Goddess
This book is of great practical value in discovering and celebrating the transforming energy of the Feminine Principle of Divinity. Part I covers the myriad faces of the Goddess revealed, including: Her presence throughout history; Her Earth and Moon symbolism; Her Madonna and Magdalene disguises; Her revelation within the psyche; Her relationship with women; Her influence today; and much more. Part II covers ritual invocations of the Goddess in 13 guises: from Ishtar to Isis, from Hecate to Aphrodite, from Epona to Ma'at. Part III gives an alphabetical listing of more than 1000 goddesses including a brief history and the main correspondences of each. This is an important work by the Farrars providing an indepth exploration of the Goddess in her many aspects at a time when Western culture is awakening to the influence of Feminine Divinity, both individually and collectively. Over 40,000 sold!
319 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1987
31 people are currently reading
2727 people want to read
About the author
Janet Farrar
47 books144 followersJanet Farrar, along with Stewart, is author of many books on witchcraft, and a well known witch who has appeared frequently in the media. She currently lives in Ireland and regularly tours the U.S.A. giving lectures and workshops.
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July 28, 2011The past 2,000 years the world has been dominated by patriarchal religions that have suppressed the feminine divine impulse. This century has brought about a new awareness of the divine feminine principal. Wicca a fast growing religion based on ancient principals is spearheading the awareness.
But what exactly does the feminine divine principal mean? Ancient Paganism had a plethora of God and Goddesses how does the concept of only one God and goddess come about? Dion Fortune one time said that all Goddesses are one one Goddess and all God are one God. In effect all the Goddesses are masks of the great mother goddess and all gods are a mask of the male god who is both the consort and son of the great mother goddess.
The Farrar husband and wife team dive into ancient texts, mythology and scholarly studies to examine the goddess and her role in both ancient and modern life. Everything from early Mesopotamian texts all the way to Celtic texts are analyzed and studied. This is no Wicca 101 book but a comprehensive study of the Goddess and her many masks which encapsulate her many aspects.
The book is divided into three parts. The first part talks about the Goddess concept in general. Early mankind is discussed and how the women were revered for their ability to have children. The role of men was not realized yet. But as history moved forward the role of man became realized and slowly but surely man came to dominate as violent behavior and war fare became the norm. Patriarchy came supreme and the feminine was suppressed. But even as Christianity dominated the femine could not be entirely expressed. The virgin mary become the epitome of the mother Goddess. in fact many believe that the virgin mary churches and statue may have been Isis statues that were taken over by Christianity. The role of the dark goddess, the moon and Jungian archetypes are discussed in depth.
The second part of the book examine thirteen goddesses up close. a full story is given about them and a ritual honoring them.From the Middle East come Isis and Ishtar. Isis having an Egyptian ritual peculiar to her taken from the book "Egyptian magick" by Wallace Budge. Believe me this is Egyptian not Wiccan. Ishtar was the Babylonian queen of heaven who descended to the world of the dead to rescue Dammuzi her consort.speaking of descents to the lower world. There is a ritual for Demeter and Kore. Remember that Demeter has a daughter that gets abducted to the underworld. There is also a section for the lovely Aphrodite showing how she evolved from a Middle Eastern beginning into her Greek form as the Goddess of love.Lilith and Eve have a ritual dedicated to them as well. The ritual itself was rather comical involving a Jewish husband and a Christian wife. Good for laughs at least. Epona was a Celtic horse Goddess that came to be revered by the Romans, in fact she was the only Celt deity to be honored by the Romans. arianrhod mother of llew Laws also has a ritual dedicated to her as well. Of course there are a few others like Hekate, Maat, Brigid and Aradia but I will let the reader explore that for him/herself.
The third section of the book is a glossary of all the Goddesses world over. It makes for slow reading, but it is a great reference if you are trying to choose a deity to work with for a ritual. I mean if you are going to ask for money then you want a Goddess who deals with money right?
The book is well researched with a good bibliography in the back for further reading. These are not fluff book but books that are based on solid research. at the beginning of the section is an inventory of perfume and incense recipes that you can choose to make. This get's 5 out of 5
But what exactly does the feminine divine principal mean? Ancient Paganism had a plethora of God and Goddesses how does the concept of only one God and goddess come about? Dion Fortune one time said that all Goddesses are one one Goddess and all God are one God. In effect all the Goddesses are masks of the great mother goddess and all gods are a mask of the male god who is both the consort and son of the great mother goddess.
The Farrar husband and wife team dive into ancient texts, mythology and scholarly studies to examine the goddess and her role in both ancient and modern life. Everything from early Mesopotamian texts all the way to Celtic texts are analyzed and studied. This is no Wicca 101 book but a comprehensive study of the Goddess and her many masks which encapsulate her many aspects.
The book is divided into three parts. The first part talks about the Goddess concept in general. Early mankind is discussed and how the women were revered for their ability to have children. The role of men was not realized yet. But as history moved forward the role of man became realized and slowly but surely man came to dominate as violent behavior and war fare became the norm. Patriarchy came supreme and the feminine was suppressed. But even as Christianity dominated the femine could not be entirely expressed. The virgin mary become the epitome of the mother Goddess. in fact many believe that the virgin mary churches and statue may have been Isis statues that were taken over by Christianity. The role of the dark goddess, the moon and Jungian archetypes are discussed in depth.
The second part of the book examine thirteen goddesses up close. a full story is given about them and a ritual honoring them.From the Middle East come Isis and Ishtar. Isis having an Egyptian ritual peculiar to her taken from the book "Egyptian magick" by Wallace Budge. Believe me this is Egyptian not Wiccan. Ishtar was the Babylonian queen of heaven who descended to the world of the dead to rescue Dammuzi her consort.speaking of descents to the lower world. There is a ritual for Demeter and Kore. Remember that Demeter has a daughter that gets abducted to the underworld. There is also a section for the lovely Aphrodite showing how she evolved from a Middle Eastern beginning into her Greek form as the Goddess of love.Lilith and Eve have a ritual dedicated to them as well. The ritual itself was rather comical involving a Jewish husband and a Christian wife. Good for laughs at least. Epona was a Celtic horse Goddess that came to be revered by the Romans, in fact she was the only Celt deity to be honored by the Romans. arianrhod mother of llew Laws also has a ritual dedicated to her as well. Of course there are a few others like Hekate, Maat, Brigid and Aradia but I will let the reader explore that for him/herself.
The third section of the book is a glossary of all the Goddesses world over. It makes for slow reading, but it is a great reference if you are trying to choose a deity to work with for a ritual. I mean if you are going to ask for money then you want a Goddess who deals with money right?
The book is well researched with a good bibliography in the back for further reading. These are not fluff book but books that are based on solid research. at the beginning of the section is an inventory of perfume and incense recipes that you can choose to make. This get's 5 out of 5
March 21, 2011
Difficult to know how to rate this one. There were parts that I very much enjoyed and appreciated, but others that rang somewhat hollow. Specifically, while I appreciated the attempts to include non-western traditions, some of what was included didn't match up with things I already knew--for perhaps the most blatant example, the lwa are not considered gods/goddesses in the Vodou tradition. That said, I think this book makes for a fairly good beginning-to-intermediate reference guide.
April 2, 2018
A great resource/research book that should be on every Pagan's shelf (along with the Farrars' companion book, The Witches' God), and I highly recommend it for F/SF writers, too. The book lists Goddesses from around the world, their forms, their features, what they cover & rule over, and other traits. I don't know if this is completely comprehensive, but Farrar does cover a huge range of cultures and deities; it's NOT white-Euro-centric at all.
Please note, this book is NOT a be-all, end-all resource, nor does it go into any depth about the various goddesses -- it's basically just a Who's Who listing of names & basic traits, enough to give you a starting point for further, deeper research.
Please note, this book is NOT a be-all, end-all resource, nor does it go into any depth about the various goddesses -- it's basically just a Who's Who listing of names & basic traits, enough to give you a starting point for further, deeper research.
November 24, 2017
Overall, a good read- I learned a lot. However I was disappointed in a way to find that around half of the book was just a list of worldwide goddess aspects. This could be useful to some, but I'd rather the second part (a detailed history of some of the more popular goddesses, plus rituals to accompany) was extended to some of the more obscure but interesting deities.
January 13, 2021
Great book! Very informative. I think it should be mandatory reading for any seeker of a Pagan path. Especially those on a Wicca path.
February 11, 2020
This book while very informative is very outdated. Part 1 discovering the goddess. Was packed with many names and places that blend together and hurt your head. Part 2 invoking the goddess. Was much better as it told individual goddess stories. Part 3 goddesses of the world. Was a cross references and different spellings of over 1000 goddesses. A lot to absorb.
April 25, 2019
Very detailed info (too detailed some might say even) about the Goddesses of various cultures around the world from a Wiccan perspective. It in a way disclaimers that the content is very detailed but also explains why. Those reasons why were somewhat motivational for me to finish the book even though I can't honestly say I enjoyed it that much.
If you're a fan of Killah Priest (which I am) and ever found yourself uncertain of some of what he was talking about in his lyrics, this book might cause you to say "Ohhhh..." a few times when/if reflecting on those lyrics.
The last chapter is a long list of all the Goddesses the authors are familiar with and I told myself it is a great resource for choosing a name for my daughter should I have one some day.
If you're a fan of Killah Priest (which I am) and ever found yourself uncertain of some of what he was talking about in his lyrics, this book might cause you to say "Ohhhh..." a few times when/if reflecting on those lyrics.
The last chapter is a long list of all the Goddesses the authors are familiar with and I told myself it is a great resource for choosing a name for my daughter should I have one some day.
February 6, 2025
This was a great read to refine my knowledge of the different deities modern witches and also witches throughout history have worked with and honored. It helped me deepen my understanding with my own divinity and relationship with it, and was well studied, with references and an extensive bibliography (Some of which I added to my own "Want to Read" list).
One thing I will say is that the rituals are mostly geared towards work with a coven and as a solitary practitioner I don't really find those useful, however I am also more chaotic than that, and ritual isn't a big part of my practice.
Overall a great read and written with excellent prose and traceable peer supported research.
One thing I will say is that the rituals are mostly geared towards work with a coven and as a solitary practitioner I don't really find those useful, however I am also more chaotic than that, and ritual isn't a big part of my practice.
Overall a great read and written with excellent prose and traceable peer supported research.
December 16, 2024
This and Its companion are wonderful References if you are the kind of Witch/Pagan that wants to involve The God's into your practice. Or if you want to be cautious as to who you invite into your circle. (No calling God's that want to fight each other, never a good look.) In my mind this is a starting place, as some of the information may or may not be true. But a little bit of research is good for the soul and even better for your practice. This book was a reread, and I do find myself going back to it over and over again.
January 4, 2021
I don't know if its correct to list as finished?
This is not a book to read, but rather, reference.
Lots of fun, but necessarily limited. It's simply too big a topic for one book.
But a very well written starter. Good introduction.
Need to buy this for my shelves so I don't always have to google, ha ha.
This is not a book to read, but rather, reference.
Lots of fun, but necessarily limited. It's simply too big a topic for one book.
But a very well written starter. Good introduction.
Need to buy this for my shelves so I don't always have to google, ha ha.
December 22, 2022
I found this to be a brilliant book with extensive research well written well presented and as authoritative as it comes regarding the subject matter. I have given away a number of copies as gifts and I always have it to hand on my bookshelf.
There is also a sort of companion book The Witches God which is every bit as good and I wouldn't be without either book as I find them excellent for reference and a comfort just having them on my bookshelves.
I have read a number of books by Janet Farrar and have found them excellent works.
There is also a sort of companion book The Witches God which is every bit as good and I wouldn't be without either book as I find them excellent for reference and a comfort just having them on my bookshelves.
I have read a number of books by Janet Farrar and have found them excellent works.
April 17, 2009
This book is a great start and reference to who's who in the Goddess world....
January 31, 2008
Definite must read for all withes along with it's brother.
January 31, 2008
A great reference book for all Witches!
December 15, 2008
I need to re-read this. I haven't read it for some time but it is a glorious testament to the power of the feminine in creation and life, in nature and society.
Good read.
Good read.
May 27, 2010
Although there are some issues with using an outdated reference or two, overall this is a great book for understanding the feminine divine and conducting rituals in her honour.
January 19, 2016
Not what I was looking for, unfortunately. I need a reference book about the goddesses, not a quasi-political tract about the difference between boys and girls.
April 19, 2013
A book every new Witch, Wiccan, or Pagan should have on their shelf
Want to read
September 9, 2018The Farrar's do conclusive research into the old goddesses within the European pantheon as well as inclusive research into other pantheon's outside of the European context as well.
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