Winter is a great time to catch up on reading. I have a pile of books by my bed that I want to read, that I intend to read, but am too busy to read.

Well, with only 12 days left in winter, I finally made a breakthrough and opened the gorgeous book Goddess on Earth by Lisa Levart, and there I spent the next few hours total entranced by her amazing visual celebration of the Divine Feminine.

I could not put it down until I finished the whole thing. But that was just the fist reading. I shall be back in its lush pages. And often!

Goddess on Earth is a deeply moving book featuring the portraits and personal statements of over 70 women, bringing contemporary significance to some of history’s most ancient sacred myths.

Through self-identification each women is portrayed as the goddess who most deeply reflects and gives meaning to her life, creating a visual symphony of the wisdom, courage and personal strength of the female spirit.

Photographed over a period of eight years by Queen Lisa, the book creates a powerful interplay between images of contemporary women, reproductions of classical Goddess sculptures and the archetypes they draw upon.

Working with women of all ages and all walks of life, she has captured evocative contemporary interpretations of known and little known goddesses from many countries and cultures including Native American, China, Egypt, Greece, Scandinavia, India, Ireland and Tibet. Collectively, these portraits convey the resonant and multifaceted manifestations of the feminine spirit.

Some examples are:

Starhawk, the feminist spirituality author embodies Maeve, the Celtic goddess of sovereignty and protection.

Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D. portrays the goddess Kannon, the Japanese Bodhisattva of compassion.

Olympia Dukakis, the magnificent actor, is Innana the powerful  Sumerian Goddess of sexual love, fertility, and warfare.

I can’t imagine a more perfect way to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Enjoy!

*****

Donna Henes is the author of The Queen of My Self: Stepping into Sovereignty in Midlife. She offers counseling and upbeat, practical and ceremonial guidance for individual women and groups who want to enjoy the fruits of an enriching, influential, purposeful, passionate, and powerful maturity. Consult the MIDLIFE MIDWIFE™

The Queen welcomes questions concerning all issues of interest to women in their mature years. Send your inquiries to thequeenofmyself@aol.com.