This book blends Vedic wisdom, lore of ancient Hindu goddesses, and self-help advice and techniques for women based on universal archetypes.
Saraswati is here, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, wisdom, and speech. Lakshmi is here, the Hindu goddess of wealth and good fortune. And Durga is here — beginning in chapter 1. She’s a major goddess in the Hindu pantheon, tapped for protection and strength. She’s also the model of motherhood.
Author Acharya Shunya points to these goddesses as perfect examples of the divine feminine — the intimate quality and close experience of the divine in feminine form, across the religious and spiritual traditions. Shunya offers them up as exemplars for women’s lives today.
In the Introduction, the author writes: “The Divine Feminine has been long overlooked, overshadowed, or suppressed by concepts of an exclusive masculine god, patriarchal religions, and sexist societies.” We’re in an age of “revival for the goddess,” she explains. But this is not new wisdom in Hinduism, where the Divine Feminine has been identified for millennia in Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Durga.
There are many surprises in these chapters. One example among dozens in chapter 9 is this one regarding sexuality from a lesser-known goddess, Rati:
“If you are one of those women who feel ashamed at seeking out pleasureful activities or sexual joys, stop that! While all over the world religious pundits have decried sexual pleasure as sinful or only meant for procreation in shameful privacy, and others prescribe celibacy as a path to awakening, in India, another goddess manifestations of Shakti is celebrated, called Goddess Rati, who supports sexual passion and enhances our joy of lovemaking!”
An exploration of themes of eroticism and emotional fulfillment in the classic 2,000 year-old Hindu text, the Kama Sutra, then follows.
A search of “Divine feminine” on our site yields more than 100 other results from book reviews, spiritual quotations, and book excerpts. If you have not yet explored this aspect of spiritual practice, we encourage you to try.
