Sacred Voices: Essential Women's Wisdom Through the Ages

by Mary Ford-Grabowsky

Book Overview

Moving chronologically through millennia of women's history from the earliest times to the present, this unique collection contains writings from over 173 of the world's women sages and saints. Containing poetry, prayers, chants, meditations, and contemplative prose from all great religious traditions, this treasure trove gathers together for the first time the best of women's spiritual wisdom.Women's spiritual experience has been suppressed through...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062517023
• ISBN13: 9780062517029
• Release Date: March 2002
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Sacred Voices: A Banquet of Women's Wisdom

Almost 175 women of all cultures and times, from a priestess of the goddess Inanna (2000 BCE) to contemporary storyteller Clarissa Pinkola Estes, are chronicled in this volume. A brief biography of each woman introduces her words: poems, letters, dreams, polemics, stories, sayings, visions, journals, even a recipe. The reader meets famous women like Hildegard of Bingen or Georgia O'Keeffe, and obscure or anonymous women: Bibi Hayat of Persia, Sarada Devi of India, and Bedouin, Pygmy and Hopi women. One of my favorite entries is this poem where the erotic meets the mystical, from someone I'd never heard of, Rabia Al-Adawiyya, Persian, 717-801:STARS ARE SHININGO my Lord, stars are shiningAnd the eyes of men are closed.Kings have shut their doorsAnd every lover is alone with his beloved.Here I am alone with you.Sacred Voices' entries bring us diversity of age, race, sexual orientation, historical period, geography, literary form, and spiritual perspective. It is a collection of the wisdom of old women, girls, mothers, artists, philosophers, mystics. We meet extravagant women, modest women--all passionate in their own ways, all truth-telling, all women of wisdom, all now, thanks to this book, part of our heritage. The volume is encyclopedic but not intimidating, to be kept near at hand for inspiration, comfort, and challenge. Don't try to gulp it down in one swallow. I've been reading a few entries every day--what a treat! Mary Ford-Grabowski has dug deep into the immense treasure of women's experiences and reflections. She deserves our thanks for bringing it to us in such a beautiful and useful volume.