The Crone: Woman of Age, Wisdom, and Power

I read this book into the wee hours of the morning because it was connecting the dots in so many ways. All the mythological names I had studied in high school and at the university were re-visited in her text and explained. She makes a very convincing case for how many female goddesses and especially, the trinities, were co-opted by the Christian theology. She takes a stab at Buddhism as well for being a religion of solipsism. The screed at the beginning, while accurate in my mind, may turn off some readers. I know it made me feel depressed and that there would be nothing new told here. But if you keep going you will be rewarded many times over. Walker's scholarship and analysis of myths and their re-working to non-pagan beliefs is excellent. Anyone reading this can approach it as a work of scholarship.

Every paragraph in this book is a bombshell revelation, written with passion and scholarly authority. It is a wellspring of inspiration and history for women -- history we have been denied about our own heritage. The book had enormous influence on me as a feminist. It is stunning in its intensity and scope. I wish everyone in the world would read it, although it would probably make the blood of traditionalist people boil. It contains explosive challenges to the patriarchal status quo, and particularly to patriarchal religions. There is much fuel for debate here. Strongly recommended!

Barbara G. Walker has brought her incredible fund of scholarship to our astounded attention once more. Exploring ancient writings, making connections, illuminating our ancient past and current woes, the author has created a masterful work that explains so many, many things. This is a must read for everyone, and a work that will be cherished by thinking women over 40, yet men probably need to read this book more than women do... The linguistic revelations are especially striking. It all comes together in The Crone. But be warned, don't read this book unless you're willing to be intellectually challenged vis a vis religion, language, anthropology, and feminism.

Don't let the title dissuade you. This wonderful book is not only about older women who have reached the age of wisdom, it is about all women, across all generational boundaries. Many books of the feminist / spiritual genre provide an adequate context for the Goddess, but Walker's book truly gave me an entirely new way to look at my mothers, my friends, and myself. But most wonderfully, Walker provided me with a context for understanding the incomprehensible -- namely the senseless malice projected by so many men, onto the women they purportedly love. This book gave me comfort, nourishment, and relit the fire in my belly. I cannot recommend it too highly.

It seems that the males who discriminate against women simply because they are older, more mature, and better able to cope with life are actually just sexist bigots. While older women have traditionially been considered sources of wisdom (including knowledge of sexuality), males have tried to usurp this traditional status with sexism, cowardice, and deceit. It is a relief to find so good a book on the subject. As feminists everywhere question, implicate, and overthrow the white male patriarchal agenda of hatred, older women will be able to regain their proper status as matriarchs.