Millennial’s Initiation
Every book is a teacher, yet some books reveal truths that flow into your deepest roots and stay with you forever. Reading The Heart of the Goddess was, truly, a rite of passage for me. There was no ceremony or event, just page after page of awe for the people, our human ancestors, who told these stories, sang these songs, and created these timeless images of WOMAN. To envision a Goddess—what an empowering experience! I wept in the way she (She!) reflects the vast potential of the human spirit, despite the crushing corporate control, endless multitasking and roars of #metoo that characterize our time. How have men and women become so divided from one another and from ourselves? Perhaps we’ve simply forgotten how connected and remarkable we actually are.
This book is being republished at a time when many of us long to reclaim the power of our hearts and our innate wisdom. Nowadays, we are often invaded and held captive by screened presentations of living instead of actual lived experience. One of the many gifts of The Heart of the Goddess is its inspiration to embody Presence now in honor of the past…These Goddesses, as well as the writings and efforts of the women’s spirituality movement, inspire such awe. They are my holy Grandmothers—heartfound women who sang the value of self-love as they danced powerfully into the fires of fear.
To appreciate life is the greatest of all things holy. And—miraculously—gratitude, mindfulness and self-knowledge have become fashionable. I can’t even go to the grocery store without hearing about another women’s group! The “slow movement,” and the upsurge of the health and wellness industry are indications of the essential, rising Feminine despite outdated, patriarchal social norms.
We find ourselves at yet another crossroads. Will we show up for ourselves and each other with compassion and nurturance, one difficult conversation at a time? Or will we continue to feed the dragon of greed and intolerance? This is a crucial time of transformation and we must ingest and share what nourishes us and helps us grow—starting with practicing understanding and reverence. The pages of this book provide ancestral offerings, visions and practices inviting us to honor the experience of birth, death and transformation. Feel it! See it! Believe it! It is time for all of us to identify with the tremendous natural force embodied in the Sacred Feminine, the heart of the Goddess.
This book is a work of art and a work of love, a tribute to the gift of Being. I praise Hallie Iglehart Austen, someone who actually thought, “This is something I can do to help.” What an accomplishment, to bring healing to the world! I offer her my deepest bows, and encourage the reader to look on these images and awaken your own reverence for the Goddess, your Self. May #youtoo enjoy this sweepingly soulful journey of a book and stay in your human heart.
Merileigh Moen, 2018 Grandchild of the Earth, Writer/Actor
