From: ceci@lysator.liu.se (Cecilia Henningsson)
Subject: Book review: Vicki Noble's Shakti Woman
Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1993 04:45:57 GMT

The cover illustration of this book is really something! I think I'm
going to copy it and use it on my altar. It's a black (not brown)
woman with blue nipples dancing wildly and happily, grinning, wielding
a trident in one hand and a rattle in the other. Behind her the world
is on fire. The artist is Mayumi Oda. And now for something dryer:

Data:
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Author: Vicki Noble
Title: Shakti Woman; Feeling our Fire, Healing our World; 
                     The New Female Shamanism
Copyright: 1991, Vicki Noble
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
ISBN:  0-06-25-667-6
Categorisation: Women's studies
US Price: 14.95
UK Price:  8.99
Printed on acid-free paper that meets the American National Standards
Institue z39.48 Standard. (I knew you were just dying to know.)

I really liked this book. Here are the chapter titles: 

1. The Female Blood Roots of Shamanism
2. Cellular Shamanism: Her Body is my Body
3. Synchronicity: The Oracular Path
4. Astrology: Deep Structure of Female Shamanism
5. The Dreamer and Her Path of Power
6. Trance Journey and Spirit Flight
7. Shamanic Art: Manifestation of Creativity
8. Female-centered Sexuality: Return to the Garden
9. Shaman Mother: Artemis and her Cubs
10.Female Shamanism and the Patriarchal Possessing Entity

In the first chapter she quotes Marija Gimbutas, about whom I've heard
scholars scream Bloody Murder(tm) more than once, but there are quite
a lot of gems between the wishful thinking, especially about
menstruation.

In the second chapter, Noble talks about health issues, intuition and
instinct.

The third chapter addresses psychic phenomena in an unusually sensible
way.

Chapter four is about astrology, and in particular about how a woman's
period can relate to the phases of the moon. I have a problem with
astrology, but a lot of what Noble says here, makes sense to me.

The next chapter is about dreams, which I'm not very interested in
right now.

The sixth chapter is about actual shamanism; trance journeys,
pathwalking and such. Noble's opinions about the use of drugs are
eminently sane, in my opinion. Noble gives some valuable tips and
suggestions.

Chapter 7 talks a lot about how Noble and Karen Vogel made the
Motherpeace tarot deck. I think it was Amanda who said that her kid
could draw better than that -- it doesn't appeal to everyone. The
round shape makes it a bit awkward, in my opinion, but I haven't had
much to do with it. The advice in this chapter is more geared to
people who think they can't draw, than to artists (the groups aren't
exclusive, I know), and that is speaking from an art student's point
of view.

Chapter 8 made me long for my SO. Do I need to say more?

Next, the ninth chapter describes Noble's mothering experience,
talking about how we raise our kids, and the problems you encounter if
you try to do it your way, rather than society's. I felt that Noble
left out the aspect that someone raised here quite some time ago: what
to do if the social authorities take your child away because of your
alternative lifestyle. She also doesn't address defamation and related
issues.

In the last chapter there is talk about authority and how to relate to
it. 

On the whole, this book was a joy to read. Okay, so I don't flinch
when historians weave fairytales (as some people think that some
historians do), I just take if for what it is, another idea about how
it might have been. If you aborr "sloppy scholarship", then don't read
this book, because Noble quotes Gimbutas, Merlin Stone and Daly's
Gyn/Ecology all the time. On the other hand, she has notes at the end
so you can get the books for yourself and read them. There's also an
index. 

When I read this book on the train, Calle suddenly asked me if I was
reading an archeology book. There are lots of drawings of archeologic
finds. There are also some fine black-and-white photos, although I
wish they had been bigger.

That's it. It's a very inspiring book, whether you're interested in
shamanism or just general NeoPaganism. The price was a bit on the
steep side, though.
--Ceci

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