Dark Goddess Craft Review and Extract

Mind Body & Soul Book Review: Dark Goddess Craft - A Journal Through the Heart of Transformation by Stephanie Woodfield. Published by Llewellyn Worldwide. 208 pages. RRP $19.99

“The dark goddess rules over the things we fear most!” “When we let go of the past, we allow the new to enter.”

I love this workbook and highly recommend it for men and women! Dark Goddess Craft teaches us to confront our shadow through the ancient goddess archetypes. It leads us to delve into our own darkness and emerge with greater self knowledge. When we let go of the past, we allow space for the new to enter, and then we change. Wisdom is acquired in exchange for our hurts. Death can live with us for transformation and healing. When we confront the shadow, we find out who we truly are! 

Extract: 

“We call her the Crone, the goddess of the underworld, goddess of death, the dark goddess. Shivers over everything that we fear. She offers us Wisdom in exchange for pain. She is the Moron, and inserting her favoured warriors into frenzy on the battlefield. She is the Washer at the Ford, keening well, she washes the bloody clothes of those destined to die. She is he Kate, who likes our way through the underworld. She is the terrifying Kali, who dances with abandon on the corpses of her enemies, wearing their severed heads as ornamentation, and she is Sekhmet, who drinks blood like wine. She is sometimes terrifying, her lessons often painful, but the dark goddess dwells within each of us, and as a vital part of our being. She is the force that shines within us in our darkest hour, and the face we return to when we seek rebirth. She likes nothing better than to break us apart, only to remake us anew. The goddess and the lesson she teaches are vital to our lives. Her destructive aspects teach us that there is death within life, and that we are constantly changing and evolving.

     No matter what we have been through in our lives, we can rise from the ashes and like Kali and dance ecstatically on the ruins of our old selves towards rebirth. As the fierce warrior drinking the blood of the slain, she is a no nonsense goddess, teaching us to make our voices heard, to stand up and be counted, and she inspires us to bring about change, both in ourselves, and in the world around us. And she is also the shadowy keeper of the dead, teaching us how to pierce the veil, to see into the future, and to commune with the beloved dead. But she is also the side of the Divine that we avoid the most, and as a consequence, we often have difficulty working with her. 

     Dark gods rule over the things that we fear most. Some fear that working with the aspect of the dark goddess will bring out the darkest or worst parts of themselves. Other times, we are simply afraid to welcome change, and to finally release the things we keep very deep within ourselves. By working with the darker aspects of the goddess, you face things about yourself that you would rather ignore. However, it is a path of transformation and ultimately one of healing. But where do we begin? How do we understand how to work with dark deities? What we need is a guide through the darkness, a torch to light the underworld, to give those who seek transformation a tool kit. It is my hope that this book will be just that. It is your guide on how to work with her, how to approach the work she gives us, how to bring true transformation into your life, and how to navigate safely through her realm.

     Dark Goddess Craft is about delving into your own darkness and emerging into the light. It is learning how to dance in the void, knowing when to let certain aspects of your life go, and make room for the new. It is an ancient path of transformation, change, and healing. It is the art of learning to confront your shadows, and truly discovering who you are. The dark goddess, in all her faces and guises, stands at the thresh-hold of the Otherworld, waiting for you to learn her mysteries. Torch in hand, she waits to guide you through your inner darkness to lead you to rebirth. Will you follow her into the dark?” 

Extract from Dark Goddess Craft by Stephanie Woodfield  

Information on defence magic, such as curses and warding. We learn about the Crone, the Underworld, death, and many other matters that we avoid and shows us the way of rebirth. Stories of the Washer at the Ford, goddesses, such as Hekate, Sedna, Oya, Kali, Eris, Erishkigal, Blodenwedd, the Scathach, Persephone, and others are profiled. The author, a practising witch, ordained minister, and Priestess, guides us through the shadows, towards a greater life. The three stages of descent are detailed, challenges and rebirth, rituals, invocations, and offerings suggested. Important spiritual work for all goddess lovers! 

Meaty! Review by Wendy Stokes. https://wendystokes.co.uk