Foreword
by Christine Downing xi
Preface to the Thirtieth Anniversary Edition xv
Acknowledgments xix
Introduction 1
1. Separation from the Feminine 15
Rejection of the Feminine 17
The Journey Begins: Separation from the Mother 19
The Terrible Mother and the Negative Feminine 21
Abandoning the Mother 23
Separating from the Good Mother 25
Rejection of the Female Body 26
Rejected by Mother 29
2. Identification with the Masculine 31
Daughters of the Father 31
Father as Ally 34
Daddy's Girl: Absorption of the Feminine 36
The Father Quest: Gathering Allies 39
Lack of a Positive Masculine Ally 40
Addiction to Perfection 44
Learning the Rules of the Game with Dad 45
Putting the Patriarchy on Notice 47
3. The Road of Trials 49
Confronting Ogres and Dragons 49
The Myth of Dependency 51
The Two-Headed Dragon 54
The Myth of Female Inferiority 57
Slaying the Ogre Tyrant 58
The Myth of Romantic Love 60
Psyche and Eros 61
4. The Illusory Boon of Success 64
The Superwoman Mystique 64
Reaction to the Feminine Mystique 66
The Great Pretender 68
The Myth of Never Being Enough 71
5. Strong Women Can Say No 74
A Sense of Betrayal 76
Spiritual Aridity 78
Betrayal by the Father: Iphigenia 79
Betrayal by God 82
Spiritual Daughters of the Patriarchy 84
What Happens When Women Say No? 86
Saying No: The King Must Die 88
6. The Initiation and Descent to the Goddess 91
Woman's Initiation 92
Looking for the Lost Pieces of Myself 96
Mother/Daughter Mysteries 98
The Grain Goddess 103
The Descent of Inanna 106
Meeting the Dark Mother 110
Mindful Suffering and Return 112
7. Urgent Yearning to Reconnect with the Feminine 115
The Worm Baby 115
Body/Spirit Split 116
Female Sexuality 118
Family Messages about the Female Body 121
This Is My Body 124
A Cap on My Heart 125
Grieving the Separation from the Feminine 127
Grandmother Spider 128
The Feminine as Preserver 130
The Feminine as Creator: Oshun and Changing Woman 131
Refining the Vessel 134
8. Healing the Mother/Daughter Split 136
Daughters Unmothered 138
Mother as Fate 140
The Search for the Personal Mother 142
Divine Ordinariness 145
Healing in Nature and Community 146
Grandmother as Guide 147
Woman as Mythmaker 149
The Origin of Images of the Goddess 151
The Dark Dream Woman 152
Woman's Words 154
Taking Back the Dark: Reclaiming the Madwoman 155
Reclaiming the Power of the Feminine 159
9. Finding the Inner Man with Heart 162
Healing the Wounded Masculine 162
The Unrelated Masculine 164
Releasing Machisma 166
The Sacred Marriage 167
A Woman of Wisdom and a Man with Heart 168
Healing Powers of the Feminine: Hildegard 172
Dreaming of the Sacred Union 173
10. Beyond Duality 177
Healing the Split between Feminine and Masculine 179
A Circular Perspective 182
Dual Nature of the Divine 184
Celtic Christianity 186
The Circle as a Model for Living 188
Conclusion 193
Notes 196
Bibliography 206
Credits 211
Index 213