Description
Book SynopsisA chakra in our breasts that emits spiritual nourishment into life...a secret substance in our bodies to heal the earth...a direct connection from our wombs to the creative center of the universe...In Body of Wisdom, Hilary Hart identifies nine hidden powers alive in women's bodies and instincts, waiting to be used in contemporary challenges such as the creation of community, healing of the earth, and the restoration of life's spiritual nature. Based on interviews with the world's most visionary spiritual teachers and women's dreams and experiences, Body of Wisdom ushers in a new spirituality in which the body and the shared body of the earth are known as a seat of mystical power and women take responsibility for spiritual work that only they can do.
Trade ReviewHart (The Unknown She) explores how women's bodies are uniquely spiritual vehicles. Drawing on spiritual teachers, visionaries, and healers from diverse traditions, she establishes nine spiritual abilities that are integrated into women's bodies and energy systems: longing, appreciating beauty, synchronizing with the Earth, receiving, nourishing, purifying, recognizing life's sacredness, knowing all life as community, and working with creative space. She argues that these 'powers' lie hidden in most women, and stresses the need for women to become conscious of their powers so they can regenerate their communities. As in her previous book, Hart relies heavily on women's mystical experiences and dreams. She grounds her work in the everyday realities of women, and is at her best when expounding on the spiritual nature of menstruating and breastfeeding. However, the book is also profoundly esoteric. Hart writes that 'the Grandmothers,' a group of women who claim to serve the Divine Mother, were 'willing to contribute to [her] book' and she quotes them. The arcane nature of the book won't appeal to everyone, but students of mysticism and women seeking a more embodied spiritual practice will likely treasure it. Publishers Weekly, 03/11/2013
