Written by two birth doulas and intuitive healers, this book tells the metaphorical story of a fictional goddess who must walk through 7 Gates of Transformation in order to become a Mother. At the final gate, she must surrender to the ultimate sacrifice—spiritual death—so she can be reborn into motherhood. Each gate perfectly illustrates the 7 emotional, psychological, and often subconscious sacrifices that every laboring woman experiences, whether willingly or not. This book is a guide to help pregnant women understand birth as a divine journey and master how to walk through each gate with empowered sacrifice, purpose, and zeal through tools, rituals, and integrative practices.

A cultural history of the goddess of love, from a New York Times bestselling and award-winning historian. Aphrodite was said to have been born from the sea, rising out of a froth of white foam. But long before the Ancient Greeks conceived of this voluptuous blonde, she existed as an early spirit of fertility on the shores of Cyprus -- and thousands of years before that, as a ferocious warrior-goddess in the Middle East. Proving that this fabled figure is so much more than an avatar of commercialized romance, historian Bettany Hughes reveals the remarkable lifestory of one of antiquity's most potent myths. Venus and Aphrodite brings together ancient art, mythology, and archaeological revelations to tell the story of human desire. From Mesopotamia to modern-day London, from Botticelli to Beyoncé, Hughes explains why this immortal goddess continues to entrance us today -- and how we trivialize her power at our peril.

"A new novel from the author of Oleander Girl, a novel in stories, built around crucial moments in the lives of 3 generations of women in an Indian/Indian-American Family"--

“Smart, fast, clever, and funny (As f*ck!)” (Tiffany Haddish), this collection of side-splitting and illuminating essays by the popular stand-up comedian, alum of Chelsea Lately and The Mindy Project, and host of truTV’s Talk Show the Game Show is perfect for fans of the New York Times bestsellers Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling and We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby. From a young age, Guy Branum always felt as if he were on the outside looking in. From a stiflingly boring farm town, he couldn’t relate to his neighbors. While other boys played outside, he stayed indoors reading Greek mythology. And being gay and overweight, he got used to diminishing himself. But little by little, he started learning from all the sad, strange, lonely outcasts in history who had come before him, and he started to feel hope. In this “singular, genuinely ballsy, and essential” (Billy Eichner) collection of personal essays, Guy talks about finding a sense of belonging at Berkeley—and stirring up controversy in a newspaper column that led to a run‑in with the Secret Service. He recounts the pitfalls of being typecast as the “Sassy Gay Friend,” and how, after taking a wrong turn in life (i.e. law school), he found stand‑up comedy and artistic freedom. He analyzes society’s calculated deprivation of personhood from fat people, and how, though it’s taken him a while to accept who he is, he has learned that with a little patience and a lot of humor, self-acceptance is possible. “Keenly observant and intelligent, Branum’s book not only offers uproarious insights into walking paths less traveled, but also into what self-acceptance means in a world still woefully intolerant of difference” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). My Life as a Goddess is an unforgettable and deeply moving book by one of today’s most endearing and galvanizing voices in comedy.

Discover the inner Goddess energies that lie within you through nine Goddess archetypes—an empowering guide on finding healing, strength, and transformation, for readers of Warrior Goddess Training The Goddess is guiding your life . . . You know 'the Goddess' as a divine feminine figure of myth, art and faith—but are you aware that, in truth, the Goddess is a life force that lives in you? Did you know that your multi-faceted experiences of life as a woman are influenced by Goddess consciousness? Do you sense that you have a hidden feminine energy that longs to be seen, accepted, valued—and used for a healing purpose? In this highly engaging and stirring book, leading intuitive Sophie Bashford takes you on a journey to meet nine Goddess archetypes, which will help you to: • Understand the many ups and downs, emotions and cycles of your life through the ‘eyes of the Goddess’ • Discover how the Goddesses can ignite your spiritual growth and uncover your feminine healing gifts • Learn how to work with each Goddess for self-healing, positive inner change and empowerment • Get in touch with a divine feminine support and healing system comprising nine archetypes, including Kali, Mary Magdalene, Aphrodite and Isis Sharing intuitively channeled messages, beautiful guided meditations and moving personal experiences, Sophie leads you into safe territories where your darkest inner fears can be healed, your deepest dreams awakened and your entire life transformed.

A Modern Woman's Guide to a Natural Empowering Birth is a collection of inspiring birth stories, expert tips and practical insights to empower women to reclaim their birth power and overcome their fears in a modern world. Afterword by Dr Sarah Buckley MD, internationally acclaimed author of "Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering."Feeling anxious, alone or in the dark as a new mother to be? Where do you go to get your questions answered when you don’t have any mothers as the wise woman to turn to, the doctor is too busy to inform you of your options or discuss the pros and cons of various drugs and procedures on the menu, and you read virtually every magazine in the waiting room before he/ she can see you for five minutes at a time?Meanwhile, random strangers decide it is their maternal duty to share their birth horror stories when they spot the bump and the hospital antenatal classes leave you feeling even more fearful and anxious than you were before you walked in!Just when you thought you couldn’t bear to hear another horror story, along comes a fresh new book that is the answer to your prayers. More than just a random collection of stories, the author Katrina Zaslavsky, takes you on a powerful journey of discovery and gives you the keys to transforming your birth experience.Be empowered to experience the joy of natural birth on your own terms- Fear-Free, Drug- Free and maybe even Pain Free… (Hint: Get off the beds ladies and actively give birth rather than being delivered)..... and then become a part of the Positive Birth Revolution!!As seen on national media including TV, My Child and Nature & Health Magazines, Coles Baby & Toddler Club, recommended at Mum's Lounge and voted Favourite Product Finalist in the People's Choice AusMumpreneur Awards 2012. About the authorProfoundly impacted by her own personal journey into motherhood after overcoming her own extreme fears of childbirth, Katrina has become a passionate advocate of natural and conscious parenting, committed to supporting women to give birth naturally and overcome their fears in a world that has become so medicalised and fearful of something so perfectly natural.A former public health professional (in her "previous life" before children!) together with a lifelong passion for healthy living, over a decade in the natural health industry, a magazine columnist and most recently a committee member for Natural Parenting Melbourne, her calling is to awaken people to live a more conscious natural lifestyle and especially to empower women to discover their inner birth goddess! Available Now

The White Goddess is perhaps the finest of Robert Graves's works on the psychological and mythological sources of poetry. In this tapestry of poetic and religious scholarship, Graves explores the stories behind the earliest of European deities—the White Goddess of Birth, Love, and Death—who was worshipped under countless titles. He also uncovers the obscure and mysterious power of "pure poetry" and its peculiar and mythic language.

A writer and her artist partner uncover the secrets of cultural conditioning, sacred sexuality, and personal transformation. A revolutionary spiritual memoir 20 years in the making, Venus and Her Lover will show you how ancient spiritual principles and the secret history of sexuality reveal the path to fulfilling relationships.