Book Report

I laid down on my couch like a fallen tree, gripping the sides of the book in my hand. I was wrapped in a warm fuzzy blanket and my eyes were swollen and tired from crying. I opened to page 288 and began to read about the true story of Eve.

I was heartbroken, hating men, and convinced again of their terrible ignorant ways. But as I read about the “Mother of All Living” my hate began to fade away. Nothing was more satisfying than reading about how woman created man at time when I felt so high above the dirty ways of men (this is not a constant belief of mine, only a temporary result of heartbreak.) I felt a surge of power rise within me as I read that the original Eve had no spouse except a serpent that she created to satisfy her own sexual desires. The excerpt went on to say that Jehovah arrogantly pretended to be the only creator of life, and that Eve had to punish him for it. It was apparently his ignorance that led him to say “I am God; there is none beside me.”

The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets is constantly filling me with that sense of power and completeness. It contradicts all the views that are pushed on me as a young girl in today’s society. It’s so refreshing to sit down and read this book after being forced to analyze advertisements in health class. After being told subliminally every day of my life that women are sexual objects that need to be beautiful and submissive, it feels amazing to fight back with the ideas of goddesses, eve, and the feminine powers of the moon. I find that the more I read this book the more complete and at ease my soul feels.

I also find myself connecting random aspects of the book to my every day life. On page 508 there’s an excerpt describing the origins of kissing. It explains that most forms of affectionate contact are adaptations of mother-child behavior. This statement alone forced me to delve into the idea of people’s roles in their romantic relationships. I examined how often I had played the “mother” in my romantic relationships. I examined how often I did not. The book gave me a new way to analyze the interactions between lovers and family.

I am not anywhere near finishing this book, but I am definitely enjoying the journey of reading it. I look forward to being exposed to even more intriguing concepts that will change my perception of the reality I am living in.