Stepping into Ourselves
Edited by Anne Key and Candace Kant
GoddessInk, 2013
Review by Karen Tate.
When this anthology was in the acquisitions phase, I made a mental note to keep an eye out for the publication date. I was particularly curious to see how much priestessing had evolved since I heard the call decades ago, bristling at the painful politics within women’s circles. I know the editors, Anne Key and Candace Kant, and expected a high quality end product. I was not disappointed.
I am inspired by the many women weaving this luscious and colorful tapestry: dozens of contributors, each in their own style and voice, come together in partnership to contribute sweet poetry, articles replete with women’s wisdom, and practical and academic knowledge, all valuable to anyone contemplating the path or curious what it means to be a priestess.
Reaching far back in time and casting a wide net to include Cretan, Mesoamerican, Jewish, Egyptian, Hindu and Polynesian goddesses and traditions, and moving forward to guidance offered by contemporary practitioners, the book is an eclectic feast too rich to detail here. Sections include “Lineage of the Priestess,” “Roles of the Priestess,” “The Priestess Toolkit” and “Stepping into Ourselves.”
I was glad to see the editors included the wise words of priestesses such as Shekhinah Mountainwater and Kim Duckett who address the psychology of women as they empower themselves with few role models in a patriarchal world. Stepping Into Ourselves covers almost everything you might want in such a book; I only found it lacking in the areas of the role of priestess as social justice activist and goddess mythology as a template for a more sustainable and just future. A must for all our libraries, as it will provide not only inspiration but important reference material as well.
Pagan Book Reviews 