Silver Nautilus Book Award--Art & Photography; Next Generation Indie Book Award--Gold--Spirituality.
There is a growing awareness that we are threatened as a species and planet unless we have a radical shift in consciousness, and the re-emergence of the Goddess is becoming the symbol and metaphor for this transformation. Feminine Mysticism in Art fills the void of Goddess imagery and wisdom in the West by providing images and writings offered by 70 contemporary visionary artists and writers (male and female) who have committed their life's work to the re-birth of the Divine Feminine in the West. Some of the visionary artists are: AfraShe Asungi, Yasmin Hernandez, Martina Hoffmann, Autumn Skye Morrison, Hrana Janto, Penny Slinger, Carrie Ann Baade, Heather Taylor, Mark Henson, Abba Yahudah, David Joaquin, Andrew Annenberg, Paul Heussenstamm, etc. Some of the visionary writers are: Anne Baring, Margaret Starbird, Arisika Razak, Vicki Noble, Llewellyn Vaughn Lee, Lotus Linton, Sandra Ingerman, Hank Wesselman, Martin Ball. It is an epic co-creative effort by powerful voices in the Women's Spirituality movement, the Inter-Spirituality movement, the Transcendental Art movement, and the Ecological movement.
The mission of the book is to not only document a genre of art referred to as Feminine Mysticism or Goddess Art, but also to reveal powerful images of the Divine in his and her myriad of forms. The ultimate mission of the book is to assist humanity in evolving our conceptualization of the Divine, transcending out of antagonistic, dualistic, and hierarchical gender associations and into a new mode of consciousness that is more inclusive of all of God's creation. In order for this to occur, however, it is essential that the sacred feminine be firmly rooted in human consciousness. Since the masculine side of God has been so heavily portrayed in Western culture, a large number of people are yearning for images of the Goddess in order to provide alternatives to the conventional dominance of men in religion and society. In contrast, the Goddesses show us that the female can also be symbolic of all the is creative and powerful in the universe as well as provide us with an orientation that can help us save the planet from ecological destruction.
Although the reign of matriarchal societies is long gone, the time of union between the masculine and feminine principles are close at hand. The Goddess is revealing herself to the human psyche in an assortment of ways, from the arts to the sciences. Her re-emergence is crucial to our society's shift into a new paradigm, a symbiotic union between the masculine and feminine aspects within the human psyche, society, and the world of spirit. However, before this shift in consciousness can occur, the awakening of the Divine Mother needs to occur on a worldwide level, which is why is crucial to get as many images of HER as possible into the public's view at this time.
See book's website: www.mysticspiritart.com
Author Biography:
Victoria Christian is the head editor of Feminine Mysticism in Art. She is also a contributing artist and writer and she integrated the creative visions of over 65 contributors. Raised in the quaint town of Ashland, Victoria Christian was blessed to grow up in the emerald forests of Southern Oregon, learning as much as she could about the Gaian rhythms of life. She is an avid hiker and biker, which have taken her to some of the most pristine places on the West Coast. She graduated from Southern Oregon University with a Bachelors of Science in 1996, majoring in Sociology and Women's Studies. In 2011, she graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona with a Masters in Applied Sociology, with an emphasis in Social Theory, Sociology of Art, Sociology of Gender and Psychoanalytic Sociology (4.0 student). She did her thesis research on Women Artists and Identity Formation in a Postmodern Society, which turned out to be a major critique of culture and the art world. This entailed qualitative research methods and in-depth interviews with a random sample of artists (50). What emerged from her research was a developmental model of artistic identity development, which revealed the stages that most women go through in their identification process. She wrote a thesis, which was later condensed and published in academic journals and magazines. She is in the process of compiling this rich research into a book, as it can serve to empower women artists in a rationally and scientifically oriented culture that is in many ways antithetical to creative and spiritual development. Victoria started a second piece of research in 2002 on Feminine Mysticism in Art, which eventually led to the creation of this book. Upon interviewing several mystical artists (male and female), she discovered that most of them were extremely gifted and felt marginalized by the traditional gallery scene simply because their work was "too spiritual," "too political" and "too feminist." As a result, all of the artists felt it was necessary to harness their mission and "publish the map" in order to get their images into the world without compromising their spiritual and visionary voices. The book evolved over 12 years and includes the creative visions of over 65 emerging and established visionary writers and artists. It will no doubt be a powerful contribution to the Transcendental Art Movement, the Women's Spirituality Movement, the Inter-Spirituality Movement and the Ecological Movement. In 2015, Victoria received a second Masters of Social Work through Portland State University and has been working in the trenches helping extremely vulnerable and oppressed people get connected to community resources and social support. She also has a thriving counseling and life coaching practice called Guanyin Healing Arts. For more information about her therapeutic modalities and counseling philosophy, please see her website: www.guanyinhealingarts.com As a sacred activist, Victoria wants to continue working as an avatar for the Goddess, assisting the awakening of human consciousness and empowering visionaries to change the world. She has done numerous lectures promoting the book. She has also lectured and done therapeutic workshops on "Healing the Feminine Wound," "Harnessing your Creative Genius," and "Artists and Identity Formation." In 2009, Victoria produced an animated visionary art DVD titled Feminine Mysticism in Art: Artists Envisioning the Divine, which has been featured at various music/art festivals, theatrical performances and spiritual conferences across the globe. To see a trailer and purchase the DVD, see the website: www.mysticspiritart.com. Susan Stedman is an assistant editor to FMA. She is a court reporter, editor, tarot/astrology counselor and the creator of oral histories documenting the lives of elderly people for future generations. She has raised three daughters, including Victoria Christian, and had many diverse life experiences that have contributed to her wisdom and ability to work with people, including her upbringing as the daughter of a prominent theologian and minister. She draws not only on her own rich history as a preacher's kid and single mom, but also as an anthropology student at Southern Oregon University, freelance editor, and twenty years as a freelance court reporter. Susan is a respected member of the Grandmother's Council in Southern Oregon and has devoted her life to pursuing acts of compassion in her local community. She reads prodigiously and is devoted to a spiritual walk. She and her husband currently reside in Southern Oregon.
