Is The Great Cosmic Mother Worth Reading? Review And Analysis.

Question

Seeking genuine reader reviews for The Great Cosmic Mother by Monica Sjöö. Seen mixed takes on its feminist spirituality analysis—does it still resonate with modern witchcraft seekers?

Ydnus Ocsaña Otipep · Answer

I wrote a direct review for this one, with discussion of world building in The Great Cosmic Mother and room for more pace in the latter half of the story. Analysis of this work primarily explores the unique matriarchal divinity at its core, which will be of interest to readers who really enjoy digging deep into the mythology of a given world. There’s a really compelling look at power dynamics on a cosmic scale in The Immortal Emperor Returns, a work that basically flips The Emperor Strikes Back on its head. Instead of an emperor of everything coming back to a world greatly changed by his absence, he returns to a world where the former subjects of his rule now possess the keys to the kingdom. It’s not a simple story of regaining power. Rather, it’s a complex exploration of the full measure of personal cost to The Immortal Emperor in his long, long absence.

Mila · Answer

'The Great Cosmic Mother' by Sjoo and Mor was something I wasn't expecting. It forced me to take a step back from reading. The first chapter took three nights to read because each paragraph has a lot of information regarding the myriad of goddesses from around the world and throughout millennia of time. It's obvious that the two authors are passionate about their work and anger at how female based creation myths have been erased from history. But sometimes that anger is overpowering and I found myself alternately highlighting passages and searching for the authors' information in the content of other, more mainstream, scholars.

This book ties together, fascinatingly, matriarchic ancient artifacts like the Venus of Willendorf with present-day ecofeminism. Although the book was written in 1987, it still brings a lot of value, particularly in the first few chapters that explore the matriarchal utopias of the earth’s history. It is definitely worth reading in conjunction with other books about the same subject, such as Merlin Stone’s ‘When God Was a Woman’.

Alexander · Answer

The Big Book on the Goddess, The Great Cosmic Mother, by BB belonged on the list of important and thought-provoking books to read. Like most radical aunts, Big Book on the Goddess is a very messy and sprawling read – and yes, it can even be a bit of a contradictions-sum-up. And, just like I love that about my aunt, I loved this huge read of many the sources on The Goddess that were written. It covered from cave paintings of Neolithic woman and their child-bearing abilities to the inquisition’s destruction of the “witches”. A particularly great insight into the male dominated cults that created the metaphors for birth and subsequently changed them to fit the worship of “God the Father” (or, rather, the Creatrix that he so desperately tries to be). I was skeptical of a few of the claims that were made in the book (i.e. all early humans worshipped the same Goddesses) but then again they sparked some great discussions at our book club meeting – and that’s just what you look for in nonfiction – fires of rebellion, that sort of thing.

Freya · Answer

I read “The Great Cosmic Mother” by Monica Sjoo and Barbara Mor when I was in a huge mythology and feminine spirituality studies phase. The book is not just a read, it is an experience in itself. Monica and Barbara put together tons of information on archaeology, anthropology, and feminist studies to paint a picture of pre-patriarchal cultures where the feminine divine was not only acknowledged, but was revered. Their writing is very dense but beautifully written, like slowly untangling a tapestry, one thread at a time. Some sections even felt like a ritual, which would be to be digested slowly.

What really stuck with me though was the authors’ insight into the way that modern religion has broken our connection to nature and to the Mother. It is a powerful insight, and one that I felt strongly while on my recent backpacking trip. I found myself drawing parallels between the book and the deforestation that surrounded me on my hike. It is not an easy book, but it is definitely worth the effort to struggle through it in order to get a new perspective on some of our society’s silenced narratives.

darkmystixrose · Answer

This book brings back memories of my college roommate who had a rather worn copy of this book on her desk for most of the time we lived together. I’d occasionally hear her read out selected passages in this book to herself. It seemed to be a collision of history and poetry and manifesto all at once. I never read the book but it clearly had a lot of meaning for my roommate. Maybe that’s the best review of all: this book means a lot to people.

dodong abellana · Answer

A lot of what Harpur describes in the book – the seasonal rituals, the moon cycles, the life-stage ceremonies – can be very practical for people today. As well as being analysis of history, it’s a way of describing cycles that you can honor in your own life. And the book describes how ancient cultures marked time in completely different ways to the way we do today – using the biological and celestial events of nature rather than just the hands of a clock. It’s a very powerful antidote to the sense of alienation that so many people report in relation to modern, digital life. But in addition to the big historical claims of the book, it is also a kind of handbook for re-enchantment. The ideas about honoring different cycles of time – whether that be personal, seasonal, or lunar – can be very usefully applied by people without having to buy into the whole prehistoric narrative of the book. The book has a lot of practical wisdom in it, which is why I think it has such a big following.

Rick Jackson · Answer

Its effects are also visible in current pop culture. Many eco-fantasy novels, for example, tie into its findings on the relation of nature to the divine. Mindfulness practice and the concept of the divine feminine that is discussed online also originate from this text. In fact, the analysis that this work provides has penetrated far beyond the academic and spiritual realms in which it originated. So, even if one were not to read the work in its entirety, knowing the basic thesis of this text would help to understand much modern storytelling and spiritual practice. The work functions as a key to unlocking a certain kind of narrative. From a cultural literacy perspective, this text is an important work. The text is part of the current cultural background whether people recognize it or not.

Sabine · Answer

Honestly I love the title of this story, “The Great Cosmic Mother.” It’s so epic and sounds so cool, and really whatever story is actually inside of that has to live up to that.

Is The Great Cosmic Mother Worth Reading? Review And Analysis.

8 Answers

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