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The Divine Feminine: Returning to the Power Within
- Ali Astrid Moto
- Apr 21
- 5 min read
There is a quiet revolution happening. Women across the world are waking up—not into someone new, but into who they’ve always been.
The Divine Feminine is not a trend. She is ancient. Elemental. She lives in the whispers of the forest, the stillness between heartbeats, and the fiery roar of women remembering their power.
To understand the Divine Feminine is to remember what the world taught us to forget. It is a sacred reclamation of our body’s wisdom, our cyclical nature, our intuition, our sensuality, our rage, our love, and our right to take up space.
Why It Matters
For centuries, the feminine was silenced, domesticated, or distorted—reduced to shadows of her true expression. In patriarchal systems that favored logic over intuition, productivity over presence, and domination over collaboration, the feminine became something to be feared or fixed.
But she is not broken.
She is rising.
And as she rises in you, you begin to notice:
Your body holds truth.
Your emotions are not weakness—they are a compass.
Rest is not laziness—it is radical.
Sensuality is not shameful—it is sacred.
Intuition is not irrational—it is ancient intelligence.
Reclaiming the Divine Feminine is not just about personal healing—though it is deeply personal. It is also ancestral, collective, and revolutionary.
It is not about becoming something new. It is about returning.
Where to Begin: A Deeper Dive into the Divine Feminine Through Story, History & Soul
There’s a sacred power in learning—not just from within, but from the women and wisdom traditions that came before us. These books are not simply information—they’re initiations. Each one offers a key to remembering what we’ve always known in our bones.
If you’re feeling the call to reclaim your wild, cyclical, sovereign self… begin here:
1. The Chalice and The Blade by Riane Eisler
A groundbreaking exploration of prehistoric societies where the Divine Feminine was central, and partnership—not domination—was the norm. This book reframes history and offers a radical hope for what’s possible when feminine values are restored.
“The story of our past is not one of unrelenting violence and oppression. It is also a story of creativity, connection, and sacred balance.”
2. When God Was a Woman by: Merlin Stone
A powerful dive into the suppressed history of Goddess worship and how patriarchal religions deliberately erased the feminine divine from spiritual consciousness. Essential reading for understanding what was lost—and what we’re now reclaiming.
3. The Great Cosmic Mother: Rediscovering the Religion of the Earth by: Monica Sjöö and Barbara Mor
Part myth, part manifesto, this deeply researched work uncovers the sacred feminine traditions of the ancient world and their link to nature-based spirituality, creativity, and communal power.
4. Descent to the Goddess by: Sylvia Brinton Perera
A poetic and potent exploration of the Sumerian myth of Inanna’s descent into the underworld, seen through the lens of Jungian psychology. It’s a map for the inner journey many women must take to reclaim their wholeness.
5. The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image by: Anne Baring and Jules Cashford
A scholarly yet soul-stirring look at the evolution of goddess symbolism across cultures, exploring how our collective psyche has been shaped by both the presence and erasure of the feminine divine.
6. The Alphabet Versus the Goddess by: Leonard Shlain
An eye-opening book that explores how the rise of literacy and alphabetic thinking—often linked to patriarchal systems—shifted societies away from the intuitive, image-based, feminine modes of knowing.
7. Mysteries of the Dark Moon: The Healing Power of the Dark Goddess by: Demetra George
An exploration of the shadowy, hidden, and often feared aspects of the Divine Feminine. This book invites women into the lunar, liminal spaces of rest, release, and rebirth.
8. Sacred Pleasure by: Riane Eisler
A follow-up to The Chalice and the Blade, this book dives into how erotic, emotional, and spiritual pleasure—especially for women—was once seen as sacred, and how reclaiming it is part of collective healing.
9. The Women’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by: Barbara G. Walker
A comprehensive (and addictively browsable) collection of entries on goddesses, symbols, myths, and esoteric knowledge from ancient feminine traditions around the world.
10. Signs of Life: Symbols in the Human Story by: Angeles Arrien
For those drawn to archetypes and symbolism, this book offers a beautiful entryway into the sacred language of the collective feminine unconscious.
-This isn’t just about reading—it’s about remembering.
These books hold pieces of a larger tapestry: one where women were once revered as priestesses, creators, healers, and keepers of the mysteries. As you read, feel what stirs in your body. What resonates in your soul. What makes you ache with remembrance.
Because the Divine Feminine has never been lost.She has only been waiting—for you to remember.
Want to turn this list into a beautifully designed resource to share with your community or retreat participants? I’d love to help you create a PDF guide or webpage that captures this vibe visually, too.
11. Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
This is the bible of the wild woman. With myth, story, and soul-psychoanalysis, Estés calls us back to our instinctual, untamed nature.
“The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door. If you have an old, old story, that is a door.”
12. The Great Cosmic Mother by: Monica Sjöö and Barbara Mor
An in-depth exploration of Goddess traditions and the buried matriarchal roots of our history. Eye-opening, radical, and fiercely feminist.
13. The Sophia Code by: Kaia Ra
A modern transmission of Divine Feminine wisdom through channeling key figures such as Isis, Mary Magdalene, and Quan Yin. A spiritual, initiatory journey.
14. Sacred Woman by: Queen Afua
A transformational guide for women of African descent (and beyond), rooted in ancient Egyptian (Kemet) healing practices and womb wisdom.
15. Untamed by: Glennon Doyle
A raw, modern-day manifesto for women remembering their truth and breaking free from societal conditioning.
16. Mary Magdalene Revealed by: Meggan Watterson
A soul-stirring dive into the sacred teachings of Mary Magdalene, stripped of distortion. Explores the forgotten feminine Christ path.
17. Descent to the Goddess by: Sylvia Brinton Perera
For those called to the deep inner underworld, this Jungian exploration of the Inanna myth is a guide through the descent and return.
The Feminine Doesn’t Need to Be Found.
She Needs to Be Felt.
This is a journey that cannot be rushed. The Divine Feminine invites slowness.
She invites embodiment. She invites you to listen.
When you begin to honor her, you begin to trust your body. You soften and strengthen. You burn down what no longer serves. You become both sanctuary and wildfire.
So read. Feel. Dance. Cry. Rage. Let her move through you in the ways only you can know.
The world is calling you to awaken.
And that begins with you.
It's my hope this list inspires you to dig a little deeper, to listen a little more, and to search out that which is hidden in you, revealing your true joy, desire, and give you your voice.
To an incredible beginning!
Much Love,
Ali
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