Wise Women – Myths and Stories for Midlife and Beyond

This is a game-changing anthology featuring ‘fierce grandmothers, misunderstood witches, glamorous fairy godmothers, and hairy-chinned hags’ arranged into eight sections with stories and perceptive commentaries. As the author points out, we are narrative creatures, hardwired for story, and we urgently need to heed the transformative voices of sacred feminine wisdom, as also argued by Anne Baring – see my review of her new book above. Sharon reminds us that ‘at the heart of all fairy tales is transformation: they help us to believe in the possibility of change’ and they empower a reimagination of our potential, especially in our later years as elders. The stories come from many different cultures, and if we live into old age, this will entail a degree of frailty that can be compensated by inner strength and illumination. Ultimately, we all undergo death and rebirth, and the author reminds us, like Goethe, that ‘death is always in the business of incubating new life’ – we ourselves are no different. An inspirational collection.