Trista Hendren

My Name is Isis BOOK REVIEW by Kate Brunner

My Name Is Isis by Susan Morgaine is the fourth book in the My Name Is series from The Girl God; a series of picture books for children. The series serves as a child’s gentle & colorful introduction to one particular Goddess per book.

In My Name is Isis, Susan Morgaine invites her young readers into a dialogue with the Goddess. For example, when sharing Her role as Great Mother & Protector, Isis asks “Do you have brothers or sisters — or a pet — that you help take care of?” inviting the reader to consider what it means to be nurturing and protective of someone they love. The conversational style is engaging and creates an opportunity for a child to see characteristics of the Divine within themselves.

The cover art and design of this particular book is not my favorite in the My Name is series. I find this one unappealing to children in comparison to the earlier volumes. However, the illustrations inside the book are luminous and include many beautiful examples of women’s bodies that serve to normalizing the sacred nature of diverse feminine forms. Many of the symbols, animals, and features associated with Isis are also depicted, such as Isis as a kite, searching the world for Her missing husband.

Parents should be aware that as a part of exploring Her story, the text does touch on death & the loss of loved ones. It does so gently and encourages children to know that their deceased loved ones live on in their hearts. Sensitive children who struggle with the concepts of death, dying, or grief may need help processing these few pages.

I especially loved the pages about Isis as Teacher and her firm, loving admonishments to “treat your teachers with honor and respect as they show you the things you must learn.” Teachers need a Great Goddess looking out for them and the incredible work they do every day. So, this was a sweet addition to the aspects of the Goddess Susan explores and the lessons she and Isis convey to their audience.

Overall, this truly is a lovely picture book that Pagan/Goddess parents could use to introduce young children to Isis as Great Mother, Teacher, & Healer. Hopefully, Susan Morgaine will write more future volumes in the series, bringing young Pagan children into conversation with more Goddesses. Continue reading “My Name is Isis BOOK REVIEW by Kate Brunner”

Does God have Cleavage? The Avengers and Why the Sheroe We Need is Goddess by Trista Hendren

trista_bkgr_green Most days I am not certain that anyone really cares about what happens to girls. As a mother of a soon-9-year-old daughter, this burns me.

Because I also have a 12-year-old son, I often end up watching movies I wouldn’t chose on my own. Last Friday, we went to see The Avengers sequel, and I left feeling angry. There were two sheroes shadowed by testosterone; both were highly sexualized. After all the hype over Joss Whedon and his “strong female characters” I began to wonder if the Sheroe we really need is Goddess.

Saturday night we had a lively discussion after dinner with my son’s best friend. I shared my observations on the movie and asked for feedback. They told me the only girl heroes they could think of had “huge boobs.” I asked them why they thought there was not equal amounts of sheroes in movies like this and whether they could think of any movies that were comparable in budget to the Superman, Batman, and Spiderman movies that continue to come out year after year. Continue reading “Does God have Cleavage? The Avengers and Why the Sheroe We Need is Goddess by Trista Hendren”

Whatever Works: Feminists of Faith Speak, A Girl God Anthology– Book Review by Kate Brunner

If you have yet to be introduced to Trista Hendren’s world of The Girl God, this anthology is the perfect opportunity to make her acquaintance. If you have, welcome to a whole new level of powerful creations exploring feminism and religion. Whatever Works: Feminists of Faith Speak, is the latest in The Girl God series, released just last month. While previous works from The Girl God collection focused on connecting children to the Sacred Feminine, this work is aimed at a significantly older audience. Edited by Trista Hendren & Pat Daly, this is a collection of beautifully eclectic voices from across spiritual traditions. With a quick glance at the Table of Contents, regular readers of FAR will recognize some familiar names right away including the Preface, which was written by Dr. Amina Wadud, and an essay by Vanessa Rivera de la Fuente about Imman & the “A Women’s Mosque” project. In fact, the anthology has much in common with FAR in its approach to inviting a variety of voices, and introducing a variety of topics into feminist religious dialogue. Continue reading “Whatever Works: Feminists of Faith Speak, A Girl God Anthology– Book Review by Kate Brunner”