Fans pick 100 books like Goddesses in Older Women

By Jean Shinoda Bolen,

Here are 100 books that Goddesses in Older Women fans have personally recommended if you like Goddesses in Older Women. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

Andrew P M Yiallouros Author Of The Dragon and The Princess

From my list on spiritual allegory.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been thinking about spiritual things since I was around 9 years old, and as soon as I was old enough, I was off learning experientially in the world. This has allowed for deep learning and understanding of a wide range of subjects, particularly spirituality and ultimate reality. I teach philosophy, religious studies, and politics in my day job, and so, now on the cusp of 46 years, I can truly say I love spiritual and philosophical thought. I also think it’s hard to write books about these topics and I love how allegory and fable can be so accessible.

Andrew's book list on spiritual allegory

Andrew P M Yiallouros Why did Andrew love this book?

I completely had my perspective literally turned upside down and reframed by this book. I could not stop thinking about how interesting the idea that everyone is yourself is. I learned about empathy and experienced a huge shift in my consciousness because of this book.

I also loved the spiritual adventure and the journey. I am always inspired by seeing other people’s perspectives, and this book is a whole deep dive into a better understanding of how to see them.

By Don Miguel Ruiz,

Why should I read it?

20 authors picked The Four Agreements as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In The Four Agreements, bestselling author don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

•  A New York Times bestseller for over a decade
•  Translated into 46 languages worldwide
 
“This book by don Miguel Ruiz, simple yet so powerful, has made a tremendous difference in how I think and act in every encounter.” — Oprah Winfrey

“Don Miguel Ruiz’s…


Book cover of Life Lessons: Two Experts on Death & Dying Teach Us about the Mysteries of Life & Living

Lucille Ann Meltz Author Of The Elder Widow's Walk: A Personal Inner Journey and Guide for Bereaved Widows 65 and Beyond

From my list on aging wisdom, loss, and spiritual rebirthing.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a spiritual seeker my entire life, drawn to the mysteries of life, the nature of the soul, the afterlife, intuitive knowing, higher consciousness, and psycho-spiritual transformation. Besides the numerous personal teachers who have enriched my path, personal/ spiritual growth books have been a powerful guide and inspiration. In my coaching practice “Touch The Soul”, I continually draw on my own 70 plus years of acquired elder wisdom as well as the wisdom of so many who have come before me, writers and wayshowers of expansive spirituality.I am grateful to share a few books which may enlighten and deepen your own spiritual journey.

Lucille's book list on aging wisdom, loss, and spiritual rebirthing

Lucille Ann Meltz Why did Lucille love this book?

I savor books that bring the spiritual into everyday life. This mastery description of fourteen Life Lessons gained through facing the realities of death and dying will touch your heart and revitalize your courage. Universal wisdom, all-encompassing love, and the unraveling of the mysteries of life are all here in these true, relatable life stories.

By Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, David Kessler,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Life Lessons as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

If you only had a few days left, how would you live your life differently? Having now faced her own death the famous 'death and dying lady' takes on life and living, showing us how the lessons learned by many people - including herself - at the end, can teach us to improve and enjoy life at any time. Each one of us asks at some point, 'Is this really how I want to live my life?' This is a life-changing book, reminding us that the tragedy is not that life is short, but that we often see only in…


Book cover of Never Say Goodbye: A Medium's Stories of Connecting with Your Loved Ones

Lucille Ann Meltz Author Of The Elder Widow's Walk: A Personal Inner Journey and Guide for Bereaved Widows 65 and Beyond

From my list on aging wisdom, loss, and spiritual rebirthing.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a spiritual seeker my entire life, drawn to the mysteries of life, the nature of the soul, the afterlife, intuitive knowing, higher consciousness, and psycho-spiritual transformation. Besides the numerous personal teachers who have enriched my path, personal/ spiritual growth books have been a powerful guide and inspiration. In my coaching practice “Touch The Soul”, I continually draw on my own 70 plus years of acquired elder wisdom as well as the wisdom of so many who have come before me, writers and wayshowers of expansive spirituality.I am grateful to share a few books which may enlighten and deepen your own spiritual journey.

Lucille's book list on aging wisdom, loss, and spiritual rebirthing

Lucille Ann Meltz Why did Lucille love this book?

I have had many “visitations” from passed-on loved ones, including cherished pets, so am always interested in a professional's take on connecting with those on the other side. This detailed guide by a nationally recognized medium covers effective strategies and fascinating stories of relating across the divide. It is also a well-explained basic orientation to the concept of meditation and an intriguing portrait of what the afterlife may be like for us all.

By Patrick Matthews,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Never Say Goodbye as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When he was six years old, Patrick Mathews came face to face with the spirit of his dead Uncle Edward. As an adult, Mathews serves as a vessel of hope for those who wish to communicate with their loved ones in spirit. He demonstrates that the living can continue on-going relationships with the departed. Here Mathews takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotional stories including the dead husband who stood by his wife's side during her wedding to a new man.


If you love Goddesses in Older Women...

Ad

Book cover of Who Is a Worthy Mother?: An Intimate History of Adoption

Who Is a Worthy Mother? By Rebecca Wellington,

I grew up thinking that being adopted didn’t matter. I was wrong. This book is my journey uncovering the significance and true history of adoption practices in America. Now, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the renewed debate over women’s reproductive rights places…

Book cover of Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying

Lucille Ann Meltz Author Of The Elder Widow's Walk: A Personal Inner Journey and Guide for Bereaved Widows 65 and Beyond

From my list on aging wisdom, loss, and spiritual rebirthing.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a spiritual seeker my entire life, drawn to the mysteries of life, the nature of the soul, the afterlife, intuitive knowing, higher consciousness, and psycho-spiritual transformation. Besides the numerous personal teachers who have enriched my path, personal/ spiritual growth books have been a powerful guide and inspiration. In my coaching practice “Touch The Soul”, I continually draw on my own 70 plus years of acquired elder wisdom as well as the wisdom of so many who have come before me, writers and wayshowers of expansive spirituality.I am grateful to share a few books which may enlighten and deepen your own spiritual journey.

Lucille's book list on aging wisdom, loss, and spiritual rebirthing

Lucille Ann Meltz Why did Lucille love this book?

An icon of the 60's spiritual revolution, Ram Dass, 30 plus years later, reveals the wisdom of his elder years following his stroke as he faced radical self-birthing. With sharp insight, humor, and humility he shares his fears of living and dying and the spiritual beliefs that sustain him. His chapter on “Learning to Die” is exceptionally poignant as he addresses three major questions: How do I deal with the process of dying, what happens at the moment of death and what will happen after death? As an elder woman myself, I treasure this as a truly comforting beacon for elders and for anyone who knows and loves them.

By Ram Dass,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Still Here as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

More than thirty years ago, an entire generation sought a new way of life, looking for fulfillment and meaning in a way no one had before. Leaving his teaching job at Harvard, Ram Dass embodied the role of spiritual seeker, showing others how to find peace within themselves in one of the greatest spiritual classics of the twentieth century, the two-million-copy bestseller Be Here Now. As many of that generation enter the autumn of their years, the big questions of peace and of purpose have returned demanding answers. And once again, Ram Dass blazes a new trail, inviting all to…


Book cover of Roles of the Northern Goddess

Asa Maria Bradley Author Of A Wolf's Hunger: A Sexy Fated Mates Paranormal Romance

From my list on the gods and world of Norse mythology.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in Sweden surrounded by archaeology steeped in Viking history, which fueled my interest in Norse mythology. For example, Uppåkra, the largest and richest Iron Age settlement in Scandinavia, is only a few miles from my childhood home. When my seventh-grade history teacher noticed my fascination with the Viking myths, he started recommending me books. Ever since, I’ve read extensively about the Norse pantheon, and its stories inspire my own writing. I’ve also taken several research trips to historical Viking settlements in Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland.

Asa's book list on the gods and world of Norse mythology

Asa Maria Bradley Why did Asa love this book?

Dr. Davidson has written extensively about Norse mythology, both books and articles. Her scholarship is terrific, and I have three of her books in my research library. What makes this book so unique, though, is that she concentrates on the goddesses of the Norse pantheon and women’s roles in the Viking world in general, of which not much is written. Reading this book is like taking a master class in Norse women’s studies, and I had to replace my print copy because I’d scribbled so many notes in it that it became impossible to read.

By Hilda Ellis Davidson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Roles of the Northern Goddess as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

While much work has been done on goddesses of the ancient world and the male gods of pre-Christian Scandinavia, the northern goddesses have been largely neglected. Roles of the Northern Goddess presents a highly readable study of the worship of these goddesses by men and women. With its use of evidence from early literature, popular tradition, legend and archaeology, this book investigates the role of the early hunting goddess and the local goddesses who were involved in all aspects of the household and the farm. What emerges is that the goddess was both benevolent and destructive, a powerful figure closely…


Book cover of Victory to the Mother: The Hindu Goddess of Northwest India in Myth, Ritual, and Symbol

Caleb Simmons Author Of Singing the Goddess into Place: Locality, Myth, and Social Change in Chamundi of the Hill, a Kannada Folk Ballad

From my list on goddesses in India.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been intrigued by the Hindu goddess traditions since I first read Is the Goddess a Feminist as an undergraduate student. After reading this book, I changed my course of study and life, writing my Ph.D. dissertation and my first few books on Indian goddess traditions. Now, I continue to share my passion for Indian goddesses as a professor of Religious Studies at the University of Arizona.

Caleb's book list on goddesses in India

Caleb Simmons Why did Caleb love this book?

This is my favorite book on Indian/Hindu goddesses. Even after all these years, I believe it to be the erudite and accessible book that portrays the complexity of goddesses and their relationships with devotees. Each time I re-read the book, I glean additional insights into India, Hinduism, and the ways that the sacred feminine shapes the lives of people in the Northeast region of India. 

By Kathleen M. Erndl,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Victory to the Mother as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The worship of Devi (the Goddess) is one of the most vigorous and visible religious phenomena in northwest India today. This study uses interviews, participant observations, and textual analysis to explore the nature of the Goddess and her devotees' experience of her.


If you love Jean Shinoda Bolen...

Ad

Book cover of Free Your Joy: The Twelve Keys to Sustainable Happiness

Free Your Joy By Lisa McCourt,

We all want peace. We all want a life of joy and meaning. We want to feel blissfully comfortable in our own skin, moving through the world with grace and ease. But how many of us are actively taking the steps to create such a life? 

In Free Your Joy…

Book cover of The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman's Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine

Margie Lukas Author Of The Broken Statue

From my list on heroines who inspire.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up watching my mother suffer under a strict patriarchal religion. She never felt she had a choice in her life, and yet she always remained a dreamer, collecting newspaper articles about events in history that interested her. They piled up in a box and I’ve no idea what she thought to do with them. She would thumb through them between bouts of standing over a ringer washer or hanging wet clothing outside in freezing weather. There were 15 of us, you can imagine the laundry. I never saw her cry…despite working like a mule. I admire her and women like her for getting through. 

Margie's book list on heroines who inspire

Margie Lukas Why did Margie love this book?

The book chronicles Kidd’s evolution from a patriarchal religion into a spirituality that honors her as a woman. She’d built her reputation and made her livelihood as a Christian writer and speaker, and she risked everything: career, marriage, family, and friends in leaving that behind. I was making a similar journey when I found the book, leaving behind the organized religion I’d grown up with and significantly, married into. Fighting broke out when I quit attending services, and I received a lot of condemnation for seeking to free myself from a religion thousands of years old. How dare I! I was letting my immediate, and not so immediate, family and community down. I was headed for damnation. Kidd’s book uplifted and supported my decision. It’s honest, too, in addressing one’s internal conflicts about change. The book gave me the courage to face my fears, my guilts, and keep following my…

By Sue Monk Kidd,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Dance of the Dissident Daughter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"A masterpiece of women’s wisdom."—Christiane Northrup, M.D.

"The journey to capture her feminine soul and live authentically . . . makes a fascinating, well-researched and well-written story."—Publishers Weekly

In celebration of the twentieth anniversary of its publication, a newly reissued edition of the bestselling author’s classic work of feminine spiritual discovery, with a new introduction by the author.

"I was amazed to find that I had no idea how to unfold my spiritual life in a feminine way. I was surprised, and, in fact, a little terrified, when I found myself in the middle of a feminist spiritual reawakening."—Sue Monk…


Book cover of Goddesses in World Mythology

Charlene Spretnak Author Of Lost Goddesses of Early Greece: A Collection of Pre-Hellenic Myths

From my list on goddess spirituality.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been interested in cultural history. In my early 30s, I realized that Greek mythology was a late, patriarchal revision of the earlier Goddess-centric myths. After much research, I reconstructed several pre-Olympian myths in my book Lost Goddesses of Early Greece. This was one of the first books of the Women’s Spirituality movement, which began in the 1970s and is still going strong. A few years later, I edited an anthology of 50 voices, The Politics of Women’s Spirituality. Thus I am a foremother of that movement, which is a bountiful exploration of authentic spiritual experience in women’s lives.

Charlene's book list on goddess spirituality

Charlene Spretnak Why did Charlene love this book?

If you try to learn about the cultural history of the sacred female cross-culturally, you are likely to encounter the attitude in our patriarchal society that Goddesses couldn’t really have been widespread or ever been very important. A handy refutation can be found in this book, which contains information on over 11,000 Goddesses, nymphs, spirits, and deified women around the world. Grouped according to geographic regions, each entry gives you not only the translation of the Goddess’s name but also her story. That is, it’s a biographical dictionary because it gives the characteristics and the mythology associated with each Goddess. If you read through the entries for any one region, you will become immersed in a deeply poetic sense of the resonant cultural history underlying later developments.

By Martha Ann, Dorothy Myers Imel,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Goddesses in World Mythology as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This biographical dictionary contains 11,500 entries for goddesses from around the world and throughout time. Each entry contains area location, associated attributes, and a brief description. Many entries also contain brief retellings of the main myth pertaining to that goddess. This book is intended for religion students and scholars; those interested in New Age.


Book cover of The Living Goddesses

Helen Benigni Author Of The Myth of the Year: Returning to the Origin of the Druid Calendar

From my list on the Goddess for a journey of self-exploration.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been interested in feminine figures since I was a small, Catholic child presented with the Virgin Mary! Further down the road in graduate school and in my teaching career as an English Professor at a small Liberal Arts college, I began to research comparative mythology and the study of archetypes with a particular emphasis on the female divine. Now, after publishing three books and several articles on the goddesses, I'm happy to help others in their journey of discovery. I believe a good way to approach that study today is to focus on how our contemporary women writers portray goddesses in their works of fiction and non-fiction.

Helen's book list on the Goddess for a journey of self-exploration

Helen Benigni Why did Helen love this book?

Marija Gimbutas’ The Living Goddesses is a great place to start your study of goddesses.

Gimbutas is a major researcher in the field of goddess studies, and her book is quoted more than often. Instead of reading other scholars’ work that quotes Gimbutas, why not read the original study of Paleolithic and Neolithice archetypes and their descendents in several Bronze and Iron Age cultures.

Additionally, Gimbutas postulates how those archetypes have evolved in contemporary culture. Matrilineal social structure as mirrored in religion and myth is the basis of Gimbutas’ gift to women today.

By Marija Gimbutas, Miriam R. Dexter (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Living Goddesses as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Living Goddesses crowns a lifetime of innovative, influential work by one of the twentieth-century's most remarkable scholars. Marija Gimbutas wrote and taught with rare clarity in her original--and originally shocking--interpretation of prehistoric European civilization. Gimbutas flew in the face of contemporary archaeology when she reconstructed goddess-centered cultures that predated historic patriarchal cultures by many thousands of years. This volume, which was close to completion at the time of her death, contains the distillation of her studies, combined with new discoveries, insights, and analysis. Editor Miriam Robbins Dexter has added introductory and concluding remarks, summaries, and annotations. The first part…


If you love Goddesses in Older Women...

Ad

Book cover of Who Will Take Care of Me When I'm Old?: Plan Now to Safeguard Your Health and Happiness in Old Age

Who Will Take Care of Me When I'm Old? By Joy Loverde,

Everything you need to know to plan for your own safe, financially secure, healthy, and happy old age.

For those who have no support system in place, the thought of aging without help can be a frightening, isolating prospect. Whether you have friends and family ready and able to help…

Book cover of Is the Goddess a Feminist?: The Politics of South Asian Goddesses

Caleb Simmons Author Of Singing the Goddess into Place: Locality, Myth, and Social Change in Chamundi of the Hill, a Kannada Folk Ballad

From my list on goddesses in India.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been intrigued by the Hindu goddess traditions since I first read Is the Goddess a Feminist as an undergraduate student. After reading this book, I changed my course of study and life, writing my Ph.D. dissertation and my first few books on Indian goddess traditions. Now, I continue to share my passion for Indian goddesses as a professor of Religious Studies at the University of Arizona.

Caleb's book list on goddesses in India

Caleb Simmons Why did Caleb love this book?

This book served as my entry point to Indian goddess traditions. It examines a millennia-old tradition alongside the modern concept of feminism. What emerges is a nuanced and complicated set of essays that challenges my understanding of goddesses and their relation to women and men. At the end of the day, I walk away with a greater appreciation for both goddesses and feminism.

By Alf Hiltebeitel (editor), Kathleen M. Erndl (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Is the Goddess a Feminist? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In India, God can be female. The goddesses of Hinduism and Buddhism represent the largest extant collection of living goddesses anywhere on the planet. Feminists in the West often draw upon South Asian goddesses as theological resources in the contemporary rediscovery of the Goddess. Yet, these goddesses are products of a male supremacist society. What is the impact of powerful female deities--their images, projections, textuality, and history--on the social standing and psychological health of women? Do they empower women, or serve the interests of patriarchal culture? Is the Goddess a Feminist? looks at the goddesses of South Asia to address…


Book cover of The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
Book cover of Life Lessons: Two Experts on Death & Dying Teach Us about the Mysteries of Life & Living
Book cover of Never Say Goodbye: A Medium's Stories of Connecting with Your Loved Ones

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,592

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in goddess, Christianity, and the paranormal?

Goddess 26 books
Christianity 686 books
The Paranormal 259 books