Reviews of Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones
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An anthology of eight beautifully crafted stories about women of different cultures and eras, the Crones sharing their wisdom and their joy, their hearts and souls with girls and women in times of difficulty, change, and transition. �Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones is populated with wise, skillful women passing on the secrets of seeing beauty in what, at first glance, is not beautiful.� -Smoky Trudeau, author of Redeeming Grace More About Vila SpiderHawk Vila SpiderHawk and her husband live in the woods of Pennsylvania in a log home that they designed. Their six cats and their many woodland friends provide additional company. She has a BA in women�s studies and French and did her graduate work in education. She has taught French in college and in public schools. She writes for Sage Woman magazine and for The Beltane Papers on a free-lance basis. In addtion to Hidden Passages, Vila SpiderHawk has also written Forest Song: Finding Home.
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Add To This Page by Leaving Your Comments!! (214) 615-6505 ext 2869 INTRODUCTION:This is a delightful book honoring the Crone. It includes the Mother and Maiden as well. The first story is called Mima Po, which is my favorite as I can relate to it very well. I think we all have had a Mima Po in our lives who opened our eyes to the wonder and reality of things unseen.The second story is Passages. It is a story of the rite of passage and a knowing of previous lifetime. It is very colorful and has a Native American ritual included. Next comes a beautiful story also of the rite of passage done in a very unique way. It is titled Maiden, Mother, Crone. There are three parts to this tale, each part as seen through the eyes of the participants the Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Nanu�s story. This story is amazing! It covers the struggle, hardships and the grief of being a woman. The attention to detail is awesome. Grandmother Spider is a key player in this tale and it covers many years, from the dawn of time. It is a true praise to the Mother Goddess feeling! The next story is called Gita�s journey. It is the heart tugging tale of a woman�s grief of loosing a child, of her journey and struggle from the depths of despair, through her healing and somehow living through this terrible ordeal and rising again, I laughed and I cried. It touched me very deeply. Last but not least is Lavinia. A tribute to Sisterhood with a time twist to it, it is also a tribute to death and rebirth with a marvelous ending. How wonderful it is to have a dear Sister with a love so strong it transcends all earthly bounds and continues for eternity. INFORMATION:There is so much information in this book I could write about it for years.! So I will give a tidbit of each story as not to ruin it for who wants to read it. Mima Po was the neighborhood witch who all feared. There was one brave little girl whose curiosity enabled her to endear herself to this woman. Mima Po the Crone shared herself, her customs with who she called Suzie Q.. and through this Suzie Q not only learned of Mima Po but also learned of herself. In Vilas wonderful way she showed the valuable place of the Crone in the journey of life. In her story passages she describes in detail a Native American naming ritual of becoming a woman and the crossing of the river from childhood to womanhood The Mother and Crone play a big part in this ceremony it is also a story of a witch and her coven with a naming ritual as well.. The two stories entwine with the strong flavor of reincarnation. Maiden, Mother, Crone is also a celebration of womanhood as is the whole book, it explains in detail the coming of age for the Maiden how it is seen through her eyes, the fear the loss as well as the beauty and wonder. The second part is through the Mothers eyes her fear of loosing her little girl and her reclaiming of her as a woman. The third part is of the Crone. The Grandmother who guides her daughter and granddaughter through this terrific journey. It is written on a very spiritual level filled with glorious detail and exquisite fantasy. Nanu�s story is a Mother Goddess story beginning at the beginning of time. It is also a Grandmother and Granddaughter story It is a tribal legend of the Mother Goddess and the struggles of women. Grandmother spider lends her wisdom and healing hand on a pitiful woman who with her blessing becomes the Mother Goddess this tribe worships. It is an age old tale with a fresh insight. Gita�s journey this has got to be the greatest tribute to a woman�s strength ever written and a tribute to womanly friendship. This woman endures what we all fear, the loss of a child. In detail she tells of the stages of grief, the denial, the despair and finally coming to terms with her loss, with the help of her dear friend. Vila writes how this amazing woman comes full circle within this tragedy that has got to be the most painful of all life experience. It shows how tremendously strong women are and what we can endure. Lavinia is a sisterhood love story it attests to the bond between women and the strong love that trust manifested between these two. It is a love and trust that conquers all and a wonderful almost twilight zone feel. This book is one of my most prized possessions. There is not one single thing I can criticize within these pages. It was written from the heart and that is apparent in each story. Her love of the Goddess is beyond measure and her words ring clear and true. I am honored to call this woman my friend. This book also shows her great knowledge in magickal endeavors and her most superb imagination. She is quite remarkable and a most talented writer. CONCLUSION:My personal feelings this book brought out are many. I felt proud to be a woman in many different ways, I felt great appreciation for my Mother, Grandmother, and Daughters, Granddaughters. and mostly for myself. I felt gratitude for my girlfriends that I sometimes took for granted. I stood by each woman in these stories and felt all they felt, cried when they cried and flew to the stars when they triumphed! Vila brought me from death to rebirth and back .Each of these stories. touched me deeply and reaffirmed my love for the Mother Goddess, and all women and it opened my eyes to the bond between us and how very sacred and precious that is. I learned a lot from Vila and I will always be grateful. I catch myself looking at women and wondering of their pain, their lives, and marveling at all we as women have endured through the ages. I recommend this inspiring book to all women of all ages, from all walks of life. It is a wonderful celebration of womanhood and a great praise to the Goddess who lives within us all. This book has no boundaries and it will change you forever in a most positive way. I also recommend this book to all men as well I think it shows women in a different light than what they are accustomed to. Whenever you feel down, afraid, trodden on, unappreciated read this book I guarantee it will lift your Spirit! Thank you Vila Spiderhawk for sharing your soul with me! I am blinded by its beauty! � Your Sister and Friend Michele Rock
Dear Vila ~ I absolutely LOVED your book, Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones..... I found it absorbing, and exactly what I needed. Each story held something for me and carried me right into the beautiful depths. Your words and imagery were astounding and resonated with something deep inside. .....The ancient woman in all of us. I especially liked the 'trilogy'...with the same story being told from a phase of each of the women. This book is a must read......I intend to read it again and again and plan to share some of these amazing , empowering stories with my Granddaughters. Oh, so sincerely, Bright Blessings Cindy Moyer/ Sayjburnrr Good Winter Morning to You! I wanted to share what my "mom" had to say so far about your book My Dearest Jamie, I know you said you befriended this person who wrote this book, well a friend in deed she will be to you. The book is a gift from the Goddess for sure. I just finished the first story and I tell you it is a gift that I can't find words for. It is a Heavenly gift for those of us who some times just need to be reminded why we believe in the things we believe in . And how powerful and special our way is. So Thank you once again for such a wonderful gift. � Love PixiMom
Dear Vila, I've been delighting in the Hidden Passages of your book. It�s beautifully written and is taking me on a magical mystical journey. It arrived today and I'm half way through! � Lina Eve
I had overdue library books to finish so I was delaying starting your book - but then yesterday I couldn't resist having just a little peek at the first story. And that was it! I couldn't put it down! It's beautiful! It's as perfectly crafted as poetry and it's utterly accessible to the reader, and it lifts my spirit and fills my heart, and I want to devour it fast yet I hope I never get to the end... Thank you! � Rosemary Nissen-Wade, author of Secret Leopard
Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones by Vila SpiderHawk Book Review by Zinta Aistars The Smoking Poet, an Ezine
* Softcover, 272 pages
Perhaps it is my own "crone years" creeping up on me, but there seems to be a healthy change in how we look at women in and beyond their midlife years. In a youth-obsessed society, at least in the United States, so much of the current dictates point towards a Quixotic pursuit of the impossible, that is, finding the fountain of youth through plastic and cosmetic surgery, an endless array of surely useless creams and lotions, Botox shots and facial peels, diets that lead to eating disorders, and a general wave of ensuing self-esteem problems. Someone is getting rich. No one, however, is getting any younger. * Publisher: Vanilla Heart Publishing * ISBN: 978-0-9796545-6-5 * Price: $15.95 Vila SpiderHawk is taking a different view on the aging of womankind. Hidden Passages is a collection of tales, some of which are interconnected, others which stand alone, all of which deal with women who are finding or already using the wisdom acquired from years of life experience. In the opening tale of Mima Po, a young girl overcomes her fear of a woman who is markedly different than the other women in the girl's community. Gossiping women whisper that Mima Po is odd, perhaps a witch casting mysterious spells and incantations. Children are frightened of her. But little Kathleen is more intrigued than she is frightened, and she overcomes her fear to befriend the elderly woman, who turns out to be Czechoslovakian rather than demonic. The older woman teaches the girl something of her own beliefs and perspective, and the girl learns to "see with her heart." In Passages, a girl moves through a rites of passage into womanhood, both symbolic and literal, among her tribe of watching women, bonding with the other women as well as with the feminine in nature, bonding with the divine, and erasing boundaries between all. In a trilogy of tales, Maiden, Mother, Crone, we see the passages of the girl-child, the adult woman who is her mother, and of the elderly woman, the grandmother. Each has her own unique perspective to offer the others. Nanu's Story illustrates the life-giving force in women, the biological drive, the unfaltering love of mother for child, unchangeable even by death. The woman, Tichu, is a kind of mother of all, teaching survival skills and passing on her wisdom to those who will accept it. Her femininity is lush and full, in all senses of the word, and she knows a pride in herself from which the modern woman could learn much. Gita's Journey delves deeper still into the mother-child connection, exploring the process of grief when one is lost to the other, from the deepest and darkest shadows of despair into the eventual light of acceptance. Lavinia is something of a ghost story of women, where the reader wonders at times who is living and who is not. What all these tales have in common, aside from the story of various life passages traveled by women over time and various cultures, is a language that is as vivid and rich as these women in their femininity. The author combines all the gentle kindness that is woman, unabashedly emotional, with the enduring strength and time-won wisdom that earns a woman the proud designation of "crone." SpiderHawk makes a feminist statement in each one of her tales without being abrasive or didactic or challenging. Her women, her crones, simply are as they are, and by spending time with them in these tales, we realize ourselves enriched by the gentle strength of their distinctly feminine presence. "Happiness spun in the chamber like witch grass smoke. I immediately found myself chuckling. I was so utterly pleased with myself and with everything around me that I broke into giggles and finally into riotous guffaws. Jubilant spirits frolicked around and through me, each one laughing with total abandon, and I thought, so this is where mirth is created! And, indeed, while I watched, the glittering laughter fed on itself, growing and twirling like a giant pinwheel and spangling showers of joy all over and through us. Some of it swirled into a small, dense ball, and we played with it, batting it to and through each other, laughing all the harder with the game... it splintered into tiny twinkling bits, showering over the earth like platinum rain. I was thrilled that my joy was mingled in the droplets, and I hoped that it would heal someone whose heart was sorrowing." These are women as women should be: unafraid of living, unafraid of expressing their femininity, unafraid of aging, unafraid of facing up to their own fears and weaknesses and transforming them into strengths, unafraid to confront those who would deny them their place, simply - unafraid. We should all wish to be such terrific crones. Bess You Vila, You probably have no idea how many lives you touch. The inspirations you put out there. And the people that you inadvertently touch and help. Yes, You were sent to us to help us reflect on the good perspectives of life. I only wish there were more like you. � Gg
----------/-----\--------- ------/-/--------\-\ ------ -------\-\_(^)_/-/-------- ------- \_(~:~)_/ -------- Spider--/-(:)-\-Hawk's- ------- / / * * \ \--------- -------\ \-------/ /-------- Hidden -\---/--Passages- I finished your book. What a lovely read! It definitely makes one stop and think. At least it did for me. Did you ever get the new link I can use to send people in order to buy your book this month? Blessed be dear Vila. � Harmonia
Believe it or not......your book came today.YAY! I got to page 26 before I realized I had to go pick up my check from work, pay bills and buy supplies. Oh how I hated putting it down! And could not wait till I got home to pick it back up again. It's hard for a writer to capture my attention as Anne Rice had done before turning back to the Catholic church, but hun you did it! I was captured from the moment I started reading Mima Po. Thank you soooo very much for this treasure and the inscription they both have touched my heart in ways you cannot imagine. Now I know why you were able to get another publisher so quickly to continue printing the book. Thank you so much for writing this, hun! In Love and Light (and hugs), � Amy
Vila, I awoke with astounding blessed happiness today, as I fell asleep with the wonderful visions that your book has brought to me! I finished it last night before bed. I think the reason I took so long to read it is because I was soaking in, absorbing its contents. It is absolutely beautiful! You radiate through its pages with words that touch the heart and soul. It is truly a wonderful gift, and I wanted to send you my thanks and love! � Gwendalynn
Dear Sister Vila, I just received your book today and started reading it tonight....I am halfway through and I love the beautiful words of wisdom. It is truly magickal! Thank you for writing such heartwarming tales! Love and blessings to you sweet lady! � XOX Green Queen [screen name]
Hi Vila! Last night I finished (for the first time- I will read it over and over again!!) your book. There are no words to describe it!! It was the finest book I have read ever!! I look forward to being able to give this book to people that I love so they can enjoy it also!!! Thank you for writing such a marvelous book Vila!!! (Any more planned in the future???) � Love from Rob
Vila, your book [Hidden passages: Tales to Honor the Crones] is wonderful! I can put myself in any one of the stories. There was laughter and crying and the most important thing, it makes you think of things of your life and all that you have done in your past. And the most important things in my life are my two wonderful sons and all that I gave to them and what I gave up for them. Like Dorothy Morrison book, In praise of the Crone as crones we have the right to be us and if you would just listen to us you would know we are RIGHT!!!!! So from one crone to another GOOD JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! � SilverCrone
SpiderHawk interweaves many different loving relationships in these uplifting and poignant tales. My favorite tale presented the life-changing bond between a curious girl and the neighborhood wise woman. But throughout, SpiderHawk expertly portrays the joy of new experiences as well as the protective affection and devoted concern connecting mother, daughter and grandmother during transformative passages of their lives. Here is a book destined to be a classic. � Three Feathers
Alrighty then, I just read my dear sweet friend's book........ VILA SPIDERHAWK'S HIDDEN PASSAGES TALES TO HONOR THE CRONES Her picture and her book are on my profile in my WHO I'D LIKE TO MEET section. She sent it Monday, I got it yesterday (Wednesday). I read it all night until 4 a.m. (5 chapters) and read the last 3 chapters today. This book is amazing, beautifully written. I couldn't put it down. I'm not trying to create spam, I am just so excited and I want everyone to experience this. Please, friends, you have to order this book. This is my very sweet, very talented, and very beautiful, and very kind and kind hearted friend and author, Vila SpiderHawk: Please buy her book. It held my attention all night until my eyes closed and the last 3 chapters are just as wonderful. It makes you feel so warm and loved. I don't want to give anything away! You just HAVE TO read this book. Vila Spiderhawk is in my top friends. Check her out and order this book. It will warm your heart. Thank you. ~Mystery~ �
I just finished reading Vila Spiderhawk's book, HIDDEN PASSAGES..TALES TO HONOR THE CRONES. I can't write like a critic, but I can say that her book is so amazing and beautifully written. It touched my heart. The characters in the book are so loving and caring. If everyone in this world was like the characters in her book, we'd live in a much better world. YOU PEOPLE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE MISSING. PLEASE, GO TO VILA'S SPACE AND BUY HER BOOK. She's in my top friends, find her picture, (NUMBER 3 IN MY TOP FRIENDS) click it, and order this book. You'll smile all the way through it. I smiled and I cried. I honestly did. I truly do love this book. Find Vila SpiderHawk at her myspace, at: http://www.myspace.com/vilaspiderhawk OR GO TO HER WEBSITE AT: http://www.vilaspiderhawk.com/index.html � Seashell Blue Meadows
It isn't news that older women are often portrayed in a negative light in our youth-centered culture. Some of us-those of us who have marked 50 or more birthdays-have even played a role in that, believing in our youth that we should "Never trust anyone over thirty." But there is a far older adage we live by these days: "With age comes wisdom." In Hidden Passages, a collection of eight short stories, author Vila SpiderHawk celebrates women who have reached their crone years and are living them with passion, unmitigated determination, and above all, grace. Here we meet Mima Po, a Holocaust survivor who, with the aid of the Roman goddess Juno Lucina, shows a little girl how to open her eyes and celebrate rather than fear individual differences. In "Nanu's Story" we meet Tichu, a young woman who has been horribly mistreated by other members of her tribe. Cast out, Tichu wanders into the realm of Grandmother Spider, who bestows Tichu with knowledge and magical gifts; gifts that, despite her mistreatment, Tichu cannot wait to share with her tribe. In the last story, we meet Lucinda, an elderly nursing home resident who is so much more than what she appears and helps a younger Crone steer her way through matters of life and death. These are just a sampling of the Wise Women readers will encounter in Hidden Passages. There is plenty of magic in these stories, magic that is written in an often subtle and always believable manner. You won't find any vindictive hags turning young men into frogs, or other equally ridiculous feats of prestidigitation. What you will find is wise, skillful women passing on the secrets of reaping what you sow; of seeing beauty in what, at first glance, is not beautiful; and the loving hands of the goddess reaching out and embracing Her daughters of all ages. This approach to magic-and the goddess-makes these stories an irresistible read to maiden, mother, and crone alike. ~ review by Smoky Trudeau, author of Redeeming Grace
Dear Vila, I truly love your book "Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones". I'm really Looking forward to your next book! I have two daugthers, ages 16 and 12, who are reading it now! This is a book that women of all ages can enjoy and relate to in so many ways! Without saying too much to give the story away, I'll just say that there are books that one could read over and over again and just get so into the story that you find it very hard to put down, and you want to read it over and over again, well I truly believe this is one of those books and that other woman will agree! Much love and light to you and yours! ShayLStringer/PaganMoon)O( �
Vila -- Your book [Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones] arrived today...Wooohooo! Thank you so much! I have already read Mima Po and if you planned on stirring up a woman's emotions with your writing, you have achieved that with me.. I was sitting there reading with tears rolling down my cheeks and Becky kept looking at me, wondering what was making me cry... hahahahahahaha! GREAT STORY! � Nancy
In Vila SpiderHawk�s /Hidden Passages/, rich imagery awaits the reader in each delightful chapter. Her wonderfully human characters experience the transformations of life with honest emotions. As an example, any adult will recognize the loving trepidation and poignant devotion of a daughter when she suddenly realizes that she sees signs of old age in her mother. Wonderful relationships grace each story. Many types of love and many facets of life flow through these pages. The powerful, loving females embodied in SpiderHawk�s tales will touch your heart. � Lillith T. Lewis
Columnist and feature writer for /If . . Journal of Spiritual Exploration/ and /Listen Media, Inc./
OK for the people who know me know I read a lot of books ( no smart comments Kevin lol) I never put up a review on what I read I don't know why I just don't but any who. I have just read one of the most amazing books ever, the title is Hidden Passages by Vila Spider Hawk (Tales to Honor the Crones). This book tells the stories of women who go on "personal journeys" or their cycles of life. From child to woman (mother) to Crone (grandmother) and each story shines a little light in my own life and struggles. There are times in my life as I'm sure in the women who read this blog that we forget that there is a natural balance in our life (a transition if you will) and with this book I read a story and sit back and think about what I just read. I don't do that that often. Most of the time I just read the book and afterwards just say it was a cool book (something to do when there was nothing good on TV) this book made me take time and to think back on my journey so far. To the women who read this blog no matter what your belief is this is truly a great book and I highly recommend it!!!! And to Vila thanks so much for writing this book this is one book that I will read at least a dozen more time if not more. May the goddess bless you � LOVE YOUR BOOK! Toni
Have you ever had the need for something--and then a few months later someone writes a book about just that very thing? Well, that happened to me recently. A wonderful lady named Vila SpiderHawk who has a space here on My Space wrote this cool book about the stages of life women go through--as a young woman, as a mother, and then as a grandmother--or as some of us would call it-maiden, mother, crone. Now, I am getting very hard to insult these days--because if you call me a bitch--I am liable to thank you because I know that most of the time people say that about really strong, often professionally successful, women--so I take it as a compliment. If you call me a witch-- again, another fact about me I would take as a compliment--or as just a fact. Now that I am just a couple of years away from my 50th birthday--I am looking forward to being considered a "crone" which really denotes a certain wisdom, experience, expertise, and even suggests that I am likely to make a good mentor for some lucky young women. What does all of this have to do with the book "Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones"? Well, nothing really--except that over the years my views about myself have changed and I have moved through several stages of being a woman. Now that I am moving into the next stage--being a "wise woman" a crone-- instead of letting my midlife crisis be a problem--hell, I have never had so much fun in my life! anyway--with all of the great "self help" books out there, and all the great books on religion, spirituality, stages of life and development--I could not find any with the focus on croneship and how the generations interrelated--which became all the more important to me since my beloved grandmother passed away last year. Vila wrote the book I was looking for and I have been so totally absorbed in this book that it goes everywhere with me--seriously. I have read parts of it to my 8 year old granddaughter Kylie who loved it too. Usually when I find a great book, I do not tell people about it in a bulletin on my space. I just don�t do that. I�m just not much of a sales person. When I think a book is great I may tell a friend or two or pass my copy around, etc. My copy is not going to be passed around this time because it is too precious to me and I think I can read this book 100 times and get 100 different things from it. You cannot just go anywhere to get it, if you are interested--or if you just want to meet a really cool lady check out Vila and say hi. She has helped me remember and pay attention to things that I would probably not have noticed before. I am thinking more about similar experiences, feelings, and things that have happened in the past and I am now paying attention to things as they come up more as a result of reading her book. I realize that the special moments I have with the people who mean the most to me should be treasured, and not forgotten, and I think I will try to do a better job of journaling regularly, so I will at least not lose those precious moments as much. Thank You Vila! � Written by Helga (last name withheld to protect privacy)
Vila: I am terribly hooked on the book [Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones]--I can't put it down I am so absorbed in what Heraulta is going through and your description of the soul's picking their next life is exactly what I believe we actually do--and really, the way my grandma acted just before she died--she said she was going to have a whole new life and she was so happy and excited--just a few hours before she passed away..it all fits...anyway--so much for my plan to read a little every night! every chance I get now I'm picking your book up and it goes everywhere with me.... my husband is threatening to take pics of me reading your book in the bath, while waiting for red lights in the car, sitting next to my undone homework -- I agreed to everything but the bath. LOL! And guess what? I was reading Nancy Drew to my 8 year old granddaughter, Kylie and she got bored with Nancy Drew so I read her part of Mima Po--up to the end of the Halloween part--she LOVED it! She got all excited and said "Mama Bear (that's what she has called me since she was about 3) I can actually SEE the picture of what everything looks like"--she loved it. We had a little discussion about how Mima Po reminded us a little of "Oma" my German grandma who passed away. Anyway I thought you would get a kick out of that--you can now say your book has been reviewed by an 8 (almost 9) year old and it outdid Nancy Drew! That is quite something--especially since I made a deal with her that we would see the Nancy Drew movie as soon as she--or we--got through a Nancy Drew book together (We plan to take my Mom too--she perfected her English when she immigrated to the U.S. from Germany by reading Nancy Drew as a kid). But, hey, children's books might be fun too Vila! Now I know what I'll be giving as Christmas gifts this year! Your book! I refuse to lend it to ANYONE! � Helga (Last name withheld to protect privacy)
Hello Villa, I finished reading your book [Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones] yesterday and wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed it. I love stories about strong, independent women who are successful and compassionate to women's issues. I loved the characters! Nanu's story was fantastic! Gita's story was so very real and tragic. I felt so sorry for the character and realized how it could be me in just a heartbeat. Lavinia's story caught me by surprise and I really enjoyed that. I look forward to reading more of your works. � Thank you. Pam (Name withheld to protect privacy)
"Hidden Passages, Tales to Honor the Crones" by Vila SpiderHawk is a collection of eight short stories of women and girls from different cultures who experience life''s transitions and find their own depth and growth through the wisdom of the Crones in their lives. These are stories of Goddess manifested in the lives of ordinary females growing in extraordinary ways. If ever one has had a strange old lady of the neighborhood and discovered that that old woman is a root source of womanhood knowledge, then ''Mima Po'' will ring deep bells in the psyche of universal growth as it sounds in your own heart. Each of these eight stories is written in simple direct language that allows the reader''s experience to blossom as each of the characters blossoms in their experience. It is a rare combination of power and simplicity that enriches while it entertains bringing forth tears and laughter. The eight short stories present a unity of experience and connection through those difficult periods of transitions common to every woman''s life. If you choose one book for your Summer reading, choose "Hidden Passages, Tales to Honor the Crones'' and you will find joy and tears and memories of your own growth. � Written by Christine E
If you are alive and haven't read this book, you are missing something important that defines and refines the journey. Vila SpiderHawk has captured the essence of those indefinable periods of transition so that heart speaks to heart and spirit glows. There is brilliance here of the kind that unites the one singular experience with the Divine. If you haven't read Vila SpiderHawk's Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones now is the time. � Christine
Many Feathers
Vila, Hidden Passages is an awesome read. Each of the eight stories (of course,you know this already!) is a wonderful life story in which older women, the wise women, help younger women in challenging situations. Each story sang to my heart in different ways. And your endings! Wow! Absolutely LOVE them! Such surprises in many of them! Actually, I've seen your writing in magazines, Sage Woman and The Beltane Papers, and find the quality of writing, the truth and integrity, to be just superb! I always look forward to the next article, and am eagerly awaiting Forest Song: Finding Home! � Blessed Be!
Helen
I really enjoyed reading this book! It made me laugh, cry and think about all the many facets of becoming and being a Crone. Hidden Passages is a great book to cuddle up with to escape the world for a while. Each story stands on it's own so it's great reading for busy people. You can fit a chapter in here and there and feel like you've read a whole book. Vila's beautiful writing makes each character and place in the stories come alive with detail. She's especially good at including the secret thoughts of these women that help you understand and love them. You will remember these women forever. The inspiring messages of the stories will lift your sprit and make you glad to be a woman. � Trudy Capazo
Vila SpiderHawk's Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones is full of wisdom and insight which can only be provided by the lifetime observances of a crone. The stories herein are not to be glanced over lightly. They give very real meaning and substance and thoughtfulness into not just the lives of the people written about, but also the same meanings into the lives of the readers. Many readers will find they seem to know these people, or people like them, as they read the book. The book is full of charm and homespun wisdom. It's contents are sensitive, real life explorations into situations in real lives and are easily transferable to experiences of any readers life! The stories could be about your own family,friends or neighbors. Vila Spider Hawk has the talent to write personally to each reader. Reading her book is like sitting down and talking to an old friend. She has the ability to convey warmth and strength and wisdom into the situations she writes about. You are not reading about fictional characters. You get to know each one on a personal level. It takes a well rounded and talented writer to create such a sense of intimacy. Barrett Ravenhurst, Ph.D. Owner, The Emporium Of Curious Goods Jim Thorpe, Pa. 18229 Vila - I absolutely loved your book [Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones]. As I said before I got so involved with it and related to it myself that I had to go back and reread a couple of the stories over again because I knew I missed details and wanted to be sure I had not missed a single solitary minute detail that would change the plot of the story. LOL. You are a very gifted soul, I knew that the minute I read your article in Sage Woman [issue 71]. � Sage
Vila - I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your article in the Joy issue [issue 71] of Sage Woman: positive but never trite. Very touching! � Goddess Blessings, Lillith
Dear Barrett -- I just came in with my mail and the book you sent me was there. [Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones] I just started reading it and I can tell from the first few pages that not only can she write, but the story she is telling first could be my street when I was a little girl in South Philly and the person about whom she is writing could be a lady across the street from me! Needless to say, I am enjoying this. Thank you very much. Eileen HI: I have a dear friend in Cape May who used to live in J.T. We email every day and I sent her a copy of your book. She is an avid reader...reads about a book a week...always at the library. The following is part of a letter she sent me: > Hi. I just have to tell you how much I am enjoying Vila SpiderHawk's book. > I finished the first story and have started on the second. Not only are > the stories interesting, but she is a skilled writer. Eileen [the same person] Dear Vila, I just had to write you about your book, Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones. I loved this book! You really put me into every story so that at the end I felt as if I'd made wonderful new friends. You took me places I'll never go and showed me things I'll never see in real life. I was really sad when I reached the last page. Thank you! It was a wonderful experience reading your stories! � Danielle [last name withheld to protect privacy]
Hello VilaSpiderHawk. I am a practicing green witch and avid gardener as well! I have just finished reading your article in the current Sage Woman magazine [issue 71], "The Healing Power of Happiness", and couldn't wait to email you! ! ! ! The Goddess has given me these exact same lessons this past week of learning how to seek joy in using all my senses, in hearing all that is around me, joy in hearing the birds sing, and joy in seeing their gorgeous, vibrant colors, the smell of freshly cut grass, the touch of my cat on my lap, the taste of good wholesome organic food, the touch of organic cotton yarn and hemp yarn as I knit projects up for my customers (my daughter and I have a small craft business that we are able to sell our wares at our local farmer's markets here in Orange County in Southern California). I wanted to thank you for writing this precious article. This has helped me to bring home the lessons that Goddess has been teaching me this week. Green blessings! � Green Mama D
www.jdsearthlydelights.com Dear Vila, I thank you for your article in Sage Woman [issue 71]; like the gift from your friend during your time of depression, it was a gift to me to remember to focus on bright spots of happiness, and to really savor them. My youngest son was diagnosed with a rare condition last year, and lately I have been mourning the life I expected my family to have. I have been trying to accept what IS and enjoy what we do have, and wisdom such as yours is very much welcomed at this time. The more I hear it, the easier it will become, I am certain. :) I also consider it a personal gift from your furbaby Merlin. . .my son's name is Emrys, named for the same person, and those types of coincidences usually really mean something! I will add a little prayer to Bast tonight to give Merlin an extra cuddle. Many Blessings, � [Name withheld to protect the writer's privacy]
Dear Vila, I read your article in 'Sage Woman' [issue 71] this weekend when I was in Borders's and felt compelled to write. My Name is Erika and I too have had multiple losses in my life in the past 2 years, human & feline. I was in tears reading about Merlin, being a Veterinary Technician I feel a special bond with animals, especially cats. I bought the book you talked about 'Clan of Goddess', and hope to be able to heal after reading it. Sincerely, � Erika
The book, Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones by Vila Spider Hawk, offers a journey rich in symbolic language. The stories are written with the rhythm of ancient folk tales, yet any modern woman will be able to recognize the fierce and tender narrative as part of her own cycling heartbeat. In the story, "Mima Po", a young girl learns to recognize love and friendship as acts of magic through the patient guidance of a wise elder. Later in the book the finger of the Goddess beckons a maiden, a mother, and a crone through the labyrinth of life and death. They discover both powerful inner strength and the importance of the fine threads that bind them together as a family. "Gita's Journey" brims with grief so real and sharp it tumbles and spills in the reader's mind until the edges are worn smooth. Echoes of the Goddess, in all her aspects, whisper through every page. Eight women; eight stories. In many cultures the number eight is sacred, denoting transformation, immortality, and the ever evolving cycles of life and death. The anthology embraces these themes with passion. The author honors women of all ages, including the crones that mentor them. Reverence and remembrance of the three faces of the Goddess, are the keys she gives the reader to unlock the hidden passages in one's own life and discover the wisdom that dwells within. � (Susanne Iles)
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