DIVINE AND SACRED FEMININE RESOURCES

Non-Fiction

Year of Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes

• I read this when it was first published in our Making Room For You Book Group that ran for many years. It is such an inspiring read! Yes to "dancing it out"!
  

The Dream of the Cosmos: A Quest for the Soul by Anne Baring

• Recommended by Jean Houston.

• As I read this incredible tome, I found myself yearning that I could sit at Anne Baring's feet and absorb her every word.

The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates

• My mentor Claire Zammit, founder of Women's Centred Coaching (see her PhD thesis below) gifted us all a copy of this book at an in person retreat in 2019. It's one of those books where I've underlined and tabbed almost every page.

The Alphabet and the Goddess by Dr Leonard Shlain

• Father of American feminist filmmaker, artist and activist Tiffany Shlain.

• Fascinating and very dense. I ended up listening to the Audio book and then referring back to my hard copy.

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman’s Journey From Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine by Sue Monk Kidd

• So much about this book spoke to me. I had no idea she wrote non-fiction until the Pandemic when she was interviewed by Brené Brown in her podcast about The Book of Longings (see below). She had me by the title alone - so provocative to be dissident for a change after being a rule-abider for much of my life!

Brave Not Perfect by Reshma Saujani, Founder of Girls Who Code

• A great antidote for those of us who are recovering perfectionists
  

Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, The Human Story Changes by Elizabeth Lesser

• I return again and again to the wisdom in this book. It’s very readable and has suggestions for next steps at the end

• I love her term “innervism”, a word she made up to describe the part of her that seeks inner change, inner healing

• I just realized the other day that Lesser suggests that we make lists like this for our own “innervism” - I guess her suggestion percolated down into my sub-conscious…

The Feminine Revolution: 21 Ways to Ignite the Power of Your Femininity for a Brighter Life and a Better World by Amy Stanton and Catherine Connors

• This is such a readable book and it's one that you can pick up and flip to a chapter and be inspired, not only by the authors, but the other incredible women who they've interviewed – one of my favourite chapters is "Own Your Intuition" - their reframe on slowness is transformative.

The Body Is Not An Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor

• She addresses body shame in such an empowering and loving way. I took copious notes when reading.

Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Ambitious Women by Kate Northrop

• I started doing a version of her Sunday planning ritual a few years ago and it's been so supportive.

Rise Sister Rise: A Guide to Unleashing the Wise, Wild Woman Within by Rebecca Campbell

• I receive so much encouragement from Rebecca's words and images.

Fierce Self-Compassion: How to Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Your Power, and Thrive by Kristin Neff

• Neff's first book Self-Compassion was a favourite in our Making Room For You Book Group and I was excited to read this - isn't the title amazing?

• The concept of the "yang" of self-compassion is so empowering. I return to this book often, especially when it comes to harnessing the power of our anger for constructive purposes.

On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good by Elise Loehnen

• I've read this one twice and used quotes from it many times for our Salon and corporate work.

• Transformational.

• Mary Magdalene features prominently.

• I love her Substack too.

Women and Power by Mary Beard

• A very short, potent book tracing the origins of the issues we're experiencing today

Finding Me by Viola Davis

• This was searing and joyful and everything in between. I loved it.

Mary Magdalene Revealed by Meggan Watterson

• Transformational for me. Very readable woven through with Meggan's personal story. I hadn't heard about Mary Magdalene's gospel until about 2023. Every cell in my body was saying YES to this book.

• Her Eye of the Heart meditation is free on Spotify.

• She has a Substack blog too.

The Resilience Myth: New Thinking on Grit, Strength, and Growth After Trauma by Soraya Chemaly

• I love her ferocity and her willingness to challenge established thinking in service of a better world.

Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Estes Pinkoles

• Audio book first published before the paper book

• So stimulating for the imagination

The Girl Who Baptized Herself by Meggan Watterson

• Just released summer 2025. It reorganized and transformed me with every page.

• For me, it's easier to identify with Thecla ("the Girl") than Mary Magdalene... And then be inspired by her.

The Dreaming Way: Courting the Wisdom of Dreams by Toko-pa Turner

• Reading this slowly over many months and practicing paying more attention to my dreams has transformed my relationship to my dreams. I now see that they are so supportive of us and our growth, if we pay attention. Here are a few initial takeaways:

  • The book makes interpreting our dreams possible - accessible to each of us. 

  • Dreams care about WHO we're becoming. They are "a nudge from behind and a pull from ahead". Wow, they help us self-actualize! 

  • Dreams are a source of WISDOM, a bridge between the world of our senses and the Divine. A third place, the "imaginal realm". 

  • Learning from our dreams can help us cultivate greater self-trust - a sense of centredness and groundedness which is extra valuable during the tumultuous times we're in. 

  
  

Fiction

The Discovery of Witches and the rest of the All Souls books by Deborah Harkness

• She conjures up a whole fascinating world of witches, vampires and daemons. The main character is Diana, a witch who grows into her own power. I love the richness of the story and the historial details Harkness offers as a historian herself.

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd

• Read this twice too. Set me on the path to read so many of these other books... the power of fiction!

• She conjures up the wife of Jesus who is a writer who wants to express her “largeness” (made me think of Making Room For You). Heard her interviewed by Brené Brown during the pandemic. Resonated immediately.

The Madonna Secret by Sophie Strand

• Incredibly beautiful. I marvel at her imagination - a story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Every page resonated with me deeply.

The Change by Kirsten Miller

• Read this twice too. It’s fierce and quirky and magical.

Weyward by Emilia Hart

• I was first drawn to the title and to the cover - so beautiful! (“They call us witches. We call ourselves Weyward.”) The story is very compelling and captured my imagination.

Cards and Other Resources

Seeds from the Sacred Feminine Wisdom Deck by Andrea Menard

Goddess Power Oracle Deck by Collette Baron-Reid

The Divine Feminine Oracle Deck by Meggan Watterson

Women’s Voices So Dangerous They Buried Them: Meggan Watterson on We Can Do Hard Things Podcast

Merchants of Light, an interview with Professor Betty Kovacs

• I love how clear Betty Kovacs is as she traces and explains the history of the Divine Feminine and the intersection of the mystical and the scientific.

• I found it expanding and so validating.

The Divine Feminine: Elizabeth (Liz) Gilbert at Archangel Summit in Toronto, Canada - 32 min video

Feminine Power as a Tripartite System of Relatedness: A Theoretical Exploration by Dr. Claire Zammit, Founder of The Institute for Woman-Centered Coaching

• This is Claire’s doctoral thesis on which my coaching, facilitation and leadership certifications are based.