I have enjoyed a number of Jane Meredith's books over the years, most especially Journey to the Dark Goddess and Aphrodite's Magic so when I had a chance to review her latest, I was immediately interested. Aspecting the Goddess: Drawing Down the Divine Feminine is a joy to read and offers a huge amount of information for connecting with the Divine in a very literal way. While some may be put off by the focus on the feminine divine, this is primarily through personal stories and experiences shared, as well as through the myths Meredith shares. The techniques themselves provide a way to contact any Divine being, no matter the gender. Aspecting -- which many call 'drawing down' -- is an advanced skill that requires a great deal of training. Drawing Down invites a specific Deity to merge int our mind and body so that we can partake of Their essence directly. Meredith defines aspecting as “a very technical and controlled yet ecstatic ritual practice . . . of inviting a deity to partially inhabit a human being, within ritual, for a specified length of time, for a particular purpose or intention... It’s an experience rather than a belief!” Meredith offers a training program broken down into six areas: walking with the Goddess, researching Her, dedicating to the Goddess, presencing Her, enacting myths, and aspecting itself. Twelve Goddesses are presented: Persephone, Bloduewedd, Isis, Mary, Aphrodite, Ereshkigal, Nepthys, Freyja, Ariadne, Inanna, Eve, and the Star Goddess. It's a creative collection, rich with information and relevance. Aspecting the Goddess is a wonderful book. There is wisdom here, and clear guidance from someone who has walked this path numerous times and offers her guidance to those of us coming along after. Highly recommended! ~review by Lisa Mc Sherry ~ Lisa Mc Sherry , http://www.facingnorth.net/Witchcraft/aspecting-goddess.html

Although it is only published today, I have already read Aspecting the Goddess twice. I suspect I will read again and again. The book, by Jane Meredith, teaches how to invite the Goddess into our lives in her many different aspects and in a variety of ways. Its subtitle is Drawing Down the Divine Feminine. Many witches and pagans talk about "drawing down the Goddess" - sometimes referred to as "drawing down the moon". The term usually refers to a rite of invocation in which we invite a specific deity to join us in mind and body, so that we merge for a brief moment. This enables us to speak the wisdom of that deity, but also allows us to experience their essence at least in some small way. It is an advanced skill and not usually recommended without considerable training. Aspecting the Goddess effectively breaks that training down into six stages: walking with the Goddess, researching her, dedicating to the Goddess, presencing her, enacting myth and finally aspecting the Goddess. Aspecting is essentially the same as invocation. This allows us to work with various goddesses - or gods - in a way that feels appropriate for us at that time. The book is beautifully written. Between the practical lessons are the stories of 12 goddesses: Persephone, Bloduewedd, Isis, Mary, Aphrodite, Ereshkigal, Nepthys, Freyja, Ariadne, Inanna, Eve and the Star Goddess. Jane offers her personal experiences of how these goddesses have influenced her life and how she has worked with them using the techniques she describes. I said I had read this book twice. I first read it more than a year ago. I proofread it before manuscript was finalised - and I loved it. I already loved Jane's earlier books Aphrodite's Magic and Journey to the Dark Goddess. I think this is my favourite of the three. Last night I started to read it again. I had been intending just to skim over the book to refresh my memory before writing my review, but I was drawn in by Jane's beautiful words. I read it late into the night and picked it up again early this morning. I should have been doing other things, but the pages seemed as though they all needed to be read - and the messages I got from the second read were different to those I got the first time round. That is surely the sign of a powerful and important book. ~ Bad Witch (Lucya), http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/05/review-aspecting-goddess-by-jane.html

Aspecting the Goddess is equal parts (at times heart-wrenching) memoir, Goddess-centred workbook, and mythology. Meredith weaves her personal story deftly through and around the stories of twelve goddesses — Persephone, Blodeuwedd, Isis, Mary, Aphrodite, Ereshkigal, Nephthys, Freyja, Ariadne, Inanna, Eve, and Star Goddess. We follow the author as her life parallels the lives of each goddess and as she learns from them through death, birth, love, and pain. Reading this book was an emotional journey for me. Much of what Meredith has written seems to have echoed in my own life. Some of it tugs at me in such a way that I wish I’d had the capacity at the time to see my experiences mirrored in those of any goddess. However, Meredith includes rituals and exercises for each chapter which expand upon the author’s journey and encourage us to experience the goddess/es in our own. Meredith offers the reader many avenues leading to a deeper connection with the goddess/es. One of the rituals she suggests is committing to a goddess for a full year. In the past, before I became a mother and wife, I had committed to learning about one of my personal goddesses for a month, a few up to three. Meredith is right to say that “committing to a deity for a year is a powerful way to deepen your understanding and relationship with them.” In the busy world that many of us inhabit, this connection often wanes and we can find ourselves disconnected from our personal pantheons. I am grateful for the reminder and look forward to beginning the next year in true and dedicated study of one of my own goddesses, if for no other reason than to thank them for being there for me through so much of my journey. Aspecting the Goddess serves as an excellent reminder that our paths aren’t as solitary as they seem and that, often, the goddess walks with us. Review by Anna Chesler Kulcsar ~ Anna Chesler Kulcsar, https://wyldwood.org/wyldmoon-review-aspecting-the-goddess/

In Aspecting the Goddess Jane Meredith combines skilful and engaging storytelling with easy to follow directions on a set of tools with which you may create deep and enriching personal relationship with the feminal divine. Aspecting the Goddess is a joy to read. Both accessible and fresh, this creative guidebook to crafting relationship opens the door to intimate and personal communion with the Great Goddess in Her many guises. ~ Lassara Firefox Allen, author of Jailbreaking the Goddess

Jane Meredith’s Aspecting the Goddess is a bold and unique look at connecting to myth and deity. While the book’s main intention is to help anyone gain a stronger and deeper relationship with the feminine divine it also offers an opportunity to look at the world itself with new eyes, to see everything around us as pieces of the Goddesses (and Gods) we are reaching out to. Designed as a journey, walking the reader through the process of connection on different levels with different Goddesses, this book feels both deeply personal and deeply spiritual. A valuable addition to any pagan’s library, whatever path you may follow, as it presents some wonderful food for thought and ideas for spiritual growth. Morgan Daimler, author of Pagan Portals The Morrigan and Brigid. ~ Morgan Daimler

One of the most compelling features of Paganism and Goddess spirituality is the direct experience of the Divine. Aspecting the Goddess provides a wealth of resources for those that are seeking a more profound connection to the Divine Feminine. Six different methodologies are described that allow you to find your way into experiencing and manifesting the Goddess in both your awareness, rituals, and in your perspectives on life. Although the focus is on Goddesses, the material presented is equally applicable to working with Gods as well as beings that are beyond gender. The book itself is like a journey that incorporates personal experiences, myths, stories, and practical magical advice. How far you go is up to you, and you may go further than you think ,because you will have the benefit of experienced guides that have gone before you. Ivo Dominguez Jr, author of Spirit Speak and Casting Sacred Space ~ Ivo Dominguez Jr

Aspecting the Goddess will inspire you, guide you, support you and help you connect in so many different ways with the divine in whatever shape or form you see it. This beautifully insightful book contains not only myths about goddesses from around the world but personal stories and experiences together with some really wonderful exercises, rituals and creative prompts to help you. Prepare yourself to be taken on a most amazing journey… Rachel Patterson, author of The Cailleach, Animal Magic and Kitchen Witchcraft. ~ Rachel Patterson

I loved the entwining of Jane's life experience with different forms of invocation and Aspecting of Goddess, demonstrating how drawing close to Goddess affects our everyday lives. Kathy Jones, Priestess of Avalon ~ Kathy Jones

This is a book about intense emotions, including grief, gradually being understood through working with the old myths. Parallels are suddenly clear from the evolving dramas that explain our own reactions and the behaviour of people. Aspects of Goddesses are shown to us through our interactions with them and how we can access them through creativity - however alien that may seem at first - and how profound the answers can be. Aspecting the Goddess offers reconciliation possibly, far greater comprehension of our lives probably, and, if we dare, an enthralling and rich Inner life almost certainly. There are sound chapters on the practical side of solo or group working and how one's own journey is always paramount and not deflected or confused by the presence of others. Geraldine Beskin, The Atlantis Bookshop ~ Geraldine Beskin