Revitalizing UU Women's Groups

Popular Books

Adler, Margot. Drawing Down the Moon. Boston: Beacon Press, 1986. An excellent overview of female spirituality.

Anderson, Sherry Ruth and Hopkins, Patricia. Feminine Face of God. New York: Bantam Books, 1991. Offers women tools for reclaiming a more authentically female way of living. Authors address face fear and chaos to live more creatively/spiritually.

Ardinger, Barbara, Ph.D. A Woman’s Book of Rituals and Celebrations. California: New World Library, 1995.

Arrien A. The Four Fold Way. New York: Harper San Francisco, 1993. Borrows from indigenous cultures giving suggestions about how to walk the paths of the warrior, teacher, healer, and visionary.

Artress, Reverend Dr. Lauren. Walking a Sacred Path, Rediscovering the labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool. New York: Riverhead Books, 1995. Artress is the creator of Veriditas: The Worldwide Labyrinth Project. Tells of the author’s life transition/journey to Chartres, and the creation of a labyrinth at Grace Cathedral.

Baldwin, Christina. Calling the Circle. Oregon: Swan Raven & Co., 1994. Presents information in a way that is so user friendly it has even been used frequently in business settings.

Baldwin, Christina. Life’s Companion. New York: Bantam Books, 1991. Encourages journal writing as a spiritual quest; useful in helping groups to plan their rituals.

Bass, Ellen and Davis, Laura. The Courage to Heal, A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse. California: Harper Perennial, a division of Harper Collins Publishers, 1988.

Bank, Mirra. Anonymous Was a Woman. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1979. A celebration in words and images of traditional American art—and the women who made it.

Beck, Renee and Metrick, Barbara Sydney. The Art of Ritual. California: Celestial Arts, 1990. Offers outline for creating rituals for growth and change.

Benson, John. Transformative Getaways. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996. Reference for retreat centers and retreats led by others; international.

Berends, Polly. Whole Parent/Whole Child. New York: Harper Perrenial, 1997. Combines practical suggestions for new parents (or teachers) with a focus on spirituality and moral development. Provides detailed help such as a list of things to bring on an outing and good children’s books and their descriptions.

Boland, Eavan. Object Lessons, The Life of the Woman and the Poet in our Time. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1995. Great Irish poet of our time considers our male dominated language and the objectification of women as well as her own struggles in a literary world dominated by men and their perspective.

Cabot, Laurie. Celebrate the Earth: a year of holidays in the Pagan tradition. New York: Delta, 1998. Celebrations for the eight holidays in the Pagan tradition.

Cabot, Laurie. Power of the Witch. New York: Delta, 1989. Practicing witch tells about the misunderstood religion of witchcraft.

Cameron, Julia. The Artist’s Way. New York: Jeremy Tarcher, 1996. Encourages opening to the creative process.

Carnes, Robin Dean and Craig, Sally. Sacred Circles: a guide to creating your own women’s spirituality group. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998. A sampler of women’s circles. Includes first meetings, storytelling, and rituals.

Conway, D.J. Maiden, Mother, Crone. St. Paul, Minnesota: Llewellyn, 1995. Resource on the history of goddess worship and myths. Includes material on fates, muses, and valkyries.

Conway, D.J. Falcon, Feather, and Valkyrie Sword: Feminine Shamanism, Witchcraft and Magick and Celtic Magic. St. Paul, Minnesota: Llewellyn, 1995.

Crary, Elizabeth. Without Spanking or Spoiling: a practical approach to toddler and preschool guidance. Parenting Press, 1993. Offers steps in problem solving and shaping children with a behavioral approach.

Davis, Elizabeth and Leonard, Carol. The Women’s Wheel of Life. New York: Viking Arkane, 1996. Includes thirteen archetypes of woman at her fullest power.

Dodson, Shirleen and Barker, Teresa. Mother Daughter Book Club: How Ten Busy Mothers and Daughters Came Together to Talk, Laugh, and Learn Through their Love of Reading. Includes how to start a club of your own and reading lists from popular authors.

Doherty, Bill, Ph.D. Take Back Your Kids. Notre Dame, Indiana: Sorin Books, 2000. Confidence building book for parents; covers protecting kids from consumer culture.

Doherty, Bill, Ph.D. The Intentional Family. New York: Avon Books, 1997. Written by a UU, this practical guide has ideas for everyday rituals, avoiding conflicts, and more.

Dyer, Traci, ed. Mother Voices, Real Women Write About Growing Into Motherhood. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks, Inc., 1999. A series of short vignettes about the small moments and the grand occasions inherent in mothering. Humor is used liberally. Especially suited for parents of preschoolers.

Eisler, Riane. The Chalice and the Blade. HarperSanFrancisco, 1988. Gives the historical legacy of the goddess.

Emerson, Dorothy May, ed. Standing Before Us. Boston: Skinner House Books, 1999. Letters, essays, poems, and speeches by North American UU women who spoke out against injustice.

Estes, Clarissa Pinkola, Ph.D. Women Who Run With Wolves, Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype. New York: Ballantine Books, 1995. Classic includes archetypal stories for exploring the female psyche and to stimulate discussion.

Faludi, Susan. Backlash, The Undeclared War against American Women. New York: Anchor Books, Doubleday, 1991. Includes extensive research; investigates the detractors of feminism.

Ferré, Robert. The Chartres Labyrinth Trilogy. St. Louis: Publishing division of The St. Louis Labyrinth Project, 1997.

Fisher, Adrian and Loxton, Howard. Secrets of the Maze, an interactive guide to the world’s most Amazing mazes. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997. Stunning labyrinth designs and aerial photos of labyrinths as part of outdoor landscapes. Fisher is a leading maze designer.

Flinders, Carol. At the Root of This Longing: Reconciling a Spiritual Hunger and a Feminist Thirst. San Francisco: HarperSan Francisco, 1998.

Francisco, Patricia Weaver. Telling, A Memoir of Rape and Recovery. New York: Harper Collins, 1999. A beautifully written book about a harrowing rape and Francisco’s long journey back to health and happiness; also addresses rape in a larger context of the frequent pattern of violence against women.

Friday, Nancy. My Mother, My Self, The Daughter’s Search for Identity. New York: Delta, 1977. Examines the first and most lasting relationship in every woman’s life. Discusses how women can change patterns in order to become vital, independent, and fully sexual.

Geoffrion, Jill Kimberly Hartwell. Living the Labyrinth. Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2000. Provides activities to use with the labyrinth; offers brief, devotional-like chapters that may be used in a variety of ways. Foreword written by labyrinth designer Robert Ferré.

Geoffrion, Jill Kimberly Hartwell. Praying the Labyrinth. Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 1999. Leads the uninitiated seeker into self-discovery through scripture selections, journaling questions, poetry, and space for personal reflections. Perfect introduction to the art of walking the labyrinth and also enjoyed by seasoned labyrinth users.

Gilligan, Carol. In a Different Voice, Psychological Theory and Women’s Development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1993. Harvard professor reframes typically female qualities regarded as women’s weaknesses and illuminates them as strengths. Has been reprinted thirty-two times!

Gray, Elizabeth Dodson, ed. Sacred Dimensions of Woman’s Experience. Wellesley, Massachusetts: Roundtable Press, 1988. Finds the sacred in the ordinary (even housework)! Includes a series of essays about women’s traditional activities. Originated in a lecture series at Harvard Divinity School; includes songs and poems.

Greenspan, Karen. Timetables of Women’s History, A Chronology of the Most Important People and Events in Women’s History. New York: Simon and Schuster, Touchstone, 1996. Spans -4000 to 1992 and includes the following sections: General/Context; Daily Life/Customs and practices; Humanities/Fine Arts; Occupations; Education; Performing Arts/Entertainment/Sports; Religion/Philosophy; Science/Technology/Discovery; Statecraft/Military; Reform. Excellent resource and so easy to use with its comprehensive index.

Hansen, Maren Tonder. Mother Mysteries. Boston: Shambhala, 1997. UU minister weaves her personal story with ordinary details of mothering/homemaking with the spiritual.

Harris, Maria. Dance of the Spirit: the Seven Steps of Women’s Spirituality. New York: Bantam Books, 1989. Nice inspiration for groups discussing the development of spirituality.

Jones, Constance. 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Women’s History. New York: Doubleday, Random House, 1998. Easy to use resource. Sections include: Government, Law and Politics; Religion and Humanitarianism; Education and Academia; Science, Medicine, and Technology; Economics, Work and Business; Daily Life; Literature and Journalism; Arts and Entertainment; Sports and Adventure; and Wild Women.

Lederman, Ellen. Vacations That Can Change Your Life. Illinois: Source Books, 1996. Best overall source for all types of retreats from solo quests in the wild to educational retreats.

Lloyd, Roseann and Keenan, Deborah, eds. Looking for Home: Women Writing about Exile. Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 1991. Received an American book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation.

Louden, Jennifer. The Woman’s Comfort Book. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992. Reference guide of simple, practical treats for nurturing body, mind, and spirit.

Louden, Jennifer. The Woman’s Retreat Book. HarperSanFrancisco, 1997. Sourcebook and guide for creating your own personal retreat. Ideas offered could be revised for groups but the book addresses individuals.

MacKinnon, Catharine A. Toward a Feminist Theory of the State. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989. This book presents an intellectual analysis of politics, sexuality, and the law from the perspective of women. Uses the debate over Marxism and feminism as a point of departure.

Marks, Kate. Circle of Song, Songs: Chants, and Dances for Ritual and Celebrations. Massachusetts: First Circle Press, 1995.

Mariechild, Diane. Mother Wit: A Guide to Healing and Psychic Development. Freedom, California: Crossing Press, 1981. Covers auras, chakras, psychic communication, healing, reincarnation, dreams, witchcraft, and spirituality.

Mauldin, Jane Ellen. Glory, Hallelujah: Now Please Pick Up Your Socks. Boston: Beacon Press, 1998. With humor, Mauldin reminds us that holiness is often found in unexpected places.

Mothers, Classics from the Modern Library. New York: Random House, 1998. Offers poems and classical stories such as “Marmee’s Lessons,” from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Nice resource for a parents’ group.

Murdock, Maureen. The Heroine’s Journey: Women’s Quest for Wholeness. Boston: Shambhala, Random House, 1990. Deals with women’s explorations with the “masculine,” illusions of success, goddesses, and healing the mother-daughter split.

Odean, Kathleen. Great Books for Girls: More than 600 Books to Inspire Today’s Girls and Tomorrow’s Women. Maryland: Ballantine Books, 1998.

Odean, Kathleen. Great Books for Boys: More than 600 Books for Boys 2–14. Maryland: Ballantine Books, 1998.

Pipher, Mary Brady. Another Country: The Emotional Terrain of our Elders. New York City: Riverhead, 2000. UU psychologist addresses the psychological passage into old age. Important for those caring for aging parents and especially those in the “sandwich” generation.

Pipher, Mary. Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls. New York: Putnam, 1994. UU psychologist offers this study (and strategies for coping) of why adolescent girls fall victim to depression, low self-esteem and pursuit of thinness, glamour and sexuality.

Pollack, William S. Real Boys. New York: Random House, 1998. Looks behind the mask of masculinity to find the power of mothers and to suggest ways of supporting sons while allowing them to become independent men. Based on Pollack’s clinical experiences and research at Harvard Medical School.

Roth, Gabrielle. Sweat Your Prayers. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1997. Explores dance and movement in rituals through five universal rhythms: flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, and stillness.

Schneir, Miriam, ed. Feminism, The Essential Historical Writings. Random House, New York: Random House, 1992. Includes essays, fiction, memoirs, and letters by the major feminist writers from history.

Sewell, Marilyn, ed. Claiming the Spirit Within: a Sourcebook of Women’s Poetry. Boston: Beacon Press, 1996.

Sewell, Marilyn, ed. Cries of the Spirit. Beacon Press, Boston: Beacon Press, 1991. Celebration of women’s spirituality through poetry.

Shapiro, Patricia Gottlieb. My Turn, Women’s Search for Self After the Children Leave. Challenges “empty-nest syndrome” and frames the time after children leave home as a time for a women to come into her own. Shapiro interviewed forty-five women, most of whom worked outside of the home.

Silverstein, Brett and Perlick, Deborah. The Cost of competence, Why Inequality Causes Depression, Eating Disorders, and Illness in Women. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. Investigates symptoms in women with aspirations to excel academically or professionally. Disordered eating is shown to be a way of rejecting the feminine body perceived as a barrier to achievement and recognition.

Sjoo, Monica and Mor, Barbara. The Great Cosmic Mother: rediscovering the religion of the Earth. SanFrancisco: Harper and Row, 1987.

Starck, Marcia and Stern, Gynn. The Dark Goddess: Dancing With the Shadow. Freedom, California: The Crossing Press, 1993. Dark refers to the subconscious Goddesses (not Jungian) from various cultures; explores aspects of the feminine shadow.

Starck, Marcia. Women’s Medicine Ways: Cross Cultural Rites of Passage. Freedom, California: Crossing Press, 1993. Includes the best in women’s spirituality: Native American, Wicca, and Yoruba traditions.

Starhawk. Dreaming the Dark: Magic, Sex, and Politics. Boston: Beacon Press, 1982. Links magic, political activism, and psychology. Describes actions of the Diablo Canyon antinuclear blockade in 1981. Details history of Witch burnings.

Starhawk. The Spiral Dance. HarperSanFrancisco, 1989. Classic work about the rebirth of ancient goddess religions. Twice updated.

Starhawk. Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery. San Francisco, HarperSanFrancisco, 1988. Weaves together magic and direct action. Scrutinizes ways we internalize power structures. Winner of the Media Alliance Meritorious Achievement Award.

Stein, Diana. Casting the Circle. Freedom, California: Crossing Press, 1998. Offers structure for rituals, covers cycles of the moon, and rites of passage.

Steinem, Gloria. Revolution from Within, A book of Self-esteem. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1993. Written by a woman sometimes described as a “one-woman revolution,” this book examines the interplay between the individual and society.

Teish, Luisah. Carnival of the Spirit, Seasonal Celebrations and Rites of Passage. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1994. Covers seasons in goddess religion, rites and ceremonies, the African religion of Yoruba, and religious calendars.

Thompson, Peg, Ph.D. Finding Your Own Spiritual Path. San Francisco: Hazelden, 1994. Good for those new to the spiritual seeking path.

Tucker, Cynthia Grant. Prophetic Sisterhood. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994. Draws from personal sources, such as letters, to document the struggles of 19th century women in our denomination.

Walker, Barbara G. Feminist Fairy Tales. San Francisco: Harper, 1996. Includes 28 stories.

Ward, Fred and Betty. About Sexual Abuse. Boston: UUA, 1990. In ten one-hour sessions, provides guidelines for identifying, preventing, and reporting sexual abuse.

Woodman, Marion and Dickson, Elinor. Dancing in the flames. Boston: Shambhala, 1996. Using Jungian theory, the authors explore goddess archetypes as life forces in nature; encourages us to embrace chaos that often leads to wisdom, transformation, and global change.

Woogler, Jennifer Barker. The Goddess Within: A Guide to the Eternal Myths that Shape Women’s Lives. New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1989. Returns us to ancient mythology and religion to explore goddess archetypes that validate the feminine.