Crossing to Avalon: A Woman's Midlife Quest for the Sacred Feminine

One of the main themes of Jean Shinoda Bolen's work is her distinction between masculine and feminine spirituality. She maintains that the former is felt in the mind, the latter in the body. In "Crossing to Avalon" she takes us with her on a journey around the energy power points of Europe to find the source of that sacred feminine and to experience it first hand.It is on this pilgrimage that she moves out her usual role of guide and analyst and becomes the seeker and the guided; and in doing so she reveals to us Jean Shinoda Bolen the woman. She graphically explains the internal and external processes taking place, providing throughout an historical and mythological background, which serves to set both the scene and the task.This is a highly personal account but that adds to its readability and usefulness rather than detracts from it. Unlike many other books on finding personal meaning Jean Shinoda Bolen demonstrates to us that although the journey to find the Grail can be easily documented the actual travelling and arrival at the search departure point is as painful and enlightening for those who have gone before as it is for those who follow.

I read this books years ago when it first came out, then picked it up again after a friend spoke about Glastonbury. This time it was an even more amazing read. Her story and insights are incredibly synchronistic for anyone going through their middle years who has some life under their belt.

Have enjoyed this book, will definitely read again. Love reading and on a tight budget, so bought used and arrived in very good condition.

For someone who works with womens' spirituality this is rather stuck in male based arthurian myth.

I was so excited about this book because I'm very interested in Avalon and the Divine Feminine but after about 80 pages I'm giving up. The way it is written bores me and instead of the book telling me her story of her pilgrimage I'm reading about archetypes and references to legends that don't even go into enough detail to be relevant and just feel like meanderings. I would actually have liked to hear her story but I can't be bothered to read any more of this book, it feels like more fluff than substance.