Pagan Meditations: The Worlds of Aphrodite, Artemis, and Hestia

Spring Publications

Pagan Meditations:  The Worlds of Aphrodite, Artemis, and Hestia
Ginette Paris
1986

The Summary
Pagan Meditations is a look at feminism and the psychology of feminism in both the ancient and modern worlds.  Furthermore, Ginette Paris examines underlying tones of feminism in Greek mythology, specifically through the stories and legends surrounding the goddesses of love (Aphrodite), wilderness (Artemis), and hearth (Hestia).

The Good
In her investigation, Paris provides intriguing depictions of the gods and goddesses of Greek myth as they were embraced by ancient society and examined in the modern world.  It's interesting to see the links that the author makes in studying the psychology of the ancients who worshiped these goddesses and the modern individuals who embrace similar patterns of feminism.

While I enjoyed the thoughtful psychological studies and intriguing parallels Paris drew, I also enjoyed the historical elements of Pagan Meditations.  Paris delves deep into ancient Greek traditions, showing practices of worship, investigating spirituality and individual/community beliefs, unearthing important ladies in Greek society and religion.

Paris, despite her background as a psychologist, does an excellent job of bringing history to the forefront of her work.  I loved the inclusion of such little historical morsels, such as her study into the high priestesses of Aphrodite, the courtesans who became mistresses to great generals and Greek thinkers and became powerful patrons of culture in their own right, or her examination of the ladies who inspired the tales of Amazons.

Although periodically dry, Pagan Meditations is both insightful and informative - and intriguing for the concepts of feminism, female social and political power, and, yes, even female sexuality, which she explores.

The Bad
Admittedly, I sometimes had trouble slogging through Pagan Meditations.  The author is obviously brilliant, having devoted copious amounts of time and attention to the details of her work; however, she is an academic, a scholar, and a psychologist.  Occasionally, her words fall flat.  More to the point, she sometimes waxes philosophical, throwing in psychological dialogue that truthfully went over my head.

Paris manages to relate real life examples to her investigation, making her writing a little clearer and, more importantly, accessible, but her work borders on dry, cerebral.  She's an academic making a point, rather than a storyteller.

The Ugly
Other than the occasional, unsavory historical fact or awkwardness concerning the in-depth conversation about female and general human sexuality, Pagan Meditations is pretty mild.