The Way of the Rose: The Radical Path of the Divine Feminine in the Rosary

Married couple Strand (Waking Up to the Dark) and Finn (The Reluctant Psychic) elucidate a lengthy, often fantastical, account of their journey into a faith driven by feminine, transcendent connection to nature. During a time of great financial stress, Strand felt mysteriously drawn to an old statue of the Virgin Mary at an antique shop and purchased it. Nearly immediately, Finn, who was raised Irish Catholic, was affected by the statue and “by the end of the day, [she] had transformed the mantel above the fireplace into an altar.” They then, oddly, have separate visions of a “Lady” who compels them to “pray the rosary.” The voice of the lady urges them to reconceive of patriarchal structures (such as those within the Catholic church), and their own research suggests the origins of the rosary, “a sacred circle of flowers,” can be traced back more than 5,000 years as a symbol of “eco-feminine” power. For Strand and Finn, “the way of the rose” is what connects each person to the “vast, interconnected body of prayer we call the Earth.” Though no concrete steps are offered here, readers looking for an alternative to traditional religion may take to this whimsical story of finding inspiration in unlikely places. (Nov.)