MY NAME IS MEDUSA By Glenys Livingstone Ph.D., Illustrated by Arna Baartz.
Review by Veronica Scoot, for The Small Tapestry, Pagan Awareness Network newsletter, Spring 2016.
I was thrilled when Glenys Livingstone asked me to review this delicious book. It was put to me as a children’s book, but to be honest, I can’t endorse it as being for children. It is much more than that.
This is a visual feast, a delight to the soul. The artwork is a collection of abstract pieces that indulge every sense and emotion. Each one is a story in itself and would be a perfect vehicle for meditation or trance-work when working with the Medusa energy. I only wish I could show you the colourful explosion that each page delivers.
Part of me was tempted to pull it apart so that I could plaster the walls with the artwork. Another part of me wanted to sit quietly with each of the 43 pages, one at a time and immerse myself in the layers of story and symbolism buried in each piece. Each time I look, there is more and more that I see.
The story is unique. It is not a retelling of the Medusa myth, but rather it is an exploration of some of the themes that come out of it. It explores our relationship with the dark and with symbols of the dark, such as snakes, earth, seeds and dreams and the presence of fear, challenging us to see more, to understand more and to reach higher. Every page easily stands alone as a vehicle for contemplation, meditation, journey and mindfulness; a way to discover more about yourself as you explore the Medusa energy with a child’s openness.
No, this is not a children’s book, but would be vastly appreciated by the ‘tweens’, the teens, and the inner child. It even includes a colouring-in page at the end. I recommend this delightful publication to you, as a coffee table piece to spark discussion or as a personal piece to explore as part of your ritual practice. Or you might simply cave to the temptation to display the artwork as food for both the eye and the soul.
PaGaian Cosmology 