An unmissable introduction to spiritual feminism

Yesterday marked the release of a debut book by Jasmine Elmer, an ancient history expert from the East End of London who currently resides in Exeter.

Goddess with a Thousand Faces: A one-of-a-kind exploration of goddesses from our ancient past is a uniquely structured book that encourages readers to interrogate our modern world and ourselves.

It also serves to commemorate the histories of important feminine deities, who are too frequently pushed into the shadows behind their male equivalents.

It is split into 10 chapters describing the stories and cultures around different goddesses, with recognisable icons like the Greek Artemis and Egyption Isis and lesser known ones like the Inuit Sedna and Māori Hine-nui-te-pō.

Each chapter contains a fictional re-telling of a famous legend about the goddess, the historical context of the culture they represent, and then a reflection on how we can adopt their symbolisms in our current reality.

Jasmine has proven herself a talented writer, seamlessly interweaving creative, academic, and reflective writing into an enlightening and engaging text.

Something I appreciated while reading this book was how it gently revealed my own ignorance, despite being somewhat of a mythology enthusiast myself. 

I was shocked to learn of the Norse goddess Freya, particularly as the name Freya appears time and time again in many fictional Viking television series.

The realisation that we associate the name Freya so closely with Viking culture yet not with the original deity it so importantly hails from was eye-opening. 

Another notable surprise came during the Mawu-Lisa chapter, a gender-neutral goddess within the West African vodun religion. 

The description of vodun religion and its common misrepresentation in popular culture served as yet another reminder to be more aware of our susceptibility to public narratives.

Jasmine explains her motivations behind writing the book in its introduction:

“Even if I looked around me, to the women I know, all I could see was rushing around, giving everything to everyone—time, resources, energy—and burning out as a result. A style of living suited to the male, a suppression and disdain for the feminine energies of the world. I felt like I was screaming into the wind, alongside every other woman I know, asking for it all to stop. Unsurprisingly then, my thinking quickly turned into anger, which then transformed into passion and purpose. What you are reading here is a result of that journey.”

Jasmine’s passion is felt in every chapter, as are the universal realities that come with being a woman. 

The narrative was more academic than I initially expected, but I am pleased with that, especially as we need more texts that make ancient myths accessible to all.

The transition from creative storytelling to historical truth not only helps you understand each goddess's contemporary significance but also allows you to envision how their legend empowered women of their time.

Jasmine successfully represents a variety of cultures and topics, ranging from sexual freedom, betrayal, revenge, angst, acceptance, exile, motherhood, protectorship, and much more. 

Jasmine calls her style of history, History With Soul, and believes that people are most attracted to stories that seem to speak to some part of themselves.

I find it hard to believe that readers of this book, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity, won't find something that they can connect with.

The book is as much an exploration of human emotion as it is of ancient myth, and my praise and thanks go out to Jasmine for channelling her feelings to create it. 

It is always important to cast an eye back to history and reconsider why things have come to be like they are today. 

I personally will look forward to any projects Jasmine works on in the future.