"I am she who dwells in the desert,
who sleeps among ruins,
who whispers among broken stones.No man possesses me.
No god commands me.
My name is spoken with fear,
yet those who truly know it, find me."
(apocryphal fragment, attributed to the Voice of Lilith - oral tradition, source unknown) - page 4
I read 'Lilith: Awakening The Dark Feminine Energy: History, Symbols, Secret Rituals, and Esoteric Practices to Reclaim the Sacred Feminine Long Suppressed by Patriarchy' by Melissa Smith, as a companion book to 'Lilith: The First Witch: History, Myth, and the Forbidden Power of the Dark Divine' by Nyx Corven. In fact, I read both on the same day. They are small indie nonfiction 'Lilith' books of similar length.
Indeed, 'Lilith: Awakening The Dark Feminine Energy' is similar in its research of the history of Lilith, and in its exploration and psychoanalysis of the symbolism, mysticism, spirituality, teachings, rituals, spells, practices, and the whole divinity of her. Only it is perhaps more detailed and thorough in its research. And it can be very repetitive in how it writes Lilith's lessons on how to live life (and cast spells), especially towards the end ('Lilith: The First Witch' can be repetitive, as well).
But makes it very clear that Lilith is not really some supernatural being. She is not a goddess, an icon, a mythical, mystical presence and figure to be worshipped or idolised - she doesn't like that. That is not what she is about.
She is a natural, powerful, enduring feminine spirit, who is simply a reminder to be yourself, and live as your authentic self. No wavering, no quieting, no fear, no excuses. She is your dark, shadowy, strong and defiant feminine id.
No more repression. No more reinvention, for that matter.
But remembrance, reclamation, refusal, resistance, and rebellion. And return. A rise from the ashes.
Lilith is and always has been someone and something who just is, as herself. No apologies. No backing down. No submission. No compromises. Neither good nor evil. And you can be too.
She wants to help you be you. To reclaim complete control of your own autonomy. To embrace your hidden, shadow self. It's Jungian philosophy, where to be a free woman is your wild and true calling.
Lilith has always just been. Always there. Always waiting. Always saying "No" to anything that is against her nature and principles. Always demanding equality. She doesn't have to explain, justify, or prove herself to anyone. She doesn't have to ask permission on anything, throughout her existence, which has neither a beginning nor an end.
Lilith - the legend, the myth, the newfound and reclaimed feminist deity and icon - is truth personified.
Pandora, Medea, Hecate, and the patriarchal, medieval idea of "the witch" are also mentioned and explored in 'Lilith: Awakening The Dark Feminine Energy'.
From the blurb:
'Lilith is not a collection of myths to be memorized, nor a new goddess for easy worship. She is a force, a presence, a refusal to vanish.
Lilith: Awakening the Dark Feminine Energy offers a return to the forgotten source.
Across Mesopotamian winds, Kabbalistic traditions, medieval fears, and modern reinterpretations, Lilith has survived every attempt to silence her--not as a demon, not as a heroine, but as the wild memory of everything that was once rejected and never truly lost.
This book restores depth to her story, placing Lilith back in her original contexts, tracing her evolution through time, and only then--only then--inviting you to encounter her through ritual.
Inside, you will find sober explorations of her history, symbols, and transformations; reflections on dark feminine energy, forbidden desire, and the voice that refuses to soften; and practices designed to awaken the sacred feminine long suppressed by fear, control, and forgetting.
Lilith does not comfort. She does not offer blessings. She demands that you meet yourself without filters, without disguises.
If you are ready to reclaim the voice you buried, the power you abandoned, and the desire you were taught to fear, Lilith is already waiting.'
She may not like to be idolised and blindly admired, but Lilith is still one of my favourite goddesses. I love and respect all she represents.
For more, read my review of 'Lilith: The First Witch: History, Myth, and the Forbidden Power of the Dark Divine'.
Final Score: 3.5/5