Circle of Stones

A Woman's Journey to Herself

Feb 3, 2008 Christine Musser

A book review about a spiritual journey that opens doors of possibility, teaches self trust and develops inner strength. What was once suppressed is reborn and lives.

Circle of Stones: A Woman’s Journey to Herself, by Judith Duerk, takes women on a spiritual journey to find their inner selves. She does this through the mythology of ancient times, history, and religion. She explains the meaning of the “circle of stones” and the important role it plays in a woman’s life.

Loss of Self

As Duerk begins her book, she focuses on the loss of femininity during the days of the Elimites in Mesopotamia, where a patriarchal society formed. Women could no longer worship the Great Mother deity and therefore lost their voice in state matters. They were humiliated and scorned for being evil. Their treatment affected future generations of women and that is why Duerk’s book is so important to women today, who need to find their voice and to accept who they are.

To help women begin their self journey, Duerk points out the importance of:

Tears – they open up what women are feeling within themselves.
Group gatherings for women to share their experiences with each other, as well as with younger women.
The mother and daughter role – to teach about past generations of women.
The woman to woman role – friendships encourages healing and a deeper sense of who they are.

How Might Your Life Be Different

Duerk's theme throughout the book is “How might your life be different . . .?” Through her insightful words, she is able to provoke the reader to wonder how her life would be different if she had a place to go to be nurtured and taught to trust herself.

The title, Circle of Stones, is taken from several ancient religions such as the Ring of Brogar in the Orknesy, the Rollright Stones, Stonehenge, and the circles of Scandinavia and the northern isles. These stones were places of healing rituals, just as Duerk’s book is a place for modern women to:

Find centered stillness
Listen to what is within
Find the spiritual self

Symbol of the Circle in the Female Journey

Woman gives birth to woman
Woman identifies with the gentle; tenderness; nurturing woman
Woman identifies with the hostilities of her male counterpart and eventually returns to the woman she is meant to be
Woman returns to the woman who gave her birth

Duerk stirs the emotion of the reader in her book. It is understandable how over 150,000 + copies have been sold. This book is recommended for mothers to pass to daughters, sisters to sisters, and friends to friends. There is also a reading group guide that goes along with the book.

Source:

Duerk, Judith. The Circle of Stones. Hawaii, Inner Ocean Publishing, Inc., 2004.

The copyright of the article Circle of Stones in Personal Development is owned by Christine Musser. Permission to republish Circle of Stones in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.