The Flowering Wand: Rewilding the Sacred Masculine

The book explores the regenerative and magical secrets of sacred masculinity hidden in familiar myths both ancient and modern. It reveals the restorative fungi archetype of Osiris, the Orphic mysteries as an underground mycelium linking forests and people, how Dionysus teaches us about invasive species and playful sexuality, and the ecology of Jesus as depicted in his nature-focused parables. It encourages the masculine into more nuanced, complex ways of dealing with trauma, growth, and self-knowledge and frees Tristan, Merlin, and the Grail legends from the bounds of Campbell's heros journey.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 22 December 2022
Publisher: Inner Traditions Bear and Company

Long before the sword-wielding heroes of legend readily cut down forests, slaughtered the old deities, and vanquished their enemies, there were playful gods, animal-headed kings, mischievous lovers, trickster harpists, and vegetal magicians with flowering wands. As eco-feminist scholar Sophie Strand discovered, these wilder, more magical modes of the masculine have always been hidden in plain sight.

Sharing the culmination of eight years of research into myth, folklore, and the history of religion, Strand leads us back into the forgotten landscapes and hidden secrets of familiar myths, revealing the beautiful range of the divine masculine, including expressions of male friendship, male intimacy, and male creative collaboration. In discussing Dionysus and Osiris, Strand encourages us to think like an ecosystem instead of like an individual. She connects dying, vegetal gods to the virtuous cycle of composting and decay, highlighting the ways in which mushrooms can restore soil and heal polluted landscapes. Exploring esoteric Christianity, the author celebrates the Gnostic Jesus of the Gospel of Thomas, imagining the ecology that the Rabbi Yeshua would have actually been referencing in his natural.

The book also delves into the Orphic mysteries as an underground mycelium linking forests and people, how Dionysus teaches us about invasive species and playful sexuality, and the ecology of Jesus as depicted in his nature-focused parables. By liberating Tristan, Merlin, and the Grail legends from the bounds of Campbell's hero's journey, the book invites the masculine into more nuanced, complex ways of dealing with trauma, growth, and self-knowledge.

In conclusion, Sacred Masculinity: Reclaiming the Lost Wisdom of the Divine Male offers a profound exploration of the regenerative and magical secrets of sacred masculinity hidden in familiar myths both ancient and modern. By reconnecting with these forgotten aspects of the masculine, we can cultivate a more balanced and sustainable relationship with the natural world and with ourselves.

Weight: 346g
Dimension: 152 x 226 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781644115961