This is the kind of book which would have some appeal to devotees of the typical 'feminist spirituality'. Unfortunately, her appeals to the 'ancient matriarchy' are ahistorical, and her analysis of the Ring itself simple. A book does not need to be intensely musical, but the opera itself is rather neglected. The story can be made to fit into the Jungian paradigm, but only by a very selective reading of the poetry, which neglects the richness of the Ring. If you have to go Jungian, go with Donington. Better yet, go with Deryck Cooke for an introduction.

I won't launch into an academic review or a precise of the story. Suffice to say that this is a wonderful book. For 30 - something women, particularly who identify with a patriarchal 'Wotan' figure and his defiant daughter (Brunnhilde) who forsakes wealth and power for love, this is a journey with which you will be familiar. And a wonderfully warm insight into what can be acheived by such women should they take some risks and act from their hearts! Many books have been written on the suppression of the feminine in society but this multi faceted gem allows a glimpse of so many layers of understanding in such an accessible way that it is irresistible. A peek at Carl Jung, an introduction to the genius of Wagner, the insights of the mythologies and the interpretation and storytelling genius of Jean Shinoda Bolen. If nothing else, this book is good value! So much in one package - a rare find these days indeed!

Certainly one of Bolen's most essential works. Ring Of Power provides a valuable guide to Wagner's classic Ring Cycle, yet it is Bolen's grasp of the archetypal basis for the mythology that gives the book its power.

All creation comes from an archetypal base, and in The Ring, it is the symbolic sacrificing of the Sacred Feminine that drives the entire story. This principle is fundamental to many pieces, including Faust, the Grail legends and even Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

In each case, only the restoration of that which has been sacrificed in a Faustian pact can make healing occur. Bolen's genius is never clearer than in this book, and it was pivotal to the concluding sections of my own book, Sirius Moonlight: The Origins Of The Suppression Of The Feminine.

I would strongly recommend Ring Of Power, and indeed all of Bolen's works - especially her autobiographical Crossing To Avalon. People who doubt the importance of Thinking Person's Feminism might consider this... 84 years ago Jean Shinoda Bolen would not have been able to vote, own her own house or inherit property from her father. Like every other woman in the highly civilized English-speaking world.

My own book is dedicated to the nine million women who were murdered by the Church during the Inquisition, for such heinous crimes as being midwives and healers. Lest we forget. If the patriarchal Valhalla is now burning, all I can say is pass the gasoline. Good job, Jean.