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 Best book available for women seeking to (re)connect with Goddess Jul 14, 2008
As a university professor who does a lot of reading I consider this book to be a gem. It is an excellent book that I have read over and over. It is not designed specifically to be read from cover to cover in sequence, although that can be a good approach for the first time through, just so you know what's there. Instead, it is more of a reference book, and an excellent one, of tools for those honestly seeking the deeper meaning of Goddess and women's spirituality. I have bookmarks at several sections that I go back to and reread repeatedly, each time getting a deeper understanding of the lesson.
Avalon Within is a road map for following spiritual aspects of the celtic year, with particular reference to the Goddesses of the Mabinogion and ancient traditions of the peoples that inhabited England, particularly what is now Wales and Cornwall. It takes us through a yearly cycle in which we identify problems and pains within ourselves, eliminate them, then build aspects of ourselves that we wish to strengthen. The book is balanced in addressing the depths of despair that we have all known, through to the ecstasy of being in full mergence with the Divine, particularly the Divine Feminine, and all that comes in between.
The reviewer that gave this book a single star claims that "the author here expects us to believe that there was a sisterhood of Druid-like women living in Glastonbury in an ancient feminist commune". This, and some other comments in the review, make it clear that the reviewer did not actually read the book, since a long paragraph in the introduction of the book reviews multiple ideas and hypotheses about what Avalon was, ranging from the historical and physical to several metaphysical,allegorical and mythological possibilities, then concludes with the statement "In truth, it may not matter." I quite concur with the latter. Whatever Avalon once was, today it is what we make of it.
It is, as stated by the gentleman who complained that it was a book written for women, a book written by a woman, for women. There is certainly need for Avalonian books and groups that are inclusive of men as well as women. However, in a world where women are still striving to get fair treatment in political, economic and many other areas, and are striving to (re)connect with Goddess after centuries of patriarchal religious structures telling them that God is Male and Only Men Count, there is real need for books like this.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 "Avalon Within" Limiting Jun 23, 2008
I purchased "Avalon Within" because of a growing interest in Goddess Spirituality and the concept of Avalon. I found the book to be pretty much what I had expected except for one crucial thing. I'm a man and author Jhenah Telyndru makes no mention of males belonging in the Avalon Tradition. She obviously initiates only women in her "Sisterhood". While the book was interesting, especially if one likes Celtic paths, it had limited value to me as a male. This is regretful since I have read other authors who include men in Avalonian circles. On a more positive note, the cover image is beautiful, if one likes judging a book by its cover.
 Amazing book for anyone on a journey to reach Glstonbury. Oct 20, 2007
This was a wonderful book for my trip to Glastonbury. It was full of rich facts and meditations. I wish I had read it before the trip so I could be prepared for the energy there. I was sweating a lot in the first few days. I would have liked to have done some of the work in this book earlier so I would have had a chance to intergrate everything.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Excellent Resource Jun 21, 2007
This is a fantastic resource for those wishing to walk one of the many paths to Avalon. Meticulously researched with an ample bibliography, the author has put together a comprehensive road map for any womon who wishes to experience an Avalonian Mystery tradition. New age self-help? Hardly. Dianic Wicca? Not even close. Wicca 101? No. There's nary a spell or reference to any of the elements that traditionally make up the Wiccan path. The path Telyndru lays out is unique and quite different from many pagan paths.
In fact, I would venture to say, this is not a path for the spiritual fluffy bunny who wants all sunshine, faeries, unicorns and love spells (not that I'm saying that's what the Wiccan way is about!)...like many spiritual paths, you are urged to take an honest look at your life and see where you might make it better, as well as to celebrate the perfectly wonderful parts of your life and really own them.
Avalon Within has been an invaluable aid to me in carving out my own path to Avalon. Though I'm neither a college-aged girl or lacking in self-esteem, I've found this book to be an excellent resource, as anyone with a modicum of intelligence and discernment might.
Bendithion Afallon...
13 of 17 found the following review helpful:
 Dianic Self-help Avalon New Age fluff Jun 11, 2007
This is just a self-help book for women thinly veiled in Celtic religion. For those of us who already worship the Welsh Goddesses of the Mabinogi based on the actual source itself, this will be very disappointing. The author takes the great Goddesses we honor and turns them into archetypes for our personal growth with the spiritual power stripped from them. I did Dianic Witchcraft in the early 80s - Z Budapest certainly has more to offer women as far as sisterhood and women's mysteries go than this junk. The assumption that Avalon is Glastonbury always ruffled my feathers because I believe it an Otherworldly place, but the author here expects us to believe that there was a sisterhood of Druid-like women living in Glastonbury in an ancient feminist commune. I really wanted this to give me new historical information I didn't have about Celtic/Briton priestesses and their ways, a real Welsh women's mysteries study, or ways for me to pathwork with the Goddesses and priestesses we know about, but this really was like a Wicca 101 book mixed with self-pride exercises, sadly for women only. The author also hits the reader over the head repeatedly with the belief that self growth is never finished and is a hard, painful journey, which any smart person already knows, ALONG with the blissful joy of breakthroughs, of which she barely mentions. I need to find some college student girl with low self esteem just getting into Paganism to give this to and then hope she doesn't think the religion is just a self-help kick instead of a meaningful, beautiful relationship with Nature, Deities, etc. If you really want to learn - and have powerful meditations - about the women of Avalon, get Caitlin Matthew's Ladies of the Lake.
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