There are so many excellent books and other goodies to enrich your sacred time. This resource list was compiled from interviews and discussions with other women.
WARNING: It is very easy to be seduced by this kind of list.
Remember the cardinal rule: keep it simple.
Books
STORIES OF STRONG WOMEN, WOMEN ON RETREAT, WOMEN FORGING THEIR OWN LIVES
Sisters of the Earth, edited by Lorraine Anderson (New York: Vintage, 1991). A selection of writing by women about their relationship to nature. Lots about solitude and retreat.
A Year by the Sea Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman, by Joan Anderson (New York: Broadway, 2000). A memoir of solitude and self in the tradition of Sarton and Lindbergh.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou (New York: Random House, 1969). Good for healing, courage, and spiritual renewal retreats.
The Feminine Face of God: The Unfolding of the Sacred in Women by Sherry Ruth Anderson and Patricia Hopkins (New York: Bantam Books, 1991).
Through the Narrow Gate, by Karen Armstrong (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1981). A brilliant theologian’s spiritual journey.
Surfacing, by Margaret Atwood (New York: Ballantine, 1987). Read when searching for self in relationship to father and on wilderness retreats.
Plain and Simple, by Sue Bender (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1989). Read for courage, to become centered, and for spiritual nurturance.
The Pull of the Moon, by Elizabeth Berg (New York: Random House, 1996). For healing burn-out, especially within marriage.
Song of the Lark, by Willa Cather (1915; New York: New American Library, 1991). A young opera singer giving everything to her art.
Reinventing Eve, by Kim Chernin (New York: Times Books, 1987). Read during a time of descent and on spiritual retreats.
Sitting Still, by Patricia Hart Clifford (New York: Paulist Press, 1994). Excellent to read before a meditation retreat and if you are a Christian wanting to incorporate Eastern forms of meditation into your spiritual practice.
Tracks and Desert Places, by Robyn Davidson (New York: Viking, 1986 and 1996). Adventure, courage, and connection to wild places. Good to read when considering change and on birthdays.
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Holy the Firm, and Teaching a Stone to Talk, by Annie Dillard (New York: Harper & Row, 1974, 1977, 1982). Thick, juicy passages to contemplate about nature, God, and solitude.
Out of Africa, by Isak Dinesen (New York: Random House, 1938). Fortitude.
Enduring Grace, by Carol Lee Flinders (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993). Spiritual renewal, courage, history of retreating.
My Brilliant Career, by Miles Franklin (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1980). To inspire young women and to recapture girlhood pluck.
Long, Quiet Highway, by Natalie Goldberg (New York: Bantam Books, 1993). Read before a Zen meditation retreat or if grieving the death of a loved one or spiritual teacher.
50 Days of Solitude, by Doris Grumbach (Boston: Beacon Press, 1994). For older women and when feeling uncomfortable during a retreat.
The Fruitful Darkness, by Joan Halifax (San Francisco, HarperSanFrancisco, 1993). Nature, shamanic realms, and varied ways to retreat.
The Solitary, by Linda Hall (New York, Scribner, 1986). For young women and mothers of adolescents to read, or for teachers and those helping young women in trouble.
Migrations to Solitude, by Sue Halpern (New York: Vintage, 1993). Reflections on different forms of solitude. Elegant, thought provoking, intellectual.
Virgin Time, by Patricia Hampl (New York: Ballantine Books, 1992). For spiritual renewal.
Solar Storms, by Linda Hogan (New York: Scribner, 1995). One of my all-time favorite novels. Good for young women on retreat, mothers of teenage daughters, and the wounded child within.
A Country Year: Living the Questions, by Sue Hubbel (New York: Random House, 1986). For reading when you yearn to live in the country and to be reunited with nature and your own strength.
An Unknown Woman and Stations of Solitude, by Alice Koller (New York: Bantam, 1983 and 1990). These classics nurture the intellect and courage.
Woodswoman, by Anne LaBastille (New York: Dutton, 1976). Inspiration, courage, and connecting to nature.
Meeting the Madwoman, by Linda Leonard (New York: Bantam Books, 1993). Read about artist retreats, if your creativity is being sucked away in feeding others, and if you fear solitude. See especially the chapters “The Muse” and “The Recluse.”
“Room 19” in Stories, by Doris Lessing (New York: Knopf, 1978). Read this when you can’t get yourself to go on retreat.
Deep Water Passage, by Ann Linnea (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1995). Perfectly captures the retreat archetype in the form of a great story.
Gift from the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh (New York: Random House, 1955). For beginning retreatants, mothers, and seashore retreats.
West with the Night, by Beryl Markham (Berkeley: North Point Press, 1983, first edition published by Houghton Mifflin, 1942). For courage and resolve.
Women of Courage: Inspiring Stories from the Women Who Lived Them, by Katherine Martin (Novato, CA.: New World Library, 1999). Stories in which women we admire describe life-altering moments in which they had to find strength and courage.
The Measure of My Days, by Florida Scott Maxwell (New York: Knopf, 1968). For birthdays, for courage when descending into your depths, and for help with aging.
The Cloister Walk, by Kathleen Norris (New York: Riverhead Books, 1996). For contemplation, Christians, and poets. Brilliant.
A Woman on Paper, by Anita Politzer (New York: Touchstone Books, 1988). Reading about O’Keeffe’s life makes your spirit soar.
Cross Creek, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (New York: Scribner’s Sons, 1942). For resolve, for courage, and when considering life changes.
A Woman in the Polar Night, by Christianne Ritter (New York: Dutton, 1954). Perspective and fear of being alone.
Solo: On Her Own Adventure, edited by Susan Fox Rogers (Seattle: Seal Press, 1996). A stunning collection of essays covering every emotion you encounter on retreat. Especially good for rites of passages.
Plant Dreaming Deep, Journal of a Solitude, and House by the Sea, by May Sarton (New York: Norton, 1968, 1973, 1977). For older women, writers, and artists. Good when debating the question “How can I have love and have a creative life?” Read Sarton’s later journals for help with aging and illness.
Drinking the Rain, by Alix Kates Shulman (New York: Farrar Straus Giroux: 1995). For feminists, writers, cooks, and women going through a divorce.
Daybook: The Journal of an Artist, by Anne Truitt (New York: Pantheon Books, 1982). For artist retreats. Also encouraging for moms to read. For older artists, see her book Prospect.
The Color Purple, Living by the Word, and The Temple of My Familiar, by Alice Walker (New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1982, 1988, 1989). Food for your soul and for help grieving.
The Center of the Web: Women and Solitude, edited by Delese Wear (Albany, New York: State University of New York Press, 1993). Required reading for women in academia and women retreating to figure out how to survive in a man’s world.
“Why I Live at the P.O.,” in The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty, by Eudora Welty (New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1936–1980). Read when you want to run away from home.
An Unspoken Hunger, by Terry Tempest Williams (New York: Pantheon, 1994). Read for help connecting with nature through metaphor and for her amazing prose.
Refuge, by Terry Tempest Williams (New York: Random House, 1986). Read when grieving the death of someone you love.
To the Lighthouse, Mrs. Dalloway, and A Room of Own’s Own (New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1925, 1927, 1929), by Virginia Woolf. To nod your head in understanding, to push yourself to claim your life, and to take on artist retreats.
BOOKS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT RETREATING
Silence, Simplicity, and Solitude (New York: Belltower, 1992) and Renewing Your Soul (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995), both by David Cooper. Rabbi Cooper is the pioneer of the modern retreat movement. Good for those interested in doing a meditation or Jewish retreat.
Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There, by Sylvia Boorstein (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1996). Sylvia is the Jewish grandmother of American Buddhism. Step-by-step guide to a three-day Buddhist meditation retreat. Excellent.
A Seven-Day Journey with Thomas Merton, by Esther DeWaal (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Servant Publications, 1992). A Christian contemplative retreat on Merton’s writing and photographs.
BOOKS LISTING RETREAT CENTERS, LEADERS, AND ADVENTURES
Sanctuaries, by Jack and Maria Kelly (New York: Bell Tower, 1996). The best resource for finding a retreat center for a self-led retreat. Lots of Zen and Catholic centers listed.
Vacations That Can Change Your Life, by Ellen Lederman (Naperville, Illinois: Source Books, 1996). Covers adventures, retreats, and workshops. Best overall source for all types of retreats, from self-led to wilderness adventure to educational.
Fodor’s Healthy Escapes, edited by Christine Swiac (New York: Fodors Travel, 2003). A listing of spas and resorts, high end.
Yoga Vacations, by Annalisa Cunningham (Santa Fe, New Mexico John Muir Publications, 1999). Several page write-ups on international yoga retreats.
Yoga Escapes: A Yoga Journal Guide to the Best Places to Relax, Renew, and Reflect, by Jeanne Ricci (Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts, 2003). Another great guide.
Artist’s Communities: A Directory of Residencies in the United States That Offer Time and Space for Creativity, edited by Tricia Snell (New York: Allworth Press, 2000). For artist retreats.
Healing Centers & Retreats: Healthy Getaways for Every Body and Budget, by Jennifer Miller (Emeryville, CA: Avalon Travel Publishing, 1998). More budget minded than Fodor.
Websites:
Comfort Queen Retreat Database
http://www.comfortqueen.comRetreats International
http://www.retreatsintl.orgRetreats On-line
http://www.retreatsonline.comYoga Retreats
http://www.yogadirectory.comAll About Retreats
www.allaboutretreats.com
BOOKS TO WORK WITH ON RETREAT
These books offer additional ways to access your authentic self on retreat. I have chosen them because they work well in a retreat setting.
The Four-Fold Way, by Angeles Arrien, Ph.D. (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993). For those interested in an earth-based spiritual path.
Life’s Companion, by Christina Baldwin (New York: Bantam, 1990). You cannot exhaust this book’s wisdom.
Calling the Circle, by Christina Baldwin (Newberg, Oregon: Swan Raven & Company, 1994; New York: Bantam, 1998, revised ed.). The best book about forming and maintaining a circle. Required reading for group retreats.
Contemporary Women Artists, by Sister Wendy Beckett (New Jersey: Universe Books, 1988). Spiritual meditations on contemporary women’s art.
Fruitflesh: Seeds of Inspiration for Women Who Write, by Gayle Brandeis (San Francisco, HarperSanFrancisco, 2002). Sensual writing mediations and exercises.
The Artist’s Way, Vein of Gold, The Right to Write, and Blessings, by Julie Cameron (New York: Jeremy Tarcher, 1992, 1996, 1999). For artist retreats.
Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living, by Pema Chodron (Boston Shambhala, 2001). No need to wait for things to change to start creating more inner peace and wisdom.
Life, Paint and Passion, by Michell Cassou and Stewart Cubley (New York: Jeremy Tarcher, 1995). How to paint without worrying about outcome or talent.
Mandala, by Judith Cornell (Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 1994). Step-by-step guide to how to create, and heal yourself, with mandalas. Accessible.
Freeing the Creative Spirit, by Adriana Diaz (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992). Excellent for artist retreats. Ms. Diaz’s self-portrait exercise inspired the chapter “Portrait of Your Authenticity.”
The Intimacy and Solitude Handbook, by Stephanie Dowrick (New York: Norton, 1993). For developing strong boundaries and discovering the balance between your need for solitude and your need for intimacy. Exercises well suited for mini-retreats.
Circle of Stones and I Sit Listening to the Wind, by Judith Duerk (San Diego: Lura Media, 1989 and 1993). Reading these books creates a strong retreat container. Excellent to use in opening and closing ceremonies.
20-Minute Retreats: Revive Your Spirit in Just Minutes a Day With Simple Self-Led Practices, by Rachel Harris (New York: Owl Books, 2000). Wonderful simple varied meditations.
Women Who Run with the Wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estés (New York: Ballantine, 1992). Any retreat will be deepened by reading a bit of this profound book. See especially the chapter “Homing: Returning to Oneself.” Try doing active imagination with the fairy tales collected here. My quotes from Ms. Estés can be found on pages Retreating with Others: Dream Circle, Retreating with Others: Retreating Together in the World, and Retreat Plans in the first edition of her book.
Finding What You Didn’t Lose, by John Fox (New York: Jeremy Tarcher, 1995). If you want to write poetry to express your life but don’t know how to start, this is an excellent choice.
The Zen of Seeing, by Frederick Frank (New York: Vintage, 1973). For meditation and artist retreats.
Jubilee Time, by Maria Harris (New York: Bantam Books, 1995). One of the best books for helping women celebrate growing older.
The Way of All Women, by Helen Luke (New York: Doubleday, 1995). For healing, learning about balance, and spiritual nourishment.
Meditation Secrets for Women Discovering Your Passion, Pleasure, and Inner Peace, by Camille Maurine and Lorin Roche (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001). An encyclopedia of feminine and body centered ways to meditate. If you’ve always thought meditation meant sitting still or following a guru, you need this book.
Uncursing the Dark, by Betty DeShong Meador (Wilmette, Illinois: Chiron Publications, 1992). Read this for a complete telling of the Thesmophoria. Excellent for doing active imagination with—imagine yourself there.
Writing for Your Life, by Deena Metzger (San Francisco, HarperSanFrancisco: 1992). Brilliant. Excellent for artist retreats, rites of passages, and spiritual renewal. See especially pages 78–83.
The Heroine’s Journey, by Maureen Murdock (Boston: Shambhala, 1990). Excellent for an overview of women’s journey. See especially pages 89–90.
Staying Well with Guided Imagery, by Belleruth Naparstek (New York: Warner, 1994). Fantastic for healing anything from depression to allergies and for helping yourself to grieve. See also her amazing audios listed under Audios.
Soul Sisters: The Five Sacred Qualities of a Woman’s Soul, by Pythia Peay (New York: Jeremy Tarcher, 2002). A fascinating workbook designed to help you develop your spiritual life by learning from the heroines of a vast array of spiritual traditions.
A God Who Looks Like Me, by Patricia Lynn Reilly (New York: Ballantine, 1995). Excellent for spiritual recovery from harsh religions. Also excellent for group retreats.
Earth Prayers, edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1991). One of my most treasured books. Excellent for opening and closing ceremonies and to help you pray and meditate.
Cries of the Spirit and Claiming the Spirit Within, edited by Marilyn Sewall (Boston: Beacon Press, 1996). Poetry.
Where People Fly and Water Runs Uphill, by Jeremy Taylor (New York: Warner Books, 1992). One of the best books for understanding and working with your dreams.
Song of the Seed, by Macrina Wiederkehr (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995). Guidelines to do a daily mini-retreat for spiritual renewal. Christian.
A Big New Free Happy Unusual Life: Self-Expression and Spiritual Practice for Those Who Have Time for Neither, by Nina Wise (New York: Broadway Books, 2002). Brief exercises to nurture spirituality and creativity, wonderful for easing into a day off.
Dancing in the Flames, by Marion Woodman and Elinor Dickson (Boston: Shambhala, 1996). For contemplation.
Addiction to Perfection and The Pregnant Virgin, by Marion Woodman (Toronto: Inner City Books, 1985 and 1982). These classics are required reading for retreats, especially retreats to heal from hurrying, doing too much, moving too fast.
Videos
Most of these videos can be rented at a large video store or found at your local library. You might need to mail-order the starred titles. Try Ladyslipper (listed below) for those. If there is more than one video by the same title, I’ve listed the director or year in parentheses to distinguish them.
FOR ARTIST RETREATS
*World of Light: Portrait of May Sarton (also about aging)
An Angel at My Table (writer Janet Frame struggles)
Camille Claudel
Cinema Paradiso
Sylvia
Vincent and Theo
Shine
The Agony and the Ecstasy
Children of Theatre Street (documentary about Kirov Ballet School)
84 Charing Cross Road
Frida
Immortal Beloved (Beethoven)
Impromptu (author George Sand’s life)
In the Shadow of the Stars (opera behind the scenes)
Isadora (story of dancer Isadora Duncan’s life)
Le Belle Noiseuse (young woman as muse; French)
La Traviata
Madama Butterfly (1990)
The Magic of the Bolshoi
The Magic of the Kirov Ballet
Manon (opera)
The Moderns (Paris in the twenties)
The Most Beautiful Ballets
Much Ado About Nothing
Rembrandt
Tous Les Matins du Monde (French)
Van Gogh
FOR FRIENDSHIP RETREATS AND TO EXPLORE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN WOMEN
Strangers in Good Company (also good for aging)
Absolutely Fabulous (six three-episode tapes; hysterical British TV series)
Beaches
All About Eve (also about aging and the harsh realities of competition among women)
Antonia and Jane (jealousy among old friends)
Between Two Women (mother and daughter-in-law struggling together)
Crimes of the Heart
Entre Nous
Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle
Fried Green Tomatoes
Hannah and Her Sisters
Heartaches
The Long Walk Home
Outrageous Fortune
Passion Fish
Personal Best
Promises in the Dark (five hankies)
The River (Indian)
She’ll Be Wearing Pink Pajamas (British)
Steel Magnolias
The Summer House
Swing Shift
Terms of Endearment
The Turning Point
The Women
The Women of Brewster Place
The Women’s Room
STRONG WOMEN FOR INSPIRATION, FOR EXAMINING THEIR LIVES, FOR TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES, AND FOR ON RETREAT
*Radiant Life: Meditations and Visions of Hildegard of Bingen
Lily Sold Out!—Lily Tomlin
Adam’s Rib, Bringing Up Baby, Mary of Scotland, Morning Glory, Pat and Mike, Philadelphia Story (Hepburn as a strong, fiesty, outspoken woman)
Afterburn (also good for grieving)
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (one of the first single mom movies)
Auntie Mame
Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (also good for grieving)
Bagdad Cafe
Ballad of Little Jo
The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Coal Miner’s Daughter
Cold Comfort Farm
The Color Purple
Cross Creek
Driving Miss Daisy
Educating Rita
Enchanted April (the perfect movie to watch on retreat)
Gloria
Grand Isle
The Handmaid’s Tale
Heart Like a Wheel
Hester Street
The Hour of the Star (Brazilian)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
I Remember Mama (strong mother)
Imitation of Life
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (Ingrid Bergman)
Isabel’s Choice (for women in business)
Jean de Florette (French)
The Joy Luck Club (also a five-hanky movie)
Julia
Juliet of the Spirits (Fellini)
A League of Their Own
Lianna
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
Major Barbara
Manon of the Spring (French)
Margaret Bourke-White (biography of Life photographer)
Marie
Marlene
Miss Firecracker
Nine to Five
Norma Rae
One Against the Wind
Orlando
Persuasion
Piano for Mrs. Cimino (aging)
The Picture Bride (1995)
Places in the Heart
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
A Private Matter
The Rain People
The Rector’s Wife
A Room with a View
Rosalie Goes Shopping
Sarafina!
The Scarlet Empress
See How She Runs
Sense and Sensibility
Shirley Valentine
Silence of the North (woman living alone in Canadian outback)
Silkwood
Sister Kenny
Solo (woman hitchhiking in New Zealand)
The Story of Qiu Ju (Chinese)
The Story of Women (French)
Summer (French)
Sylvia
The Trip to Bountiful
The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Victor/Victoria
We of Never Never (Australian)
Westward the Women
What’s Love Go to Do with It (Tina Turner’s life)
Widow’s Peak
Wifemistress (Italian)
A Woman Called Golda (biography of Golda Meir)
A Woman Under the Influence
A Woman’s Tale (aging and being a nonconformist)
PORTRAITS OF PLUCKY YOUNG GIRLS
Anne of Green Gables
Georgy Girl
Getting of Wisdom
A Girl of Limberlost
Jane Eyre (the 1944 film is the best)
Journey of Natty Gann
Little Dorrit (two-part epic)
The Little Princess (1939 and 1995)
Little Women (1933 is the best)
My Brillant Career
Nancy Drew, Detective (watch the Nancy Drew series from the thirties, not the seventies)
National Velvet
Princess Caraboo
Rambling Rose
The Secret Garden (1949 and 1993)
A Tiger Walks
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Trouble with Angels
Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken
Audio Tapes
Listening to spiritual wisdom on tape on retreat is a wonderful way to feel that you have a teacher by your side. I turn to audios when I am lonely or feeling scattered. I also listen to them when I walk.
Sounds True Catalog is one of the best places for tapes. Order the catalog by calling 800–333–9185 or by writing P.O. Box 8010, Boulder, CO 80306–8010 or by visiting http://www.SoundsTrue.com
My favorite tapes to listen to on retreat are Realizing the Power of Now: An In-Depth Retreat with Eckhart Tolle, Yoga For Emotional Flow by Stephen Cope, Yoga Trance Dance by Shiva Rea (I like all her recordings), Midlife and the Great Unknown by David Whyte, The Singing Cure by Paul Newham, The Visionary Artist by Alex Grey, The Beginner’s Guide To Shamanic Journeying by Sandra Ingerman, Dreams by Marion Woodman, Lovingkindness Meditation by Sharon Salzberg, Your Heart’s Prayer by Oriah Mountain Dreamer, I Want Burning by Coleman Barks. All of Ms. Estés’s tapes are unbelievably wonderful, especially Theatre of the Imagination.
Another incredible series of tapes and music is available at http://www.healthjourneys.com—sample Belleruth’s powerful Health Journeys Total Wellness (Audio) or any of her other superb tapes. You might also like Joyful Mind by Susan Piver (Audio) 2-CD sampler of seven different kinds of meditations. Listen in on the Desktop Spa for mini-retreats.
For over 15,000 music titles, visit Ladyslipper Catalog either at http://www.ladyslipper.org or request a print catalog by phoning (919) 383–8773 or (800) 634–6044. Approximately 15,000 (and growing!) catalog of women artists and musicians. Many of the selections mentioned in this book can be purchased here.
Music
Like all music suggestions in this book, please, if possible, find a way to listen to it before purchasing, because you might hate one selection or it might affect you differently. Again, this is a very brief list.
FOR MEDITATION AND CENTERING
Conferring with the Moon—William Ackerman
Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares—The Bulgarian Female Vocal Choir (mystery)
Eight String Religion—David Darling (also good for stretching)
Adagio and Adagio 2—Karajan
Sounds of Peace—Nwang Khechog
The Source—Osamu Kitajima (like a waterfall)
Tear of the Moon—Coyote Oldman (Native American)
Dreamtime Returns—Steve Roach (2 volumes)
Stillpoint—Gabrielle Roth and the Mirrors (also good for slow movement)
Global Meditation—Various artists (four-volume set)
The Secret of the Roan Inish—Various artists (enchanting)
Mother of Compassion—Lisa Thiel (chants)
FOR MOVEMENT
Cross of Changes—Enigma (cross between meditation and movement)
Logoza—Angelique Kidjo (high energy, get down, African)
Mosaique—Gipsy Kings
Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Kahn, vol. 1—Chaka Kahn (power of women, rejuicing soul, and dance)
Shapeshifters—Ubaka Hill (passionate movement)
Diva—Anne Lennox
Mustt Mustt and Night Song—Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan with Michael Brook (trance inducing)
Healing Rhythms—Babatunde Olatunji
Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini—Rachmaninoff
Endless Wave, Totem, Initiation, and Trance—Gabrielle Roth and the Mirrors (perfect music for movement, trance, and emotional release)
Dawn Until Dusk—Tribal Song and Didgeridoo (didgeridoo music is good for opening hips)
Shapeshifters—Ubaka Hill
Beggars and Saints—Jai Uttal and the Pagan Love Orchestra
Riverdance—Various artists (soundtrack of Celtic dance)
Trance Planet, Volume One—Various artists (trance dancing)
The Power of One—Hans Zimmerman
FOR CEREMONY
This is good music for opening and closing ceremonies and for groups.
Miracles of Sant’iago—Anonymous 4
The Mysts of Time—Aine Minogue
Full—Rachel Bagby
Diadema—Hildegard von Bingen and Vox
Songs of the Sacred Wheel—Earth Dance Singers (chant and songs honoring the earth; excellent for groups)
Devi—Chloe Goodchild (devotional chants from a range of traditions)
Fire Within and A Circle Is Cast—Libana (cross-cultural songs and chants; make “I Will Be Gentle with Myself” your theme song)
She Changes and She Dreams by Moving Breath (group and individual ceremony, Goddess oriented)
The Virgin’s Lament, Soundings, Sto’r Amhr’an—Noirin Ni Rain (Celtic, soaring, medieval)
Isle of View—The Pretenders (“Hymn to Her” is perfect for opening ceremony, moving prayer, and dance)
Heaven—Jimmy Scott (feels like going to church)
Hymns to the Silence and Enlightment—Van Morrison
FOR POWER, FOR CREATING, TO SAY “I CAN MAKE IT”
Classics—Joan Armatrading (“Me, Myself and I” is a great song for courage)
Voice of Light—Anonymous 4 (power and inspiration)
Nothing but a Burning Light—Bruce Cockburn
Friends—Bette Midler (for friendship retreats)
Miles of Aisles (“Circle Game” for birthdays), Hejira, and Blue (“All I Want” for liberation of the female spirit)—Joni Mitchell
Tigerlily—Natalie Merchant (check out “Wonder”)
Sky Dances, Fire in the Rain, and Don’t Hold Back—Holly Near
Raring to Go—The Roches
Cleaning House—Saffire: The Uppity Blues Women
Bach: Works for Violin Solo—Lara St. John (sensual, good for creativity)
The Best of Nina Simone—Nina Simone
Good News in Hard Times—Sisters of Glory (glorious gospel)
Still on the Journey—Sweet Honey in the Rock (affirmation of women’s power)
The Great Gospel Women—Various Artists