Leading From the Feminine - Book Review

Leading from the Feminine, by Laurie Benson, is subtitled A Guide to Accessing Your Deeper, Feminine Wisdom Needed to Heal Our Global Disconnection. This thought-provoking tome is the result of the author's question, "What story, or deep wisdom, is living inside you ready to be shared?" Benson's message is to inspire men as well as women to look into their inner souls for direction.

 Author Benson's studies into climate change and the founding of organizations to support women has led her to the understanding that what we have been taught throughout the history of humanity is from a masculine perspective. It has been devoid of feminine wisdom; this unbalance has led to extreme issues around the world from famine to wars. She states that by reconnecting to feminine-heart-based wisdom, readers can create a new interconnectedness to each other and to themselves.

The author warns that to receive the most from her psychological teachings, the reader must recognize that it requires dedication and work. She highly recommends keeping a journal while slowly reading through her book. The author starts off with a list of words that represent femininity and challenges the reader to reflect on how those words apply to their own life.

Benson follows by speaking of the Prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor. The birds represent the masculine and feminine in ancient societies and are referred to in later chapters. She also references the Mayan Long Count Calendar that ended on December 21, 2012. The reader will learn the relationships between these two events in modern times.

The author then asks what the reader wants to accomplish by this study. What are the readers' dreams? Hopes? Wishes? She then instructs with exercises to awaken contact within the reader's heart or with somatic awareness. The new level of awareness will enable the reader to process feelings and understanding, reconnect with themselves and their desires and wishes, and set boundaries with themselves and others.

Benson is a visionary who sees a change on the horizon and believes that those who embrace these teachings will be the catalysts for this transformation. She believes we need to tap into our heart-based wisdom to create a new path forward, as the old ways are no longer working. Her book offers this wisdom to readers, and she hopes it will inspire positive self-transformation. Benson challenges us to seize this opportunity and give it our all, not just for ourselves but for the good of humanity and the planet. She believes embracing our feminine truth will lead us to a better future, and by accepting this challenge, we will experience a rebirth of feminine wisdom.