Symbols for women - Sheila Farrant

For 2,000 years the symbols and interpretations of astrological signs have reflected a patriarchal system which has little connection with women's images of themselves. Symbols for Women examines an earlier, matrilineal system of astrology - drawing on anthropology, mythology and recent archaeological discoveries - to provide a reinterpretation of the 12 zodiacal signs which will redress this imbalance.;Sheila Farrant evokes the famous women, goddesses and societies of antiquity, relating them to our present and future times, and shows how the period of patriarchal bias has diminished many of our most popular symbols, and the consequences of this for women's self images. Tracing out, in detail, the histories of the familiar signs of the zodiac, along with their planetary rulers and restoring their female elements, she rediscovers their essential relationships and significance.;This is a challenging and informative work, full of fascinating ideas and meticulous research, accessibly written with perception and wit lt offers an exciting new perspective on our accepted understanding of the zodiac and the ways we approach it, and gives to women the chance to rediscover and be fulfilled by the full breadth and richness of their symbolic images.