The Power of Yin: Celebrating Female Consciousness
by Hazel Henderson, Jean Houston, and Barbara Marx Hubbard
Published by Cosimo Books
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Reviewed by Kristin Grabarek
Thirty years ago three women conversed over warm beverages and a multitude of cheeses: Hazel Henderson, a futurist and evolutionary economist; Jean Houston, advisor to UNICEF; and Barbara Marx Hubbard, president of the Foundation for Conscious Evolution. They discussed their perspectives on and solutions for the numerous challenges of the 21st century. The Power of Yin is the transcription of this 1977 dialogue.
The thematically organized conversations are strikingly relevant, as these women confront global environmental disaster, the future of health and healthcare, and the rise of technology. The issues are analyzed based on the thinkers’ “female principle,” which states that an emphasis on womanhood will result in the end of a culture dominated by a focus on profit and advancement, and create a culture focused on conscious thought and sustainable progress. Womanhood, according to these three women, is composed of nurture, creativity, and the integration of the heart and spirit into the evolution of the mind. Manhood, in contrast, removes the evolution of the mind from the heart and spirit, resulting in a profit-driven culture.
While asserting this difference between women and men, these thinkers avoid denunciations of men as a sex. Instead, the conversations indicate that though the dominance of men in society has brought us to an environmental and economic standstill, women taking dominant places within mainstream society will improve the stagnating condition of the human community, by imposing a balance between the female and male principles.
This meeting of minds, and hearts and spirits thirty years ago was a deeply personal tête-à-tête juxtaposed with a concrete worldview: a discussion of the implications of menopause was as relevant as an analysis of the impacts of industrialization. The dialogue was a sincere and profound investment in the future. Living now in that future, we must heed these three influential feminist thinkers’ invitation to both women and men to play a vital role in the evolution of the human consciousness and the human community.
Armchair Interview says: This book is an exceptional choice for women, as a new year and new opportunities unfold.
Author’s Web site: http://www.ThePowerOfYin.com