Bøker av Tamara Albanna

Tamara Albanna weaves the tale of Inanna's despair, strength and triumph-giving children of all ages hope that the dark times in life will pass. Arna Baartz illustrates this journey with gorgeous paintings of the owls, lions, stars, sun and moon that direct Her. My Name is Inanna is dedicated to Tamara's beloved homeland, Iraq-The Cradle of Civilization; the Land of the Goddess.Praise for My Name is Inanna"Full of meaning and insight, with stunning illustrations, this simple, poetic version of the ancient myth glimmers like the "inner star" the author describes, showing where to turn for guidance." -Marilyn McFarlane, author of Sacred Myths: Stories of World Religions and Sacred Stories: Wisdom from World Religions"The Girl God does it again with this inspiring, lyrical read! In My Name is Inanna, Tamara Albanna and Arna Baartz team up to bring the goddess of love to life for even the youngest readers. As human children, we will all face times of struggle and darkness in our lives. The powerful story of Innana, as told in these pages, reminds us that we too can trust ourselves and let our own inner star of intuition guide our way. An important message for us all!" - Melia Keeton-Digby, author of The Heroines Club: A Mother-Daughter Empowerment Circle"In My Name is Inanna, Tamara Albanna provides a guiding star for girls and young women: their own divine power. The story is beautifully and simply presented in the voice of the Sumerian Goddess Inanna, who is deeply aware of her own power, and of the need for its guidance through difficult times. Inanna is indeed a powerful Goddess, wise and strong, who knows about the sun and moon and love. She knows too that the best guidance we have-the only thing that navigates us through darkness-is our divine inner power. This is such a deeply necessary message for girls and women to hear, and so healing-that we need not look outside ourselves for strength and wisdom. The powerful message of this book is perfectly complemented by Arna Baartz's radiant artwork. On these pages, girls dance, owls spread their wings, lions sit calmly in their strength, and women embrace themselves, in darkness and light. I highly recommend My Name is Innana-buy it for yourself, for your daughter or niece or cousin, for any and all of the girls and women in your life. Its message is one we must return to again and again: our power is within, and it is both healing and mighty." -Elizabeth Hall Magill, author of Defining Sexism in the U.S.

Today more than ever, the image of the Goddess of Willendorf is a relevant one. Women and girls are bombarded with Photoshopped images of an "ideal" body shape that is quite literally unattainable. Remembering Willendorf's powerful story reminds us of the beautiful abundance of the female body, with all of her hills and valleys, lush softness, and fertility. You don't want to miss this body-positive celebration of the Great Mother Goddess!Praise for My Name is Goddess of Willendorf"At last-the truth about the Goddess of Willendorf, Mother of All. No, we Her daughters are not all skinny like some male standard demands. Yes, some of us Her daughters have soft thighs. Yes, we Her daughters are of many colors and speak many languages. Our own daughters will be inspired by this beautifully illustrated book to see themselves more clearly and more gently."-Barbara Ardinger, Ph.D., Author of Goddess Meditations, Practicing the Presence of the Goddess, and Finding New Goddesses"Counters the toxic message of patriarchy...sets a new tone, a new and healthy narrative for women and girls. Liberates us all from the shackles of self doubt and shame. Promotes our own unique authenticity."-Rev. Dr. Karen Tate, Author, Activist, Radio Show Host of Voices of the Sacred Feminine"The Upper Palaeolithic Venus of Willendorf is lush and curvy, the opposite of what society believes women's shape should be: rail-thin, boyish. This gorgeously illustrated book honors this Goddess, a perfect role model for young women and girls."-Miriam Robbins Dexter, Ph.D., Author of Whence the Goddesses: a Source Book"What if the Goddess of Willendorf spoke to us? What would She want Her children, young or old, to understand? Surely She would speak with images, feelings, and heart-truths, as well as with words-as does this sublimely-illustrated book, designed to awaken an abundance of rich Goddess-power in the psyches of children and adults alike."-Annie Finch, Author of Spells: New and Selected Poems and Among the Goddesses

Poetry and musings by Tamara Albanna."Tamara Albanna reveals many faces in her collection of "poetry and musings, As I Lay by the Tigris and Weep. Her untitled and deceptively simple pieces, none more than a page long, describe a fierce woman who calls for nothing less than a world-wide revolution against the misogyny of "old men in their robes/ so terrified of little girls who bleed/ paralyzed at the thought of all that power. . ./ They must suppress her from the cradle to the grave/ because if she realizes her power/ theirs will be no more."Albanna reminds us-and herself-that she is: descended from the "Priestesses of Sumer/ A land they call, 'The Cradle of Civilization, '/ a time when Goddess reigned/ and women honored as her incarnation on Earth/ Today, this land is drowning in the blood of/ innocents-all because we have forgotten Her."Slowly she has discovered and forged the inner strength necessary both to survive and to effect change. In one of the "musings " mentioned in the book's title, Albanna relates: "To survive my childhood, I learned how to weavewords, step in and out of different realities, different worlds, anything to escape thecruelty of my present situation.I look back and realize the power I had."In some pieces, Albama apostrophizes the Beloved, reminiscent of the great Persian mystic poet known as Rumi. Filled with ecstatic adoration, Rumi's unidentified "Beloved" represented, we are told, his idea of God. Similarly, the identity of Albama's "Beloved" is ambiguous, but perhaps she addresses those to whom she dedicates her book, "To the Goddess, my Motherland, and women and girls all over Mother Earth." What is not ambiguous is that Albanna calls for us to abjure subordination, suppression, and silence originating in fear and hatred based on identities assigned us at birth, and incites us to rebel and own our strength and beauty." -Donna Snyder, author of The Tongue Has its Secrets

When we think of Inanna, she is usually envisioned as the descending Goddess-and often, it is her time spent in the Underworld that most alluded to. While the Underworld, or the "shadow" is vital, it is equally important to remember what happens after the time spent in the darkness, the void, or the long dark tunnel. We descend our entire lives it seems-only coming up for brief moments of respite. Patriarchy pushes us down repeatedly-and sometimes, we just stay there.Inanna's Ascent examines how women can rise from the underworld and reclaim their power. All contributors are extraordinary women in their own right, who have been through some difficult life lessons-and are brave enough to share their stories.