Review of Hagitude

Blurb: What is Hagitude? It means being at ease with the unique power women embody in the second half of their life. It means having a strong sense of who we are and what we have to offer the world. And a firm belief in our place in the ever-shifting web of life. For the woman who wishes to flourish without chasing eternal youth comes Hagitude.

International bestselling author Sharon Blackie (If Women Rose Rooted) interweaves myth, psychology, landscape and ecofeminism, reclaiming the mid years as an alchemical moment - from which to shift into your chosen, authentic and fulfilling future - and the elder years as a path to dynamic influence.

Review: Part psychology, myths, and memoir, Sharon Blackie blends these together to discuss how women in their latter half of life can find their inner hags and shine with their true unburdened selves.

Usually I don't start the year with a non-fiction book, but as I've been struggling with finding my place in the latter half of my life, I was hoping to find material I could be inspired by. The premise of examining different old woman archetypes from stories and myths is wonderful. I love the crones she lists, both good and bad (none of them are truly bad). The basic premise of her views is that as women age, we are pushed to the side, forgotten or shunned. Society says old women have no purpose, but the reason so many cultures in history have feared hags is that we do have a lot of wisdom and power. We aren't shackled by the chains of what our patriarchal society wants us to be (sex objects, mothers, servants), and thus we can discover our true selves. And nowadays, we need hags with attitude more than ever.

I have always found answers in stories. Our tales mirror the real world and let us explore paths we never get to walk ourselves so that we may open our eyes to bigger truths. Every culture has old women myths, and many honor them even when they're frightened of them. The patriarchy tries to make wise women into witches who must be burned or senile old hags, but they only do so because they know the power of these elder women.

The little discussion about menopause is for the author alone. It truly doesn't encompass the vast experiences of women around the world. It is a nightmarish journey for some and can last several years longer than it did for her. The reader does need to keep that in mind. I already knew how incredibly different menopause can be for women, and so it didn't bother me very much.

What did bother me is the fact the author states she does not include transwomen in this hagitude journey. This upset many reviewers, including myself. If you're planning on picking up this book for yourself, please keep this in mind.

You can find Sharon Blackie on her site and buy the book here.