The Water of Life: Initiation and the Tempering of the Soul

In response to demand for a new edition of The Water of Life, Michael Meade has revised and refined the classic text and added a new preface that addresses the important issue of men and violence in modern culture. As a recent reader remarked, “This book is even more prescient and important at this critical point in the world than when it was first published.”

At once a mythic journey, a study in depth psychology and a treatise on initiation, Meade mines ancient stories, finding wisdom and guidance for the turbulent times in which we live. Throughout the text, the “water of life” functions as a core symbol for both personal and cultural renewal, and for the redemption of nature from a wasteland condition. Using ideas gleaned from many years of cutting-edge work with at-risk youth and oppressed communities, Meade's writing has the ring of lived truth. Paperback - $19.95

Praise for "The Water of Life"

"Meade writes quite brilliantly about initiation, ordeal and the importance of scars and wounds. He is a master of the mode" - New York Times Book Review

“Michael Meade is a masterful storyteller, his viewpoint is fierce and loving. Women will find it meaningful to listen in as men struggle with issues of power, wounds, violence, passion, love, and more.” - Clarissa Pinkola Estes

“Magical and profound, unlike anyone else one is likely to encounter, Michael Meade is one of the greatest living teachers of our time.” - Alice Walker

“Michael Meade has a genius for metaphorical thinking that can help illuminate the emotional lives of contemporary men and women.” - Robert Bly

“Michael Meade’s writing sings with an incantational voice. His book is rich with insights, marvelous in its tales, and full of heart. It takes you right to the edge of elemental knowledge.“ - James Hillman

Themes Include: Initiation and the nobility of the soul • The awakening of youth and the making of elders • The Firebird and the impassioned heart • The sword between fathers and sons • Mother and Great Mother • Mentors and Mythical Helpers • Breaking the Family Spells • Gifts and wounds