She of the Sea

Book excerpt: The tenth book from bestselling author of Burning Woman, Medicine Woman, Moon Time and Creatrix, Lucy H. Pearce. She of the Sea is a lyrical exploration of the call of the sea and the depth of our connection to it, rooted in the author's personal experience living on the coast of the Celtic Sea, in Ireland. This book spans from coastal plants to the colour blue, pebbles to prayer, via shapeshifting and suicidal ideation, erosion and immersion, cold water swimming and water birth, seaweed and cyanotypes, from Japanese freedivers and Celtic sea goddesses, selkies to surfing, and mermaids to Mary. She of the Sea is a strange and wonderful deep dive into the inner sea and the Feminine, exploring where the real and the magical, the salty and the sacred meet, within and without, and what implications this has for us as both individuals...and a species in these tumultuous times. Dreamlike, meditative, poetic, She of the Sea is a love song. To the ocean. To becoming. To magic. To freedom. With contributions from thirty sea-loving artists, musicians, cold water swimmers, mothers, environmental educators, witches, mermaids, priestesses and writers from around the world, who share their love for the stretch of sea they call home, from the Irish Sea to the Caribbean, via the Mediterranean and the North Sea, the Pacific and the Atlantic.