Untie the Strong Woman

Book excerpt: style="font-size:20px;line-height:20px;">“Have You Forgotten? I Am Your Mother. You Are Under My Protection.” “There is a promise Holy Mother makes to us,” proclaims Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés, “that any soul needing comfort, vision, guidance, or strength can cry out to her, flee to her protection, and Blessed Mother will immediately arrive with veils flying. She will place us under her mantle for refuge, and give us the warmth of her most compassionate touch, and strong guidance about how to go by the soul’s lights.” Untie the Strong Woman is Dr. Estés invitation to come together under the shelter of The Mother—whether she appears to us as the Madonna, Our Lady of Guadalupe, or any one of her countless incarnations. In this unforgettable collection of stories, prayers, and blessings, Dr. Estés shares: “The Drunkard and the Lady”—a story of unexpected miracles that arise from the mud and soil • “Guadalupe is a Girl Gang Leader in Heaven”—a poem of resistance and hope • “No One Too Bad, Too Mean, or Too Hopeless”—the fierce Mother that never gives up on us • “The Shirt of Arrows”—a love that is invincible no matter how many times we are wounded • “The Black Madonna”—she who stands at the juncture between two worlds and protects us as we enter the dark places Why does the face of Our Lady appear in the most humble and unexpected places? Why does she burst forth into every culture no matter how hard authority tries to suppress her? It is because no bonds can restrain the power of her love, nor prevent her from returning to those who need her most. With Untie the Strong Woman, Dr. Estés invites you to encounter the force of Immaculate Love—“So that your memory of Her is renewed, or that the knowledge of her miraculous, fierce, enduring ways is drawn into your heart for the very first time.”