The Water of Life

Initiation and the Tempering of the Soul
NEW AND REVISED EDITION
by author, mythologist and storyteller Michael Meade

Mosaic is delighted to announce a new edition of The Water of Life, a re-visioning and refining of an already classic text. Starting with a new preface that describes the dual nightmare of global terror and global warming, Meade addresses the connection between meaning and purpose in personal life and returning culture to its mythic context.

At once a mythic journey, a study in depth psychology, and a treatise on initiation The Water of Life addresses the roots of conflict, the recurring hunger for war and the issues of "reducing the warrior." Throughout the text the water of life functions as the core symbol for both personal and cultural renewal, and redemption of the spiritual wasteland.

Using ideas gleaned from many years working with youth and communities at-risk Meade's writing rings with the echoes of truth and "sings with an incantational voice that takes you right to the edge of elemental knowledge."

"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

"Meade insists on grounding the high-flying abstractions of myth in the 'bones-laid-bare' realities of the street." - San Francisco Chronicle

Major 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

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