Book review: Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul

 Book Review

 

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul  

By John Eldredge

"When a woman rises in glory, her energy is magnetic and her sense of possibility contagious." -Marianne Williamson

Feminine soul empowers women to harness their wisdom, strength, and intuitive energies from their childhood to adulthood.  As women grow up, they nurture their feminism by developing idealized feminine attributes such as beauty, tenderness, love, softness, sensitivity, emotions, vulnerability, nurturing, and support for others.  Women form a deepening relationship with their dream world as it is observed that young girls imagine a joyful life with a sense of fulfillment and happiness. The dream reflects their inner desires and aspirations to live an accomplished life. Reclaiming the power of their senses, emotions, and feelings leads to spiritual awareness in women.  The energetic awareness helps women exhibit sobriety, firmness, and perseverance to face the ordeals of life. Being mentally strong helps them overcome the traumas in life.

 However, it is a harsh reality that even educated families hardly recognize the significance of feminism and women's aspirations. Their key preference is to follow their traditional family customs and trends. The girls brought up in a strict masculine-centric culture, lose their feminism, hopes, and dreams, and fail to embrace their higher self. Since families fail to understand their emotional state of mind, their attributes, and skills, these helpless girls are unable to live a vibrant life. 

Amidst dejection, darkness, and hopelessness, some girls reclaim a path of transformation by tapping into their divine feminine energy. It helps them stand up for what they believe in, remain proud, and be unbothered by what others say or think about their behavior and life patterns. Consequently, they stay true to their self. Their mental strength positively impacts their life, allowing them to have awesome relationships, and live an enchanted, blissful, and contented life.

 God has set within us a powerful femininity that is powerful and tender. The paradigm of universal motherhood reflects strong feminine figures' receptivity, patience, and ability to listen and show love, care, and affection to others. Being optimistic, women develop a growth mindset that helps them inculcate good vibes and positivity in every aspect of life.

John Eldredge, an American author, counselor, teacher, and preacher at Ransomed Heart. He has gained a high reputation within the Christian community as a leading author. In his previous books including Wild at Heart, John addresses issues concerning men. Captivating marks a new phase in Eldredge's ministry, as the book is specifically written for women. The book reflects the divine feminine qualities of women as the novel promises to uncover the mystery of a woman’s soul. This book is co-written by Eldredge’s wife, Stasi, and it represents her first publication.

Reading this book will help you cultivate a courageous attentiveness to your inner self. The author provides valuable tools for restoring the link between feminine spirituality and social change. 

As the author says, "You are powerful, beautiful, and strong. You are worthy to be loved. The essence of a woman is Beauty. She is meant to be the incarnation—our experience in human form—of a Captivating God."  (pg. 130).

Most women think they have to settle for a life of responsibility and fulfilling obligations. However, the book reclaims women's sacred feminine, attributes. The book explicates three essential aspects of a woman's life. First, she yearns to be loved and romanced, secondly, her fondness to experience adventures and thrilling things in life and lastly, unveils the hidden beauty, compassion, and contemplation that connects her with the divine feminine. Consequently, tapping into the divine grace of the feminine suggests women to define their emotions, re-feel and re-experience everything in the present moment   All women aspire to attain these life core values. If they deny experiencing them, it surely indicates a sterile, and barren life, a state of solitude and emptiness that prevents them from living a meaningful life. 

According to the author’s interpretation, women who are preoccupied with work or busy routines, have no time to rest, reflect, and rejuvenate. They begin to lose vibrancy and energy and experience a vacuum of isolation, and despondency in life. Women get extremely busy that they have no time to pray or to meditate about God's truth. Consequently, it makes them spiritually barren, lose hope in life, and leave them unprepared to encounter big challenges in their fast-paced world. So, how do they overcome their guilt and frustration and live a fulfilled life.?

The book comprehensively reflects on this empowering concept by letting women make a to-do list. "Do these ten things, and you will be a godly woman." Begin with enjoying and mingling with groups of people to share your feelings, emotions, blissful moments, grief, and woes. Search for activities that reconnect you with yourself.  The fundamental feminist attributes that most women fail to embrace are love, joy and creativity sensuality, physical pleasure, and self-care. Though it is their birthright to attain these divine feminine energies, being captivated by worldly possessions and busy life schedules won't allow them to invest their quality time and focus on the things that matter in life and make their life invigorated.

The bestseller, John and Stasi Eldredge shared their story and exhibited how to set your heart free and enjoy the life journey. Being mindful of the present, and leaving the past wounds, sorrows, and troubles. Just reflect and live your present moments with truth, openness, and faith. It rejuvenates your inner self and helps you gain absolute ecstasy.

The book explicits about embracing womanhood. Inculcating cardinal virtues such as kindness, simplicity, compliance, patience, and resilience indicates that the woman embraces the fullness of her life experiences. Some young girls experience extreme traumas in life, the wounds distort a woman's self-image and prevent her from articulating her true femininity. To gain mental ease, Eldredge urges women to recognize divinity and embark on a spiritual healing journey.  Spirituality encourages women to turn to Christianity and seek God's lasting love to heal their sufferings. The mystery of the feminine heart exhibits how God's love and truth help women remain resilient, and gain salvation. She chooses to live in the present moment and moves forward with fortitude and strength. Embrace the inherent power, freedom, and beauty that she possesses.

As a woman grows older, she gracefully nurtures her life by upholding modesty, and compassion. She continues to strive to awaken her powerful feminine heart, filled with God's unfailing love. Her soul becomes the embodiment of purity and summons every woman to believe in herself and know their captivating beauty, and powerful strength. 

In the end, the author emphasizes,

Let Captivating help you discover the woman you were meant to be! Your inner beauty, unwavering loyalty, integrity, compassion, and strength truly define your virtues of womanhood. How you influence the world and empower other women’s dreams and aspirations by exhibiting your wisdom and sharing your life’s intimate, transformative, and healing experiences. This is what actually a woman yearns for a high vision to gain power, strength, freedom, and beauty. Thus, it paves the way for a woman to live a vibrant and contented life and become truly captivating.