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Are there two paradises, one predating the biblical account of the Garden of Eden as given in Genesis? The author uses records and icons preserved for centuries by alchemists to discover what is known world-wide about an earlier meaning of the word "Paradise."
Humans have always been students of the night skies. A primary interest was to track times for planting and harvesting. They discovered the seven planets of our solar system, the twelve Zodiac signs, the apparently-stationary north star, and of course, the moon. The author believes that early humankind, at one point or other, worshiped each of these keepers of the night sky.
The focus of this book is on a prevalent worship of the moon prior to the Flood. Lunar worship venerated the mother whose hidden menstruation brought forth a new child from her womb each cycle. Her followers considered the moon's waning and waxing to be proof that parallel Paradises of heavenly bodies existed, below the Earth as well as in the skies. Fleming proposes that mounds and sites like Stonehenge were related to this belief, with recesses in stone or earthen works collecting water and serving as a mirrored reflection of the night heavens.
The book includes an impressive number of early iconic symbols. Ying and Yang is the best known of round or egg-shaped icons describing the rebirth of the moon and the duality of what was once known as Paradise. Fleming's research compares and contrasts the volume of knowledge about Paradise with the much shorter Garden of Eden story. The conclusions arrived at will especially appeal to a female audience. This highly-informative book is praiseworthy both for the amount of research involved and the well-written presentation. The author has included comprehensive notes, bibliography, and index sections to document his sources.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review