Janine Roberts holds a Masters in Theology, a Summa cum Laude in Philosophy and a BSc in Sociology. Ordained a Catholic priest in 1967, she studied at the LSE and worked on soup runs for the homeless. When she left the Church, Mother Teresa of Calcutta visited but failed to persuade her to return. The author then resolved her gender identity issue while working in the Outback with Aborigines – and has never ceased to see herself as engaged in sacred work.
Her human rights and anti-racism work won support Freedom from Hunger, War on Want, the World Council of Churches, Survival International and many others. Her investigative articles appeared front page in major newspapers and her films on US, Canadian, Australian and UK television.
US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney invited her to testify at Congress and stated: ‘Janine Roberts is that rare individual who unflinchingly speaks truth to power. She battles her way past all obstacles and provides us a glimpse of those who are in the innermost circles of global power. I count myself among the privileged of the world to know of Janine and her work.’
Boyd Tonkin, Literary Editor of the Independent, wrote of her 2003 book, Glitter and Greed: ‘formidably well researched’, ‘one of the most dogged and damning exposés to appear in years’, ‘her gripping book for once merits that tarnished plaudit ‘brilliant’.
Some early reviews for The Seven Days of My Creation: Tales of Magic, Sex, and Gender:
‘Janine's story is one of personal courage, conviction, sacrifice and triumph as she journeys to her rebirth as the woman she was born to be. Exceptionally well written, with many references... Janine's story is both fascinating and inspirational! Definitely a must read book!’ Suzanne Read in Manchester
‘Truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Robust scholarship runs throughout this passionate and honest autobiography. She has delved deep into spiritual philosophy, science and history to put her unique experience of life into context. Hers is a strong voice that both challenges and touches the heart.’ Kay Bridger in London
‘Janine has written her story with bare boned honesty. I fell in to her footsteps and was moved by her words. Deeply personal, incredibly brave. Her words touched me, I felt so much that she was sat beside me as I turned the pages of her wonderful life. This book is a beautiful story of love, courage and strength peppered with gentle humour.’ Kate in Lincolnshire
-- Amazon.com
From the First Edition:
In my early years I was called “father ” although I had not fathered. I then left this rocky prominence to descend to a rich fertile land in which I became a priestess and parent, investigative journalist and filmmaker.
On my journey I learnt about my nature, changed gender-roles, brought up children, survived male violence, wrote articles and books with the Aborigines among whom I lived and worked — as well as producing films shown on Australian, American and British television, and testified to the US Congress on Blood Diamonds and was smuggled into diamond mines. During that time I did not speak publicly of my own unusual path for I wished to protect my children from being teased. But the children grew up, and into my life came a critical illness. I had no time to lose. I returned to what was most sacred to me.
In this book I use my gender-journey as a metaphor for our society’s journey out of patriarchy. I thus weave in many stories of gender and sexuality from Australian Aboriginal and other ancient cultures, of magic and menstruation, circumcision, and childhood gender-typing, on how martyrdom became a route to heaven, of the suppression of the Gnostics and the Beguine women, on the witch-hunts, European shamanism, meditation and mysticism, child-welcoming and Wiccan initiation rituals, the Final Rites – and much else. I hope you will find this a rich and rewarding book. -- Amazon.com
New From the Author:
Today, after spending most of my adult life living as a woman, my previous time in the male role seems as unreal as if a previous lifetime’s experience – yet it has provided me with a rich experience of life in both the male and female roles..
It has particularly given me with an appreciation of the ancient tradition of alchemy which found wisdom in the acceptance of the female and male aspects that we each have.
I previously lived in a male-only archaic religious community in a cliff-top castle on the edge of the New Forest where I studied for the Catholic Priesthood,. This same castle owned the house in which the famous author of witchcraft studies, Gerald Gardner, is said to have been initiated into a gender-balanced mystical religion now known as Wicca - so it was a most interesting time.
Since then I have spent years working on civil rights issues with Australian Aborigines. I am also, as you will discover, as an historian and investigative writer published in mainstream, well used to having to analyse and re-assess history and theories and to produce well-sourced proof for my conclusions. This is a work close to my heart and is thus written with all I can bring to it. I hope you will find it a rich and rewarding book -- Amazon.com
