Barbara G. Walker

Barbara G. Walker was an American author and feminist, born July 2, 1930, who passed away on December 21, 2025. While initially gaining recognition for her extensive and clear encyclopedic references on knitting, including her "Treasury" series which documented over a thousand stitches, Walker also delved deeply into subjects such as religion, New Age thought, the occult, spirituality, and mythology. Her work often critiqued mainstream religion for its role in perpetuating sexism and patriarchal structures.

Walker described herself as an atheist but explored the concept of the "Goddess" as a powerful archetype, particularly for women, drawing on Neolithic matriarchal societies. She aimed to provide practical guidance for women seeking to integrate spiritual practices into their lives, as seen in her book "Woman's Rituals: A Sourcebook." Her writings, including "The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets," have been noted for their focus on the "Great Mother" concept, though some critics suggest she reinterpreted myths to support this theory. She received recognition for her contributions, including being named "Humanist Heroine" in 1993.

Barbara G. Walker critically examined mainstream religious traditions, arguing that they have contributed to the development of patriarchal societies and sexism. Despite identifying as an atheist, she believed that the concept of the "Goddess" could serve as a potent symbol for individuals, especially women, in their daily lives. Walker frequently employed the imagery of the Mother Goddess to discuss historical matriarchal societies. Her book, "Woman's Rituals: A Sourcebook," was intended as a practical guide for women interested in implementing meditation techniques and spiritual practices she had developed. Her extensive research also led to works like "The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets," which explored ancient myths and secret traditions, often through the lens of a "Great Goddess" or "Great Mother" archetype, a perspective that drew commentary from scholars like Robert Graves and Erich Neumann.

Walker established herself as a significant authority in the field of knitting, authoring over ten comprehensive reference books. Her "Knitting Treasury" series, which began in the 1960s and 1970s, became seminal works, detailing over a thousand different knitting stitches with remarkable clarity. Beyond stitch dictionaries, she explored specialized techniques such as mosaic knitting, which allows for multicolored patterns by knitting only one color per row, and top-down garment construction, contrasting with the traditional Western bottom-up method. Many of her influential knitting books have been reissued, and she continued to publish new works in the mid-1990s and beyond, solidifying her legacy as a leading figure in knitting literature.