Over the last 50 years we have seen a re-emergence of interest and dedication
to the Goddess whether in the form of Wicca, the re-emphasis on Mary in the
Catholic religion or in the eclectic blending of tradition and liturgy
spontaneously created by people who are expressing their own personal
connections to the Feminine Divine. What do these spiritual expressions share
that is commonly known as Goddess Spirituality?
First and foremost is a reverence for the feminine in the Divine, the
recognition that the Goddess is the ultimate creative power of the Universe.
Goddess religion is not necessarily exclusive to only the feminine expression
of the divine, however. Many individuals and groups also feel
that balance is better achieved by creating a system which acknowledges and
honors both Masculine and Feminine divine energies.
Secondly, personal connections with the Divine are emphasized rather than
dependence on a priest or minister to create or interpret those
connections. Intuition and creative ritual are used to connect the
individual in a personal relationship with Goddess or the Divine. Holy
writ is not a component of the Goddess path, but instead each human being
finds their own inner connection with the Divine Feminne.
Another major component of Goddess Spirituality is that our Mother Planet is
a physical representative of universal divine power to be honored, revered
and preserved. Ecology and planet saving ethics are important principles to
Goddess followers. Goddess Spirituality often also honors our special
connections and responsibilities with all life, including our animal brothers
and sisters.
The roots of Goddess Spirituality begin with our Paleolithic ancestors, from
around 75,000 to 40,000 BCE (before common era) when art, religion and magick
were born. We can see in the cave paintings which depict tribal magicks
and life events the way that these thoughts and activities emerged together.
Our ancestors were initially hunters and gatherers, meaning that
they were traveling nomads following the seasons and the herds. As they
followed the migration of the herds, the tribes gathered roots, fruits,
vegetables and nuts which were in season. Animals from the herds were
hunted as well, providing food, clothing and tools for the tribes.
Over time the people noticed the patterns of travel and migration that they
pursued in following the herds and at what times of the seasons the various
fruits and vegetables were ripe and ready to eat. Many continued their
nomadic existence, but some began to settle down in areas that were
particularly fertile and that the herds visited often. It was in these
areas that we see the cave paintings depicting the hunt and this was where
the conscious formation of art, magick and religion converged.
The tribes didn’t have the luxury we enjoy today of popping down to the local
grocery store to pick up nicely packaged cuts of meat and fresh
produce. They were completely dependent on themselves and the kindness
of the Gods for their survival. Without all of the artificial
stimulation and distraction that we endure today in the Western world, our
ancestors were better equipped to listen to their quiet inner voice of
intuition, pay attention to their dreams, follow the patterns of energy of
the stars and planets and use their own powers of concentration to try to
influence the world around them for their continued existence. They
used what we call now ‘sympathetic magick’ which is when you take ritualized
actions that act out what you wish to manifest to influence the energies of
the universe. This raising of focused energy helps to actualize those
ritualized actions on the physical plane. Our ancestors painted
dramatic, active pictures on the walls of caves showing the hunt: large
herds of strong animals running with the hunters of the tribe following for
the kill which would sustain the lives of their tribe mates. Then, in
the flickering light of a fire in the cave, they danced the painting into
life and reality, focusing on the success of the hunt and raising energy to
see it manifest. And, we know from excavations found in springs in the
area, they then made gifts of thanks to the Gods and offerings to the Gods
for the success they found.
We also know that our ancestors found personal relationships with the Divine
by the type of artifacts found in the excavations. For example, in
Catal Huyuk (an area in modern Turkey), archaeologists have found over 70,000
small personal sized Goddess figures. If you follow archeology you
probably have noticed that actually all areas of the world where there have
been excavations have shown prominent signs of Goddess worship (art,
statuary, burial customs) up until around 3000 years ago.
Even after monotheism took hold, there were still pockets of Goddess worship
on the British Isles as well as the European continent (usually expressions
of what we call Wicca today), but followed secretly because of events such as
the Witch Trials in England, Scotland, Ireland and Germany. These
practices stayed underground completely until 1954 when Gerald Gardner
published his first book called The Meaning of Witchcraft. Then in the
1960’s a complete revolution began – civil rights, women’s rights, animal
rights and environmental concerns all sparked renewed interest in Goddess
Religions because the basic foundations of these movements reflected Goddess
Spirituality values: egalitarianism, respect for the earth, the view that
animals were not less valuable than people, our need to protect our planet as
well as the need to balance the energies between male and female.
Many people practice their spirituality by themselves in a solitary fashion,
but there are also thousands of groups across the United States and Europe.
Some are women-only groups, and some have both men and women worshipping
together. The resurgence of interest and practice in Wicca and Paganism
has served as the foundation of the Goddess Spirituality movement but it is
not limited to only those traditions. All professions, all walks of
life and income brackets are represented in the adherents. In the
last 40 years or so magazines devoted to Goddess Spirituality and well as
hundreds of great books have been published.
Developing your own personal relationship with the Divine may be the
foundation of Goddess Spirituality. To begin you can choose a Goddess
or aspect of the Goddess which draws or fascinates you. Study and
learn about this Goddess by reading, meditation, writing songs, poetry,
creating dance or performing ritual focusing on connecting with this
Goddess. Some people or groups acknowledge Goddess energy exclusively
in their spiritual practices, but She is not a jealous Goddess. Goddess
worship can be incorporated with any existing spiritual practice. For
example, Christians could devote some prayers and meditations to Mary.
People of the Jewish faith could look into the Divine Bride, the Shekinah,
who is the consort of God.
Goddess Spirituality is truly a path for the 21st century.
As a people we must now consider our Mother Earth’s environmental needs as we
can see very clearing from our global perspective the interconnected web of
being. All personal deeds and collective actions of groups and
governments are interconnected with the lives and actions of every being that
lives and breathes upon Mother Earth. We need to balance male/female
energies and lives, find a balance and respect between the secular and the
Divine and between our conscious lives and actions with our unconscious
world. When we develop and explore our personal relationship with
Divine, we begin to live as if we are truly the children of the Goddess.
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