Our planet has a need to reinstate a sense of the "Goddess" within its
understanding of the divine;
the nurturing principle of the female is needed to help guide our way
through the maze of
accelerated change which surrounds us. I would submit to you that many
of our problems arise as a result of looking at God only as He , the He
who appears to initiate holy wars and conquest. As the Taoist, Buddhist
or Hindu would tell you, without the Divine Feminine Principle incorporated
into one's concept of the Godhead, you have only told, at best, half
the story regarding the divine
nature; you have fallen short of a full appreciation of the divinity
within and without.
The"feminine principle"is viewed by the traditions of the East as the
principle of birth,
transformation and rebirth, the nurturing and sustaining influence
in the universe. In the Taoist
world view, the feminine principle is the responsive nature of the
universe in juxtaposition to
the"male principle"which is the proactive and initiating nature of
the universe. The male principle
initiates action and movement; the female principle nurtures and is
responsive to those actions and movements.
Our current world view is out of balance, and the world scene reflects
that lack of balance. The
patriarchal world view has dominated Western Culture for the last seven
thousand years. The
aggressive concepts of a Patriarchal God have been responsible for
tremendous initiative in the
history of the West, but they have lost the respect of many for not
inspiring a greater sense of
responsibility and nurture for our planet earth.
The traditions of the West have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that
they are not
ecologically responsive and responsible. They have at best tolerated,
and at worst espoused, political and social behaviors which have violated
the planet. The results are all around us: the polluted skies, earth, and
ocean attest to this gross lack of responsibility, along with the absence
of an attitude of care necessary to heal our sick planet. The Goddess,
in contrast, is the caretaker, and by neglecting her within ourselves and
the cosmos, we have moved into a state of disequilibrium where our relationships
to ourselves and to the planet are in disarray. People who have been guided
by the defensive and exclusive characteristics of a jealous Patriarchal
God have promoted the distinctions and differences amongst the people of
the world. Such distinctions and differences can lead to disastrous results
if not balanced with the promotion of sensitivity and understanding that
leads to a celebration of differences, an appreciation of distinctions.
Two North American traditions -- Ixchel and Weaver from the Mayan culture,
and Spider Woman from numerous American Indian cultures, -- attempt by
their efforts as weavers to bring integration to the great diversity of
life.
Within the analytical tradition of Carl Jung and the work of mythologists
such as Joseph
Campbell, there is much evidence to support the existence of the feminine
principle (anima) within the human psyche alongside that of the male principle
(animus). Jung's definition of spiritual growth within the individual in
large part relates to the development and integration of those male and
female components of the human psyche.
The Eastern religious traditions have for millennia observed that if
you fail to show respect to the
female principle within and without, the results can be awesomely destructive.
The figures of Kali
and Camunda personify that sense of danger. With vast arsenals of nuclear
weaponry at our
fingertips, it is past time for the female principle to re-emerge and
take her position as coequal
along side Yahweh, Allah, and the Lord God.
The Goddess image surrounded the planet for well over 35,000 years to about 5,000 BCE, when her position descended like the goddess Peresephone into the deep earth, the home of Hades. Around that time we observe the ascendancy of the male gods -- Zeus, Indra, Yahweh, and Thor. There are numerous theories as to why this shift in religious tradition occurred. I choose not to speculate about these theories. Rather, I choose to ask whether in that shift something of value was lost to humanity? In Greek mythology, not until the goddess Peresephone was returned from the kingdom of Hades did the earth restore her health. It was the winter of the earth's history according to the myth. We are still caught as a planet deep in the winter of our history. We should seek after the lost Peresephone and restore her to her Divine Mother so that our planet may find its wholeness, following not only the guidance of the Great Father, but also the Great Divine Mother Spirit.
I invite you to welcome the feminine image of God, the Goddess, back
into your life. Feel her
presence within you, allow her to turn the winter of your existence
into a creative and
life-sustaining spring. As we allow the Goddess to re-emerge in consciousness,
her compassion
and wisdom will begin to enfold us. She will gradually reveal herself
in all of her simplicity and
complexity. As we spend time recognizing and worshiping the Divine
Parent who embodies and
integrates both the feminine and masculine aspects of reality, we will
come more and more to
embody this unified wholeness in our consciousness and action. The
Sacred Feminine is capable
of greatly assisting in the fulfillment of our existence as a people
and as a planet.
May the holistic reality of this Divine Parent within you bless you,
sustain you, and create new life
within you. "
The Goddess
by Gard Jameson
To read
more about the Divine Feminine...
In Search
of the Feminine Divine... http://www.gaiafriends.org/intuitive.html
Honoring
The Feminine Spirit... http://www.gaiafriends.org/intuitive.html
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