ANTHEA: ALL THINGS ARE GODDESS

Humanity tends to create Deity in its own image. We make it what we need it to be to suit our current situation. While spirituality is an innately personal experience, therein lies problems when we forget that nothing is ever really that cut and dry; especially with a deity as multifaceted as the Great Goddess.

Since entering into life on a Goddess path almost 15 years ago, I’ve noticed a trend of what I can only describe as using the Goddess as a crutch. There are some who choose to work with personal interpretations of “dark” Goddesses as a way of justifying their harmful actions. It’s almost as though they create a Goddess they believe will carry their banner of anger and allow them to be a jerk for the simple sake of being a jerk. They believe the Goddess hates Christians, men, etc. because they need her to hate them in order to feel righteous.

It’s easy to get lost in a theology that seems to have no hard and fast rules. In Goddess Religion and most of Modern Paganism morality is a very touchy, hotly debated subject most often left up to the individual. There are no commandments, no laws save one. Do no harm.

Self responsibility is a key lesson of the Goddess in general. Everyone is going to cause some amount of harm in their lives. The ability to accept the injury we cause, deal with the consequences, and learn from our experiences is not always so effortless. It’s much easier to create a personal image of Deity that makes us feel better about the choices we’ve made.

Creating Goddess as we see fit in order to validate destructive behavior or misguided beliefs simply shrugs off personal responsibility, much like an oil slick slipping off the hull of a ship. It’s not okay to cause damage simply because we’ve manufactured an image of Goddess that would raise her fist in support of our self-righteous indulgences. She will never stand idly by while we pollute ourselves and the world around us with pain. Karma will inevitably be knocking at the proverbial front door.

I have always believed that if there is such a thing as sin, it exists only in the moments when we hurt another.

Adultery, as an example, is not wrong because it leaves us destined to go to some make believe land of fire and torture after death. Nor is it wrong because sex is something to be ashamed of. It is wrong because promises are being broken and there is potential to cause great harm. Goddess doesn’t sneak into bedrooms at night, tip-toeing about the Berber carpet and peeking under the sheets to make sure it’s our spouse we’re sleeping with. She doesn’t care who we choose to share our bodies with so long as no one is getting burned in the wake of our passions.

Indeed our bodies belong to us alone and no one can be “owned” by another. And some people don’t believe in the trappings of marriage, but then why not just not be married? Imagining Goddess as a deity who agrees with sexual liberation and autonomy is one thing, but it is not within our rights to wound another individual without assuming there will be some consequences to deal with.

Hating, as another example, is wrong not because an old book tells us to love our neighbors. No matter who causes us injury and how unjust it is, hate fills the world with pain and anger like a nasty venereal virus. It’s infectious, destructive, and creates separation. No amount of deity-manufacturing will change that.

Now I am not proposing that we should sit around feeling bad for the harm we've caused throughout the course of our lives. It's useless to dwell in the past, wishing we could find the rewind button and make things different. We also shouldn't assume we are bad people by any stretch. Mistakes, accidents, poor choices, etc. all are just a part of life. Without them what would there be to learn from?

Things can get a bit sticky when we decide to bypass the qualities of Goddess that we merely find unpleasant or useless, be they of the light or dark variety. It's counterproductive to accept only her "light" qualities or only her "dark" qualities. She’s sort of a packaged deal and stripping her of any one of her innate qualities robs us of her full power and of our full potential as human beings.

Those who are healing from emotional wounds may logically choose to construe an image of Goddess who supports their feelings of being wronged; an image that somehow advocates the revenge brewing inside their hearts. In those cases a dark Goddess (created as a being who detests who we detest) may be a comforting shoulder to lean on and a protector in a daunting, painful world. She is created by our own ego to make us feel right without judging or questioning our motivations. She simply says “You’re righteous. You’re good. I’m here to support you and any harm you feel just in causing.” She allows us to say things like “I am mean to her because she hurt me” or “They deserve it”.

Is embracing a solely dark and vengeful image of Goddess, who picks and chooses which children to love over others, really the road to becoming a whole person? To healing on a soul level? Isn’t that image incomplete? Where is the loving Mother who teaches compassion for all life? Where is the Maiden with her lessons of personal freedom and choice? Where is the old Crone, full of experience and wisdom? Is it she who is hiding inside these personal and convoluted faces of the Dark Goddess?

Images of the Dark Goddess abound throughout time. Many of these dark portrayals are later additions to the pantheon of Female Divinity, contributed by patriarchal influences that wished to demonized the ancient Goddess and strip her of the captivating power she held over the people of the Earth. These patriarchal forces made the Goddess into a demented fear-monger who stole little children away and ate them for supper. All of the qualities that bring us closer to nature and thus to the Goddess were stripped away and turned into bogeymen and monsters.

The point was to make the Goddess something to be terrified of as opposed to something to embrace. They misunderstood her powers of necessary destruction, her connection with the baseness of humanity, and the mysteries of death. They didn’t see that the darkness was a symbol for the forces in the universe that scare us; the unknown, the painful, the things we can’t control.

So why are we believing the hype? Why are we drinking the kool-aid of the patriarchal cults and grabbing a hold of the images they created as our own symbols of power, liberation, and justification? Is it purely to suit our personal agendas of being angry, wronged individuals driven by a self-righteous belief that we are owed something because life just isn’t fair? How does it help to imagine the Goddess as someone who punishes and detests those of her children who wrong the others? How does it help to think of her as a being who delights in the pain of "wrong-doers"? Isn't that the image of God we were trying to escape from in the first place?

The reality of the Dark Goddess, from this Goddessian’s point of view, is that she is at times that terrifying, ugly hag. She is not there to fuel our anger or justify the harm we cause, but to teach us of those things that are not often beautiful, that are sometimes unknowable, and that we are not always willing to embrace.

The Dark Goddess calls to us to understand the darkness of death and destruction and know that it is purposeful. She beckons us to look within ourselves, see those dark, scary shadows, and love them. She is the destroyer of egos, not a tool to be used to perpetuate our own secret darkness.

The Goddess is whole and complete, taking us by the hand in order to guide us to our own completion. Listen to all of her voices, gaze upon all of her faces. Only then can we truly know her and love her in her totality.

There is a difference between reclaiming a symbol for the purpose of liberation; taking that which was meant to frighten us or degrade us and turning it out onto the unjust individuals who created it; and utilizing that symbol to enable injustice ourselves.


Picture courtesy of the BBC.

Labels: dark goddess, destruction of ego, Goddess, in her image, karma, manufacturing deity, personal responsibility

The Temple isn't exactly complete because I haven't been inspired to write the meditation yet. Everything is there though - most of which you may have already read in previous posts. Check it out and hopefully enjoy!

Virtual Temple of Persephone

Labels: Goddess, goddess temple, Greek Goddesses, greek myth, persephone

Dissecting and Interpreting Mythology
and Theological Concepts of the Goddess

I imagine everyone has their own way of interpreting the Goddess. By nature, being a Goddess worshipper fills a person with a sense of empowerment that teachers him/her to trust their instincts and their personal ideas. Perhaps the Goddess inspires us all differently, coming to us in unique ways that teach every individual exactly what they need to learn.

For me it has always been a challenge to order my thoughts when it comes to understanding the Goddess. To me all Goddesses are one Goddess so learning about her different images helps me understand her as a whole. She is all things and sometimes it’s not that easy to wrap my head around her thousands of faces, symbols, etc. The method I use to better my own understanding, and create a sense of order in an otherwise jumbled mind, is what I call the Three Keys System.

First, let me make my personal framework clear. This is the core of my belief system and what I base all of my interpretations on.

• All Goddesses are one Goddess. All deity is one deity.
• The Goddess is all things and everything in nature and life can carry her lessons.
• The Goddess is triplicate; Maiden, Mother, Crone.
• The combination of those three aspects creates the forth or total aspect of Goddess; All-Goddess, Panthea, Great Goddess, etc.
• The All-Goddess aspect is the totality of all things and is the ultimate vision of the Goddess.
• Every Goddess carries the qualities of each the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone though they usually lean further in the direction of one than the others.

Now the things listed above can’t really be called facts. I’m not sure there is much within the realm of religion that can be called wholly factual. I suppose that’s why we have the concept of faith. But does this make them untrue? If perception is reality then the statements of faith above are as true as the sky being blue. Though I see a blue sky a slightly color blind person may think it seems more like a shade of purple. Who’s right and who’s wrong? Well, neither and both at the same time. Both perceptions are completely true, albeit personal truths.

So, after I choose my topic (or my Goddess) that I am going to devote study time to, I research like crazy and put everything I have gathered in one place. I read all of the information as many times as necessary and formulate ideas while specifically looking for keywords that may be ascribed to the Goddess in question. Almost right off the bat I can usually see if a Goddess falls into the Maiden, Mother, Crone, or All categories based on what I know of each.

Then I look at the way this Goddess relates to other deities, if there are other Goddesses involved that can make her triplicate aspects obvious, and examine her relationship to her mate if she has one. I ask myself questions like “what did this Goddess do?”, “what purpose does her myth serve?”, “what are her symbols”, etc.

In between all of this I usually make time to meditate for a few days on the Goddess I am studying. For me it is necessary to spend a lot of time in thought and reflection, allowing the Goddess to send some inspiration along before I come to any conclusions.

The next step is to weed through any keywords I may have come across. I usually take the three most specific or clearly illustrated keywords and elaborate on them. For example, for the Minoan Bee Goddess (Merope) I selected the keywords that jumped out at me the most then jotted down what I felt they meant.

Connection
- It is not good to always be alone.
- Seek connection with other people and with all life.
- Live in harmony with others.

Responsibility
- Live responsibly in co-existence with other people and with nature.
- Work honestly and earn your keep in life.
- Everyone has a purpose.

Humility
- Love is stronger than you.
- Love openly and without shame.
- There is no room for pride in love.

After using the Three Keys System and incorporating the Triple Goddess framework I feel that I have a pretty clear understanding of what this Goddess means to me, or what lessons I needed to gain from her. I can now incorporate this specific Goddess into my vision of the Goddess as a whole and further enrich my spiritual experience.

Your interpretations of individual Goddesses or the Goddess as a whole may be completely different from mine. I trust that the Goddess has a good understanding of us and knows which of her aspects are beneficial to every individual.

For me, the most important part of all of this is to know that the Goddess is ever-present and constant. She cannot be changed. She just is. I find this way of thinking beneficial, especially when participating in theological debates. No one should ever feel their ideas or perceptions are invalid or being threatened by others because it all comes from the Goddess anyway.

We all have different relationships with the Goddess in the way children do with their mothers. Healthy, present mothers know which of their children need to know which lessons and each child is treated as an individual. As we grow mothers teach new lessons, or impart more wisdom in regards to old lessons. It is important to be open to change and an evolution in thought because we never want to be so stubborn in our beliefs that the Goddess can’t teach us more of what we need to know.

So, your unique vision of the Goddess is just as valid as any other. So long as you are enriching your own experience of your Mother, there can be no wrong answers to your questions.

Labels: Goddess, pagan theology, paganism, three keys system

I've noticed over the past few years that the idea of Persephone being raped by Pluton/Hades is not readily accepted anymore. Beautiful retellings of their story involving a deep love and passion are emerging and being rediscovered around every corner.

It makes sense that Kore would be relunctant to leave the land of the living and the arms of her mother, Demeter. What doesn't make sense is that she would be held against her will or openly give up the opportunity to not only be Queen of the Underworld, but also the Shepherdess of Souls.

It's possible Kore might not have embaced her destiny wholeheartedly at first. Could she have been afraid to grow and to be transformed? Did she fear these things the way mortals naturally fear the transformation of death? Could she have fought these changes the way mortals fight to survive?

Eventually it is the love of Pluton that changes her; that makes her whole, and helps her to realize her true potential and destiny. I don't believe a divine being like that could be a rapist. So, why do you suppose this story became twisted? Is there some patriarchal reason as to why Kore would need to be forced into becoming Persephone?

In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter Persephone (Kore) is given away to Pluton/Hades by Zeus (sometimes her father and sometimes her uncle). This rings of patriarchal influences and hints that a woman couldn't possibly have the power to think for herself and make the decision to change her existence. In no way does this speak about what we know of Goddess societies and it can only be assumed that the myths including aspects of rape are a later retelling of a very ancient story.

I found the passage below at The Other Ivy's blog, Stone Circle. I immediately fell in love with it and it suddenly resonated inside me like something true. It wasn't the first time I had heard of an alternate, non-rape version of the story, but it was so inspiring that I had to post it here along with my musings.

...No one understands anymore
how beautiful he was. But Persephone remembers.

Also that he embraced her, right there,
with her uncle watching. She remembers
sunlight flashing on his bare arms.

This is the last moment she remembers clearly.
Then the dark god bore her away.

She also remembers, less clearly,
the chilling insight that from this moment
she couldn't live without him again.

The girl who disappears from the pool
will never return. A woman will return,
looking for the girl she was...

- Excerpt from"The Myth of Innocence"
from Averno by Louise Glück.

Labels: ancient greek goddess, Goddess, Goddess Religion, greek myth, homeric hymn to demeter, korai, kore, persephone, persephone and hades, persephone and pluto, the myth of demeter

In the post just before this one I mentioned a painful time I recently experienced in my life. While I was thinking about this time I remembered that it began right after I had been practicing a mantra to the Goddess Kali everyday.

Kali or Kali-Ma is an element of Shakti who is known as a remover of obstacles, and the mantra was specifically designed to do just that. I personally see Kali as a dark aspect of the Goddess who transforms everything she touches.

So my question is, did Kali have something to do with this event in my life? Was this an experience that might fall into the category of birthing pains... as in "there is always pain before birth"?

"Something" was certainly removed from my life but it came back. I guess when I look at that "something" very closely it did not come back in the same form it was in. So perhaps the obstacle was removed, changed, then put back into place. Maybe that "something" couldn't be transformed by Kali until it was taken from me. And in that way both myself and the "something" were forever changed into new things.

I don't know. This is one of those metaphorical, esoteric talks I usually have with myself. Since I am finally opening up a little around here, I thought maybe I would present it to all of you too.

I've been thinking of starting the chanting up again but I am a bit gun shy as you can imagine. I know I still have obstacles to remove, but I'm not sure I can handle Kali's handiwork again just yet. We'll see.

Labels: devi, Goddess, kali, kali-ma, life, life experiences, ramblings, remover of obstacles, shakti, the goddess kali

Athana at Radical Goddess Thealogy brought up the Goddess Baubo in a recent post and I found myself pondering this somewhat misunderstood aspect of the Great Goddess. Below is a link to Athana's original post and then my comments on the subject.

Wincing Over Baubo from Athana at Radical Goddess Thealogy

Grian: Baubo reminds me of the Sheila-na-Gig in some ways because she is not ashamed of her physical female-ness and shows it unabashedly to others. I also find connections with Kali-Ma as she is all at once a mixture of the divine and the profane.

I don't know that Baubo has been perverted by a patriarchal society. Misunderstood yes, though I find her story to still contain Goddess' lessons. I think the fact that Demeter is pleased by Baubo's actions shows that the Goddess not only has a sense of humor but also urges us not to place judgement on others when they "reveal" themselves to us.

I think there is something to be said for the Goddess showing us that there is a connection to her and that which we think of as profane. Maybe she is saying that embracing the "profane" things about us without shame is a way to get closer to her - or a way to understand the true nature she gave us without forcing ourselves to be more than the perfectly imperfect animals she intended us to be. Just some thoughts.

Read more about Baubo
:: Baubo, Greek Goddess of Mirth
:: Baubo on Wikipedia
:: The Story of Baubo

Labels: Baubo, Goddess, Goddess Discussion, Goddess Religion, Greek Goddesses, The Goddess Baubo, Writings

Susy, an evangelical Christian, has begun to post the multi-part interview of me at her blog, Unmasking the Goddess. Head on over and give it a read. So far I am pleased with the presentation and feel it reads really well - honestly portraying my story and my experiences.

I regret that we weren't able to get into more Goddess-y stuff, but I also understand the point of the interview was to get to the core of why I chose Goddess religion in the first place. Hopefully I have made my points as well as I can in a non-offensive manner to other Goddess worshippers. I tried to speak for myself only.

If anyone would like to get a diallogue started on the contents of the interview or any of my opinions I would welcome the opportunity. Please use the comments form below to speak your mind.

Labels: Goddess, Goddess Religion, Susy Flory, Unmasking the Goddess

Yet more comments that I posted over at Unmasking the Goddess. These in response to this post right here. I just can't seem to help myself.

"I believe God got it right in Eden when he put a Woman and Man in charge, together. That, I believe, should be our goal, neither elevating nor denigrating one sex over the other."

And Goddess worshippers believe this as well. Separation is not an idea that is embraced. Instead, there is an idea of Oneness that we believe the Goddess embodies. She is both male and female.

The idea of engendering God is something people do to connect with something that is basically hard to comprehend. The concept of God is huge. The human brain is not even capable of grasping the idea of infinite space, let alone the vast concept of God.

I think everyone has pictured God with human qualities before. Though we may believe God is a being beyond gender - or a being that contains both sexes - we do not imagine God as a hermaphrodite or as an androgynous or asexual being.

The ideas behind masculine and feminine represent metaphors that people can relate to and connect with. And, in my opinion, as long as one is reaching to understand the true nature of divinity what should it matter what tools are used to relate to that deity? You see, I believe your God is the same being as my Goddess. We just invision them differently. I believe there is only one being seen by the people of the world in many different ways.

And these comments were in response to this post on feminism being a dirty word.

Given the supplied definition of feminism, shouldn't everyone be a feminist? It's a shame there even needs to be a word for this since it should simply be natural for women to be seen as equal to men.

In Goddess communities I have struggled with the idea of feminism. I have always felt that I didn't want something that seemed so wholly politically motivated to describe my spiritual beliefs. Instead, I believe the Goddess teaches us about Oneness that overcomes gender.

Labels: divine gender, Feminism, Goddess, Unmasking the Goddess

I was at work the other day and spoke to a man who was buying purple paper to use for church signs. In my quirky way I questioned him a little and he said that this color was a good liturgical color to make signs with. I thought it odd that purple would be a color associated with Catholic services, though I did remember priests wearing purple and the altars cloths having purple on them at various times when I had attending Catholic masses. The conversation went on to include the other colors and the man briefly gave me the meanings behind them all.

Purple
Catholic's Interpretation: A sombre color used during lent - the time before Easter, meaning the people are supposed to be refelecive during this time.
My Interpretation: A color associated with the supernatural world or psychic influences. Also, a color I think of when picturing old ladies. In older times only the king was allowed to wear purple. When I mentioned this to the Catholic man he thought that would make sense seeing as how Jesus was "King".

White
Catholic: Used during the high holiday of Easter and Christmas.
Mine: This made sense seeing as how white automatically symbolizes purity and peace. I also see this color as a symbol of the Maiden, beginnings, a clean slate, and insight.

Red
Catholic: I don't remember the complete explanation of this one, but I recall it being symbolic of blood.
Mine: I also associate red with blood, specifically the blood of the Mother, the blood of life, etc. It symbolizes birth to me, in conjunction with the Mother aspect, as well as warmth, compassion, love, protection. Overall, I would use the word passion to describe this color - meaning to me that it could be representative of any extreme or powerful emotion.

Green
Catholic: Used during the "normal" times were his words.
Mine: An extremely sacred color very closely associated with the complete All-Goddess aspect. Fertility, life, the earth, completion, oneness.

Black
Catholic: We did't get a chance to discuss this color.
Mine: The Crone, death and transformation, wisdom, etc.

Below is a definition of the liturgical colors of the Catholic church that I found on the internet. I find this a very Pagan concept, personally - though I am not surprised by that in the least. What would Pagan's use as "liturgical" colors? I know there are some trads that already use colors at certain times of the year. Is your tradition one of them? What do the colors mean to you and your tradition?

Liturgical Symbolism

The variety of liturgical colours in the Church arose from the mystical meaning attached to them. Thus white, the symbol of light, typifies innocence and purity, joy and glory; red, the language of fire and blood, indicates burning charity and the martyrs' generous sacrifice; green, the hue of plants and trees, bespeaks the hope of life eternal; violet, the gloomy cast of the mortified, denotes affliction and melancholy; while black, the universal emblem of mourning, signifies the sorrow of death and the sombreness of the tomb.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04134a.htm

NOTE: How interesting that the liturgical colors of the Catholic faith are the main colors of importance in Goddess Religion/Paganism. Hmm... Interesting, but again not surprising.

Labels: catholic, color meanings, colors, Goddess, traditions

Yes, I am back and I know it's been forever. I could go on and tell you the stories of my life over the past few months, but I suppose I would rather keep those details private. Let's just say my focus needed to be on my personal life and my family. I think a person should know when to move focus between aspects of their life, and the Goddess led me where I needed to be at that time. So... to jump right in I have some comments about a post I just read over at Unmasking the Goddess.

First go ahead and read the post entitled The Earth as Goddess. It's an older one from September, but I've been out of the loop for a while and I'm catching up. :)

My comments:

If I may be so bold, I would like to explain something. Most Pagans (capital P like Christians) believe that there is no separation between nature and the Goddess (capital G like God). Just as you may admire a beautiful sunset and see the glory of God, Pagans see the Goddess in all things - very especially nature. The personification of the earth or nature is simply a form of myth and metaphor and not to be taken literally. It would be silly to think that all Pagans believe the earth is genuinely a human woman with god-like powers named Gaia. Gaia is a Greek myth once used to explain creation and the workings of our planet. Gaia, in fact, was the Greek word for earth. So, lets bring this down to Gaia for goodness sake, and avoid sensationalizing a serious religious topic.

Sincere Blessings, Grian

Do you agree or disagree? Let's discuss and debate this topic and get some opinons flying about the internet.

Labels: earth, earth religion, gaia, Goddess, Unmasking the Goddess

I found this free e-book on Lulu.com last night while publishing my own little written venture. It's called Maiden, Mother, Crone - A Celebration of All Goddesses and it's written by LeRoy McKitrick.

LeRoy writes about the Goddess, the women in his life, and the Goddess inside those women. It's truly lovely and only 36 pages long - so a nice quick read for those of us without a bulk amount of spare time. I've pasted two of his poems below. Give them a read then head over to Lulu to download this little treasure.

I found some other Goddess-y ebooks too, but I haven't had the time to read them just yet. When I do I'll let you know how they are.

"Untitled"

Matrilineal bloodlines
forever as true
never will it be questioned.
-The womb you grew in
shall always be the same.
The seed you grew from can
never be proven to be
your genesis.
Your roots can only lead
back to the Goddess.

"Untitled"

WITH GIANT STRIDES THAT
MARK OUT THE PRIMEVAL
HEARTBEAT OF AN EARTH
NOT SEEN BY LIGHT OF DAY
SHE PERMEATES ALL WITH
HER SIGHT.
AMONGST THE TREES NOTHING
IS HIDDEN, UNKNOWN.
A FERAL GRIN ERUPTS ON
HER LIPS AS SHE BREATHES
IN, SCENTING, TASTING, TOUCHING…
KNOWING –
MOONLIGHT BREAKS INTO TATTERED
SHARDS OFF GLACIAL BLUE EYES
THAT SAY –
I AM WOMAN
ALL THAT I AM AND ALL THAT
I WILL BE
KNOW ME AND FEAR ME
FOR THE MOON IS MY SISTER
AND THE WOLF MY MATE
I AM THE GODDESS!
SHE THUNDERS ON.

Labels: Ebook, Goddess, Goddess Inspired, LeRoy McKitrick, Maiden Mother Crone, Poetry

I found this blog the other day - "Unmasking the Goddess" - about a Christian woman (Susy Flory) who is set to, as the title suggests, "unmask" the Goddess. I am sure this means she plans to somehow disprove the existence of ancient Goddess societies and discredit the entire religion.

For some reason I'm a glutton for punishment because I am gradually reading every single one of Susy's posts. My idealist brain is already processing an elaborate plan to defend Mama from this very passive-aggressive attack and better the world at the same time.

Quick! Someone get the restraints. And bring some chocolate. And a bottle of Pinot Grigio. The big bottle. Oh, and maybe some caramel sundaes.

Oh, who am I kidding? I'll probably just end up bitching about my aggravation here. Who knows, maybe this woman's work might even spark a good topic for debate. Or just annoy the crap out of me.

*currently chanting "frankie says relax" as my personal mantra*

UPDATE: Read Susy's story The Goddess Unmasked to get her blog contents in a nut shell - a large, rotten nut shell full of manure. Sorry... letting my annoyance show again. Back to my mantra.Frankie says relax...

Labels: Goddess, Goddess Religion, Misc. Commentary, Misc. Mutterings, Modern Paganism, Susy Flory, Unmasking the Goddess

A few days ago I read this post at Aquila ka Hecate which then led me to this post by Hecate. Check out the quotes below.

"I resolved this morning on the way to work to see everything I beheld as Goddess.
My partner beside me, driving my car-he is Goddess.

The car herself is Goddess. Her name is Astarte.

The early morning lights of Woodmead, with those dreadful smoke stacks billowing against the sky -that's Goddess."

- Terri at Aquila ka Hecate

"and that my chance to go back to my office and do what I do best in all the world -- write and edit -- is Goddess, and that my ability to mange everyone's emotions is Goddess, and that getting to read a perfect ritual proposed by my brilliant friend E. for my genius friend B. is Goddess and that a half an hour -- a whole half an hour -- alone in the car with the gorgeous man-Son-Scorpio lawyer that I bore and raised all by myself -- a whole half an hour with Son -- is Goddess, and that his beautiful, kick-ass, wonderful mother of a wife is Goddess,"

- Hecate

So now the words "thou art Goddess" have become my personal mantra. If I too can resolve to see everything around me as Goddess perhaps I can be the "better self" Hecate talks about in the rest of her post.

The cigarette - potentially deadly; toxic, billowing spirals of smoke around my head like "my own locomotive" as Billy Collins said - this is Goddess. The anger that composes up my shadow and hurts other people is Goddess. My husband - who gets that anger and my heart - he is Goddess (especially his sexy butt). The grocery store clerk who makes me want to call her a dumb ass - she is Goddess. My mother - who drives me nuts and makes me love her fiercely all at the same time - she is Goddess. My daughter - my source of giggles and faithful partner in ice cream crime - she is most definitely Goddess. The people I look at with disgust - like twenty year olds who wear jeans so low their labia are almost visible or their boyfriends with their hats spun sideways and a chunk of fake diamonds around their necks - they are Goddess. My neighbors who I all too often think of as white trash - they are Goddess. My Circle mates - they are Goddess - Goddess of much needed laughter, love, and spiritual connection. My best friend - long time support system and my journeying companion - she is very much Goddess; the Goddess of no-panties.

Maybe with those words perpetually in my mind I can start to see the world and other people with fresh fruit eyes; brand new and ripe with sweetness. Maybe I can stop being angry when my girl-mones rage and the heat has gotten the best of me. Maybe I can stop blaming the anger on the girl-mones and the heat and get a good look at the giant still life of sadness that hides in some locked box inside my brain. And maybe I can just remember that I am human - but Goddess - and I don't have to be afraid to fail at being perfect.

UPDATE: Many thanks to Hecate and Terri for their lovely posts. Quite honestly I think this topic has been something life changing for me. As you can see I've added some stuff to the top of the page that relates to the "Everything is Goddess" idea. I've realized now that this entire blog has been about this concept and I am eternally grateful to the two of you for expanding my understanding and speaking your truth.

Labels: Goddess, Misc. Mutterings, Thou Art Goddess

I had a thought today while eating beef jerky. Weird, I know. Anyway, I was thinking to myself that I was consuming the life of another living thing. I was then struck with a thought about the concept of Oneness...

If all things are one - are the Goddess - then the Goddess destroys parts of herself to help other parts of herself to thrive. Why then do you suppose she would "pick" us to be the kind of life that thrives more than some others. The Goddess teaches that all life is one life and no life is more worthy than another. So what makes us so special? Do we contribute more somehow to her well being? Do we provide more physical experience for her than other life forms?

I searched for a metaphor for this and tried out my own body. I haven't come to any conclusions yet, but I am trying to see what my body destroys that are a part of me - that I presumably need to survive - in order to "feed" other parts. I know these are some obscure thoughts, but I thought it might be something worth pondering. I'll be searching for other metaphors/comparisons and looking into science, the natural world, human physiology, etc. to gain some insights if anyone wants to ponder or search with me.

One insight so far: We create. Not just other beings but art, poetry, buildings, etc. We have reasoning abilities that other animals do not that allow us to create without mixing our DNA with someone else's.

Labels: Goddess, Misc. Mutterings

I think the following recent news story deserves a little discussion. What are your thoughts on this? Does this sound like Goddess Religion to you? I'll chime in as soon as I get over being pissed and have a minute to think about it rationally.

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KATMANDU, Nepal — A 10-year-old Nepalese girl was stripped of her title as a living goddess because she traveled overseas to promote a documentary about the centuries-old tradition, a news report said Tuesday.

Sajani Shakya had her status revoked because she broke with tradition by leaving the country, the state-run National News Agency reported, quoting Narendra Prasad Joshi, chief of the Bhaktapur Taleju Temple where Sajani is based.

Sajani is among several "Kumaris," or living goddesses, in Nepal, but as one of the kingdom's top three, is forbidden from leaving the country.

However, last month she left Nepal for the United States and other countries to promote a British documentary about the living goddesses of the Katmandu Valley.

Temple officials will replace Sajani when she returns to Nepal later this week, the report cited Joshi as saying.

Living goddesses are worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists. The girls are selected between the ages of 2 and 4 after going through several tests.

They are required to have perfect skin, hair, eyes and teeth, they shouldn't have scars or wounds, and shouldn't be afraid of the dark.

They always wear red, pin up their hair in topknots and a "third eye" is painted on their forehead.

Devotees touch the girls' feet with their foreheads, the highest sign of respect among Hindus in Nepal.

During religious festivals the girls are wheeled around on a chariot pulled by devotees. Living goddesses usually keep their title until their first menstruation.

The main Kumari lives a sequestered life in a palatial temple in the capital, Katmandu.

She has a few selected playmates and is allowed outside only a few times a year for festivals.

Others like Sajani are allowed to stay at home, attend regular school and take part in festivals.

The government last year announced a monthly pension of $40 for serving and retired Kumaris. Previously, the main Kumari received only a gold coin during an annual festival and the other girls received whatever was offered by devotees.

Nepalese folklore holds that men who marry a former Kumari will die young, and so many girls remain unmarried and face a life of hardship.

Critics have said the tradition violates both international and Nepalese laws on child rights.

source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,287839,00.html

Labels: Goddess, Living Goddess, Misc. News

Sit in a comfortable, quiet place. Light candles, incense, or anything that may set the mood for you. You may choose to listen to soft, soothing music.

You begin on a wooded path, the same path that you walked to find the Maiden. Except this time the path is lined with red roses of every shape and variety. There are growing things everywhere; bushes and shrubs, trees and flowering herbs. The sweet smell of summer is in the air.

Overhead the sun is high and bursting with heat. The heat is not oppressive and the thick canopy of trees above shields you from the directness of its light. You are comfortable and warm.

Animals move and make sounds nearby. Beside you is a doe grazing on the forest greens. She stares at you with big brown eyes and welcomes you in her silent way.
As you walk the path take the time to investigate your surroundings. Remember that time has no meaning in this place and that you are free to roam the wilderness around you.

Finally you come to the familiar gate in front of the cottage. They are now both covered in blossoms of every shade of red. Remove the trappings of your daily life and leave them at the gate before pushing it open to step into the garden of the Goddess.

You have just closed the gate behind you when a woman opens the door of the cottage. As she steps over the threshold she greets with a smile and a little nod of her head. You feel a pleasant warmth spread over you and you send her a smile in return.

She wears a gown the color of the roses around her with hints of deep green that match her eyes. Her hair is tied up in a bun behind her head and her belly is swollen with new life.

You remain where you are as the woman walks towards you. Her eyes sweep over you from head to feet.

When she is standing directly in front of you her eyes lock onto yours and she peers deep into your spirit, into who you truly are. Do you hide anything from her? Is there something you don’t want her to know?

After a moment she puts her hand to your cheek and smiles with her eyes. She puts her arms around you and pulls your head gently to rest on her chest. Do you resist this contact or do you let the Mother embrace you as a child that has come home? She pulls you up again, her hands resting on your shoulders, and says:

"I accept you exactly the way you are. I love you as I have always loved you; unconditionally and as your mother. I will always be in this place, waiting for your visits, but know also that I am always within you for we are one spirit."

Talk for a time with the Lady. Go into the cottage if you like. After all, this is your house; your mother’s house. Stay for a while and let your mother teach you what she knows or just lounge in the safety of your spiritual home.

When you are ready to leave, embrace the Mother and promise to return. Take only what you need from the gate before returning to the path. Walk back at your leisure allowing your consciousness to surface slowly.

Labels: Goddess, Tridean Tradition, Writings

This affirmation can be used daily to imbue yourself with the compassion of the Mother.

Ancient Mother,
Your spirit is the creating force of love
That nourishes and perpetuates life.
Let my heart be filled with your patience,
And your endless compassion for all things.
I rest always within your eternal embrace.

Labels: Goddess, Tridean Tradition, Writings

Love is the most powerful force in existence. It can quite literally bring change in an instant. Without it there would be no desire to create and nurture, thus there would be no life.

Today, at the beginning of Summer, the Mother Goddess comes to the height of her power as does the sun above us. She has reached this pinnacle through the strength of love. It is love for her Consort, for the child growing within her, and for all of Creation.

As her love and her belly have grown so too has the earth become green and full of life. Flowers bloom all around us and the animals have come together in the fields to mate and multiply. Life is everywhere we look.

The Goddess has reached the peak of her potential and realized her compassion for all life. She loves all things as a healthy mother loves her children; selflessly and without condition. This is the love she holds within her heart for each of us.

In recognition of this peak of life and love fires are lit all over the world. Tradition tells us that this is the favored day of the fairies and that they troop around the land searching for beautiful mortals to take away with them.

Roses are symbols of the Mother Goddess. They are placed on altars along side rayed flowers and sun wheels which honor the height of the sun. This is a time of fire—the most creative and destructive force known. The same qualities can also be given to the force of love.

Because a peak has been reached now there must be a decline. This does not mean the lessons of compassion will be forgotten or wane. The decline means that now something else must come into focus to join those lessons.

Midsummer is a time of celebration and joy, as are all times in the Goddess’s circle. But with that joy comes the knowledge that this too shall end only to begin again—that impermanence is the nature of all things.

Let us rejoice now in the warmth of summer and in the light at its highest point. Let us live in this moment, and this moment only, so that we might relish in the love of the Goddess and learn compassion for all life and all beings.

Labels: Goddess, Tridean Tradition, Writings

I didn't get a chance to post this on Beltane so I'll post it now. Sorry about the lateness of this topic. :)


The Story of the Goddess at Beltane

Fires burn bright on this night. The Mother, with a growing child in her belly, looks to celebrate the love she has found in the God and the creation they have stirred.

The first spring flowers have opened their faces to the growing sun, trees are becoming full and green, and life is steadily returning from below the ground. Bird song fills the air again. They beckon us to join them in celebration of High Spring.

This is the last of the seed time when the focus changes from a time of planting to a time of growth. The theme of fertility is carried throughout this season and rituals and prayers are made to perpetuate growth in the physical world
as well as in the spiritual.

Beltane is a time of celebrating the pleasures of the body; of the combining of matter and spirit. Know that you are both of these things; that you are eternally divine. Come before the Goddess as you are, without judgment or fear, and she will accept you unconditionally.

The Goddess now transitions from her Maiden aspect to that of the Mother. She is ever aware of the growing child within her that carries with it endless possibilities and the potential for Completion.

She calls for us to join with her this night, to marry our bodies and spirits with her spirit and to celebrate this joining in our own human ways; with song, dance, feasting, friendship, and love.

She will dance beside us in our circle, her voice will join ours on the wind; she will laugh and rejoice with us. And when the sun retreats into the night she will find a quiet place to tend the flames of passion.

At Beltane the Goddess teaches us to cherish our material qualities and be without shame before her. She teaches us that there is nothing sinful about being a human being, that passion is something to be embraced, and that we are all her beloved children.

Labels: Goddess, Tridean Tradition, Writings

Prayers

(This first prayer can be used for the entire round or for the Divine bead.)
Great Goddess, Lady of Life
Whose Garment is the shining Heavens.
You are the white moon among the stars
And the beauty of the green earth.
You are the Oneness of all things
And the Completion of the Spirit
You are the mystery that if that which we seek
We find not within
We will never find it without
For you have been here since the beginning
And you are that which is attained at the end of desire.

(adapted from the Charge of the Goddess with Tridean influence)


(spacers)
Goddess, I am looking within and I see your light shining.

(white beads)
Maiden of freedom
You are the Eternal Virgin,
The Holy Bride of Nature,
And the revealing light within the shadows
Through you all that is good comes to birth.

(red beads)
Mother of Compassion,
Forever fertile, Lady of the forge.
You are the creating force of love
And the strength which nourishes all that lives.
Through you the cause of life is served.

(black beads)
Crone of Wisdom,
Ancient One, Keeper of the Cauldron.
You stand at the gates between the worlds
And carry the shining sickle of death.
Without you nothing can be transformed.

(divine bead)
Great Goddess, Lady of Life, Three that are One.
You are everything; the Earth under our/my feet, the Air which we/I breathe, the Water which purifies us/me, and the light within our/my soul(s).
All things are born of your spirit.

(to end)
By the power and will of She that is Three, So mote it be.

Labels: Art and Craft, Goddess, Modern Paganism, Tridean Tradition, Writings

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet expresses a lesson of the Mother aspect of the Goddess with his famous quote: "My religion is simple. My religion is kindness."

The Mother aspect of the Great Goddess is perhaps the most well known. After all, we all have mothers and are typically familiar with the qualities of a healthy mother-figure regardless of our own individual upbringings.

Hundreds of images of the Mother Goddess have been found that date back to the Stone Age. Characteristics of motherhood and fertility are commonly found in their design as they bare exaggerated breasts and bellies. The exaggerated belly conceptualizes qualities of the womb – creation, protection, etc. - as something present in the "creator" and something to be harnessed within oneself. In turn, the engorged breasts illustrate that nourishment is a necessity for all living things and is able to be provided only by other living things.

In myth the Mother appears to have many characteristics, but the most common are those associated with creation and nourishment. She is often seen as the Earth itself, producing and giving freely of the things that her children need to survive.

As with the Maiden, the Mother is not only found within beings who are physical mothers. She is in all things at all times regardless of fertility, gender, or age. Every person contains an "Inner Mother" - an aspect of themselves that is capable of unconditional love.

The Mother aspect of the Goddess is the Teacher of Compassion. After going through the processes and revelations brought on by embracing the Maiden within, the Mother suddenly surfaces and begins to take the reigns.

As you learn to remove judgment and accept Oneness you may begin to notice her voice inside your head, urging you to find compassion for that boss that drives you crazy or the clerk at the grocery store who seems to be taking too much time out of your day. The Mother teaches us to love all people and all life.

One of the most valuable lessons of the Mother is compassion for self. This falls right in line with the concept of non-judgment of self. The Maiden removes judgment and the Mother replaces it with compassion.

The "darker" (for lack of a better word) side of the Mother is one of destruction. She is willing to consume life back into herself when necessary while teaching us that death has a purpose as a part of life.

The Mother is also the archetype of a fierce protector who will defend the lives of her children with her last breath. In this way we understand that life should be fought for and defended.

The Mother is connected with the traditional interpretations of the element of Fire. Fire is transformational energy; destroying and creating all at once. Fire is the primeval force of creation. Where as the Maiden provides inspiration, the Mother takes those ideas and molds them in her fire, like a blacksmith with a fine sword, and gives them life.

The Mother can be felt with the heat of the sun or the warmth of your hearth. Allow her int