To talk about the feminine divine in today’s world, I think it is helpful to look at a basic definition of what sacred means.
sacred
adjective
1 the priest entered the sacred place: holy, hallowed, blessed, consecrated, sanctified, venerated, revered; archaic blest.
2 sacred music: religious, spiritual, devotional, church, ecclesiastical. ANTONYMS secular, profane.
3 the hill is sacred to the tribe: sacrosanct, inviolable, inviolate, invulnerable, untouchable, protected, defended, secure.
The sacred feminine is lacking in today’s world. Is there any treatment of women that shows any inviolable veneration, or reverence, of woman in the world? It is not just men who have no understanding of the sacred nature of life givers, women have lost it too, if we ever had it. Evidence from early human culture suggests that wonder and appreciation of women was present. The red ochre covering the figure when it was found points to the piece being associated with a sacred rite. The figure is feminine. There is some element of the sacred feminine that was evident to those who created it and to those people who look at it today. More than that we cannot know with certainty.
Image Credit: Matthias Kabel Multi-license with GFDL and Creative Commons CC-BY 2.5 A current look at the Woman of Willendorf can be found in: The secret story of the Venus of Willendorf. Past Horizons. February 13, 2014, from http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/02/2014/the-secret-story-of-the-venus-of-willendorf
We do not advocate for one view of religion or spiritual interpretation. Women’s legacy takes in all humans and all human belief. We can say that many of the dominant religions have a decidedly patriarchal orientation. We can also say we know that this was not always the case. This does not mean that there was a matriarchal orientation in beliefs prior to that.
Either/or scenarios need not be the predominant understanding of what is correct. Perhaps there is no correct. Wonder, appreciation, respect and value rarely are found in exclusive pronouncements of right and wrong.
As we re-write our legacy to more of what we believe it should be, I personally hope we include the decentralized, communally accessible feminine sacred that resides within the bond between child and mother.
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April A to Z Blogging Challenge, The letter S, Day 19
Agreed! I valued the novel and then film “The Secret Lives of Bees” for its focus on the sacred feminine. I like Carl Jung’s descriptions of the triple goddess–mother, maiden and crone. And I actually think anime artist Miyazaki has some great depictions of powerful women in Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle & Ponyo. Yes, we could certainly use more discussion and images of divine and sacred women.
Karen I am going to have to check the anime artist Miyazaki! I loved the Secret Life of Bees too!
There are so many relics and artifacts which indicate early worship of the woman/earth’s fruitfulness, and power. What higher power is there than to give life? Even the popularity of goddess worship seems to forget the depth of the sacred feminine, and her incredible power for both destruction and creation.
Exactly Tam. You and I appear to be “so on the same page.” Worship without living the belief does not necessary promote life nor make the world a better nor more livable place.
I love this piece and feel where you are coming from. As thinking women I believe we need to expand our view of the world and how we fit. Here is what I mean. I think we, as humans, got lost in this whole idea that masculine and feminine are defined by the presence or absence of a specific number and combination of chromosomes. I see the sacred feminine as an energy — the energy that creates and sustains life. In my mind that does not mean that we as women own all rights to this energy simply because many of us can serve as the vehicle to reproduce. My energy, my sacred feminine, is not defined by the fact that I had and raised a child. It is how I live my life and the care I take when dealing with others. Am I promoting life? Am I empowering others to do the same?
You probably have a much better idea of where I am going with this than I :)! Thanks for the continual food for thought and a reason to examine a bit more!
Ruth as always you amaze me that you can pull out the essence of what I attempted to say despite my inarticulate blundering about the topic. We are all in this together and we need to respect the power we have to create and destroy. We’ve lost track of that.
Thank you for posting this lovely powerful sacred feminine artifact. Such an interesting subject, feminine energy.
You are most welcome!
I love the ancient cultures that revered the sacred feminine. You raise a good point.
I suspect that most if not all ancient culture was based on wonder and reverence for life.
Yes! Cheers to the bond between mother and child. I cannot think of a stronger one. We women are the life givers, and our ability to do just that deserve reverence and celebration—far, FAR beyond cheesy gift cards on Mother’s Day.
Love is really what it is all about isn’t it? For me Mother’s Day is a time to promote peace between all the children of mothers the world over.
Once the world finally embraces the sacred feminine, it will be a much better place. I hope it will start with our first female President in 2016 🙂
Probably, I think I’ve become cynical in the last 14 years about politics. It should be better.
This is so beautifully written. I have 13 grandchildren and was present when 10 (two were adopted and one was in a big hurry) of them were born and took their first breaths. No matter how many births I witness I always feel like I just witnessed a miracle. We make people, that will always be amazing.
When will we learn how special we are, this whole planet is?
I have lots of respect for ancient artifacts and the principles behind them. It breaks my heart to see how women are treated in other cultures still until today. I am sad to think that might never change. Even in the USA we have to continue to fight for equality.And yes, the bond between mother and child is scared and I am honored to be called mom by my two wonderful children.
It breaks my heart to see how women treat themselves. Love begins at home.