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The body moves us.
The mind teaches us.
The heart warms us.
The spirit inspires us.
When they are united we are passionate,
joyful and committed.
~
Molly Catron, Storyteller
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Life
was simpler in ancient times, back when God was a woman. Harder, no
doubt—but simpler.
Woman had only a handful of roles to play in life:
gathering food, being a sex partner (willingly or not), giving birth, caring
for her young, getting someone (most often a man) to bring her protein and
to protect her and her offspring while they were vulnerable.
No wonder the
oldest goddesses, the Great Goddesses, usually belong to a category we call
‘fertility’ or ‘Mother’ goddesses!
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Photo by: Studio 5 zero 1
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But soon human females were to
take on additional roles,
becoming midwife, herbalist and healer.
Woman proved so adept at
multi-tasking that new responsibilities just kept getting added to her list.
Today it is typical for a woman to play well over a hundred roles on any given
day – chauffeur, cook, waitress, laundress, photographer, children’s
hairdresser, personal shopper, florist, gardener, concubine, and much, much
more.
The life of a modern woman is
a delicate and tricky balancing
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My inner voice keeps telling me that the changing roles
of women and the increasing complexity of their lives
also had a lot to do with why the Great Goddess has
virtually disappeared. It goes a long way toward
explaining how she got dismembered, carved into such
tiny pieces that we can barely discern a glimmer of her
former radiant self. Only fragments of the myths of the
Great Goddesses remain.
How did woman cope with
such a rapid expansion
of her job description?
By specializing, of course. . . by becoming psychologically adept at doing just a handful of things at which
they could
truly excel. At the same time the
goddesses were becoming more differentiated, their powers more limited . . . and more
distinctly human.
And what has been the
consequence of all this role expansion and specialization, you might ask?
The development of the female psyche has fragmented as well.
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Over time, women have ‘evolved’ to such a degree that it
is sometimes hard to find a contemporary woman who feels
she has created a wholesome balance in her life.
The Warrior Woman is busy
climbing the career ladder and generally being insensitive to everybody’s
feelings, including her own.
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The Lover's latest shopping spree has just pushed
her family to the brink of financial catastrophe. The Mystic Maiden has
withdrawn and is off in her own world while the Matriarch is wearing herself
out being a martyr to everyone else’s needs.
What is going on here?
Though we are proficient and productive (or trying hard to be) , though we
are mindful of our bodies (some would say obsessed), and though we are
organized (or feeling guilty about not being), something is missing in our
lives.
Every woman
comes to a point in her
life when it is time to grow up and face the sad fact
that nobody is perfect, not even a goddess. We are too often
crippled by neglecting those parts of ourselves that would give us balance.
We have learned to 'do'. At the same time we have forgotten how to simply
'be'.
Can we relinquish the need for power and control in
our relationships? Can we relearn how to be both humble and compassionate?
Vulnerable and strong?
Can we learn to dream a better life? Can we let
ourselves be filled with joy for the infinite beauty of every sunset? I
think we can.
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Can we learn a new way of finding peace and grace?
h the need for power
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There was a time when you
were not a slave, remember that. You walked alone, full of laughter, you
bathed bare-bellied. You say you have lost all recollection of it . . . but
make an effort to remember. Or, failing that, invent.
~ Monique Wittig, Les Guérillés
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Invite the goddess
into your life !
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the book.
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