Thank you for sharing the steps of connecting to a goddess. I am always struck by the myriad of interpretations and perceptions of deities that have unfolded over time. It shows their ability to inspire speculation and growth. I think that’s the power of stories, they reflect. I feel empowered by the process of using quiet contemplation to listen to the goddesses personally and receive very real messages meant for me; the me of that moment, for the healing and growth just right for me now. I’m still integrating and loving the work with Persephone recently! I am so grateful for your goddess work and shares!
to me, these greek goddesses were either the most masculine or they lacked femininity. It is actually easy to show sovereignty when you are masculine. It is way harder to do it in a feminine way. I mean, Athena was the goddess of war, Hestia was the goddess of sacrifice and chastity which are parts of the wounded masculine in my opinion (as in Christianity - which is a masculine religion that promotes disconnection from the body) and Artemis cut her right breast (femininity) to be able to hunt better (plus, she is depicted as covered in bull scrotums - another masculine trait). Although yes, they were never humiliated, they humiliated other women constantly, like Athena decapitating Medusa for being liked more than her. I feel Sovereignty must be achieved in a feminine way for women, not in a masculine way as these goddesses did. I hope this doesnt sound offending in any way, is just my opinion after studying feminine power for a long time.
I love this -- such an important element to cover. The Greco-Roman empire became more and more patriarchal and conservative as the years went by. I think that by the time most of the myths came to us, in the forms we might have read in school, they had been almost completely hijacked by the unwell masculine. In this from, they absolutely reinforce anti-woman narratives as you say - similar to the wave of feminism that basically turned women into men in the 80s (and in many ways still does). It's funny, just last night I was sharing about one of my favorite old Amy Schumer sketches (it relates, I promise, lol). In it, she's the hot girl in a bar ordering a burger a wearing a baseball cap. The guys think this is soooo sexy, the ideal woman. And then, in sketch comedy fashion, it gets more and more absurd - by the end the guys are saying how sexy it is when a "chick" has stubble and a dick. It's totally over the top, but I found it so cathartic for the messed up messages my generation (and probably others) was sold around how to be a woman with it all...who men approve of.
I see these goddesses as similar to Mary Magdalene: her story was retold with degradation for centuries and only in the past few decades has her true nature been brought more fully to light. We have to dig deep to uncover the true feminine gifts these goddesses can offer us, and we're tasked with questioning what the original nature of these myths might have been. I honestly don't know how much literature really does a good job with this. Even the Jungian writings, which I love in many ways, show signs of the times they were written in - including Bolen's work to an extent. Yet I think it's worth the efforts.
Diving deep into these tales isn't the point of this essay -- it's a short little goddess meditation piece. Yet as an animist, I commune directly with the spirits of these goddesses. Each has a field of energy and consciousness that has been fed by human culture for centuries. Within this field are the stories that oppress the goddesses' true natures and the seeds of truth around who they truly are. The practice of direct revelation has been so healing in my work with the goddesses, and it's what I share in the classes.
Thank you for the comment - it helped me share even more on how important and complex these goddesses are!
thank you for your answer Juniper. I see Mary Magdalene as the epitome of Feminine Power, but opposite to these goddesses. Its definitely a topic that can be debated in many layers., for sure.
I know almost nothing of what the histories share of these goddesses. I know only their names. I have called to one of them in a time of great need and she came to me like a giant thundering from the sky, in defense of what was harming me. I’m forever grateful to her for hearing my call.
I’d love to know their ‘herstories’ which (I feel) can only be understood via direct connection/communion. I suppose this is the truth of all gods/goddesses whose tales are shared through human mouths and human cultural lenses.
Thank you as ever for reminding us of the prime and profound need for direct connection. ✨🤍
Thank you for sharing the steps of connecting to a goddess. I am always struck by the myriad of interpretations and perceptions of deities that have unfolded over time. It shows their ability to inspire speculation and growth. I think that’s the power of stories, they reflect. I feel empowered by the process of using quiet contemplation to listen to the goddesses personally and receive very real messages meant for me; the me of that moment, for the healing and growth just right for me now. I’m still integrating and loving the work with Persephone recently! I am so grateful for your goddess work and shares!
to me, these greek goddesses were either the most masculine or they lacked femininity. It is actually easy to show sovereignty when you are masculine. It is way harder to do it in a feminine way. I mean, Athena was the goddess of war, Hestia was the goddess of sacrifice and chastity which are parts of the wounded masculine in my opinion (as in Christianity - which is a masculine religion that promotes disconnection from the body) and Artemis cut her right breast (femininity) to be able to hunt better (plus, she is depicted as covered in bull scrotums - another masculine trait). Although yes, they were never humiliated, they humiliated other women constantly, like Athena decapitating Medusa for being liked more than her. I feel Sovereignty must be achieved in a feminine way for women, not in a masculine way as these goddesses did. I hope this doesnt sound offending in any way, is just my opinion after studying feminine power for a long time.
I love this -- such an important element to cover. The Greco-Roman empire became more and more patriarchal and conservative as the years went by. I think that by the time most of the myths came to us, in the forms we might have read in school, they had been almost completely hijacked by the unwell masculine. In this from, they absolutely reinforce anti-woman narratives as you say - similar to the wave of feminism that basically turned women into men in the 80s (and in many ways still does). It's funny, just last night I was sharing about one of my favorite old Amy Schumer sketches (it relates, I promise, lol). In it, she's the hot girl in a bar ordering a burger a wearing a baseball cap. The guys think this is soooo sexy, the ideal woman. And then, in sketch comedy fashion, it gets more and more absurd - by the end the guys are saying how sexy it is when a "chick" has stubble and a dick. It's totally over the top, but I found it so cathartic for the messed up messages my generation (and probably others) was sold around how to be a woman with it all...who men approve of.
I see these goddesses as similar to Mary Magdalene: her story was retold with degradation for centuries and only in the past few decades has her true nature been brought more fully to light. We have to dig deep to uncover the true feminine gifts these goddesses can offer us, and we're tasked with questioning what the original nature of these myths might have been. I honestly don't know how much literature really does a good job with this. Even the Jungian writings, which I love in many ways, show signs of the times they were written in - including Bolen's work to an extent. Yet I think it's worth the efforts.
Diving deep into these tales isn't the point of this essay -- it's a short little goddess meditation piece. Yet as an animist, I commune directly with the spirits of these goddesses. Each has a field of energy and consciousness that has been fed by human culture for centuries. Within this field are the stories that oppress the goddesses' true natures and the seeds of truth around who they truly are. The practice of direct revelation has been so healing in my work with the goddesses, and it's what I share in the classes.
Thank you for the comment - it helped me share even more on how important and complex these goddesses are!
thank you for your answer Juniper. I see Mary Magdalene as the epitome of Feminine Power, but opposite to these goddesses. Its definitely a topic that can be debated in many layers., for sure.
I know almost nothing of what the histories share of these goddesses. I know only their names. I have called to one of them in a time of great need and she came to me like a giant thundering from the sky, in defense of what was harming me. I’m forever grateful to her for hearing my call.
I’d love to know their ‘herstories’ which (I feel) can only be understood via direct connection/communion. I suppose this is the truth of all gods/goddesses whose tales are shared through human mouths and human cultural lenses.
Thank you as ever for reminding us of the prime and profound need for direct connection. ✨🤍