 | |
Seen a great site lately? Share it here |
 | | Find a favorite gathering place in your area or register your own! | 
| 
|
|
 |
Goddesses
by Jane Hope
Our earliest ancestors, probably unaware of the male role in reproduction, viewed childbirth as a magical process. Linking the fertility of women with the fertility of the Earth, they worshipped a supreme deity, the Great Goddess, who gave, maintained and finally took back life. The Earth itself was often believed to be the body of the Goddess, and the changing seasons were seen as different aspects of her sacred nature. As humans changed from a migratory existence to a more stationary lifestyle, their societies became increasingly patriarchal and the status of the Goddess was gradually eroded. First she had a son or took a lover; then she was worshipped as the equal partner of a god; finally she was seen as the wife, mother, sister or daughter of a supreme god, or was demonized as a witch or monster. Today, echoes of the Great Goddess can be found worldwide. In China, Kwan-Yin is the generous and compassionate mother; in ancient Greece, Demeter is the fertility goddess who regulates the seasons, while the sensual Aphrodite controls love and sexuality; the Hindu Durga is a lethal avenger of wrongs; and the Christian Virgin Mary is the spotless queen of heaven.
From The Secret Language of the Soul by Jane Hope (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1997).
Copyright © 1997 by Jane Hope
Used by arrangement with Chronicle Books.
| |
| |
Home |
Contact Us |
About Us |
Site Map |
Membership |
Privacy
Press Inquiries |
Advertising and Sponsorship
| |
|
