Once Upon a Time

Goddess 101
by Abby Willowroot

On many occasions I've been asked, "What is all this Goddess stuff about anyway?" Here is a brief attempt at an answer.

What is a Goddess?
The word goddess means a female divine being. Around the world for many thousands of years, the majority of our ancestors worshipped a Divine and powerful Mother-Goddess. She was honored as the Mother of all life. Modern archaeologists have discovered many statues and artifacts that verify the worship of ancient female deities.

Where did the idea of a Goddess come from? Early humans depended on the earth for all things, food, shelter, and life itself. They noticed that all life was created within the bodies of females and so it was natural for them to see an all-powerful creator as female too. Cave paintings and rock carvings of Goddesses have been found that date back to 35,000 years B.C.E. or earlier. Many of these statues and painted images are often called "Venus". The best known of these, is the Venus of Willendorf. Goddess images of great antiquity have been found all over the world. Most of the earliest images of a Goddess show an abundant, round, full figured and serene being. An ample form symbolized prosperity, freedom from hunger and security. It is not clear if early Goddess worshippers also practiced ancestor worship.

Is the Goddess only for women?
No, the Goddess was celebrated and revered by all members of early societies. Men, women and children were all under the protection of the ever-present powerful Mother Goddess; She was both nurturing and fierce. Today, as the culture of the Goddess is re-emerging, women, men and children celebrate divine female energy again, just as they did in early times.

Does anyone still believe in a Goddess?
Yes, many cultures around the world have never stopped worshipping Goddesses. The Hindus of India have a pantheon of many Goddesses and Gods. Today in Japan the great Sun Goddess, Amaterasu is honored as the Divine Mother of the Japanese people. The Goddess of Mercy, Kwan Yin (Quan Yin) has many devotees in China. The Inuit people (Eskimos) still honor the OceanMother Sedna. In South America Ijemanja (Yemaya) the Sea Mother-Goddess is honored with huge public processionals on January 1st each year. In Africa, the Orishas are honored as Gods and Goddesses. Modern Jewish tradition still honors the Shekhina and millions of Catholics honor the Virgin Mary as a Goddess. In the United States and other western countries, for the past twenty-five or thirty years there has been rapidly growing interest in Goddess religion. Many Christian traditions like Unity, have begun to incorporated the Goddess into their faith. The Unity blessing includes a Mother-Father-God. There are also many groups that honor the various forms of the Goddess. Still other traditions honor the Goddess, along with a God.
Covenant of the Goddess (COG) is a national religious group whose membership comes from many different Goddess traditions.

What kinds of Goddesses are there?
Historically, there are many thousands of different Goddesses and Gods; each region had their own version of these divinities. Mother Goddesses are universal. There is also a wide spread tradition of a Triple-Goddess, most commonly referred to as the "Maid-Mother-Crone". The Maid, being youth and possibility, the Mother being creativity and nurturing, and the Crone representing wisdom,
transition and accountability. (This is only a brief generalization of their attributes.) All aspects of the Triple-Goddess represent different types of healing and growth. There are also ancient androgynous Goddesses who represent both female and male in the same deity. There are Goddesses like Gaea (Gaia), whose body is the Earth. Every part of the world has their own version of many of these basic Goddess forms.

Why should I know about Goddesses?
For women, understanding the long tradition of Goddess religion strengthens your connection with your own spiritual essence, regardless of what faith you belong to. Seeing the Goddess within, helps women to appreciate their own power, skill, heritage, and beauty. Honoring the Goddess can teach us to celebrate all the stages of life. An awareness that the Goddess lives in you, can strengthen inner knowings about life, love, nature, nurturing and creativity. Women who are deeply connected with their Goddess essence are better able to make desired changes in themselves,
their communities, and the world. For men, a connection with the Goddess allows them to accept and acknowledge their desire and need for nurturing, protection and the acceptance of a loving female presence. Claiming the Goddess energy within himself, helps a man to be a more balanced lover, companion and father. It also frees men from the cultural pressure to always be in control.

What makes the Goddess important?
Today, our world is getting smaller and our actions have the power to effect more and more people, (as you well know being on the Internet.) Our environment is threatened by too many years of human carelessness. In the past fifteen years scientists have started to call the earth Gaia, after the Greek Goddess, because they have realized that we are all connected to the earth and we are all dependant upon each other for survival. Calling the earth Gaia, reminds us all that She is our ever- bountiful Mother. A reverence for female principles and Goddess consciousness helps to put us all in touch with the beauty and magic of nature and her creatures. Understanding the nature of the Gaia, and other Goddesses, is a way of expanding our respect for the environment, and balancing the male and female energies of the Universe.

Are Goddesses real?
Yes, the museums are full of Goddesses. What "real" means, depends on who you are and how you view Goddesses. For those who practice a Goddess religion today, the Goddess is the "Divine Creatrix of All Life", the "Queen of Heaven" and the center of their religious faith. To others, She is a metaphor for "Mother Nature," and represents earth's sacred balance. For some people, She is
the "Lady" whose companion is the "Lord." There are also people who simply view Goddesses as quaint bits of ancient art, unaware of the growing number of people who have incorporated Goddess consciousness into their everyday lives.

Can I believe in both Goddess and God?
Yes, many people do. Faith and spirituality are very personal; we each have our own path. The spiritual essences you call upon to help you along that path is your choice. If you were not a seeker, you would not be reading this. There are as many ways of expressing spirituality, as there are people to explore it. Many Christians and Jews have learned to balanced their reverence for both God and Goddess divinity quite successfully. Others focus primarily on one or the other. Since we as humans are a blending of both male and female energies, it is natural to balance our spiritual lives in a similar way. The Yin Yang symbol is a beautiful reminder of the perfect balance that is achieved when these two energies come together in a positive way.

Where can I find out more?
For an Internet search type "the Goddess" in
Avatar Search, Lycos, HotBot, Excite, AltaVista or Yahoo.
~ There are also many wonderful books, a few are listed below.
Reprint by permission from Willowroot@aol.com