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~ February 2007 Supplemental Page~
Celebrating Our Glorious Goddess Bodies
Continued . . . I watched her walk into the schoolyard, marveling at
how strong, sturdy, and well-proportioned her body is, and acknowledging how
tender and vulnerable she also is on the inside. I felt like I'd been able
to plant one small seed in her very fertile and receptive mind, knowing that
she was just beginning to face the inevitable challenge of being a female in
a culture that has forgotten that the female body is to be revered and
honored, no matter what size or shape. I drove away wondering how I could
help my daughter learn to accept and even love the natural body she has been
graced with, and to discover and celebrate her true inner beauty.
I have been vigilant about not bringing negative body and weight-related
topics into our household. We do not own a scale, count calories, diet, or
talk about our weight or fat. In spite of my best efforts, I know that the
culture we live in makes it nearly impossible for girls and women to
appreciate and accept their bodies. Studies show that over half of all girls
are unhappy with their bodies by the age of thirteen. We are constantly
bombarded with unattainable images and definitions of physical beauty. Most
advertisements are computer-enhanced and airbrushed to produce a culturally
idealistic and physically unrealistic female form. Not even the women in
those advertisements look like the final copy. The truth is, actresses and
models wake up just like we do, with blemishes and insecurities about their
physical appearance.
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow confessed her own insecurities about her body in a
recent interview. "Sure I'm insecure," she admitted. "I never think that I'm
thin enough or my boobs are big enough or whatever." She blamed the media
for pressuring women to be thin. "We are bombarded with images of
twelve-year-old girls with makeup and we think we are supposed to look like
that. Well, I'm never gonna look like me either," she continued. "With the
way they airbrush the pictures and all, I don't look like that."
"Living in a woman's body is not easy," agrees Geneen Roth in her book
Breaking Free From Compulsive Eating. "Especially if you happen to look like
a woman and not like an adolescent boy. We've spent years trying to slice
away what makes our bodies womanly: the roundness, the lushness. And we've
sliced our spirits instead."
The mysterious power of the female body has been expressed in art, religion,
and mythology since the beginning of time. Every culture in the world has
deified the earth as the Great Goddess, and honored her image in all forms
of art, including poetry and songs. Goddess images"hstatues, figurines,
drawings, carvings, and sculptures"hfrom all over the world portray the
female body as full and abundant and celebrate the body's power to create
and sustain life. Could the myths and images of the Great Goddess as a full
and powerful female offer women and girls today a more natural understanding
and perhaps a new perspective of our female bodies? I considered. What if my
daughter could see the correlation between her own female body and that of
the Great Earth Goddesses? What if women and girls alike could re-imagine
their own female bodies to be goddess-like?
Sarah has always loved art. At a young age she began to dabble in mixed
media, and her body was often her canvas. When she was three years old, she
rubbed Elmer's glue on her bare belly and sprinkled it with sparkling flecks
of gold glitter. When I brought out the brown earthy clay, she rubbed that
too onto her belly, face, arms, and legs. And naturally, when the
watercolors came out later on, her body became her canvas again.
Recalling her earlier artistic expressions, I couldn't help but wonder if
there is an intuitive knowing that lies deep within us, an instinctive
desire to celebrate and adorn our own bodies in the ways of our ancient and
indigenous mothers and daughters. And could I help my own daughter remember
the truth she once seemed to know?
That afternoon when she came home from school, I pulled out a couple of my
favorite goddess art books and asked Sarah to sit on our living room couch
and look at the pictures with me. Her eyes lit up when she saw the paintings
and sculptures of deified women from all over the world. Together we
marveled at Venus, the celebrated goddess of love and beauty, standing on
her infamous half shell with a body as full and round as the earth Herself.
I commented on the different images and the variety of shapes and sizes of
the female form. While she sat quietly beside me, taking it all in, I told
her the creation myth of Gaia, the Great Earth mother, who offers a
beautiful metaphor for the female body with her rolling hills, river
valleys, and natural contours.
The Myth of Gaia
Spinning, spiraling, dancing freely, Gaia rolled herself out of the vast and
timeless universe into an earthy ball. She sculpted from her soft, brown
form majestic mountains, rounded hills, flat plains, and deep valleys, and
she filled her crevasses with oceans and streams of water. The sun kissed
her exquisite body, bringing forth strong and sturdy trees, medicinal and
edible plants, and beautiful and fragrant flowers. The heavenly sky rained
upon her, bathing her with a warm and gentle shower. Soon Gaia was covered
with a rainbow of sparkling colors "turquoise and sapphire blues, emerald
greens and ruby reds" and jewels adorned her flesh. Gaia was filled with
joy, and a creative life-force energy pulsated through her body and radiated
from her being. She continued to spin in a cosmic ecstasy and she celebrated
her new life and form. Gaia loved her new fullness, with all of its curves
and contours, and wanted to share the joy of living in a body with other
energies and spirits.
In time, her fertile earth body conceived of other living creations in many
colors, shapes, and forms. Gaia, the Great Mother and earth goddess, loved
and cared for them all. She nourished them with an abundance of flora and
fauna, and refreshed them with clear, cool waters. Blessed by the sun, and
with her sister, the moon, Gaia created a harmonious rhythm of cycles and
seasons, and all of her creatures danced around her in a joyous circle of
life.
Afterward, I left the books out on a small wooden table in the living room
and noticed that Sarah went back to them a couple of times that week to look
at the pictures.
A few days later, I decided to check on the seeds I'd been planting in the
back seat of my Toyota. We were in the car again, this time driving home.
"So what would you do," I asked her, "if you were a mother and you had a
beautiful and precious little girl who thought she was too fat?"
"And you mean she wasn't?" she asked.
"Yeah," I continued. "What would you tell her or want her to know about her
body?"
She was quiet for a moment, then replied, "Well, the most important thing is
that she not criticize it. And I'd want her to know that she was beautiful
however she was."
I glanced into the rear view mirror and saw her clear blue eyes shining back
at me.
Maybe I had found a fellow passenger on my journey toward self-acceptance.
Mother-Daughter Activities
Try the following activities with your daughter and begin a new conversation
about body image in our culture:
1. Choose a goddess art book from the library or bookstore. Goddesses in Art
by Lanier Graham, and The Heart of the Goddess: Art, Myth, and Meditations
of the World's Sacred Feminine by Hallie Austen Iglehart, are just two of
the many wonderful resources containing images of goddesses in sculpture,
paintings, and photographs. Look at the pictures of the goddess' bodies and
notice or discuss the different body types and how they are celebrated. You
might even like to compare these photographs with the body images in today's
fashion magazines.
2. Read the "Myth of Gaia" with your daughter and consider the similarities
between the earth and the female body.
3. Get some earthy brown or gray clay. You can also use modeling clay or
beeswax. Create your own images in all shapes and sizes of earth goddesses.
If you feel really bold, sculpt an image of your own physical body. Then
place it on your altar or in another sacred place as a reminder of the
natural beauty of your own goddess spirit and sacred female form.
~
~
~
Janet Lucy, MA, is the co-author with Terri Allison of Moon Mother, Moon
Daughter: Myths and Rituals that Celebrate a Girl's Coming of Age (Fair
Winds Press 2003). In her private practice called Soul Work, she inspires
women to discover and celebrate their true selves, and facilitates weekly
writing circles for women. She lives in Santa Barbara, CA with her husband
and two coming-of-age daughters.
Moon Mother, Moon Daughter: Myths and Rituals that Celebrate a Girl's Coming
of Age (Fair Winds Press 2003) is a spiritually focused book for mothers
whose daughters are coming of age. Full of fun mother-daughter activities,
goddess myths, practical advice, and age-old wisdom, Moon Mother, Moon
Daughter is for any woman seeking a new path to womanhood for her daughter
or herself.
Bibliography & Further Resources
1. Brumberg, Joan Jacob. The Body Project - An Intimate History of American
Girls. Vintage Books, 1997.
2. Graham, Lanier. Goddesses in Art. Abbeville Press, 1997.
3. Iglehart, Hallie Austen The Heart of the Goddess"hArt, Myth, and
Meditations of the World's Sacred Feminine. Wingbow Press, 1990.
4. Roth, Geneen. Breaking Free From Compulsive Eating. Bobbs-Merrill, 1984.
5. Sjoo, Monica and Mor, Barbara. The Great Cosmic Mother: Rediscovering the
Religion of the World. HarperSanFrancisco, 1987.
6. Spretnak, Charlene. Lost Goddesses of Early Greece: A Collection of
Pre-Hellenic Myths. Beacon Press, 1978.
http://www.mothering.com/articles/body_soul/inspiration/goddess_bodies.html
Kid’s Realm
Continued . . .
What You Need
• ½ cup salt
• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup water
• Wooden spoon
• Rolling pin
• Extra flour
• Heart-shaped cookie cutters
• Magnets
• Pin backs
• Hot glue
• Acrylic paint (pink, white, red, light blue, yellow, white, pink, silver)
• Pink and orange glitter glue
• Gold glitter paint
• Toothpick
• Paint brush
• Acrylic sealer
• Wax paper
• Cookie sheet
How To Make It
1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Mix together, salt, flour, and water until dough is formed.
3. Knead the dough on a floured surface until the mixture is elastic and
smooth. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with flour and continue to do so
until stickiness is gone. Do not add too much flour as this will dry out the
dough and cause it to crack before it's baked.
4. Roll out the dough to about ¼" thick with a rolling pin that has been
dusted with flour.
5. Use different sized heart-shaped cookie cutters to create as many pieces
as you like.
6. For smaller children, use a single shape to make it easier at painting
time. For older children, you can double up and even triple some of the
hearts for a 3D affect as we did (see photo).
7. Place all hearts onto an ungreased cookie sheet and place into the
preheated oven.
8. Bake for 2 hours.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
10. Paint with acrylic paints, glitter glue and/or glitter paint and spray
finished projects with acrylic sealer.
11. To write the words on the conversation heart pins, use a toothpick
dipped in white paint.
12. Hot glue a round magnet to the back of larger hearts to hang on the
fridge, and a pin back to the conversation hearts.
Helpful Hints
• To make 3D polka dots, simply roll salt dough into small ball shapes and
place on top of heart before placing into oven.
• Parents should not allow small children to handle a glue gun as burns can
occur. Older children should be closely supervised if allowed to handle it
themselves.
• Salt dough will not keep for later projects as it gets hard and cracks.
Depending on how many hearts you plan to make, you can either halve the
recipe or double it.
For more fun ideas go to
www.kidsdomain.com.
Year of the Pig–2007
Continued . . . Pig years are known for their respite from strife,
patience and passivity, but also for indulgence, sensuality and fleshly
delights. As the last sign of the zodiac, the Pig represents "resignation"
accepting human nature as it is - content to live and let live. The greatest
risk will be naivete, so by all means avoid confidence schemes and being
fooled or duped throughout 2007.
Watch for lost or stolen items and keep all business dealings scrupulously
honest and above board. Self-promotion gains little in 2007 as the Pig is
not interested in pushing ahead at the cost of another. Sales and marketing
ventures advance only if they are sincere and completely legitimate.
All things that occur this year can be looked on as closing or final
conclusions in some way. An auspicious year to complete projects, bring
projects to fruition or arrive safely after completing a long life journey.
Behaviorally, we may see the choosing of sides and the emergence of the
'white hats and the black hats' as the 'good guys' and the 'bad guys' square
off, so to speak. Basically, in 2007, the good become superior and the bad
become worse. The enlightened continue on their path to understanding and
contentment, while the spiritually bankrupt slip farther away from their
true selves. Take a stand, speak your mind and feel the closure of this Pig
year.
Fire is in harmony with Earth, produced by Wood, destructive to Metal and is
conquered by Water. Elementally, 2007's Yin Fire brings "happiness and
contentment" to those born into Yang Earth years (Earth Rat, Earth Tiger,
Earth Dragon, Earth Horse, Earth Monkey, Earth Dog).
It brings "unexpected fortune" and good luck to those born into Yin Water
years (Water Ox, Water Rabbit, Water Snake, Water Goat, Water Rooster, Water
Pig)...while bringing luck with "earned wealth" to those born into Yang
Water years (Water Rat, Water Tiger, Water Dragon, Water Horse, Water
Monkey, Water Dog).
Yin Fire brings opportunities to make beneficial changes to those born into
Yang Metal years (Metal Rat, Metal Tiger, Metal Dragon, Metal Horse, Metal
Monkey, Metal Dog)...while bringing life changing or challenging events to
those born into Yin Metal years (Metal Ox, Metal Rabbit, Metal Snake, Metal
Goat, Metal Rooster, Metal Pig).
Pace yourself during this Fire year to avoid burnout and try not to keep
such a hurried pace. Add the Earth element to your life and home to sooth
frazzled nerves, slow down and facilitate relaxation. Gardening, working
with clay or pottery, sharing time with your animals and all manner of
worship/church/temple or meditative practices will increase the Earth
element in your life.
"Chinese Astrology: Exploring the Eastern Zodiac" by Shelly Wu
ChineseAstrology.com
Deities, Prophets, and Avatars of Compassion
Continued . . . Whether he was genuinely a deity, a messiah or a
prophet, thoughts may turn to Jesus. Certainly a rebel of his time, Jesus
bucked convention as he mingled among those on the fringe of society. We all
remember that angry confrontation in the Temple of the Money Changers as he
rebuked the status quo, as he embraced the down-trodden, as he healed the
sick and tried to teach love and compassion. Separate Jesus’ teaching from
the devisive dogma of institution and even recovering Catholics may revere
his words and deeds.
Then there is Florence Nightingale, a British woman of the Victorian Era,
who felt divinely called, resulting in her elevating nursing from the
untrained ministrations of camp followers to the status of professional
nursing we enjoy today. Florence, an English feminist who felt women of her
time led wasted and lethargic existences, shattered societal mores, becoming
an inspiration for nurses coming after her from the Civil War to conflicts
as recent as the Vietnam War. Perhaps best known for her soothing the
suffering of soldiers, she had many achievements, including beginning the
Women’s Medical College in 1869.
More contemporary models of compassion are Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama.
Mother Teresa, known as the “Saint of the Gutters” held to her breast the
indigent, the lepers, the forgotten, what some might call the scabs of
society. Her selfless care of the sick and dying in India garnered attention
worldwide. Though sometimes a controversial figure when it came to the
sources of her donations and not upgrading her facilities to alleviate more
suffering, the most powerful and influential would make time to speak to
Mother Teresa and heed her requests. She was quoted to say, “The poor do not
want your bread, they want your love; the naked do not want your clothes,
they want human dignity.” Mother Teresa won countless awards, including the
Nobel Peace Prize. By 1969 she was operating 517 missions, 755 homes, over
1350 clinics, in more than 120 countries. Upon her death the prime minister
of France, Jacques Chirac sadly stated, “This evening, there is less love,
less compassion, less light in the world.”
Within Buddhism, an unenlightened life is suffering, thus a fundamental
basis of the spirituality includes understanding and developing the need for
compassion for all things. The Dali Lama, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, believed
to be the contemporary living incarnation of Avalokitesvara, the male aspect
of the bodhisattva Kwan Yin, has spoken much on the subjects of living a
life dedicated to serving others, of being open-hearted, and practicing
compassion. He talks of transforming pride into humility and anger into
love. Of letting go of our “us” and “them” attitudes because we are all part
of the whole. He has described compassion as the opening of one’s heart and
explains, “Compassion makes one see the picture clearly; when emotions
overtake us, the lack of seeing clearly clouds our perception of reality and
hence the cause of many misunderstandings leading to quarrels (even wars).”
If one wanted to experience the essence of the Goddess of Compassion and
Mercy, it could easily be done by visiting a nearby Buddhist temple or your
local Chinatown. In my never-ending search for sacred places of Goddess, I
found one particularly interesting temple located in San Francisco, which
I’ve detailed in my recent book, Sacred Places of Goddess: 108 Destinations.
Tien Hau Temple
The Chinese Goddess, Tien Hau, associated by some with Kwan Yin and Isis,
has her sacred abode on the third floor in one of Chinatown’s uniquely
styled, colorful wooden buildings. This is also the spiritual home of one of
the longest operating Taoist sects in the United States, a group that
reveres Tien Hau, called Holy Mother of Heaven and Goddess of the Sea. It is
believed Tien Hau was once a mortal heroine, born around 960 CE on Meichow (Meizhou)
Island in the Fujian Province of China.
Temple literature and the temple caretaker claim this sacred site was
founded in San Francisco in 1852 to honor Tien Hau. Devotees brought the
decor directly from China over 150 years ago as the Chinese began to settle
in this new land. Those devoted to her built this temple to give thanks for
their safe journey across the seas to their new home. Tien Hau (also spelled
Tin How) was the protector of seafarers, fishermen, merchants, and
travelers, but women had particularly strong faith in Tien Hau and called
upon her in times of need or distress. Also called Ma Zhu, Tian Hou Niang
(Heavenly Empress), Tian Fei (Queen of Heaven), Tian Shang Sheng Mu (Divine
Mother of Heaven), she is one of the deities most venerated by the Chinese
for her gifts of courage, compassion, and kindness. Like Kwan Yin, Tien Hau
hears the cries of humanity’s suffering.
According to legend, Tien Hau, the only daughter in a family with four sons,
began her spiritual journey at the tender age of 11 only to have her great
power over the seas revealed to her eight years later. Falling into a trance
state when her brothers and father were overdue from a fishing trip, Tien
Hau had a vision they had been caught in a storm and were in danger of
drowning. It is believed, while in this state, she was able to fly through
the heavens and pull them from the waters and place them safely in their
boat. Unfortunately due to her mother’s ministrations to pull Tien Hau from
her seeming fainted condition, Tien Hau “awakened” before she could help her
fourth brother. When she revived, she was grief stricken at his death in the
raging sea.
From that time forward, word of her power to save those at risk at sea
spread throughout the land and when she was in her “trance state” her mother
no longer called her back before she finished her tasks. She was endowed
with powers to cure, and exorcise evil, as well as summon wind and rain to
help her people. Though partial to those in the maritime professions, she
spent her life helping those in need and crusading against evil until she
died prematurely at the age of about 28. On the day of her death legend says
a rainbow appeared where she rose to the sky and celestial music was heard
from the heavens. Her body was preserved and is treasured in a temple on
Meichow Island. Fisherman still claim they see her image clad in red
clothing watching over them during rough seas.
When visiting Tien Hau’s temple in San Francisco, it is appropriate to bring
an offering such as fresh fruit, which can be purchased from the many
merchants along the streets of Chinatown. Incense sticks, another good
choice for an offering, can be purchased at the temple.
A statue depicting Tien Hau is located at the front center area of the
temple, resplendently decorated with red light bulbs, golden lanterns, and
an ornate golden Chinese decor. Approach Tin Hau in reverence. Kneel on the
red velvet pillows before her altar and speak to her. She hears your
anguish, your worries, and your pain. She is also glad to hear your thanks.
Make an offering to her in love and appreciation. She offers you comfort and
serenity. This is the reciprocity of Goddess.
In keeping with the Taoist ideals of the balance of yin and yang, the
masculine and feminine aspects of life, there are other male and female
deities residing in the temple, one of which is Madam Golden Lotus. Say a
word to the Madam before leaving, and a nod to those other deities in
residence who preside within this sacred temple.
Visitors may avail themselves of a unique and powerful service provided by
temple clergy if they are fortunate enough to be there when temple
attendants are there in prayer or service. You may ask the residing
caretaker or minister to endow a devotional icon or statue with aspects of
Goddess. This step should be taken only with the utmost consideration
because it comes with a great responsibility. Those devoted to Tien Hau (or
a related Goddess deity such as Kwan Yin) believe once this act is
performed, the Goddess must be cared for and tended daily.
If after serious contemplation you still wish to embark upon this
commitment, bring your own deity statue (lovely representations of Kwan Yin
are available in Chinatown) and ask the priest or priestess to invite the
spirit of Goddess to live within it. It will be necessary to leave the
statue overnight when clergy will perform a ritual to accomplish this. Upon
returning the next day to collect the statue or icon, the devotee may be
instructed to place the image in a place of reverence and to attend to her
daily by leaving fresh water or offerings such as a flower, incense, or
prayer. Even if you are not instructed to do so by the clergy, it it is
understood that you are aware of this necessity. Of course a donation is
customary for this service provided by the temple. This practice is common
in the Hindu faith, and ancient Egyptians also believed deities resided in
the statuary of home altars and temples alike.
Devotion to Tien Hau represents a centuries-old tradition that is still
alive today. In Asia, Tien Hau has over 100 million followers who worship
her at over 1,500 temples. Her most important temple is on Meichow (Meizhou)
Island where it is believed she ascended into the heavens a Goddess.
Celebrations in Asia in honor of Tien Hau include boat processions upon the
water with fishermen decorating their boats with offerings and symbols of
their devotion. Processions on land include pilgrimages to her temples and
celebrations featuring competing dance teams dressed as golden dragons,
colorful lions, and unicorns. Devotees all give thanks to her for keeping
them safe and bringing them good luck.
Getting to the Tien Hau Temple
The Tien Hau Temple is located at 125 Waverly Place, one block west of Grant
Street, which is the gateway to San Francisco’s Chinatown. The temple, also
called Tin How, is at the top of a clean and well-lit third floor walk-up.
Temple hours are approximately 10 am – 4 PM daily. Chinatown is most easily
reached on foot or by bus. This is a very congested part of San Francisco
and driving is not the best mode of transportation.
Here at Tien Hau’s San Francisco temple in Chinatown, practitioners whose
culture and spirituality are deeply rooted in the East welcome newcomers of
the West just discovering the rich tableau and inter-connection of Goddesses
such as Tien Hau, Isis, and Kwan Yin.
That being said, readers are invited to
partake of like-minded contemporary services and rituals such as monthly
Sacred Sundays and the upcoming Isidis Navigium, a re-creation of an ancient
rite of Isis held each March, reminiscent of the above mentioned Tien Hau
celebrations.
Carve out a brief time for yourself to experience sacred space at this the
start of the new year, a time of new beginnings, with two upcoming rituals.
SACRED SUNDAYS
If you would like to delve farther into the idea of compassion, please
consider joining us at this month’s Sacred Sunday Service, held on Sunday,
February 18th at The Magdalene Cultureal Arts Center in North Hollywood,
beginning at 11AM. This is an inter-faith service rooted in the Sacred
Feminine, complemented by the Divine Masculine.
Join us on Sacred Sunday as we focus on the theme of COMPASSION &
COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITY and honor the Divine within and outside ourselves.
Treat yourself to this escape into the sacred as we nourish our souls and
uplift our spirits.
LOCATION of Center for Sacred Sunday:
The Magdalene Cultural Arts Center
4822 VINELAND AVENUE AT LANKERSHIM,
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA 91601
PLENTY OF PARKING AT THE BACK OF THE CENTER.
About the Author
For over two decades, Karen's work has been fueled by her intense interest
and passion for travel, comparative religions, ancient cultures, and Goddess
Spirituality. A prolific writer, published author, and tour organizer,
Karen's most recent work blends her experiences of women-centered
multiculturalism evident in archaeology, anthropology and mythology with her
unique literary talents and travel experience throughout the world to pen
Sacred Places of Goddess: 108 Destinations. Her new book, Walking an Ancient
Path, is expected out in early 2008.
Ah Women!
Continued. . . The Moon Goddess found near Laussel, France was made
about 22,000 bce. At the four o’clock position, she holds a crescent moon in her right hand, her
left hand placed on her belly, pointing down at her sexual triangle. Her
hips are full with rolls of fat, her breasts are pendulous from feeding many
children. She would not fit through the door of the building which houses
the fashion runway. Her beauty is in the knowledge of the cycles of the
moon–therefore the cycles of agriculture, knowledge of bearing and rearing
countless children. Her beauty is fertility and health.
At six is the Nile Goddess from ancient Egypt. Her waist is slim, but her
hips are a shade too large for modeling. Her breasts are small, too. Her
legs are joined to be more easily stuck into the sand for her people to
dance around. Perhaps at times she was placed in a soft clay mound in a cave
so her people could worship her in candle light. Where is her beauty? Her
arms–they are raised with hands curving into a ball. She holds the void for
us. The void where poems, books, inventions, ideas are born. She holds the
beauty of the future in her arms.
At eight o’clock we see Inanna, a Sumerian Goddess. She really has an
hourglass figure, way too fat for the runway. She is a prime candidate for
liposuction. Is she beautiful? Her hands are clasped, arms across her ample
breasts. Legs together, she’s firm, solid. Unlike the Nile Goddess and the
Moon Goddess, she has a face which stares straight ahead. No down-cast eyes
for her. She meets male and female, alike, on equal footing. She wears a
heavy chain necklace with a sizable pendant around her neck. Her children
are grown, she is enjoying the riches of her maturity.
She is confident, at ease, and likes herself and her accomplishments and
isn’t afraid to let you know it.
A Cycladic Goddess from the Greek Isles stands at the ten position. She has
what we would call ‘an average figure’, not too fat, not too thin, not too
tall, not too short. She has no eyes, no mouth, barely has a nose. Her legs
are also together, a pillar of strength. Her beauty lies with her arms. They
are crossed at the waist line, left arm resting easily on the right. She has
resolve. She has assessed the situation and her part in it, and is secure
with her resolution. Don’t mess with me, her stance says. I am
self-confidence.
Who is at the penultimate position of twelve o’clock? The Goddess called by
male archaeologists as, “The Venus of Willendorf”. This ‘Venus’ figure is
surely a Goddess. She was found at Willendorf, Austria and is early
Paleolithic (Stone Age) art at least 22,000 bce. The most beautiful Goddess
on this shirt has no face, her entire head wrapped with coiled braids.
Spindly arms rest atop huge pendulous breasts. Her waist is non-existent, it
rolls in fat, a belly button deeply indented. Excess fat thickens her thighs
rubbing together, short lower legs thick enough to hold up her sizeable
weight. Tucked within the depressed triangle formed by a stomach fat roll
and her two large thighs is not just a sexual triangle, but her sacred
vulva, exposed for all to see. She is The Mother of us all. All generations,
down to you and me, have been birthed from her holy vulva, fed from those
vast breasts. She is the beauty of bearing children, nurturing them until
they fulfill their potential. She births us. She contains us. We have her
genes. She is in us.
Today’s sense of beauty was born in Hollywood and nurtured in tv commercials
and billboards, and now on the internet. The advertising world has been
dominated by males, and more and more, their fantasy female is touted as
what every female should look like in order to be considered beautiful. A
small waist, hips and bust large, but not too large. Thin–very, very thin--since the camera automatically adds fifteen pounds. Not too tall, but then
too short is out too. The hair can be easily changed with dyes, curling
irons, perms, and transplants. The face can be changed with makeup,
including the color of the eyes with tinted contacts. But the basic facial
beauty must exist under all that makeup. Scientists have analyzed the faces
of those, male as well as female, that the general population agree are
‘beautiful’. They have equations, and a clear plastic layover of a perfect
arrangement of eyes, nose, and mouth. They can tell you how closely you come
to being beautiful.
Today, the model, the icon of beauty, is thin, and has a childlike look of
innocence. She is absolutely, definitely non-threatening. The beauty is
superficial, out there where everyone can see. There is nothing hidden. No
secrets. WYSIWYG. What you see is what you get. If that’s the epitome of
beauty, then it’s very boring. Beauty is embodied in the six Goddesses
described above. They have ambition, self-confidence, creativity, love of
music and dance. They have intelligence to nurture and raise multitudes.
They have the strength to survive a hostile environment. They have hidden
wonders, ready to unfold to the willing seeker. They have the power to
persevere, since they have been suspended in time for over 22,000 years.
They are beautiful.
Cupid and Psyche–An Ancient Mystery Tale
Continued . . .Briefly, the story [Eros and Psyche: A Fairy-Tale of
Ancient Greece, retold after Apuleius by Paul Carus.] is about a princess
named Psyche, who was so beautiful that when it came time for her to wed no
suitors could be found -- for everyone worshiped her from afar believing
that she was the appearance on earth of the Goddess of Love. While this
attention saddened and embarrassed the young princess it infuriated
Aphrodite, the real Goddess of Beauty and Love. She directed her son, the
young and fun-loving Eros, to cast a spell upon Psyche that would cause her
to fall in love with some despicable creature and in consequence to suffer
so greatly that her beauty would fade. Obediently Eros descended to earth,
but the moment he saw the maiden his heart filled with love.
Psyche's parents meantime had gone to the Oracle at Delphi for advice. The
Pythia's reply was explicit: dress Psyche in mourning, escort her to the top
of the mountain, and leave her to await her bridegroom who, in the words of
Apollo, would be "that terrible tyrant whose jurisdiction extends from
heaven to hell." Grief-stricken, the royal parents would not have obeyed had
not Psyche, weary of her lonely life, insisted they comply. She was led in
funeral procession to the summit of the mountain and left there as the sun
slowly set. Zephyrus, the evening breeze, at the behest of Eros, carried her
down into the valley below. Upon waking, Psyche found herself before the
entrance of a magnificent palace. She entered and walked from room to room,
admiring the treasures they contained. Voices in the air bade her welcome to
her new home, entertained her with music, and ministered to her every
desire.
In the darkness of night Eros arrived and, though invisible to her, his
words and embraces were so tender and loving she knew that this was the
lover she had always longed for. When he asked her to give him her trust and
her love and to become his bride, even though she must promise never to look
upon him, she readily pledged him her troth.
Life for Psyche was happier than ever, but after a time she grew homesick.
To cheer her Eros arranged for her two sisters to visit, but warned that if
she revealed the secret of their marriage, their happiness would end as he
would be forced to depart. Psyche promised to say nothing, but under the
pressure of her sisters' questioning she let something slip which they
twisted to convince her that she had married a monster and must slay him.
Tormented with doubts, Psyche determined to discover the truth about her
invisible husband who always disappeared before dawn. She arose, lit a lamp,
and turned to look for the first time upon her beloved:
When lo! the air about her seem'd to burn, And bright celestial radiance
fill'd the room.
Too plainly O she saw, O fair to see!
Eros, 'twas Eros' self, her lover, he,
The God of love, reveal'd in deathless bloom.
-- Poetical Works of Robert
Bridges, "Eros and Psyche," p. 125.
Overwhelmed by his beauty Psyche inadvertently tipped the lamp and a drop of
oil spilled on his shoulder, waking the slumbering god. "O simple-hearted
Psyche," he exclaimed, "how could you doubt me? Now I must depart." In an
instant he was gone. Psyche, brokenhearted, set out to find her beloved, not
knowing that he had returned to Olympus where his mother tended his wound
and had him guarded lest he return to earth.
Psyche searched through long and weary years but found no trace of Eros. She
entered the temples of Demeter and Hera to seek their aid, and they advised
her to be steadfast and faithful: "If Eros still loves you, no power on
earth or in heaven will keep him from you." Psyche realized now that Eros
must be on Olympus and was wondering how she could reach him when Hermes
(Mercury), messenger of the gods, appeared and offered to carry her there.
She gladly accepted. Upon her arrival, however, Aphrodite had her seized and
would have had her destroyed had Psyche not pleaded for clemency. She
offered to serve the goddess in every way possible could she but see her
beloved once more. Aphrodite agreed -- with the stipulation that Psyche had
first to accomplish three tasks, which the goddess knew were impossible for
mortals to perform. The first was to separate by nightfall the seeds in an
enormous pile of mixed grains; the second, to fetch golden fleece from a
herd of fierce wild sheep; and the third, to obtain a cupful of black water
from the source of the river Cocytus which was guarded by dragons. Psyche
accomplished the first with the help of ants; the second, by following the
advice of a nymph; and the third with the aid of the eagle of Zeus.
Aphrodite was amazed and set Psyche one more task: to descend into Hades and
obtain from Persephone enough spray from the Fountain of Youth to restore
the beauty the goddess had lost caring for her son's burnt shoulder. Again
Psyche received help. She made the perilous descent, overcame all obstacles
and lures of the underworld, and finally received the precious spray from
Persephone. Returning, Psyche had to pass through the same ordeals once more
and in addition resist the temptation to open the mysterious vial. Upon
reaching the world of the living she began to weaken: "One drop of this
potion would restore my own beauty and bring Eros to my side . . . only one
little drop . . . no one would know." She barely touched the lid when it
sprang open and poisonous fumes enveloped her and she fell into a deathlike
stupor. Eros, having recovered and escaped his guards, at this very moment
arrived at her side. Quickly he restored the vapor to its container and,
with a kiss, wakened the unconscious Psyche. Only later did he chide her for
her curiosity, and explain to her that spray from the Fountain of Youth,
being derived from the Water of Death, overcomes mortals and causes them to
pass through death and rebirth.
As he spoke Psyche herself was transformed, with iridescent wings unfolding
from her shoulders; and when Eros placed his arm around her they rose
together to Olympus where Zeus, king of the Immortals, welcomed the mortal
maid who had valiantly proven her worth. In the presence of the gods, Zeus
gave Psyche a draught of the nectar of immortality, and united the couple in
wedlock.
According to the legend, Psyche's ascendance brought a special radiance into
heaven, while on earth, mankind rejoiced that one of their own had been
deified.
The teachings presented in this tale deal with human consciousness, with its
fall from on high, its captivity in realms of material illusion, its
ages-long wanderings, and its metamorphosis as it awakens and recollects
with increasing clarity its divine origin and nature. Thenceforth it
endeavors to rise, as a butterfly freed from its chrysalis, into higher
dimensions where it lives among the immortals. This is borne out in the
story's most obvious hints.
The Greek word psyche, which means soul, self, also mind, was associated
with the butterfly and its transformations. Psyche thus represents the human
soul which is beautiful because an image and child of nous, divine
intelligence, yet lonely because she is parted from her mother by ignorance.
She, like all children of the Divine, is "cursed" or destined to enter the
Cycle of Necessity -- to wed a monster (material life), and thereby suffer
and lose her innocence, but through the tuition of love (Eros) her higher
faculties awaken, and by aspiration and effort she overcomes lower
attractions and ascends, gaining the greater beauty of spirituality.
Psyche, we remember, was a princess. Royal parents represent the highest
material and/or spiritual attainments; kings and sometimes queens and fairy
godmothers stand also, on occasion, for hierophants or spiritual teachers,
while a princess or prince is the neophyte seeking to attain
self-consciously the royal qualities of spirit. Eros, son of Aphrodite
(Venus), divine love, is the many-aspected energizing force of love which
manifests universally both as the Divine yearning to express and become
aware of itself and, at the human level, as desire which, being dual, can be
directed either towards worldly fulfillment or towards oneness with the
divine.
Eros, ever present and loving though invisible, offers to wed, to unite with
Psyche, if she will give him her trust and love. He awakens in her a longing
for truth, teaches her that death need not be feared for spirit is
deathless, is, in fact, increased when liberated from the body, and tests
her resolve by inviting the two sisters. Psyche lights the lamp, dispelling
darkness and ignorance together with her whole world of illusions. For one
blinding, agonizing moment she feels utterly alone (as do neophytes during
the initiatory trial until, having glimpsed the Divine, they feel its
overpowering closeness). The dread darkness vanishes and light suffuses her
being. She begins the long search during which hardship, disappointment,
failure are the hallmarks of soul growth. Eventually she reaches a higher
dimension requiring qualities which she brings forth as she completes the
tasks that "no ordinary mortal can complete."
The final ordeal, the descent into Hades, describes in the veiled language
of the Mysteries the supreme initiation, which occurs only rarely. According
to G. de Purucker, when earth and moon are in alignment with Venus
(Aphrodite), Mercury (Hermes), and the sun, the prepared candidate, whose
emotional and mental nature is under complete control, is able consciously
to leave his body and travel along magnetic pathways through the invisible
spheres of the planets to the heart of the sun. When he reenters his
slumbering body, every part of his nature is "enflamed by a halo of glory."
The soul has followed in full awareness the path it heretofore traveled
unconsciously during sleep and death. Having experienced the wonder-life
beyond, he shares this knowledge, as far as he is able, with those who dwell
in "darkness."
Psyche, as the neophyte-soul, passes the ordeal and is "resurrected" from
mortal to immortal awareness. Her spiritual nature unfolds like wings of
radiance. She is wedded with the divine essence within herself which, in
this allegory, is Eros. References to the sun, moon, Venus, and Mercury in
this fable and in its fairy tale version "East of the Sun and West of the
Moon," reinforce its connection with the initiatory cycle of the Greek and
Egyptian Mysteries. Not only do these celestial spheres provide the pathways
of ascent and descent, but the directions, East and West, zenith
(mountaintop) and nadir (valley floor) form the mystic cross. Its arms,
reaching into the four directions of space, intersect at what has been
described as the "sacred center," the "place of union" of heart and mind,
from where it is possible to pass into other levels of consciousness.
Aristotle spoke of the divine center where the "unmoved Mover" resides, the
timeless, spaceless Now.
The tasks imposed by Aphrodite describe the development of moral,
intellectual, and spiritual character. The sorting of grain with the ants'
assistance suggests patience, diligence, and discrimination, while the idea
of unification is symbolized by collecting the golden fleece -- the "golden
strands" of truth. Ideas like these have made this a tale of enduring
popularity. They have given generations assurance that despite loneliness
and hardship, he who is pure of heart and steadfast of purpose will have
guidance on his journey of lifetimes. He who makes himself worthy will come
to know the divinity that waits just beyond sight.
Cupid and Psyche is indeed a story of love, and of love's transcendent power
to raise the soul to divine awareness. As such, it is a fable to be
cherished during those dark and silent moments that sanctify our lives.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Blavatsky H. P., The Secret Doctrine, Theosophical University Press,
1977; facsimile reprint of 1888 edition.
2. Bridges, Robert, Poetical Works, Oxford University Press, 1914.
3. Bulfinch's Mythology, Carlton House, 1938.
4. Carus, Paul, Eros and Psyche, A Fairy-Tale of Ancient Greece, The Open
Court Publishing Co., Chicago, 1900.
5. Cirlot, J. E., A Dictionary of Symhols, Philosophical Library, New York,
2nd ed., 1971.
6. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1962.
7. Hague, Kathleen and Michael, East of the Sun and West of the Moon,
Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, Inc., New York, 1980.
8. Head, Joseph and S. L. Cranston, eds., Reincarnation: The Phoenix Fire
Mystery, Julian Press, Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1977.
9. Purucker, G. de, Fountain-Source of Occultism, Theosophical University
Press, Pasadena, 1974.
10. The Four Sacred Seasons, Theosophical University Press, Pasadena, 1979.
11. Taylor, Thomas, The Fable of Cupid and Psyche, The Philosophical
Research Society, Inc., Los Angeles, facsimile reprint of 1795 edition
12. Wechsler, Herman J., Gods and Goddesses in Art and Legend, Pocket Books,
Inc., New York, 1950.
13. (From Sunrise magazine, February/March 1986; copyright © 1986
Theosophical University Press)
Reprinted from World Spiritual Traditions Menu at www.theosophy-nw.org
Urban Miracle
Continued . . . The lack in many of these articles is breeding and
care of the resultant eggs. That’s because pythons don’t readily mate in
captivity, so there is a danger of the Royal Python becoming extinct.
Because of its exotic beauty and docile nature, there is a demand for this
beautiful, calm serpent. Many conditions have to be in place for the captive
pythons to mate. One article states that feeding should be stopped the first
part of November, the cage light turned out at night, and the temperature
lowered. Even with these conditions met, there is little likelihood of
mating since, in the wild, mating usually takes place only after two males
have ‘done battle’ to win the heart of the female (one of three or four
watching the ‘battle’).
In Southern California last weekend a miracle occurred without these
conditions. Isis, one of two Temple of the Goddess’ sacred serpents (the
other being Serapis, her serpent companion), laid an egg. The next morning,
six more stretched out in a row. They are tannish/amber colored, about the
size of a quail egg, and each one differently shaped; one is very round,
some have various thicknesses, some have a pinched off points at opposite
ends. One has a white partially-eclipsed moon very obvious on its side. We
don’t know if these eggs are even fertile, but we’re giving them all a
chance at life in an incubator.
So, these hard to breed pythons not only produced a good-sized clutch of
eggs. That is a miracle in itself. There’s more, though. On February 4th,
Temple of the Goddess held its first ordination. Seven priestesses were
ordained. Exactly seven days later, on February 11th, Isis, a Temple sacred
serpent, gave birth to seven eggs! A simple urban miracle. . . the miracle
of sevens.
By Zeus
Continued . . . Armed with white doves, Peppa, a former advertising
executive, was not going to hold back - even if it meant defying the furious
Greek officials and riot police gathered at the second-century temple's
gates, unwilling to stop the ceremony for fear of provoking a violent
confrontation. "Sixteen and a half centuries is a very long time to wait,"
she said. "After so many years of Christian persecution we were finally able
to call on Zeus, our king-god, to bring peace to the world ahead of the
[2008] Olympics. For us, it was a very, very big thing."
So big, that like a thunderbolt from the deity himself, the one-hour
ceremony has achieved the near-impossible task of unnerving Greece's
powerful Orthodox church. Since Peppa's performance 10 days ago, hierarchs
have redirected the venom they usually reserve for homosexuals, Catholics,
Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, masons and the "barbaric" Turks at the "miserable
resuscitators" of the degenerate dead religion. In fire-and-brimstone
sermons priests have slammed the "satanic" New Ageists and fulminated
against their idols.
For years, Orthodox clerics believed that they had defeated Greeks wishing
to embrace the customs and beliefs of the ancient past. But increasingly the
church, a bastion of conservatism and traditionalism, has been confronted by
the specter of polytheist making a comeback in the land of the gods. Last
year, Peppa's group, Ellinais, succeeded in gaining legal recognition as a
cultural association in a country where all non-Christian religions, bar
Islam and Judaism, are prohibited. As a result of the ruling, which devotees
say paves the way for the Greek gods to be worshiped openly, the
organization hopes to win government approval for a temple in Athens where
pagan baptisms, marriages and funerals could be performed. Taking the battle
to archaeological sites deemed to be "sacred" is also part of an
increasingly vociferous campaign.
But Ellinais, whose members range from elderly academics to young
professionals, is not the only sect to practice the ethnic Hellenic faith.
Those who claim to "defend the genuine traditions, religion and ethos" of
pre-Christians say there are at least 2,000 hard-core followers and,
nationwide, more than 100,000 sympathizers. Nationalist extremists,
attracted by the creed's emphasis on Hellenic glories, are helping to boost
the revival.
"If you are brought up with Greek mythology, the idea you are the
descendants of the ancient Greeks and imbued with the importance of ancient
Greek culture, you have all the pre-requisites for such an inclination,"
says Nikos Dimou, the acclaimed author of a tongue-in-cheek bestseller, The
Misfortune to be Greek.
Ninety-eight per cent of the population may officially be Orthodox
Christian, but in many ways Greeks remain bonded to their pagan past. "OK,
the ancients had hubris, but the concept of sin was totally unknown to them,
as indeed it is in modern Greece," Dimou says. "Greeks today don't observe
many of the 10 commandments. Their outlook on life and values are much
nearer to pagan ideas than those of the austere Judaeo-Christian faith."
The exoticism of pagan rituals undoubtedly adds to the allure. Enter the
Athens headquarters of YSEE, an umbrella organization of pagans, and the
first thing you encounter on feast days are white-clad believers offering
libations before a life-size marble kouros symbolizing eternal youth. Busts
of Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hera and Zeus cast their stony eyes on to an
altar replete with burning incense, herbs and flowers. Housed in a decrepit
apartment block, between a Kurdish-run café and a bathroom utilities store,
YSEE has become a meeting point for pagans. Here believers, such as Vlassis
Rassias, gather to discuss ancient Greek history and solace-giving gods.
Like pagans the world over, Rassias says he was drawn to polytheism by the
religion's focus on humanity, ecology, cosmic connections and reverence for
the past. But, like many in Greece, the 48-year-old banker adds that he was
also attracted because of "the brainwashing" of the Orthodox church. "At
school we were taught everything about the ancients except the way they
worshiped. I found it very strange, and when I looked into it I began to see
why," he says. "The Christians hated pagans so much that from the fourth
century to the ninth century they destroyed their temples and libraries,
killed their priests, closed their philosophical schools and, in one case,
set up a death camp. It was genocide but priests don't want to talk about
that today." Instead, he says, the Orthodox church insisted that
Christianity had been spread, and accepted, peacefully.
Greece's pagans have found an unlikely champion in James O'Dell, a Croydon-born
chartered surveyor who gave up his job to "serve the gods". Through the
internet he has brought Apollo-loving pagans together in Britain -
organizing a ritual in Richmond Park in December - and disseminated
information about the "plight" of pagans in Greece.
"I started a web page and was amazed at how many suddenly came out of the
woodwork," says the 49-year-old, who lives between Athens and London and
keeps an altar dedicated to Apollo in both homes. His own "awakening" began
during a visit to ancient Delphi in 1990.
Greece's pagans will need every ally they can get in their battle with the
immensely powerful Orthodox establishment. Church and state are still
inextricably intertwined, and priests and parishes are financed from
government coffers. "Greece is not like other modern European democracies -
it is semi-theocratic," says Vassilis Tsantilas, 42, a computer scientist
who experimented with Buddhism, Taoism and Islam before embracing paganism.
"Constitutionally, there is no law that even allows for the recognition of
other minority religions, which is why the Christians can go on persecuting
us."
Last year, YSEE stepped up its campaign with a 14-page memorandum delivered
to the Greek president. Among other things, it demanded that pagans not only
be allowed to conduct baptisms, weddings, funerals and cremations but also
be given a permanent place of worship within view of the Acropolis on the
Hill of Nymphs.
"But our biggest demand is that our religion is accepted as a reality so
that we can finally count just how many we are," Rassias says. "If the
intolerance continues we'll go to the European court of human rights."
"I'd like to think that in 500 years things will be better," O'Dell says,
with a smile. But Greece's pagans may not have to wait so long. Already they
have come a long way from the days when exposure as a pagan could result in
reprisals from business partners, family and friends. After the ceremony at
the Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus, even the nation's media have stopped
laughing at them.
The Guardian, UK
Thursday February 1, 2007
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