An Introduction to Shapeshifting
Metamorphosis is a strong impetus for growth, it aids us in changing ourselves, our perceptions of the world and our relationship with the world. When we consciously employ positive change in our lives, we can destroy that which no longer serves us, and embrace that which will help us transform in a positive way.
When working with animal spirits and energies, it is possible to consciously employ metamorphosis in the form of shapeshifting. I am not talking about literally or physically changing your form in the way of many movies and fantasy stories, instead I am talking about the act of embracing, emulating or taking into yourself the qualities of an animal in order to experience change and metamorphosis.
Shapeshifting can be magically understood as being the ability to change and shift the thoughts and perceptions we usually inhabit. As a human we have ways that we perceive the world around us, but with bat inside our body and mind, the way we perceive the world and ourselves changes radically. Through the processes of inviting the animal energy to become a part of us, we shift and change our own understanding.
The act of shape-shifting has been common throughout many shamanic and pagan cultures for a very long time. In many shamanic tales, such as The Roe Deer Man (Nauwald, 2004, p. 94), a person could change quite easily between an animal and a human using techniques that involves wearing an animal's skin or an animal part, or simply using thought and will to change the form. In Japanese mythology, the kitsune or fox spirits were thought to be able to take the form of humans, or alternatively possess humans so that they became more fox-like in nature. In paganism, many gods and goddesses possess the ability to change form, and even those who spend a great deal of time as an animal - such as the Morrighu (who occupies the form of ravens in some depictions), or even the Horned God, Cernunnos, who can appear as a stag, or an antlered man (as seen on the fresco of the Pilier des nautes in Paris).
Those gods, spirits and entities who could change into animals often took on the nature of those animals. Those who were possessed by foxes in Japan were thought to take on 'fox-like' qualities, their eyes became more calculating and cunning, they were said to yelp like a fox yelps, they became at times deceptive, and women who were possessed were thought to be more deliberately seductive and graceful (Hearn, 2005 / Nozaki, 1961). For those who believe in lycanthropy or werewolves, it was thought that lycanthropes took on the qualities of wolves, from craving raw meat, to becoming more alert and comfortable in nature and sometimes even taking on the physical appearance of a wolf (Hamel, 1969).
When working magic or ritual, shapeshifting with animal energies involves the invocation of that animal energy into the self. It is not a responsibility to be taken lightly, and one should not attempt it unless they have a comprehensive understanding of grounding techniques. Depending on the animal and the person involved, it can be difficult to fully rid the self of the animal energy, and this can be a problem if the animal energy is quite different to your usual personality and/or you are finding that it is becoming destructive or unhelpful.
Why Shapeshift:
1. Knowledge and Expansion - seeing the world through human eyes is wonderful most of the time, but sometimes it helps to literally see the world through a different perspective. Working consciously with animal energies is a way of getting that perspective. Seeing the world through the eyes of spirit wolf, or spirit snail even, can help us to understand the differences and diversity in this world, while also helping us to feel even more interconnected with nature. When taking in the energy of other animals, we expand our own perceptions and knowledge.
2. Reconciliation - shapeshifting can be especially helpful to help us reconcile our differences with animals we do not like or fear. For example, I can invite chimpanzee spirit into my body (an animal I am not a big fan of!) and watch how it changes my personality and actually experience what I don't like about it. I can literally observe from the inside out and see what in particular about the animal energy is setting off my inner alarms and making me feel resentful or uneasy. Working directly with animal energies we have problems with in this manner can also help us to see what we have in common with that animal, and help us to see what we do not like about ourselves.
3. Communion - engaging with the animal world and with animal spirits through shapeshifting enables us to experience a profound sense of communion; not just with the animal that we invite into ourselves, but also with all of nature. Shapeshifting in this way can be a way of reconnecting with nature and the great spirit/s, and also a way of experiencing 'life.' It can be a very positive, life-affirming force, and it can be an extremely joyous and primal experience.
4. Strength in Magic - many animals will, when treated respectfully, lend vast reserves of energy to our rituals and energy work. For example, I have talked to a few people who have invited horse into their body and consequently been able to pull from a vast pool of energy. Likewise, if you need specific types of energy, working with animal energies in this manner can be a good solution. Sometimes we need a strong, aggressive and banishing energy that we may find difficult to invoke without aid; aggressive animals like badger and wolverine can help us get in touch with our own inner, archetypal aggression and use it in a healthy and defensive manner. Likewise if we are doing a love spell or ritual to open ourselves up to the possibility of love, we can consider invoking the spirit of a loving and generous animal into our bodies; like the mourning dove.
5. Journeying - in shamanism, many shamanists will change form in the otherworlds in order to travel faster or more quickly to their destination. I become a river dolphin while swimming underwater, and many others take different forms depending on what animals they feel a connection with. While journeying, animal forms can also be helpful in helping a shaman or shamanist with many of their tasks. Animal forms are good for hiding, getting places, negotiation with other spirits and of course in the practices of certain forms of magic and ritual. Taking on an animal form can also be a successful way of coaxing soul fragments back into this world, since many people often see that there is an innocence and lack of guile in animals that encourages them to open up and to trust.
Shapeshifting is not without its risks. As mentioned earlier, it is good to have a knowledge of grounding before attempting shapeshifting, because otherwise it can be sometimes quite difficult to come back to a full and safe awareness of the self. Some animal spirits are tricksters, like coyote and fox, and I don't recommend working with them unless you are experienced with both shapeshifting and tricksters! Other animal spirits might simply not come at all, no matter how hard you try, and some come with such a force that you may feel knocked flat on your feet and forget why you were invoking the spirit in the first place. It's important to remember respect when working with the animal world, both for the animal kingdom, and for the integrity of the self.
In the next article I will talk about the methods one can use in order to try shapeshifting and working with animal energies in this more practical manner.
References
Hamel, F. (1969). Human Animals, Werewolves & Other Transformations. University Books. New York.
Hearn, L. (2005). Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan. Project Gutenberg E-Text Edition.
Lupa. (2006). Fang and Fur, Blood and Bone - a Primal Guide to Animal Magic. Megalithica Books. Stafford.
Nauwald, N. (2004). Flying With Shamans in Fairy Tales and Myths. Binkey Kok Publications. Holland.
Nozaki, K. (1961). Kitsune - Japan's Fox of Mystery, Romance and Humour. University of Hawai'i Press. Honolulu.
The Basics of Grounding
Grounding is the act of using the mind and body to clear excess energy away.
Very literally, it is the act of getting closer to the earth, or putting our feet firmly on the ground. Grounding is a fundamental skill, not just in magic and ritual, but in everyday life too. It is one of the basic tools to be used in energy work and is a necessary skill for all pagans who work with energy, and all people who can be quite highly strung!
There are many ways to ground, but the most common way is through visualisation.
Visualisation Method
1. Sit, lie or stand somewhere quiet. Close your eyes (if you wish). Focus on your breathing and try to breathe from your diaphragm (just below the lungs) instead of high up in your chest. Consciously slow your breathing down.
2. Focus on your muscles, particularly tight spots like your shoulders, hands, feet, chest, head/forehead and neck. As you breath in and out, see your muscles relaxing.
3. Imagine that you are a large tree in a wide open field. You have branches that reach to the sky, and roots that reach all the way down, deep into the earth. As you exhale, send all your excess energy or stress, or bad feelings down through your spine, through your legs, and into the roots in the ground. There the earth will recycle or use that energy as it needs it.
4. Continue to do this for as long as you feel you need to, always aware of your slow breathing, and the energy that you're directing away.
5. When you have finished, become aware of your body by focusing on things like; the sensation of what you're lying / sitting / standing on, the feel of any breeze or clothing on your skin, the heaviness of your flesh etc. Make sure that you focus on physical sensations because this is very helpful to the grounding process.
6. Wiggle your toes and fingers. Open your eyes (if you closed them). You should be feeling much more calm and relaxed. This feeling of stability is known as being 'grounded.'
Visualisation 1 can be adapted so that you are sitting against an actual tree and sending your energy through the tree, instead of through yourself. Sitting in nature can be very helpful when it comes to grounding. It can also be adapted for sitting against rocks / buildings / or anything that has part of its structure go deep into the ground. The reason we send excess energy there is because the earth stores it and uses it for later, it safely removes excess energy away from other people, and the element of Earth is a grounding and stabilising element.
Physical Methods
If you are quite a high-strung person (i.e. get stressed easily, lose control of your breathing, aren't very in touch with your body) or aren't used to energy work, then visualisation isn't always the most effective method. In Wiccan covens, it is common to eat after ritual, and one of the reasons for this is that physical activity like the consumption of food and drink is very grounding!
Consider the following activities:
Eating and Drinking
When you have just finished ritual, or are noticing that you're feeling very stressed out, consider grounding through slowly eating and drinking. Eat simple foods, like half a piece of bread, or a biscuit, and savour it. Know that you are sharing with the bounty of the earth, and really notice the flavours and the action of chewing and swallowing. When you drink (hot beverages like tea are really fantastic for grounding), do so slowly, savour each sip and focus entirely on what you are doing. As you narrow your focus, you also force all that excess energy to go away so that you are grounded and stable.
Stretching
Stretching is a wonderful way to ground. Find stretches that are gentle on your body (such as stretching your arms towards the ceiling, or bending down and letting the energy flow out of your hands into the ground directly). The key word with stretching is to go slow. Slow your breathing down, focus on how it feels to move your muscles, and if you feel pain then stop! This should feel good, not painful.
Mundane Chores
Simple household chores are actually extremely grounding, they require physical activity, but they are also generally simple and repetitive, and this combination makes them excellent for helping you to contain your stress and excess energy and focus. When vacuuming or sweeping, imagine that you are sucking up all the negative energy into the vacuum, or sweeping it away. You can even imagine that the vacuum is sucking up your own excess energy. While washing the dishes, become aware of the sensation of water around your hands, and the feeling of the earth against your fingers (most kitchen implements after all, come from the Earth element).
Having a Shower or Bath
Taking a shower or bath can literally help you to 'wash' excess stress and energy away. One of my favourite visualisations while in the shower every morning, is to imagine all my negative and unwanted energy flowing down the drain. It is very refreshing, and the warm water helps us to stay focused on our body instead of letting our head drift into the clouds (which is the opposite of grounding). When cleaning your body, you can literally 'scrub away the bad energy' through visualisation, or wash away the stress.
-
The basic goal of grounding is to make sure that you are calm, focused and stable so that you feel more in control (particularly for stress-related problems) and that you are not carrying around excess energy from ritual which can be problematic! Ground before and after ritual, when you're stressed out, after visualisation, and whenever you feel it's necessary! You can do the physical exercises whenever you want to, and if you try and do them once a day you will notice a difference in your general well-being.
Give one or two of them a try and see how you go!
Lughnasagh Poem
O Great Father of the sun and Mother of the grains,
We celebrate our harvest and of the light that remains
All in lifes great garden, we be ever thankful for
As we feast on our treats of bread, cider and more
You give us your gifts that you so lovingly bare
All your crops and your fruits you so humbly share
As we harvest the seeds that we planted before
Of our hopes and our dreams may they now come to the fore
We celebrate our harvest and of the light that remains
All in lifes great garden, we be ever thankful for
As we feast on our treats of bread, cider and more
You give us your gifts that you so lovingly bare
All your crops and your fruits you so humbly share
As we harvest the seeds that we planted before
Of our hopes and our dreams may they now come to the fore
THE DRUIDS DREAMING ?
WHAT IT IS ?What the world needs is Magic, Music and Dreams .....
A Dreamtime
The concept of the Event is to bring AWARENESS and to PROMOTE Tolerance, Understanding with the hope of Embracing others chosen beliefs to the whole community which is mostly Christian orientated and to celebrated the Cultural & Spiritual Diversity in Australia.
It is also the purpose of this event is to raise AWARENESS and Support for a new organization called The Ancient Ways Incorporated:
http://ancientways.org.au
With the current global financial crisis there are many families out there doing it tough. Many of these families will rely heavily on Charity organizations. A great many of these Charity organizations are Christian orientated. Nothing wrong with that as a qualified Youth Worker and Social Worker I have worked for many organization and associations that are Christian Orientated but there are very few Alternative Spiritualist and pagan organizations which have been set up to assist the Community and help those families which are not Christian until now. The Ancient Ways Incorporated is one such organisation.
Music is Magic ... and it helps people forget the troubles of the would and their own personal problems for a while. People need to be entertained and an Event like this is designed to help fulfil that need and to help people become aware that they are not alone. Music can help Bring about Change.
MAGIC CAN HAPPEN
The Cosmic Cauldron Newsletter and The Cosmic Cauldron Radio, Mystic Groves (my partner's business) and myself, Michael Lee-Price are in the initial stages of organising this EVENT to be held here in South Australia, Australia.
Join US!
FEEL THE MAGIC!
Embrace The Druid's Dreaming.
A Brief History
As the late Martin Luther King said ..."I Had a Dream!"
Way back in 2003, I had a vision; a dream of organising a Cultural and Spiritual Music Event. This event was to be called AUTUMN FEAST. Several Bands were organised, promotional and advertising flyers and pamphlets were printed up, businesses in the South Australian suburb of Aldinga were approached as well as the local Onkaparinga Council and a Website was built to advertise and promote the Event.
Due to some personal issues, interference by certain detractors and an inability on my part at the time to source funding, the Event was shelved.
However, some in the Aldinga Business Community saw the potential of such a music event and from the ashes of Autumn Feat a Phoenix rose called The Aldinga Folk Festival.
This wonderful event ran from 2004= 2006.
After seemingly disappearing into the mist of time and the annuals of once Great Events, this Magnificent Event has re-emerged with the new face of "Fleurieu Folk Fesitval"
http://thecosmiccauldron.net.au/notice2.html
This only goes to prove that Dreams can come TRUE, if people are willing to believe in them and are willing to support them.
Like Autumn Feast, I am going to make The Druid's Dreaming happen .. With YOUR Help.
http://thecosmiccauldron.net.au/schedule.html
I will be arranging advance payment for tickets in the next two months.
At present I am thinking of $80 for single ...... $120 -- for couples ... $160 for families (if you can fit all your kids on a CentreLink card ...then that is a family - proof of being a family unit required) ... 10 % off per head on group bookings (10 plus) .... 20 % discount for all TAWI members ... .... this is tentative.
I will be attempting to arrange package deals with airlines and hotels so hold your horses.
Sponsorship of interstate Covens and Groups being arranged. (Hopefully)
At present I have 50 people from Melbourne
7 from WA
13 from NSW
4 from the USA
3 from UK
1 from India
And I haven't even started the ticket planning yet or found a venue ....
So Aaaarrrrggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Thank You
Michael Lee-Price
~ The Wayfinder ~
Owner, Publisher and Editor of The Cosmic Cauldron Newsletter
Owner and Manager of The Cosmic Cauldron Radio
ALL ENQUIRIES TO: cosmic.wayfinder@gmail.com
The Druid's Dreaming Musical Event is a Celebration of the Spiritual & Cultural Diversity in Australia. It is being promoted as a ONE Day Event & an All Day Event. Starting with a Medieval Fair and Culminating with a Concert. Venue and Ticket prices are not available yet. More information can be located at:
The Cosmic Cauldron - Bookmark This page fir further updates !!
The Cosmic Cauldron - Bookmark This page fir further updates !!
Written by Frances - Paganism Australia member
I would love to share two pieces of beautiful poetry with you,
TO SHE
Ancient Mother Goddess
You who was there before all time
Arise from the watery abyss
From whence all life was created
Come to me, Ancient Mother
Teach me the ebb and flow of life
Help me understand that for things to be reborn
They first must die
Show me the inner strength and gifts that lay inside
As my modern world engulfs me
Help me to remain connected to what is really important
Remind me of the messages in the wind
Ancient Mother Goddess
Nameless one but not forgotten
Let me honor you
SILENT RAPTURE
She touched my cheek
I knew I wasn’t alone
And the invisible cloak drew around me
I felt sheltered from the winds of ill thought
That blew my way
Protected in her loving embrace
Safe in the knowledge that as long as I have
The courage to be true to myself
I will never be alone
In silent rapture I caught my breath
For faith I believe.
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna ...
0 comments Posted by About Paganism Australia at 9:59 PM
In Neo-pagan Witchcraft the Goddess is the very essence or central figure of the Craft and worship. She is the Great Mother, representing the fertility which brings forth all life; as Mother Nature she is the living biosphere of both the planets and the forces of the elements; she has roles of both creator and destroyer; she is the Queen of Heaven; and she is the moon. She possesses magical powers and is emotion, intuition and psychic faculty. The Divine Force within the Goddess is believed to be genderless, but within the universe it is manifested as male and female principles. Often within the worship of the Divine Force the Goddess, or the female principle, is emphasized to the exclusion of The Horned God, or the male principle. But, theoretically both are recognized.
The Goddess has many facets, names and aspects. Although in witchcraft and Neo-paganism she is mainly worshiped in her aspects of the triple Goddess: Virgin, Mother and Crone.
Goddess worship dates back to Paleolithic times. Many anthropologists speculate the first "God " or gods of the peoples were feminine. This coincides with ancient creation myths and beliefs that creation was achieved through self-fertilization. Within the concept of creation the participation of the male principle was not known or recognized yet. The Goddess was believed to have created the universe by herself alone.
From this belief came the agricultural religions. It was thought that the gods only prospered by the beneficence and wisdom which the Goddess showered on them. Evidence appears to indicate most ancient tribes and cultures were matriarchal.
Although this maybe true, there seems to be little evidence that the feminine portions of these societies held themselves superior over their male counterparts. Generally Goddess worship had been balanced by the honoring of both the male and female Deities. This is illustrated by the belief in and the observance of the sacred marriage of the Sky God and Earth Mother in many global societies.
Among the first human images discovered are the "Venus figures," nude female figures having exaggerated sexual parts that date back to the Cro-Magnons of the Upper Paleolithic period between 35,000 and 10,000 BC.
In southern France is the Venus of Laussel which is carved in basrelief in a rock shelter. This appears once to have been a hunting shrine which dates to around 19,000 BC. In this carving the woman is painted red, perhaps to suggest blood, and holds a bison horn in one hand.
Also in Cro-Magnon cave paintings women are depicted giving birth. "A naked Goddess appears to have been the patroness of the hunt to mammoth hunters in the Pyrenees and was also protectress of the hearth and lady of the wild things."
Other female figurines were discovered dating back to the proto-Neolithic period of ca, 9000 - 7000 BC, the Middle Neolithic period of ca. 6000 - 5000 BC, and the Higher Neolithic period of ca. 4500 - 3500 BC. Some of these figurines were decorated as if they had been objects of worship. In black Africa were discovered cave images of the Horned Goddess (later Isis, ca. 7000 - 6000 BC). The Black Goddess images appeared to represent a bisexual, self-fertilizing woman.
During the predynastic Egyptian period, prior to 3110 BC, the Goddess was known as Ta-Urt (Great One) and was portrayed as a pregnant hippopotamus stand on her hind legs.
The Halaf culture around the Tigris River, ca. 5000 - 4000 BC, had Goddess figurines associated with the cow, serpent, humped ox, sheep, goat, pig, bull, dove and double ax. These things were known to the people and became symbols representing the Goddess.
In the Sumerian civilization, ca. 4000 BC, the princesses or queens of cities were associated with the Goddess. A king was associated with God.
Throughout the eons of history the Goddess assumed many aspects. She was seen as the creatress, virgin, mother, destroyer, warrior, huntress, homemaker, wife, artist, jurist, healer and sorcerer. Her roles or abilities increased with the advancement of the cultures which worshipped her.
She could represent a queen with a consort, or lover. She might bear a son who died young or was sacrificed only to rise again representing the annual birth-death-rebirth cycle of the seasons.
Throughout the centuries the Goddess has acquired a thousand names and a thousand faces but most always she has represented nature, she is associated with both the sun and moon, the earth and the shy. The Goddess religion, usually in all forms, is a nature religion. Those worshipping the Goddess worship or care for nature too.
It might be acknowledged that author Barbara G. Walker made two comments concerning the thousand names of the Goddess. The first is that "Every female divinity in the present Encyclopedia (Source: 56) may be correctly regarded as only another aspect of the core concept of a female Supreme Being." The author's other comment is, "If such a system had been applied to the usual concept of God, (giving him the different names and titles which people throughout the centuries have attributed to him), there would now be a multitude of separate 'gods' with names like Almighty, Yahweh, Lord, Holy Ghost, Sun of Righteousness, Christ, Creator, Lawgiver, Jehovah, Providence, Allah, Savior, Redeemer, Paraclete, Heavenly Father, and so on, ad infinitum, each one assigned to a particular function in the world pantheon."
Both comments may be considered correct when it is recognized that humankind is only able to speak of God, the Supreme Being and the gods in anthropomorphic terms. As it has been noted elsewhere, the human mind is unable to comprehend any godhead without the aid of anthropomorphism. But, many people such as Simon Magus have gotten themselves in serious trouble when calling God by another name. The early Church Father Hippolytus condemned Simon for referring to God as the Infinite Force.
The beginning of the Hebrew religion with its God Yahweh is said to have marked the end of the Goddess' Golden Age. Approximately this was between 1800 - 1500 BC when the prophet Abraham lived in Canaan.
The Christian Church, and especially the Roman Catholic Church, has fought hard to suppress or root out all Goddess worship. The Goddess along with all pagan deities were labeled as evil. But, little proof has been offered for this. One notable example is The Canon Episcopi.
Even though the Church attempted to completely abolish Goddess worship it never successfully did so. Remanents of it remained within the hearts of the people. An example of such devotion is seen within the actions of the people during the Church Council of Ephesus (432 AD). Until Christianized Ephesus had been a sacred city where the Divine Mother was worshiped by "all Asia and the world" (Acts 19:27). Also in this city of Ephesus, as elsewhere, she was called Mother of Animals. "Her most famous Ephesus image had a torso covered with breasts, showing her ability to nurture the whole world." During this council of bishops people rioted in the streets demanding the worshipping of the Goddess be restored. The prime candidate was Mary, the Virgin and Mother of Christ. The bishops conceded so far in allowing Mary to be called the Mother of God, but the forbade her to be called Mother Goddess or Goddess.
To the very present many, both Catholics and especially Protestants, wonder why Catholics have a great devotion toward the Virgin Mary. Few know the occurrences at Ephesus, and that this devotion is probably the long surviving remanent of their early ancestors' devotion to the Goddess. A.G.H.
The Goddess has many facets, names and aspects. Although in witchcraft and Neo-paganism she is mainly worshiped in her aspects of the triple Goddess: Virgin, Mother and Crone.
Goddess worship dates back to Paleolithic times. Many anthropologists speculate the first "God " or gods of the peoples were feminine. This coincides with ancient creation myths and beliefs that creation was achieved through self-fertilization. Within the concept of creation the participation of the male principle was not known or recognized yet. The Goddess was believed to have created the universe by herself alone.
From this belief came the agricultural religions. It was thought that the gods only prospered by the beneficence and wisdom which the Goddess showered on them. Evidence appears to indicate most ancient tribes and cultures were matriarchal.
Although this maybe true, there seems to be little evidence that the feminine portions of these societies held themselves superior over their male counterparts. Generally Goddess worship had been balanced by the honoring of both the male and female Deities. This is illustrated by the belief in and the observance of the sacred marriage of the Sky God and Earth Mother in many global societies.
Among the first human images discovered are the "Venus figures," nude female figures having exaggerated sexual parts that date back to the Cro-Magnons of the Upper Paleolithic period between 35,000 and 10,000 BC.
In southern France is the Venus of Laussel which is carved in basrelief in a rock shelter. This appears once to have been a hunting shrine which dates to around 19,000 BC. In this carving the woman is painted red, perhaps to suggest blood, and holds a bison horn in one hand.
Also in Cro-Magnon cave paintings women are depicted giving birth. "A naked Goddess appears to have been the patroness of the hunt to mammoth hunters in the Pyrenees and was also protectress of the hearth and lady of the wild things."
Other female figurines were discovered dating back to the proto-Neolithic period of ca, 9000 - 7000 BC, the Middle Neolithic period of ca. 6000 - 5000 BC, and the Higher Neolithic period of ca. 4500 - 3500 BC. Some of these figurines were decorated as if they had been objects of worship. In black Africa were discovered cave images of the Horned Goddess (later Isis, ca. 7000 - 6000 BC). The Black Goddess images appeared to represent a bisexual, self-fertilizing woman.
During the predynastic Egyptian period, prior to 3110 BC, the Goddess was known as Ta-Urt (Great One) and was portrayed as a pregnant hippopotamus stand on her hind legs.
The Halaf culture around the Tigris River, ca. 5000 - 4000 BC, had Goddess figurines associated with the cow, serpent, humped ox, sheep, goat, pig, bull, dove and double ax. These things were known to the people and became symbols representing the Goddess.
In the Sumerian civilization, ca. 4000 BC, the princesses or queens of cities were associated with the Goddess. A king was associated with God.
Throughout the eons of history the Goddess assumed many aspects. She was seen as the creatress, virgin, mother, destroyer, warrior, huntress, homemaker, wife, artist, jurist, healer and sorcerer. Her roles or abilities increased with the advancement of the cultures which worshipped her.
She could represent a queen with a consort, or lover. She might bear a son who died young or was sacrificed only to rise again representing the annual birth-death-rebirth cycle of the seasons.
Throughout the centuries the Goddess has acquired a thousand names and a thousand faces but most always she has represented nature, she is associated with both the sun and moon, the earth and the shy. The Goddess religion, usually in all forms, is a nature religion. Those worshipping the Goddess worship or care for nature too.
It might be acknowledged that author Barbara G. Walker made two comments concerning the thousand names of the Goddess. The first is that "Every female divinity in the present Encyclopedia (Source: 56) may be correctly regarded as only another aspect of the core concept of a female Supreme Being." The author's other comment is, "If such a system had been applied to the usual concept of God, (giving him the different names and titles which people throughout the centuries have attributed to him), there would now be a multitude of separate 'gods' with names like Almighty, Yahweh, Lord, Holy Ghost, Sun of Righteousness, Christ, Creator, Lawgiver, Jehovah, Providence, Allah, Savior, Redeemer, Paraclete, Heavenly Father, and so on, ad infinitum, each one assigned to a particular function in the world pantheon."
Both comments may be considered correct when it is recognized that humankind is only able to speak of God, the Supreme Being and the gods in anthropomorphic terms. As it has been noted elsewhere, the human mind is unable to comprehend any godhead without the aid of anthropomorphism. But, many people such as Simon Magus have gotten themselves in serious trouble when calling God by another name. The early Church Father Hippolytus condemned Simon for referring to God as the Infinite Force.
The beginning of the Hebrew religion with its God Yahweh is said to have marked the end of the Goddess' Golden Age. Approximately this was between 1800 - 1500 BC when the prophet Abraham lived in Canaan.
The Christian Church, and especially the Roman Catholic Church, has fought hard to suppress or root out all Goddess worship. The Goddess along with all pagan deities were labeled as evil. But, little proof has been offered for this. One notable example is The Canon Episcopi.
Even though the Church attempted to completely abolish Goddess worship it never successfully did so. Remanents of it remained within the hearts of the people. An example of such devotion is seen within the actions of the people during the Church Council of Ephesus (432 AD). Until Christianized Ephesus had been a sacred city where the Divine Mother was worshiped by "all Asia and the world" (Acts 19:27). Also in this city of Ephesus, as elsewhere, she was called Mother of Animals. "Her most famous Ephesus image had a torso covered with breasts, showing her ability to nurture the whole world." During this council of bishops people rioted in the streets demanding the worshipping of the Goddess be restored. The prime candidate was Mary, the Virgin and Mother of Christ. The bishops conceded so far in allowing Mary to be called the Mother of God, but the forbade her to be called Mother Goddess or Goddess.
To the very present many, both Catholics and especially Protestants, wonder why Catholics have a great devotion toward the Virgin Mary. Few know the occurrences at Ephesus, and that this devotion is probably the long surviving remanent of their early ancestors' devotion to the Goddess. A.G.H.
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