My Version of the Myth

In the book, The Elements of the Goddess, author Caitlin Matthews at the end of the first chapter challenges readers, "Why don't you stop reading right now and write a version of the myth, pretending you are a person living several hundreds or thousands of years from now. Write it from your own current perception of the Goddess, even if you don't yet intellectually know who She is."

I read this passage several months ago, and it has laid in the back of my mind like a tapestry neatly covering an old table. I dared myself to propel further in the book and felt guilty for moving into the next few chapters before accomplishing the author's challenge. As life would have it, something, probably another book, distracted me from The Elements of the Goddess book. And as life would have it, the completion of yet a different book has sparked me to lift the tapestry and give attention to the old table beneath it.

In Philip Pullman's acknowledgments, at the end of his Dark Materials trilogy, he fully admits to stealing ideas from every book he has ever read. I want to openly thank him now for making this statement as I steal from him the inspiration (and a few reworded sentences) to begin the task of re-birthing and reuniting kindred energies. For I don't believe solely in God or Goddess. I believe that both energies must be equally balanced.

For thousands of years, humans' energies dominated Earth. By manipulating and distorting the masculine principle and trying to smother feminine energy, they wreaked destruction and mistrust while exhibiting firm control through fear, distractions and misinformation. Masculine dominance displayed and wasted much energy in creating a submissive, ignorant and weak society through centuries of emotional and physical abuse. A fear of feminine energy and power as well as the gluttonous desire for ownership, motivated humans greed, power and control.

It began as it always begins with a few in control of many. Some didn't bother to hide their control and openly held slaves or practiced societal and gender hierarchies by claiming the Gods had given the authority to the few. Some leaders were more just than others, but the majority were not. As injustices mounted, revolts and revolutions arose. The few in control soon realized that a new means of control needed to arise.

A few great and wise humans infused with divine knowledge walk and have walked this planet. At birth and as they age, unlike the majority of humans who forget, these extraordinary humans remember true wisdom. These remarkable souls radiate. Some have challenged authority as they encourage other humans to open their senses and intuition. Often, in the past, the authority who was in complete control without accountability, killed these blessed souls without tribulation.

These blessed souls, though, opened doors and new schools of thought. Bloodbaths abounded as authority tried to regain control. What eventually happened was a few good thoughts, ideas and customs of these blessed souls meshed with other traditions were brought to the forefront...just enough to appease the masses and meld societal and religious differences. Oral traditions were inscribed, manipulated and distorted and after several centuries of fighting, violence and murder, a moral tradition was born based on strictly masculine power depicting a stern Father as the One authority.

Whether inspired by true faith or true fear, many people followed the new moral tradition, and those who didn't, paid with their lives. Those who would not conform, hid or disguised themselves practicing one tradition in public, but practicing, in private, their own sets of beliefs. Because these secret teachings had to remain hidden or many carriers of the true oral tradition were killed, much wisdom was lost.

As in the past through rebellion and revolution, once recognized, humans continued quenching the thirst for justice. A few brave people called for accountability from leaders and as their cause gained momentum, it became harder for authorities to simply kill or murder anyone who stood against them.

But through the years while these battles enraged, much was lost and great destruction came to the planet.

Wisdom, though, had a way of keeping alive by whispering truth to genuine seekers, revealing shimmers to honest seers, and delicately moving through the cracks of time. And when it was safe again, Wisdom began to emerge.

Wisdom survived in many subtle ways...in the scent of a flower; the sweet taste of honey; the movement of the Earth; the changing of the seasons; the song of a bird; a soft breeze rustling the leaves; the trickle of a creek...she whispered, "Remember. Remember. Remember." Whether conscious or not, humans remembered Wisdom every time they worked the Earth to plant a seed or carried out a spontaneous kind gesture. Wisdom endured each time a child suckled its mother's breast or a woman toiled through the labor of a child's birth. Through art, music, storytelling and writing, Wisdom gained momentum. Wisdom grew stronger as humans acquired the freedom to express and share their experiences.

Once humans were reintroduced to the concept of feminine divine energy, whether they believed in it or not, a little something, like the tiniest of seeds, settled in the deepest crook of their minds. While some graciously nourished this feminine energy, others ignored it, fought it or denied it. But once Her feminine energies were sowed, her energy grew. And even those who refused to accept Her, couldn't help but awaken as well because the energy encompassed everything beautiful and gentle and loving in the world.

As natural as a gentle stream coursing with the terrain, attitudes and behaviors changed. Instead of a few individuals here and there making small changes, a mass dawning occurred and humans let go of trying to control everything, including the Spirit. It was scary at first and many people fought hard to keep control of an unsustainable way of life crying out, "What will happen to us?"

But like the explosion of Spring flowers, healing ensued, generosity flourished, poverty and suffering disappeared. And nature reclaimed Herself. As this happened across the planet, humans found what had been missing and what had been taught away from them. Humans remembered how to thrive in harmony with the planet, to coexist in unity with each other and to live one with both natures as the Divine energies ebbed and flowed freely once more.

Probably to be continued...