(c) Suzy Jacobson Cherry
Note: This story was first presented as a speech in my Comparative Religions course at Arizona State University in 2004. At the time, Neo-Paganism was not as well known as it has become today. This is a rather simple, short introduction to the concepts of Neo-Paganism, the Divine Feminine, and archetypes.
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| Mother Suzy's goddess altar |
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Innana
This chant is a popular invocation of some of the goddesses called upon by thousands of practicing Neo-Pagans around the world. While I am going to talk to you today about the Divine Feminine in the Neo-Pagan movement, I want to give you an overview of what Neo-Paganism is.
It’s important that I underline the fact that I cannot speak on behalf of all Neo-Pagans, as by definition, the Pagan movement is non-dogmatic and non-evangelical. I am certain that there are many of you here who have not heard the term, “Neo-Pagan.” However, I will assure you that there are thousands of individuals who have chosen an alternative religious path that falls under that heading.
Neo-Pagan, or more commonly, simply Pagan, religions include — but are not limited to, Wicca, an earth religion also known as modern Witchcraft; Asatru, which is a resurgence of the worship of the Norse pantheon; and Druidism, which is styled after what is known about the ancient Celtic bardic tradition. Each of these paths is based on pre-Christian religions, embellished with modern interpretations and combinations of belief systems and forged into a new non-Christian way of perceiving the world. Hence, the term, Neo-Pagan.
Wicca is recognized by the US Government as a legitimate religion. Because of this, followers of other Neo-Pagan paths may term themselves Wicca. Wiccans follow a myriad of traditions, many of which include elements from other pagan religions. Some Wiccans and other Pagans claim to be of a tradition that has continued from pre-Christian times.
However, in reality, the Neo-Pagan movement can probably be pinpointed as having begun with the Spiritualist movement in the late 19th Century. This came on the tail of the Enlightenment and included everything from table tapping and séances to an earnest interest in traditional magical beliefs as well as an opening up of Masonic practices and the founding of the Golden Dawn.
Lay historians, interested in the Celtic Druid past, began to revive the religion, gathering at Stonehenge and other stone circles at the Solstices. In mid-20th century England, Gerald Gardner claimed to have been taught an ancient “craft of the wise,” and with the help of Doreen Valiente began the modern movement. Their tradition came to be known as Gardnerian Wicca.
In the 1960s, Alex Sanders founded a tradition, called Alexandrian. Each of these groups created their own “Book of Shadows,” which is actually a collection of meditations, mysteries, prayers (known as “spells”), tests, rituals, and other pertinent information. The books were kept secret, partly because of a fear of harassment and even often arrest, as in many places practicing “witchcraft” was still illegal.
The late 1960s brought with it a new interest in Spiritual pursuits. It was during these times that Alexandrians, Gardnerians, and members of other secret societies began to open up and share some of their beliefs, information, and, yes, their knowledge.
By 1967, the summer of love, new Wiccan groups were emerging, and members were breaking away to follow a solitary path. They began to write books. The modern Neo-Pagan Movement had begun. Today, there are literally thousands of Neo-Pagans of many traditions in the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Scandinavia, and various European countries.
The Neo-Pagan interpretation of deity varies. It spans from true animism — all things in nature have “spirit,” to believing that deity is simply nature personified. Some Neo-Pagans are true pantheists — believing that there are many separate gods. Some believe in a complex cosmology in which there is one genderless creator god that has multitudinous aspects that are personified by the pantheism of gods and goddesses. These gods and goddesses are taken from many ancient and modern religions.
There are as many belief systems as there are believers. One of the main tenets of a Neo-Pagan is that one’s relationship with the gods is personal. Groups may select a certain set of deities to honor, but they do not necessarily exclude the existence of others, and may actually call upon others from time to time.
A new category has even emerged in the last couple of years that calls itself “ChristoPagan.” While there are Neo-Pagan groups that do not recognize masculine deity, I know of none that deny feminine deity. Some elements of Neo-Paganism, especially Wicca, are often referred to as “the goddess movement.”
No matter how deep the actual belief in the existence of deity as real, many Neo-Pagans recognize the pantheon as archetype. This interpretation is absolutely Jungian in its approach, and came to be understood in this manner more strongly as the 21st Century approached. It was interpreted and explained in detail by the late Joseph Campbell, and reported to the general public in interviews with Bill Moyers.
It is this archetypical interpretation of the Divine Feminine that I will address today. I have chosen to share information gleaned from a book entitled The Song of Eve by Manuela Dunn Mascetti. This is a beautiful book that addresses the various feminine archetypes as they apply to women.
I must note, however, that the feminine archetype is important to men, as well; for to be a whole individual, the duality within must be recognized.
When I gave my presentation, I used photos of the artwork from Mascetti’s book. These paintings, statues, and other pieces are truly lovely.
In this story, I am using illustrations which I can be certain are in the Public Domain.
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| Apollo (left) and Artemis. Brygos (potter signed), tondo of an Attic red-figure cup, c. 470 BC. Louvre, Paris — photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen is in the public domain |
Artemis
Artemis is the maiden goddess, she of the silver bow and the Hunt. She had not born children, and is unattached to the conventions that society dictates for women. Artemis, also known as Diana, is deeply intuitive, fearless, and enthusiastic about life. She is a take charge kind of girl, acting immediately once she has decided what to do. Although Artemis is virgin and childless, she is the protrectress of childbirth and of death.
Artemis, under the name of Diana, is the patron goddess of many feminist Neo-Pagan groups. One tradition is specifically called “Dianic.” Dianic groups — often also known as Dianic Covens — are matriarchal, female led, and most often honor the Lady alone. This is not to say that they may not sometimes pay homage to the masculine in the form of a god, often known generically as the Lord. There are Dianic Covens that consist only of women. However, there are also groups that include men who have chosen this path.
The Artemis archetype represents an independent and free feminine spirit. Unfettered by conventional expectation of womanhood, the woman who identifies with Diana has an innate wisdom that leads her to make the right choices. She must be herself in all things, including relationships with all people. To encourage one’s connection to the Artemis archetype is to find one’s inner strength and inner focus.
Other virgin goddesses include Athene, Vesta, and Hestia.
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| Lithograph of Kali — Public Domain from Picryl |
Kali
Kali is the terrible Hindu goddess known as the Creator and the Destroyer. Kali is likely the most powerful feminine archetype in the entire collective of pantheons. Her influence can be extremely empowering, or it can have devastating effects. According to Mascetti, a Hindu woman who dedicates herself to Kali courts danger. For instance, Ms. Mascetti reports an incident that occurred when she visited a female penitentiary in southern India. She observed a young woman, about 25 years old, who was praying incessantly to Kali.
The guide told her story — she was married, with three small children, and had become infatuated with Kali, the bloodthirsty goddess. She began praying to her to receive psychic power. One night, she killed her husband and cut to pieces her three children with an ordinary kitchen knife. This is an extreme example of the influence of the identification with such a powerful archetype. However, in the Hindu system, women are actually quite powerless in the area of marriage and it may be an extension of the hopelessness engendered by that situation.
For Western Neo-Pagans, however, Kali is recognized as the ultimate feminist. She is the all-powerful giver and taker of life. Kali can be called upon to empower a woman and to assist her in destroying negative aspects of her life, such as trauma, abusive marriages, and the like. If a woman can recognize the Kali aspect of her self, she can become empowered to move forth in her life — to destroy the negative and create new, positive avenues for herself.
The Mother
The Mother archetype is extremely complex. It encompasses pregnancy, but more importantly, includes the experience of childbirth, which is an experience shared by all humanity.
The Mother goddess is one of the oldest symbols known, for it is in the act of giving birth that the world is seen anew. Mother love transforms the child into adult and nurtures the new growth of all things. Mother represents many things, from the blissful comfort of the womb to the warmth of Mother’s arms.
Modern non-Pagans will recognize the Mother in “Mother Nature,” or in the Native American references to Mother Earth. The Mother is represented by the full, pregnant moon. She is honored at the full moon as The Goddess in her many aspects.
She is known by many names — all of which are called upon by Pagans worldwide. Those names include Demeter, Ceridwen, The Lady, Eve, and even Mary. Another name for the Mother is Isis.
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| Deesse Isis. Artist: Felix Bonfils. Artist Bio: French, 1831–1885. Creation Date: 1867–1885. From Picryl |
Isis
In ancient Mesopotamia, Isis was honored as a benevolent Queen who enriched both humankind and the land. Her powers represent both the human and the divine, as she conceived her son Horus and grieved the sacrificial death of her husband Osiris. According to the story, Isis impregnated herself with Osiris’ semen after his death. Osiris had been murdered by their brother. Isis searched the Nile delta until she found Osiris’ body. She hid the body while she visited her son Horus, but the jealous brother found the boy and broke it into 14 pieces, scattering them all around. Queen Isis found each piece, molded into the gods’ image with clay, and gave a piece to the chief priest of every region where a part of Osiris was found. In this way, Osiris was worshipped in all regions of Egypt. Isis came to bring to life the origins of all things and the center of female power. It is interesting that Isis was worshipped as a virgin mother, and portrayals of her suckling Horus were later borrowed by Christianity to represent the Virgin Mary.
As an archetype, Isis motherhood is strong and independent. She is not dependent or subordinate in any way to the father of her children. Rather, she is a woman and his lover, but her role as mother and her role as companion to a man are quite separate.
My mother told me once, long ago, that all mothers are witches. Isis is the absolute illustration of this. The Isis woman has an intuitive knowledge of her husband and children, often to the point that they feel that she “breaks the laws of privacy in her eagerness…for them to…act according to her own view of life.” An Isis woman is often perfectly at ease being a single parent, providing all comforts, sustenance, and discipline herself.
To call on Isis is to cultivate this intuitive nature and independent strength in one’s self.
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| Headpiece by Adolphe Giraldon featuring Vesta, patron of the month of December from Wikimedia Commons |
Vesta
In ancient Rome, Vesta was considered the protrectress of the hearth. She was the oldest Goddess-Matriarch of Rome, and her temple in the imperial city stood for hearth of Rome. The hearth contains the fires of existence. Vesta, known as Hestia in the Greek pantheon, is another form of the Mother Goddess, but she is a Priestess of Wisdom.
It is an Earth wisdom, for figuratively it is the ashes of her lover the Corn King, who was sacrificed so that his blood could fertilize the Earth that Vesta keeps burning. Vesta’s priestesses were called the Vestal Virgins. They took a vow of chastity and were symbolically married to the phallic deity of the Palladium. If a Vestal Virgin broke her vow of chastity, she was buried alive.
As an archetype, Vesta represents woman’s inner wisdom. She is a priestess who takes all events in her life as a spiritual lesson to be learned on the path toward transcendence. She can seem detached in personal relationships, because Vesta is the otherworldly transcending spirit.
The Celtic version of Vesta is Brigid, also called Brigit or Bride, who has been turned into a Catholic Saint over the years. Her day of Celebration is February 2. Neo-Pagan practitioners often honor her by writing poetry, gathering around a bonfire overnight, sharing their works and words, and greeting the Dawn with a ritual and libation to the Brigid. Brigid is also the patron goddess of brides to be, for they are about to spark their own hearth and keep the home fires burning.
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| Muse, perhaps Clio, reading a scroll (Attic red-figure lekythos, Boeotia, c. 430 BC) — photo by Klügmann Painter on Wikimedia Commons |
The Muse
The muse is a feminine archetype of the inspiring nature of Woman in art, music, and poetry. The muse represents the purely instinctual female, who is irresistible to men. She is not aware of herself, but creates herself in her man’s own image.
This is the archetype called upon by artists and actors to aid them in finding voice for their talents. The Neo-Pagan may invoke the spirit of the Muse in preparing rituals and spell-work. The Muse is malleable, becoming what is expected of her. She is the reflection of the man whose nature she mirrors.
The Muse is not an archetype that most women would wish to cultivate. While she is everyman’s dream girl, she is no one. As Ms. Mascetti says, “As long as the Muse archetype is the only one working in a woman’s psyche, she will appear as non-human.”
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| Aphrodite — photo from Needpix |
Aphrodite
You’ve probably wondered when I’d get to this one. Aphrodite, as most people are aware, is the Goddess of love. She is not a goddess of fertility, but of love lived out of freedom. Aphrodite’s magic is the love that heals the hearts of men and restores their balance in the universe. Aphrodite is not the “love” experienced when one “falls in love.” She is that eternal and deeply fulfilling unbounded love outside of temporal boundaries.
Aphrodite is not the goddess of marriage, either. She is not representative of monogamous fealty. While in mythology Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, she bore no children to him. However, she bore three children to Ares, God of War. Their relationship symbolizes the union of the two most uncontrollable passions of humanity — love and war. Their children are a daughter, Harmonia, and two sons, Terror (Deimos) and Fear (Phobos).
With the god Hermes, Aphrodite bore the god Hermaphroditus. Aphrodite also had relationships with many mortal men. Sometimes, they would ask for her. Often, she would transform into a human maiden and seduce the man of her fancy.
Aphrodite is absolutely the mistress of her own love life. However, she is not reckless, but is wise in all matters of relationship. She is protective of her husband, her lovers, and her children. She helps the gods, goddesses, and humans alike.
A woman who is being influenced by the archetypal Aphrodite is one who is in love. She feels different — giddy, silly, shaky, and foolish. However, Aphrodite’s touch gives a magnetic energy that will pull the man in as well. When a woman denies Aphrodite’s influence, for fear of the dangers, the goddess’s revenge is the sad thought that perhaps she has thrown away her chance at “Mr. Right.”
Those women who have a strong influence from this archetype loves herself first, and is in love with being in love. She will treat her man as a god. However, often, as he begins to show his more unattractive traits, the Aphrodite woman will tend to move on.
The Aphrodite archetype can be “awakened” by caring for one’s self, and allowing time for love to come into one’s life.
Aphrodite’s Roman name is Venus. Related, but different, goddesses include Hera, the goddess of Marriage; Astarte, goddess of fertility; Salome, the Seductress; and possibly Eve, in her role as seductress.
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| Marilyn Monroe in Modern Screen magazine, 1952 — Public Domain photo from Picryl |
Marilyn
There are many, many archetypal entities throughout world mythology that touch on aspects of our humanity. These archetypes are symbols of the characteristics they possess. No person is one specific “type” of person, although they may exhibit dominant characteristics. The goddess archetypes mentioned earlier are but a few of the hundreds in existence. Often, a person may identify greatly with one archetype or another, or may desire to cultivate the characteristics of a specific archetype.
The Neo-Pagan may simply call upon that goddess/archetype for assistance in some kind of magical working, such as something to help find love. In such a case, Aphrodite or a related goddess from another culture may be invoked.
There are many modern-day examples of archetypal persons. One of the most enduring symbols of Love and Seduction in the late 20th and early 21st Century is the late Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn, in creating her public persona, became one of popular culture’s most beloved sex symbols.
As Marilyn has become an icon, she also became an archetype. Her breathy songs, her exaggerated sensual movements, the sleepy eyes and mysterious smile have all lent themselves to the creation of a sort of “American Aphrodite.”
Men want and fear Marilyn, for she seems vulnerable yet made of steel. Women want to be Marilyn. Despite — or perhaps because of — her untimely death almost 60 years ago, Marilyn has come to represent love and sex in the unrestrained context of an Aphrodite.
This presentation was meant to introduce my classmates and professor to the concept I addressed in my paper that semester. In the paper, I dealt with this issue of a modern archetype more closely, relating specific elements of the ”Marilyn” persona to goddesses from a variety of cultures.
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If you'd like, you can read the paper on Marilyn on Medium here.
