The sacred feminineThe sacred feminine is the mother of all creation in this universe whether it is the masculine or the feminine. She is the mythic representation of the mother goddess and she is the source of all fertility and reproduction. The symbols and images of the holy feminine have been used from the ancient times to portray the events connected with fertility, reproduction and generation. These depictions have been seen in numerous cultural and religious traditions including Gnosticism and the New Age movement of Wicca. Here the image of the earth or mother Goddess has been primarily used to depict fertility and nurturing. The Mother goddess as the sacred feminine is considered as the prime parent and the source of all. Goddess Nut from ancient Egypt is one of the best examples of this imagery. Here the imagery correlated “Goddess” with “fertility” and activities like agriculture where closely related to the generative capacity of the goddess. The Sacred feminine: The source of all life and creativity in this universe is the holy feminine
The Mother goddess in the form of the sacred feminine is the circle of things. This circle contains both the Yin and Yang and it gives birth to both the male and female forms. The sacred feminine is mysterious because she is indefinable and she is the universal void. On the other hand she is visible and felt as she is the source of all that is created including the innate and alive. Hence from the beginning of time, she has been honoured and deified in many forms by humanity. The sacred feminine is the “Big She” and she encompasses life and death, light and darkness, day and night. She is half Inanna and half Ereshkigal, she is half Medusa and half Athene and she is half Black Madonna and half Virgin Mary. The Mother goddess or the “big she” does not distinguish between the lighter and darker shades of life and she encompasses every aspect of life. The goddess shows us the interdependence of birth, death, decay, transformation and rebirth.
The Sacred feminine: The dark and the light phases of the sacred feminine
The holy feminine or the great mother goddess or the “big she” is the universal truth of existence and she manifest in all of us in full splendour. To understand and feel the great mother or the sacred feminine we need to appreciate all her forms including the greyer and the darker sides. In her portrayal as the triple form of moon deities she represents the three faces of the women that include the wild nubile Maiden, the full Mother and Crone at the gateway of death. This is the true manifestation of the sacred feminine which exists in all women irrespective of age. By this triple manifestation we can see the truth of the great mother phenomenon which accepts change and death as an intrinsic and integral part of life and regeneration and continuance as the future after death and decay. The great feminine or the sacred feminine is light, grey and dark. She is triple goddess and she is the creator, nurturer and the destroyer. She is the giver as well as the snatcher and she gives life and she takes it away as well. She is loving as well as terrible.
The Sacred feminine: The meeting of “the material and the spiritual” as well as “life and death” in the holy feminine
Central to life’s beginning, its sustenance as well as end is the feminine. The great mother or the scared feminine is the energy behind the movement of this universe. She is the Shakti and without Shakti the masculine principle ceases to exist. Without Shakti, Shiva cannot exist. This is the truth propagated by Hinduism. The Sacred feminine is the embodiment of female sexuality, transformation through sexuality, the source of all fertility and the eventual death and decay of all that exists. In India, She is venerated as the great goddess Shakti, a practice that continues from the ancient times. In ancient Middle East she was honoured as Ishtar and her highly erotic and sexual forms were celebrated as goddess Inanna of Sumerriaa and Aphrodite of the Greeks. The sacred feminine depicts the truth of the spiritual and the material in one. It shows that from the material rises the spiritual. The scared feminine in the form of Aphrodite and Venus were venerated in ancient Greece and Rome. They were portrayed as the goddess of love and desire. Their symbols included the vaginal fish, lilies, roses, doves, swan and the pomegranate. The origin of the love goddesses can be traced from ancient civilizations where they were worshiped as Freya and Hathor. We must understand that these goddesses were not only considered as the love goddesses but they were also attributed with the darker sides as Mistress of death. The symbolism of Venus as the love goddess as well as the Mistress of death originates from “Rhiannon” the Celtic goddess who is also considered as the goddess who is the accompanier of death. The Sacred feminine: How to rediscover the mysteries of the goddess within us?
To rediscover the sacred feminine and the mysteries of the goddess within us we need to accept the fact that the great feminine includes the manifestations of the creator, the nurturer and the death. Only acknowledging this truth and accepting the fact that the holy feminine is the source of all creation, sustenance and destruction can help us “rediscover her” within us. What is the benefit of rediscovering the sacred feminine within us? This question has manifold answers. The rekindling of the sacred feminine within us will open up the reservoir of the true wisdom of the universe and will allow us to live a life dedicated to the true purpose of our existence. The beginning of this great rediscovery can be initiated by looking within the inner self. Further using rituals, small group engagements, discussions among likeminded people, sharing experiences, personal exploration, storytelling, reading the myths, the ancient histories, literature, poetry, practicing spiritual and yogic techniques including the sexual transformation techniques can help us evoke the great goddess further. As we awaken the goddess in our life we start discovering her true meaning and beauty through the transpersonal experience. In fact we become a whole being in perfect balance and harmony with nature. We become more compassionate, loving and caring also.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Once in a month synopsis of all new page additions:
Dear friends,
I am adding 30 new pages to this site every month which covers topics related to Awakening the feminine, Feminism, Women in religion, Matriarchy, Women empowerment, Girl child, Mother earth news, Understanding men, Friends & relationships, Self discovery, Kali, Project-9 & Women’s power, Art & Science, Dance & Music, Women’s fashion, Women’s sexuality, Women’s health & fitness, Women & marriage, Rape, Prostitution and Drug abuse.
Please subscribe to the “once in a month synopsis of all new page additions” so that you can keep abreast with the latest additions on this site. Further this will also help you to revisit the site and study the details of the “topic of your interest”. Please also note that you need to subscribe "only once" and thereafter ignore this message in all other WebPages. To know more about me click on the "self discovery" page.
Yours truly,
Sanjay Nair
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer:
The author is not responsible for any contents linked or referred to from his or her pages-unless he has full knowledge of illegal contents and would be able to prevent the visitors of his site from viewing those pages. If any damage occurs by the use of information presented there, only the author of the respective pages might be liable, not the one who has linked to these pages. Furthermore the author is not liable for any postings or messages published by users of discussion boards, guest books or mailing lists provided on his “the sacred feminine" page. The author is not a psychiatrist or physician/medical doctor or legal attorney of any sort. This website is not intended to replace medical, psychiatric or legal care. Please seek professional attention as needed. The information provided is not intended to replace obtaining medical evaluations and health care advice from qualified health care providers. This site's owner is providing information for reference only, and do not intend said Information to be used for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical conditions, or for any other purposes. The owner/author of this site MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF SAID INFORMATION, OR THE FITNESS OF THE INFORMATION TO BE USED FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, LOSS, EXPENSE, OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND TO USER, OR TO ANY THIRD PARTY, RELATED TO THE USE OF SAID INFORMATION. Persons accessing any information of this web site, directly or indirectly, assume full responsibility for the use of the Information and understand and agree that the author of rise-of-womanhood.org website is not responsible or liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising from the use of said information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Back to main page:
Return from The sacred feminine to Awakening the feminine
|
