The Temple of Cybele

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Feminism and the Goddess

By Priestess Jean

I've had this essay in mind for quite a while, but have been rather reluctant to write it, because of it's controversial nature... so it's important that I begin with a disclaimer, to the effect that the statements made in this article are strictly the opinion of the author, and don't represent any official position of the temple that I serve, or of anyone else but myself.

The Goddess movement, as I would define it, focuses on an awareness of the primordial creation force which is found within ourselves and in the world around us. We call this force the Goddess, and envision Her in many ways. To some, She may be akin to nature, or the cosmos, while to others She may be a sentient being, who speaks to us and guides us.

Another basic concept that I believe is inherent in the Goddess movement is the idea that most modern religions are primarily intended to bring power and profit to some corrupt ruling elite. At best they are misguided, and at worst, they are nothing more than patriarchal systems of domination and control.

Today, as a result of the unprecedented availabilty of historical and archeological information which is coming to us through the mass media and internet, people are beginning to realize that the mainstream religions are not at all what they claim to be... and in fact there was a much more natural and genuine form of spirituality which existed long before people began to seek power and profit through religion.

These changes in the area of spirituality offer great hope, since they have potential to change social and political behavior. However, just as the Goddess is beginning to re-enter the public conscousness, there are some groups who's method of practice is causing confusion, and threatens to undermine the process.

If I do an internet search on the word Goddess, one thing that strikes me as rather peculiar is the very high percentage of groups for "women only" that come up. Some of them are very militant and blatantly hostile towards men, while others proclaim a very warm and loving philosophy, and only reveal their restrictive gender policy in the fine print. No matter how this sort of discrimination may be presented, I feel that it is a serious problem within our movement, which requires some discussion.

I'm sure most people would agree that after centuries of abuse by various patriarchal entites, women do have many justifiable complaints. Certainly feminism has a great deal of social and political validity. Yet we must ask ourselves if that agenda is appropriate or helpful, when combined with the revival of the religion of the Goddess, and the work that we are trying to do on Her behalf.

Our religion can be traced back to the Neolithic era, if not furthur, and from what we can best ascertain from archeological evidence, was originally practiced by people of all genders, in a very egalitarian way. However, following the Kurgan invasion, a male deity was violently forced on the conquored people, in order to support a patriarchal system of domination and control that in many ways continues even to this day.

Although very little of pre-Kurgan cultures remained in existence by the start of recorded history, one notable exception was the Minoan civilization on Crete... a Goddess-based society that survived until about 1500 BCE, and was well-known for their beautiful art, great wealth obtained through trade, and peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.

It has been speculated that corruption, violence and patriarchy were a natural outgrowth of the increases in population which followed the Neolithic development of agriculture, and the advent of portable wealth. Yet this did not occur on Crete, which had both a high population density and great portable wealth. The reason was that they held fundamentally different core values.

Our history then, as followers of the Goddess, demonstrates that patriarchy is not a natural condition of mankind, and that there is nothing inherently wrong with men. Prior to the Kurgan invasion they clearly lived in peace, and coexisted with women in a very egalitarian way. The problems facing women today, and that now threaten the Earth and our survival as a species, have arisen from the greed, violence and immorality which have become institutionalized in our social and political systems... strongly supported by the patriarchal religions which serve them. Men are, in many ways, as much a victim of these faulty social paradigms as women are, although often in different ways.

If we are to return to the sort of just and equitable lifestyle that our ancestors once practiced, and save this world for future generations, then we must begin by changing the fundamental paradigms that have come to dominate our world. One way to do that is by helping people to realize the truth about their history, and restore to them the gift of a truly spiritual dimension in their lives, through an awareness of the Goddess, and Her message of peace and cooperation. If that is our goal, and if we are to succeed, then men as well as women must be part of the process.

Unfortunately, Goddess groups which are not open to men have already made a very bad impression on the general public. That is the reason I felt compelled to write this article. I've done my best to make my case based on our history, and what I feel is morally correct, as well as what will facilitate our success in the future. Now to that, let me add a few remarks about some of the related assertions made by various feminist Goddess groups, that I feel require a bit of critical examination.

One phrase that immediately raises a red flag to me, is the "divine feminine". My own belief is that deity is a metaphysical force, without any actual gender, in the human sense. Women have historically been perceived as the givers of life, and so in many early societies, deity, as the ultimate creator of all life, was naturally envisioned as female. Yet that is merely a human interpretation. If deity chooses to appear to us in the form of a woman, perhaps it is because the qualities which She wishes to encourage in us are more typically feminine, or perhaps because that form is more non-threatening. However, I think it would be a mistake for us to infer any sort of gender hierarchy from that.

Another related concept is that the physical aspects of being a woman are a sacred experience. This is often alluded to by the phrase "women's mysteries". It usually involves linking the menstrual cycle to the phases of the moon, or the idea of a "triple-Goddess" portrayed as maiden, mother, and crone... and various other similar devices which I'm sure are well-intentioned but really aren't grounded in any sort of historical precedent. I feel that these things distract us from a genuine spiritual practice, while presenting major obstacles to the involvement of men in the group.

Next, let's briefly consider the issue of the acceptance of transgender persons into a coven, group or temple. Many feminist groups have made it clear that they don't regard transgender women as genuine women, some even referring to them as "surgically altered males" and the like. This is in direct contrast with modern psychiatric beliefs, which tell us that a person should be regarded as being of the gender that they are mentally (and I might add, spiritually) aligned with.

If we examine our traditions, we find that transgender persons often served as Priestesses in the ancient world, and indeed in many other cultures found all over our planet, prior to the coming of the Abrahamic religions. Then, their popularity and talents were seen as a threat, and they were persecuted and demonized.

When a modern Goddess group advocates a policy of discrimination against transgender people, it is in complete opposition to our history and to our spiritual wisdom... and they are, in fact, perpetuating the agenda of the patriarchal religions which they claim so strongly to oppose.

As I think everyone knows, the temple that I belong to is open to people of all genders, orientations, and gender-identities. We not only have many male members, but we also have several ordained Priests. We are not insensitive to women's issues, and provide counseling and assistance, privately, when needed... but we are a temple, not a support group, and therefore we must serve the entire public, regardless of gender, race, age, or any other criterion.

Those who are involved with the modern Goddess movement should consider what sort of goals they wish to pursue. If those goals pertain to women's issues, there are many excellent groups that provide appropriate venues for them. But if those goals are to serve the Goddess, and to bring Her message of equality and cooperation to people, then we must recognize that the practice of gender discrimination within a temple, coven or other religious group is both inappropriate and harmful to our cause.

One last thing that I'd like to mention is the practice, by a few of the more radical groups, of putting a "curse" on men who they believe have committed some sort of offense. This is apparently motivated by a desire to relieve natural feelings of frustration and helplessness on the part of the victims.

In my opinion, providing catharsis in such a manner is ultimately unhealthy, as it draws the victim into a mentality of cyclic violence and retribution. To put it simply, two wrongs don't make a right... becoming an agressor does not benefit the victim, long term... indeed, quite the contrary.

The proper answer in such a situation is to detach ourselves from ego-centric thinking, and realize that what happened was simply an isolated incident which does not have to haunt us, or affect the rest of our lives. The pain will end, as soon as we do that. That is the only genuine path to healing that I know of, and which enables us to preserve our own morality as well.

In addition, our practice does not allow for things such as cursing people. I believe that the Goddess is the source of all creative and positive power... we are simply the lens which focuses that power. When we act on Her behalf, She will support us, but She will not support actions which are taken for negative or immoral causes. There may be other metaphysical entities who will do so, but not the Goddess. And so, if a person is in the service of the Goddess, they should realize that cursing someone cannot work... such actions, like gender discrimination, are basically incompatible with the practice of our religion, and do not project a positive image of our faith.

Historically, the religion of the Goddess has always been known for it's compassion and humanity, and for it's unconditional acceptance of people of all types. That philosophy of embracing diversity is what kept it strong and vibrant, and enabled it to survive for so long, in so many different times and cultures. It's a heritage that we can be very proud of, and although many small things will have to change for the modern revival, I don't think we should ever lose sight of those fundamental qualities which made our religion one of the most important in the ancient world.

Bright Blessings,

Priestess Jean