Goddess. What a word! For many years I have been fascinated with Goddesses and their virtues and worked with various Goddesses on my journey. May it be in spiritual context, for health, healing or career purposes.
But what exactly is a Goddess? And how could Goddesses improve your life?
What is a Goddess?
A Goddess is a deity that represents certain virtues, or aspects of life.
We find the personification of nature in the form of Gaia, Pachamama or Ixcacao. There is the Goddess of death, doomsday, time and destruction – powerful Hindu Goddess Kali. She is the demon destroying Goddess. She also appears in her gentle form as Kali Ma, the protective mother.
We find Norse Goddess Freya – she is the Goddess of Death and Warfare. And also the Goddess of Love and Fertility -showing the many aspects of the feminine.
The Goddess of the Hunt and the Forrest – Artemis. She is the autonomous representation of the feminine.
The Goddess of Love – Aphrodite.
We find Goddesses of the moon, the sun, Goddesses of abundance, chance, compassion and matrimony. Goddesses are present throughout history – and long before the rise of monotheistic religion, it was Goddesses who had been worshipped.
Goddess Worship in History
One of the oldest artifacts discovered by archaelogists is the Venus of Willendorf . It is estimated that she dates back to between 24 000 – 22 000 B.C.E. We find the symbol of the feminine in many old paintings, in cave-carvings and in figurines. I have read that the Goddess to God ratio is a 10 to 1, meaning that with 10 Goddesses there is only God to be found.
It is an interesting observation, given that nowadays the monotheistic religions have replaced (and destroyed) many of the female Deities and exchanged it with the “one God” who created it all. It is an unsightly thought, given that the feminine is birthing life.
The feminine aspect is just as important as the masculine in order to create, yet it has long been abused and neglected. And in some countries still is.
We need to learn to honor the feminine again, so that we can evolve and co-create. Rise together.
Both men and women, male and female, masculine and feminine. When there is no masculine, there is no potential. And when there is no feminine, there will never be creation. Think about the semen as the potential of new existence. And the egg, the womb and the vagina as the sacred space that transforms this semen, forms new life and eventually brings it to birth. Ultimate creation! One could not be without the other. So why on earth would we deny or neglect one of the two aspects of creation? We need to wake up and we need to start awakening to our potential – as the feminine and the masculine aspect in union. Not in battle.
Goddess Archetypes
How can we awaken to the energy of the feminine again?
There are endless ways, and one that has grown dearly on me is working with the energy of the feminine. With Goddesses and their archetypes.
The concept of archetypes had been introduced by one of the founders of psychoanalysis, Carl Gustav Jung. He wrote numerous books on the meaning of symbols, mythology, religion and archetypes. Archetypes are also prevalent in marketing. It is interesting to note, because the sometimes abstract image of a brand that would need many words and explanations gets a different feel to it when the archetypal model is being used. Abstract concepts and ideas become simplified and universally understood when using archetypes.
Archetypes are universally understood characters, patterns or symbols. They are understood across cultures and religion. They are understood without abstract words and formations, attainable for anyone.
Artemis for example represents the archetype of a huntress; autonomous and self-sufficient. She is represented with a spear and animals. She is the Goddess of the hunt and the forrest and simply through her appearance recognizable as such. No words are needed to understand what she represents, and her appearance is recognized across various cultures.
Monotheism and Goddesses – is it compatible?
So how can we work with Goddesses in our own spiritual practice? First of all I want to let you know that it does not really matter which religion you belong to. One can belong to a monotheistic religion and still attune to Goddess energies – if they feel comfortable doing so.
A Goddess will not compete with God. Goddesses are not jealous or possessive (well, some may be).
It might be different the other way around though, depending on the personal belief of God. I respect that we all have a different image of God. Personally, I honor Jesus and respect God, but I do not belief in the version that church is making us believe God would be. There had been too much abuse of power. And institutionalized religion is just not what I am into. I believe God is loving, God is kind. I believe that God honors nature, that he created us equal – animals and humans alike. I do not believe that God is out to punish us. I do not believe we will go to hell if we do not abide by his laws. I believe he gives us a chance, he will not punish us. He loves us unconditionally.
But look, everyone is different, and wherever one feels held – this is what one should follow.
If you fear that Goddesses may not be compatible with God, then do not meditate on them.
If you feel they may be – especially Mother Mary- then by all means, integrate them into your spiritual practice.
How I attune to Goddess Energy
There are amazing books on the different Goddesses and the transformative power they bring with them. The first book I read on it was “You are a Goddess“. I recommend it to everybody to find out more about different Goddesses and their mystic, spiritual and historical meaning.
I got familiar with various Goddess across the Globe, I researched them, found out about their stories. Getting curious about them sets the foundation for what is to come.
During a shamanic drum ceremony the first Goddess appeared to me – Freya. The Goddess of Love, War and Death. Now, as a former Muay Thai fighter, she surely was the perfect Patroness on my journey!
A fierce Goddesses, a warrior; the versatile feminine energy. Freya had become important during my meditations. But as circumstances in life change, the Goddesses can change, too. Some practitioners decide to stay with one Goddess (one Patroness), whereas others -like me- meditate with a variety of different Goddesses. Some I choose actively, others appear during my meditation.
I had Kali, Hecate, Mother Mary, Kuan Yin and Sekhmet reveal themselves. Male Gods appeared, too; Thor and Vishnu.
You know, all of the virtues that Goddesses and Gods represent, they are all within us. But sometimes it helps attuning to their energy through meditation.
We could do it all ourselves. We can heal ourselves, find courage and strength within ourselves. But sometimes it may seem too difficult. And that’s when we start praying to an outside entity. That’s when God and the Goddesses come into play. That is when we attune to their power and ask for guidance.
Closing Thoughts
Goddess worship is an ancient practice in which the feminine is being personified and honored. We can attune to the creative forces of the feminine at any time. There are many aspects that the feminine represents and we can attune to the energy of femininity by meditating on Goddess energy. It is a practice that can be seen apart from religion, depending on what it is that we believe in.
Maybe you want to get curious about the Goddesses in mythology and history across various cultures and find the Goddess that speaks to you? She may hold inspiring and important messages to you. Enjoy your spiritual practice and integrate the many aspects of Goddesses throughout history to empower and nurture yourself. (And to learn something new, because mythology is super-super interesting)
