Back to July 2007
Viewpoint - July 2007
Calling All Gods and Goddesses!
by Aricia Zazo
Throughout history and within every culture, humankind has honored divine, mystical forces. These "forces" have been known by a multitude of names and by both genders many times over. Wanting to know more about this ineffable presence often called "God," I began my own personal journey of research and discovery.
My first stop was with Elohim. Elohim was the original word used for God in the bible and was initially a gender-neutral word meaning "to call, or invoke." I also found that Elohim is the plural of the word Eloah, which is the feminine form of the name El (God). According to Gnostic sources, Elohim is interpreted as "gods and goddesses".
That was indeed a stepping-stone on my path.
I found that the biblical name of God, Yod (masculine) or the feminine hey is translated as, "I am that I am". Likewise, Abwoon, the Aramaic word that begins the Lord's Prayer, also translates gender-inclusively, as "mother-father."
What a sweet revelation!
Researching further, I found the words Shaddai, Shekinah, Ruach ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit) and Sophia (Wisdom) were also rich with feminine-based history.
"Say to Wisdom, You are my sister." [Proverbs 7:4]
Now that is a signpost I can understand.
I expanded my spiritual studies by traveling worldwide. As a woman, I was especially delighted to hear stories of goddesses from a myriad of cultures. I found that we are generally taught single-dimensional aspects of multifaceted goddesses that are literally hundreds and sometimes thousands of years old.
In Greece, for instance, many goddesses have more comprehensive pre-Hellenic histories: Aphrodite, goddess of love, is also queen, healer, and the wise crone who prepares one for the transition of death and rebirth. Hera predates Zeus as the sole Supreme Deity. Kind, just, Virgin Creatrix is the goddess of marriage. After Greece was defeated, her story was rewritten to depict her as the vengeful wife of the conqueror's god, Zeus. Many other goddess herstories have been similarly altered.
In Africa, I met Oya, warrior of wind and communication, the first and last breath; Oshun, the embodiment of the spark of life and love, beauty and harmony; and Yemaya, the Mother Goddess.
In Egypt, Isis is the eternal mother. Her story and that of her son Horus predates and parallels the story of Mary and Jesus. She too is a virgin goddess, queen of heaven. The Egyptian goddess Nuit is a goddess of war, a protectress and a guardian of marriage. It was said that all women were "nuitrit" (little Nuit). Plutarch said that Nuit's temple was inscribed with the words: "I am All That Has Been, That Is, and That Will Be."
Sound familiar? And the trail continues.
There was Kwan Yin (Chinese Bodhisattva of Compassion), Vishnu (Hindu God of life and peace) and his consort Lakshmi (Goddess of spiritual and material prosperity), the Polynesian Goddess Nana Uli (who expands one's vision and awakens memory) and the Native American Great Spirit, in all its feminine and masculine incarnations.
With so many cross-spiritual similarities, I began to feel a kinship with cultures and people who had previously seemed foreign to me. People were saying, praying and living the same ideals as each other and me. The only difference was the semantics and names within each tradition. With these discoveries, I experienced a sense of awakening, remembering and wholeness. I felt like a child returning to my mother and reuniting with familymagical and dear. No wonder there is a worldwide movement to reconnect with, and honor, the divine feminine in all beings!
It is said that, "yin and yang need be respected to an equal extent" for harmony to exist. This message was concurrently echoed throughout the various cultures I visited. Prominent in the Hindu religion, this emphasis is also unmistakable in the ancient and powerful Celtic (pre-Camelot) story of the holy grail. This story tells how both men and women must be respected for peace to reign. It states that to harm one was to harm the other. It foretold that peace would again return to the land once the honor due the grail maidens is restored.
The restoration of the sacred feminine beside the sacred masculine bestows harmony for men, women and children alike. From encouraging 'random acts of kindness' and 'loving your mother earth' to stopping the violence against women and children, we walk the path to achieving peace when we encourage the balance between these energies.
So whether you call upon God/dess by name or look in the mirror and evoke your inner god/dess to emerge, know that the mere act of acknowledging and cherishing that divine gender-inclusive force, around and within us all, helps the healing begin!
In celebration of the sacred feminine, all goddesses are invited to The 18th Annual Women's Retreat, July 20-22. Held in the beautiful San Jacinto Mountains near Idyllwild. Held deep in the mountains in an atmosphere of nurturing and support, workshops will include: herbal healing, aromatherapy, yoga and dance. The fun and festivities will encourage the Goddess in you to shine. It is a homecoming that will revitalize, uplift, and affirm the treasure you truly are! For a complete list of Retreat workshops and teachers please contact Jane at Self-Heal School: 800/999-4291 or on-line at www.selfhealschool.com. Aricia Zazo is a Teacher, Aromatherapist, HHP and Herbalist with a BA in Psychology.