Originally copyrighted and produced May, 2003. Reprinted here with permission from Amy Moreland.
A pale full moon, the smell of incense, the cool waters of a lake at night, the cry of an owl - do these things elicit a response deep within you as if a memory long forgotten is trying to resurface? Many people have found the thread that seems to connect these things and the longings they inspire within us in neo-pagan religions such as Wicca. Increasingly, people are being drawn toward this earth-based form of spirituality. For women, however, the experience can be even more profound. Not only do pagan religions provide women with a spiritual outlet that they can relate to but also with a tool they can use to reclaim the power and sense of self that a male dominated society has eroded away over the centuries.
There are many different forms of paganism. One of the most common and well known is Wicca. Whether you are an eclectic Wiccan, or a traditional that strictly follows the Alexandrian or Gardner theories, there are some basics of the religion that do not change. Wiccan's believe in both a God and Goddess. A common and unfortunate misconception about Wicca or witchcraft is that it somehow involves Satanism or devil worship. This is far from the truth since Wiccans do not even believe in the devil. Their ideologies hold no place for a supreme being of evil. In Christian religions it is often said that the world was made in God's image, which is fundamentally what Wicca teaches as well. The God and Goddess are not perfect. They are flawed and have the capacity for evil just as humans do. There are both male and female humans, animals, and even flowers have a pistil and a stamen, so as there is duality in nature, there is both a God and Goddess. The yin and yang of masculine and feminine forces are essential to retaining the balance in all things. Wiccans have only one law or moral code, which is called The Rede. The Rede states, "An it harm none, do as ye will." It is important to note that harming none includes bringing harm to yourself, whether through suicide, drug abuse, or any other activity that is self endangering, or harming the earth. To pagans the earth is looked at as our mother, the giver of all life, and is revered. Environmentalism and paganism go hand in hand, emphasizing respect for the life of plants and animals as well as those of humans.
It is important in understanding pagan religions to remember that we are mammals ourselves. Many people today think of the earth only in terms of it being where people live. They think of nature as scenery for a drive or something to be exploited for human benefit, instead of realizing that we are part of an ecosystem in which we live and upon which we depend more than we like to admit. The cycles in nature are reflected everywhere in our lives. The monthly cycle of the moon and the yearly changing of the seasons are the rhythm by which our lives are led. Like the earth, which travels in its orbit giving us day and night, winter and spring, we are born, grow old and die; we wake and sleep; we plant in the spring and reap the harvest in the fall. These cycles are reflected as well in the conceptions of the God and Goddess. The Triple Goddess, as she is also called, has three aspects - maiden, mother, and crone. The sabbats and esbats - Wicca's holy days - Wiccans celebrate have a storyline that begins with the birth of the God at Yule and culminates with his death at Samhein.
On these sabbats Wiccans perform rituals to celebrate the Goddess and God; it is during these rituals they perform magick spells and incantations. Magick is an important tool of witchcraft. In Christian religions people who have spiritual or physical needs pray for these things to be granted to them. Paganism is a bit more proactive. Pagans draw upon their internal energies and those of both Goddess and earth to try to bring about the changes they need. Wiccans believe in a "force", not unlike the "force" spoken of in the Star Wars' movies - a power of nature that is present in the earth and in all of us.
"Through religious ritual and magick, feminist witches and women in the Goddess movement attempt to link what they believe is divine within them to the divine around them in the natural world," states Wendy Griffen in an article she wrote for the Sociology of Religion journal (Griffen 1995). Finding the divine within themselves is a challenge to many women today who fight a continuous battle of working and keeping a household, often as a single parent. The Judeo/Christian/Islamic religions that permeate most of western society do little to encourage women to be independent, confident and self assured. Most Christian religions forbid women to hold offices in the church. The Southern Baptist convention states that "while both men and women are gifted for service in the Church, the office of pastor is limited to men, as qualified by Scripture." The Southern Baptists also state: "A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ." (Baptist Faith and Message 2000) It is difficult to have your soul spiritually uplifted when your very faith itself recognizes only a male deity and says you have no place as a priest, pastor, or deacon. Strict Jewish tradition does not allow women into the inner sanctum of the temple where the Torah is kept.
"Feminist witchcraft sees women's oppression and environmental abuse, which they argue are intimately linked, as firmly rooted in patriarchal religions. They claim that the mythos of God the Father and Creator of everything is a devitalized one which fails to address the experience of women's lives, and so cannot possibly link them to the larger social structure." (Griffen 1995) The goddess figure of the Christian faith, the Virgin Mary, is another form of control that the patriarchal religion exerts over women. Mary is a beautiful and touching character in Christian mythology, and for many women, she provides the Goddess figure that they do not even realize they are missing. In Mexico, where the Aztec Goddess Tonantsi was worshiped by the Indian population and The Dark Virgin Guadalupe by the Spanish settlers, the Virgin Mother became the most important figure in their religion when the conquistadors brought Catholicism with them to Mexico. (Preston 1982 p. 6) This had several effects on their culture. The concept of "mother" is highly revered. Women in Mexico do not face the struggles that many American women face in their jobs, such as difficulty receiving time off from work to care for a sick child because of the great respect given to motherhood. However the image of this "virgin" mother also puts unrealistic pressure upon women to repress their own sexuality. In Mexico "a woman's foremost duty to self and family is to safeguard herself against all critical allusions to her sexual modesty." (Preston 1982 p.15)
Each of these aspects of traditional religion - the lack of a female deity, the urges to "submit herself" to men, the semantically oppositional expectation to be both virginal and motherly, the smothering of her sexuality, and the degrading inability to hold a leadership role in her spiritual community - leave many women unfulfilled in traditional western religions.
"Traditional religious iconography offers one major mythopoeic image for women, that of Mother. Whether she is portrayed as the Young Virgin with child, or the grieving Madonna of the Pieta, she is young, she is beautiful, and she is defined by her relationship to her son. In contrast, the Triple Goddess defines herself and each of her three aspects as a mythic image that is capable of standing alone." (Griffen 1995) Unsurprisingly the worst persecution ever enacted upon pagans or those even merely accused of practicing witchcraft, came as a result of a text written by the Catholic inquisitors Krammer and Spenger. Malleus Maleficarum was a text that outlined how to identify a witch and led to the death by burning of thousands. (Masters 1962 p. xix) The misogynistic work stated that "when a woman thinks alone, she thinks evil;" this mindset can be found throughout many of the Christian texts, all of which blame Eve for "original sin".
Wicca and other pagan religions boost women up instead of breaking them down. "I see many connections that can be made between the image of Mary…and the denigration of women. One of the things they have done to Mary, they've taken away her sexuality. She was a mother, yet had no sex. She was not a woman, she was just a role." This was the statement of a member of a Diannic coven reported by Griffen in her article "The embodied Goddess". (Griffen 1995) Diannics are an extreme form of Wicca that recognizes only the Goddess and has no God image. Diannic covens usually consist entirely of women and men are often unwelcome. This feeling of being let down by traditional religions has brought many women to paganism to find the validation and affirmation they were lacking. The feminist movement has brought many of these issues to the forefront, however beauty standards, business practices, and unbalanced moral ethics between the sexes are still biased harmful. "The polarization of the sexes in America is a cultural aberration, not a biological one. Our culture's attitudes divide women into false and unreal types: the good girl, the hopeless romantic, the bombshell, the love goddess, the femme fatale, or the slut in league with the devil. All are models that encourage in men the dangerous and insidious idea that women are objects intended for their own sexual pleasure." (Cabot 1997 p. 87) Paganism encourages women not to be bound by these stereotypes. "Many of the Goddesses…were large breasted, big hipped women - overweight by today's standards. These voluptuous figures were considered appealing and powerful, treasured for their ability to bring forth and nurture life." (Cabot 1997 p. 99) Unlike the eternally youthful Mary, the Goddess goes through the natural process of aging and teaches us to be not only comfortable, but proud and empowered at each stage of life. In my own experience I was caught up with the image of the maiden. Even after I bore my child I could not equate in my mind the image of "the mother" to myself. It was because I felt as if I would forever be giving up youth and beauty and sexuality. An important step in my evolution as a pagan was when, through much study and meditation, I came to realize that the mother aspect and stage of life could be beautiful as well, that there was an inherent sexiness to be found in the full breasts and ripeness of womanhood. Without even realizing that I had succumbed to ideas ingrained in me by society, I felt as if the only way to feel sexual and desirable was to completely dissociate in my mind the idea that I was a mother with that of anything sensual. I had this same dissociation between all things sexual and spiritual, as if each aspect of my life had to be compartmentalized from the others. I now feel as if I have integrated myself into one person, one who is comfortable with all aspects of herself. I know that I have years to go before I will reach the stage of crone, but by the time I do, I feel confident that I will be able to enjoy the wisdom and beauty that comes with that stage of life as well. Paganism allows us to "not only liberate female sexuality from the concepts of sin, but actually celebrate the erotic." (Griffen 1995)
Women feel such pressure and shame over so many things that are a natural part of being female. Even menstrual cycles have become an embarrassment and source of stress. Pagans refer to the female menstrual cycle as "moon time". It is wonderful to be reminded that instead of some disgusting bodily function, this is actually a natural part of the cycle of our bodies and a very inherently feminine trait. Men joke and scoff about women having PMS, and most women feel everything from shame to just irritation at having to experience a moon time at all. This is part of the process through which we are able to give life and a sign of our fertility. Having a small reminder of this by use of the phrase "moon time" is surprisingly heartening.
"In many ways our own culture punishes women for choosing to have children, while women who choose not to have children, or who are unable to have children, are looked upon as selfish, unfeeling, or barren." (Cabot 1997 p. 197) These are the ways society tries to use our bodies and choices against us. "Feminism tells us to trust ourselves…we began to trust our own feelings, we began to believe in our own orgasms. These were the first things. Now we are beginning to have spiritual experiences and for the first time in thousands of years we trust them," states renowned author Margot Adler in her book Drawing Down the Moon (Adler 1986 p 183). This newfound trust lets us believe that we are beautiful, in spite of the impossible standards exacted upon us by society. Not only can we believe we are beautiful but we can revel in our own beauty and think of our bodies as a sacred altar to decorate. "When the Witch is strong and healthy within you, using adornment such as jewelry, clothing, make up, and fragrance is a means of self-seduction and not simply a lure to entice a man". (Cabot 1997 p.101). We trust ourselves to be powerful and secure when we grow old. If you were asked to picture an eighty year old woman, would you picture a weak frail old lady, alone and helpless? Most Americans probably would. A pagan would envision a wise old sage with a knowing smile and beauty and happiness radiating from her eyes, basking in the love of the family and friends she has accumulated over her life and passing on the knowledge she has gained. "The Crone rejects the limitations imposed by a culture in which female power, such as it is, is tied to youth beauty, fertility and a male directed sexuality." (Griffen 1995)
In her book The Witch in Every Woman Laurie Cabot explores each of these yearnings. She proposes that the desire to commune with nature, to be self empowered, to nurture and to be magickal, our part of an inherent witch nature that is present in all women. She believes if we merely open ourselves to the experience we would become much more confident and comfortable with ourselves. The crux of her beliefs is evident in this quote:
"Women who do not understand their Witch heritage are cut off from their inherent magickal natures. Without the Witch we feel out of sorts, off balance and uncomfortable with change. We feel foolish and childish for having intuitive thoughts and feelings. We lack confidence, direction, and drive in situations that require exactly those qualities. We frequently feel sick or not fully well. Instead of guarding our strengths and passions, we settle for passive roles in our relationships at home, work and play. We surrender when we should fight and keep silent when we should speak out. Without the Witch we deny ourselves fulfillment at our deepest most primeval level." (Cabot 1997 p.17)
Although paganism is often referred to as "the old ways" and dates back far beyond Christianity, paganism is changing with the times and a new breed is being formed. The technopagans or technoshamans are the pagans of the future. Many pagans are unable to find other locals with whom to worship, but now with the advent of the World Wide Web a whole new era of online covens are forming. Members meet in chat rooms and perform their rituals together online. "Once we enter cyberspace we are no longer in the physical plane; we literally stand in a place between the worlds, one with heightened potential to be as sacred as any circle cast on the ground," says one member of an online coven. (McSherry 2003 p. 47) Technopaganism is a fresh and exciting new field that younger pagans can relate to on a whole new level. The altered states of consciousness that are often produced by a drum circle and dancing to the drums around a bonfire are now achieved on the dance floors of raves to the hypnotic, trance-inducing beat of techno music. Many technopagans use entheogens to induce or enhance spiritual experiences. These technopagans give us a glimpse of how adaptive paganism is. "Cyberspace is just a techno-term for the astral plane or any other nonphysical reality." (McSherry 2003 p 47)
The Goddess is maiden, mother and crone. She is mother and warrior, nurturer and fighter. She is Morgan LeFay, Lady of the Lake. She is Gaia, the Earth Mother wearing a circlet crown of ivy and clothes of leaves and bark. She flows through river and streams, through the blood in our veins, through our fiberoptic lines in ones and zeros. She has spiked blue hair and silver clothes with circuit patterns on her skin. She can be found in all of us. Through paganism, Wiccans all over the world have found her, and women have reclaimed the goddess within themselves, making the world better for us all. Paganism is a profound source of spiritual comfort and builds self esteem and self efficacy in the women who practice it.
Refrences
Adler, M. (1986) Drawing Down the Moon Boston MA. Beacon Press.
Cabot, L. (1997) The Witch in Every Woman New York NY Dell Publishing
Griffen, W. (1995) The embodied goddess: feminist witchcraft and female
divinity.
Sociology of Religion (56. 1) p. 351 - 356
Masters, R. E. L. (1962) Eros and Evil New York NY. The Julian Press
Inc.Publishers
McSherry, L. (2003) Cyber Rituals. The Beltane Papers: A journal of women's
mysteries (29) p. 46 - 47
Preston, J. L. (Ed) (1982) Mother Worship University of North Carolina Press
The Southern Baptist Convention (2000) Baptist Faith and Message Retrieved May
12, 2003 from http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp
Copyright 2003, Amy Moreland. All Rights Reserved. No duplication or republication without written permission. Reprinted here by permission of Amy Moreland.