tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7275422627490025877.post2997923580575341027..comments2016-02-17T07:14:14.083-05:00Comments on Secher Nbiw: It's true, we can find patriarchy anywhere...Cobalthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00276860017599044287noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7275422627490025877.post-56992417964351477832008-10-12T12:16:00.000-04:002008-10-12T12:16:00.000-04:00Well, that's the thing. I'm a woman personally, an...Well, that's the thing. I'm a woman personally, and one of the comments I've made to people in my circle is that Goddess imagery (whether in jewelry or on altars) tends to be all wombs and breasts and things, but I already have those of my own. I don't need extra silver ones around my neck or on my altar. =P<BR/><BR/>But more seriously, I think it's that a lot of the time the Goddess is just spoken of in very traditional ways. Reducing her to her status as a mother is particularly distancing for me since I don't actually really <I>want</I> her to be <I>any</I> of the things that pop into my head along with the word "mother." <BR/><BR/>This is why I prefer the Hindu division of Devi (Lover/Scholar/Warrior) than the Wiccan Maiden-Mother-Crone division. The Wiccan perspective divides a woman into stages of life based on one thing: fertility. Maiden is pre-motherhood, Crone is post-motherhood, and then you have actual motherhood in between. <BR/><BR/>This is particularly problematic when you consider that women don't live in these stages if they have access to birth control. Used to be that pretty soon after you stopped being a "maiden" you transitioned into being a mother. But now for many women that's not the case. So it's not just regressive from the perspective of feminist activism, it's actually out of touch on a very basic level with the way women like me live. <BR/><BR/>Thank you for your comment. It was very thoughtful and helpful, and I hope you continue to stop by and share your thoughts.Cobalthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00276860017599044287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7275422627490025877.post-23338318391682116592008-10-12T08:52:00.000-04:002008-10-12T08:52:00.000-04:00I think that it's great that you find fulfillment ...I think that it's great that you find fulfillment in worshiping The God alone. I think that we should seek peace - no matter where it comes from. And I can see that as a man, you are closer to His mysteries. <BR/><BR/>But after reading your post, I must ask you - do you find true fulfillment through Him? Or do you worship Him because you are denying the Feminine? <BR/><BR/>I think that to limit the Goddess to just being a mother is denying Her reality and myths. While I think being a mother is a gift, the Goddess appears to us in many forms. To give some examples: Artemis and Durga are the warriors. Aphrodite is the seductress. Athena as the intellectual. <BR/><BR/>It would be like viewing the God as only a big, strong, hunter type. A "man's man", which is not true either. <BR/><BR/>Regulating the Goddess to only Her mother aspect, to me, is a truely patriarchal belief and a more damaging one, since it is not blatant. It's hidden and ignored.Barbarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10659075984970784435noreply@blogger.com