Book Review: Voices of the Sacred Feminine

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In September 2014, Emma Watson stood before the UN and delivered a speech that inspired and touched many. Announcing the kick-off of the HeForShe initiative, she offered an invitation especially to men to join this movement and to help bring about true gender equality worldwide. Not only does she point out the ongoing daily struggles that women world face, such as poverty, lack of education, lack of authorship in their lives, but she also reminds us that feminism is not only about women and women’s rights. Feminism is about human rights. The right of women to make decisions regarding their own bodies. The right of men to be sensitive and in touch with their emotions. The right of women to earn as much as men when they do the same work. The right of men to be valued equally as parents. To those who are reluctant to join the cause, Watson reminds us of Statesman Edmund Burke’s statement: “All that is needed for the forces of evil to triumph is for good men and women to do nothing.”

Voices of the Sacred Feminine: Conversations to Re-Shape Our World is a collection of essays, interviews, and calls-to action by people who have refused to do nothing. Much of their work goes beyond simply bringing about equality.  It reaches farther into what they see as the root of sexism, violence, and the decline of the environment’s health: the lost connection with the sacred feminine.

Edited by Rev. Dr. Karen Tate  and featuring the voices of some of the most well-known advocates of the sacred feminine, this anthology highlights the important work that has been done and insight into the work that still remains. Starting with an essay by Amy Peck, MA (aka Amalya) of the Goddess Studio, the book first defines the paradigm of the sacred feminine: one which “restores the balance of the spiritual, cultural, and pragmatic relationship between Feminine/Masculine, Mother/Father, Women/Men and Earth/Spirit ideals.” From there, the book shows the myriad and creative ways that men and women are bringing about change in the world, whether through ritual, education, publishing, media outlets, environmental activism, or political change.

Many readers will recognize the names of several of the book’s contributors. Reverend Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary makes an early appearance to introduce us to Lady Liberty – the Goddess of Freedom – and her many incarnations through time. An interview with Starhawk offers the opportunity to learn about her writing and work in permaculture as a means to change. Reverend Patrick McCollum speaks to the importance of breaking down class divisions and creating avenues for partnership and conversation. Gus diZerega makes a call to Pagans to vote Democratic, arguing that the Republican party’s assault on women is an affront to spiritual paths that venerate the Goddess.

The evidence of patriarchy, a system that gives control and power to men, is overwhelming. In her piece “Sekhmet: Powerful Woman,” Candace C. Kant of Cherry Hill Seminary and Goddess Ink points out:

…War is an ongoing fact of life. Poverty is endemic to almost all societies to a greater or lesser degree. The climate is warming, the waters are polluted and our land is soaked with deadly chemicals.Commercial agricultural areas have a continual haze in their air, the result of toxic pesticides and fertilizers, and this air is breathed by living beings, while the food that is produced in this way is fed to our children. We are eating genetically modified food with no idea of how that will affect us. Species are being extinguished at an alarming rate. The top soil is disappearing. Human rights are suppressed. Animals are tortured than slaughtered. Women are subjected to rape and what is euphemistically called ‘domestic violence,’ a clever way to hide the reality of many women’s lives… (p. 46)

The contributors of this book contend that these global problems are not separate and distinct issues, but rather they are all symptoms of the subjugation of the Goddess to the God. In her piece titled “Honoring Goddesses Reawakens Women-Honoring Multiculturalism,” Elizabeth Fisher explains:

Patriarchal religions… often suffer from a split between matter and spirit. These religions honor a male god –a father – with no female aspect of the godhead. Spirit is often perceived as limited by the body. Nature is a demon to be overpowered, contained, and re-directed. As a result, around the globe we are struggling with violence, wanton destruction of ecosystems, a social climate of disrespect for women’s rights, and over-production of goods at the expense of service and creative expression. Much of this results from a profound feeling of human alienation from nature. Death, if we are lucky, is an escape to Heaven after living a pure life untainted by the realities and callings of nature. (p. 125)

Many of the writers call upon everyone to look at what religion teach us about God and Goddess, and to consider how this shapes our relationship to nature, life, and the qualities we perceive as “feminine” vs “masculine.” While the Abrahamic faiths arguably have more work to do than other religions, the Goddesses of the monotheistic traditions, such as Sophia, Lilith, and the Virgin Mary, are not alone in their suppression.

As psychotherapist and author Rev. Shirley Ann Ranck Ph.D. points out, the story of Persephone and Demeter changed following the introduction of patriarchy to ancient Greece. Whereas early stories about Persephone speak to her decision to descend on her own merit and accord, later versions have her kidnapped and forced into the underworld and into a marriage with her captor. Some say her father, Zeus, was even complicit in her abduction. Her mother, rather than grieving her daughter’s decision, becomes angry and bitter and curses the earth. In her piece titled “Persephone Returns: Worshipping the Divine Mother and Daughter,” Dr. Ranck challenges us to ask, what impact does this newer story have on relationships with our mothers? With our Goddesses? With nature? What influence does it have on our beliefs about the “nature” of men and women?

In the forward, Ms. Tate states that a paradigm shift is in the making.  However, those who subscribe to the ideals of the sacred feminine are what she refers to as the cognitive minority. As Tate points out, all important and significant changes occur over time, as ideas are shared, ridiculed, rejected, reconsidered, and finally accepted as true. A shift in consciousness is needed to restore balance to humanity, and the Earth requires that we each use our own unique strengths to create waves. This collection will inspire and energize many to find their own way to tilt the world toward the ideals of the Sacred Feminine.

The book’s variety of voices, stories, and points of view make it likely that most readers will find something that speaks to them within its pages. Some of the essays are so thought-provoking that their brevity is unfortunate, seemingly ending just as they have begun. For communities that find themselves inspired to start a Transition Movement or a Red Tent Temple, the essays will be a way to start productive and important conversations. Due for release November 28, 2014, it will be available through the standard internet book sellers. But in the spirit of the book’s message, look for it in your local bookstore or purchase it directly from the editor.

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