Musing on Kali

I'm interested immediately to read the wonderful invocations to Maa, but also to see the additional versions of myths involving Her too.  The one I am familiar with has Her saving a town/city from the demon Raktabija and his army.  All of the gods failed to defeat him partially because of the nature of his army, each time one demon was slain their blood hit the ground and 100/1000 more sprang up.  From Durga's third eye leapt out the newly born goddess Kali (part of why She was naked) and She took up weapons and defeated the demon army by decapitating them and drinking their blood (why Her tongue is out of Her mouth).  In one of Her hands She holds his head with a cup or bowl catching the blood.

Continuing my reading it seems either I am familiar with another myth or with a combination of myths for there is mention of Her wild, frenzied dance with Shiva wherein She almost kills Him.

I had heard of Her association with the Thuggees, and briefly at once about cemeteries as well.  I was aware that Calcutta was Her city (and this is partially why I would like to visit it).

I am part of an online group - Daughter of Kali - and I think I would like to participate in puja from now own, at least to Her.

I think a good way to work with Her would be through dance obviously - especially ecstatic dance - and through training with martial arts and weaponry as a meditative practice (defense rather than offense).

It was interesting to learn the meaning of some of Her symbols, particularly the colors.

I think making a pledge for the two weeks we were to work with Her to do my dancing exercise would be a good way to connect with Her, as well as working on a Kali inspired bellydance costume (or one like those worn in India).

Looking at Her relation to time is definitely an interesting meditative practice.  While I was vaguely aware of it I never really thought of it.  I think incorporating that into my practice will be important too.

Goddess Week 17-18: Kali

I'm really eager to do the reading for Maa as She is one of my patron goddesses.  That being said you would think that I would know tons about Her but that really isn't the case.  I know Her story, some of what She represents and own a statue, tapestry, and a Kali Yantra.  I also plan to have Her tattooed on my left arm, in the center on the inside of my elbow - fun fun!

I see her (at this moment) as the dissolver of illusion.  She is powerful and not to be trifled with.  She represents the frenzied state in victory and dance, which can easily lead to excess (like The Maenads).  She is the Dark Mother, though She has no biological children, She is mother to us all.  She helps us learn the hard lessons, and Her way is not the "easy" path - however it is very rewarding.

I'm looking forward to what else I will learn about Her and what teachings She brings.

Catching Up...

I have spent a lot of time putting off doing my reading much less thinking about it than I have even trying to read. I have let life personally get in the way and become "too busy" to pay much attention to my spiritual life unfortunately.  Rather than trying to go back and pick up just where I left off I'm going to backwards from the point we are at now and catch up that way.

Also due to the large amount of procrastination I've done I have noted that the workshop will not be finishing in the calendar year.  I need to figure out how long each part needs total so I have a time to ideally start the run for 2012.  I also want to work the bugs out and have paying participants this time and make sure that I can get copies of the book out to everyone rather than emailing so many scans.

Questions & Activities for The Muses

1.  Close your eyes and picture a spot from your childhood that was very special to you.  Recall it in as vivid detail as you can.  What feelings do you remember having in that special place?

My garden.  It was a wonderful haven away from "every day life" for me and things that bothered me.  I would often go there when I needed some solace and connect to Nature, letting go of whatever bothered me while I worked.  While I may have been sore, tired, and very sunned after a day spent there I was always at peace!

2.  Remember what kinds of activities you enjoyed as a child.  Were there types of art that especially called to you?  Do you still practice them?

I loved to read and learn, and still do.  However I find that as an adult I seem to have "less time" for such pursuits due to a need to do other things for whatever reason.  I used to draw, doodle, and sketch a lot more when I was younger, and as I grew older I would also write a lot.  I found that I wrote most often when I was upset and angry and therefore as I've moved away from those situations I do so less now.

3.  Get some fingerpaint or crayons.  Spend some time playing, remembering what it was like to create as a child.

This is definitely something I want to try to do as I have a plethora of crayons.

4.  Take a stack of old magazines.  Go through them quickly, looking for colorful pages.  Tear them out.  Then, tear shapes out of the pages.  Lay the shapes onto a fresh piece of paper and arrange them to satisfy you.  Paste them down, or just start over and make another.

I have always loved making collages and this is something I plan on revisiting again soon!

5.  Put on some music and sing, or at least hum, along to it.  If you feel inhibited, ask yourself why.  What inner messages do you give yourself about your singing abilities?

I don't mind singing when I'm alone but I have some stigmas about doing so where anyone can hear me.  When I was a child I wanted to sing and would often hum little tunes to myself but as I expressed a desire to write music and sing I was shot down by my mother which caused me to give up entirely on it.

6.  Remember a piece of art you started to create but didn't finish.  Why didn't you finish it?  Where is it now?  What happened to make you stop?

I have what I refer to as "artistic ADD".  I like to have a lot of projects going on because I find it difficult to sit and do a single piece of art depending on what it is.  With things like knit and crochet which take a lot of time to make I find myself taking frequent and long breaks, whereas with painting, drawing, or writing I do not.

7.  Make a list of words you associate with the word "artist".  Circle all the negative words.  Do you see a pattern to your attitudes?  What is it?

Messy, haphazard, absent-minded, creative, expressive, distinct, different, disorganized, creative chaos, out of the box, unique.  The pattern I notice is that the "negatives" seem to reflect a lack of order, as though to be artistic to me means you do things willy nilly rather than with any particular technique.  However as an artist I tend to be rather traditional & out of the box at the same time.  I try to keep to the "way" things are meant to be done, while expressing myself in a new/different way through the medium (eg using strange colors or subject matter.)

8.  Make a list of artists you admire.  What is it about them that draws you?  In what ways do you want to be like them?

Salvador Dali - I love his surreal expression.

Picasso - Really expressed himself well out of the box.

Ansel Adams - I love his capturing of Nature via black and white photography.

Krystal Hobeck - She and I have similar style and I appreciate her "rogue" designs and methods.

Lauren Toney - I think she's a great photographer and love her unique take on things!

9.  Think of an artist or performer you don't like.  Make a list of words describing him or her.  Look at that list and imagine those words being applied to you.  How do you feel?  Why do you feel these qualities are frightening?

Jay-Z:  I can't think of any specific words so much as I just don't consider him (or most modern rappers and musicians) to be musicians.  They don't play instruments and may not even write the songs they sing so to me they don't have a real connection to their work other than their name.  I also think that art in any form should be something you can personally connect to as the creator, it's not just something you do - it's something you are...

10.  If you could create only one work of art before you died, what would it be?  What's stopping you from creating that artwork now?

That is a large and lofty question.  I think perhaps making a tapestry using crochet, knit, and cross stitch/needlepoint/embroidery could be really neat.  But I don't have any particular subject matter I feel called to make in that manner...requires further thought or at least inspiration...might be something I look into doing now...

More Thoughts on the Muses...

This post is a little late in coming, but better late than never!

I'm finally finishing up the reading for The Muses (I am SO behind!!!) and just read through the symbols of the Muses.  I can agree with the individual representations of them, but was pleasantly surprised to see a general representation for them altogether - the fountain - and it's definitely something I will want to look into getting for my personal altar space.  IN fact, I believe that making and keeping an altar to Them at all times with a fountain and examples of artistic renditions of the individual symbols in my "art space" would be a very good idea.

As I read the suggestions on invoking The Muses I was heart warmed to think of the proliferation of devotion to them through the use of making things for the home life yourself.  It very much is something that I myself really want to do and think is something we as people should reclaim.  There is a certain pride and joy to be in making something yourself, particularly something that is useful.  Or even at least supporting your local artists and small businesses by purchasing handmade objects.  I think that though industrialization has allowed for things to be more economically available and in greater quantity it has also caused the artist to be lost from the art - which is sad.

With the weather turning much nicer outside I think now is also a great time to explore a connection with The Muses in Their most original form and is something I will take advantage of.  Being pregnant and having no car has me cooped up in the house almost all of the time and lately the lack of exposure to anything but four walls has had me depressed and dour.  However I believe that in being able to honor my art and connect with divinity and Nature outside will do me a great deal of good.  So I plan to do some (as much as possible and as often as possible) of my creative work outside in the yard...perhaps even take up sketching again!

Musing on the Muses

I must say my first thoughts when I read the hymn to the Muses was laughter, for in my preliminary post I mentioned the influence of my Muse being like a madness at times as it interrupts life sometimes and what I have planned.  I frequently refer to my Muse rather than the Muses as a whole but it was interesting to see that even in  other references Their number is not static.  To me, as an artist, this does make sense.  For to be inspired easily means many things and that is Their function, and even when divided into nine many things overlap.  There are several of the Muses devoted to writing in different forms, but most artistic pursuits are varied in the way they are expressed.

It's also interesting to note that the Muses primarily deal with writing, singing, and dancing - but there is far more to art than just those things.  As there is music, painting, and many others.  So then that makes me wonder how those things fit in with the Muses if they are nine.  Then there is the reference to the Muses as three, which I found very interesting and more applicable to what we generally think of Them as today - an inspiratory force.

I learned that Apollo is considered the god of inspiration, and while I was aware of His role as a creative force and His involvement (along with a handful of other deities) with the arts I didn't know He held any sway over them.  For me I have always considered the Muses as nine and not so much servants but set aside from the rest of the pantheon - like the nymphs and "lesser" gods.

Understanding etymology I still found it interesting that we have so many words today that reference the Muses without us really being aware of it.

Lastly, I thought the original function of the Muses - to act through nature and wild places to inspire, rather than to create something new and unique as is thought of today - very interesting.  I myself often find things I wish to create in another form, or feel inspired to do something.  As the saying goes, "There are no new ideas."  And I agree, it's just reviving them a little bit, sometimes mish-mashing many together...

Goddess Week 3-4: The Muses

Some initial thoughts on these goddesses...

I've always been drawn to Them and appreciated Them.  When I was but a girl I had a serious fascination for Greek (and sometimes Roman) mythology and always loved learning about many of the "non-Olympians" and demi-gods/"lesser" gods (not to imply that they are less powerful but they rule over more specific areas or are the children of "larger" deities, or merely not worshiped "across the board").

No Muse in particular spoke to me, though I always loved the Muse of Dance, History, and Astronomy.  A number of them deal with poetry in various form be is song, lyric, or love, but as a writer I felt all of their presences in some form here or there.

I'm seriously hoping that in working with them I'll get some more of my inspiration back - but more importantly motivation to use said inspiration.  Many times as an artist I will get ridiculously inspired - to the point of madness almost - where I interrupt my routines/schedule because I must put whatever to paper, or whatever medium it is.  To be honest it can be very trying because I will literally drop everything to start yet another project, but I think the key to this is moderation.  I just don't want to shunt my creativity!

Questions & Activities for Amaterasu

1.  Imagine your life as a house.  What room in the house - in other words, what aspect of your life - seems messy and disordered?  Has it been this way long?  What have you done to bring order to it?

Honestly, right now the "whole house" seems a mess.  It's not beyond repair or overbearing, but there seems to be "general clutter" in regards to many aspect of my life as I try to get them straightened out.  It seems that daily maintenance (getting something done in these areas little bit by bit every day) sort of helps, but really I'd love to "power clean" - even though I know that wouldn't help in the long run!

2.  Examine your actual home.  Which rooms are messy, which ones are clean?  What feelings and activities do you associate with the different rooms?  Does your house indicate areas in your life that are not in balance?

Right now the "messiest" area is my work area - eg the desk.  It's cleaner than it has been but I've had several days of "I don't feel like maintaining squat!" lately which has caused a general halt on anything productive!  The rest of the apartment is fairly orderly, mostly from me getting the basics straight and maintaining.  The other part of the apartment that gets piled up is another work area - the coffee table - which often gets piled over with projects.

3.  Make a list of words you associate with "order".  What does this list tell you about yourself and your attitudes?

Hera
cleanliness/tidiness
organization
schedule/ing
tradition
home/office
necessary
right


Order is something that "ought" to be part of one's life for successful ventures.

4.  Examine your schedule.  Are there areas of stress in terms of your use of time?  Are there 
ways you can relieve this stress?

I feel "behind" a lot in terms of my schedule when it comes to projects.  I know part of this stems from lack of good time management and unrealistic expectations.  I do a lot of artwork that just take a lot of hours in which to make progress, so expecting to finish it in less time than it really needs is ridiculous.  I also seem to inundate myself with "stuff" to do even when I really don't have to!  I need to learn to prioritize my time and resources better, to say "no" when something is too much and to understand what I really do have time for.

5.  Describe your perfect home.  Compare it to your real home.  What is the difference?  Can you make your home more graceful and comfortable by  incorporating some ideas from your perfect home?

It's clean and orderly.  I have an art room/area where I can store my business things and keep them there so they don't litter the house.  I have a healing room solely dedicated to that for similar reasons.  My bedroom is a peaceful sanctuary.  Decor / color changes from room to room but suits the purpose of the room - the bathroom is full of bright colors to help energize and awaken, the bedroom & living room are in more muted tones, the kitchen in red/black/gray/chrome/white.  In my perfect home I have space for everything and furniture.  There is an office area in the living room space and bookshelves.  We also have closets!


Where I live now there is virtually no space and it feels "cramped" having everything in in such a small area.  Things seem cluttered when they're really not and stuff seems to pile up even quicker!  It makes cleansing daily a necessary practice.

6.  Describe your perfect day.  Compare it to a real day in your life.  What is the difference?  How can you make your daily life more resemble your ideal?

I wake up early and get everything on all of my routines for home & work done.  I accomplish all of my tasks and have plenty of "down time".


In real life I struggle to stay motivated a lot of the time and can get wrapped up in just doing my routine or just doing my "to do" for the day.


I'm not sure what to do about the motivation as it's always been an issue.  But proper management of time and setting moderation/limits up would make a difference.

7.  Make a list of people who have annoyed you recently.  Taking them one at a time, try to see the situation you encountered from their point of view.  Are there things you are doing that make your life less easy with them?

Heather, Skylar, Lori, Angelo, Ryan, Krystal.


I need to learn to let go more of "small things".  Accept other people's opinions as just that and nothing more and release personal attachment to how they may make me feel.

8.  Select someone who makes you feel agitated, to whom you response with fear or anxiety.  Make a list of their character traits.  Imagine yourself acting out those traits.  What keeps you from being like them?  Are there unexpressed parts of yourself that they allow themselves to embody?

Lori:  flaky, inconsiderate, shallow, forgetful, undisciplined.


I am forgetful but try to not be so in regards to my dealings with other people.  Otherwise I was raised with a sense of structure and therefore value discipline.  I consider myself to be a "deeper" person and have the ability to see beyond face value with both situations and people, I scrutinize and observe a lot so don't think flaky or shallowness are in my personality at all.  I always try to be considerate of others because I've had people disregard my own feelings so much, I don't want to be like them.

9.  Do you have any self-destructive habits, habits that do not bring you closer to the life you desire?  How can you begin to eliminate these habits?

My anger can still get the better of me.  Mostly as an initial reaction, but some people repeatedly rub me the wrong way and it's hard to just "let go" when I know they've done it before and will do it again.  Doing Reiki, my chakra meditations, and the ECF often I believe help, just have to DO those things.

10.  When you dream, what villains appear?  What qualities do these villains share?  How can you begin to accept that their energy is part of you?


My ex.  He's always chasing or stalking me when he's appeared.  I know that I needlessly think about him more than I need to.  I feel I just need time for him no longer to be an issue.  I did do a release ceremony tonight to help, as well as doing Reiki and ECF often.

Amaterasu - My Thoughts

Working with this goddess has been interesting.  During the two weeks that we had with Her I didn't ever really feel connected to Her, but I did appreciate Her symbolism in dealing with Clarity.  I had a few moments in which I asked Her for Her help and felt that I received it in various ways but they were nothing earth shatteringly profound.  I almost felt that Her influence in my life was muted, as if veiled.

Not being a "mirror" person I felt disconnect with Her on this point.  I associate mirrors with vanity and that isn't something positive to me.  While Her myth does touch on the vanity that is typically associated of deities in general it is is not overpowering.

Goddess Week 1-2: Amaterasu

Amaterasu isn't completely new to me, I knew She was the Japanese goddess of the sun, but I did learn some interesting things about Her during the reading.  For one I was not familiar with the Shinto concept of there not being "good" and "evil", but rather of an action being appropriate for a given time and situation.  This is definitely something I can trine with personally as it fits more into my cosmology of our understanding the actions of deities.  On a grand scale the motivations and allowances may not always seem right or fair, but we do not have all the answers or details concerning the entirety of any situation we may find ourselves within.

The use of the mirror as a meditative tool to see into the soul is also something that is very interesting to me.  While I do not feel equipped to erect an altar to Her (as I rarely use mirrors and do not have one small enough to put on an altar), perhaps honoring Her by making one would be a great way to connect to Her.

GW '11 - Chapter 4: Ritual and the Goddess

I like the idea of Goddess as a verb rather than a noun.  While it seems peculiar to me at first to think of Her in this fashion, it does make sense if you look at the divine as the "Way" in the form that some Eastern spirituality does.

You can really tell when the author brings up "ritual" that she is referring to the non-Pagan community.  As most (if not all) of my general path know ritual is more than just something for special and religious occasions.  I, myself, have always held the knowledge that a ritual is merely "a set of proscribed actions performed with a specific or general intent".  What I like to use when trying to explain how simple a ritual can be are the daily routines we have when going to work or school.  As most folks do one, if not both, it's accessible imagery and effective for illustrating the point.

While holding this knowledge however, until recently, I rarely used it myself.  Like most I tend towards a separation between the spiritual and mundane out of habit from time to time.  I do not think of "housework" as honoring any of the household/domestic oriented goddesses, even though the keeping of the hearth is traditionally "women's work" and thereby very linked to the goddess, as can be seen with Hestia & Vesta (Greek & Roman respectively).  But really there is no reason why one cannot thank these or any other goddesses they may associate with those actions (such as goddesses who deal with cleansing and/or family).  After all, when we honor ourselves we are honoring all, including the God/dess (this is hearkening back to the view of Goddess as Immanent in particular).  But even without the view of the deity as immanent, to take care of what you have shows gratitude for it.  So, if you feel that the Goddess has gifted you with sight, or a home, or anything tangible or intangible taking care of it is a wonderful way to show thanks.

As a crafter I do a lot of fiber work - mainly crochet and knit, but I am also interested in weaving as well.  All of these arts fall under the category of Athena's domain.  I was reflecting on the influence of my personal Muse and Athena in gifting me with the inspiration for several projects I have in the works at the moment.  While I have always associated inspiration and those particular arts to these goddesses, I never really gave it further active thought after that.  So I was delighted to be reminded of these energies by the author!  Kudos Patricia!

Perhaps my only complaint is that there are not more festivals and celebrations provided!  However, as an author, I understand deadlines and to do a truly thorough work would have easily taken years upon years.  And there is also the consideration that some things while observed were not publicly writ and in other cases do not easily translate due to different calendrical systems.

GW '11 - Chapter 3: Images of the Goddess

As with most things I have an "all encompassing" sort of thought on what the Goddess is.  She is all, she is old, young, Spring, and Winter.  She takes form in all that we see that may be linked to the feminine, even those things that may not be altogether obvious.

In the event that you follow a specific tradition, I would suggest looking to it for references for the Goddess.  If you are exploring beyond your "comfort zone" then you should follow your intuition with where it guides you to find Her.

I believe the author brings up a very valid and important point when she speaks of not just treating spirituality like a drugstore.  From my standpoint I am most generally characterized as an Eclectic Pagan and we in general tend to not be so strict with whom we pray to and what cultures we worship from.  However, I do try to always respect the culture that I am "taking" from and honor the Gods in ways that are appropriate to that culture and understand that others may disagree with my use of the culture regardless.  I have been graced with having been "called" to each of the goddesses that I work with, so it's less of a concern that I am merely "picking a goddess because".

While I also generally work with the Goddess as a three-part construct, the introduction to the four-part construct mentioned is definitely interesting.  Now one could argue that the issue of sexuality is not, in fact, left out of the three-part system as the distinguishment between a Maiden and Mother most notably is virginity and having had sex.  However, this viewpoint tends to lend sex as only for procreation.  In that sense all Maidens should be virgins, and all non virgins should at the very least be Mothers.  Given human biology however, that frankly just does not happen all the time.  And then there is the fact that many females have sexual relations long before they become mothers or before they really should become mothers.  While the having of sex isn't necessarily a bad thing, the resulting child at an age too early could be (and often is) problematical.  Then there is the concept of those who are "mothering" without biologically being a mother.  They may well be still in their "Maiden" years, but that does not mean that they are not in fact imbibing the role.

I think the author's mentioning and connection of the "Mother" to death is also very interesting.  While I generally assign death as being related to the "Crone" (who is nearing the end of Her life and knows the mortality of the body all too well) it is really and truly from the "Mother" that this possibility even comes.

Touching on the Goddess as Lover, the author also brings up the point that this form of the goddess is not just about physical love (sex) or love to others.  She concerns all forms of connection, including the attraction to intangible things, like memories, and our connection to ourselves.

GW '11 - Chapter 2: Basics of Goddess Spirituality

Firstly, I'd like to say I love the artistic renditions that are at the beginning of each chapter.

I find it interesting, that for reasons seeming to stem from a desire to be politically correct, that the author chooses to use the word "thealogy" rather than "theology".  I understand her reasoning, moving away from the masculine oriented vernacular, but then again not having changed that word wouldn't have taken away from the chapter for me either because I understand we are speaking specifically of the Goddess archetype, versus Gods, or Gods and Goddesses.

For me the questions posed at the very beginning of the chapter are not all that important to the practice of Goddess work/worship.  As the author states, one does not need to be a thea/theologian to practice or worship.  Where we differ is that I believe it takes you through the beginnings of getting there.  While everyone who has faith in some deity may develop their own theological thoughts, not developing anything concrete or an ability to answer the "great questions" associated with that practice is not going to take away from their ability to practice.

There are also several other questions posed in the beginning of the chapter which are not covered by the reading, but I thought I would share my thoughts about them nonetheless.  As a clergy member and an avid follower of the Goddess I might have further insight than those who may be more passively studying with Her or just beginning their explorations of Her.

Does the presence of a goddess empower the women of a culture?

• It can, but as for our culture, I don't think it does.  The empowerment really is up to the women of the culture/society.  And as some of you may be experiencing this line of thinking is new and so it is with many women.  Division of church and state aside, the country is still run and was in fact formed by those who held certain beliefs, to date these have all been monotheistic and male centered.  While the Goddess may live and breathe in our time, without support She is just a quiet presence in our society.  I think for the empowerment to be felt that we as women need to make the effort on our own parts to recognize and honor Her in our everyday lives.

Can religion praise the divine feminine while institutions oppress real women?

• Again I hearken back to the division of church and state issue.  While it's said that this is so, it's not necessarily felt because obviously those who run the government and institutions are going to make decisions and policies based on their own lines of thought, which in fact are affected by their beliefs.  Whether they think about them actively or not.  I think that again this becomes the role of women to fix, if you want to feel the divine and praise it you need to put forth the effort.  Not only to recognize the divine feminine but to change the stigmas.  If you want things more goddess centered or equal, then you need to bring that energy into your own life and then you would need to involve yourself in a place where your views/opinions would be heard and affect people.  So if you don't do it, who will?

What is the connection between spirit and body in goddess religion?

• In my personal practice every woman is a smaller, mortal derivation of the Goddess.  Just as She is able to give live to the entirety of the world, we on a smaller scale are also able to give life.  While She nurtures and helps form us (with the help of the God), so do we as mothers and mentors.  Feeling that link though is really up to the individual.  For those who feel that the Goddess is more strictly an outside force only, I think that that may prove as a bit of a challenge.

How does this differ from male centered religions?

• In the schema of Christianity, which we will use as our primary example, the God force is seen as separate and away from man.  In the form of Christ who is the son, but the savior, but also a form of God being his son, we get a bit muddled because while he was "created in his image" and he looks like man, man is still under God.  "One nation, under God..."  I think that this placement of man below God, is to express his superiority, but I don't feel that it denotes any kind of equal footing.  That is the choice of monotheistic religions overall I feel.

Can goddess worship be incorporated into traditional monotheistic religions?

• On an individual basis, I think yes.  For the whole of say, Christianity, I do not believe there would be enough of a positive consensus for that to happen.  I also believe that the "higher ups" in the ministry would greatly object, saying that that was just not how things were done etc and so on.

Would such a change destroy the very basis of such religions?

• The problem with answering this question is that there is no easy answer.  Particularly within Christianity there are many ways in which to express your practice.  This can easily be seen by all of the different sects within the overall religion.  While they all may hold some of the same basic beliefs, the stricture with which they worship is not equal.  Some are, pardon the phrase, "hell-bent" on worshiping a certain way.  Saying that practices that are off limits remain that way completely without exception to all followers.  Others are more lax and while the guidelines may be there they are much less strict in their implementation of them.  Then there is the "whole other can of worms" that even if the specific sect says, "this is the way things should be done", that doesn't mean that everyone who counts themselves within that sect will in fact practice just that way.  With the addition of human perception and opinion you run into deal with a person's interpretation of how they believe things should be done.  Personally I believe as the religions are not in their originality suited and based to deal with an egalitarian system among the deital worship, and in fact there is no "place" for one made that yes in fact it would quite destroy the original religion.  Does that mean that some off shoot could not be created to accommodate, no, and I think that a perfectly viable way.  However, I do believe that a great many of the "previous" line of thought would object and claim them as blasphemers.

The Goddess:  Immanent VS Transcendent

• My own beliefs hold that the Goddess is in fact both.  The transcendent form of the Goddess is, I agree, in totality much beyond the scope of the human mind.  For She is all and everything, both creator and destroyer, and without exact form.  In our mindsets it's easier to relate to Her when we have a set image, such as Hera or Kali, but even in those forms She is still very vast and hard to pin point as one particular thing.  The Goddess within is that feminine energy which ultimately makes us identify with the feminine presence on something beyond just a biological level.  I do not see one's conscience, however, as a form of the immanent deity in all exactness.  The conscience to me is a form of the Higher Self, or the Soul, and while it is much closer to actual divinity than just our physical bodies, it's detachment from that whole Source, and attachment to our physical presence separates it.

The points she brings up between the pros and cons with the immanent versus transcendent I agree with very much so.  It can be problematical to someone beginning Goddess worship to view the immanent goddess as any kind of real power, but that really stems from our own views of our limitations.  While superhuman feats of strengths and such abilities that could easily be translated to a transcendent deity are beyond us as humans, that is partially because we are human.  And to be human, to me, is to learn from our weaknesses and limitations.  So while we may not be able to go beyond a certain scope, in this form we are better able to learn the lessons we need to while we live in this form.  I do believe that the transcendent version of any deity comes with a bit more responsibility than the immanent version.  A point is brought up in the reading that the transcendent goddess can seem to impersonal and distant.  I do not believe that this is so at all, to me She knows that we must sometimes fall, and that there is often a purpose to what seem like bad or negative things.  Pain and hardship are great teachers, they show us what we can endure and teach us resolve and to keep going even when it feels as though there is no reason to continue.  The issue is recognizing this as a person, some are just not brought up to think in this way or it never occurs to them, therefore they merely lament their troubles and that is where it ends.

I think the author puts it best when she says:

She is all, she is everything.  She is around us, and she is within us.

We cannot be without her, and we can never encompass all of her.

One or Many?

• Again, I personally hold the belief in both.  To me every individual goddess is part of the Goddess.  My stress here is on punctuation.  To me any smaller versions of Her are merely facets of the ultimate Goddess.  These smaller facets and aspects have a greater accessibility to some as they seem more "human".  Hera, for example, is generally characterized in Her myths to be a jealous wife with a philandering husband.  She is also very crafty in catching said husband.  This archetype, of the jealous wife, is someone we as women can relate to.  Whereas considering the Great Goddess, all that is, to be jealous may seem blasphemous to some - how could you accuse Her of being anything but divine and perfect (but that is very much a construct of the monotheistic God, He is All and He is Perfect...eg He has no faults and makes no mistakes.)

In dealing with the concept of to which ones do we pay homage, I believe that whomever you choose and connect with is fine.  In reality though, we are chosen rather than choosing.  Having a particular affinity for a certain god/dess is Them calling to us, rather than us choosing Them.  In the event that you mean to work with a particular deity for a particular purpose, I again believe that it is a bit more than just us traveling through the religious supermarket and picking a can or box off the shelf.  To choose one deity over another I do not think, in the grand scheme of things is any kind of slight to any other deity as again they are all One with the God or Goddess.

The choice to work with only a female or only a male deity is also a personal choice.  Some feel called to do so and there is nothing wrong with that.  Others like myself choose a more egalitarian approach.  To me my approach directly reflects how I feel a relationship should go - with equal, but differing - responsibilities for each partner (this is without regard to traditional gender roles and in fact includes same sex couples).  What I would ask others is how do your views of worship relate to your views in your relationships?

She is both an expression of what we know about our human world,

and she is a power far beyond expression.

GW '11 - Chapter 1: Finding the Goddess

I have to say that first off, I do not expect that each year this workshop will hold the same lessons.  Likewise, I don't think that I will glean the same things from the reading in general.

I really love the quote that opens this chapter:

"The goddess path is within you...that is where she lives, even when  you forget to look for her.  Look for her there, and you will always find her."

I couldn't have said it better myself and I think it's a wonderful way to start off the reading.  So often we get tied up in the daily grind that we forget to look at ourselves, appreciate our own inner divinity and celebrate that great gift.  Goddess work for women can be about finding the goddess within and honoring her.  For men it's about doing the same, though from a different perspective.  Learning to honor the Divine Feminine is an integral part of my spirituality.

As I read the chapter I am laying back on my couch, I feel the gentle kicks of my unborn child and am reminded very personally of the life giving power of the Goddess and feminine.  I think of ways to honor and show respect to the female form - such as through bellydance, something I mean to take up again quite soon (I desperately need exercise and have always connected with dance).  I like the idea of the modern homage paid to the Goddess as is mentioned in many forms at the outset of the chapter.

Finishing the chapter I am reminded that so often we seem to lose our ways, and I thank Spirit for the opportunity to hold and participate in this workshop with a lovely group of women.  I look forward to learning and sharing, and most of all growing!

I also think of a dear friend I have who is a Hellenic Reconstructionist and also blind.  One of the goals I wish to accomplish this year is working with the blind and deaf in a spiritual way.  I see no reason just because you are blind or deaf that you cannot participate in this kind of spirituality or exercises.

Goddess Workshop 2011

While things started out meaning well last year, "life", as happens interfered with our progress.  So it was put aside and this year again we come to it, with a new group and a firmer resolve.  A group  has been started on Facebook to allow for our work together, but this blog remains a personal endeavor as I myself walk the path through our workshop.

So good luck, happy reading, and enjoy the ride!