by Mary Petiet 

The power of the divine feminine taps into the power of life. The power is accessible to everyone as the equal opportunity energy surrounding and connecting all living things. The power is ancient, and meditative practices such as yoga, which in Sanskrit means linking to the divine, can connect us to this power. When we make the connection, we find the balance we need to realize our highest selves, and through that balance we can realize the highest self of the larger society.  To reclaim the divine feminine, we need only remember, and as more and more of us remember, we heal first ourselves, and ultimately the planet.

1. She is the route back to the self

In her mother aspect the divine feminine offers a route back to the self and She is all-inclusive. She embraces all of creation, men, women and nature, and we find Her when we reach back far enough into history and our own consciousness. She was there from our very beginning, through the Paleolithic and the Neolithic, when we celebrated her in carved figurines. She was there when we made the shift to agriculture, clear as the full moon, the goddess with her circular all encompassing worldview, birth, life, death and birth again. The goddess as mother, the goddess whose body is the earth which nurtures us all. She is there now in your deepest consciousness, you need only remember, and when you do, She will guide you back to yourself.

2. She promotes life over death

The divine feminine is the creative force of the universe. She is the agent of life and She promotes life at every turn. Our earliest mythologies imagine her birthing the universe, and today each birth echoes that of the universe as life journeys from the womb which mirrors the cosmos to join the life of the planet. She is alive in all nature and promotes the primary goal of all life, which is to live. When we reclaim our most basic right, the right to live, we stop promoting the current culture of death with its death dealing policies on the battlefield, in nature, and in the media. When we promote life over death, we promote peace, and the peaceful conditions in which life may flourish.

3. She promotes collective good over individual gain

The divine feminine assumes abundance for all. This is an aspect of her inclusion of everyone. One of Her symbols is the circle, which travels eternally round and round. The circle has no ending and no pinnacle at the top, as does the pyramid, so there is nowhere on the circle to stand above others. The circle contains all within its safety. There is enough within it for the collective good, and therefore no need for the inflated individualism that leads to greed, suffering, and massive income discrepancy.

4. She our relationship to the planet heals

The greatest image of the divine feminine is the planet itself. Her body is the earth, and we all spring from it. All of us, human, plant and animal. This planet, Her sacred body, is our home and when we understand our connection to it and through it to all life, we will stop defiling it. Once we have traveled the route back to the self, we emerge aware of our surroundings in a new way. We fathom our connection to each living thing and we begin to revere the planet that nourishes us. The divine feminine is already here as more and more of us travel that route and hear Her call. Listen carefully, and you will too.

* ***
Donna Henes is the author of The Queen of My Self: Stepping into Sovereignty in Midlife. She offers counseling and upbeat, practical and ceremonial guidance for individual women and groups who want to enjoy the fruits of an enriching, influential, purposeful, passionate, and powerful maturity. Consult the MIDLIFE MIDWIFE™

The Queen welcomes questions concerning all issues of interest to women in their mature years. Send your inquiries to thequeenofmyself@aol.com.