"The Goddess movement includes spiritual beliefs or practices (chiefly neopagan) that emerged predominantly in North America, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand in the 1970s."
This topic focuses on the worship of goddesses in various cultures throughout history. It examines how goddess worship has been suppressed by patriarchal religions and how it is being revived in modern times.
Mythology: Stories of goddesses and their origins, roles, powers, and interactions with other gods and mortals.
Archetypes: Symbols and patterns that represent the qualities and characteristics of goddesses, such as the maiden, mother, and crone or the elements of air, water, fire, and earth.
Feminine Spirituality: Spiritual practices and rituals that honor the divine feminine and connect with the earth, the moon, and the cycles of life.
Women's History: The role of women in religious and cultural traditions, their struggles and achievements, and the impact of patriarchal systems on their lives.
Goddess Art: The representation of goddesses and their stories in visual art forms such as painting, sculpture, and textiles.
Ritual and Ceremony: Celebration and worship of the goddess through ceremonies, offerings, and sacred spaces.
Mythic Feminine Psychology: Psychoanalytic approach that uses goddess myths and archetypes to explore the inner life of women and their psyche.
Healing and Empowerment: The use of goddess teachings and practices to promote healing, emotional wellbeing, and self-empowerment.
Intersectionality: The exploration of the intersection of gender with other social issues such as race, class, and sexual orientation in goddess traditions.
Emerging Traditions: Women-led, feminist, and queer interpretations of goddess spirituality that challenge dominant narratives and offer new perspectives on the divine feminine.
Wicca: Wicca is a modern Pagan religion that honors the Goddess and God as equal divine beings. It celebrates the cycles of nature, the phases of the moon, and the turning of the seasons.
Hinduism: Hinduism has a rich tradition of Goddess worship, with many different forms of the Divine Feminine, including Kali, Durga, and Lakshmi. The Goddess is seen as the embodiment of Shakti, or the divine energy that animates all of creation.
Greek Mythology: Greek mythology also has a pantheon of Goddesses, including Athena, Artemis, and Hera. The Goddess is often associated with nature, fertility, and wisdom.
Celtic Spirituality: Celtic spirituality honors the Goddess in her many forms, including Brigid, the triple Goddess, and the Morrigan. The Goddess is seen as the guardian of the land, the protector of animals, and the source of wisdom.
Native American Spirituality: Native American spirituality also honors the feminine divine, with many tribes having their own traditions and stories of the Goddess. The Goddess is often associated with the earth, animals, and the cycles of life.
Buddhist Tradition: In Buddhism, the Goddess is represented by Tara, a Bodhisattva who embodies compassion and healing. Tara is seen as a guide and protector, helping to ease suffering and bring peace to those who call upon her.
Egyptian Mythology: Egyptian mythology has a rich tradition of Goddess worship, with many powerful female deities such as Isis, Hathor, and Sekhmet. The Goddess is often associated with the sun, the Nile River, and the mysteries of life and death.
Yoruba Religion: Yoruba religion has a pantheon of Orishas, including many Goddesses such as Oshun, Yemaya, and Oya. The Goddess is seen as the source of fertility, love, and abundance.
"The movement grew as a reaction to Abrahamic religions, which have only gods with whom are referred by male pronouns."
"Belief systems range from monotheistic to polytheism to pantheistic and encompass a range of theological variety similar to that in the broader neopagan community."
"The Goddess movement is a widespread non-centralized trend in neopaganism, and it therefore has no centralized tenets of belief."
"Practices vary widely, from the name and the number of goddesses worshipped to the specific rituals and rites that are used."
"Some, such as Dianic Wicca, exclusively worship female deities, but others do not."
"Common pluralistic belief means that a self-identified Goddess worshiper could theoretically worship any number of different goddesses from cultures all over the world."
"Based on its characteristics, the Goddess movement is also referred to as a form of cultural religiosity."
"...that is increasingly diverse, geographically widespread..."
"...that emerged predominantly in the 1970s."
"...North America, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand..."
"...which have only gods with whom are referred by male pronouns..."
"Some, such as Dianic Wicca, exclusively worship female deities..."
"...a self-identified Goddess worshiper could theoretically worship any number of different goddesses..."
"...and it uses goddess worship and may include a focus on women or on one or more understandings of gender or femininity."
"...encompass a range of theological variety similar to that in the broader neopagan community."
"Practices vary widely, from the name and the number of goddesses worshipped to the specific rituals and rites that are used."
"more dynamic in process."
"The Goddess movement is a widespread non-centralized trend in neopaganism..."
"...increasingly diverse, geographically widespread, eclectic, and more dynamic in process."