Good Afternoon,
The human race has been on the Earth for approximately 6.5 million years, and clay figurines have been found (some considered the first works of art created by humans) depicting a Mother Goddess which have been carbon dated between 800,000- 1 million years B.C.E.* These attempts were examples of early man trying to fashion what they thought the creator would look like. Since the female of the species gave birth, it was natural for early man to see the creator, of all that existed, as being female. Every early culture on Earth had a female deity in it's origins.
The earliest part of human history saw society as tribes organized and governed by women. Matriarchal societies were not only ruled primarily by women, the principal deity of such tribal groups were female though, often depicted as a Great Mother Goddess. The women's primary role was to organize and determine the structure of the tribe, teach the young, provide food and medicine to provide nourishment and healing, to assist in births, and comfort the dying, and prepare the dead. The women acted as counselors, teachers, priestesses, judges, healers, oracles, and magi (magickal ones).
The knowledge, that was needed to keep a tribe flourishing, was necessary to pass on to the young. This knowledge of herbs, of knowing when to gather the food, the understanding of seasons and cycles, knowing natural signs, seeming to understand deep mysteries of birth and death all contributed to the woman's reputation of being wise, mysterious, magickal and powerful. The female governed societies for over 65,000 years until approximately 5,000 years ago when the first patriarchal societies originating in Mesopotamia invaded Egypt and other countries in the Mediterranean.
The concept of kingship stated to spread, and male dominated tribes started to overtake countries once dedicated to the Great Mother Goddess, and in a short period of time male dominated cultures had overtaken the Mother governed tribes of the Earth.
Very quickly, in relation to Earth's history, the wheels of change turned and the woman was denigrated to the lowest levels of society. With the introduction of Christianity she was reduced to a status, that in many cultures was, less than cattle. She was considered by the early church to be unclean, sinful, evil, to cavort with the Christian devil, to have been responsible for luring Adam into sin in the Book of Genesis' Garden of Eden, and to be lustful and wholly responsible for sexual deviation. Soon fear and distrust was directed at any female regardless of age. Also with the introduction of Christianity the roles of women in society all became outlawed. Laws were passed forbidding midwifery, cremation (which was a common way to dispose of the dead in many cultures), using herbal knowledge for healing and divining the future by natural means became an offense punishable by death. The wise woman became known as the witch, a direct enemy of the church.
The Burning Times were also known as the Roman Catholic Inquisition, a 300 year period in which the Catholic Church was responsible for the women's holocaust. A time when approximately 9 millions women, children as well as men were arrested, tortured and put to death in the most horrendous ways to eliminate the woman's power and to eradicate the Goddess in the people's belief.
To be continued . . .
Peace and Happiness, Ms. Faith
© 2010-2016 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.
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