To make us a little happier -- what's your favorite feminist religion?

[chicaloca]

Since we've been dealing with a lot of shit around here lately, I think it's time for an uplifting thread. A lot of times after I go to DU I find myself going to various pagan, usually Wiccan, Web sites to get my blood pressure back to normal. I find it has a really calming, soothing effect, and somebody in this forum also mentioned to me recently that she's found a lot of strength and comfort in Goddess-centered religions. I personally am sort of between religions right now, but I've been taking an interest in Dianic Wicca, which took shape during the feminist movement -- you can read some basics about it here:

http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=uswi&c=trads&id=8451

I also find the Feri tradition cool (though if I ever get off my lazy butt and practice a religion, it would be closer to Dianic than anything else):

http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usxx&c=trads&id=3785

What other religions does everybody here practice or take an interest in, and how do they enrich you as a feminist? Even if you don't belong to a religion but have just studied one a lot and find it fascinating, I'd love to hear about it! As an example, I find Kemetism to be fascinating, mainly because I'm fricking OBSESSED with cats and can totally understand how people could worship them (along with other animals) but I don't know if I'll ever really practice it exclusively. I also want this thread to be welcoming to everyone, even if you're an atheist or belong to a religion like Christianity that's often viewed as patriarchal. If you do belong to a religion that some view as patriarchal, what aspects of it do you take comfort in? For example, when I was Christian, I really liked the idea of Mary, and I usually prayed to her more often than to any other Christian entities. Of course, I realize there are some definite non-feminist aspects to her, but I'd like to have more sharing here as opposed to debate.

[ismnotwasm]

1. Agnostic/borderline atheist...but

I love some of the wiccan concepts. (Maiden, Mother, Crone) I had a book once called "Menstrual Magic" that completely changed my view of my menses.(It was written by a witch in Germany, I believe) I taught myself to view it as a time of artistic power and beauty (really)as well as a time of spiritual strength. I have a theory that part of the physical discomforts many women experience from their menses is from the degradation of it over many, many centuries. I love Kali Ma, who laughs at fear and exposes truth---no matter how painful, I love her warrior spirit. So even though I don't have a religion, I comfort myself with spiritual principals from female based myth/religion/spiritual reality. So maybe I am a pagan. Mother Mary rocks, if you think about it. The lady had some serious ovaries if you take the Jesus story literally. Virgin birth indeed! Can you imagine what she went through? And then she lost her beautiful son. (Not to be too naughty, but that description of her impregnation in the bible always sounded like a helluva orgasm to me) And I think she carried women through some dark, dark times (especially the middle ages) when we lost our power, the sense of our proper place in the world. When we became less than males, delegated to only the hearth and childbearing-- then we lost the dignity to even control our own birthings-- when we lost our goddesses, she was all many had left.

[Finder]

12. Pagan concepts, not wiccan in particular. n/t

[ismnotwasm]

14. Yeah, I know very little about Wiccans

I've read the basics. I try to still open minded and nonjudgmental about all religions, or lack thereof, but at heart I'm just a garden variety agnostic.

[elshiva]

2. I am a Christian Feminist who has had all of her higher religious

education from Christian feminists. Jesus is a feminist. The women saints are awesome, Mary is great. I love the women's religious orders. I am going to join the Daughters of the King, God willing soon...

[Ripley]

5. LOL elshiva!

That Jesus on a pogo stick is hilarious! Thanks for giving me a laugh this morning! :7

[elshiva]

7. You are welcome! I put it there to show I have a sense of humor!

[undergroundpanther]

3. Sekhmet

Sekhmet (G/R Sachmis) -

"Powerful Female" First noted in a myth describing Ra's vengeance upon his enemies, Sekhmet, an unstoppable force from which humankind was delivered only by the timely intervention of a moment of levity (embodied in public drunkenness), is an "aggressive" form of the Name of Hethert (Sekhmet was not originally a Name in and of Herself; it is in fact more accurate to refer to Her from earlier times as Sekhmet-Hethert, or Hethert-Sekhmet.) Eventually Sekhmet would develop both a cult and a "personality" quite distinct from Hethert, as the Eye of Ra associated with divine vengeance. As a healer, Sekhmet's power to destroy things utterly would be invoked against the invisible "demons" of plague and disease; Sekhmet's priesthood in antiquity were trained surgeons of remarkable caliber, given the standards for medicine in the ancient world. Thousands of statues of Sekhmet, carved from Aswan red granite, were erected to line processional ways during the New Kingdom as a way to placate the "Red Lady" and encourage Her to turn back the plagues which came into the country at that time. Sekhmet as a destroyer is paired with Ptah the creator and Nefertem the healer at Mennefer, and Her destructive lioness-visage found echo in the images of the Names of Mut and Mertseger down-country in Uaset. Sekhmet's strongest attribute, like that of the lioness Her symbol, is that of appropriate action, especially appropriate violence/destruction


Sekhmet Temple in Nevada
http://www.sekhmettemple.com/


Sekhmet Speaks
http://www.jawest.net/sekhmet1.htm

Kemetic folks..
http://www.per-ankh.org/

Sekhmet the Archetype
http://www.spiritmythos.org/TM/mouthlion.html


!00 Names of Sekhmet...
Tama'atsekhmet ("Sekhmet is the Truth")

Sekhmet, Great One of Magic
Mother of the Netjeru
One Who Was Before The Netjeru Were
Lady Of The Place Of The Beginning of Time
Beloved of Ra, Her Father
Beloved of Bast, Her Sister
Beloved of Ptah, Her Husband-Brother
At Whose Wish The Arts Were Born
Beautiful Eye Which Giveth Life To The Two Lands
Beautiful Face, Image Most Beloved By Art
Flaming One
Sovereign of Ra, Her Father
Protectress Of The Netjeru
Lady of the Scarlet-Colored Garment
Pure One
Destroyer of Rebellions
Eye of Ra
Eye of Heru (Horus)
Pre-Eminent One In The Boat Of Millions Of Years
Roamer of Deserts
Wanderer in the Wastes
Self-Contained
Only One
Awakener
Lady of Enchantments
Opener of Ways
Lady Of Transformations
Lady Of The Many Faces
Enrapturing One
Giver Of Ecstasies
Satisfier Of Desires
Inspirer of Mankind
Victorious One In Battles
Overcomer Of All Enemies
Ruler Of The Desert
Ruler Of Serpents And Of Dragons
Ruler Of Lions
Sublime One
Enlightener
Empowerer
Sparkling One
Great One Of Heka
Lady Of The Magic Lamp
Mother Of The Dead
Lady Of The Bloodbath
Destroyer By Plagues
Great One of Healing
Destroyer By Fire
Lady Of The Waters Of Life
Mistress And Lady Of The Tomb
Great One In The Places Of Judgement And Execution
Guide And Protectress From The Perils Of The Underworld
Great One Of The Place Of Appearances In Silence
Lady Of The Way of Five Bodies
Unrivaled And Invincible One
Ruler Of The Chamber Of Flames
The Source
She Whose Opportunity Escapeth Her Not
Winged One
Powerful Of Heart
The Aware
The Gleaming One
Sekhmet, Who Reduceth To Silence
Sekhmet, Who Rouseth The People
Lady Of Jubilation
Adorable One
Shining Of Countenance
Mother Of Images
Incomparable One
Lady Of Intoxications
Mightier Than The Netjeru
Most Beautiful
Most Strong
Great One Of Laws
Protectress Of The Divine Order
The One Who Holds Back Darkness
The Beautiful Light
Warrior Netjert
Netjert of Love
Great One In Heaven
Great Serpent On The Head Of Her Father
Great One Of The Incense Of The Ennead
Great Lady of The House of Life
Queen Of The Venerable Ones
Lady Of The House Of Books
Devouring One
Sekhmet Of The Knives
Burner Of Evildoers
The One Before Whom Evil Trembles
Terrible One
Lady Of All PowersEternal As Her Father
Lady Of The Manifold Adornments
Most Beautiful Amng The Netjeru
Bountiful One
Sekhmet Who Gies Joys
Unwavering, Loyal One
Beloved Teacher
The Curled One
The Great
Lady of Darkness
Lady of Humanity
Lady of the Rekhyt
Lady of Shores
Lady of the Verdure
The Luminous One
The One Who Leads Humans
The One Who Loves Ma'at and Who Detests Evil
The One Who Presides Over the Country
The One Who Terrifies the Gods by Her Massacre
The One Who Terrorizes the Two Lands with Her Fear
The One Who Travels in Lightning
Sovereign, Wadjet the Great
Preeminent in the Castle of Fire
The Uraeus Who Opens the Acacia Tree

Beloved Sekhmet

[cally]

4. I'm also a Christian feminist

Once you look past the adaptations of Christianity by the patriarchal rulers and the spuelching of women's power in the early church, I can find tremendous knowledge and love in my faith. I'm fascinated by religious faith and trying to find the core of what the creator wants us to know. I think humans interpret divine knowledge through our culture and come up with different religions that often capture some but not all of this knowledge. I can be a Christian and still believe and value others knowledge and faith.

[undergroundpanther]

6. I respect the Gnostics

They were the original Christian before there was an official Rome Sanctioned bible or church calling itself christianity.

One of my favorite pieces from Nag Hammadi is Thunder Perfect Mind.
http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/thunder.html


Read more about the Gnostics..
http://www.religioustolerance.org/gnostic.htm
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/gnostics.html
Pagan left gnostics
http://www.gnostics.com/

[cally]

8. I've read a couple of books on the Gnostics

I find it fascinating. I first heard about them from a post by Kef :cry: I'll check out the links, thanks

[Hello_Kitty]

9. I'm an atheist/agnostic

But I'm absolutely amazed by the story of St. Joan of Arc. Don't know how much is truth and how much myth but I find her truly inspiring. As a teenager, she led armies to drive the English out of France. And she didn't back down, no matter what they did to her. Seriously, as dumb as this sounds, sometimes I conjure her image up when I'm dealing with a difficult situation. I figure if she could withstand being tried, imprisoned, tortured, and then burned at the stake the least I can do is stand up to some sexist assholes at work or on a blog.

[undergroundpanther]

15. And she was a crossdresser

Possibly a transperson too. She inspires me too Like all transpersons through history.

[Finder]

10. Atheist here, but...

I love pagan goddess religions---except for wicca(Gardner was male and wicca is too recent and pop culturish)--particularily the celtic ones.(I did study Dianic Wicca though) I have a soft spot for Kali, Isis, Bridget etc. In Christianity, Mary Magdalene is my absolute idol and Mary the Mother a close second. Lilith in Judaism, etc.

I have an altar with all my fav goddesses and feminine tools/weapons.(I collect feminine relics)

[undergroundpanther]

16. I got my eye

on this beautiful Labrys..At my local pagan shop..
Here it is on the net.It is for display.

http://store1.yimg.com/I/fliinc_1854_517301

[Beaverhausen]

11. I'm a pagan with no specific path

When I found a copy of The Great Cosmic Mother on a friend's bookshelf my life changed forever.

Then of course there was Starhawk's Spiral Dance...

[PassingFair]

13. It's Atheism for me...

No Gods, No Masters!
I don't necessarily have to concentrate on feminism when I can consider myself a HUMANIST!

[undergroundpanther]

17. No gods or masters

for me either.I like the stories,the art,the meanings, I like the myths I like exploring the unknown.I do not worship Sekhmet like she is somehow above me,I consider her a thing or a "force" that exists inside of me, like a handle/label for the better parts of who I am that in turn mirror the better parts of this reality Sekhmet,the archetype is how I reate to the unspeakable in myself and this world...

[PassingFair]

18. Oh Underground, I've read many of your posts....

and I just don't believe there IS "unspeakable" in you! Inarticulable maybe. You should know that your goodness shines.

[undergroundpanther]

19. There is..

But I do not think I was who made it this way..I was just born here.I want to leave,but while I am here I will not make it worse I will do my best to do what MY heart desires..and that is to be something different than what the ways and patterns of this life offers/is.

The world is a place that is alive,beautiful and fatally(literally)flawed, it also is horrifically painful and sad all at the same time.. For me it's that cognitive dissonance that is the veil that covers the truth,the veil of emotional anguish that RENDS you in two to reveal the mystery inside your own heart, that is as terrible as a swarm of steel hornets in your hair and millions of eyes with knives plucking out your thoughts in stark relief as you stumble on lost in a dense smokescreen made if images that comes and goes,than you find,as you stumble the forest is burning and blooming down all around you ,you lurch from a searing branch and a soft leaf unbalanced in a rush of chaos,you see burning trees falling twords you gasping as you notice the beautiful arrangement of shiny plastic like petals on a small delicate buttercup and you stop in the acrid crushing heat enthralled by the tenderness of that little flower, ashen face streaked with tears as the 75 foot trees fall so closely your backside feels the fire caress as you stumble on to??? OUT OF HERE..I find for me it's right where life and death intersect that strange shapes and magical things occur ..And they do whether you are looking or not,if you are observant they happen,why I cannot say,..But being open hearted,fearless of the dissonant, honest and watching for it..you see and sometimes when it happens it's well, unspeakable.


Thanks for your kind words..Purrrrrrrr..Made my night..(besides getting more of my tattoo work done,pretty pretty :))