Getting in
Touch with the
Divine Feminine
Day 149: Your Feminine Side
Is Spirit male or female? Is it genderless and, in being such, does it contain all genders? An exploration of the divine feminine is in order because of all the spiritual potential the female represents. Don’t worry if the male view of Spirit is more familiar to you; the very next section of the book will dive into the divine masculine. For now, let’s think about what femininity means to you. This will differ from person to person and between cultures.
If you’re a man, you may have to dig deep. If you’re a woman, you might have to dig deep as well if, like me, you’re a tomboy who takes womanhood for granted. What symbolism does the divine feminine evoke in your mind? Brainstorm on paper some words that you think of when you think of goddesses, spiritual women in your life, and feminine values. Write down words and don’t be afraid to free-associate. Are any of the words you think of virtues that you have within you? Are there any feminine influences that you would like to see more of in your life, from yourself or others?
Day 150: Other Women
Seeing the Divine in others is one way to connect with Spirit. Giving Spirit more personifying aspects, such as a gender, makes it easier to see Spirit in others who share that characteristic. If every female is a goddess, then every female should be treated with respect, like a goddess. If the divine feminine dwells within every female, this gives us many more people from whom Spirit can be evoked. Blessings from the divine feminine could come from a barista or doctor who embodies the goddess for you in that moment.
Today, imagine that each of the females in your life is a goddess. Your mom, your sister, your daughter, and even the mean lady at work. It may be challenging to see Spirit through this lens. For one thing, real women are imperfect, which might not mesh well with your usual assumptions about Spirit. It may be difficult to respect people who are sometimes a pain in our lives. As you practice this perspective, think about what lessons some people may be teaching you. Are you accepting these lessons graciously, even when they are challenging? Is it difficult to think of Spirit in these forms?
Day 151: Maiden
One of the symbolic representations of the divine feminine is as the archetypical maiden. The maiden is a young, unmarried female. You can think of the maiden as a girl full of promise and innocence. The maiden is a girl laughing in the springtime. The maiden is naïve, sweet, and gentle. She has not yet realized her true creative force. She has not yet realized all her roles in the world. Her time is happy and carefree.
Do you see the maiden represented in the young ladies and girls in your life? Are there any projects in your life that are in the “maiden” stage of development? That is, are there any that are fresh and new in their development, so that you are still full of passion and curiosity at all the potential? Do you feel the maiden inside yourself at times? Have you ever played the role of the young, pure, and innocent? How can you bring more of the maiden’s energy into your life, if that is what you wish? You can draw or paint a picture of the maiden if you wish, giving her attributes that you imagine from this archetype.
Day 152: Mother
The mother is a widespread goddess form because this archetype is so familiar. So many people have had a mother figure in their lives who has influenced them strongly with positive energy. The mother is nurturing, at times kind and other times stern. The mother is a powerful and mysterious creative force. Who can fully understand the amazing miracle of a person being formed in the womb of another person? The power of this miracle exists in every mother. This creative force can also be seen as a metaphor. The mother has realized her role in the world and can impact all through her manifestation.
Do you have a mother figure in your life? How can you honor her like a goddess? What do you visualize when you think of the epitome of a mother? Can you create a drawing or a painting of a mother goddess? How can you nurture others in your life like a mother? How can you be a mother in order to give birth to creative ideas? The mother is all about manifesting the potential the maiden had within her all along.
Day 153: Crone
Crone is the word for an old woman. Though it colloquially has a negative connotation, in some cultures it is known as a term of respect. This wise woman has already lived through the roles of maiden and mother, and she has those collective experiences on which to draw for her decisions. As a result, the crone can be a healer, a storyteller, and someone who knows the true mysteries of Spirit. Though the crone approaches the end of her life and the inevitability of death, she faces this unafraid and with faith.
Have you reached the point of being the wise crone in any area of your life? Do friends come to you with questions about something with which you have extensive experience? Do you know anyone who embodies the wise crone? How can you live up to the image of the wise crone in your golden years? What can you do now in order to become respectable, wise, and still useful to the world? Draw or paint a picture of the crone. How can you honor elders in our society and thus honor the divine feminine in living crones?
Day 154: The Necklace Worn By the Divine Feminine
One symbol of the divine feminine is the necklace. Of course, women wear necklaces most prominently in Western culture, and a necklace can be a very feminine piece of jewelry. The necklace is a circle, without beginning and without end, representing the endless cycle of maiden and mother and crone that makes up life and death. In some cultures, necklaces are received as a sign of initiation into the spirituality of the group and are worn in rituals. Necklaces can be made of prayer beads or numbers of stones or seeds that have special significance to you.
Today, make or procure a necklace to either wear yourself in prayer or to give to somebody who is like a goddess in your life. You can make a necklace out of beads, seeds, other natural materials, or even by rolling up triangles of newspaper and gluing them into cylinder-shaped beads. Just like a prayer shawl, try using these beads while you pray or meditate or are involved in another sacred activity. You can leave the necklace on your altar or in your sacred space when not in use. Meditate on the endless cycle of death and rebirth as mediated by the divine feminine.
Day 155: Creation and Mother Earth
The creative force of the female is a miracle and a mystery. There are many instances of creation that are beautiful and mysterious in our universe. For example, the creation of the universe in general is a beautiful mystery. Present evidence shows that there was a big bang at the initial creation of the universe. But what existed before the big bang and what initiated the big bang? This is where the faithful get to run wild with their imaginations. Since there is not yet any consensus on this issue, it is a good time to have faith and to dream.
What do you think happened at the time of creation? Was the Creator male or female or both? Is creation part of a cycle of growth and destruction? What is the ultimate purpose and course of the creation of this universe? Write down your thoughts on the matter. Consider writing your own creation myth. Explore the creation myths of other cultures. The contemplation of the creation of this universe and of life in general is an opportunity to allow your belief in the unknown and the unbelievable to soar—because, honestly, this stuff is cool!
Day 156: Life and the Life-Giving Divine Feminine
Life is amazing. Out of the primordial ooze, the first life took root and evolved into the panoply of living things that we see today. The only difference between us and amoebae are many years of evolution. What is this fire of life that lives inside us all? No matter how far we scientifically advance, we are as yet unable to jump-start life in the same way as the original Creator or Creators. Some people believe that life is the essential nature of Spirit.
How do you think life began, if you have any guesses at all? Do you believe that life is sacred because of its uniqueness and miraculous nature in the universe? If so, does the sacred nature of life affect any of your ethical choices? Today, meditate on the true nature of life and death. Spirit gives life, but are humans allowed to take life away? Is one life more or less sacred than another? How can you honor the sacred nature of life? Is there any way to desecrate or profane life in general, or is life just life the way it is?
Day 157: Love and Sexuality as a Sacred Feminine Power
You’ve already thought about how sex fits into spirituality. Today I want you to think about love and sexuality as a symbolic act, rather than literal. If Spirit is male and female in nature, then the two can be joined in sexual union. If this is true, then some people believe that this sacred union is the ultimate expression of Spirit. In the real world, everything is separate and categorized for people. There are somewhat clear delineations between black and white, up and down, and sometimes even right and wrong. But when union happens in the name of love, the world becomes paradoxically less clear and also perfect just the way it is.
Do you believe that love is sacred? Do you believe that sex is sacred? What is the difference between sacred and profane sex? Is there a difference? Today, meditate on the true nature of love and sex. How can you bring more sacred union in your life, metaphorically or literally? Is there a way to dishonor sex in the eyes of Spirit? How can you conduct yourself in order to bring more sacred love or sex into your life?
Day 158: Nourishment as a Motherly Trait
The first form of nourishment for most people comes from the mother. From the breasts of the life-giving mother, milk and nourishment flow into the baby. Before the breast, the umbilical cord furnished all nutrients for the fetus, through the lifeblood that connected the two. In our culture, often the mother, as well as the father, continues to nourish children throughout childhood. Nourishment can be thought of as an essential function of the divine feminine. In a sense, Spirit continues to nourish us all with spiritual food.
For many people, spiritual food is something that feeds the soul even when the body goes hungry. There are those who even believe that humans can live off of light and spiritual nourishment in the same way they can live off of food. Of course, such experiments are dangerous when practiced by ordinary people and not mythological figures and experienced yogis. However, it is worth asking Spirit to nourish you in prayer. This spiritual nourishment can build upon your physical nourishment and help you to feel stronger in life overall. Today, think about the true nature of nourishment. Ask for Spirit to nourish the parts of you that are frail and weak and in need of care.
Day 159: Beauty
Beauty is a mysterious human ideal. Beauty is a vital factor in human existence, since it is often noticed when two people fall in love and have children. Yet, beauty ideals differ significantly from culture to culture. Some people believe big is beautiful, while others revere thin as the ideal. Various beauty ideals shift across time and space. Yet, in the individual’s experience, beauty seems like a fixed and unexplainable experience. When you see something beautiful, you don’t have to debate it within your own mind. Beauty slaps you across the face and shakes you to your core.
Today, meditate on the true nature of beauty. Think about various beautiful things that you have seen in your life. Beautiful landscapes, beautiful children, beautiful women, and beautiful acts. What feelings or senses unite these beautiful ideas in your life? What thread weaves these beautiful things together into one whole, if anything? How can you bring more beauty into the world? Can you create something that is objectively beautiful? If not, can you create something that is guaranteed to be beautiful to you? If so, get started.
Day 160: Compassion and Empathy
Compassion is a spiritual ideal that spans many faith traditions. Compassion entails feeling a sense of sympathy and empathy for the suffering of others. If you don’t know anyone who is going through a hard time, compassion would be largely unnecessary. However, most of us know somebody we love who has gone through a great deal of suffering. In those cases, compassion can help us to connect with the loved one and treat them kindly. When the person suffering is a stranger, compassion is more difficult to find and to hold.
Think of a time in your life when you were able to feel empathy for somebody else who was suffering when you were not. Was this person close to you? How were you able to link your own experience into the suffering of that person? Was there anything positive that could come of that compassion? Have you ever been able to feel compassion for a complete stranger? How could you compel yourself to feel compassion for more strangers more often? What are the downsides of feeling compassion, and how can any negative feelings be mitigated?
Day 161: The Quest for Youth
The spiritual value of youth can be a controversial subject. After all, none of us are getting any younger. There’s no way to get younger in this lifetime, no matter how devout you happen to be. Nonetheless, youth continues to be an ideal across many forms of religious expression. Youthful worshippers are honored as beautiful expressions of Spirit. Youthful people are protected by their elders, and fiercely defended when put in danger. The youthful virtues of purity and innocence are revered as joyful and sacred states of being. The energy of young people is certainly something to be envied.
Today, meditate upon the nature of youth. What are the benefits of youth over age? How was your spiritual experience or expression different in your youth? How can you bring some of your youthful energy back into your present spiritual practice? Since you aren’t getting any younger, how can you encourage youthful people in their own personal spiritual expression? You might have the chance to become a mentor to somebody younger than yourself, who can in turn inject youthful energy into your own spiritual life.
Day 162: Kindness
Kindness is a universal spiritual virtue. You can’t do wrong by being kind, even when you have to be firm, be stern, and set boundaries in your life. The worst that can come about from being kind is that your enemies become confused. And yet, kindness is one of the most difficult virtues to fake. If you’re used to defending yourself with cruelty or aloofness, kindness can seem like an impossible virtue to emulate. After all, kindness springs from compassion. If you have no compassion, you will have a difficult time producing kind behavior.
Today, meditate on the true nature of kindness. What makes an action kind? Is it the intention of the act that truly makes it kind, or is it the outcome of the action that makes it kind? Can a kindness that is impractical for a community or a corporation be encouraged or accomplished by an individual? Is there any way to stop keeping count altogether and execute kind acts simply because you’re a good person? It’s always a valuable decision to try to bring more kindness into the world, so go for it.
Day 163: Gentleness
One virtue that is consistently characterized as female is gentleness. Consider the character of the southern ideal of womanhood. She’s kind, pleasing to listen to, and always ready with a hand on the shoulder and a fresh glass of cool lemonade on a hot day. What is the true nature of gentleness? Any parent of a two-year-old knows that teaching gentleness involves a lot of explaining about a light touch. Touching another person with gentleness involves moving slowly and resting only lightly. Gentleness can be less tangible as well. Gentleness can include a “soft eye.” Look at people with a smile on your lips and a hopeful thought in your mind.
Meditate today on the true nature of gentleness. When is it right to be gentle? How can you exemplify gentleness in your home? How can you embody the ideal of gentleness in your workplace? When you are feeling aggressive and defensive, how can you be as gentle as possible in your self-expression? Catch yourself being gentle throughout the day. Who helps you to be the gentlest version of yourself? What intrinsic rewards do you notice when you are gentle? How do you feel? How do others treat you?
Day 164: Humility
Humility is a strange virtue to contemplate. It’s a common virtue associated with women and spiritual people throughout the world. At the same time, it is also one of those tricky states of being to achieve. The more you try to be humble, the faster it flees from you. You can’t very well stand on a rooftop shouting about your humility without looking like a braggart. Essentially, humility comes from achievement, sure. However, humility also comes from a life well lived, and a healthy sense of self-esteem.
Today, meditate on the true nature of humility. When have you been praised and yet at the same time felt satisfied? Who was the person (or persons) giving you accolades? How was your journey to the achievement? How was your success recognized? How can you encourage yourself to do the same sort of thing in your life now? It may seem silly to force yourself to achieve something and then be humble. Instead, try to catch yourself in the act. Is there anything you’ve recently done that you haven’t yet celebrated?
Day 165: Reverence Around the Sacred
Earlier in this book I asked you to contemplate whether anything was too silly for Spirit. Today, I’d like you to think about being reverent and showing respect for Spirit. You’ve already learned some practical ways to show respect to Spirit. You can address Spirit respectfully in prayer. You can dress especially for Spirit and you can clean yourself and prepare your sacred space for Spirit. But what is the true reason behind it all? Why treat Spirit carefully like a potentially angry grandparent when Spirit is also supposed to be your best friend?
In all cultures, there is a strange dance of respect that is done to show power differentials. It may be impossible to say whether the chicken comes before the egg here. Is your mom more important than you in your life because you treat her so, or is it because she imposes her will upon you and so it becomes true? In most religions, Spirit takes the high rank over people. Though there are a few traditions in which people threaten Spirit until they get their way, most people tend to step aside and let Spirit take the lead. Decide now what choice you will make.
Day 166: Abundance
When many people pray to Spirit asking for blessings, they ask for abundance, whether that means abundance of wealth or love. Abundance isn’t a virtue, but a blessing. We know that a rich person isn’t necessarily better than a person who is in poverty. A person with many loved ones is not any better than a person who only holds a few people dear to his or her heart. However, we all want sufficient abundance in our lives. When I pray for wealth, I ask that my life be blessed with enough to provide for myself and enough to share.
It’s tough to get a handle on how much abundance you want and need in your own life. Witness the many people who seem to have it all but are still unhappy and wanting more. Don’t spend your whole life chasing one goal after another without finding the true abundance of Spirit in your life. Even those who seem to have nothing can be truly happy if they find spiritual abundance.
Day 167: Sweetness
Today’s challenge is tougher than it seems. More than kindness, sweetness is also a virtue at times attributed to Spirit. Let us carefully analyze the difference. While it may be more kind to tell someone that his beloved pet needs to be euthanized, sweetness comes into play with the gentle delivery of this bad news. The difference between the two is very subtle. You may have to practice sweetness a good deal even if you are a pro at choosing kind words and delivering tactful messages.
Today, think about how you can be sweeter to people in your life. The good news about sweetness is that kindness is not always necessary. Even if you have to give somebody bad news or if you have to do something challenging, you can do so while being sweet to all concerned. Try smiling and drawing from the joy of Spirit, even if you must pull it from the earth through grounding. Whenever you need to communicate a message, try to do so with gentleness, kindness, and sweetness. Observe the reaction you receive. Is your news received more quickly and smoothly when you are sweet?
Day 168: Reciprocity
The divine feminine represents receptivity toward spiritual energy, and the divine masculine represents projection of said spiritual energy. The phallus is an expression of energy while the vagina accepts the spiritual gift. Even the female electrical outlet is receptive. This doesn’t mean that women are always passive. However, it does mean that the goddess represents the ultimate expression of perfect acceptance. Whenever you send out prayers or energy into the universe, the goddess is guaranteed to receive it. This is why she was made. This is the perfect expression for which she was built.
Today, meditate on the nature of reciprocity, or the exchange of Spirit. Think about a time in your life when you were grateful that you accepted an idea or a person. Have you experienced a moment when you were happy that somebody was approachable? How can you encourage others to be more open to your spiritual energy? How can you be more welcoming to the spiritual energy of others? Imagine that spiritual energy is the perfect gift. One that can never really be returned, but can be exchanged for any gift you could want in the entire world. How can you be the most grateful recipient of this gift?
Day 169: Perfect Love and Perfect Trust
Love is such a strong attribute of Spirit in many cultures that some believe that Spirit and love are indistinguishable. The concept of love is also inextricably bound with trust. Ideally, for faith to be present, one should develop both love for Spirit and trust in Spirit. This is easier said than done, and certainly both feelings may falter at different points in life. That doesn’t mean that your sense of love and trust are flawed.
Do you feel love for Spirit? Do you feel trust in Spirit? You already know that one way to demonstrate your love for Spirit is to show love for a person in your life. Make time to do that today. It follows, too, that you can demonstrate your trust in a trustworthy person in order to grow your faith with Spirit. This can be very challenging for people with trust issues. Think of a trustworthy person you have in your life. This could be a best friend, a partner, a child, or someone else. How can you open up your trust to trustworthy people more? How can you thank these people for being trustworthy?
Day 170: Mirth and Joy
Being a spiritual person takes a lot of work and dedication. However, spirituality should be fun as well. The same Spirit that created the world in which you live also created love, laughter, and joy. In many religious traditions, showing joy and experiencing pleasure are expressions of worship in and of themselves. Some faith traditions go so far as to prescribe joyful singing, dancing and whirling, and other outward signs of mirth as daily worship. Spirit can be an enjoyable part of life, not a chore.
Everybody wants more happiness, but joy can be a fleeting thing. I can’t give you homework to be happy today, because the issue can’t be forced. Sometimes one has to come at happiness sideways and gently, like approaching a timid animal. Look back on your spiritual practice so far and recall which forms of spiritual expression make you the most joyful. Also think of the happiest moments in your everyday life and how you might interject more Spirit into those. Give yourself a break from anything you can that kills your joy today. You can return to such unpleasant duties tomorrow. Today, give an offering of your playful mood to Spirit.
Day 171: Feminism
It’s easy to see the power in ordinary women if you honor the divine feminine. When considering the divine feminine, many people take note that there’s an overwhelming emphasis in world religions on the idea of god as a masculine archetype. Seeing this imbalance, some choose to advocate for the divine feminine. This can be seen as a form of feminism. In fact, some religious people combine feminism as a political movement with spirituality. You don’t have to exclusively honor female notions of Spirit, although some choose to do so, believing that is the only way to truly find balance.
Do you consider yourself a feminist? Do you believe in an equal balance between the divine feminine and the divine masculine? How can you promote this balance in your spiritual practice? Do you think that your own spirituality is currently gender-skewed in any way? Today, meditate upon the place of feminism in society and spirituality. You may notice more places they intersect in your own life experience. You may feel compelled to align your spiritual goals with feminism or you may not. Either view is okay. In fact, many actively distance themselves from feminist ideology in order to focus on building up the divine masculine as well.
Day 172: Staying Down-to-Earth
Female archetypes and societal roles can be confusing. A single person can embody completely polar opposite ideals within a lifetime. In the real lived experience of spiritual women, the sacred and the profane dance together in everyday life. A mother can be sexy. A flirty person can be nurturing. A girlfriend can be a vixen and the sort of lady to take home to meet Mom. In our society, people tend to either devalue women or place them high on a pedestal, treating them with so much grace and gentleness that their humanity is obscured.
When you think of the divine feminine, which archetypes do you tend to gravitate toward? As you progress through this book, you may naturally find yourself opening up to seeing the divine in every person and in every woman. How can you show honor to women while also acknowledging their ordinary humanity? Allow yourself to think of the less honorable traits of women you respect in your life as well. How do their flaws highlight their human nature and their potential for growth?
Day 173: Correspondences
At the beginning of this section, I asked you to brainstorm some ideas about the divine feminine. Looking back on those notes may help today. Correspondences are symbolic associations that can be used in spiritual working. For example, when you worked with the elements, you learned that a bowl of salt in your sacred place can represent the element of earth. This is an example of a correspondence. You can also come up with correspondences for the divine feminine. These correspondences might vary from person to person and especially between cultures. For example, the divine feminine may be represented by flowers, the color purple, the earth, the moon, a necklace, and many other things.
Today, meditate on other correspondences for the divine feminine. What are some objects you can place on your altar or in your sacred space to represent the divine feminine to you? What are some representative foods, incenses, or gestures that you could add to your prayer time? How can you add a bit of the divine feminine touch to your household? Use these correspondences to keep yourself more mindful.
Day 174: Goddesses
You may already be familiar with some specific goddess names in mythology. For example, Aphrodite, the goddess of love in Greek mythology. Artemis, goddess of the moon, the hunt, and chastity. Athena, goddess of wisdom and war. You may have already been able to explore other pantheons while reading myths. Today, I want you to drill down deeper and get specific with goddesses. You can read about goddesses online or pick a good book from the library. You can even reread an old favorite myth, this time paying careful attention to any goddess characters.
As you read and research, notice attributes that are common to many goddesses. You can ponder whether all goddesses are aspects of a single goddess, or whether they are each individuals in their own right, or whether these are merely stories to help people understand female roles in spirituality. Are some goddess archetypes more believable and appealing to you than others? Are there similarities between the stories that contain goddess figures? If you were to write a myth about a new goddess, what would she be like and what would she do? Do any of these goddess myths inspire your spiritual practice?
Day 175: Matron
Some people who honor the divine feminine choose a matron goddess. Some people believe that a matron goddess chose them. As you read through goddess mythology, you may have found one goddess who stood out for you more than others. Or, perhaps a goddess came to you in a dream or during a meditative vision. There are many ways for the divine feminine to reach out and touch your life. You may have to go seeking, or you may have already found her right where you are.
So, what do you do with a matron goddess once you’ve got one? Well, that depends on your beliefs and preferred practice. You could print out a picture of the goddess, decorate it, and display it in your living space. You could begin directing your prayers to that goddess. You could simply use that goddess as a meditative focal point and contemplate her myths and attributes. Is the goddess real? The good thing about myths is that they always hold within them a little bit of human truth, no matter how fantastic. You can bring to life some of your matron goddess’s attributes by integrating them into your own life.
Day 176: Goddess Planets
When I first introduced astrology in this book, I had you take a look at some of the planetary aspects and your own sun signs. Imagine that the planets are a cast of characters, and the sign is the stage. The aspects are the dialogue between them. Today I’d like to introduce you to some of the planets. Venus is the Roman goddess of love. Whenever Venus interacts with another planet, there’s sure to be love or passion going on. Even though the moon isn’t a planet, it is considered one in astrology. The moon belongs to the goddess Diana, and represents mystery, cycles, and magic.
Look up an astrological calendar. You may have to search for a key if your astrological calendar uses signs to represent the planets. Pay special attention to the moon and Venus, and look at what is happening with them this month. In which star sign is Venus right now? Look up the characteristics of that star sign. What would it mean if those characteristics were supercharged with love right now? Try the same exercise with the moon and its mystery. If you have access to your natal chart, you can take a look at how these two planets influence you. If you find this interesting and want to jump into the male planets as well, you can look up the Sun, who belongs to Apollo, the god of healing. You can also look at Saturn, the god of chaos and destruction; Jupiter, the god of leadership and duty; Mercury, the god of business and communication; and Mars, the god of conflict.
Day 177: Herbs and Flowers
in the Garden of Mother Earth
Herbs and flowers are often associated with the divine feminine. There are those who believe that herbs themselves are divine. Devas, the spirits of plants, dwell in gardens. If you build a garden suitable for herbs and flowers, consider adding some to your garden that remind you of the divine feminine. Meditate near herbs or flowers and see if you can feel the divine energy emanating from them.
Flowers are a frequent offering to Spirit. Cut flowers and place them in a bud vase on your altar or in your sacred space. You can purchase flowers in the supermarket or paint or draw a picture of a flower. If the flowers have a good scent, breathe in the beautiful fragrance and sip some herbal tea while you meditate. You can visualize yourself laying the flowers at the feet of a goddess if you wish. Leave the flowers in the sacred space when you are done. Later, when they begin to droop, you can discard them, preferably outdoors, perhaps in a compost pile, to return to the earth. Try not to have wilted flowers on your altar. However, you can place dried flowers as a permanent feature in your sacred space.
Day 178: Tarot Archetypes
The tarot is a deck of seventy-eight cards originally designed as a game and political satire and later used as a divination system. If you lay out the tarot cards from the first to the last, they tell the classic story of the hero’s journey. When you shuffle tarot cards and lay them out carefully in arrays called spreads, they can tell your own story. In forthcoming days, we’ll investigate several tarot card archetypes one by one, as well as further exploring the hero’s journey.
In the coming exercises, you can look up pictures of tarot cards online, but ideally I encourage you to get your own tarot deck. You can buy a tarot deck sight unseen, but if you’re lucky enough to live near a metaphysical bookstore, you can pick one out in person. Most metaphysical bookstores have sample decks so that you can look through the cards before you buy. Flip through them and see if any of the imagery speaks to you. You might even sense the energy of a deck by simply holding it and decide that tarot deck is right for you. If you already have a tarot card deck, flip through it today and take special note of any divine feminine archetypes.
Day 179: Birth and Death
The divine feminine is the gateway to birth, since every human who is alive today once gestated within the womb of a mother. The cycle of birth and death is one of the greatest spiritual mysteries. As mysteries, birth and death are often best explored through symbolism. The divine feminine is an important symbolic key for understanding these mysteries for many people.
Today, meditate on the true nature of birth and death. Do you believe that birth and death are a cycle? Is death necessary for birth? What do you think happened with your personality and identity before birth? Is the afterlife also a place where our souls dwell before birth? Explore your beliefs surrounding birth and death. One symbol for this is the labyrinth. During your walking meditation, I suggested that you see if there is a labyrinth near you, or build your own. You can also meditate upon a smaller labyrinth model. You can print out a picture of a labyrinth and trace its path with your finger. You can think about any issue while journeying through the labyrinth, but the issue of birth and death is especially well suited to the labyrinth.
Day 180: Earth
The earth is associated with the divine feminine in many myths. Mother Earth is a nurturer, because she nourishes all life as we know it. The Gaia hypothesis, named after the earth goddess, suggests that the earth itself is a giant organism. We are living upon this goddess, and she may in fact be sentient. The earth is also associated with the element of earth. Green, growing things; financial abundance; and a sense of stability all come from the earth. Financial abundance comes from the elemental energies of earth that have to do with material things, stability, and the abundant wealth of fruits and vegetables that spring forth from the earth.
Today, practice your grounding during meditation. This time, be especially mindful that the refreshing and renewing energy that you receive through grounding is coming from the earth. Visualize the earth as a mother who takes care of you. Next, visualize yourself as a part of Mother Earth. You are but one cell in her body. Imagine that you are loved by her as much as you care about your own two hands. Feel the divine feminine energy flowing through you, washing and refreshing you, and filling you with love. When you have finished grounding, thank the earth and any being that may embody it. You have come from the earth and one day you shall return to it.
Day 181: Oceans, Rivers, and Bodies of Water
In mythology, goddesses are often associated with oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water. Why is this? The element of water is thought to be feminine. The waters of the womb bring forth life. In many cultures it was thought that after death, souls went over the water to an afterlife. Just as goddesses are mediators between life and death, so is the element of water. In some cultures, every body of water is thought to have its own spirit. I am lucky enough to live at the edge of two creeks. Whenever I like, I can go rest at the side of the flowing water and gaze into it. It is a peaceful experience and the pattern of the water flowing over the rocks can easily lull me into a trance.
Today, you can practice your water scrying, preferably while visiting a natural body of water. Scrying is the practice of seeing psychic visions within a divination tool such as water. It doesn’t matter if it’s a lake, a pond, or a stream. Hopefully you’ll be looking into something that is a little bigger than a puddle. Imagine that the Divine Spirit that dwells within this natural feature is what gives you the images you see during your meditations.
Day 182: Blood Symbolism
Blood has long been a symbol associated with women’s mysteries. After all, women bleed once a month, often coinciding with the moon’s cycles. Blood coming from the womb, the place of birth, represents life. And, of course, exsanguinations can cause death. To primitive peoples, blood must have seemed like a mysterious, magical, and sacred substance indeed. Thinking in this way, it’s amazing to know that there is an intricate system in your body that allows this sacred substance to constantly circulate within you. If you choose to donate blood, you are literally giving life from this spiritual essence of yourself. If you happen to be the proud owner of a uterus, it is thought that your psychic abilities are increased during the time of menstruation.
Today, meditate on the topic of blood. Consider grabbing some red paint and creating art. If you’re a little squeamish about blood, you don’t have to be so visual with your meditations. Instead, you can feel your pulse and the heat of your blood flowing in your veins as you meditate. Try to focus on your own blood movement, visualizing it helping the energy move around your body.
Day 183: Wise Women
Before the advent of modern medicine, every village and hamlet had its wise women. Indeed, in some rural communities in the world, this is still the case. Such wise women were crones old enough to have experience with various illnesses and conditions. Wise women would make herbal preparations to treat various maladies. When younger women were giving birth, wise women did their best to get the mom and baby through the ordeal alive. Historically, wise women were sometimes persecuted by those who disliked strange old women on the fringes of society, or who were threatened by their role and station in the community.
Even in this modern world, we are blessed with wise women. Luckily, we now have the opportunity to take advantage of the wisdom of these ladies in addition to the miracle of modern medicine. Do you know a wise woman in your life? Would you like to take on some of the attributes of a wise woman? Today, meditate on the wise woman as a symbol and a representation of the divine feminine. The wise woman is the embodiment of the divine feminine walking and acting on this earth.
Day 184: The Cup and the Pentacle
Today we will look at two symbols often found in altars and sacred spaces and also seen in the tarot cards. First, the cup. The cup represents the cauldron of death and rebirth. It is the womb or vagina as a symbol. You can place a cup of water in your sacred space as a representation of the divine feminine, or you can even pour yourself a glass of wine when you sit down at meditation to honor the divine feminine. The myth of the Holy Grail represents the divine feminine and the eternal life that she can bring. The cup can also act as a representative of the element of water in your sacred space when filled with water.
The pentacle is both a symbol and a tool. A pentacle is a five-pointed star inscribed in a circle. The five points of the star represent earth, air, fire, water, and Spirit. The circle represents cycles and also protection. In the tarot, the pentacle is the symbol of material abundance. You can make a pentacle as a tool to keep in your sacred space. Cut a circle out of paper, or get a circular piece of wood. Paint or draw a pentacle on the circle. This can be a representative of earth in your sacred space.
Day 185: Woman Warriors, the Fierce
Side of Women, and the Fire in the Belly
Goddesses are often painted in myth as receptors of the seed of life, and so they may appear passive. However, there are plenty of warrior goddesses in myth as well. This archetype may seem to go against the passivity and gentleness often associated with the female form. Of course, in real life we know that every person has the capacity to be violent or peaceful. The same fire of creativity that rises up within the divine feminine can also be a fire of destruction. Creators can be destroyers.
Today, meditate upon the archetype of the female warrior. You can choose a goddess like Athena, or you can think of a woman warrior in your own life. You can even think of a woman who is battling cancer. Draw strength from this image in your meditation. Imagine this divine warrior within you. The nurturing gentleness of womanhood and the strength of a warrior are combined in this image. Do you find a conflict in these two roles? Are you drawn to the juxtaposition of peace and war? Do you ever have to play both of these roles?