ElvenTiger – devotee of Brigid, and perhaps Artemis?

After writing the post on feeling mostly gender-neutral, I got thinking about why I’m so drawn to connecting with the Divine as female, as Goddess.

Part of it is because I’m a feminist, and as such I’m not fond of the patriarchy and its stern, imposing monotheistic God. By feminist, I mean that I’m in favor of justice and equal rights for all, no matter their gender, color, culture, or sexual preference. I see human beings as souls on a learning path, and part of our lesson is to embrace love and compassion.

Christianity is the dominant faith in my culture, but I wasn’t personally raised in any church. And frankly, I never really resonated with it when I looked into it. I’m not dissing anyone else’s religion, not at all. I know men and women who find great meaning in Christianity. It’s just not for me.

What makes sense to me, in the really big picture, is that the Divine encompasses all genders, and goes far beyond mere human form. It is All That Is, and everything in the cosmos is made up of Divine energy.

On a practical level, here on the Earth plane, I’ve found resonance in the idea of Goddess and God, and the seasonal dance between the dualities – as well as all the other mystical energies that spill over the edges of that paradigm. As I walk my spiritual path, I find meaning in archetypes and myths, and I relate to the energies that they embody in the world. I don’t mean myth as in, “that’s just a myth.” I believe that the deities of Earth do exist, and that we can enter into relationship with them. I also believe your experience will be unique to you, and reflect your own beliefs and desires as well as those of your chosen deities.

I connect with these sacred forces in many different ways: as the elements, Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit; as Mother Earth or Gaia, who is our beloved planet (and the closest thing to a deity that I was raised with); and sometimes as individual Goddesses, like Brigid, Kwan Yin, Athena, and Artemis. Yes, there are Gods I resonate with, too, especially Cernunnos, the Green Man.

Yet often when I wish to connect more purposefully with the Divine, it is the Mother to whom I turn. And She never lets me down.