Ancient Matriarchy

The word Matriarchy conjures up images of a culture where women have total control of men and total control of the society and everything that goes on within it. Which is not true. Matriarchy is not the exact opposite of Patriarchy. In a Patriarchal society, women are repressed and are not allowed simple freedoms that we take for granted today. Men actually do have power over everything and even a woman's word is deemed foolish and unimportant. In a Matriarchal society, women have power, but so do men, there is no repressing of the other therefore making it an egalitarian, or equal, society. There are many authors, archaeologists and anthropologists alike who say that a matriarchal society never existed. I think this is a little closed minded, as there have been hundreds and hundreds of cultures before us that lived for thousands of years. Is it really impossible to think that maybe some of those cultures could have been matriarchal?

Along with the term Matriarchy, we have Matrilineal, where the lineage goes through the woman instead of the man, and Matrilocal, which means that when a man and a woman get married, they live with the bride's family instead of the grooms family. Even though some scholars dont want to believe in Matriarchal societies, it has been proven that there were some in history. For example the Iroquois Indians were said to live in a matriarchal society. Where women and mothers had political influence, could fight in battle, grow crops, among many other liberties. Author Doug George-Kanentiio in his book "Women are the Center of Iroquois Life", writes that "Nature, we believe, has given women the ability to create; therefore it is only natural that women be in positions of power to protect this function."

There has been evidence to suggest that in parts of India, Asia, Celtic societies and indigenous tribes had matriarchal societies. It is very well known that ancient Celtic women had equal power and influence to men. They fought in war, made important decisions and had property ownership. Celtic women were known to be fierce warriors fighting right beside their men in battle, the most famous of these warrior women is Queen Boudicca of the Iceni. The Picts of Scotland were said to be a Matriarchal or Matrilineal society as well. Although not much is known about these great and fierce people, this little fact was said to be recorded by Roman historians.

There are also some animals that operate in matriarchal societies, like lions. It is a proven fact that lions live in a Matriarchal society. The Lionesses do the hunting, general protection of the tribe, taking care of the cubs and many other duties. The male lions have their place though, as they are used to take down big game, and for protection of the tribe from another male lion trying to take over. The Lionesses also outnumber the male Lions by alot. Therefore allowing the male to breed many times to create a larger tribe.

Author Heide Goettner-Abendroth, is known for her extensive research into matriarchal societies. She goes on to say in one of her published papers, "Matriarchies are all egalitarian at least in terms of gender—they have no gender hierarchy, that, for many matriarchal societies, the social order is completely egalitarian at both local and regional levels". This theory that a Matriarchal society is in all actuality, an egalitarian society, has been proven many times over. So it could never be the opposite of Patriarchy.

Some other cultures, which were Goddess based, like ancient Crete were said to live in an egalitarian society as well, where the divine feminine was revered. Men and women each had their duties and they lived in a happy and peaceful society. The Goddess in Crete was personified in the land and her sacred creatures. For example, mountains and caves were seen as some of Her sacred places, and bees, serpents and bulls were seen as some of Her sacred animals.

For more info on Matriarchal cultures check out the book "Societies of Peace" by Heide Goettner-Abendroth.

I hope you enjoyed learning a little something about Matriarchy!





Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Women of History, Hypatia of Alexandria

Hypatia lived in Roman Egypt around 370 CE to about 415 CE, and was a noted mathematician and philosopher. She was daughter to the mathematician Theon Alexandricus, who was also a librarian at the library of Alexandria. Hypatia was educated in Athens and Italy, and was a Neoplatonist. Which means that she took her teachings from the mystical philosophy of Plato, she was also schooled by Plotinus who was a Neoplatonist philosopher as well. In around 400 CE, she became head of the Platonist school of Alexandria, where she taught philosophy, mathematics, astronomy and the philosophy of Neoplatonism.

Many people of her time said that she was charismatic and a great teacher. That she would stand next to men and be admired by her great knowledge. At a time in history, when Christianity was slowly taking over, a powerful, and smart woman, was not seen by all as a beneficial thing to their Christian society. Although her students were a very mixed bunch ranging from Pagans, Christians and foreigners who would travel far for her famous teachings. One in particular, Synesius of Cyrene, who later became the Bishop of Ptolemais, is said to have written letters to Hypatia, in which showed great admiration and reverence for her knowledge and her teachings.

Over time, Hypatia's teachings became associated with what the Christians considered to be Pagan. In about 415 CE, while Hypatia was traveling home on her chariot, she was ambushed by a mob of Christians. They continued to attack her, strip her naked as a form of humiliation, and drag her body through the streets to a Christianized temple where they killed her. The reports suggest that the mob of Christians skinned her body with shards of pottery, and then burned her remains. It is obvious that the Christians killed her because they felt threatened by her depth of knowledge and philosophical concepts. Women, to the Christians, were not supposed to be educated and smart, this was seen as a Pagan tradition.

It is said that after this brutal and horrifying event, is essentially when the fall of Alexandria began. Many scholars left after the murder of Hypatia. Maybe for fear of their own lives, or for disgust and sadness at the brutally violent display the Christians performed in order to squash out philosophical ancient knowledge, so they could come into power.

Hypatia was a very notable, smart and powerful woman in her day. A Warrior Woman of her time, and she died for her knowledge because a powerful woman was seen as a threat to the Christians.

Here are some notable quotes by Hypatia:

"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all"

"All formal dogmatic religions are fallacious and must never be accepted by self-respecting persons as final."

I hope you enjoyed learning about one of the many powerful women in history!

For more info on Hypatia, check out Biography of Hypatia and also Wikipedia

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia, artist: Charles William Mitchell

Eileithyia, Cretan Goddess of Childbirth

Eileithyia was originally a Cretan Goddess, adopted later by the Greeks, of childbirth and labour pains. She was seen as a Goddess of midwifery. Called upon to ease the pain of labour and help with the birth of children. According to author R.F Willets, she is closely identified with a Minoan Goddess, and an even earlier representation of a Neolithic Goddess. Willets goes on to say "The explanation is as simple as it is important. The continuity of her cult depends upon the unchanging concept of her function. Eileithyia was the goddess of childbirth; and the divine helper of women in labour has an obvious origin in the human midwife".

There is a cave on the island of Crete known as the Cave of Eileithyia, which is a Neolithic and Minoan sacred cave dedicate to Eileithyia, and in this cave is said to be where she was born. This shows the her roots are far more ancient than the Greeks, even the ancient Cretans. Caves were sacred to her, again connecting her to womb of a woman and giving birth. In Greek myth, she is said to be the daughter of Hera and Zeus, and is often depicted carrying a flaming torch to represent the burning pains of labour. An early Greek poet, describes her in a hymn as "the clever spinner" which would connect her with The Moirai, or The Three Fates. This would make her older than the God Cronus, the youngest son of Gaia.

Her worship was pretty widespread. Her most well known cult was in Amnisos, which is on the northern part of Crete, were her sacred cave is located. She was also said to have cults in Arkadia, in Southern Greece, Olympia and parts of central Italy.

It makes sense, to me, that Neolithic people would honor a deity for childbirth and the pain that comes with it. Along with the very real possibility of death. Obviously in Neolithic times, there were no pain meds, except for maybe some type of pain reducing herb like opium. Women felt the full force of giving birth and so of course they would call on a Goddess to help through their pains of labour. Many women didnt live through childbirth back then. So to me it seems the Goddess Eileithyia originated from a very ancient form of a deity, who was modernized along with the societies in which she was worshiped.

Today, call on Eileithyia for her blessings during childbirth and to help you deal with any pain that comes along with it. There isn't that much information on this Goddess that I found. But you can check out these links for more info:

Theoi.com, along with Wikipedia

The image featured is that of a Greek painting of the birth of Athena, springing from Zeus's head, and Eileithyia is standing on the right.

I hope you enjoyed learning about this ancient Cretan Goddess!





Image courtesy of Theoi.com

Brigids Sacred Day of Fire, Imbolc

Imbolc or as it's known in Gaelic, Oimelc, which translates to mean "ewe's milk", is a festival of fire that honors the coming of Spring. At this point Spring is quickly approaching , and farmers would be preparing for the planting season. For Celtic traditions, this day is known to be a day for the Goddess Brigid, who is traditionally honored on Imbolc.

In Kildare, Ireland, there is essentially a church who's patroness saint, is St. Bridget, which is the Christianized version of the Goddess Brigid. Although this Parish is Christianized, there is legend of an ancient group of Priestesses who tended the sacred flame of Brigid on this site. The flame was tended by the priestesses who eventually became nuns, for 19 days, and on the 20th day Brigid tended the flame herself . Later, the church decided that this ritual was too Pagan and had the fire extinguished. It wasn't until the 1990's that the flame was re-lit and is still tended by the nuns today. Many Pagan women have made pilgrimages there for Imbolc to honor Brigid on her sacred site and light a candle for this ancient Goddess.

On the website for the Saint Brigid of Kildare Parish, they have information and prayers for their "Patroness", who of course is Brigid. I think it's so wonderful for a church in Ireland to have a Patroness instead of a Patron! It's refreshing and inspiring. They have a beautiful prayer to Brigid on their site, and I decided to share it here. This prayer is used when hanging Brigid crosses, or as a blessing for the parish (it could also be used as a blessing for your home).

May Brigid bless the house wherein you dwell
Bless every fireside, every wall and floor;
Bless every heart that beats beneath its roof;
And every tongue and mind for evermore;
Bless every hand that toils to bring joy
And every foot that walks its portals through.
This is my wish today, my constant prayer
May Brigid bless the house that shelters you

Wishing you all a blessed Imbolc!




Photo courtesy of Wendy Andrew

Crafts for Imbolc

I love crafting and creating different things for each Sabbat. I feel it connects me to the energy of that particular Sabbats meaning, and that time of year. Of course at Imbolc the Goddess Brigid is honored, and there are many things you can create in her honor.

The Brigid's cross is well known and one of her sacred symbols. You can make these easily with pipe cleaners. Or, if you want to be more authentic, you can make them out of reeds which is the traditional material used. Making a Brigid's cross with reeds is a little more difficult, but the results are worth it, and I always think its a good idea to be authentic as often as possible. Here you can find instructions on how to make a Brigid's cross using either material : How to make a Brigids cross.

The symbolism of the cross comes from a tale of St Brigid or "Mary of the Gael"who was born in the 5th century CE. She was the daughter of Dubhtach, a Leinster Pagan chieftain. When her father was dying, she sat in prayer beside him, and passed the time by weaving the first St. Brigid's Cross from the rushes strewn about the floor. Her father seeing the cross asked her to explain its meaning and was so overwhelmed that he became a Christian before his death.For centuries, it has been customary on the eve of her sacred festival for the Irish to make a Brigid's Cross of straw or rushes and place it inside the house, or over the door. They saw this symbol as protection for their home and loved ones.

There is also food and drinks you can make to represent the sacred day of Brigid. I always like to make different drinks, so I decided to post one here.

Love Potion Mead

* 1 bottle of honey mead
* 3.5 oz Green Tea
* 1 oz dried Juniper Berries, crushed
* 1 oz Mugwort, crushed
* 1 oz dried Orange Peel, chopped
* 1/2 oz dried Damiana leaf, crushed

Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot or slow cooker. Cook on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes. Strain and let sit to cool, then place it in the fridge to get cold. Serve cold and enjoy! This mead is said to be an aphrodisiac!

Find this recipe and many others including Imbolc deserts, breads and dinners at Imbolc Recipes

I hope you enjoy making crafts to honor Brigid and her sacred day of fire!

Photo courtesy of my personal altars and my handmade Brigid's cross

Medea, Ancient Sorceress, Priestess of Hekate

Medea is one of the most well known ancient sorceresses there was. She was said to be a Priestess of the Goddess Hekate and had many different magical powers. She was the daughter of King Aeetes of Colchis, granddaughter to Helios, the Sun God, and niece to Circe who was a well known sorceress herself. The most famous myth involving Medea, is that of Jason and the Argonauts.

In the myth, Jason, who is seen as a heroic figure, comes to Colchis to claim his inheritance to the throne, and to claim the Golden Fleece. King Aeetes agreed to give him the fleece on the condition that he perform a few tasks first. When Medea saw Jason she immediately fell in love with him. She offered to help him with her magic to complete the impossible tasks her father laid out, only if he married her. Jason agreed and his first task began. He had to plow a field with fire breathing oxen, and Medea gave him an unguent in which he anointed himself with, so as to protect his body from any harm of the fire. He completed that task, but he still had two more to go, and Medea used her magical powers to help him each time. So when all was said and done, Jason kept his promise to Medea, took his golden fleece and fled Colchis with Medea. They married and lived happily in Corinth with their two children for a while.

Until one day, King Creon offered Jason his daughters hand in marriage. Eager to please the King, Jason accepted his offer and left Medea to marry Glauce, the Kings daughter. This enraged Medea and to seek revenge, she sent Glauce a beautiful bridal gown, covered in poison. The Kings daughter died and Medea then is said to kill her two children from Jason, and fled Corinth in a chariot led by dragons sent to her by her grandfather, Helios.

Later in the myth, she is said to have married Aegeus, an old king of Athens, and bore him a son Medus, who was in line to inherit the throne. Although Aegeus didnt realize that he had another son that he never knew of named, Theseus. Medea tried to poison Theseus when he came to fight for the throne, and when Aegeus realized he stopped it immediately. Medea then fled with her son Medus to a country in which Medus eventually became king, and that country was later called Media.

I believe that in this myth, Medea becomes the victim of unfortunate circumstance. Having fell deeply in love with Jason, and willingly sacrificed everything, including her entire family, to help him so he could complete the arduous tasks her father set out for him. Then fleeing her homeland to marry the man she loved and have children together, just to be betrayed and abandoned by him at the first mention of another woman. And as you can see from her actions earlier in the myth, Medea is no stranger to getting revenge and using her skills as a great sorceress and witch, even if it is for evil purposes. This shows her strong feminine and rebellious power.

Also something I find interesting, seeing that she is granddaughter to the Sun God Helios, and niece to Circe, a minor Goddess of magic, it would seem that maybe Medea would have some of that divine power within herself as well. Myth says that she practiced her magic under the guidance of the Goddess Hekate, some even speculate that she was the daughter of Hekate. But there really isn't any mythological evidence that this is true.

This is a quote from the myth in which Medea calls on Hekate for help in her magic, "By the goddess I worship most of all, my chosen helper Hecate, who dwells in the inner chamber of my house, none of them shall pain my heart and smile at it! Bitter will I make their marriage, bitter Creon's marriage-alliance, and bitter my banishment from the land!" (Euripides, Medea 400).


I hope you enjoyed learning the myth of Medea, Priestess of Hekate!





Photo courtesy of : Jason and Medea, John William Waterhouse

Melusina, Ancient Faery of the Waters

The Melusina, or Melusine, is a mythological creature found in ancient Celtic and Medieval folklore. She was part woman and part serpent, her top half being that of a beautiful woman, with the body of a snake. The myth of such a creature is very old. Melusina is derived from Celtic water faeries or nymphs who were thought to be changelings. They could be deceiving to unsuspecting men with their beautiful song, and lure them into their magical world of water. They were sometimes referred to as mermaids and sirens.

This ancient water Goddess became quite popular in the Middle Ages particularly in North France and England. The most popular Medieval myth of the Melusina, is that with Elynas, the King of Albania, and the beautiful Fae, Pressina. One day while King Elynas was hunting, he came across a river where he stopped to get a drink. He heard a woman singing and this is when he found the Fae Pressina. He persuaded her to marry him and she agreed, on one condition, that he never enter her chamber when she gave birth or bathed her children.For if he did, there would be terrible and possible fatal consequences. Pressina ended up giving birth to triplets, all girls named Melusina, Melior, and Plantina. Upon hearing the great news, King Elynas burst into the chamber to see his new baby girls while Pressina was bathing them. She cried out that he broke his promise and she took her three girls and fled to Avalon.

After the three girls had grown into their teens, Melusina asked her mother why they had been living in Avalon. So Pressina told her the story of what her father did, and this enraged Melusina. So she and her sisters decided to capture King Elynas and lock him in a mountain. When Pressina heard of this, she became so angry, that she condemned Melusina to the form of a serpent from the waist down every Saturday, until she should meet a man who would marry her under the condition of never seeing her on a Saturday, and he should keep his promise. So Melusina went out on her search for this man that will marry her. One day in the woods, she came across a man, Raymond of Poitou, while she was sitting by a lake.

Raymond became enchanted by her beauty and asked for her hand in marriage. Melusina said yes on one condition, he was not allowed to see her bathe on Saturdays, under any circumstances. So he agreed and they married shortly thereafter. They had many children, and on one Saturday night while Melusina was bathing, her husband decided to take a peek at her because of the constant teasing he got from his brothers. What he saw amazed and scared him and he didnt say anything about it. Until one day after he had lost in a battle, when Melusinsa tried to comfort him, he pushed her away calling her a serpent and contaminator of the human race. He immediately regretted what he said, and Melusina left to wander the woods. In other myths it is said that she turned into a dragon and flew off never to be seen again.

Although this myth is Medieval in nature, the faery spirit Melusina is much older. There have been Pictish carvings found of a water Goddess/Woman with that of a serpent lower body. The Melusina and her myths resonate with me because of my love of myth and faeries, and my love of water. A powerful element that the ancients respected. So it makes sense that they would have deities of the oceans, rivers and lakes.

I hope you enjoyed learning about the magical myth of the Melusina!


For more info check out Monstrous.com




Images courtesy of the Art of Marcia Snedecor
As well as the Art of Troy Howell