| Patriarchy is the insidious cultural force governing our planet today; a hierarchal system supporting male domination and elite supremacy; rooted in all religious & political belief systems that patronize a male GOD, give MAN dominion over the Earth or appoint MAN head of household. Patriarchy has dominated the world for many centuries now keeping the numerous powers and gifts of the female under its control. Since the Goddess as Divinity, Earth, Mother & Life-Giver has been deliberately suppressed, supplanted and diminished by patriarchal religion & social systems, along with the feminine powers of birthing and sustaining all life on earth, it has sadly resulted in the sick and dysfunctional world we live in today! Patriarchy creates illusions of male supremacy, power & importance. Of course the idea of male supremacy is absurd, but when we uphold this delusion we are actually supporting & sustaining a hierarchal system that keeps many people oppressed, sick, dependent, poor or powerless. We must also realize that by relinquishing our power to Patriarchy we actually justify, condone or rationalize condescending or abusive treatment toward females, children, animals, nature, or any other life-form considered less valuable! Patriarchy sits at the root of misogyny, codependency, sexism, racism, homophobia, religious fundamentalism, various addictions, wars, genocide, greed, pornography, violence against women and children; obsession with body image; eating disorders, domestic violence, child abuse, rape, incest, crimes against humanity & other abuses we see in the world today. Patriarchy is a belief system that stifles our true essence by creating a false sense of reality. It perpetuates shame and deterioration of the soul because it goes against the natural forces of life. The truth is... We are all spiritual beings, one with Nature, one in Spirit, valuable and complete in the framework of our design, and we must reclaim our divinity, unique mysteries, and deep connection with the natural world in order to fully recover. The laws and forces that govern life, yin and yang, are balanced, flowing harmoniously and equally between polarities. If we are not aligned with the natural forces & cycles of life we stay unbalanced, therefore unhealthy. Males as well as females are gravely affected by Patriarchy because it defines unrealistic roles for us that are impossible to emulate without creating conflict and confusion in our basic natures and in our relationships with one another. Patriarchy teaches males to BE GOD and females to SERVE GOD, which creates wars within the self, and when there's conflict and stress within there is always discord, dis-ease & dysfunction without. In The Sacred Circle... We are reclaiming our feminine power, unique mysteries, rites of passage & celebrations to heal and recreate our lives. We are also freeing ourselves from the mental & emotional bondage of Patriarchy because it lies at the core of our codependency, diseases, dysfunctions, compulsions, addictions & oppression and true recovery isn't possible until we are restored to sanity & wholeness as children of the Earth. Blessed Be |
| What is Patriarchy? |
The Tapestry
One starry night near ocean tides
I mused on sands near cliffs of size
beneath a peaceful moonlight glow
to calming waves of ebb and flow
When visions came mysteriously
of women merged in harmony
calling Air & Fire & Earth
And waters clean to bring rebirth
They gathered 'round a fire bright
weaving threads of silvery light
chanting words that spoke her name
raising power to touch and change
The sisters spun a tapestry
with magic spells and blessings be
they held it up with healing hands
then laid it down to claim the land
In the flames they banished pain
from patriarchy's sad domain
& as the sparks rose to the skies
they let it go with grateful sighs
To trancing drums they danced in glee
with beauty, grace and dignity
then circled 'round the tapestry
sharing dreams & feasting free...
But rising tides and salty swells
came splashing up to break my spell
and so I left this sacred space
but the tapestry remains in place
Silverwitch -- 1988
One starry night near ocean tides
I mused on sands near cliffs of size
beneath a peaceful moonlight glow
to calming waves of ebb and flow
When visions came mysteriously
of women merged in harmony
calling Air & Fire & Earth
And waters clean to bring rebirth
They gathered 'round a fire bright
weaving threads of silvery light
chanting words that spoke her name
raising power to touch and change
The sisters spun a tapestry
with magic spells and blessings be
they held it up with healing hands
then laid it down to claim the land
In the flames they banished pain
from patriarchy's sad domain
& as the sparks rose to the skies
they let it go with grateful sighs
To trancing drums they danced in glee
with beauty, grace and dignity
then circled 'round the tapestry
sharing dreams & feasting free...
But rising tides and salty swells
came splashing up to break my spell
and so I left this sacred space
but the tapestry remains in place
Silverwitch -- 1988
- The Effects of Patriarchy
Patriarchy is a misogynist system that instills
in us the shame of being female, so many of us go
through life inwardly feeling there is something
wrong with us. When we continue living this LIE
we develop our own brand of self-hatred which
leads in time to internalized oppression, pain, rage,
fear and inner turmoil resulting in many destructive
patterns, habits and addictions which complicate
our lives in various ways...
Patriarchy creates a deterioration of the soul
that leads to the disease of Codependency and
other deadly addictions. This soul sickness
starts in early years of life when we are forced
to adjust to the harsh realities of Patriarchy
then progresses into many neurotic disorders,
dysfunctions and diseases if we keep tolerating
or internalizing the pain that comes with it.
This becomes a way of life for many of us...
and once we are in this dilemma it becomes
difficult differentiating true from false because
our awareness of being goddess-like or sacred
as a female has been greatly diminished.
As women we lose our power & sense of self in
Patriarchy because our unique mysteries & female
values are not reflected in the Patriarchal world
around us. Images of the Great Mother or Divine
Feminine have been erased for centuries so it's easy
to lose sight of our true identity when we lack real
or mythic models that can mirror who we are.
Even when sparks of sacredness emerge from
within at times, they can be quickly squashed by
surrounding cultural forces that keep us in constant
states of fear, oppression, rage, pain or denial &
cripple our ability to express ourselves freely.
To heal our minds, bodies and souls we must reclaim
our sacred spaces and a spiritual path that honors
our unique mysteries as women, made in the image
& likeness of the Goddess. This is what true recovery
for women is all about.
Blessed Be.... Mama J
