Earth Day or What would the World Mother say?

A living planet is a much more complex metaphor for deity than just a bigger father with a bigger fist. If an omniscient, all-powerful Dad ignores your prayers, it's taken personally. Hear only silence long enough, and you start wondering about his power. His fairness. His very existence. But if a World Mother doesn't reply, Her excuse is simple. She never claimed conceited omnipotence. She has countless others clinging to her apron strings, including myriad species unable to speak for themselves. To Her elder offspring She says - go raid the fridge. Go play outside. Go get a job. Or, better yet, lend me a hand. I have no time for idle whining.

~David Brin

I like this quote because it reminds me to see Gaia as I think she truly is; a vital, creative paradox of life and death, feast and famine, dark and light, heat and cold, endings and beginnings and all the variations in between.

Her laws are those of cause and effect; the loss of one is a loss to all, a threat to one is a threat to all. When we save, restore and conserve we do not do it for Her alone, we do it for ourselves. The dance of life on this planet will go on with human beings or without us. I, for one, would like to stay here dancing as long as I can.

The most basic element of my practice is this:

It's not about command and control.
It's about connection and communion.

If we understand this, if we live it, then the music will play on and we'll be here to hear it.

Happy Earth Day

Sia

Photo by AtWitsEnd - Used with permission

A New Understanding of Orisas

Today I would like to share a post about the Orisas by the collective blog Ile Emi Ifa

I found this note refreshing:

...reverence isn’t measured by how many times a devotee falls to their knees, recite rote prayers, sing a little ditty of praise, dance a little step or two, or anything else so basic and rather juvenile. Orisas should find such displays appalling. In the new philosophy of Ifa a devotee’s true reverence is measured by the depth of their integrity, the strength of their trust, the accuracy of their understanding, and the intensity of their drive to truly learn as much as possible and apply those lessons learned to our lives.

As always, take what you need and leave the rest.

I am sometimes asked if I really worship a Goddess or set of Goddesses. The short answer is this: I do not worship anything. I choose celebrate and cherish Her gifts as I understand them. As far as I'm concerned, all the rest is argument. (1)

Sia

(1) This quote sums up how I feel about religious worship as opposed to spiritual practice: "Man no sooner learned to stand then he got down on his knees." I prefer to stand upright.

Art: Three Yoruban Women by Consuelo Gamboa. You can buy the print at All Posters.com

The Great Mother Goddess: Motherhood, the Syncroblog

This is my contribution to the Paleothea - driven synchroblog

*****

Any discussion of myth and motherhood, Paganism or women’s spirituality is one of blood and bone. It takes us back to the root source, the ancient Triple Goddess in her aspects of the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone. (1) Each aspect is powerful in Her own right, each has much to teach us. However image of the Great Mother can be problematic for those of us who have chosen to be child free or did not have loving mothers ourselves.

I use the term "child free" as opposed to the more common term “childless” because the latter implies that the woman in question has wished to have children, and been denied the blessing of same. (2) But there are many earthwise women (myself among them) who choose to celebrate the Goddess in all of her roles, including her maternal role, but have chosen not to have children ourselves. There are a variety of reasons for such a choice (3) and among the women in my circle of acquaintance, few if any regrets for having made it. But then how are we to identify with the idea of a Mother Goddess if we are not mothers ourselves?

Women who are mothers and those who are not, might share yet another challenge when confronted with this powerful archetype. How are we to understand the unconditional love of a Mother Goddess if we were not well mothered ourselves? To be frank, not all of us were raised by Demeter, some of us were mothered by Medea.

The mother/daughter bond is never an easy one to bear. Among my women friends, many of us have relationships with our mothers that are, to put it mildly, fraught. It is a challenging kinship at best. At worst (if, for example, our mother was frustrated, addicted, depressed, abused or abusive in some way) we might not relate to the image of a kind and loving mother. Even if we were raised by Demeter herself, we still came of age in a dysfunctional and patriarchal system. If our own need for rebellion and individuation took too dark a turn, then we, like young headstrong Persephone, might face the need for much healing, forgiveness and letting go on both sides. (4)

How then do we find our way to the Great Mother? I believe the answer lies in the very nature of motherhood itself. The role is, in it's most basic form, a trinity: A good mother nurtures, she guides, and she protects. When I think about my women friends who have chosen not to have children, I can think of hundreds of ways in which they nurture, guide and protect. Some are community activists, some care for elderly family members, support charity organizations or companion animal rescue groups. Some care for the land and protect wild creatures and places. Others teach or mentor or pass on a talent or skill. They may do this as professionals or as volunteers, but these essential threads are woven throughout their lives and they connect them to every other woman and to the Mother Goddess. It is what women do and always have done: We connect and we create. Since I am a Green Witch, I will put this another way: She is the root and we are the branches. Each of us will blossom and bear fruit, we simply do it in different ways.

The word "maternal" shares the same root - the Greek word "mater" (mother) - as the word "matriarchal". Woman as Matriarchs hold power in one hand and wisdom in the other (5) . In this role, the Matriarch does more than guide, she leads, and often in a direction that is new to us. Women who have children and those who do not, all share this role in some form or another. You may not think of yourself as a leader, I say that you are. We all have the Matriarch within us. It is that part of us that tells truth to power, the part that says "We can do this better", the part that says "Yes" when the world so often tells us "No". To be a Matriarch requires all the other skills I've mentioned, plus a bit of life wisdom that comes with age, experience and a great deal of laughter. At some point, all women become Matriarchs. We do so on the day we say "Enough!" and begin to work for change. The change may be in our own life or it may affect the lives of others, but it will be a powerful force because it's source is the Creatrix.

It's easy to find the Matriarchs these days. You will find us standing side by side - those with children and those without - as we address the issues of war and peace, health care, equal pay, education, climate change, sexism, ageism, racism, civil liberties, green living, violence, poverty, homelessness, and child care because women know something that this culture has forgotten: We are all connected. If you hurt or neglect any one of us, you harm us all.

The blessings of the Great Mother be with you and yours,

Sia

Related Articles:

Beyond Mere Sentiment: Reclaiming Mother's Day

Art: Gaia


Endnotes:

(1) For a more complete discussion of the archetypal roles that occur in a women’s life, I recommend reading The Women’s Wheel of Life: 13 Archetypes of Woman At Her Fullest Power by Elizabeth Davis and Carol Leonard.

(2) The cultures take it as read that children are a blessing and I will gladly agree that they are insofar that of themselves they are precious beyond measure. Whether or not you feel “blessed” to have one greatly depends on your ability to feed, clothe and house them and how much real world support you have in the form of partner(s), extended family and knowledgeable, supportive friends. Based on my observations of mothers in this culture (in particular those who are trying to raise teenager girls with more of a sense of empowerment and more options and more intrinsic self worth then they themselves enjoyed) I would suggest that children are more in the nature of what the Buddhists call a Difficult Gift.

(3) Some of us simply do not feel the call to be mothers. Some of us took care of others at an early age, and did not wish to assume that role again as adults. Some of us choose to pursue careers and found these fullfilling and demanding enough in themselves. Some of us wanted, not so much a sperm donor, as a true partner, and in some cases, that search took us past our childbearing years. Other women, having survived dysfunctional systems, were concerned that they might repeat the same mistakes. In some cases, the reasons for being child free might be due to our health, life circumstances or simply a deep understanding of our heart's needs.

(4) In this sense, I speak of that version of the myth that has Persephone choosing to go down into Hades for her own reasons (love being among them) and not the later one where she is kidnapped and raped.

(5) No doubt cooking and cleaning and checking on a good friend at the same time. And this is why many of the earliest female dieties had more than two hands.

Updated 4/3 Since posting this I've gotten several (shall we say concerned?) emails from people who think I don't like children. Odd.

Whenever someone writes about being child free and happy in that choice, they often feel the need to rush about declaiming "Oh, but I love my friend's kids". I was trying to avoid that cliche, and besides, my friends already know this. For the record: you can't be a educator, a community activist and an events organizor for as long as I have and not like kids. OK, technically, you can, but you won't be very good at it. Sia

Gut Wisdom & Ms. Oprah

Gut Wisdom

I recently found (was gifted with?) two useful pieces to the mind/body puzzle. The first came from an article titled I've Got A Feeling which appeared in the March issue of O Magazine. It is written by Chip Brown. (1) I found this paragraph illuminating:

In the early 1980's, scientists rediscovered the enteric nervous system in the gut (first mapped out 60 years earlier) - a 'second brain' of some 100 million nerve cells that runs mostly on autopilot, a regulating digestion and playing a vital part in the body's immune system. Intriguingly, it's also buzzing with mood-altering neurotransmitters, identical to the ones in the brain - biochemical’s like serotonin (a major factor in depression) that neuroscientist Candice Pert, PhD, poetically called "the molecules of emotion." Literally connecting the brain to the belly is the remarkable vagus nerve: Stimulate that with an implanted device, and you can relieve depression and improve learning and memory.

There is a small section within I Have a Feeling titled The Gut Whisperer, written by Nancy Napier. It talks about the belly as stress detector, and has recommendations for listening to our body. Here is an excerpt:

Your gut is a brilliant barometer of stress. This exercise is simple: Just allow your focus to settle within your abdomen. Is your gut quiet or active? Open or clenched? Soft or tense? Spacious or tight?

If you're tight, gripped, or clenched, you're probably dealing with some kind of stress. Ask yourself: What could I imagine right now that would help me to feel better? Maybe it's visualizing walking on a beautiful beach, eating at your favorite restaurant, or relaxing at a spa. You might want to just sit still and breathe deeply for a few minutes.

Whatever comes to mind, take a few moments to let yourself go with the thought, bringing in an awareness of colors, shapes, textures, smells, temperature - all the qualities that make the experience alive for you. You'll know you have brought your stress level down when your gut becomes warm, spacious, soft, or quiet, or conveys some other comfortable sensation. As with all skills, learning to listen to - and trust - your gut make take practice, but over time you'll discover a valuable and reliable guide.

A second piece of the puzzle may be found in The Women's Belly Book written by a yoga teacher Lisa Sarasohn (and referenced in that same article).

I played around in Amazon this morning, and found another book of interest, titled Divining the Body: Reclaiming the Holiness of Your Physical Self. Based on the chapter titles, I think it would appeal to people from many different faiths and paths.

I would also like to recommend an article by MuseMother titled Inner Voice and Menopause.

Progressive Thinking in "O"

As we all know, Ms. Winfrey is an avowed Christian with very progressive ideas. She is also one very smart lady who knows her demographic and who likes to work with other smart women, so I have to wonder: Does she really know how many bits of Pagan, Buddhist, Taoist & New Age thinking O Magazine offers her readers under the innocuous slogan "Living Your Best Life"?

Many of the Pagan women I know watch or read Oprah and one fundamentalist and so called "former Pagan" has called her a "paganising maven" and compared her to Starhawk. He means it as an insult of course, and is referring only to the matter of influence both women have on this culture (influence which frightens him down to his boots.). Starhawk and Oprah are activists in their own way but their skills and their focus are Yin and Yang. Speaking archtypecially, Starhawk is at her core an Iconoclast, a Poet and a Mystic. Her politics and activism are rooted in the traditions of radical feminism. Ms. Winfrey, too, is a feminist but of a rather different sort. Raised in poverty in the Jim Crow south, she is a pragmatic businesswoman and her archetypal profile is very much that of Builder, Counselor and C.E.O. That said, she, too, has a ministry of sorts, and now, it seems, wishes to become a political force.

The Church of Oprah

A 2006 USA Today article titled "The Divine Ms. Winfrey" includes this quote:

"She's a really hip and materialistic Mother Teresa," says Kathryn Lofton, a professor at Reed College in Portland, Ore., who has written two papers analyzing the religious aspects of Winfrey. "Oprah has emerged as a symbolic figurehead of spirituality."

The article goes on to say that "In a November poll conducted at Beliefnet.com, a site that looks at how religions and spirituality intersect with popular culture, 33% of 6,600 respondents said Winfrey has had "a more profound impact" on their spiritual lives than their clergypersons."

Some Pagans see Oprah as a form of Bodhisatta, or at the very least, as one who is closely connected through her charity work to Guan Yin. I would love to know just how large her non-Christian readership really is.

Recently, she caused a great deal of controversy with her enthusiasm for The Secret, a collection of simplistic, materialistic "teachings", filled with wishful thinking, New Age cliches and Self Help banalities. If anything, this incident shows us just how unaware Ms. Winfrey is when it comes to the history, ideas, and issues involved in spiritual practices outside the Judeo/Christian mainstream. The "revelations" contained in The Secret are common to anyone who has read even most basic books on these subjects. On the shadow side, the materialism the authors espouse, coupled with the guilt and shame the book engenders among those readers who just can't believe enough to make themselves rich and healthy appalled many of us. Bill Moyers, a believing, progressive Christian, has read a wide variety books on spiritual traditions, and is a proponent of writers like Joseph Campbell. One wishes that Ms. Winfrey would follow his example. When watching Oprah talk about The Secret, I longed to give this well meaning, mind hungry reader a better book list. (2) When I consider missteps like this, I remember that the lady is human, and she continues to learn. I notice that when she errs, she errs on the positive side of her nature, and not on the negative. In other words, she was taken with (or taken in by, depending on your point of view) people proclaiming that we each have a destiny and the power to claim it, and that connecting with our Highest Self involves understanding our connection to the universe and the energy therein. The snake oil aside, this core wisdom is something most Pagans can relate to. Given the number of Pagan con artists we have among us who use the positive teachings of our path to sexually and psychologically manipulate others, it might behoove us to view this incident with some compassion.

The Personal Is Political

For over twenty years, Oprah Winfrey has led in the best way; with the courage of her own example. She helped us to heal after 9/11, built new homes for Katrina victims, worked to end the genocide in Darfur, talked frankly and intelligently about women's issues, educated her audiences everything from rape and racism, supported gay marriage, and stood up for tolerance on all fronts. She has also said on more than one occasion that she believes there is "more than one way to God." Oprah Winfrey has used her influence to raise millions for causes she believes in and recently pledged 40 million of her personal wealth to build a multi-ethic girl's school in South Africa. Recently, she has put her considerable powers behind a progressive, well educated, anti-war candidate who is married to a professional woman as intelligent and committed to social justice as he is.

It just gets more interesting from here.

What I find most moving this is that we are watching a woman who, by her own admission, stuffed her personal pain and stress down with food and struggled with weight and self esteem issues her whole life, who is getting in touch with her own belly wisdom. The older she gets, the less she gives in to her dis-ease, and more in touch she becomes (both emotionally and physically). The more she learns, and the more chances she takes, the more powerful she seems to be. She believes in helping others, but better still, she helps them to help themselves. These days, Ms. Winfrey seems to be more and more in touch with the Goddess we Pagans know well, a curvy, powerful, laughing, positive, creative, vocal and very active presence. Regardless of what she calls this sacred source, I wish her well. I will continue to watch and wonder where it will take her.

Sia

(1) Like most Seekers, I'll take wisdom where ever and whenever and whenever I can find it.

(2) The CD offers a lush production design ripped off from the movie version of The Da Vinci Code and it is no doubt intended to appeal to fans of that book. As Salon.com notes in Oprah's Ugly Little Secret, she has done little more than support a New Age pyramid scheme. It was not her finest hour, but a woman who has had so many fine hours can afford one or two that do not shine so bright. Here is a quote from the article Self Helps Slimy Secret (Note: The full article is worth reading, please see the link below): A couple of weeks ago, she "clarified" her views on the "law of attraction." Although she didn't apologize for endorsing "The Secret," she said the law of attraction "is not the answer to everything. It is not the answer to atrocities or every tragedy. It is just one law. Not the only law. And certainly, certainly, certainly not a get-rich-quick scheme."

Image: This comes from a site called Belly Masks

Related Articles:

The Shadow Knows

Self Help's Slimy Secret

13 Moons: Why 13 Is My Lucky Number

Recreation of Lussell's Venus, France, 25,000 BCE
Banner by Lydia Rhule

Whenever Friday the 13th comes around we hear a lot of piffle about why the number 13 is thought to be unlucky. Most web sites will pass along the old canard about Judas and the Last Supper. That's not the real story. The real story is much more interesting (and before I tell it, I will ask the indulgence of feminist and other scholars for simplifying a very long tale indeed). Here we go:

The 13 Moon Calendar - AKA the Lunar Calendar - is a 28 day calendar that dates from prehistoric times. It dovetails with a woman's menstrual cycle. The link between women's blood mysteries, and the moon is held in high esteem among many Neopagans. This calendar was used all over the world for many thousands of years, and is still used in some cultures today. For example, the ancient major holidays celebrated by Muslims, Jews, and many people in Asian and India are all based on a lunar calendar. Native Americans also used a lunar calendar, and some still use it.

The so call "Venus Laussel" image (2) dates back 25,000 years. It is one of the earliest known calendars. The Woman/Goddess figure portrayed in this neolithic carving holds a lunar crescent in her right hand. (1) It has 13 notches, one for each of the 13 moons in the lunar calendar. (Here is a note on her position in the cave and how that relates to God/ess worship of that period.)

The number 13 has long been associated with the moon, women's mysteries and the Goddess. When patriarchy (usually run by those warrior guys with the pointy spears and the horses) took hold, women were subjugated, enslaved, dehumanized and turned into chattel. Queens, priestesses, artists, healers and leaders became mere breeders who would produce soldiers for the endless wars required by the God/King of that region. Worship of the Goddess in this period was destroyed as far as was possible. Conquerors would then change the rituals, stories and myths to make Her less powerful and subject to their male, solar God. (There are many books that write about this transition, but you can start with The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler - see book notes at the bottom of this post). Anything that belonged to Woman and the Goddess (including snakes, cats, the moon and the number 13) was held to be suspect and demonized. Stories were later made up to hide the real reasons why these things were so feared.

Ever wondered why there are 13 Witches in a coven? Each witch stands for a different moon in the year.

Donna Henes writing for Pagan Circle says that

Thirteen is certainly the most essentially female number — the average number of menstrual cycles in a year. The approximate number, too of annual cycles of the moon. When Chinese women make offerings of moon cakes, there are sure to be 13 on the platter. Thirteen is the number of blood, fertility and lunar potency.

She points out that,

Post-patriarchal mythology is also rich with symbolic references to the mystical power of 13. Besides Christ and his 12 disciples, there are Jacob and his 12 sons, Odysseus and his 12 companions, Medea and her 12 princesses, Romulous and his 12 shepherds, Roland and his 12 peers, Arthur and his 12 knights, and the head of Osiris and his 12 dismembered body parts...The United States has a full complement of significant 13’s, beginning with the original 13 colonies. The Great Seal pictures 13 stars, 13 bars, and a bald eagle sporting 13 tail feathers, holding 13 arrows and 13 olive branches. The official motto, "E Pluribus Unum" contains 13 letters.

The lunar calendar is found in many cultures, from the Incan, to the Druidic to the Egyptian, to the Essene, to the Mayan, to the Polynesian and the various Asian cultures, mostly famously the Chinese calendar. The ancient Hebrews also used a lunar calendar, and they, too, worshiped the Goddess. This 13 moon calendar was used throughout neolithic times and in the period we know as "pre-history"; a time when the Goddess and her image could be found around the globe. Not surprisingly, much of the best art from this period comes from Africa, the birthplace of us all.

This Christian story about the number 13 and Last Supper was simply their way to justify fear and distrust of what that number represents. The church Fathers knew that many outsiders in the Middle Ages; midwives, herbalists, alchemists, as well as "pagans and heathens" (my Celtic, Viking and German ancestors among them), were drawn to this number because they thought it was lucky, powerful or blessed in some way. The church feared it, just as they feared cats and the sexual/social power of women. This power was something they urgently sought to control.

Many people who dwelt outside of cities in those times (and thus outside much of the church's power) still lived and farmed by the lunar calendar. Among these "simple folk" may well have been those who passed along as much of the old traditions and stories as still survived.

 Let me be clear. I am not one of those people who believes that humans once enjoyed a splendid, pacific matriarchy. In other words, I do not believe we ever had a civilization entirely run by women (although I'm perfectly willing to try it, now). Nor do I believe that we have ever had a human civilization of any kind that was totally without violence or conflict, although the archaeological evidence from Thera (which may have been the origin for the myth of Atlantis) and the beautiful Catalhoyuk show that we came very close to that ideal. Even so, I've seen no scientific evidence to prove the earthwise version of Eden, beloved by so many feminist and Neo-Pagan writers, ever existed. Nor do I think that women are inherently better than men or that we could live and reign in perfect peace. (3) The problem is patriarchal systems; this is not about that nice guy next door or the one in your bed. (Well, for your sake, I hope not). If history doesn't convince you that humans are bloody minded, just look around your family dinner table during the holidays, and then tell me that humans can live closely together without conflict. Learning to handle conflict in healthy, creative and constructive ways is one of the great challenges of being human.

I believe that the sacred feminine was once honored and that in that time women enjoyed respect, power, and freedom. I believe that we, as human beings, and especially our children and elders, were all the better for it.  I believe that these cultural memories and strengths, and much of our personal power, was stripped from us long ago, and that we are now taking back Her gifts. Its important for us as individuals, for our spiritual growth as a culture, and quite possibly for our survival as a species, to reclaim the Sacred Feminine. In doing so we can also retrieve a positive, earthwise connection to Mother Earth and her creatures. So, for me, as a Green Witch, a Celt, a feminist and a one who honors women's spirituality, the number 13 is a very lucky number indeed.

Sia

Other Links:

The Subjugation of Women - Root Cause of Hunger

Early Calendars & Astrology (Venus & The Dog Days of Summer)

Why 13 Is a Very Lucky Number Indeed by Urban Shaman

Homepage for Catalhoyuk

The Christian Goddess Endnotes:

(1) Some scholars believe it to be a horn, possibly an early horn of plenty.

(2) The term "Venus figure" is problematic at best. Among other things, it demotes these figures to the level of sexualized icons or fertility totems, and denies them the status of revered Goddess figures.

(3) Again, let's try it for 30 generations or so, and find out.

Art by Lydia Ruyle
Women's History:

The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future by Riane Eisler

For those who love images of the Goddess: The Great Mother (Mythos Books)

and Celtic GoddessesQueen of the Night: Rediscovering the Celtic Moon Goddess

Two by Gerda Lerner:

The Creation of Patriarchy (Women & History)

and

The Creation of Feminist Consciousness: From the Middle Ages to Eighteen-seventy (Women & History)

Click here to read an interview with the author

Reclaiming Mother's Day

For those who might be interested:

Beyond Mere Sentiment: Reclaiming Mother's Day.

Excerpt:

The Radical Origins of Mother’s Day:

In an article written for WorkingForChange.com, Gev Parish notes:

Julia Ward Howe called for the establishment of Mother's Day in 1870. Her gesture was intended not as a sentimental tribute to those who bear children, but as a call for women to wage a general strike to end war. (1)

Julia, a poet and suffragist, began her work to honor mothers as a radical act. We tend to forget that mothers are, and always have been, politically and socially active. Throughout history, they have used the wisdom they gained as mothers to think of future generations and work for the good of all. (2)

Real Life Moms:

Motherhood’s a tough gig.

To be a mother is to cry and rage and worry and work till you want to drop. And most women do this without any help from any darn village.

Motherhood is both mind numbing and inspiring, frustrating and fulfilling. It’s a job worth doing and it takes a great deal of strength, wisdom, and self esteem to do it well. The many images of the Great Mother give us a sense of this. Her secret is contained within a paradox of seeming contradictions. She is both and equally, Kuan Yin and Kali, Isis and Morrigan, Aphrodite and Hecate, Lakshmi and Durga, Freya and Ha Hai-i Wuhti. In other, psychologically profound myths, she is portrayed as Medea, who destroyed her children in a fit of rage, and Lysistrata, who organized other mothers, stopped a war and saved two cities in the process. To see only one, sweet side of a mother is to ignore the complex, empowering truth of Her; a truth we can’t afford to miss.

Real mothers sometimes want to punch a wall. Instead they give hugs. They also teach, encourage, praise, and protect, and they do this creatively, day after day, no matter what. No wonder they simplified this holiday – it’s too hard to get all of that in one greeting card....

The Creatrix

Some of us don’t have children (either by choice or by chance) so we honor the Creatrix. The Creatrix is connected to Gaia. She creates her own life as well as great friendships, arts and crafts, loving homes, beauty, peace, prosperity, and opportunities. She empowers friends and family and is, herself, empowered. She cares for others and she protects those who cannot protect themselves. She is a mistress of learning, knowledge, and culture. She has many forms including that of Artemis, Hestia, Athena, and Bridget. She can stand alone or with a partner. It’s her choice. We know her by the blessings that flow from her hand and the ideas that come from her mind and heart. This form of creation is worth knowing and honoring, as well.

[To read the full article, click on the link. The article also contains a bibliography]

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The artwork that accompanies this article (and is copied above) is called Rhea. It is by Sandra M. Stanton. If you would like to see more of Susan's Goddess art, visit Goddess Myths. A portion of all sales from her prints goes to the Global Fund for Women. This image is used with her permission.

Sia