Goddess writings you relate to

[MoonBreath]

What is a book, certain section from a book, or even a prayer/invocation pertaining to the Goddess that really speaks to you, that really brings into context how you view Her? I really like the chapter on the Goddess from Starhawk's The Spiral Dance. It's really the only chapter of the book i read. I found myself nodding and agreeing silently with most everything she said. I also really love The Charge of the Goddess, and the Charge of the Dark Goddess. These three writings pretty much sum up how i view Her.

[RavenStars]

I, too, have a Starhawk passage that speaks to me. It's from Spiral Dance the 20th anniversary edition, page 24...


The Goddess continually offers me challenges, but knowing that she is within me as around me, I find that strength to meet them, to transform fear into power from within, to create my place in which I can grow, struggle, and change, to mourn my losses and celebrate my advances, to generate the acts of love and pleasure that are her rituals. For she is not sleeping, she has risen up and is reaching out her hands to me. When I reach for her, she reveals herself to me in the stones and soil beneath my feet, in the whitewater rapids and limpid pools of my imagination, in tears and laughter, ecstasy and sorrow, common courage and common struggle, wind and fire. Once I allowed myself to look into her open eyes, I can never loose sight of her again. For she faces me in the mirror, and her steps echo each time I place foot to ground. Try to leap away, and she will pull me back. I cannot fall away from her—there is nowhere she is not.

Just does it for me every time I read it.

[MoonBreath]

RavenStars: wow, that is beautiful! i'll have to bookmark that page :uhhuhuh: I can see that paragraph giving me strength when i've had a not so good day!

[Philosophia]

I like this essay:

http://web.archive.org/web/20051109225332/http://www.paganet.org/pnn/v07/i1/feature_sample2.html

[Glowingsun]

I really like the Goddess Protection Chant. It makes me feel all warm inside, like the Goddess is in my kitchen baking something and just being there like mother's are.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jajOFQMS7rw

[Caelestis ♥ Raven]

Ariadne's Thread by Shekhinah Mountainwater by far is my favorite. It expanded my thought on my spirituality and changed how I saw & thought about the Goddess.

I also really love this quote from Starhawk. I feel that it just expains the feeling and concept so perfectly.


"People often ask me if I believe in the Goddess. I reply "Do you believe in rocks?" It is extremely difficult for most Westerners to grasp the concept of a manifest deity. The phrase "believe in" itself implies that we cannot know the Goddess, that She is somehow intangible, incomprehensible. But we do not believe in rocks -- we may see them, touch them, dig them out of our gardens or stop small children from throwing them at each other. We know them; we connect with them. In the Craft [Wicca, a neo-pagan religion], we do not believe in the Goddess -- we connect with Her; through the moon, the stars, the ocean, the earth, the trees, the animals, through other human beings, through ourselves. She is here. She is within us all."

[RavenStars]

Caelestis ♥ Raven, that's my second favorite quote! I have it on my wall now. Her gnosis is powerful. It causes a shift in the way I think each time I read it. Everything is holy. And I call this Goddess.

Since I'm here, how about adding this to the thread...


If you cannot find the truth right where you are,
where else do you expect to find it? ---Dogen

[iceskater12]

I, too, have a Starhawk passage that speaks to me. It's from Spiral Dance the 20th anniversary edition, page 24...

The Goddess continually offers me challenges, but knowing that she is within me as around me, I find that strength to meet them, to transform fear into power from within, to create my place in which I can grow, struggle, and change, to mourn my losses and celebrate my advances, to generate the acts of love and pleasure that are her rituals. For she is not sleeping, she has risen up and is reaching out her hands to me. When I reach for her, she reveals herself to me in the stones and soil beneath my feet, in the whitewater rapids and limpid pools of my imagination, in tears and laughter, ecstasy and sorrow, common courage and common struggle, wind and fire. Once I allowed myself to look into her open eyes, I can never loose sight of her again. For she faces me in the mirror, and her steps echo each time I place foot to ground. Try to leap away, and she will pull me back. I cannot fall away from her—there is nowhere she is not.
Just does it for me every time I read it.

I was going to quote that!
I think that whole book pretty much speaks to me.

[RavenStars]

Here's short little poem about Kali...


Kali, why are You naked again?
Good grief, haven't You any shame?

Mother, is this some family duty---
This standing on the chest of Your man?

You're naked, He's naked,
You hang around the burning grounds.

Mother, Your necklace gleams,
Those human heads shine at Your throat.

Even Shiva fears You
When You're like this.

[Slightly edited from Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair]

[Mithrea]

Elisabeth Brooke's "A Wisewoman's Guide." The meditations in that book have done more for my spiritual development than anything else to date. I still use them regularly. They helped me to recognize the Goddess in the Universe and the Goddess in myself.

[MoonBreath]

Thanks so much to everyone who responded! :uhhuhuh: the writings you contributed are all beautiful :)

[Philosophia]

A "Book of the Goddess" by Anna Livia Plurabelle has a lot of beautiful hymns within it. Even though it doesn't really fit into my path (I'm more polytheistic), I still consider it a wonderful book that constantly inspires me.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/wmn/bog/index.htm

[MoonBreath]

i remember skimming through some of the pages of the Book of the Goddess before and liking what i read. :) Is it possible to buy the book? hmm, i guess if it isn't, one could always print out the pages.

[MoonBreath]

i also like these two quotes from Starhawk:

“The symbolism of the Goddess is not a parallel structure to the symbolism of God the Father. The Goddess does not rule the world. She is the world. Manifest in each of us, She can be known internally by every indivdual, in all her magnificent diversity.”

“Through the Goddess, we can discover our strength, enlighten our minds, own our bodies, and celebrate our emotions.”

[girlandthesea]

These posts are amazing I think I need to get a copy of Spiral Dance. I've only just become aware of the Goddess fairly recently (last 3 to 4 months) so I am still getting to know her and feel her in everyday life.

This pretty much summed up my belief before I knew that it actually was one:

"The Goddess is everything in nature, and everything in nature is sacred."

I love it!

[MoonBreath]

girlandthesea: the Spiral Dance was the first pagan type book i ever bought :) Congrats on coming home to the Goddess :smile:

[MoonBreath]

i know this thread is kind of old, but i've been reading White Oleander , and i came across this paragraph that really spoke to me. The main character thinks of this while she sits beside her laboring friend and hears other women enduring labor pains and screaming mama (pg. 353):

"They wanted the real mother, the blood mother, the great womb, mother of a fierce compassion, a woman large enough to hold all the pain, to carry it away. What we needed was someone who bled, someone deep and rich as a field, a wide-hipped mother, awesome, immense, women like huge soft couches, mothers coursing with blood, mothers big enough, wide enough, for us to hide in, to sink down to the bottom of, mothers who would breathe for us when we could not breathe anymore, who would fight for us, who would kill for us, die for us."

[Pink_sheep]

Here's short little poem about Kali...

Kali, why are You naked again?
Good grief, haven't You any shame?

Mother, is this some family duty---
This standing on the chest of Your man?

You're naked, He's naked,
You hang around the burning grounds.

Mother, Your necklace gleams,
Those human heads shine at Your throat.

Even Shiva fears You
When You're like this.[Slightly edited from Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair]

I love this! Did you write it or someone else?

[MoonBreath]

i also really like " The Thunder, Perfect Mind"

http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/thunder.html

[Rosetta Morrigan]

I, too, have a Starhawk passage that speaks to me. It's from Spiral Dance the 20th anniversary edition, page 24...

The Goddess continually offers me challenges, but knowing that she is within me as around me, I find that strength to meet them, to transform fear into power from within, to create my place in which I can grow, struggle, and change, to mourn my losses and celebrate my advances, to generate the acts of love and pleasure that are her rituals. For she is not sleeping, she has risen up and is reaching out her hands to me. When I reach for her, she reveals herself to me in the stones and soil beneath my feet, in the whitewater rapids and limpid pools of my imagination, in tears and laughter, ecstasy and sorrow, common courage and common struggle, wind and fire. Once I allowed myself to look into her open eyes, I can never loose sight of her again. For she faces me in the mirror, and her steps echo each time I place foot to ground. Try to leap away, and she will pull me back. I cannot fall away from her—there is nowhere she is not.
Just does it for me every time I read it.

That is lovely... :thumbsup:

[sparrowspirit]

all of those are lovely and have helped very much. :)

I had an intimate connection with the Goddess last night while looking at the moon. I guess I just started praying and crying while outside. I felt very calm afterwords. I just came back to the Dianic path after wandering for sometime. I feel good and connected to myself again.

So a song that stands out to me is Kellianna's "Stonehedge" song. she's a really nice lady, I've met her at several PPD's you can find it on her myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kelliannamusic

I'll post the lyrics.


Stonehenge By Kellianna

Mother Help me
Mother Heal me
Please release me
From all things worldly
That do not serve me
Mother Love me

Within these stones
I feel the power
I am reborn
As I break
these chains that bind
And now I'm floating
light as a feather
As I break
these chains that bind

I'm gonna break
these chains that bind
I'm gonna break
these chains that bind
I'm gonna break
these chains that bind
Yes I will break
these chains that bind

Oh Blessed Mother
you empower me
yes You have shown me
just how to set myself free
And now I'm soaring
up in the clear blue sky
As I break these chains that bind

Yes I have broken
these chains that bind
Yes I have broken
these chains that bind
Yes I have broken
these chains that bind
Yes I did break
these chains that bind

[Caelestis ♥ Raven]

Welcome back to the Dianic path sparrowspirit _pounce_

That night sounds lovely :) What a beautiful song as well thank you for sharing it!