by Trevor Greenfield
There are a lot of books out there that
speak about the Goddess in her many forms, but The Goddess in America
looks at the Goddess from a specific viewpoint: that of the
American. Speaking as an American, we have a national identity that
is one of cultural melting pot. With many Goddesses being closely
entwined with the culture and lands they belong to, it can be hard to
find the right Goddess to connect with.
One thing I really like about this book
is that it talks about some very hard subjects right from the start.
While not everyone who works with Goddesses is Pagan, I am, and I do
find that I am drawn to connect with not only the land I live in, but
also the land where my ancestors are from, and even sometimes
cultures to which I have no historic or blood ties, but rather a deep
spiritual connection that I want to explore.
But for many people, this is a very
touchy thing. Many people feel that in many ways, deities belong to
a culture, and that those who are not steeped in the culture will not
be able to fully understand or properly work with them.
Unfortunately, this leaves many of us
in a place with no deities of our own. While I am half-Chinese, I
wasn't raised in the Chinese culture. So what do are we to do, those
of us who feel a calling, or are drawn to different Goddesses?
This book seeks to offer up different
perspectives on how this may be approached. It examines the many
ways that Goddess manifests in America and to Americans, and the ways
in which Americans may connect with her.
The book itself is divided into four
main sections. The first deals with Goddesses native to the land.
The second looks at Goddesses that we may be tied to through our
ancestry, and how their worship followed the people who came to this
country. Then there is a section on how different categories of
people might relate to the Goddess. And finally a look at how our
modern viewpoint has changed how we approach the Goddess.
Each section offers several articles
that give different perspectives and insights into how people are
working with and understanding the Goddess. The reader is offered
not only basic information, but food for thought. They are invited
to consider their own thoughts on things and how the different
visions of the Goddess might manifest in their own life, and what
influences she may be drawing from.
When thinking about Goddesses native to
the land, there is a lot of history to work through. But for many of
us, this is our home, this land is the only land we have ever called
home. The Goddesses who were here before our ancestors may call to
us and we may not know how to respond or where to look for more
information. The articles in this section offer an introduction, not
only to some of the Goddess stories, but also the role they played in
the lives of the people who worshiped them.
I enjoyed that South America was not
forgotten either. I feel that the influence of Goddesses from South
America reaches up and touches us through the people who have
immigrated North, and these Goddesses embody part of what I feel is
the spirit of America.
The section on migrating Goddesses
starts with an article that looks at cultural appropriation, which I
feel is something that deserves more discussion. This has become a
huge hot topic within the Pagan community, and as it is expressed in
this book I think it highlights one of the biggest issues that is
often overlooked when people talk about appropriation.
I definitely identify as American, and
I think that is a sort of culture all it's own, but I wasn't raised
with strong cultural ties beyond that. By many cultural
appropriation arguments, I have no rights to any cultural deities
because I don't have those cultural roots. This is not a standpoint
that I agree with at all.
I think we all are called by many
different things, and it is through exploring where we are drawn to
that we find the deeper meaning that makes our lives full and
uniquely our own. What I really loved about this article on cultural
appropriation is that it addresses the fact that we, as Americans,
might not have any strong cultural upbringing, and yet may feel a
need to explore cultures that we have blood ties too or deities that
live in the lands we live. In light of that, the article offers up
suggestions on how to explore Goddesses and cultures in a way that is
respectful.
Another very deep question that is
explored in this section is whether or not Goddesses themselves can
migrate. Can we feel the presence of them in a land that is not
their own? Do they travel with their people as they moved? This is
something that I don't think has an ultimate answer, but many people
feel the presence of Goddesses that originated elsewhere very
strongly here in America.
I found the next section really
interesting. I think that it can be hard for many people to start
working with Goddesses because we live in such a masculine centered
world. Many of us grew up only knowing of divinity in a male form.
We may struggle to find our connection to the Goddess, or think that
Goddess is a little woo-woo.
These articles explore several
different ways for people to understand the Goddess in her many
faces. And I really appreciate that they look at the Goddess in more
than just a spiritual light. The Goddess has been a symbol used
politically as well as psychologically, and there are a lot of really
good ideas and concepts that center around these aspects of Goddess.
I also like that Goddess spirituality is explored from different
religious standpoints, so people who identify as Christian but still
are drawn to the Goddess are offered ways in which they can connect
to the divine feminine without stepping outside their faith.
In some ways, I think the final chapter
might be the most controversial, especially for many modern Pagans.
Pop culture crosses some lines that many Pagans have fought very hard
to draw. We want our beliefs and practices to be taken seriously,
and it can be hard sometimes to explain how ancient beliefs and
modern culture can work with each other and don't have to be at odds.
One thing I found particularly
fascinating was looking at the usage of the word Goddess in reference
to non-traditional deities. Specifically, naming women (whether they
are alive or important figures in history) as Goddesses. This is
another place that I think has no absolute answers, there is no hard
right or wrong way to use the label Goddess.
The book finishes off with a look at
nine amazing women in American history, what their role was, and how
you might work with them. I think it was a very powerful highlight
of the role women have played in America but also how we can see the
women around us as embodying different aspects of the Goddess. It
provides a framework for working with other historical heroes that
you might be drawn towards.
I think The Goddess in America is a
unique book that explores a lot of ideas about working with Goddesses
as an American, but even more than that, I think it can be used as a
launching point for anyone seeking to explore connections that they
have with the Goddess in whatever form they experience her in. It is
thought provoking and encourages you to really examine what you
believe and why, and to think about how you can embrace the Goddess
as she calls to you. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is
interested in the Goddess, especially if you are struggling to figure
out how to connect to a Goddess that may have originated far away or
from a culture that is not your own.
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