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Ancient Fertility Religions

Ancient Fertility Religions. AKA: mystery myth, paganism, neo-paganism, Goddess religions. Where it comes from?. Pre-written history-no real resource material Oral tradition Comes mostly from archeology, passages Proceed any PATRARCHIAL religions Matriarchal.

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Ancient Fertility Religions

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  1. Ancient Fertility Religions AKA: mystery myth, paganism, neo-paganism, Goddess religions

  2. Where it comes from? • Pre-written history-no real resource material • Oral tradition • Comes mostly from archeology, passages • Proceed any PATRARCHIAL religions • Matriarchal

  3. Cyclical nature of the religion: moon, water, woman’s monthly cycle, reincarnation The Circle of Life

  4. 3 aspects of the Goddess

  5. Examples of the Goddess

  6. Goddesses from other cultures • Ishtar- Mesopotamia • Great goddess even in the Bible: Eve, Mary, Mary Magdalene • Isis from Egypt

  7. Pattern to the great goddesses story • Morns a loss (dying god archetypal pattern) • Searches for a loved one • Brings about a form of resurrection • Return of the God • Establishes new practices/belief system for followers

  8. Rituals • Marriage of the spiritual, emotional, physical and mental • Immortality of the soul (reincarnation) • Life and sexuality • Nature and the natural world

  9. More rituals • Fertility in the natural world “frolicking in the daisies” • Summer solstice

  10. Woman is sacred • Only through communion with the goddess can a man “see god” • Sex was a religious experience • Holy women in temples: temple prostitutes • Women viewed as virgins, mother or prostitutes

  11. Fertility Symbols • Moon (maid,matron, crone)= (new moon, full moon, crescent) • Bull horns-male symbol • Snake: wisdom, bringer of knowledge, shed his skin-renewal • Coil • Butterfly- metamorphous • Bee- triumphs over death, reincarnation, hibernation

  12. So what happened? • Indo-Europeans come down from the north with patri-lineal gods and beliefs • Subvert all that is positive about the goddess • Bull horns turned into devil horns, women are seen as temptresses • Women’s sexuality is subverted

  13. Example: • The oracle at Delphi-Apollo kills the snake and makes the oracle his own • Society moves from matrilineal heritage to patrilineal

  14. Hold overs: • Pagan- pagus- place- locality • Christmas season- winter solstice • Spring equinox- Easter • Halloween- harvest • May day- Beltane

  15. Where can we find examples of the Goddess Religions? • Firebrand and The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley • DaVinci Code by Dan Brown • Clan of the Cave Bear

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