Calling in the Goddesses by Mirabai Starr

To see the world through the eyes of the Sacred Feminine is to recognize everything as holy. The masculine paradigm has traditionally divided body and spirit, rending the fabric of the soul. We have inherited a dualistic viewpoint that encourages us to transcend this world and strive for a state of detachment, which we have come to equate with being spiritual.

Gaia, the primordial embodiment of Mother Earth herself in Greco-Roman mythology, invites us into a living relationship with all of creation. Shakti, the life force that runs through the entire cosmos according to the Hindu tradition, is the quintessence of creative power. In this opening session, we encounter the raw, undomesticated, primal energies of the Sacred Feminine and welcome them into our own bodies.

In this module, you’ll:

• Reclaim the wild holiness and unshakable wisdom of your own body
• Identify a particular issue of personal concern regarding the plight of the planet and make a commitment to action on behalf of the earth
• Develop a personal relationship with Earth as Mother, and address her as a cherished relative
• Recommit to spending regular time connecting with nature as part of your regular spiritual practice

In light of the popularity of nondual teachings many of us have felt pressured to reject the yearning that burns in our hearts for union with the Divine. The great secret of the mystical journey is that devotion is the catalyst for connection, and the duality of lover and Beloved melts into an undifferentiated experience of pure Love.

Radha, the consort of Krishna, Lord of Love in the Hindu tradition, embodies sacred desire and evokes the poetry of the heart. The Shekhinah, the indwelling feminine face of the Divine in Jewish mysticism, is the essence of the Sabbath, and invites a true integration with the Divine Masculine.

In this module, you’ll:

• Express your soul’s passion for union with the Beloved — through writing, chanting, art and deep dialog
• Learn to integrate your spiritual passion with your life, allowing that sublime love to permeate every aspect of what you do and who you are
• Explore the mythologies of lover and Beloved and why they most closely mirror the connection between the individual soul and her divine source
• Commit to a regular Sabbath practice

When we open ourselves to the flow of creativity, we become conduits for the expression of the sacred. Our souls hunger for rest from the continuous demands of the analytical mind and to engage in beauty-making. It is no accident that many mythic and spiritual traditions depict the creative principle as feminine. In Hinduism, Saraswati, with her multiple arms holding books and musical instruments, represents the perfection of knowledge and the arts. Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of protection, healing and creation, helps spin the world into being.

In this module, you’ll:

• Identify the way (or ways) that your own soul craves beauty
• (Re)commit to at least one form of creative self-expression
• Become comfortable with the unfettered, untamed, unplanned and not-always-practical experience of creativity
• Generate a work of art to share with others

Nearly every spiritual tradition on the planet recognizes the Mother as the co-creator of the world and the embodiment of unconditional love. The Mother offers refuge from the storms of this life, soothing our broken hearts and calling us into community. Mary’s unique accessibility lies in the truth of her humanity. She was a woman who grappled with fear and acted with courage, who suffered a sword in her heart and extended mercy to all. Tonantzin, Aztec Goddess of the Earth, of Fertility, of the Corn, melded with Mary in an apparition to the indigenous people of Conquest Mexico and became Our Lady of Guadalupe, beloved spiritual Mother to millions.

In this module, you’ll:

• Cultivate your own co-creative relationship with the Divine
• Develop a vision for building community, locally or globally
• Explore the connection between indigenous wisdom and Judeo-Christian spirituality
• Find refuge, comfort and support in the embrace of the Feminine

We seem to undergo multiple crucifixions and resurrections within a single lifetime. Certain experiences bring us to our knees, and from this shattered space we are ultimately quickened with new life.

When we call on the Goddess Kali Ma, most beloved of Hindu deities, she takes whatever is in the way of our liberation and transforms it. This transformation feels like destruction and we burn for a time in her loving fire. The Greek Goddess Persephone is Queen of the Underworld. She too is all about descent and the secret alchemy that unfolds when we abide in the darkness, giving rise to fresh growth and sweet abundance.

In this module, you’ll:

• Understand the difference between “becoming nothing” and “being unworthy”
• Embrace the fire and allow it to transfigure you
• Explore the connection between missing loved ones and spiritual longing
• Affirm the validity of an entire spectrum of losses you carry, from loss of innocence to the death of a loved one

The fearsome aspect of the Divine Mother is not the full story. She is also the embodiment of unconditional forgiveness and selfless service. The Bodhisattva Vow in the Buddhist tradition calls us to forgo our own liberation until all sentient beings are free.

Kwan Yin in ancient China and Tara in Tibet are the bodhisattvas of compassion who gather the broken world into their arms and lean in to listen to our stories of heartache and longing. When we weep for the pain of the world, these entities are available to us as a source of strength and hope, empowering us to step up and offer ourselves for the benefit of all life.

In this module, you’ll:

• Expand your conception of what it means to be of service
• Discern between charity dispensed to those perceived as having (or being) less, and compassion based on the realization of our essential unity with those who suffer
• Find a healthy balance between personal spiritual practice and caring for others
• Develop the courage necessary to speak for the voiceless, even when it is neither convenient nor socially acceptable

In the biblical literature, Wisdom is personified as feminine. Proverb 8 declares that “Wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare to her.” In the Gnostic and Christian mystical traditions she is Sophia, the feminine face of the Divine and the source of spiritual insight. In ancient Greece men in power flocked to the Oracle at Delphi, embodied by High Priestess of the Temple of Apollo, for guidance in both practical and spiritual matters. During perilous times when society is radically fragmented and the masculine paradigm falls far short of mending the world, the wisdom of the Sacred Feminine is needed more than ever.

In this final module, you’ll:

• Discover the relevance of ancient spiritual teachings to your own life, and to the lives of those you touch
• Notice where you may be imbalanced between heart and mind, and find a healthy integration of intellectual rigor and dwelling in the mystery of love
• What would it mean to open yourself as an Oracle?
• Examine the masculine and feminine aspects of your own personality and invite them into harmony