Mother, Mommy, Ma-Ma, Ma...These are all words we down south use to describe the Female person that gave birth to us. I say this because it is important to note, that you can have several mothers over a lifetime. Those who are adopted say...this is my Biological mother but such and such was my "real mother". Children of divorce say "step mother" and "real mother" of course this does not reveal which they love more. I have met many people that never knew their "biological mother" or had a "step mom" but had a "nother mother" usually a friends mom, or a teacher, a mentor, and sometimes just sometimes she is or could be your Highpriestess.
I have decided to talk about Mothers because Mother's day has just finished. The Temple this weekend is doing a "Mothering Rite of Passage" and so I find that my mind has been on trying to define this "title" again and again so that it is not exclusive and more inclusive. Here are some of the discoveries I came to about this term and role.
First of all we all have in our minds a stereotype or expectation of what a MOTHER is. Yes, think about it you do. It is not fair, nor is it correct but each and everyone of us can tell you very quickly whether we think our own personal mother was a "good one" or a "bad one". Also, I want to point out that women ourselves judge each other by our own standard of what a "good mother" or "bad mother" is. We say..."she is not a great mother", or "she does such and such" implying a woman is a bad mother. Really who are we to judge?
Of course if you are locking your child in the basement and not feeding it, or clothing it child protective services should be called in...but if it is just that one mother is more "protective" or "disciplined" than another mother who cares?
Look at the picture above you this is ONE of the many faces and aspects of my Goddess ISIS. She is considered one of the major Archetypes of Motherhood. She is the Universal MAMA. Horus called her Mommy. We never see her scold him, or here her get stressed out and tell him "no!" We do not read her typing blogs that give tips on "raising a toddler" or "cussing because he is driving her insane (tongue in cheek)" but I am sure there were days when Isis felt this way even about her little Godling child. People assume that Isis was the PERFECT mother and with this assumption if you worship her or are her priestess you find that you as a human fall short time and time again. It is okay though, because I am going to share with you a story about her that fills her in a bit better and shows you more of the kind of mother she was and is.
Horus was a young man (think twenty something like our millenium children). He had decided he was going to get revenge for his father Osiris' murder and slay Set his uncle and his Mother Isis brother. He had been told by her, and by his Uncle Thoth that he could not kill Set and that he had to be patient and let the council of Gods discuss and figure out a way to peacefully settle the dispute between him and Set so that both people and all the population of Egypt could live their lives pretty smoothly. Horus was impatient, this seemed stupid to him and obvious that the Elders and his Mother was wrong. So he went out and confronted his Uncle Set near the Nile and challenged him to a duel for the kingdom.
Isis (being a mother) sensed her son was in danger and came to the river banks to help. She decides that she must "save" Horus from his older and stronger Uncle/her brother and pulls up a harpoon and launches it at Set to kill him. However, Set being clever sees it and pushes Horus in front of it thus her harpoon pierces her son Horus' side. Horus, without thought, immediately runs to the river banks where his mother is and in a fit of rage and without explanation chops her head off (kerplop!). He does not ask Why, or give her time to explain the accident he acts on his own accord judging her actions and does a horrible thing. Thus beheading the woman who risked her life to give birth to him.
Thoth, the eternal wise God, appears and replaces Isis' head with that of the Sacred Cow or Bull depending on the dynasty and so from this point on she is not seen with the headdress of a THRONE but with the sacred Horns upon her head always. IN the year 2013 it is hard to find an Isis without this headdress on and a very rare and highly prized possession indeed to find her wearing the throne or the wings of a vulture alone. BUT, before her son Horus cut the Apron strings from her she was primarily a bird goddess, a moon goddess, a ruler, and a mother. AFTER, all of this muckity muck with her own Son Isis still goes on to defend him and argue very logically on his behalf sticking with it patiently until he finally does "win" his quest and acheives his goal of the throne.
Isis was not perfect. She deserts her son at times in the story to search for her husband leaving 7 scorpions to take care of him and other nature deities. Isis lies to Ra and tricks him to get her husband Osiris resurrected. Isis slays people in her way, and does anything she can at times to protect her child and make sure her husband and his kingdom is properly taken care of. YET, after all this time most only see Isis as just a Mother. If she lived today...what kind of mother would we judge her to be?
When I first started on my Path with Isis she nurtured me and coddled me, but after about a year she started to tell me that "I could figure it out" and that "I knew what to do" or better yet "Handle it and let me know how it goes." I did not like this answer from a Goddess I thought would be a good "Mother" to me. As I have aged, and have raised more than just four children I have come to see that I judged her very "harshly" and that maybe the best thing I could do is worship a Mother Goddess who constantly evolved as she grew thus forcing me to do the same. I wanted her to coddle me, I wanted her to "lie" to me, I wanted her to "do it for me". Hmmmm sounds strangely familiar huh? No wonder why people seem to give Highpriestess and Clergy if they are female a hard time sometimes....They expect us to be an unrealistic Goddess Mother.
Things to think about...What do you think being a Mother is? What are your expectations of a Mother? What kind of Mother are you? What kind of Mother did you have? What kind of Mother do you want to be? How do you Mother yourself? Do you have unrealistic expectations of Goddess as a Mother?
I want to end showing you this picture because I think it is a pretty accurate representation of our Modern times, and Isis likes it...because everyone is not perfect we are just learning.
A modern day ISIS perhaps? Let us all re-think Mother, and Mothers, and Goddess Mothers and Women in Mothering roles and see them bloom and unfurl as they are naturally evolving like the Goddess we worship.
I have decided to talk about Mothers because Mother's day has just finished. The Temple this weekend is doing a "Mothering Rite of Passage" and so I find that my mind has been on trying to define this "title" again and again so that it is not exclusive and more inclusive. Here are some of the discoveries I came to about this term and role.
First of all we all have in our minds a stereotype or expectation of what a MOTHER is. Yes, think about it you do. It is not fair, nor is it correct but each and everyone of us can tell you very quickly whether we think our own personal mother was a "good one" or a "bad one". Also, I want to point out that women ourselves judge each other by our own standard of what a "good mother" or "bad mother" is. We say..."she is not a great mother", or "she does such and such" implying a woman is a bad mother. Really who are we to judge?
Of course if you are locking your child in the basement and not feeding it, or clothing it child protective services should be called in...but if it is just that one mother is more "protective" or "disciplined" than another mother who cares?
Horus was a young man (think twenty something like our millenium children). He had decided he was going to get revenge for his father Osiris' murder and slay Set his uncle and his Mother Isis brother. He had been told by her, and by his Uncle Thoth that he could not kill Set and that he had to be patient and let the council of Gods discuss and figure out a way to peacefully settle the dispute between him and Set so that both people and all the population of Egypt could live their lives pretty smoothly. Horus was impatient, this seemed stupid to him and obvious that the Elders and his Mother was wrong. So he went out and confronted his Uncle Set near the Nile and challenged him to a duel for the kingdom.
Isis (being a mother) sensed her son was in danger and came to the river banks to help. She decides that she must "save" Horus from his older and stronger Uncle/her brother and pulls up a harpoon and launches it at Set to kill him. However, Set being clever sees it and pushes Horus in front of it thus her harpoon pierces her son Horus' side. Horus, without thought, immediately runs to the river banks where his mother is and in a fit of rage and without explanation chops her head off (kerplop!). He does not ask Why, or give her time to explain the accident he acts on his own accord judging her actions and does a horrible thing. Thus beheading the woman who risked her life to give birth to him.
Thoth, the eternal wise God, appears and replaces Isis' head with that of the Sacred Cow or Bull depending on the dynasty and so from this point on she is not seen with the headdress of a THRONE but with the sacred Horns upon her head always. IN the year 2013 it is hard to find an Isis without this headdress on and a very rare and highly prized possession indeed to find her wearing the throne or the wings of a vulture alone. BUT, before her son Horus cut the Apron strings from her she was primarily a bird goddess, a moon goddess, a ruler, and a mother. AFTER, all of this muckity muck with her own Son Isis still goes on to defend him and argue very logically on his behalf sticking with it patiently until he finally does "win" his quest and acheives his goal of the throne.
Isis was not perfect. She deserts her son at times in the story to search for her husband leaving 7 scorpions to take care of him and other nature deities. Isis lies to Ra and tricks him to get her husband Osiris resurrected. Isis slays people in her way, and does anything she can at times to protect her child and make sure her husband and his kingdom is properly taken care of. YET, after all this time most only see Isis as just a Mother. If she lived today...what kind of mother would we judge her to be?
When I first started on my Path with Isis she nurtured me and coddled me, but after about a year she started to tell me that "I could figure it out" and that "I knew what to do" or better yet "Handle it and let me know how it goes." I did not like this answer from a Goddess I thought would be a good "Mother" to me. As I have aged, and have raised more than just four children I have come to see that I judged her very "harshly" and that maybe the best thing I could do is worship a Mother Goddess who constantly evolved as she grew thus forcing me to do the same. I wanted her to coddle me, I wanted her to "lie" to me, I wanted her to "do it for me". Hmmmm sounds strangely familiar huh? No wonder why people seem to give Highpriestess and Clergy if they are female a hard time sometimes....They expect us to be an unrealistic Goddess Mother.
Things to think about...What do you think being a Mother is? What are your expectations of a Mother? What kind of Mother are you? What kind of Mother did you have? What kind of Mother do you want to be? How do you Mother yourself? Do you have unrealistic expectations of Goddess as a Mother?
I want to end showing you this picture because I think it is a pretty accurate representation of our Modern times, and Isis likes it...because everyone is not perfect we are just learning.
A modern day ISIS perhaps? Let us all re-think Mother, and Mothers, and Goddess Mothers and Women in Mothering roles and see them bloom and unfurl as they are naturally evolving like the Goddess we worship.
I enjoy reading your blog regularly! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is also just a quick note to let you know I’ve nominated you for a Liebster award! Check out my post here http://cauldronsandbroomsticks.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/liebster-award-colour-me-delighted/ for details.