Keepers of The Flame - The Feminine Divine
A legend in his own time, Joseph Campbell
(1904-1987) was mythology and comparative religions professor at Sarah Lawrence
College when it was an all female school for privileged young women. The
handsome, charismatic Campbell had his students swooning in the aisles until he
finally married one. "A guy chases a girl until she catches
him!"
"Follow Your Bliss"
An avid admirer of Joseph Campbell, George Lucas
used Campbell's book, "The Hero's Journey" as a direct reference for
the creation of "Star Wars." The two became close friends and
admirers of each other's work. Television journalist Bill Moyers' legendary PBS
documentary "The Power of Myth," is a series of interviews with
Joseph Campbell at Lucas' Skywalker Ranch. In these interviews Campbell
encourages his audience to follow their bliss, to discover what excites them,
and to make that the basis for their personal journeys.
In Campbell's, "Goddesses: Mysteries of the
Feminine Divine," he traces the evolution of the feminine from one Great
Goddess to many, from Neolithic Old Europe to the Renaissance. In shedding new
light on classical themes, he reveals how the feminine divine symbolizes the
quintessential energies of transformation and inspiration.
Goddesses Of The Ancient World And The Renaissance
In Greek mythology Aphrodite is familiar to us all.
Her Roman equivalent is Venus. In history, Queen Hatshepsut was the first
female Pharaoh of Egypt. After falling in love with the wrong guy (Mark
Antony), Cleopatra became the last Pharaoh when her armies fell to the superior
forces of Rome.
Another notable African Goddess is the biblical
Queen of Sheba. Legend tells us her iconic visit to King Solomon resulted in
the birth of the first and long line of Ethiopian kings, culminating with Haile
Selassie.
While today's British monarchy are rulers in name
only, Elizabeth I, "The Virgin Queen" was the daughter of Henry VIII
and the most powerful woman of her day. Though she had many lovers, Elizabeth I
broke new ground with self-portrayals that glorified her presumed virginity as
the source of power, and set her apart from the traditional subservience of
woman to man.
A Few Good Women (Of The Modern Era)
From Europe in the west to Africa and Asia, few
women have held their nations' highest offices. Of 178 current heads of state
worldwide, only 18 are women.
No shrinking violets, Golda Meir was the first
female Prime Minister of Israel; Indira Gandhi was first female Prime Minister
of India. In Myanmar (Burma) after 15 years of passive resistance under house
arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi became Leader of the National League for Democracy.
Before her assassination, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was the first woman to
lead a muslim country in modern history.
In 1979 Margaret Thatcher became the first elected
female Prime Minister of Great Britain. Theresa May now holds that office. A
moderate conservative, Angela Merkel has been Chancellor of Germany since 2005
and one of the architects of the European Union. Britain's "The
Guardian" recently wrote of Merkel: "Can she stagger on into the
2020s? She may have to if the leadership of Europe is not to risk falling into the
hands of assorted Trump lookalikes."
The Feminine Divine
The premise is that creation occurs between the
masculine and feminine. The ego (masculine) is needed to create the safe and
secure space for the heart (feminine) to birth, nurture and grow the creation.
The keeper of the flame is that nurturing feminine presence that allows the
creation to grow. Accordingly, unless both roles are recognized and the
feminine is allowed to guide the process, world development will continue to be
retarded. That does not mean it will not be successful. It just means the world
will be less than it is capable of becoming.
As our European cousins often remind us, America is
the 240-year-old upstart. Yet while we continue to live under the corrupting
influence of money in politics and its toxic effects on millions, the first
female in American history is running for president. Candidates may not possess
all the virtues we would like in a commander-in-chief. None ever have nor ever
will. Many presidential icons have come under fire from the Left and Right for
their reputed errors and peccadillos. As a nation, we're still here.
Bad-ass Goddesses In Love and War
From the solar deities of ancient Egypt to
Shintoism and Norse goddesses, mythological bad-ass women still capture our
imagination. Ever see a Wagnerian Opera? In our own time, a feminine/masculine
Hillary Clinton continues to bear the scars of battle and she's still here. But
as Joseph Campbell reminds us, the feminine side of power in industry and
government remains absent in 21st century America. It has to prevail if we are
to progress to higher standards of consciousness as a nation.
According to the recent 2016 Fortune 500 list,
women now hold a meager 4.2% of CEO positions in America's 500 biggest
companies. The Equal Rights Amendment was ratified by only 35 states, three
states short of the 38 required to put it into the Constitution. Higher
standards of consciousness means equal pay, free higher education for our
children, affordable health care for all citizens, and the discerning use of
power to defeat the greatest threat to democracy and peace in our time-ISIS and
its inevitable progeny. The formula is equal parts masculine and feminine, and
a Supreme Court that maintains the balance of justice for all.
Visit my website http://www.susanscharfman.com -For
an eclectic collection of articles; and a peek into my historical fiction
novel, The Sword & the Chrysanthemum, Journey of the Heart - a spiritual
journey and forbidden love in 17th century Japan. Now available on Kindle and
Amazon.com.
By Susan Scharfman
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susan_Scharfman/5734
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