They observed and witnessed the plants and animals being born on the earth’s surface, multiplying and finally returning to her, only to come back again through regeneration. The ancients, who had more direct contact and a greater relationship with nature viewed the earth as this gigantic female being who gives birth and continuously creates life. The Early Divine Feminine: Gaia in Ancient Greek Mythology Goddess Tellus relief, Ara Pacis, circa 13- 9 BCE, via Wikimedia Commonsįor our ancestors, the embodiment of the divine feminine was the Earth itself. Today most of the major religions of the world: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, have a male God, and the only thing that testifies to the existence of a completely different world that celebrates the sacred female comes from the evidence of ancient artefacts from the distant past. The Mother Goddess, often known as Mother Earth, is a matriarchal archetype represented frequently in ancient art and found in various mythologies around the world. For the most part, these societies were matriarchal and developed peaceful cultures, with no fortification up until the appearance of the warrior societies. Women had a significant role and acted as priestesses and possibly religious leaders.

Societies were structured and operated around these Goddess religions and they were ruled by a collective of priestesses who were devoted to ritual. We find the Goddess religion in many parts of the ancient world long before patriarchal religions took over.

In many ancient societies, the nurturing nature of the divine feminine was associated with the concepts of fertility and creation and took the shape of the Great Mother Goddess. And the terrifying Hindu goddess Kali, depicted in art carrying a severed head and bloodied sword, is honoured as the Great Mother and liberator from fear and ignorance.Įnhanced by engagement with contemporary worshippers, faith communities and insights from high-profile collaborators Bonnie Greer, Mary Beard, Elizabeth Day, Rabia Siddique and Deborah Frances-White, the exhibition considered the influence of female spiritual power and what femininity means today.īringing together sculptures, sacred objects and artworks from the ancient world to today, and from six continents, the exhibition highlighted the many faces of feminine power – ferocious, beautiful, creative or hell-bent – and its seismic influence throughout time.From the depths of history, the divine feminine was considered sacred and was worshipped as the matrix of creation. The Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion, who transcends gender and is visualised in male form in Tibet and female in China and Japan, uncovers the importance of gender fluidity in some spiritual traditions. Worship of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes, reveals how her destructive capacity is venerated alongside her ability to create. From wisdom, passion and desire, to war, justice and mercy, the exhibition sought to show how the diverse expression of female spiritual powers around the world prompts us to reflect on how we perceive femininity and gender identity today. How do different traditions view femininity? How has female authority been perceived in ancient cultures? For insights, the exhibition looked to divine and demonic figures feared and revered for over 5,000 years. Visitors were invited to explore the significant role that goddesses, demons, witches, spirits and saints have played – and continue to play – in shaping our understanding of the world.

The divine feminine painting