The Uncovered History of a Peaceful Civilization
In Ancient Times, the cradle of civilization worshipped the Creator as a Goddess. She was the Creatrix of the Universe, the Giver of Life, the Source of nature and nurture. Her people lived in peace. In some areas, women were dominant in every sector of life and society. In others, women and men were equal, with both filling social and civic roles.
These people lived in a world totally immersed in the belief in and the attributes of the Divine Feminine. Life was sacred, and the Goddess gave women the sacred honor of bringing forth life. All aspects of bringing life into the world were held in highest esteem. Women were not ashamed of their monthly cycles. They were in tune with the cycles of the Moon, and knew their own cyclical rhythms were a divine blessing bestowed only on women. In matriarchal groups, older women taught the younger; the elder generations told stories to keep the sacred traditions, observances, and ceremonies fresh in the minds of all. Being, for the most part, an oral society this was their way of teaching each other about stages of life so that, among the women, there was little mystery or fear about beginning menses or the cessation of it. It was the same for the birthing of a child, and caring for the infant. The women all lived together, within their familial groups, so, additionally, the experienced women were nearby to guide and help the new mother. Men, who lived with their own birth clan and were the uncles and brothers of the group, also revered the sacredness of life, teaching the boys of the clan the role of both women and men in the culture and the importance of each in their village.
Cycles of life were integral to daily life. Understanding of Earth cycles, plant life cycles, and those of the animal kingdom was the educational world they lived in. The Goddess represents the full life cycle: conception, birth, growth, maturity, decline, death, and rebirth. Many modern people are afraid of death, but followers of the Goddess embraced it all. They cared for the newborn and for the departed. The stone monuments found throughout the Old World are designed to resemble the Goddess’s vagina and womb. The dead were laid to rest in the chambers of these mounds to await the sun’s rays to penetrate the entry corridor and awaken new life.
The people of this ancient time recognized the need for the balance of energies. Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine were both honored. Women and men were seen as equally important to village prosperity and respected the role of the other. Only in temple matters were men excluded. Though otherwise matriarchal societies, men were integrated in the activities of the village. Both energies were understood as being important. It seemed an idyllic time, though primitive compared to modern life.
Peace reigned supreme among these people, until around 4000 B.C.E. (Gimbutas Chronology in Eisler, p.250), when archaeologists believe an outside group of nomads, called Indo-Europeans, came down from the Russian steppes in the north. These were brutal conquerors who worshipped a male god. Whether they came in small groups, or swept over the peaceful civilization en mass, the beginning of the end had come for the matriarchal villages. Patriarchy, under which most of modern society lives, overran and overruled, becoming the dominant way of life.
Why did this happen, and what does it mean for us? This is a great topic of discussion which I will pursue, as it is important to understand how geologic history played a role.
These people lived in a world totally immersed in the belief in and the attributes of the Divine Feminine. Life was sacred, and the Goddess gave women the sacred honor of bringing forth life. All aspects of bringing life into the world were held in highest esteem. Women were not ashamed of their monthly cycles. They were in tune with the cycles of the Moon, and knew their own cyclical rhythms were a divine blessing bestowed only on women. In matriarchal groups, older women taught the younger; the elder generations told stories to keep the sacred traditions, observances, and ceremonies fresh in the minds of all. Being, for the most part, an oral society this was their way of teaching each other about stages of life so that, among the women, there was little mystery or fear about beginning menses or the cessation of it. It was the same for the birthing of a child, and caring for the infant. The women all lived together, within their familial groups, so, additionally, the experienced women were nearby to guide and help the new mother. Men, who lived with their own birth clan and were the uncles and brothers of the group, also revered the sacredness of life, teaching the boys of the clan the role of both women and men in the culture and the importance of each in their village.
Cycles of life were integral to daily life. Understanding of Earth cycles, plant life cycles, and those of the animal kingdom was the educational world they lived in. The Goddess represents the full life cycle: conception, birth, growth, maturity, decline, death, and rebirth. Many modern people are afraid of death, but followers of the Goddess embraced it all. They cared for the newborn and for the departed. The stone monuments found throughout the Old World are designed to resemble the Goddess’s vagina and womb. The dead were laid to rest in the chambers of these mounds to await the sun’s rays to penetrate the entry corridor and awaken new life.
The people of this ancient time recognized the need for the balance of energies. Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine were both honored. Women and men were seen as equally important to village prosperity and respected the role of the other. Only in temple matters were men excluded. Though otherwise matriarchal societies, men were integrated in the activities of the village. Both energies were understood as being important. It seemed an idyllic time, though primitive compared to modern life.
Peace reigned supreme among these people, until around 4000 B.C.E. (Gimbutas Chronology in Eisler, p.250), when archaeologists believe an outside group of nomads, called Indo-Europeans, came down from the Russian steppes in the north. These were brutal conquerors who worshipped a male god. Whether they came in small groups, or swept over the peaceful civilization en mass, the beginning of the end had come for the matriarchal villages. Patriarchy, under which most of modern society lives, overran and overruled, becoming the dominant way of life.
Why did this happen, and what does it mean for us? This is a great topic of discussion which I will pursue, as it is important to understand how geologic history played a role.