When state and religion collude to cement masculine power and undermine and control women, it makes sense to look to a spiritual age, before patriarchy even existed, where the Goddess held the power. Here the energy is compassionate, fierce and gentle, empowering and nurturing, creative and destructive – honouring every aspect of the Feminine.
Patriarchy's relentless denial of emotion stems from the fear of personal growth. Toxic masculinity stole our tears, impeded our healing, and denied our Wounded Feminine. We must reclaim, reframe, and contextualise the Grief Space so we can feel our feelings free of shame. Then, we can tell our stories, speak our truth, and let go. Then, when we are ready, we can move on, knowing we are connected to a powerful and wise female lineage and support network.
Patriarchy broke the bonds between women, shrinking love to fear. They were not beyond murder in their quest for supremacy as the 'witch hunts' – murder of free-thinking women – illustrate. In many ways Demeter represents the generational trauma and grief of the Divine Mother as she mourns for all her daughters, whose power is so closely tied to Mother Nature. We need to hold the Grief Space open for the Wounded Feminine because demonisation of Eve and Lilith represents the demonisation of all women and the silencing of Mary represents the silencing of all women. Goddess provides a safe space for the living to grieve.
Grief is a broken heart making sense of love and loss. It's milk and honey and tears of blood. It's a detour into a labyrinth to meet the dark stuff on the 'straight line' of our life plan. It's the cinematic subconscious processing difficult emotion in the Gothic shadows – Shock – Denial – Rage – whilst life goes on for others out there in the sunshine. To grieve is to feel alone.
What if I told you the Goddess holds space beneath her wings for those who seek it? The collective voice is a healing voice. Inviting shared experience into the Goddess Space is cathartic for those who tell their stories and healing for recipients. Here the gentle, nurturing Siren blows a blue bubble of hope deep beneath the ocean. The yoni portal opens within the pages of a book. Words are spoken in sacred circles raising vibration. The Grief Space is a wild cocoon for magic and alchemy – a doorway to self-expression, access to the dark shadow, a catalyst for change. Cry your tears and imagine negative experience transforming into wisdom.
"Wounded Feminine is a magnificent chorus, which wades in the mind/heart/soul of the reader churning the long-lasting waves inwardly. Animating the legacy of the collective grief and strife for love and connection with the whole, many voices of the anthology reshape the consciousness of what was lost and transform the subconsciousness into the power of the Cosmic Mother. This anthology is the seeds of deep thoughts, the indispensable steps for matriversal soteriology."
-Helen Hye-Sook Hwang, the author of Reader: Toward Magoist Cetaceanism (Mago Books, 2023)
"For those of us whose hearts rest in the Goddess, we are afforded a safe and healing place in which to feel, acknowledge and express our grief. Loss in all its sizes is a necessary part of every life--learning to wrap it with ceremony and holiness does much to lessen its weight. This book is an entry point for those who need it as well as a resource for those profoundly engaged with this very human mystery."
-H. Byron Ballard, priestess, author A Feral Church
“Wounded Feminine: Grieving with Goddess is another exquisite and deeply moving anthology from Girl God books. The importance of women's voices being expressed and heard in today's patriarchal society cannot be underestimated. Reclaiming grief from guilt, and encouraging the fullest range and outpouring of women's grief is deeply liberating, for both writers and readers. As I read the different perspectives and experiences of grief, pain and suffering my heart broke open many times from empathy with, and love for, my sisters. I was also uplifted by the shared and lived experiences of the holding and healing of Goddess, alongside the strength and balm She can bring to us all.
I loved the honouring and acceptance of women creating, writing and drawing in their own unique style, using the words that feel most authentic to them. Beautiful, moving and transforming.”
-Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE, author of Goddess Luminary Leadership Wheel: A Post-Patriarchal Paradigm and Presence Activism: A Profound Antidote to Climate Anxiety
“While on the face of it grieving seems like a painful topic, it is actually a liberating one. Until we grieve what we are losing, and we are losing more every day, it is hard to find the space in our consciousness to take the kind of positive action that will make a difference. The action that is informed by the courage to grieve is more likely to be successful in its purpose than the action taken that bypasses the grief.”
-Dr. Stephanie Mines, author of We Are All in Shock: Energy Healing for Traumatic Times
"As the mother of a child who died, my heart feels braided with every other bereaved mother, backward and forward in time and right now. I feel connected to grieving mothers in the Holy Land and to the broken heart of Mother Earth. It was a gift to see my own face reflected in every page of this stunning collection--in the scholarly essays and the passionate poems, in the paintings and drawings of the goddess--luminous, ravaged, sensuous and brave. This book is both a remedy and a call to action, a restorative balm and a bell. Highly recommended, for people of all genders."
-Mirabai Starr, Author of Wild Mercy and Ordinary Mysticism
