God as a Woman

Say the word "God" and what comes to mind? Close your eyes and pray: Who is the being who hears the cries of your innermost heart? For more than 2,500 years that question has been answered almost exclusively in masculine imagery and language. Centuries of patriarchy have left a lasting imprint of God as a male deity on the human psyche. As familiar as this heavenly father may seem, however, most of the world's religions trace their roots back to an ancient source: the Goddess. Older even than the image of God as a man, in fact, is that of God as a woman.

What if, just like our ancestors, we talked to God as if "She" were a woman? What if, when we bowed our heads to pray or crossed our legs to meditate we deliberately brought to mind a presence that was feminine in nature? To some, such a practice may seem an unspoken criticism of the masculine gender. To others seeking to evolve more inclusive expressions of spirituality, relating to God in a gender-specific way can seem like a step backward. But the essence of spirituality is wholeness. And to genuinely experience the aspect of God that is beyond form and gender means that we must first integrate both sides of our nature -- the yin and yang of the soul.

For far too long, both women and men have been orphaned of their divine parentage: raised by a Father God, they have lacked a Mother Goddess to care for their spiritual needs. Indeed, a part of all our history and a part of all our souls has been missing. Just as archaeologists have uncovered temples to the goddess buried beneath churches, so, too, is there a deeper layer in all our souls waiting to be excavated.

How might we begin to unearth our feminine spiritual nature? For one thing, we can start with the simple practice of using feminine figures of speech in our prayers or meditations. Many ancient hymns to the Goddess, for example, describe Her as the "Lady of life," "Queen of Heaven," or "Mother of the world." Language shapes our perception of reality -- including inner states of consciousness. And though it may sound strange at first, adopting feminine pronouns and adjectives can evoke a powerful shift in the way we relate to and experience God. In my own contemplative practice, I have found that doing this infuses my dialogue with the divine with a sweet intimacy. Often, I let my heart speak, composing such endearments as "She, who encircles the stars and the universe with love, heal my soul." Or, I recite an already existing prayer, replacing "She" for "He," "Her" for "Him," or "Goddess" for "God."

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