Celebrating the Divine Feminine
Last Sunday in the United States we celebrated Mother’s Day, a holiday that comes with many complexities. For some it’s a joyful day of recognition of self or other wonderful mothers in our lives. For others it’s a day that comes with deep pain. The pain might stem from a loss of life, longing to be a mother but not being able to, mourning complicated relationships with a mother, or feeling isolated. Mother’s Day, though it may be motivated by wonderful intentions, is a complex, conflicted, and difficult day for many.
As a new mother, I find myself out of sorts with this day, a day of both/and. I celebrate the beauty of the role I have been able to hold for the last two years and yet feel the hurt and aches for so many of my dear people on this day.
On Sunday morning, I woke up to a group text from one of my female pastor friends. She wrote—
“My morning reflections:
Happy Day of the Embodiment of the Divine Feminine which has most often been displayed in the concept of Motherhood. May we gloriously celebrate the side of God we have most often been asked to deny and see in every person we meet the Divinity of Care, Comfort, Compassion, Nourishment, Healing, and Embrace. May we lay down the shame and guilt so often associated with motherhood and trust in our own Divine Mother to fill the gaps of whatever this life has stolen from our children, both the ones we contribute to cultivating and creating in near ways and the collective children of this moment in time. And may we take up our Momma Bear stances to fight for liberation and freedom.”
I was so moved by my friend’s message. While Mother’s Day is undeniably a hard day for many and will always be, I appreciated this alternative approach to engaging with something beyond the contained lines of “being a mother.” This day is one of hardship, and also this day is a celebration of the Embodiment of the Divine Feminine—something we can all access.
Yes, God is Mystery, God is Non-Binary, and God is Father, but God is also Mother, and we are made in Her image, too. As Teresa Kim writes in the beginning of her children’s book, Mother God:
“You know God the Father,
But God is your Mother too.
You are made in Her image–
She is making all things new.”
God is Divinely Feminine. We are made in her image—the Divine Feminine—too.
The Divine Feminine is a powerful force within us and our communities, a force that is often denied, suppressed, or even oppressed.
Some questions to reflect on as we engage the Divine Feminine:
How does the imagery of God as Mother resonate with you or not? Where is this imagery healing, restorative, or nurturing?
Where do you see the Divine Feminine in your life or the world? Are there people or places that bring you closer to the encounter of God’s feminine presence in the world?
Where do you see the Divine Feminine in yourself? How are you created in the image of God in this way?
