Voice of a Goddess: A Call to Reconnect, Reclaim, Remember
The voice of a Goddess - what do we even mean by this?
What and who is the voice of the Goddess, and how can we hear Her? How does She speak?
Is her voice simply ambiguous, ethereal, and beyond our reach—untouchable? An abstract concept we can only imagine? Maybe our minds refer to movies or stories we have heard, stories built on a distant past that don't even feel real.
Or we make reference to witchcraft and paganism, practices and ways of being that feel separate from our reality, and therefore something we do not connect with.
Throughout the dominant cultures, we have heard many references of history beginning with a male God as the Creator of Life. Stories and mythologies spoken and shared through the written word. A patriarchal God that lives somewhere out there- somewhere above and beyond us, speaking only to the chosen ones- telling us how we should or shouldn't be and what is and what isn't. A singular, powerful voice booming from the ‘heavens’.
When we speak of the voice of the Goddess, we are referring to something entirely different. We are talking of something much older- that which is not necessarily known through the written word. We know of these cultures that “worshipped” the Goddess through the many artifacts and carvings from archeological sites. This presents much evidence of a Matrilineal culture based on a relationship with the Goddess that existed for thousands of years. Even as these findings have been made, they have been kept hidden or disregarded so as not to disrupt the rule and power of the male God.
“Clearly, history is a form of mythmaking. The official version of our mytho-history colors our comprehension of the world and our place in it. It filters our perceptions of reality. It defines what is acceptable and what is not. It shapes our sense of self. Restoring our history of goddess-based societies that functioned peacefully for centuries in accordance with more democratic religious beliefs than those now in existence helps women and men to cut through oppressive and destructive cultural stereotypes. This restored knowledge is helping women and men to transform themselves and therefore their culture.” -Layne Redmond, When the Drummers were Women.
Restoring The Voice of the Goddess
Literature and mythology shape our cultures, our consciousness, and our ways of interacting with the world. But these aren’t set in stone—we can build upon and create new mythos. What if we merged the myths that we know and those of our ancestors with those that we wish to create for our world—our future descendants?
To begin re-writing these myths, we must remember the Goddess is not some being outside of us, ruling over us. She is that which emanates from within the rhythmic beat of our very own hearts- within the hearts of ALL beings of this Earth.
When we live and speak from our hearts, we live and speak as one with all of Life. As we have endured many years of silence and society placing so much merit on our minds, it helps tremendously if we listen to the voices of our allies.
Perhaps we can broaden our concept of what "voice” itself means- could it be the song of the birds, the wind, the great waters, storms or sunshine- the colours and textures of Nature, the trees, grasses and sunsets? What if She speaks to us directly through them? Would you pause and listen more? Could we re-learn the language of these beings?
Practices to Strengthen Connection to the Voice of a Goddess
“To be connected with the wisdom of Nature, we must sensitize ourselves to the subtle patterns of the barks, roots, leaves, and flowers, to the rhythms of the Earth, the cycles of the stars, and the vital spirit that gives them life. For within them lies a profound secret. And that secret is available to all who learn to see anew.” -Sajah Popham
Remembering She emanates from within ALL hearts - in us as within the Plant Beings- we can merge with Her many voices through them. We can embody the gifts they have to offer and create new myths grounded in this communion.
Suggested Practices and Allies to Connect to Her (Your) Voice
'Find your ‘Sit Spot’. This is a practice I discovered in “Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature” by Jon Young. Find a spot to return to consistently, where you listen and feel the patterns and behaviours of Nature throughout the cycles & seasons of the day, month or year. You can adapt this ‘Sitting’ to sit with a specific plant, or do a dieta. Some plants that would be especially conducive to connecting with the Goddess include Rapeh, Mapacho, Cacao, Sage, Mugwort, Oak, Cedar, Ayahuasca, Psilocybin, Huachuma……. But in truth, every Plant emulates the voice of the Goddess, so if there is a plant that calls to you, follow it.
Another beautiful ally we can turn to is the Drum—an instrument that women have used for hundreds of years to sync their rhythm with the heart of the Earth and connect with Her voice.
“The Drum was the means our ancestors used to summon the Goddess and also the instrument through which She spoke. The drumming priestess was the intermediary between divine and human realms……invoking the elemental power of the deities, the voice of the drum called forth the cyclical rebirth of nature. Its vibrational voice woke the sleeping life of earth….”- Layne Redmond, When the Drummers Were Women
As the Goddess is the Earth and our bodies are Earth, then She is also our bodies. Listening to the language of our body, then, is also a portal to hearing and being the voice of the Goddess - especially if we lean in to ALL of Her, being with the multitude of sensations coming through our bodies. Contemplation can create a gateway for us to do this- a merging of meditation and concentration, being open and curious to what rises. Listen to Her speak through your body- either in the fullness of sitting in silence or through the walk of your every day. Listen & feel your heart beat. Sink IN to the sensations of your body- whether they be of joy, pain, fear or any expansion/constriction. It is Her speaking. Express what the body communicates through sensual, grounding activities like creativity or sound practices, cooking, gardening- let the soil, the worms, last year's leaves and the seedlings themselves share with you their wisdom of the turning of the Wheel.
The voice of the goddess is everywhere.
A hug. A friend.
Sensations of joy.
The cry of a baby
Our anger
Fire
Love. Softness.
What of our blood?
The flow of our Moontime.
Cycles of the Moon.
The Ebbs and Flows
Rivers.
The ways to hear Her voice are endless, as long as we are open to hearing Her.
Closing the Circle and Coming Home
Is there an aspect of Her voice that is calling you- one which could help you reclaim your own voice? One which emulates Her within you/your life? If we pause and listen, we can hear Her and begin to know, once again, our unique and beautiful place on this Earth. Merging that which was, to that which is, to that which will be, as truly interconnected beings.
If you’d like support and guidance with deepening your connection to Her voice (your voice) or you wish to dive deeper into communicating with the plants through a Master plant dieta, I would be honored to walk with you. Please feel free to reach out to me here.
About the Author
Sage RavenStar is a shapeshifter, following this mission through many names: Plant Medicine Coach, Shamanic Guide, Healer, Mentor, Mystic, Tarot Reader, Facilitator, Hag/Crone, Hedgewitch, and Mother. Sage’s greatest teacher in life has been Life Herself. Through her journey of healing from a wide array of issues rooted in generational and childhood trauma, Mama Gaia has always been her most consistent support and ally. It has always been her passion to assist others in re-building and strengthening their connection with Life and our natural Allies, both on a personal scale and on a greater collective scale of hurt and trauma. Her lived experience in abuse, addictions, mental health challenges, and body ‘issues’, and her dedication and connection to those ‘outside of the box’, bring a special touch to her work that cannot be replicated. She looks forward to bringing elements of all she has been and is known to walk with you as you walk your own path towards inner and outer peace as an essential piece of the interconnected web of Life.
