I wrote the following essay in 2004 when I was a student of theology, before attending college to receive my MFA in Creative Writing.
I re-discovered it today, during the COVID 19 Pandemic—an unprecedented event in human history. MjP
The Original Title is Earth Spirit.
"Peace on Earth, Goodwill Towards Men"
I remember that familiar Christmas greeting. I never gave it deep thought until now, when I was thinking about what I would use as a title for my reflections regarding peace on Earth and the uniting of the Feminine and Masculine Divine.
Evolution follows a spiritual pathway, which swings like a pendulum from one side to the other, only brushing past the center for an instant. That one instant in time is one of great monumental balance. The perfection of not being too far in one direction or another is what we can relate to the balance of the energy of the Divine Feminine and Masculine. Being somewhere in the middle is where the balance of masculine and feminine spiritual energy in our culture and on our planet yearns to be.
From the origins of our matriarchal roots, several thousand years ago, the patriarchy began to emerge and predominate. This process was greatly influenced by the creation and evolution of Orthodox Christianity. By nature, and as an essential part of development, the human species slowly, yet methodically, gravitated towards separation, domination, and individuality. This gradual, but deliberate process, also lead to the ultimate crushing of the Divine Feminine. Femininity has been denied, leaving the human race as motherless children.
At this time on our planet, we have reached the outer perimeter of masculine polarity, which has had and continues to have a profound effect on men and women alike. We are at a place now where our current patriarchal culture is beyond perilous and known as the only way of global existence present in all social structures. Our rapid-paced, aggressive, materialistic, undernourished, and highly over-scheduled lifestyles reflect this lack of balance. It is as if we are running away from or to something in a frenzy. What is it that we seek? I believe it is the craving for the ultimate balance of the union of the Feminine and Masculine soul.
We, as human beings, are desperately searching for Divine Feminine wisdom to become one in perfect harmony with the Divine Masculine. God. Born of grief, this ever-present human conflict, this devastating loss—echoes of hollow desperation—illuminates the once overgrown, lost pathway that leads to the existence of the Feminine Face of God.
Creation itself needs elements of both the Feminine and Masculine to survive. In our world, authentic femininity has all but vanished. The tears that fall down from Heaven are tears of God, Sophia, Eve, and all of womankind, for humankind. The ultimate gift from God is that of life and creation, and it has been all but snuffed out.
It is said in the Nag Hammadi Texts and Gnostic teachings, that God has the face of a man and a woman. The Gospel of Thomas states that to find the Kingdom of God and Heaven, one must return to Paradise in the Garden of Eden before the time of separation of Man and Woman.
It is essential to return to that time of oneness, unison, and to become one before the separation took place at the spiritual inception of life on Earth. As it is stated in the Gospel of Thomas and other Gnostic Texts, Jesus the teacher, instructs us not to look for the answers of truth in death and resurrection, but to seek truth and knowledge in life and creation within oneself, and to know oneself.
The power to heal, balance, and transform our culture, and the human race is to develop, nurture and restore the Feminine Soul to its rightful place, in harmony with the Masculine Soul as one entity. The development and reintegration of the Divine Feminine will reinforce the ability to bring forth new life, spiritual nourishment, and will reclaim balance, which leads to peace.
Peace begins within. How can we have peace on Earth, when we do not have peace as individuals? When our leaders do not have peace within their own hearts and souls? The process, in which we reclaim the Feminine Soul, will also aid in the reclamation of Mother Earth through creation, love, and gentle nurturing. This power of balance is interconnected with the ability to lead with the heart and care for others as well as self. Through this energy and balance with the Feminine and Masculine, the inner voices of wisdom can be heard within the body and soul, as the conflict that arises from imbalance is resolved. Union will bring forth clarity.
When we reach this higher level of existence through reunion in perfect harmony, it becomes natural to build sustainable and more balanced social structures. Reintegrating the Feminine is the core of both the spiritual and emotional health of the human race and, ultimately, the planet. It is time to embrace the union of souls and to return to the unconditional love of life that is abundant on Earth, which, if it continues in this manner, will inevitably be destroyed.
My research of Christianity, Gnosticism, Jesus, and the Lost Goddess, has reinforced my belief in the urgency of reintegrating the Divine Feminine, which throughout the ages, has been crushed, and to restore emotional and spiritual balance.
Maryjane Pettengill
©2004
Author's comment on this date, April 12, 2020: We have arrived. Forced to take refuge from the storm, we returned to the safety of the womb, to reflect, rediscover, and to remember who we are. We retreated, staying away from one another, which may bring about a longing for a reunion that can only occur after we reexamine our roots, drawing on inspiration from long ago. Before we lost our way, we relied on the stars. They are still there, shining and sparkling. If you are thoughtful and wise, and awakening the parts of you that have fallen into a deep slumber, rejoice. No star is lost. It is we who have gone astray. We are finding our way home. Mj Pettengill