THE FEMININE DIMENSION OF THE DIVINE
A Sacred Journey Back to the Images of Our Divinity
A Seminar Series by Betty J. Kovács, Ph.D.
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The eternality of the soul, the sacredness, interrelatedness and unity of all life, and the intimate relationship between the visible and invisible dimensions of reality are deep intuitions of the human species that were symbolized in the Feminine Dimension of the Divine for over 30,000 years. The loss of this ancient knowledge has resulted in the present planetary crisis. Our healing and survival depend on reclaiming this lost dimension of the divine. |
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I. THE GREAT COSMIC MOTHER
How do the earliest images of the Divine relate to both male and female? To our knowledge of the development of the Self? To modern scientific breakthroughs? To our universal values? We will also explore how the images of Western culture from 30,000-10,000 BCE reflect the eternality of the soul, the interrelatedness and unity of all life, and the relationship between the visible and invisible dimensions of reality. (2.50 Hours)
Available on CD $25.00 per set; Audio Cassettes $14.00
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II. THE GREAT EARTH MOTHER
How do early images of the Divine Mother Earth relate to both male and female? To our knowledge of the development of the Self? To modern scientific breakthroughs? To our universal values? We will also explore how the images of Western culture from 10,000-4,000 BCE reflect the relationship of birth and death, the process of growth and development, and the individual relationship to the Divine. (2.50 Hours)
Available on CD $25.00 per set; Audio Cassettes $14.00
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III. THE LADY OF THE LABYRINTH—A WAY TO THE LIGHT
The island of Crete was the center of sea routes to all the surrounding great cultures. Thus it was the inheritor of the grand vision of the ancient world. This vision is a reflection of the unity and sacredness of life and the dynamic divine energy that creates the universe. We will explore how the images of Minoan culture from 3,500-1,100 BCE reflect the many dimensions of this sacred vision. We will observe the grace, happiness and peace that such a worldview offers. The loss of this vision has had a profound effect on Western culture. Yet this ancient vision is reemerging today in both personal experience and scientific exploration. (2.50 Hours)
Available on CD $25.00 per set; Audio Cassettes $14.00
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| IV. AT THE CROSSROADS Around 2,500 BCE Indo-European tribes invaded what is now Greece and brought with them a patriarchal religious and social structure. This structure forced an overlay onto the much older images of the feminine dimension of the divine. We will examine some of the Greek images of the divine feminine--Gaia, Hera, Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite, Demeter, and Persephone. Powerful aspects of the human psyche are reflected in these ancient images. However, we will see how the Indo-European overlay reflects a crossroads in Western culture: a disturbing shift in values that will result in the loss of the vision of the ancient world.
(2.50 Hours)
Available on CD $25.00 per set; Audio Cassettes $14.00
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V. THE FEMININE DIMENSION OF THE DIVINE IS LOST IN JUDAISM
We will explore how the loss of the feminine dimension of the divine in Judaism has affected Western culture. The patriarchal social and religious structure that spread across the Western world and throughout the Near East rejected and suppressed the major attributes that had been symbolized for millennia in feminine images. In the past it had been understood that these attributes reflected in the feminine belonged as much to men as to women. By culturally devaluing these attributes, we not only weaken and destroy them within ourselves and our culture but we reject the carriers of the symbolism--woman and nature. We will examine the lost Hebrew images of the divine feminine (from 2,000 BCE) in the Queen of Heaven and Earth, Sophia, and the Shekhinah. (2.50 Hours)
Available on CD $25.00 per set; Audio Cassettes $14.00
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VI. THE FEMININE DIMENSION OF THE DIVINE IS LOST IN CHRISTIANITY
We will explore how the loss of the feminine dimension of the divine in Christianity has affected Western culture. The patriarchal social and religious structure that spread across the Western world and throughout the Near East rejected and suppressed the major attributes that had been symbolized for millennia in feminine images. In the past it had been understood that these attributes reflected in the feminine belonged as much to men as to women. By culturally devaluing these attributes, we not only weaken and destroy them within ourselves and our culture but we reject the carriers of the symbolism--woman and nature. We will examine the lost Christian images of the divine feminine in Eve, Lilith, the Black Madonna, Mary, and Mary Magdalene. (2.50 Hours)
Available on CD $25.00 per set; Audio Cassettes $14.00
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