I couldn't quite concentrate on the questions at the end of the article, I was stuck on the paragraphs immediately preceding where she discusses Eve and the serpent, and how the associated symbolism has deeply damaged women through the ages. I mused over my thoughts on the matter for a few days, and here's the rather stream-of-conciousness bunch of thoughts that came out.
Initiatories make it clear we are equals to and with men by the things we are anointed to [do]. We are blessed with divine entitlement to inspiration and knowledge and truth.
A veil is often primarily a feminine symbol and accoutrement. All of us have a veil of forgetfulness placed over our minds as we enter mortality, which separates us from Father and Mother, Brother, and Comforter(?). And indeed in the Biblical account, women have enmity placed between themselves and the symbol of the serpent, which is given to Lucifer. [Revise: taken on by Lucifer.] Lucifer was a seeker of knowledge, a light bearer, a son of the morning--all good things, things we are encouraged to emulate. Had Lucifer remained true and faithful, he would have been arguably among the very strongest and wisest allies of the Father. But he fell because of his pride and desire for power; perhaps these are what we are blessed with enmity against. Is not that enmity a protection in its aversion? But still, how does that fit with the symbolism of being cut off from the symbol of female power and wisdom, and having it seen as the embodiment of evil? Clearly this isn't a truism.
Is it related to the fact that we know so little about Mother? Are we cut off from Her? But there is no enmity between us and Her, only separation; She is no more our enemy than Father.
Lucifer becomes Satan; from light bearer to "father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not listen to [Christ's] voice." (Moses 4:4) Father made the serpent, but "Satan put it into the heart of the serpent...to beguile Eve" and we have been confused, lied to, and cheated ever since.
Did Satan choose the serpent as a counterfeit for Heavenly Mother? Godhood is incomplete with only one gender; he has always wanted God's power, so co-opting this feminine symbol would give him more "credibility", or appearance of it. He took the form of female creativity and wisdom and corrupted it, ensuring that it would then be used to crush God's daughters for millenia. Is it/It is then against this corrupted image that we are set. We are set at enmity with Satan, and the primary animosity is between he and Christ, the Son of Eve and not Adam.
I haven't thought much beyond that, at least not to record it, but those are the majority of my thoughts so far on this subject. What are your thoughts on mine?
I don't think that God chose the serpent symbol. I think it's far more likely that Satan was in the garden as a man (as per the temple movie). I think that the 'serpent' part was a change made by men during translations--men who A-believed that God (and Satan) were spirit only, and B-wanted to discredit the female-centric forms of worship around them.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we are not so much cut off as separated or veiled. Veiling can be to hide someone, but it can also be to protect them (think of the veils to keep off the sun for example). Perhaps we are being protected from the deeper truths, such as understanding of Mother, because "he who sins against the greater light receives the greater condemnation." If it is only the serious seekers who find Her, then only they will be responsible for what they learn.
Ooh I love this! Love it! Would it be alright if you shared it on the Motherwheel blog?
ReplyDeleteI really like your take on Lucifer taking the symbol of the Serpent from the Mother to give himself credibility. That would answer many of my questions about the way the symbol has been misaligned. And he would know, with his great amount of study, that the best way to crush the Plan would be to corrupt the role of women and try to destroy our power. Great thoughts indeed.
@Sarah, go for it. :D
ReplyDelete@Jenni, yeah, there always is the possibility of corrupting influence, but then you look at the Book of Moses in the PoGP, which is equivalent to what SHOULD be Genesis 1:1-6:13 and the serpent imagery remains, and we know that it's a direct, inspired translation. I'm not sure how that can be reconciled, then, other than.... as with many visions, symbols are used and presented that the envisioner will understand. Hmm. It's making my brain hurt.