Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the
influence of mothers in society. Mother's
Day dates back to ancient cultures in Greece and Rome. In both cultures, Mother Goddesses were
worshipped during the springtime with religious festivals. The ancient Greeks paid tribute to the
powerful Goddess Rhea, the wife of Cronus, known as the Mother of the Gods.
Similarly, evidence of a three-day Roman festival in
Mid-March called Hilaria, to honor the Roman Goddess Magna Mater, or Great
Mother, dates back to 250 BCE.
The history of the Ancient Norse people is complex. In day to day life, most women presided over
the farm work, house work, weaving and childcare; they were also shown to do
some business and commerce of their own (scales have been found in women’s
graves). Most
women's lives were bounded by hearth and home, but they had great influence
within this sphere. The keys with which
many were buried symbolise their responsibility for, and control over, the
distribution of food and clothing to the household.
There were also Female Skalds (Poets), Shield Maidens
(female warriors) and Priestesses. And the
Seidr, a type of Norse magic that was most commonly performed by women.
Norse women had rights that didn’t exist in other parts of
Europe (such as the right to divorce their husbands and own land). Typically a male heir inherited the farm, but
it wasn’t unheard of for a wealthy widow to take over an estate if her husband
died and if she didn’t have grown sons to run the place. There were also laws that penalized men for
violence against women or from giving women unwanted sexual attention.
As Christianity spread throughout Europe, the celebration of
the "Mother Church" replaced the pagan tradition of honoring
mythological Goddesses. The fourth
Sunday in Lent, a 40-day fasting period before Easter, became known as
Mothering Sunday.
The modern American holiday of Mother's Day was
first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in West
Virginia. Her campaign to make
"Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States began in
1905, the year her beloved mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died.
Anna’s mission was to honor her own mother by
continuing work she had started and to set aside a day to honor mothers,
"the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world." Anna's mother, Ann Jarvis, was a peace
activist who had cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the Civil War and
created Mother’s Work Clubs to address public health issues.
Depending
on your particular tradition, there are many different ways you can celebrate Mother's
Day, but the day nearly always falls around Beltane. It's the time when the Earth Mother opens up
to the fertility God, and their union brings about healthy livestock, strong
crops and new life all around.
When
Margaret Murray wrote God of the Witches in 1931, scholars quickly
dismissed her theory of a universal, pre-Christian cult of witches who
worshipped a singular Mother Goddess. However, she wasn't completely off-base. Many early societies had a mother-like Godform,
and honored the sacred feminine with their ritual, art and legends.
For
instance, the ancient carvings of rounded, curved, feminine forms found in
Willendorf. These icons are the symbol
of females once revered. Pre-Christian
cultures like the Norse and Roman societies honored the deities of women, with
their shrines and temples built to honor such Goddesses as Bona Dea, Cybele,
Frigg and Hela. Ultimately, that
reverence for the archetype of "mother" has been carried over in
modern Pagan religions.
Some might
argue that the Christian figure of Mary is a Mother Goddess as well, although
many groups might disagree with that concept as being "too Pagan." Regardless, those Goddesses of motherhood from
ancient societies were a widely varied bunch - some loved unwisely, some fought
battles to protect their young, while others fought with their offspring.
Take
advantage of the blooming of spring, and use this time to celebrate the archetype
of the Mother Goddess, and honor your own mother, female ancestors and friends.
This
simple ritual can be performed by both men and women, and is designed to honor
the feminine aspects of the universe as well as our female ancestors. If you have a particular deity you call upon,
feel free to change names or attributes around where needed. Otherwise, you can use the all-encompassing
name of "Goddess" in the rite.
- Decorate
your altar with symbols of femininity: cups, chalices, flowers, lunar
objects, fish, doves or swans. You may
also need the following items for this ritual:
- A
white candle
- Photos
or images of mother, ancestors or other females
- An
offering of something that is important to you
- A
bowl of water
- A
handful of small pebbles or stones
- If
your tradition calls for you to cast a circle, do so now. Begin by standing in the Goddess position
and saying:
I am (your name), and I stand before
you,
Goddesses of the sky and Earth and sea,
I honor you, for your blood runs through my veins,
one woman, standing on the edge of the universe.
Tonight, I make an offering in Your names,
As my thanks for all you have given me.
Goddesses of the sky and Earth and sea,
I honor you, for your blood runs through my veins,
one woman, standing on the edge of the universe.
Tonight, I make an offering in Your names,
As my thanks for all you have given me.
- Light
the candle and place your offering before it on the altar. The offering may be something tangible,
such as bread or wine or flowers. It
can also be something symbolic, such as a gift of your time or dedication.
Whatever it is, it should be
something from your heart.
- Once
you have made your offering, it is time to call upon the Goddesses by
name. Say:
I am (your name), and I stand before
you,
Isis, Frigg, Hela, Jord, Gaia, Freya.
Mothers of the ancient people,
guardians of those who walked the Earth thousands of years ago,
I offer you this as a way of showing my gratitude.
Your strength has flowed within me,
your wisdom has given me knowledge,
your inspiration has given birth to harmony in my soul.
Isis, Frigg, Hela, Jord, Gaia, Freya.
Mothers of the ancient people,
guardians of those who walked the Earth thousands of years ago,
I offer you this as a way of showing my gratitude.
Your strength has flowed within me,
your wisdom has given me knowledge,
your inspiration has given birth to harmony in my soul.
- Now
it is time to honor the women who have touched your life. For each one, place a pebble into the
bowl of water. As you do so, say
her name and how she has impacted you. You might say something like this:
I am (your name), and I stand before
you,
to honor the sacred feminine that has touched my heart.
I honor (Susan), who gave birth to me and raised me to be strong;
I honor (Maggie), my grandmother, whose strength took her to the hospitals of war-torn France;
I honor (Cathleen), my aunt, who lost her courageous battle with cancer;
I honor (Jennifer), my sister, who has raised three children alone…
to honor the sacred feminine that has touched my heart.
I honor (Susan), who gave birth to me and raised me to be strong;
I honor (Maggie), my grandmother, whose strength took her to the hospitals of war-torn France;
I honor (Cathleen), my aunt, who lost her courageous battle with cancer;
I honor (Jennifer), my sister, who has raised three children alone…
- Continue
until you have placed a pebble in the water for each of these women. Reserve one pebble for yourself. Finish by saying:
I am (your name), and I honor myself,
for my strength, my creativity, my knowledge, my inspiration,
and for all the other remarkable things that make me a woman.
for my strength, my creativity, my knowledge, my inspiration,
and for all the other remarkable things that make me a woman.
- Take
a few minutes and reflect on the sacred feminine. What is it about being a woman that gives
you joy? If you're a man performing
this ritual, what is it about the women in your life that makes you love
them? Meditate on the feminine
energy of the universe for a while, and when you are ready, end the
ritual.
I (your name) , am giving thanks to all
the Mother's of Midgard,
to all the females above and below.
I close with honor, Blessed Be and
Hail.
Thank You to all the Mothers!
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