The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory: Final Thoughts

I am struck by how vehemently and thoroughly Eller managed to avoid lambasting the people that believe in and support the matriarchal myth and  how even handed she tried to be, pointing out the flaws and shortcomings of evidence against the myth and easily capitulating and pointing out instances where it simply wasn't/isn't possible to discern what actually happened in prehistory.

I also appreciate her obvious respect for those that do embrace the myth and their reasons for doing so while, at the same time, I sympathize with her concerns and worries about the gender restricting and blaming inherent in the biological focus and apologism that is part and parcel with the myth.

All in all I enjoyed the book and while it was a bit of a challenge to get through in a timely manner - it's certainly not light reading - I am glad that I did read it and hope to see a reprint/update in the near future.

The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory Chapter 9: On the Usefulness of Origin Myths

In the final chapter Eller briefly reiterates that matriarchal myth is highly unlikely, at least on the scale ascribed to by many matriarchal feminists, but that it is possible there was at some point a matriarchal group but that logic and existing evidence point to a history of patriarchy from then until now. She notes that the matriarchal myth persists in the face of staggering counter evidence because it is supported by passion and religious faith. She further conjectures that proving the myth may not be as useful as embracing the myth.

She then throws a wrench into things by pointing out the inherent equality and gender issues resulting from a wholehearted embrace of the matriarchal myth. On page 189 she says, "If we are not going to discover history at the end of the day, but simply create myth, then the only grounds upon which feminist origins thinking can be justified is that it serves feminist political purposes. I have already dwelled at length on the problems inherent in pinning sexism on universalizing notions of the differences between women and men"(para 2) -emphasis hers. She goes on to argue that women and men do not need to claim a matriarchal past in order to repair the patriarchy we all labor under.

She concludes, powerfully, with: "[W]e do not need matriarchal myth to tell us that sexism is bad or that change is possible. With the help of all feminists, matriarchalists and otherwise, we need to decide what we want and set about getting it. Next this, the 'knowledge' that  we once had it will pale into insignificance" (pg 188 para 3).

Matriarchal myth is unnecessary, divisive, false, and unhelpful if we want to move forward into a society that is truly equal.

Eller, Cynthia. The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory: Why an Invented past Won't Give Women a Future. Boston: Beacon, 2000. Chapter 9 On the Usefulness of Origin Myth. Print.

Modern Paganism / Revival Book Requirement - Being a Pagan

Being a Pagan, edited by Ellen Evert Hopman and Lawrence Bond, is a collection of essays by neo-pagans/pagans from many traditions including Druids, Celtic Revival, Wicca, Goddess faiths, military pagans and more.

I haven't decided if I'm going to do a chapter-by-chapter review as I have for The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory, largely because each section has roughly 1-5 interviews/essays and there are roughly 17 sections. Instead I may divide my posts up a bit differently but they will be drawn out over several posts rather than one humongoid post.

I am curious as to what I'll learn from the book, finding ADF felt perfect but its likely I'll discover sympathetic/interesting alternate paths via this work as well. Which makes me wonder if that isn't the purpose behind this requiement. After all if a Dedicant stumbles across a perfect synthesis of their needs and beliefs while doing this work, one that may not be entirely compatible with the ADF, then isn't it a kind service to guide that person to their 'real' path? Thus saving that person 'wasted' time and the organization gains a happy positive ally (if that person decides to leave/not-renew with ADF and joins another org or goes solo).  I may be reading too much into it, but, either way I think it's an excellent aspect of the program.

I'm writing this on the 4th and I have classes starting on the 6th (three more quarters to go baby!), I hope to start reading in the next couple days. I think the fact that these are essays/interviews rather than portions of a whole - like chapters in a book- may work in my favor as I'll  not be able to sit down and read the book cover to cover in an afternoon.

The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory Chapter 8: Was there a Patriarchal Revolution?

Having firmly established that there is no real evidence to support a matriarchal prehistory Eller admits that there is at least a chance that there was some event or occurrence that changed social organization in southeastern Europe/the Near East around 3000 BCE. She chooses to focus on the theory of a patriarchal invasion of the 'Kurgans'.

She asserts that it is possible that these invaders were possibly proto-Indo-Europeans citing linguistics and later in the chapter some suggestive genetic studies (this is one point where the age of the text is a detriment, it is possible further studies have been conducted in the 11 years since publication that might cast further light on this reasonable theory).

Base on linguistics and cultural similarities in existing and historically recorded Indo-European cultures it is believed that the proto-Indo-Europeans were semi nomadic pastoralists with some knowledge of farming and a tripartite classed society. It is believed that they emerged from either Anatolia or the Russian-Ukranian steppes with the steppes being more likely. Eller is careful to note that there is no way to linguistically determine if a word was borrowed from a neighboring proto-Indo-European or Indo-European group versus those that natural developed within the group because it was an offshoot or descendant of an original proto-Indo-European group.

Archeological evidence is similarly ambiguous it is probable and possible that wheeled carts and experience with horses lead to the a proto-Indo-European expansion but it is not definitive.  Further she notes that usually when a large group migrates it is because their home territory has become hostile or inhospitable and they are forced to unless they are nomadic. Some archeological discoveries indicate that these people used wood for shelters which would be an inhibition on long journeys.

Interestingly myths also seem to betray a nostalgia for a mythical matriarchal past rather than the reality of one. In Greek myth, Eller notes, it is the later myths that seem to indicate a matriarchal past rather than the classical myths, she adds that even if the earlier myths indicated a matriarchal past these myths would have had to remain remarkably intact for  more than two thousand years. Oral histories, even those written do not last in such a whole and untouched manner over time spans like that. Witness the many revisions and translations of the Bible in a lesser time period (especially considering the 'holy' and untouchable nature of the Bible).

Eller's conclusion is that while a proto-Indo-European invasion/take over may have possibly occurred there is nowhere near enough evidence to declare it the birth of patriarchy.

Eller, Cynthia. The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory: Why an Invented past Won't Give Women a Future. Boston: Beacon, 2000. Chapter 8 Was There a Patriarchal Revolution?. Print.

The Virtues - Final Thoughts

That title is a lie, these aren't actually 'final' and they shouldn't be. What they *are* is a selection of my thoughts as of now, that is my current conclusions. I hope and expect that my feelings and thoughts regarding them will be reevaluated, amended, and considered anew over time. If nothing else I still need to write my essay, something I am holding off on until I am closer to turning in a completed packet, largely because I expect my additional studies will color my perceptions and conclusions.

What strikes me most immediately is how intertwined and dependent each of the virtues are. Integrity is useless without courage and wisdom. Piety is just a word without wisdom and vision. So on and so forth. No virtue can stand on its own, and the one virtue that draws upon all equally is fertility, it requires courage, integrity, wisdom, vision, hospitality, perseverance and even moderation.

To create and become an industrious sensuous person decisions must be tempered with integrity which requires vision, courage, and wisdom. Teaching and sharing fertility with others requires courage, hospitality and perseverance. Finally, to be a fertile person also requires moderation lest that impulse to create, to share, to embrace the sensuous joy in life overwhelm or distract one from duties and responsibilities. No virtue stands alone but highest among these is fertility.

The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory Chapter 7: The Case Against Matriarchies II: Prehistoric Art and Architecture

"What we lack for prehistory, however, is a trained observer, an insider who could translate prehistoric art for us" (page 116 para 2).

This opens chapter seven which focuses on the ethnographic and archeological evidence for the matriarchal myth as it exists in prehistoric art and architecture and it clearly and accurately pinpoints the absolute conundrum that lies in citing a modern interpretation of the art and architecture of prehistoric societies. Even if the observer is utterly divorced from the debate about prehistoric matriarchy they will inevitably bring to bare their modern interpretations and biases no matter how hard they try not to simply because we do not have a prehistoric interpreter or even a firm idea of what any prehistoric culture's values or world view were like. It is an exercise in intellectual hubris to attempt to overlay something as enormous as the matriarchal myth upon such massively separated works of art. Not to mention that citing them as evidence of anything aside from the existence of the peoples that made them is highly questionable.


One of the problematic assertions is that several images and designs are indicative of goddess worship, the problem is that these animals and designs are so ubiquitous and interpreted so broadly that it is possible to declare almost any image as evidence of goddess worship. Again a case of tweaking evidence to support a hypothesis rather than creating a hypothesis to fit the evidence. One such list of these images includes nearly sixty images ranging from the sun and moon to triangles, circles, and dots - as indicative of goddess worship. Seriously, because clearly no one could ever possibly use such images for any other purpose. And again, this is assuming an impossible knowledge and intimacy with prehistoric thinking, across the world.

The same problematic broad interpretations and agenda motivated observations are also applied to figurines, statues, and jewelry (even in the case of artworks that are strongly phallic such as abstract pillars with breasts that more strongly resemble a penis and testicles or  'breast pendants' which when hung on a string naturally balance to appear to represent, again, a penis and testicles). Further, when images are strongly female in nature they are declared to be goddess images rather than say healing fetishes, or even pornographic images - each of which is just as, and in some cases, more likely than goddess imagery.

Everything from temple layouts to wall decorations (including walls that have had small animal skulls molded into the plaster and then these non paired or vertically paired skulls have been termed  'breasts) are cited as evidence of goddess worship even when such assertions are patently exaggerated and fly in the face of common sense, simple reason, and basic observational skills.

Clearly citing art and architecture to stand as evidence of something as immutable and difficult to define and describe as a prehistoric religion is poorly reasoned at best.

Eller, Cynthia. The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory: Why an Invented past Won't Give Women a Future. Boston: Beacon, 2000. Chapter 7 The Case Against Matriarchies II: Prehistoric Art and Architecture. Print.

The Nine Virtues - Fertility

Dictionary Definition

noun

1. The state or quality of being fertile.

Biology

2. The ability to produce offspring; power of reproduction: the amazing fertility of rabbits.

3. The birthrate of a population.
Dictionary.com 

ADF Definition

Bounty of mind, body and spirit involving creativity and industry, an appreciation of the physical and sensual, nurturing these qualities in others.
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My Understanding

I freely admit that my personal understanding of the term fertility is far more applicable to the dictionary definition than the ADF definition. I can understand what the ADF is arguing by the term fertility as in fertility of spirit etc, the ability to create and be productive beyond child bearing, to embrace the body in a natural joyful way, and to assist others in these acts. I'm still not sure that fertility is the right word for this virtue. I do, however, see it as a virtue. Much of our culture (American) villifies or objectifies the body particularly the female body. Additionally as a consumer culture we've fallen out of touch with the act and satisfaction of creation. This virtue encourages us to reconnect with that primal joy and appreciate and embrace our physical bodies as we nurture and embrace the spiritual aspect of that physical self.

The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory Chapter 6: The Case Against Prehistoric Matriarchies I: Other Societies, Early Societies

This chapter confines itself to an ethnographic and archeologically based evaluation of the viability of the myth of matriarchal prehistory focusing on reproduction and kinship, goddess worship, women's economic roles, and interpersonal violence.

Regarding kinship and reproduction she notes that there is no correlation between the 'mysterious' miracle of female pregnancy and prestige, in fact it seems, if anything, to damage the prestige of women. Childbirth in prehistory was an incredibly risky affair that often lead to high infant/mother mortality rates. It is noted that there are occasions when men mimic female birthing and pregnancy but in none of those cases resulted in an improvement in status or prestige of women. It is also noted that marriage is largely a heterosexual institution and cross culturally it serves to restrict a woman's sexuality and partners - this was noted regardless of the society's attitude toward sex.

Goddess worship is also problematic as what we do know about goddesses is that many do not fit the matriarchalists view of a goddess, that is the loving mother, the creator and destroyer, the spiritual embodiment of nature but rather can be and are brutally violent. Additionally many goddesses seem to stand for what human womanhood isn't rather than as an embodiment or archetype of what it is. There is no reason to believe that the depiction and worship of a female deity had/has anything to do with the status or treatment of women in the culture that worships that deity.


Eller notes that according to ethnographic evidence the division of labor between men and women is apparently arbitrary. In some cultures men would do the hard labor of farming while in others women would, but, she does note that it appears that women's labor tends to be designed to take into account the need to care for small children. Reciprocity is another aspect of the sexual division of labor, men might hunt but they then bring the meat back to the group, women might gather and weave but they bring the food back to the group and use the cloth for men and women. This does not result in equality or mutual respect. Looking at horticultural and slave owning societies she notes that, "...the basic relationship does seem to hold...those who hold power make others work for them" (pg 110 para 1). That is, just because women do hard and vital work doesn't mean they are held in high esteem within their culture. This casts extreme doubts on the matriarchalist view of strong, economically indispensable tribal mothers at the head of their societies. Eller concludes that there was no uniform status for women and that in some cultures their lives may have been quite good while in others it may have been quite awful.

The weirdly illogical assertion that matriarchal societies were wholly peaceful (Gimbutas even claimed that certain supposedly matriarchal societies didn't have any weapons for killing humans) is clearly disputed by evidence dating back to the supposed period of matriarchy indicating violent non-accidental human deaths. Further there is extant archeological evidence indicating earthworks and palisades were erected to defend against attackers and not to be used as elaborate flood control systems as again attested to by Gimbutas.

In conclusion there is basically zero evidence of a matriarchal culture in prehistory let alone a world wide or even widespread matriarchal culture in ethnographic or archeological findings.

Eller, Cynthia. The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory: Why an Invented past Won't Give Women a Future. Boston: Beacon, 2000. Chapter 6 The Case Against Prehistoric Matriarchies I: Other Societies, Early Societies. Print.

The Nine Virtues - Moderation

Dictionary Definition

noun

1. The quality of being moderate;  restraint; avoidance of extremes or excesses; temperance.

2. The act of moderating.

3. Moderations, British . the first public examinations at Oxford University for the B.A. degree in mathematics or in classics.

Idiom

4. In moderation, without excess; moderately; temperately: to drink in moderation.
Dictionary.com

ADF Definition

Cultivating one's appetites so that one is neither a slave to them nor driven to ill health (mental or physical) through excess or deficiency  
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My Understanding

Moderation doesn't function on the premise of denial, rather it is the process of seeking satiation without excess. Whether this is regarding food and drink, work, school, friendships etc is irrelevant it is about meeting a goal or filling a need without deprivation or excess. In practical day to day life this could be manifest in not taking the extra helping, leaving a little dinner on your plate, taking a walk, not overdoing it at work so that you're too tired to be civil to your family, maintaining a balance and satisfaction with life by appreciating all aspects of it without ruining or damaging those aspects or yourself through over-indulgence, or, distorting the aspect and damaging yourself through pointless deprivation. 

The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory Chapter 5: Finding Gender in Prehistory

This chapter discusses the impossibility of determining gender and sometimes even sex based on artifacts that have survived from prehistory onward as well as the disciplines that are used (or abused) in the name of 'proving' matriarchal prehistory. Considering that we have an incredibly difficult time defining gender and sometimes sex now with living history and persons to interview and study this is a point that should be painfully obvious to a critical thinker with any knowledge of the subject. Or, as Eller bluntly states in the opening, "matriarchal myth fails completely on historical grounds. Evidence from prehistoric times is comparatively sparse, and hard to interpret conclusively. However, even taking these difficulties into account, what evidence we do have does not support the thesis that prehistory was matriarchal and goddess-worshiping or even that it was sexually egalitarian" (page81 para 2).

She goes on to discuss cultural anthropology and the evolution of ethnographies as well as some of the inherent biases in them and what an ethnography can and shouldn't be used for. She notes that while ethnographies are useful regarding modern day societies and cultures that are hunter gatherers or horticulturalists they are still focusing on modern peoples.  She then discusses archeology, what it does and doesn't look at and what it information it can glean and how that information can be applied. For instance it can tell you what kind of stone an item is made from, even what tools the item is made with but it cannot determine conclusively that the wiggly lines on the item are a symbol of a pan-societal goddess. It just can't.

On page 91 she notes that simply because perfect knowledge of the past is not possible does not mean that it is acceptable or appropriate to then claim that, "one account of the past is as good or bad as another" (para 1). She goes on to clarify and set up her techniques for the next two chapters, "an adequate account of the past must offer data in its support...it must seek to interpret all the data, and not merely that which is convenient or supportive of the theory...it must strive to have conclusions follow evidence rather than the other way around...finally it must be possible to show that an account is wrong or implausible" (page 91, para 2) - emphasis mine.

Basically she is outlining the two disciplines that she will draw from most heavily in the next two chapters. She notes their scope and limitations and concludes by defining what a good theory of prehistory and its evidence must have to be taken seriously and considered possible let alone likely.

Eller, Cynthia. The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory: Why an Invented past Won't Give Women a Future. Boston: Beacon, 2000. Chapter 5 Finding Gender in Prehistory. Print.

The Nine Virtues - Hospitality

Dictionary Definition

noun, plural -ties.

1. The friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.

2. The quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.
Dictionary.com 

ADF Definition

Acting as both gracious host and appreciative guest, involving benevolence, friendliness, humor and the honoring of a gift for a gift.
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My Understanding

I appreciate that the ADF definition includes the duty of a guest regarding hospitality. The dictionary definition implies a one sided perception. Hospitality is a pact between guest and host to treat one another with integrity, wisdom, and piety. Hospitality applies between two persons and between persons and the Kindreds. It is hospitality that feeds into and defines - broadly - the concept of Ghosti. 

The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory Chapter 4: The Eternal Feminine

Note: This chapter like the previous is pretty dense with information and anyone unfamiliar with gender dynamics and definitions and the shifting ground around them may find this chapter slow going. 

This chapter outlines the injustice, inaccuracy, and inherent pitfalls of embracing the concept of the eternal 'feminine' as a source of power and justice for women. The chapter opens with, "[m]atriarchalist assumptions about how sex determines personality, preferences, and values are sometimes only implicit, but they are always present. Though some interpreters earnestly attempt to avoid these implications of matriarchal myth, the myth continues to feed off of a very reductive notion of who women - and by extension, men - are" (pg 56 para 1) - emphasis mine.

Eller postulates that one of the reasons for this seeming reversion to the weirdly 'protective' attitude toward the eternal feminine (an attitude espoused by such anti-feminist groups as extreme right wing Christian fundamentalists) is the apparent assault on female via surgery, hormone treatments etc (she does not explicitly judge or even really touch on the question of transgender or re-assignment surgery but puts it forward as an aspect that feminists may be perceiving as an assault thus the reliance and defense of the eternal feminine).

Some matriarchal feminists eschew polite rhetoric or overtures towards equality and declare that men are creatures of destructive instincts and negative actions. In contrast others believe that feminity and masculinity must be in balance not only in society/politics but internally. Basically matriarchal feminist perceptions of men and maleness run the gamut from militant negativism to a more reasonably capitulation and partnership (presumably this is reflective of many non-matriarchal feminists as well).

One would think that matriarchal feminists would be interested in woman beyond biology and traditional roles however Jane Alpert for one stated, "female biology is the basis of women's power...biology is...the source and not the enemy of feminist revolution" (page 63 para 1). This unusual assertion then leaves those who are technically female but feel no affinity to the gender descriptor or even their own bodies, or those that do not menstruate, or do so but find it a miserable painful, debilitating process rather than a life affirming experience, or who do not have or want children, in a bit of a quandary. If a female person is at odds with her biological femininity what then?

This comes back to the creed of difference feminism, that is, "the goal of difference feminism is to see that women's special roles and values are accorded adequate respect, a respect equivalent (or perhaps superior) to the that accorded to men's" (page 64, para 2). But this smacks of separate but equal, a concept we threw out decades ago with Brown V. Board. I - and presumably Eller - am not arguing that the differences between men and women should be overlooked but rather that they are not the overriding concern. There are far far more similarities between men and woman than differences, and, while it is understandable to be afraid, angry, and threatened when the similarities are played up compared to the differences it is not especially useful.

On page 67 Eller states, "[i]n the creation of a 'feminist femininity,' matriarchalists have done remarkably little to move off the territory of patriarchal femininity. In other words, while it is admirable that feminists are attempting to celebrate and protect what they see as an intrinsic eternal feminine aspect in women the methods and ideology they are using are flawed and have resulted in an unintentionally or perhaps inevitable sympatico with some of the most destructive patriarchal thought models regarding women.

Eller goes on to discuss how similar thinking feeds into and can be better understood by looking at racism and classism and how self perception of members of a group may result in improved self esteem but no breakdown of perceptive barriers. She also discusses the other side of the argument, that is that gender is a societal/social construct and how a female person may think or even behave in a 'male' manner but nevertheless be perceived as and treated as a female person.

For now biology is intertwined with female identity and gender titles. But, as Eller sums up arguing that traditionally feminine aspects and behavior need not remain that way but can be embraced by all while being acknowledged to have traditionally occurred more often among and from women, but that, "[i]nsights like these can play a valuable role in the broader context of feminist movement. They can provide useful political perspective and increased self esteem...[b]ut this must not degenerate into universal claims about who 'women' really are." (page 79-80 para 4-1).

Eller, Cynthia. The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory: Why an Invented past Won't Give Women a Future. Boston: Beacon, 2000. Chapter 4 The Eternal Feminine. Print.

Meditation 1

Part of the requirements for the DP are to establish a routine of meditation/mental discipline. You aren't required to use the ADF two powers meditation but you do need to document roughly five months of such practice.

I've been trying to do the OBOD Sacred Grove / LBE meditation. Now, I'm not terribly good at meditating, I've never really made an effort to do it and I have a zippy brain so it's been a challenge. I've tried before w/out music to little result. Now, I have a play list that opens with a little over six minutes of bells and soft chimes then fades into a soundtrack of a forest in daylight and then into the vocal guided LBE meditation then back to the birds followed by the bells.

If I sat through the whole thing it'd be *checks iTunes* over 45 minutes. So I haven't yet, I have managed to stay focused and relaxed for the bells and chimes and through the LBE but didn't experience what one is expected to for that exercise. For now I am chalking that up to my fail meditation skills. Nonetheless I will attempt to alternate the LBE with the Two Powers or similar meditation, performing each at least once a week.

Regardless of whether this leads to pathworking, a metaphorical thunderclap of deity interaction or nothing at all I'm eager to try it. Meditation has been shown to calm, relax, support and encourage good health and satisfaction. And who doesn't want that? So this is me saying, bring it!

For now at least... ;)

The Nine Virtues - Perseverance

Dictionary Definition

noun

1. Steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

2. Theology . continuance in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation.
Dictionary.com

 ADF Definition

Drive, the motivation to pursue goals even when that pursuit becomes difficult. 
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My Understanding

This is a pretty straight forward definition for me, literally continuing in a course of action against obstacles, influences, and other difficulties standing in the way. However, what perseverance is not is such success against reasonable objections, concerns, and difficulties.

For  example, perseverance would be something like changing a tire in the driving rain and getting to work on time when your workplace is understaffed and you might be coming down with a cold. Perseverance is not continuing in the face of wise counsel against action, pursuing a goal out of pride or stubbornness, etc. Again another virtue comes into play here, namely wisdom as well as integrity and vision. Wisdom, integrity, and vision should inform and guide a person's actions, correct action is in line with perseverance but foolish, selfish, or destructive action is absolutely not.

The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory Chapter 3: The Story They Tell

Note: I've actually finished the book at this point but took notes/underlined key passages and will be posting a chapter by chapter review mostly to help me work through the material a second time and focus on one chapter at a time.

This chapter took me a bit to get through. It wasn't poorly written but it is dense with new information (to me at least).

In a nutshell this chapter traces the inception of the myth and its adoption by matriarchal feminists and just what the myth entails and encompasses. 

Beginning in 1861 learned persons (usually the new breed of evolutionary anthropologists) began to postulate and theorize about prehistoric matriarchy drawing on sources like Greek myths. Around the turn of the century the theory was dropped as a legitimate idea and evolutionary anthropology later fell out of favor in most areas. Between 1900-1970s a few academics began to embrace and champion the myth once again spurred on in the 1970s by second-wave feminism. Three key developments influence the myth at that point, the rejection of the myth by feminist anthropologists, the growth of feminist spirituality with an interest in a prehistoric goddess agenda, and the work of Marija Gimbutas.

Spiritual feminists argued three new facets of prehistory and the matriarchal myth and goddess worship namely that said worship was extremely beneficial to women, the goddess was worshiped almost singularly with the exclusion of gods, and the triumph of patriarchy was the end of such worship (an interesting bit of logical chicanery, basically saying that this unproven/unsupported possible event occurred because of this also unproven/unsupported event).

Marija Gimbutas was an undeniably gifted linguist with functional skills in roughly twenty languages and more improtantly regarding the myth and her support of it was the fact that she she was a trained archeologist and therefore in a position to add weight and credence to the belief beyond simple faith.

The period often cited as the height of matriarchy was between 8000 and 3000 BCE and it was located in Old Europe, the Near East, and the Mediterranean (some argue it was universal but these areas and this time period seem to be the most agreed upon and the areas and time period in which Eller focuses her discussion). Eller goes on to point out the ethnocentrism of these choices as old Europe is the location where most of the ardent supporters of the myth trace their lineage or ancestral homelands to.

In addition to widespread goddess worship the people of the matriarchy were supposedly in tune with nature, lived harmoniously, and were close to the creatures of the earth, the earth itself as well as celestial bodies, and generally lived in a peace with sustainable ecological technologies. Additionally it was widely thought that these societies had little or no concept of private property and sex was frequent and casual with few if any negative consequences.

One of the (weirdest) explanations for the  rise and spread of matriarchy was the idea that men were somehow unaware of their role in procreation and therefore saw childbirth as a magical and divine act. This - to me - smacks of idiocy. For a people that hunted to survive it boggles the mind to think they would be somehow unaware of sexual reproduction and a male's role in it. One only has to watch insects, frogs, and similar animals in a suburban neighborhood to witness coupling and draw a conclusion from it.

So what happened? Some argue that change within the matriarchies such as the advent of private property, changes to family structure, and even the advent of wide scale labor intensive farming lead to male dominance, or as the second theory prefers, an outsider patriarchal group literally invaded and conquered the matriarchies (neither theory is exclusive, a mélange of the two is cited as well). So how is it that males in this near-perfect utopia of equality and sustainable living rebelled or assumed dominance? Some argue that men were, in fact, happy but felt marginalized when compared to the power of women and their dispensability, or perhaps womb envy spurred them on, whatever the case the matriarchies fell. The patriarchal invaders are often claimed to be the 'Kurgans' from the Russian steppes (never mind how they originated in a matriarchal world or how they arose in an area some cite as a homeland of matriarchy).

Others argue that natural disaster or diseases crippled matriarchy or lead to warfare that enhanced the status of men, others even claim that patriarchy is a result of a waning of literal feminine power or the goddess turning away as part of a cycle, some even claim that the fall was due to extraterrestrial influence (seriously!) or even that modern men are the result of some mutation or genetic defect.

 

As a weird sort of peace offering or nod to equality the argument continues that even within the patriarchy men were subjected to self-imposed hierarchies, separated from women and nature and restricted to limited (though prestigious and powerful) roles.

So what about the future? Assuming that we can 'return' to a matriarchy what will happen to men? Is a matriarchy where men are marginalized and treated as women are today really an improvement? According to Eller, "...there is near unanimity that it will not be a simple recreation of our prehistoric matriarchal past. If nothing else, our 'much larger population' and 'greater technological complexity' make it impossible, say feminist matriarchalists, to reproduce prehistoric matriarchies in the twenty-first century...[j]ust where women will stand in these future societies ranges from equality with men to special respect for being women to being 'dominant and listened to' under a form of government described as a 'socialist matriarchy'" (pg 54-55 para. 4-2).

It is clear, even at this early stage, that matriarchal prehistory is a politically/socially motivated construct hinging on questionable, often outdated, or highly filtered information supplied by persons with a vested interest in, and personal agenda for, the information and the support and dissemination of the myth-as-fact.

Eller, Cynthia. The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory: Why an Invented past Won't Give Women a Future. Boston: Beacon, 2000. Chapter 3 The Story They Tell. Print.

The Nine Virtues - Integrity

Dictionary Definition

Noun

1. Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

2. The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.

3. A sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull.
Dictionary.com

ADF Definition

Honor; being true to one's self and to others, involving oath-keeping, honesty, fairness, respect and self-confidence.
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My Understanding 

When I hear the word integrity I think of the USAF core values:

Integrity First

Excellence In All We Do

Service Before Self

All through basic training, technical school, first term airman orientation, every time I was up for review...these phrases dogged me for five years. Even now I can recite them by heart and I've been separated for 5 years and honorably discharged for about 4 years*. 

I'm not really complaining, these are good values, admirable. But my understanding of integrity is intrinsically tied to them as well. 

Integrity, to me, once again ties into courage and perseverance, depending upon circumstances even hospitality and wisdom. Integrity is correct moral action at all times. A person of integrity will be respected, admired, even trusted more so than the average person or an outsider. This is someone whose opinions and word are trusted almost beyond reproach because they have had opportunity in the past to demonstrate courage and wisdom.

* I was active for four years then went to the reserve for one year.

Making Candles While Unfocused...

I've written about making candles for use with my shrine and such before, I even laid out how I make them in a post. Yesterday I decided to make some after doing a bit of housework, going to a local park for a walk with a friend and coming home. I felt...unsettled, distracted. Normally when I'm working on candles and such I take the time to light some charcoal in my bitty iron cauldron and burn some copal or pine resin, clear my head and focus on what I'm about to do. I don't 'empower' the work or pray but I do take a moment to consider what I am making and why.

Yesterday, I didn't do that. I should have, I knew better but I didn't. I've also almost always made items after dark. Yesterday it was a bright neon blue summer day.

As I went about melting the wax and chopping wax I nicked a knuckle, had to spend time hunting for the knife sharpener, spilled wax, burned myself, poured too much wax into one mold, got a clothespin stuck to one candle, inadvertently pulled the wick out of another and so on.

In the end I had five finished candles but it had taken twice as long and I'm not sure how well they'll burn. I think part of my edginess was due to the weather but also because Monday the 4th is the fifth anniversary of my Mom's death.

Suffice to say, in future, when I plan to do any work I'll certainly light the charcoal, burn the resin and clear my head. One round of keystone candlemaker was plenty for me.