the dark feminine

 This collage is a re-imagining of the original, which I was asked to take down after contacting the copyright holder to obtain accurate information so I could give attribution of a few of the images. I see now what happened is a perfect example of the Dark Feminine, whose energy is the subject of this exploration. She is the one whose actions include destruction, forcing us to cleanse and strip away, to release that which we no longer need or which no longer serves us. And in so doing, She invites us to more fertile, fresh, and abundant life.

In this case, not being allowed to use images that were direct representations of Goddesses made me look deeper into Her expression. I collaged over the originals, leaving their energy to infuse the whole with a wider range of images, which seem to me to actually represent Her many forms and energies with a greater and broader articulation. It’s funny how, in the end, my attempt to be a “goodgirl” actually called her forth–She destroyed “goodgirl’s” creation as it was, forcing me to surrender, to release, to take my exploration deeper, to live it in my own life.

She knows deep in her bones
She feels, welcoming what arises
She senses all life

She has been hidden inside me,
tucked away, pushed down, turned from
as I have listened to Lily’s voice instead:
“be careful. be nice. be good. be pure. be innocent. be light.”

She calls to me
through my tears and pain and longing
through my body’s desire for pleasure and wholeness
through my untamed, grounded bare feet, my dirty gardening fingernails, my love of animals and earth

And Mimi, Lily’s “too-good mother,” says:
“just feel better, no need to dwell on the pain”
“don’t be hedonistic—you’ll overdo and regret it”
“better clean up, look presentable, and get back to work”

She calls us into her sacred rhythms of life, death, and rebirth
through the body’s connection to the waxing and waning of the moon
through the daily and seasonal turning of light and darkness
through the letting go into the creaturely, wild, instinctive animal self

In this place, there is no polarity of right and wrong—
sense, feel, listen to the body’s natural wisdom and creaturely knowing
dive into the dark to welcome all parts of the self

Creatures move, swoon, slither, and kill.
Creatures scream, dance, trance, weep, and surrender.
Creatures move, rest, play, bond, and mate.
Creatures live and die.

Here, Diana, Lady of the Beasts, hunts and lives her life on her own instinctual terms.
Here, Lilith imparts the powerful wisdom of her sexual energy and calls us to pleasure.
Here, the Valkyrie, leads us into and through the dark places, where we, like seeds, become fertile.
Here, the wild Medusa’s beauty might turn the ignorant and unprepared into stone.
Here, Tlazolteotl teaches of love and desire, and forgives us our fear and missteps.
Here, Persephone helps souls to form in the dark, uncomfortable mysterious depths.
Here, the Madonna shows us the path to untamable compassion and strength.
Here, the Lady of the Lake guides us in mysterious realms of emotion and renewal.
Here, Hathor, Lady of the Night, moves with instinctive ferocity, willing to destroy that which no longer serves us.

Lily and Mimi, heed the call.
The Dark Feminine calls you to depth, to passion, to desire, to surrender to sensuous, instinctive, intuitive life.

***

How does She call you? How do you heed the call? And what are the gifts of that practice?

Author: Katy Taylor

I am a regular person, like you. I am an earth lover, a seeker, a singer, a gardener, a partner and friend. I have attended a lot of trainings and continue to do my work to grow and deepen and become a more loving person. If you're interested, you can read more about me on the About page. View all posts by Katy Taylor