Paganism an overview introduction - South African Pagan Council

The Goddess Movement
Source: Spiral_Goddess_symbol_neo-Pagan.svg
The Goddess movement is a loose grouping of social and religious phenomena
predominantly seen in North America, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand
in the 1970s, and the metaphysical community as well. Spurred by the perception that
women were not treated equitably in many mainstream religions, many women turned
to a female deity, as more in tune with their beliefs and spiritual needs. A unifying
theme of this diverse movement is the female-ness of Deity (as opposed and
contrasted to a patriarchal, male god).
Goddess beliefs take many forms, some people in the Goddess movement recognise
multiple goddesses; some also include gods; others honour what they refer to as “the
Goddess”, which is not necessarily seen as monotheistic, but is often understood to be
an inclusive, encompassing term incorporating many goddesses in many different
cultures. The term “the Goddess” may also be understood to include a multiplicity of
ways to view deity personified as female, or as a metaphor, or as a process. The term
“The Goddess” may also refer to the concept of The One Divine Power, or the
traditionally worshipped “Great Goddess” of ancient times.
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• The Goddess or the Great Goddess is a type of female deity who is primary.
She historically existed in many cultures, though not under the same names
and not necessarily with the same traits. These terms are not usually
understood to refer a single deity that is identical across cultures but rather a
concept common in many ancient cultures, which those in the Goddess
movement want to restore.When Goddess is spoken of as a personal guardian,
as in “my Goddess” it means “my worldview in Goddess spirituality”.