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Goddess Worshippers

When I state that Wiccans are not Goddess worshippers, I do not mean that we do not worship goddesses. "Goddess worshippers" are those who believe in a single, female divine entity, who acknowledge only a female divine entity in their lives, or who believe in a female principle superior to a male one.

I'm referring to people like Starhawk, who calls what she follows "Goddess Spirituality". She considers herself a Witch, but not a Wiccan, (although her early books stated otherwise, which leads to understandable confusion). I respect her religious beliefs, but those beliefs are not a part of Wicca. Wicca is about balance and equality. Between God and Goddess there is no superior and inferior, and we are in need of both.

There is a Tradition of Wicca called the Dianic Tradition. It has been stereotyped as a Tradition of Goddess worshippers, although honestly I know very little about the Tradition and therefore withhold judgment. I have also read that Dianics do acknowledge both Goddess and God but focus on exploring "women's mysteries." This I find totally acceptable, although it can tread on dangerous ground. As one Dianic explains:

A great deal of Traditional Dianics focus largely on Women's mysteries. Women's mysteries are meant to be explored; by women, and celebrated by women, it is the only way for women who need to heal from the patriarchy in what they perceive as a safe feminine environment. Men have a different set of Goddess oriented mysteries they need to explore to heal their own psyches from the harm the patriarchal regime has inflicted.¹

Excuse me, but when's the last time you've been personally put down by "the patriarchy"? Yes, grievous insults have been bestowed upon women in previous centuries, but the only reason we "suffer" wounds inflicted upon previous generations is if we decide we're going to suffer. The only ones victimizing us now are generally ourselves. In this country (the United States), there is no patriarchy. While individual men may think themselves superior to women, that does not make our culture patriarchal, anymore than the individual women who think themselves superior to men make us a matriarchal culture. We certainly evolved from a patriarchal culture, but the inequalities of the past do not harm the women of the present.