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DIALOGUES
on
The Goddess
In Everyday Life...
Why this theme?
Women's magic and mystery - an inspiration for artists
of both genders, throughout all the history of (hu)mankind.
The very oldest human artworks express the archetypal woman
- round, pregnant with life, both known and unknowable. The
essence of "Goddess."
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In these earliest figurines, while the woman's shape
was fully displayed, her face was never detailed. Rather, a design would cover her
entire head, front and back. This imagery spoke to the essence of being a woman, rather than
woman as a specific person.
referred by Alay'nya
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In ancient times, women expressed their spiritual as well
as emotional, physical, and even sexual aspects through dance.
This dance, originating from the oldest human cultures, was
very organically linked to how our bodies were designed to
move.
How did it come about that our physical expression - of both the sacred
and the profane (or sensual) aspects of our nature are both so limited today?
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Even with this as an archetypal theme running through our culture, there has - especially over
the last two millenia - been a counterpoint theme that devalues the mystery of woman. What was
once revered as sacred is now often portrayed as profane.
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Related to mystery is our notion of the sacred. Taken from its root Sanskrit word, even before
the Latin "sacre," the origin of "sacred" means "set apart." In ancient Hebraic times, an animal
would be sacrificed, and the choice parts of the animal were placed on a portion of the animal's
bones and burnt. The burnt offering was one that was not eaten by the people; it was given up to
God. This was the "most sacred" aspect of the offering. And the bone which served as a dish for this
offering? It was the "sacrum." Literally, the sacrum of the animal was set apart,
and was sacred to God.
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Later cultures continued to express ideas and ideals of what
it meant to be a woman. One of the most moving is the statue
of a veiled dancer, done in the near pre-Christian era. This
statue, lifelike and realistic in the manner of Hellenistic
art, depicts a the soft, sensual shape of a dancer. A dancer
who is completely covered with a veil.
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When we do belly dance, which is one of the oldest dance forms in the world, we are connecting
with our bodies in a way that is not supported by our Western culture as it is today. Most of us
are connecting with our torsos, and specifically with our spines, our abdominal muscles, and our
diaphragms, in a way that has been closed off to us since childhood. As we go through this
connecting, we eventually connect with our sacrum - and our sacredness.
- Alay'nya |
The Veiled Dancer
Circa 300 - 200 BCE, this bronze statue is
from the Hellenistic culture, and represents a professional
mime / dancer who lived in the ancient Greek city of Alexandria.
In this early Greek culture, representing a person's inner emotional
state was more important than representing an abstract notion of
beauty.
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Maha Najeeb |
Maha Najeeb writes: |
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(Continued from
previous page)
forthcoming
- Maha Najeeb
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Your thoughts --- how is your life transforming?-
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Do you have thoughts or comments that you'd like to share
about "Goddess"?
E-mail them to Alay'nya at alaynya at ("@")alaynya.com.
(Please note: Not every comment can be published; the editor's good judgment and time constraints will apply.)
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