Images: Yarmukian Goddess, Sha’ar HaGolan, Northern Israel ca 6400 BCE (L)
Goddess Inanna/Ishtar on an Akkadian Empire seal, 2350 BCE, modern day Iraq (R)
The Sacred Feminine in Judaism:
An In-Depth Exploration
A Four Part Series
What do we mean by the "Sacred Feminine?"
Who is the Divine Feminine in Judaism and who were her precursors before we became the Jewish people?
We have numerous references to the presence of the Goddess Asherah in the ancient Temple, yet most Jews today would roundly deny, and even be shocked at the notion of worshiping a female divinity. The Shekhinah as Divine Presence is central to Jewish mysticism, yet many if not most Jews are unfamiliar with the specifically female aspect of G’d.
In this series, in which we offer varying perspectives, we will explore the pre-Hebraic, pre-Judaic Goddesses of the Ancient Near East and how they embodied the Sacred Feminine; the Hebrew Goddesses and their presence in the Biblical text, and the Shekhinah in ancient and modern Jewish mysticism. The series will conclude with an experiential session exploring the presence and meaning of the Sacred Feminine in our own lives and psyches.
Session 1: Ancient Roots: Pre-Hebraic, Semitic, and Ancient Near Eastern Goddesses
Led by Kohenet Ruach D’vorah Grenn
Ruach D’vorah will explore the presence of Inanna-Ishtar, Nisaba, Lilith, Asherah, Astarte, Ashtoreth, Geshtinanna, Anat, Tanit, Atargatis, Arinnitti, Ishara and other female goddesses with whom our ancestors were very familiar. Why did people turn to them? What rituals were performed in their service? What qualities did they have that set them apart from other gods? Were they all peace-loving instead of warring, compassionate rather than jealous? We will learn about their multiple and often surprising aspects.
D'vorah J. Grenn, Ph.D., educator, writer and spiritual mentor, is Founding Director of The Lilith Institute (1997), a center for learning and ceremony and former Co-Director, Women's Spirituality MA Program at ITP/Sofia University; she now teaches Feminist Philosophy at Napa Valley College. Her publications include Lilith’s Fire; Talking To Goddess prayer anthology with works from 72 women in 25 traditions; "The Kohanot: Keepers of the Flame" in Stepping into Ourselves: An Anthology of Writing on Priestesses; Jewish priestess and Lilith entries in Encyclopedia of Women in World Religions and “Spiritual Brokenness and the Healing Presence of the Sacred Feminine” in FEMSPEC, an interdisciplinary feminist journal. Contact: dvorah@lilithinstitute.com.