A magazine of Goddess celebration with news, research, artwork, photos, personal experiences and ritual. We aim to reflect the diverse community of Goddess spirituality reclaimed from the past and alive in the world today. The magazine is primarily British-oriented, yet it aims to include Goddess articles, news and events from around the world. We invite news items, letters and articles which are Goddess-focussed. If you would like to contribute an article to GA! please write to us first with an outline of the article (enclose SAE for reply).

The deadline for the next issue is 30th September 2003.

The Double Goddess Shrines of
Çatal Höyük
by Vicki Noble

Exchange
Publications

Many of the earliest images of the Double Goddess were sketched in colour by archaeologist James Mellaart from wall paintings he uncovered in shrine rooms at Çatal Höyük, a site whose importance with regard to the Double Goddess cannot be overstated. Even with only the one acre that James Mellaart excavated in the 1960s (out of thirty acres still to be examined), the numerous and diverse representations of the Double Goddess unearthed there already provide a kind of universal template for the Double Goddesses that show up everywhere else after that. Not only was matrilineal descent undoubtedly practiced, as in other Neolithic (agricultural) civilizations around the world, but it was expressed as a divine foundational formula through a variety of artistic media.

A magnificent sculpture of the Great Goddess can be seen in the monumental enthroned Queen Mother of Çatal Höyük with her flanking leopards as armrests—a variation of the Two-in-One Double Goddess that continued to be portrayed in Anatolia for the next several thousand years. Mellaart and others have described this now-famous figure as giving birth, as there is something between her legs that could possibly be taken as an emerging child. I have never personally thought it looked anything like a birth scene (surely the baby would be squashed) and prefer to think of her as an enthroned Female Ancestress, her fleshy corpulence representing the round fertile Earth itself.

Goddesses-with-leopards to follow.

Surely in the largest sense this figure represents Mother Nature, the Mistress of the Beasts, ruling the world in tandem with her special shamanistic animal familiars. The leopards bespeak her awesome authority. One has only to think of the strength card in a tarot deck, traditionally portrayed by a woman who, gently through her magical will alone, is in the act of subduing a lion or leopard.

Like Marshack’s concept of the “Clan-Mother” or “sovereign mistress,” she was originally the “owner of the elements of nature.” In the long transition from hunter-gatherer cultures to the beginnings of agriculture, the ancient Goddess of the Paleolithic became the keeper of the abundance for the whole for the whole Neolithic community, protecting and blessing the harvest by her magical presence in the granary. That this sculpture was found in the community grain bin suggests that she represents the collective female ownership of the agricultural production of “surplus,” an expression of the abundance of Mother Earth that made it possible for humans to settle in one place, cultivate food, and create civilization. Many of the shrines and altars that Mellaart uncovered in the early excavations probably relate to the sacredness and gratitude expressed bythe newly settled agricultural community.

In a long horizontal wall painting from Shrine A.III/11 at Çatal Höyük, a variety of Goddesses are centered in cave niches with various flanking animals that could be taken almost as prototypes of the later Goddess-with-Animals figures so popular in Greece and Anatolia. One of the paintings replicates the sculpted Great Mother with her leopards, showing a Goddess sitting within a cave niche with two spotted cats in front of her facing in opposite directions, their tails creating a sense of her legs as being in a crossed-leg yoga posture. A second thinner Goddess stands holding two leopards out to her sides by the scruff of their necks. Next to her, in another cave niche, stands another thin figure who seems to wear a belt or skirt and perhaps a hat, holding two vultures by their necks. Mellaart calls this one Artemis, perhaps partly because of the resemblance to much later Artemis figures in Greece during the archaic period (eighth century BCE.). As ancient female shamanism (a collective rather than individual phenomenon) wasconnected to the Great Bear constellation in the sky known as “Arktos” (Bear) or Artemis, the ancient derivation supports this name. In between each of these scenes are pairs of Double Axes, symbolizing— along with the leopards—female power, sovereignty, and rank.

Wall murals painted in bright colours—looking unmistakably like flat-woven kilims (carpet rugs)—depict a variety of Double Goddess images (both figurative and stylized) that have one (or more than one) woman on top of, next to, or underneath the other. Numerous sketches of these Double Goddesses by James Mellaart are reproduced in a four-volume art set that shows the chain of mothers and daughters in every possible aspect.Two Goddesses, each giving birth to a visible baby, stand upside down in mirror relation to one another; fat Buddha-women sitting with leopards and bears in a cave niche are reflected, one upside down to the other; Goddesses grasping totemic animals on either side are also shown in mirror reflection upside down; and sometimes the two upside-down mirror images of the Double Goddess are shown inside a cave niche, at the center of which is a Double Axe. In one painting, the niches in mirror image actually form imposing Double Axes themselves. Goddesses on top of holy mountains are also seen upside down to each other, as are groups of trees and ibexes. Another wall painting shows the Goddess (or central woman) wearing a skirt or dress created in the style of an hourglass (related to the Double Axe), repeated several times vertically with the ubiquitous flanking leopards in each repeated image.

Anatolian twin Goddesses [banner by Lydia Ruyle]

All of the motifs seen in the murals at Çatal Höyük can be clearly seen in stylized form in tribal rugs from Turkey today. And since it is still (and always) women who weave the rugs (except recently in a few urban commercial workshops), one could conclude that the kilims (carpet rugs) are explicit vehicles for the matrilineal chain or unbroken female lineage referred to by textile expert Mary Kelly in her discussion of Ukrainian embroideries.

Kelly emphasizes the “repetition of pattern to engender power” that is clearly expressed in the mirror images, as well as birthing images, and even four-part figures that double the already Double Goddess. She focuses on the cult power and talismanic magic of the textiles and women’s weaving practices, reminding us that kilims, for example, were used in religious ceremonies rather than simply as decorative floor or wall coverings.This is important to remember, since the whole idea of “shrines” at Çatal Höyük is now under scrutiny in the archaeological community. Kelly’s observation that the cumulative effect of the repetition of images on the borders of embroidered cloths “intensifies the efficacy of the protection” granted by the image is reminiscent of the power of repeated mantras used in Eastern religions and clearly understood to be magical spells. Emphasizing the female lineage depicted in the mirror images, Kelly describes “chains of mothers and daughters” establishing a “matrilineal chain” that can still be seen on belts made by Ukrainian weavers today.

A striking example (and perhaps prototype) of this form comes from a complex Çatal Höyük wall painting that depicts several pairs of Goddesses side by side; two pairs, one beneath another as if (metaphorically) being birthed, and one small Goddess emerging from the crown of the larger one in the centre of the whole composition, which takes the form of an artist’s triptych. Mellaart describes this as “three niches with Goddesses giving birth.” The archetypal birthing Goddess in the form of a leopard actually takes the shape of, and is symbolically interchangeable with, a frog, with her arms and legs out to the sides and curled up.This is the complex image that greets the viewer in the shrine room that is reproduced inside the Museum in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, which houses so many of the original finds from Çatal Höyük including the enthroned Goddess with leopards.

Continued on page 2

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THE GODDESS’ WHEEL OF THE YEAR

A seasonal ritual drama

Tired of the emphasis on the heterosexual relationship between The Goddess and the Gods in most ritual drama cycles which celebrate the seasonal Wheel of the Year, we have created a mythic cycle which focusses exclusively on different faces of the Goddess and, sometimes, the interplay between Her different aspects.

Over a year we discussed which Goddesses and their myths we associate with each festival. From these we selected stories which lent themselves to ritual drama and created a “script” for that festival’s ritual, with one or more women being honoured to carry (literally, to be possessed by) the Goddess. We are also inspired by the wealth of ancient sites in West Cornwall in which to enact our sacred dramas.

Here in the fourth of our eight-part series we publish our BELTANE ritual, dedicated to Aphrodite. We offer these scripts as our contribution to the myriad creative ways to celebrate the Goddess at the seasonal festivals.

We gathered in a tiny private stone circle in the middle of bluebell woods. We invoked Aphrodite into B, who was dressed in red, looking pretty and sexy. She led the two women further into the woods, then gave them their instructions separately. D was to wander in the woods and find offerings for Aphrodite. L was to come to her when she heard the rattle.

Following the sound of the rattle to the warm sunny clearing in the woods, L found Aphrodite, huge, naked and incredibly beautiful. Sexily she removed L’s clothes, then blessed/
massaged all her body with ‘Aphrodite’s Favourite’ oil. What a gift of sensuality and stroking that was: such pleasure as her naked body touched L’s back.

L was then sent to wander in the woods to look for gifts to bring to Aphrodite. It was a fabulous spring day, sunny and still. L meandered about, smelling as well as seeing the abundant bluebells, finding bright green new beech leaves and furns unfurling. L found a baby feather to tickle Aphrodite gently, a five-fold primrose, soft moss, sticky couch grass and crackly dry leaves - all very tactile. Naked and barefoot, L had an incredible feeling of innocence and freedom, proud and happy in her body outdoors.

When L was called back to Aphrodite’s clearing, she found D sitting there, also naked. L offered her gifts to Aphrodite, which she received with much sensuous delight. She inspired the women to outrageous appreciation of their beautiful bodies by adoring her own, giggling as she stroked herself with bluebells! Then she put a red ribbon in each woman’s hair, symbolising her gifts of love, sexuality, pleasure and power. We danced joyfully and loudly with percussion instruments “I am the Queen of the Dance”.

Aphrodite gestured to the women to sit, then gave them the gift of exploring their five senses with their eyes shut: a tinkling bell for hearing, bluebells to smell, strawberries to taste, Goddess figurines to touch. Their senses were so hightened, exploring the contours of a few goddess figurines was an amazing experience! The deep love of the female form and the power of the female body in those Maltese Goddesses washed over and through L. Then finally Aphrodite told the women to open their eyes and see the red candle. We lit this for passion and danced naked through the woods!

Next came more relishing of visual pleasures as we arranged the flowers and other beautiful things we’d found in the baskets she gave to each woman.

Beltane picture by Geraldine Andrew.

From these vessels and from the earth we then drew up power into our bodies, filling ourselves with all the beauty and strength and delight of this very Taurean Beltane! We stroked ourselves and each other with bluebells, then the women were left to meditate while Aphrodite left and B returned. It was glorious to lie naked on the earth and growing plants, cunts open to the warm sunshine: a perfectly sensual day.

continued column 3

THE GODDESS BOOK OF DAYS

Vivianne Crowley [Chrysalis Books hbk 2002, £12.99]

This is a beautifully produced and illustrated book that is part guide to Goddesses (some well known, others less so) and part daily calendar with space for recording dreams, meditations and feelings. Each month opens with a description of a goddess and an outline of the folklore and myths surrounding her. The calendar features a record of the Goddess’ sacred days and can be used for any year, while the entries for each week offer a meditation, invocation, myth, poem or chant, as well as suggestions for making altars and symbols. Goddesses such as Inanna, Brigid, Kuan Yin, Bast, Isis, Sophia, Artemis and Sedna are all given a monthly feature, while other Goddesses such as Arianhrod, Hecate, Rhiannon, Pachamama, Tara, Vesta, Ana, Erzulie etc, are featured within the months.

Vivianne Crowley is a well-known and very experienced High Priestess and her text is both reliable scholarship and inspirational. It is complemented by the beautiful feast of colour illustrations by Sarah Young. This is a lovely book to own and explore at leisure.

THE CELTIC GODDESS

Claire French [Floris Books, pbk 2001, £11.99]

Claire French has written an original study of how the Goddess of pre-Celtic and pre-patriarchal times was displaced under Celtic Druidism by kingship and the worship of sky gods, and eventually under Christianity condemned and denigrated into fairy belief and witchcraft. A large part of the book is a detailed study of the Welsh Mabinogian mythic books. This is similar territory to Caitlin Matthews’ books (recently re-issued as Mabon and the Guardians of Celtic Britain and King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land) and can be quite hard going for those not familiar with the texts, but Claire French make it very clear and understandable. The earlier part of the book has some other excellent material, particularly on the Gundestrup Cauldron (where the lesser-known Mother Goddess figure is revealed), on the Goddesses of Ireland and Britain and on the status of Celtic women. There are some incisive insights in this sound, important and scholarly book, which is highly recommended.

Beltane Ritual

continued from column 1

B returned as herself, and we raised energy for the full abundant flowering of the spring and for pleasure, which was immediately fulfilled in a delicious sacred feast. We also painted our own and each other’s toenails with the bright scarlet of blatant rampant sexuality!

We then processed back to our stone circle, chanting “Come and dance to awaken summer”, before relinquishing the delicious realm of the sensuous Goddess and returning to everyday human existence.

The next edition of GA! will feature a Summer Solstice ritual.

In GODDESS ALIVE! Issue 5

Remarkable Sheela-na-Gigs ~ Fiona Marron

Jouney to Naxos, Ariadne’s Isle ~ Kathy Jones

Invoke the Goddess: to Use or to Worship ~ Sheila Bright

PLUS: News * Photographs * Events * Artwork * Rituals

* OUT WINTER 2003 *