Sacred Feminism in Literature & Literary Theory

Sacred Feminism: Etymology/Term, Meanings and Concept

Etymology and Definition

The term “Sacred Feminism” blends the concept of the “sacred” (implying spiritual value and reverence) with “feminism” (the belief in and pursuit of gender equality). Sacred Feminism thus recognizes the inherent spiritual power and significance within the feminine experience, actively working towards a world based on gender equality.

Key Concepts and Meanings

• Divine Feminine: Encompasses goddesses and symbolic representations of feminine spiritual energy and power.
• Cyclical Nature: Emphasizes connection between women’s bodies, experiences, and the natural cycles of the earth.
• Inclusivity & Balance: Promotes inclusivity of all genders and seeks to balance the masculine-dominated perspectives found in many traditional religions.
• Empowerment: Reclaims the sacred within femininity, empowering those who identify as female and who might feel marginalized.
• Healing & Reconciliation: Addresses historical and present-day traumas related to the suppression of the feminine.

Sacred Feminism: Definition of a Theoretical Term

Sacred feminism is a philosophical framework that seeks to reevaluate and revere the feminine aspects of spirituality, culture, and society. It emphasizes the importance of honoring and uplifting feminine qualities, such as intuition, nurturing, and interconnectedness, in all aspects of life. This approach challenges traditional patriarchal structures and strives for a more balanced and inclusive worldview that recognizes the sacredness of both masculine and feminine energies.

Sacred Feminism: Theorists, Works and Arguments

Theorists and Key Works in Feminist Spirituality

• Starhawk: Celebrated ecofeminist and earth-based spirituality pioneer. Her iconic work, “The Spiral Dance”, offers feminist exploration of witchcraft, environmentalism, and personal empowerment through rituals and practices.
• Carol P. Christ: Feminist theologian exploring connections between spirituality, feminism, and justice. Author of “Rebirth of the Goddess,” she examines the suppression and resurgence of goddess worship, reclaiming feminine spiritual heritage.
• Zsuzsanna Budapest: Founder of Dianic Wicca, a goddess-centered tradition. Her “The Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries” offers rituals, teachings, and insights on empowerment and healing.
• Riane Eisler: Proponent of the partnership model as an alternative to patriarchal systems. In “The Chalice and the Blade,” she re-examines history for evidence of egalitarian societies, calling for a values-based societal transformation.

Core Arguments

• Re-evaluation of History: Feminist spiritual theorists challenge traditional narratives that minimize women’s contributions, asserting the need to reclaim female-centered myths and spiritual practices.
• Elevation of the Divine Feminine: Importance of recognizing female deities and archetypes as powerful spiritual forces, nurturing feminine qualities like intuition and compassion.
• Critique of Patriarchy: Feminist spirituality critiques power systems that perpetuate gender inequality, advocating systemic changes to achieve true gender equity.
• Embodiment of Rituals and Practices: Rituals, ceremonies, and other practices provide a pathway to personal empowerment, healing, and the honoring of the feminine.

Sacred Feminism: Major Characteristics

Here’s a breakdown of sacred feminism’s major characteristics, along with some potential literary references to illustrate these concepts:

Major Characteristics of Sacred Feminism

• Focus on the Divine Feminine: Recognition and celebration of goddesses, female archetypes, and feminine aspects of the divine. This challenges the dominance of masculine imagery in many traditional religions.
  • Literary References:
    • “Circe” by Madeline Miller (explores the life and power of the goddess Circe)
    • “The Mists of Avalon” by Marion Zimmer Bradley (retells Arthurian legend from a feminine perspective, highlighting figures like Morgaine)
• Embodiment & Connection to Nature: Emphasis on the body as sacred, particularly the female body and its connection to natural cycles. Reverence for the Earth and ecological awareness are common themes.
  • Literary References:
    • Poetry of Mary Oliver (celebrates nature and the interconnectedness of life)
    • “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker (explores themes of spirituality found within nature and the human connection to it)
• Critique of Patriarchy and Oppressive Systems: Challenges social, political, and religious structures that perpetuate gender inequality and marginalize the feminine. Calls for systemic change to achieve true equity.
  • Literary References:
    • “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood (dystopian novel portraying a patriarchal society that oppresses women)
    • Works of science fiction by authors like Ursula K. Le Guin and Octavia Butler (often explore alternative societies and power structures)
• Community, Ritual, and Celebration: Values the creation of women-centered communities. Rituals and ceremonies are seen as tools for healing, empowerment, and connection to the sacred feminine.
  • Literary References
    • “The Red Tent” by Anita Diamant (fictionalizes the biblical story of Dinah, emphasizing women’s community and rituals around menstruation)
    • Non-fiction works on goddess spirituality and women’s circles
• Personal and Collective Transformation: Sacred feminism sees spiritual practices as a way to empower women individually and as agents of social change.
  • Literary References
    • “Women Who Run With the Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estés: (uses myths and storytelling to explore feminine archetypes and healing)
    • Autobiographical works by feminist spiritual writers (bell hooks, Audre Lorde, Gloria Anzaldúa).

Important Notes:

• Sacred feminism is diverse. There are many variations within this movement, with some traditions being more explicitly tied to Goddess worship or witchcraft, and others taking a broader approach.
• Literary references can be found across genres, not just those explicitly focused on spirituality. Consider how depictions of women, nature, and power structures in various works align with or challenge ideas central to sacred feminism.

Sacred Feminism: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Relevance of Sacred Feminism
Feminist Literary Theory	Sacred Feminism offers a unique perspective on the role of women in literature, emphasizing their spiritual and divine aspects. It explores how female characters are portrayed in relation to sacred texts and traditions.
Postcolonial Theory	Sacred Feminism intersects with postcolonial theory by highlighting the voices and experiences of women within colonized societies. It examines how colonialism has affected women’s spiritual practices and their roles within indigenous cultures.
Psychoanalytic Theory	Sacred Feminism can be applied within psychoanalytic theory to explore the psychological impact of patriarchal religious structures on women. It delves into the subconscious dynamics of power, identity, and spirituality within a male-dominated framework.
Marxist Literary Theory	Within Marxist literary theory, Sacred Feminism offers insights into the intersectionality of class, gender, and spirituality. It critiques capitalist structures that exploit both labor and spiritual beliefs, particularly those affecting women.
Queer Theory	Sacred Feminism contributes to queer theory by challenging heteronormative interpretations of spirituality and gender roles. It explores non-binary and queer identities within sacred texts and traditions, offering alternative perspectives on divinity and embodiment.

Sacred Feminism: Application in Critiques

Sacred Feminism: A Primer

• Core Concept: Sacred Feminism emphasizes the feminine aspects of spirituality and the divine. It challenges patriarchal religious or cultural systems, re-evaluating historical narratives to uncover suppressed or undervalued feminine power and wisdom.
• Characteristics:
  • Reverence for the feminine: Celebrates female figures, goddesses, archetypes, and women’s experiences.
  • Focus on embodiment: Recognizes the body, nature, and cycles as interconnected and sacred.
  • Emphasis on connection and intuition: Values non-rational ways of knowing, such as intuition, emotions, and relationship-building.
  • Fluidity and inclusivity: Embraces a spectrum of expression and identity beyond the gender binary.

Sacred Feminism in Literary Analysis

Sacred Feminism can provide a lens to analyze works of literature in the following ways:

• Re-examining female characters:
  • Exposing patriarchal biases in their portrayals.
  • Exploring their potential as agents of divine feminine power.
  • Identifying their acts of resistance or subversion.
• Identifying archetypes:
  • Recognizing goddesses, the Great Mother, wise women, or other archetypes of the sacred feminine.
  • Unraveling how they may be distorted or suppressed by dominant power structures in the text.
• Symbolism and imagery:
  • Looking for symbols associated with the feminine principle (water, moon, earth, cycles, intuition, the body).
  • Analyzing how these symbols are used to reinforce or challenge traditional notions of the feminine.
• Narrative structure:
  • Challenging linear, patriarchal plot structures.
  • Identifying cyclical patterns or a focus on interconnectedness.

Applying Sacred Feminism to Literary Works

Here are four literary works for a thought exercise. I’ll provide suggestions on how a Sacred Feminist critique might approach them:

1. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood):
   • Female embodiment: Examine how women’s bodies are controlled and how this control seeks to extinguish the sacred feminine. Investigate any characters who defy this, perhaps even embodying a form of sacred resistance through their bodily experiences.
   • Symbolism: Analyze the use of colors, rituals (birth, menstruation, death), and biblical allusions as distorted versions of the sacred feminine.
2. Wide Sargasso Sea (Jean Rhys):
   • Re-interpreting characters: Antoinette, as a Creole woman, stands at the intersection of colonial power and the native sacred feminine. Explore how her voice is suppressed and examine the potential sacred power inherent in her connection to the natural world.
   • Imagery: Consider the symbolism of fire and the lush Caribbean landscape as representations of Antoinette’s wild feminine spirit in contrast to the rigid, patriarchal English society that tries to confine her.
3. The Color Purple (Alice Walker):
   • Archetypes: Celie’s journey to reclaiming her sexuality, voice, and power can be seen through the lens of an archetypal feminine awakening. Analyze figures like Shug Avery, who embodies sensuality and connects Celie to her own embodiment of the sacred feminine
   • Connection and Community: Focus on the bonds formed between the female characters offering a non-patriarchal mode of relationships and support.
4. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley):
   • Goddess figures: Explore the central figures of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar in relation to Celtic goddess archetypes and how they navigate a world moving towards patriarchal Christianity.
   • The natural world: Examine how the novel incorporates the cyclical nature of the seasons, lunar cycles, and the landscape of Avalon, all associated with the sacred feminine.

Please note: This is just a starting point! Each work will offer unique points for analysis through the lens of Sacred Feminism.

Sacred Feminism: Relevant Terms

Term	Definition
Divine Feminine	The concept of the sacred or divine aspects attributed to femininity, often associated with nurturing, intuition, and creativity.
Goddess Worship	The veneration and adoration of female deities or divine figures, often central to matriarchal or Goddess-centered spiritual traditions.
Women’s Mysticism	Spiritual practices and experiences unique to women, involving direct communion with the divine or mystical insights derived from feminine perspectives.
Matrifocal Societies	Societies or cultures where social structures, rituals, and beliefs are centered around the mother or female lineage, emphasizing the importance of women.
Sacred Texts	Religious or spiritual texts that hold significance for followers, which may include myths, scriptures, or oral traditions that feature female deities or themes.
Ecofeminism	A philosophical and activist movement that explores the intersection of feminism and environmentalism, often emphasizing the interconnectedness of the earth and women.
Goddess Archetypes	Universal symbols or patterns representing aspects of the Divine Feminine found across various cultures and mythologies, such as the Mother, Maiden, and Crone.
Women’s Rituals	Ceremonial practices or rites conducted by women within spiritual or religious contexts, often celebrating femininity, fertility, and life cycles.
Patriarchy	Social systems or structures where men hold primary power and dominate positions of authority, often perpetuating the marginalization of women and feminine values.
Intersectionality	The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as gender, race, class, and sexuality, which can create overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination.

Sacred Feminism: Suggested Readings

Books Focusing on Literary Analysis

1. Christ, Carol P. Diving Deep and Surfacing: Women Writers on Spiritual Quest. Beacon Press, 1980. (Examines works by authors like Virginia Woolf and Adrienne Rich through themes of the sacred feminine and women’s spiritual journeys)
2. Lauter, Estella, and Carol Schreier Rupprecht, editors. Feminist Archetypal Theory: Interdisciplinary Re-visions of Jungian Thought. University of Tennessee Press, 1985. (Applies concepts of Jungian archetypes and feminist perspectives to literature and cultural analysis)
3. Ochshorn, Kathleen. The Female Experience and the Nature of the Divine. Indiana University Press, 1981. (Analyzes works of literature exploring women’s connection to the divine, challenging traditional theological perspectives)

Books on Sacred Feminism (General)

1. Bolen, Jean Shinoda. Goddesses in Everywoman: Powerful Archetypes in Women’s Lives. Harper & Row, 1984. (Classic exploration of goddess archetypes and their relevance to women’s psychology)
2. Goldenberg, Naomi. Changing of the Gods: Feminism and the End of Traditional Religions. Beacon Press, 1979. (Foundational text examining the rise of feminist spirituality and critiques of patriarchal religion)
3. Noble, Vicki. Shakti Woman: Feeling Our Fire, Healing Our World. HarperSanFrancisco, 1991. (Delves into goddess traditions and reclaiming the power of the feminine principle for healing and activism)