Eye of Ra

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Men created common religion because they were jealous of women's mysteries?

I really do wonder if "common religion" basically became the sphere of men not because women were excluded initially, but because women's experiences created something special that men simply could not ever relate to, and in effect excluded men. In reaction, men created situations in which, as outsiders, they'd poorly mimic women's mysteries, in order to connect with the larger Existence... After generations, as society becomes more "patriarchal," what is "men's religion" becomes instituted as common religion and snowballs from there...?

I suggested in my Gender and Spirituality class that this might have something to do with altered consciousness during menses (as I remember my experience when I had crippling cramps and I'd suffer dehydration because I'd even throw up water, let alone food!) Most types of shamanic "vision quests" or whatever seem to mimic this-- cuts to bleed without dying, abstainence from food/water, seclusion, etc, in order to reach an altered state of consciousness. I remember the years my cycle was like this as also a very spiritually influential time... not just in an "oh god make this stop" sort of way, but really, every couple weeks, my life STOPPED whether I wanted it to or not, and I was confronted with this important event in the cycle of life. It made me evaluate my connection in regards to the cycle of life in general, and not just my own experience.

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