Article by Sorella Tacita
I have been taking time to read through the older Madrian literature, to better understand the start of Filianism and how it differs from such other Feminine religions such as Wicca. For those unfamiliar with Madrianism, it was begun in the 1970s in England by a group of women, who both wrote fairly extensively and practiced what they spoke by living in communities. One such community was fairly well known (the residency of the home in Burtonport by the group the Silver Sisterhood, more about them here). There were publications and a literature group amongst themselves, the major one being “The Coming Age” that one could subscribe to, and this is what I have been focusing my research on, as well as reading through the book “The Feminine Universe” by Miss Alice Lucy Trent.
Unfortunately, some of the women seemed to have earned some raised eyebrows and contention from the world at large for some actions and thoughts. I myself have some misgivings about some of their lines of thinking, and how these carry over to thealogy and practice. I felt I should write some of my thoughts out to better work through some ideas and disagreements.
To start, the Madrians based their thealogy upon the perennial wisdom and essentialist/traditionalist thought. In short, this means there is an underlying Truth to all traditional religions, and by essential it is meant that there is a Reason to all of existence, there being a necessity for all things (Matter must have Form). If you are familiar with Plato, this will fall in line. Their difference lies in the Feminine Essential viewpoint, seeing the Feminine Principle as the quintessence.
For myself, I am in line with much of their thoughts; I see divinity as the coming forth of this quintessence, and in my personal research of ancient/prehistorical societies and religions, humanity was in touch with this Feminine Principle and much of the religious/spiritual thought of the populace was for the Goddess and her different aspects, often times being a double Goddess (usually a Mother/Daughter pairing) in the art and items uncovered by archaeology. I have been reading Marija Gimbutas for one, as she was a prime force in putting forth the idea of a Goddess culture in much of the prehistoric societies (as opposed to the common theory by much of the scholarly circle that these were ‘fertility cults’ and ‘venus figurines’, to lessen by means of phrasing their importance).
Professor Gimbutas was an incredibly intelligent woman, and her theories to me are exactly as they show; that prehistoric societies were oriented towards the Feminine, and the Great Goddess was worshipped daily in central temples, in multiple attributions (e.g. the Bird Goddess, Frog Goddess, Harvest Goddess, etc). This involved every aspect of daily life for people. What is meant by this, is that the secular and sacred were not separated: the findings of looms and grindstones within the temples show that the crafts and food preparation were considered sacred duties, or spiritual tasks, and that life was entwined with the Goddess and every aspect of life meant giving homage to that divinity and thought process. We cannot ascertain every aspect of their lives, as only fragments remain. But, it is enough to show that the Feminine was the undercurrent, and the incredible lack of violence and war meant peace was commonplace under the Feminine. (see also the book “The Chalice and The Blade“).
Take ancient Crete, for example. The ‘palaces’ as they are further examined appear to be more of a temple, and of all the city-states found in ‘Minoan’ times, none had fortifications. Amongst all the art found, none show violence or oppression: beauty and joy are the driving factors of Minoan art and life.
The Madrians have noted this in their writings, and as a feminist, I am in agreement that life under the Feminine Principle seems to strive towards Beauty, Peace, and the valuation of society for ideals and betterment of all (note that Minoans even had plumbing!).
But some views I take a different approach to. For one, there is the scorn on materialist science. Yes, science without a conscience can have abhorrent consequences (vivisection for one), but I have read some quite strong thoughts by the Madrians on evolution. I have always been a proponent of science and have always seen the value in researching the world, seeing the world in the language of physics and math and such. I have concerns with the argument against evolution presented by early Madrians: it has been seen as against Essentialist thought in that it denies any reason for being and humanity.
On the contrary, forms and archetypes still may be presented whilst life and beings unfold. Creation is in constant flux and evolving, and that is beautiful. There is beauty in science, and to me the ability for life to change and ebb and flow does not deny a creative Source; in fact, quite the opposite. I can only feel that Love stems from this, and supports our ‘scientific’ understandings of the world. True and good science can accommodate Love and is adaptable to new findings.
I recently was reading of a book on refutation of Traditionalist thought, the one analogy being ‘many paths, one mountain’ repeated in descriptions of Traditionalism. The author posited an analogy of ‘one ocean, many shores’ and this resonated with me. I do not feel that that is an analogy that is out of line with Traditionalism. Instead, it shows that there is a deep, unending, and connected Source, and that different groups will arrive to different shores, learning different ways and philosophies, but stemming from the One Source. This is a much more recondite analogy for me than the ‘one mountain’. A maid cannot comprehend the depth of the ocean, and the symbolism there is very apt. I will find myself using this analogy quite often.
To come back to our discussion though: another point of contention from Madrian thought to current Filianic thought is that of the Feminine Essence. There is differing opinion on what Déa encompasses, and what it means to be Feminine, and Female. Some see Dea as Female in a purely biologic frame (in as much as one can), and some see Déa as Feminine Principle, and others want to de-gender and deconstruct Feminine.
Madrians started off as seeing Déa as The Feminine, and had specifics of what they saw as Feminine. With the rise of feminism and the varying types therein, there has been quite a conversation on this. The Madrians themselves did not seem to much care for feminism and saw it as almost antithetical to their beliefs, and their yearning to preserve what they saw as the feminine essence. Having discussed the image and reflections of Déa with other Filianists, I have noted that some are disdainful of the term ‘feminine’ and wish to either deconstruct it or do away with it altogether.
I would like to say, that I deem nothing inherently wrong with the term ‘feminine’, nor do I feel anything wrong with the term ‘masculine’. If it is a matter of language, then one could change to an Eastern view of yin and yang, though I feel strange using terminology that doesn’t belong to my own culture and religion. When we speak of ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’, we are on some level able to intuit what we are meaning. And this is not to say that someone is completely one or the other (though some can focus more on one), nor that this is all that someone is. I think that this is where the breakdown lies: that people feel confined by the patriarchal notions of gender and how it informs and shapes their mental/physical/spiritual wellbeing, and wish to either modify or utterly remove the more traditional notions. I am not saying that discussions about the ‘traditional’ notions and terms as defined by patriarchy aren’t worth having. But patriarchy misses the mark on what truly means to be feminine and masculine. We see people grasping this in their attempts to ‘redefine’ what it means to be feminine and masculine, but really-we are just becoming better at understanding what those two principles entail. Feminine traits can encompass wisdom, fortitude, respect. Masculine traits can encompass understanding, cooperation, gravitas. It is not so much a redefining as it is a rediscovery of what it truly inherent in us, and as someone who proclaims to be a feminist, this is was I try to get across to people. Gender and biology don’t necessarily formalize us, as we are informed by what is true for us from these ever-present Principles. I do agree with essentialist thought in that there are ever-present and ever-guiding Forms/Essences that influence our minds and souls and spirits. However, I am on board with the present conversations to better understand what it is to be feminine and masculine, and by seeing Déa in her Feminine Quintessence, and truly meditating on what it encompasses, and how this speaks to and redefines our world view, is a major reason why I became a Filianist in the first place. The True Feminine Quintessence has been sorely lacking in the world at large, and my spirit knew that to take on this view of Deity and work within this religious structure would been a turning of the tide for my spiritual growth.
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There are several other points I would like to touch upon, but I have said enough today. I will post more in the future on topics that can be divisive or misconstrued.
I am grateful to the women who started this Madrian movement, even if I do not fully agree with what their thoughts were. I have yearned for many years to be able to worship Divinity in such a structured manner and with a Feminine nature. Having not felt fully at home within Wicca, and struggling to define my spirituality on my own terms, I was very gobsmacked to find Filianism and learn its teachings. I feel there is much, much more to be learned and I hope to grow and show others more teachings and help heal some of the troubles in the world. We shall see, and if Déa willing, I am able to help one person, I will feel most humbled.
I will leave with a quote from a Christian mystic, whose art and writing I am always impressed by.
“She is so bright and glorious that you cannot look at her face or her garments for the splendor with which she shines. For she is terrible with the terror of the avenging lightning, and gentle with the goodness of the bright sun; and both her terror and her gentleness are incomprehensible to humans…. But she is with everyone and in everyone, and so beautiful is her secret that no person can know the sweetness with which she sustains people, and spares them in inscrutable mercy.”
-Hildegard Von Bingen
Reformed Madrianist Filianism 