~ May 23
The gods above adore her, the gods below adore her.
She sets the heavens spinning around the pole.
She lights the sun and orders all the universe.
At her voice the stars and planets move,
the seasons turn in their stately dance,
the earth sings out and the elements obey.
She need only nod, and the wind blows sweetly,
clouds water the earth with rain, seeds sprout,
buds swell. Everything serves her: birds in the air,
beasts upon the mountain, serpents in the dust,
all tremble in awe of the great good goddess.
—Apuleis, The Golden Ass
The great cosmic goddess inspires both awe and love; she controls both the heavens and the underworld; she is a complex of all that exists, whether we see it as positive or negative. Learning to accept that all of life is sacred—even what we might choose to resist or reject—is a challenge. Yet the order of our universe, of our lives, is the natural order. Change and death are not only inevitable; they are part of nature, which creates and sustains us throughout our lives. We cannot accept one part of the goddess’ creation and reject the rest. We cannot have spring without fall, love without loss.
The great traditions of the goddess emphasize her overwhelming power, but call us to love her. Not in spite of her power, but because of it. Not in spite of death, but because of life. It is not easy to travel on the path of the goddess, but once her challenges are met, life is filled with unimaginable sweetness.
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