Vamacara Tantra

The Left-Hand Path of Pleasure

Volume I: Origins

Part II

The Culture of the Goddess

In the ancient and almost universal culture that we have been examining in detail, women didn't dominate men as in the later societies, where men had absolute power over women. We do not find any indications of a pyramid social structure, or hierarchy dominated by a woman or a group of women who gathered most of the wealth and power for themselves, leaving the rest of the society fighting over the crumbs, as we repeatedly find in the later societies ruled exclusively by male hierarchies. Rather, we find cooperative communities where the primary ethic was based on sharing, the sharing of food, natural resources and work. By every indication these early communities sought to live in harmony with the organic and cyclic processes of Nature, rather than to dominate or exploit their environment, a process that begins to be so typical in the later Bronze Age developments.

One other feature that was conspicuously absent from these early communities, is any sign of violence. We find in their extensive artwork no indication of any symbols of domination - spears, swords, or thunderbolts that we find in later societies, where the ruler or deity demands obedience under the threat of killing or violence. Rather the emphasis was on bonding, reinforcing the primal connection with the Source of Life and the cooperation between all Life forms.

We are not looking at some isolated region where one or two tribal societies lived peacefully for a couple of centuries and then mysteriously disappeared. But rather we are examining a continuous culture of shared beliefs and customs that spread out over the Earth in a vast expanse, and lasted for over 30,000 years. Because of this fact, we are literally forced to reevaluate our current ideas about civilization, culture and the nature of human societies.

As we have surveyed this Civilization of the Goddess in a very broad scope, we have seen an extremely large and powerful current of associated ideas and symbols moving through the mental landscape, pushing before it all other religious concepts for thousands of years into the future. And we are discovering this archetypal current is still relevant today. For it is the current of our blood surging through our veins, singing the ancient songs of our cells. It is the story of our genetic heritage and the psychic template of our common past. It is a Spirituality grounded in our Biology. Within the scope of this bio-spirituality, all of Nature is mysteriously infused with the sacred power of the Goddess. And all things are a medium of Her creative expression. The rhythms of the seasons, the phases of the moon, the tides of the sea, the cycles of the womb are all processes of a living and unified whole.

The Story of the Snake

We have seen how the Moon in her ever returning cyclic patterns became a universal symbol of life, death and rebirth. This association was gradually extended to include a particular animal. Just as the Moon was the primary symbol of the Goddess in the Heavens, the snake became her primary symbol on Earth. For it was observed by all peoples that snakes underwent a strange transformation. Like the Moon shedding the shadow of death, the snake would periodically shed its skin, and emerge renewed. Immortality became reflected in the life processes of the serpent, as it was reflected in the ever returning cycles of the Moon.

Furthermore, it was also observed that this mysterious animal would periodically disappear for a time within the womb of the Earth, only to re-emerge as if reborn.

For these reasons it was believed that above all creatures, the serpent possessed the self-renewing power and wisdom of the Goddess. It also became associated with healing and oracular powers. And to this day, in many parts of world these associations still exist.

It is an interesting fact that in ancient Greece, the political leaders as well as foreign rulers sought advice from the famous oracle shrine at Delphi. The Earth Mother was worshipped there and bore the name of Delphyne, which meant "the womb of creation".(17) The priestess of this shrine would give advice or even predict future events by consulting a python, the serpent-son and consort of the Goddess, who lived in a subterranean cave beneath the shrine. This practice stretched far back into the early beginnings of our species and was widespread, spanning many cultures and even continents.

Not only was the serpent associated with the wisdom and power of the subterranean realms, but it appeared to mysteriously move upon the Earth as if possessed by a strange energy. Its undulating course upon the ground and its equal ability to move through water, gave rise to its mythic association with the primordial waters of life. Rivers were seen to resemble huge snakes, undulating currents of life-blood, without which the land remained barren. Through this association, the serpent came to symbolically represent the dynamic life-force of Nature and the inexhaustible fertility of the Goddess.

In all areas of the world where the culture of the Goddess flourished, we find the serpent symbolized by coils, spirals, and zig-zag lines as far back as 20,000 years ago. Later on however, the Goddess herself was portrayed in the image of a snake. She was known in this aspect by many names.

The serpent Goddess in India was known as Ananta and Kadru. In Egypt, the mother of creation was depicted as a serpent named Uazit. The Egyptian hieroglyphic sign for the Goddess was in fact a snake. In ancient Sumer, the great water serpent/Goddess Nammu gave birth to Heaven and Earth. In Babylon, the Goddess was particularly associated with the resurrecting power of the serpent. In her aspect of Queen of the Underworld, she was known as the "Mistress of Serpents".(18)

Beyond any doubt, the serpent captured the imagination and the mythic powers of association like no other symbol. For in almost all mythologies and religions of the world, the image of the snake can be found, whether it is the great serpent of the primordial waters out of which all Life emerged, or the world serpent that encircles the Earth as a cosmic egg.

However, there is one image of the serpent that not only was universal, but is still very much alive today, and in fact continues to evolve. This complex symbol began with the simple observation that not only could snakes live within the Earth, move with ease over ground and water, but could live in trees as well.

This fact brought together two independent streams of symbolic and mythic associations. For by this time, trees already had a whole constellation of mythic importance all their own. With their roots reaching deep into the Earth womb, and their branches embracing the Sky, trees became a symbol for the entire spectrum of Life's journey.

In this Cosmology all Life was seen to be born from the darkness of the Earth and proceeded toward the Heavens, to ascend toward the stars, the realm of the ancestors. As a symbol then, the tree was seen as a cosmic bridge between the worlds: the Underworld, the Earth, and the Sky. And the serpent was perceived to be the one creature to be able to cross this bridge at will and make its home in all three realms.

The serpent then, entwined around the Cosmic Tree of Life became a universal image with many levels of meaning. In the most general terms perhaps, we find in this symbol the energy of the Earth, the dynamic self-renewing life-force, rising up and embracing the Celestial realms, the invisible and transcendental dimensions of Life. The Earth and the Heavens are here perceived to be united through the organic processes of Life-Energy. Spirit and Nature are recognized as a unified field in which the creative energies of the Universe ebb and flow in a continuous process of transformation.

As a true archetypal symbol this image reflected certain qualities in the very structure of human consciousness itself, transcending all historical and cultural settings. As it evolved down through the millennia, this symbol was to eventually take on a whole new dimension of meaning, a development that represented a sophisticated refinement and integration of all that had preceded it. And perhaps this symbol still holds the key, to the future evolutionary journey of our species.

Before we move on to the next stage in the development of this archetypal symbol, we first need to go back and explore a very important formation that was to eventually change the entire mythic-religious landscape forever. * * * Illustrations* * *

The Male Deity Is Born

Human beings universally recognized that their physical bodies, as all living things, participated in the drama of birth and death. They also however realized there was a hidden or invisible side to Nature as well - a Spiritual reality. These two realms, the invisible Spirit and visible Nature, through time, began to separate in human consciousness and move further apart.

Along with this growing distinction the two sexes became more culturally differentiated as well. Male and Female began to take on more specialized roles within society. The masculine qualities of human consciousness gradually became more appreciated as a participant in the sacred power and pleasures of the creative process. Through time the masculine aspect gained importance, until around 6,500 B.C.E. we find it had evolved into an image of something entirely new - a Male Deity.

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a culture at Catal Huyuk on the Konya plain of southern Anatolia (now modern Turkey). This culture had developed rather remarkable abilities at carving stone, spinning, weaving, basket work, pottery, cultivation of crops, domestication of animals, and the building of houses and shrines.

Impressive as all these developments were, (officially, civilization wasn't supposed to begin for another 3,000 years!) there were some other discoveries that proved even more startling. Archaeologists discovered a whole constellation of symbols and associations, which served as an archetypal foundation for many of our current myths and religious concepts.

When reflecting back to the earlier mythologies of the Moon, you will remember the Moon came to universally typify the various phases of Life's creative expression: birth, growth, maturation, old age, death and then rebirth. This cyclic pattern was the manifestation of the Goddess reflected in all living things.

At about 6,500 B.C.E. in Catal Huyuk, we find the lunar cycle being specifically associated with the image of the bull. With his long crescent shaped horns, which perfectly reflected the image of the new and dying moon, the bull became a powerful symbol for the life-giving and regenerative powers of the Moon.

Archaeologists found a shrine dated from about 5,000 B.C.E. in which the figure of the Goddess is giving birth to a number of bulls. What is most important about this image is that the bull is being portrayed as her son. He is born from the darkness of her womb, just as the New Moon rises from the darkness of its previous death. Like the Moon, while increasing light and strength gives fertility to all her children, the bull is now the symbol of that strength and fertility. And just like the Moon in which the drama of death is played out in its inevitable disappearance, the moon bull eventually dies or is ritually sacrificed to be reunited with his Eternal Mother.

Through the magic of association, the bull also became linked with the fertility of the vegetation cycle. Not only did he sire the milk-yielding cows, but he also drew the plow, breaking open the Earth to allow the seeds to enter.

The people of these early civilizations were all part of the agricultural world. On a seasonal basis they saw the plants that they depended on for survival were born from the Earth Mother. After these plants matured they then died back into her body, eventually to be reborn in the Spring.

The bull came to represent this ever returning cycle of abundance and renewal. He came to represent that part of Eternal Life which manifests in time, space, and undergoes the constant flux of birth and death.

On the other hand, the Mother Goddess came to be increasingly associated with the underlying continuity of Life. She was the Eternal Whole, while her son symbolized the temporal manifestation of individual forms.

At various shrine sites at Catal Huyuk, small statues of Male figures were also uncovered. From these carvings, and the prolific use of bulls horns within all the shrines, we have some very convincing evidence that these people had elevated the Male principle into the realm of religious symbolism. And the concept of a Male Deity was now certainly breaking into human awareness.

The image of God as a lunar bull became a universal symbol. Over the next several thousand years, it spread and developed throughout the civilized world. In Egypt their oldest God named Ptah, was said to incarnate as a black bull miraculously engendered by a moonbeam that fell on a cow in heat.(19) In Phonecia the bull-God El, was worshipped as the progenitor of all humans. The oldest God in India, Shiva, was incarnate as a white bull, Nandi.(20) In ancient Greece, Zeus in the form of a bull was consort to the Goddess Europa.

In the beginning of this development, the image of God was not separated from the all powerful Goddess. He first appeared as her son. Then as he matured, he was seen as the fertilizing power of the creative process, and became the consort of the Goddess who fathered his own son.

When this role in the continuation of the Life cycle was completed, the God's death was seen as a preparation for his next incarnation. And with his return, he brought the renewal of fertility and abundance back to the Earth.

This theme then, can also be seen as a personification of the annual vegetation cycle. The young plant is born from the Earth womb. As it grows and matures, it releases its seed into the same womb. After the cycle is completed, the aging plant falls and disappears back into the Earth to eventually rise again with new life in the Spring.

This mythological theme evolved for thousands of years and appears in many cultures. In Sumer, the Goddess Inanna gave birth to Dumuzi, her son-consort. Dumuzi fathered his own son, and then was sacrificed. This same story was carried over to the Babylonians, with the Goddess Ishtar giving birth to the young god Tammuz. In Egypt, the Goddess Isis was accompanied by the bull/god, Osiris, who also fathered his own son, Horus. In Anatolia, the same relationship existed between the Goddess Cybele and her divine son Attis.

Later on in this evolution of the bull/god, it has been discovered that in the temples of Sumer around 4,000 B.C.E., cows were kept on the temple grounds. And one of the holy tasks of the priests and priestesses was to milk the sacred cows that represented the nourishing abundance of the Goddess Ninhursag. The milk was then distributed to the community as a sacramental offering.

What is particularly interesting is that in India today, the cow is still considered a sacred animal. When visiting the temples of the Goddess one is given prasad, a bit of food containing milk or milk products, symbolizing her blessing and abundance.

In south India there is a tribe of people called the Todas. Their temple compounds are in fact dairies, in which cows are regarded as sacred representatives of the Goddess on Earth. In one of their prayers to the Goddess, they include the word Ninkurshag, a still recognizable variation of the Sumerian Goddess almost 6,000 years ago! The Todas however, no longer have any idea to what the word refers.(21)

As the concept/image of the Male Deity evolved through the millennia it became increasingly more significant in human consciousness, gaining tremendous power as a religious and cultural symbol. Almost as a human adolescent growing up, he gradually became more separated and independent from the Mother Goddess, and developed a whole constellation of symbols all his own. His symbolic representatives on Earth were not only the bull, but also the ram, the buck goat, the stag, the boar and the snake. He became the supreme generative principle of Creation.

The King Comes To Power

As this new metaphysical star rose in the heavens, tremendous changes and upheavals were wrought upon the cultural landscape. As the concept of the God gained importance within the human psyche, a corresponding idea of Male dominance gained power within the social structure.

The principle of the Male Deity eventually became embodied in the concept of the alpha male or king. His specialized function was the continued fertility of the land and the general prosperity of the community.

In order for the Male leader to carry out these responsibilities of rulership, he first had to receive the blessings and power of the Goddess. It was still clearly understood, of his own nature, the king could not assume such a responsibility or function.

The high priestess or the queen, was now regarded as the incarnation of the Goddess on Earth. And through sexual union with her, the king gained the necessary power and right to rulership and ensured the continuity of the ever flowing abundance of the Goddess on Earth. * * * Illustrations * * *

The Sacred Marriage

The union between the God and Goddess, the king and queen, became known as the Heiros Gamos or Sacred Marriage. The Sacred Marriage was to become the most important religious ritual ever to evolve out of the 30,000 year old culture of the Goddess. The union of the God/king and the Goddess/queen was seen as the marriage between Heaven and Earth: the union of the transcendental or invisible realities beyond birth and death, with the visibly manifest cycles of the Natural World. And through this sacred union, the fertility and abundance of the Earth was regenerated. Just as the Earth awaited the regenerating waters of Heaven to bring it to life, the union of the king and queen was perceived to renew the fruitfulness of the womb, the abundance of the community and the fertility of the land.

The Sacred Marriage was celebrated in the Spring, when Life appeared to be miraculously resurrected. This was the beginning of the New Year. It also happens to be the true origin of the most celebrated of Christian Holy Days: Easter.

The word "Easter" is derived from the Babylonian name of the Goddess Ishtar, the Greeks called her Astarte, the Germans, Oster. Surprisingly, this ancient festival is still being calculated by the same means today, as it was some 5,000 years ago. It is found by using the first full moon after the spring equinox.

Traditionally, this was the time when the long absent God had returned from the womb of the Underworld and the darkness of Winter. The new plants were beginning to break ground and show themselves to the sun, now also gaining in strength. The Moon was pregnant in her fullness, and all of Nature was awakening once again, resurrected from apparent death.

Within the ancient temples there was a special room, the Holy of Holies. It was the bridal chamber where the Sacred Marriage was to take place. In preparation the temple was filled with an abundance of food and drink. Red colored eggs were distributed as symbols of fertility and rebirth.

In the presence of the whole community, the God/king was sexually united with the Goddess/queen. The king was anointed with her life-bestowing waters and thereby infused with the creative energy pouring itself through all things. Sexual ecstasy was seen as the highest sacrament, a direct participation in the mysterious power of the Divine Creative Process.

Through this ecstatic union new life was assured, abundance restored, and well being was enjoyed. The whole community participated in this sacramental ritual. Through the Sacred Marriage they all shared in the creative power and blessings of the Goddess.

This was the high tide of the sacred annual cycle. It was the religious and cultural reflection of Nature's power of regeneration, renewal and rebirth, and it spoke to each individual, biologically as well as spiritually. Through the act of sexual intercourse it was believed that one not only participated in that mysterious act of bringing new life into the world, but that one was actually engaged in a sacramental ritual which allowed the grace or creative power of the Divine to manifest more abundantly through one's life.

The concrete and immediate evidence of this Divine blessing was the experience of pleasure and ecstasy of the union itself. It was believed that through this act, not only was one uniting with one's partner, but that one was also consciously entering back into that primary bond with the Earth, with Nature and with the Divine.

This one fact, perhaps more than any other, holds the key to the entire metaphysical and religious structure of the Goddess culture. And if we can somehow gain this understanding, we will be able to unlock many long locked doors to our understanding not only of their spiritual lives, but ours as well.

The first physical evidence we have of the Sacred Marriage, was a statue found in the Catal Huyuk dated from around 5,750 B.C.E.. From this date, gradually the evidence becomes more prolific and widespread, until around 3,000 B.C.E. we have numerous artifacts covering a vast expanse of the globe.

But what is particularly important about the evidence we find from 3,000 B.C.E. on, is the fact that in the Sumerian cities in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates, people actually began to write down their religious beliefs. Archaeologists have uncovered, literally tens of thousands of inscribed clay tablets.

By no means have all of these tablets been translated. But from what has been translated so far, these people had a rich and mature literature consisting of epic tales, hymns, proverbs, fables and essays. What is particularly significant about this, is that all these writings existed well before the Aryan Vedas, and at least a thousand years before the Bible or Homer's Odyssey.

Among these early Sumerian writings is a story related to the Sacred Marriage. This is a beautiful story of the relationship between the Goddess Innana and her lover Dumuzi. Here for the first time, we are able get an actual glimpse of sexuality expressed in a spiritual setting. Inanna addresses her lover:

"Bridegroom, dear to my heart,

Goodly is your beauty, honey sweet.

Lion, dear to my heart,

Goodly is by your beauty, honey sweet.

You have captivated me, let me stand

trembling before you,

Bridegroom, I would be taken by you to

the bed chamber,

You have captivated me, let me stand

trembling before you,

Lion, I would be taken by you to the

bed chamber.

Bridegroom, let me caress you,

My precious caress is more savory than honey,

In the bed chamber, honey filled,

Let us enjoy your goodly beauty,

Lion, let me caress you.

My precious caress

Is more savory than honey."(22)

Surprisingly, a very similar story can be found of all places, in the middle of the Bible. This work has been attributed to Solomon, but there's very little doubt it is actually far older than the time of Solomon. It uses many expressions and symbols of the earlier Babylonian and Sumerian writings. It has been called the "Canticle of Canticles", or "Song of Songs".

When read in conjunction with the earlier Sumerian work, it becomes obvious we are actually witnessing the continuation of the same erotic-spiritual theme.

"Arise, make haste, my love, my dove,

My beautiful one, and come. . .

Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth,

A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me,

He shall abide between my breasts. . .

Stay me up with flowers, compass me about

With apples: because I languish with love.

Let my beloved come into his garden,

And eat the fruit of his apple trees.

His left hand is under my head,

And his right hand shall embrace me."

Archeologists have discovered from writings such as these and numerous artifacts, the ritual of the Sacred Marriage was celebrated for thousands of years in many countries. It eventually became the religious focus of not only the civilizations of Mesopotamia, but of Egypt, Crete, Anatolia, as well as of the Dravidian civilization in the Indus valley, with their great cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.

The Sacred Marriage became the point of fusion of many different currents of associated symbols and beliefs. In doing so, it became the most powerful and profound symbol in the entire spectrum of human consciousness.

Over time, the Sacred Marriage evolved and gradually became institutionalized with numerous symbols, some of which remain to this very day. In temples throughout India, some of the most sacred objects are erect stones symbolizing the phallus of God, and circular stones with hollow centers, represent the vagina of the Goddess. Together, these stones symbolize the Divine Male and Female creative energies that conceive and sustain the universe.

This concept is far older than any of the later Gods and Goddesses of the Aryans or Indo-Europeans. We know this for a fact, because in the earliest writing of the Aryan invaders, the Rig-Veda, the darker skinned aboriginal peoples were derogatorily referred to as "those whose god is the phallus". Rig-Veda 7.21.5. This was written sometime around 2,000 B.C.E. to 1,500 B.C.E..

Amazingly, some 4,000 years later we find many of these people still, much to the discomfort of those more "enlightened' around them, worshipping in exactly the same way as their ancestors did.

The culture of the Goddess flourished in India and produced some of the most amazing and unique temples to be found anywhere on Earth. These temples were dedicated to the creative energies of the Male and Female in a spectacular display of sexual expressions. One can see elaborate carvings on the exterior of some of the temples, and witness an array of sexual attitudes and positions that are truly wonderful. The people of this early culture saw nothing but beauty, pleasure and power in all expressions of human sexuality, and this message is definitely revealed in their art.

The culture and traditions from this period held that any individual of the community could come to the temple and participate in the sacrament of the Sacred Marriage; to participate in the sexual union of the God and Goddess, and thereby become blessed, empowered, healed or made more whole.

In Greece, this practice was called Hierodouleia, meaning: "sacred service". And the women that offered this "sacred service" in the temple was called a Hierodule, or "sacred servant". This special individual represented the Goddess, or was believed to incarnate the power of the Feminine Principle.

Anyone who came to the temple would approach the Hierodule in this spiritual or sacramental context. For it was further believed that if one sexually engaged with the Hierodule, one would actually be uniting with the Divine Herself.(23)

It is most relevant here to understand that the original meaning to the word "prostitute" was: "to stand on behalf of". The individual in this role "stood on behalf of" the Goddess. To serve in the temple in this capacity was considered the most sacred act of service and self-giving that one could perform. In many cultures, it took years of preparation and training to serve in the temple.

In some countries it was expected that every woman before her marriage, would spend a period of time serving in the temple. Those who served in this capacity were prohibited from bearing children while serving at the temple. Not that there was anything wrong with procreation, but this activity was regarded as a spiritual service which brought prosperity and abundance to the whole community. For this specific period of time they sacrificed their own fertility to bring a greater fertility upon the land.

Hierodules, being well versed in music, dance, literature and all the arts of the erotic, also served as teachers. They represented the cultural wealth and refinement of a prosperous country. These spiritual servants in fact, became the living embodiments of Culture itself. For it was further believed, that they possessed the magical power to transform half-human savages into culturally refined citizens.

We find evidence of this belief in one of the oldest and most widely spread works of ancient Mesopotamia, the Epic of Gilgamesh. It is told that there once lived a being, half man and half animal, named Enkidu. The Goddess sent a courtesan to humanize him. She makes love to Enkidu, and teaches him how to behave as a civilized human being. He in turn, eventually civilizes the epic's hero-king, Gilgamesh, and the whole country is uplifted.

This story has a close parallel in Indian literature, in the myth of Rsyshringa. The king and the whole community are saved by a half-man, half-beast named Rsyshringa. He became humanized by a courtesan who introduced him to the arts of erotic pleasure.

Today in the city of Puri at the temple of Jagannatha, the female servants of the deity are known as devadasis. They are considered to be the living embodiments of Laksmi, the Goddess of prosperity, abundance and well-being. All these women are beautifully adorned with gold and precious jewelry. Dancing in the temple daily, they represent the wealth and abundance of the Goddess. Their sexual activity is seen as a vehicle of blessings, health and wholeness, not only to the particular individuals involved, but to the whole community. They are forbidden to walk in the streets where sex is sold as a commodity, as this is considered a profane and a degrading practice.

Interestingly, we find the same prohibition in one of the oldest legal documents ever written. In the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi of 1800 B.C.E., we find that the female servants of the temple, the ishtaritu, are forbidden by law to even visit a place where sex may be sold. The conservative elements in their culture, wanted to preserve a sharp distinction between these two activities. To personally profit from the sexual sacraments of the Goddess, was looked down on as being a sacrilegious act.

The fact that such a distinction was found necessary to be enforced by law, is a strong indication we are no longer in the presence of the same ancient culture of the Goddess. As early as 4,000 B.C.E., waves of alien people, with an entirely different culture began to arrive. These people were not peaceful, and the ancient culture of the Goddess began to change as a result of their traumatic impact.* * * Illustrations* * *

The Father

The entire metaphysical structure that served as the religious foundation for thousands of years, was now undergoing a tremendous upheaval. By the year 2,500 B.C.E. the great Goddess had receded into the background of the religious stage, as the concept of a Father God began to gain prominence.

The original explanation of Creation emerging from the body of the Mother Goddess was eventually replaced by the role of the Father God, who made the world through various creative techniques (technology). The Natural World was no longer seen as the substance of the Divine, as the Spirit made Flesh, but separated into two distinct worlds. Heaven and Earth were now divorced, and consequently all their children lived in an Age of Separation.

Not only do we find the separation of Heaven and Earth, Spirit and Nature, but we also find a growing sense of separation and polarity within the human psyche as well. In fact, it can be said that these dramatic changes in the basic beliefs of the culture, are reflections of the psychological changes experienced in the collective consciousness of the people. Human consciousness had turned a corner. The distinct perception of the human being as a unique and separate individual was beginning to dawn on the mental landscape of the species.

And this new perception of the autonomous individual that no longer completely identified with the Natural World, gave rise to an entirely different religious outlook.

The Father God, who in some sense came to represent the autonomous self, became a distinct and separate power unto himself. No longer associated with the Goddess as merely her son, he now becomes a self-generating, self-governing entity. His exclusive domain now becomes the Sky; her domain -the Earth. His external symbol becomes the Sun; her's the Moon. He becomes associated with the Light, while she was relegated to the Darkness.

The directions of the compass were also divided between them. He ruled the East, the place where the sun appeared. She governed the West, the place of its disappearance. Even the physical body became divided. The male became associated with the right hand, while the female controlled the left.

In broader terms, the Father God, gradually came to represent those elements of Life which are invisible, all those aspects which transcended the ever-changing, temporal forms of Nature. And in so doing, he now became exactly the opposite of what he originally represented in ages long past.

It is interesting to note, that it is at this point in human development, that our official record of history begins. All of our written history is a recording of our journey into this new conceptual landscape of polarity and oppositions. The old paradigm in which the Whole contained both the darkness and the light as complimentary elements, is no longer perceived or taught. There is now a conflict between the forces of darkness and light, and human beings are perceived to be caught in the ongoing struggle between the two.

This metaphysical and psychological duality continued to develop until it influenced all aspects of human culture. Because of this process it became increasingly more important, that within the social structure there remained a means by which people could experience a sense of collective unity as well as a sense of individual wholeness. It was this need which gave rise to the unprecedented importance of the Sacred Marriage.

The Holy Mountain

In the early development of the Sacred Marriage, people held the sacred ritual on mountaintops. For the mountain was seen as a supernatural symbol, a place where the Earth rose up to meet the Sky. It was the meeting place of the visible with the invisible. The holy mountain of the Goddess was seen as a Cosmic Mountain, the Axis Mundi, the sacred center of the World around which everything revolved.

On the island of Crete the holy mountain was called Ida. Near the summit of Ida there are caves that have been used for thousands of years as shrines of the Goddess.

In Anatolia, as in Crete, there was a holy mountain also called Ida. And at its summit were sanctuaries of the Great Goddess Cybele, who was known as "the Lady of Ida" and "Mother of all the Gods".

Because the holy mountain was believed to be the mysterious and sacred intersection of the Earth and the Sky, it was held to be the most auspicious place where the God and Goddess would come together in the Sacred Marriage.

The God, now associated with the Sky, descends. While the Goddess, associated with the Earth, ascends. And they unite at the summit of the holy mountain. Through their union they ensure that the Wheel of Life will continue to revolve around this sacred axis of creative power.

As agriculture began to develop and the people gradually formed cities in the fertile valleys, they no longer had easy access to their long familiar mountain shrines. So they built their temples on hilltops or high plateaus near their cities. Even though their temples were now situated far from the original sacred mountain, in ancient Sumer the temple was still referred to as "The House of the Mountain".

As the Sumerian technology developed further, they built their temples to resemble the Cosmic Mountain itself. These massive temple towers in Mesopotamia were called ANKIDA, which means Earth and Sky meeting or uniting. They are known today as ziggurats. At the summit of these stone structures was the bridal chamber, which was reserved for the ritual of the Sacred Marriage. We know this for a fact because of the eye witness account written by the Greek historian, Heroditus, who lived in the 5th century B.C.E.. Even at this late date he described the temples of Babylon and the ritual of the Sacred Marriage.

A further development of this principle of the Cosmic Mountain was in Egypt with the pyramids. There is now very strong evidence that in these magnificent structures, the rituals of the Sacred Marriage also played a predominant role, contrary to the popular belief that these monuments were nothing more than elaborate tombs.(24)

Another development of particular importance to the Sacred Marriage was the advancement of mathematics and the ability to make astronomical calculations. It was believed that the conjunction of the Sun and Moon at particular times of the year, represented the marriage in the Heavens between the Sun-God and Moon-Goddess. As this celestial union was being played out in the Heavens, the ritual of the Sacred Marriage was deliberately calculated to take place here on Earth. As it was done in Heaven, so it was done on Earth. By participating in this grand Cosmic Ritual, the community put itself in accord with the creative processes of Heaven and Earth.

This analogous relationship between the Celestial and the Earthly realms, proved to be an extremely powerful association. It came to signify a union of seemingly opposites on many different levels: the union of the God with the Goddess; the Sun with the Moon; the Sky with the Earth; the King with the Queen; the Male with the Female. This drama of cosmic integration was played out through the ritual of the Sacred Marriage for all to observe and participate in. * * * Illustrations * * *

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