*
*
“The priestess in ancient times
was part of the community,
the Grandmother.
She was a nurse and midwife,
a healer, giving advice as
needed but without being set
above or elevated to “priestly”
heights.
Accompanying their work with
song, our foremothers
transformed drudgery into
rhythmic dance patterns,
neutralizing its potentially
adverse effects on the human
body and psyche.
They marked sacred space and
time in words valued for their
healing power, associated with
breath and movement, with the
life force itself.
For festival occasions or
specific ritual purposes,
the priestess wore a special
costume, jewelry, and
headdress, abandoning her
personal identity in order to
embody a larger power.
Her ceremonial garments were
then removed and stored until
the next occasion According to
Marija Gimbutas, “Although
these sisterhoods or
communities of women were
endowed with great power,
they seem to have functioned
as collective entities, not as
autocracies.”
Over…
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GrannyMoon's Morning Feast 