Introduction
Most contemporary religions represent a man as the only deity. However, Goddess mythology serves as knowledge of how goddesses and, specifically, the Great Goddess were worshipped in ancient times. The evidence found all over the world lets the humanity suppose that there were times when the Goddess was the Creator, the Mother of All and the primary deity. Male figures were also present but not as dominant as they are nowadays. This knowledge creates a strong connection between the Goddess Movement and women. To many of them, religion is the way to understand feminism and join the movement, and vice versa. Many women learn about Goddess through feminism and become interested in religion. There are branches of feminism that are specifically interested in spirituality. One of them, spiritual ecofeminism, concerns the connection between religious beliefs and nature. This paper investigates how Goddess mythology and ecofeminism are related, as well as the interconnection between animal rights and ecofeminists.
Goddess Mythology and Ecofeminism
Goddess mythology is significant for women’s spirituality. To understand the reason for it, we need to examine the roots of the movement. Goddess Spirituality, as a movement, was developed in a close connection with feminist theology as an equivalent religious belief of the Second Wave Feminism (1960s-1990s) (Beavis, 2015). Its origins are related to the archeological discoveries belonging to the ancient matriarchal culture; it is also admitted to be interconnected with Neo-Paganism, Wicca, and Witchcraft (Beavis, 2015). Just as feminism itself, the phenomena of Goddess Spirituality is dominated by women, although men also show interest in it. For years, the knowledge of Goddess mythology has been hidden from the public as it did not support the ideas promoted by Christianity, Catholicism, and Judaism. Only recently, with the increasing popularity of feminism, women have started to reclaim their rights to practice a religion of their choice. Spirituality regards not only feminism but some of its narrower branches, such as ecofeminism. The significance of Goddess Spirituality for ecofeminists is undebatable, which is proven by the causes they support and promote.
Ecofeminism is a relatively new movement. It concerns the unity of women and nature, as well as the problem of “othering” women and animals, speciesism, unawareness of human’s nature, and how these issues are supported by sexism, racism, and other destructive practices (Adams & Gruen, 2014). Ecofeminists promote the idea that all the elements of the ecosystem (women, men, animals) are mutually dependent, and should stay in balance without any dominance of some of them (Ling, 2014). Ecofeminism is a broad concept, and it is impossible to clearly define its features as there are many philosophies concerning this movement. Generally, there is a variety of claims associated with it. Ecofeminists insist that there is a relation between the domination of women and the domination of nature, a so-called “women-nature connection” (Adams, 1993, p.122). Understanding the origins of this connection is essential to feminist and environmental philosophy (Adams, 1993). There are many types of ecofeminism. For example, spiritual ecofeminism, mentioned above, criticizes the patriarchal approach of popular Western religions, offering a matriarchal view on these beliefs (Ling, 2014). The movement strives to reconstruct the relationship between women and nature by spreading the knowledge of female-oriented religions. It is undebatable that there is a strong connection between women’s spirituality and ecofeminism, as both support women, their nature, and needs in the male-dominated world.
During this course, my understanding of the Goddess mythology became more multifaceted. I have become more aware of the importance of the Goddess spirituality, especially to women, as they can associate themselves with the deity and recover their spirituality. Moreover, before the course, I had not realized that there was a strong connection between feminism and spirituality. Now it seems impossible to me to underestimate the role of Goddess Spirituality in the development of spiritual feminism.
Ecofeminism and Animal Rights
I have chosen the topic of animal rights as it is the issue that resonates with me. I support ethical vegetarianism and think that non-human animals should be treated with care. Currently, animal rights are often violated as many species are still used as food, clothing, testing materials and entertainment. Animal rights critic mostly concerns the idea that non-human animals do not belong to the social contract, they have no duties and therefore cannot have any rights. However, in my opinion, this point of view is an excuse for violence against animals and should not be promoted or supported. Currently, there are some steps made to stop animal neglect: several companies (Lush, for example) have stopped or have never used animal testing to produce their goods. More people all over the world become vegetarian and spread information about the importance of such decision. However, these efforts are not sufficient. Non-human animals are still seen and treated as food, they are forced to produce eggs, milk, and caviar, and they suffer because humans make them to. Even in cases when it is seen as a non-violent practice, for example, having domestic animals, it still violates animals’ rights to freedom.
Ecofeminism and animal rights are interconnected. According to Wright (2015), ecofeminists believe that any form of oppression is a result of discrimination and devaluation of the things that are considered to be inferior. This point of view puts women and animals on the same side of the conflict and recognizes men and humans, in general, as their oppressors. Ecofeminism argues that it is impossible to emancipate women without liberating nature and strives to help both groups. (Wright, 2015). It is notable that women outnumber men in animal rights activities engagement. In England, they make up 70% to 75% of all participants of animal rights protection organizations (Deckha, 2013). It is not surprising that women are so supportive of animals. Both women and animals often have been treated as “pieces of meat”, and the rights of both groups have been violated (Wright, 2015). This statement is proven by the existence of many violent practices, such as animal testing, the sexualization of women, the general attitude towards non-human animals, as people still eat them even though it is not vital for their survival. These facts show that ecofeminism is essential as the movement that recognizes two oppressed groups and raises awareness of the challenges and circumstances they face.
Conclusion
Ecofeminism, on the other side, is another important branch of feminism. It is closely related to animal rights, the topic of my interest. In this paper, I have investigated the key points of the movement, its followers, their claims, and beliefs. It is clear that ecofeminism promotes relatively new ideas that currently meet a lot of criticism. However, there are many people supporting human rights and ecological aspects of feminism, which is the first step towards ending the violence against women and non-human animals.
References
Adams, C. J. (1993). Ecofeminism and the sacred. New York, NY: The Continuum Publishing Company.
Adams, C. J., & Gruen, L. (Eds.). (2014). Ecofeminism: Feminist intersections with other animals and the earth. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Beavis, M. A. (2015). Christian Goddess spirituality: Enchanting Christianity (Vol. 18). Abingdon, England: Routledge.
Deckha, M. (2013). Animal advocacy, feminism and intersectionality. Deportate, Esuli, Profughe, 23, 48-65.
Ling, C. (2014). Ecological criticism based on social gender: The basic principles of ecofeminism. Higher Education of Social Science, 7(1), 67-72.
Wright, L. (2015). The vegan studies project: Food, animals, and gender in the age of terror. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.