Feminine Mysticism: the Secrets of the Empowered Feminine

Feminine Mysticism

Secrets of the Empowered Feminine

Exploring Women’s Spiritual Potential, Matriarchy, Relationships, Motherhood and Women in the World

Dedicated to

Shrii Shrii A'nandamu'rti Ba’ba’

By Maetreyii Nolan, Ph.D.

Transcriptions: Sita Hawley, Ac. Ananda Deviika, Carolyn Andrews, Ac. Sarasvati Ma

Editors: Ac. Sarasvati Ma, Giita Priebe, Ariela Glazek, Sita Hawley, Madhuri Leena Juvonen, Amy Vito

Illustrations: Ac. Sarasvati Ma Kannisto, Kalle Kannisto

Copyright © 2015 by Maetreyii Ma, M. E. Nolan Ph.D

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.

First Edition: 2013

Published in the United States of America

Print Edition ISBN 978-0-9863047-4-3

Contents

About These Writings

About Shrii Shrii A’nandamu'rti

From The Editors

Introduction

PART 1 The Origins of Women’s Tantra

Matriarchal Societies of the Ancient Past

Mothers of Ancient Times

Nature and Matriarchy

Geographic Development of Matriarchy

End of Matriarchy

The Coming Age

First Human to Attain Liberation

Gifts of Agriculture and the City-States

Spirituality in Matriarchy

PART 2 Feminine Mysticism

The Role and Nature of the Feminine

Women’s Ceremonies

Tantra and Spiritual Practice

Invocation of the Goddess

Realization for the Feminine

Tantra and Transmutation

Kundalini: Grace of the Divine Mother

PART 3 Women’s Spirituality and Sexuality

Women’s Sexuality

Women and Men

Spirituality and Sexual Restraint

Sexuality and Spiritual Purity

Sexual Involvement

Women Sannyasins and the Spiritual Path

Surrendering Sexuality

Sexuality and Society

Homosexuality

PART 4 Relationships: Feminine and Masculine

About Marriage

Marital Relationships

The Role of Women

Men's Role in Marriage

Women and Emotions

Expression of Male Sexuality in Marriage

Rights of Women

Women in Spirit-Based Society

Violence to Women

Sexual Relations before Marriage

Liberation in the Feminine Form

Liberation in the Masculine Form

Matriarchy, Patriarchy and Synthesis

PART 5 Women’s Physiology and Health

Women’s Moon Cycle

Pain and Issues Related to the Moon Cycle

Female Forms

Menopause

Remedies for Menopausal Symptoms

Hysterectomy

Abortion

Healing from Sexual Abuse

Female Genital Mutilation in Africa

PART 6 Motherhood and Childrearing

Pregnancy

Twenty-one Days after Birth

Postnatal Depression

The Father’s Role

Issues in Childrearing

Spiritual Motherhood and Raising Small Children

Discipline in Childrearing

Effect of Society on Childrearing

Gender Differences in Children

PART 7 Women in the World

Women’s Suffering

Liberating the Feminine

Women in the Workplace

The Role of Women in the Modern Era

The Dharma of Women

PART 8 Gaia and the Transition of the Ages

Mother Earth is Alive

Evolution of the Earth and Humanity

Humanity and Gaia in Transition

Feminine Mysticism and Planetary Evolution

Men, Women and Synthesis

Women of Developing Countries

Harmony in Times of Change

The Hope of Humanity

The Feminine Rising

Glossary

About the Author and Origin of These Writings

Endnotes

About These Writings

The contents of this book are from oral teachings inspired by Shrii Shrii A’nandamu'rti or ‘Ba’ba’’ as he is affectionately called. Anandamurti Ba’ba’ lived and taught in India from 1921-1990 conveying a diverse body of teachings. Though no longer in physical form, Ba’ba’’s grace and spiritual presence continues to be the inspiration for these beautiful teachings which come through Maetreyii Ma in the ‘Ba’ba’ Talks’.

About Shrii Shrii A’nandamu'rti

In rural India in the early 1920s, a boy was walking alone in the jungle when he encountered a pillar of radiant white light. Being young, perhaps only five or six years old, he simply asked the pillar of light, Who are you? The light answered him, saying, I am Shrii Shrii Anandamurti. Then the pillar of light began to move towards the boy until it enveloped him and merged into him.

Later, that young boy, Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar, came to be known as Shrii Shrii Anandamurti and affectionately called Ba’ba’. He lived from 1921 to 1990. A renaissance man and master of yoga and Tantra, age-old spiritual sciences, he laid down the framework of an extensive spiritual philosophy and practical ideology for the development of society. He emphasized meditation, devotion, and the ideal of service to humanity. He believed in the all-around development of human beings physically, mentally, and spiritually. His vision was that society could and would foster this development and truly meet human needs. He proposed practical ideas for building a society based in universal love. He founded a worldwide movement, Ananda Marga, to promote individual spiritual development and social reform, as well as many practical social service programs, disaster relief teams, schools and service projects.

Known and published as P. R. Sarkar as well as Anandamurti, he advocated for the rights of women and encouraged them to work to improve the plight of women the world over. He talked of a new humanism for a new age (neo-humanism) in which all living beings, not only humans, are seen as expressions of the one divine essence and treated with love and respect. He spoke of the importance of art and literature and the role of the artist in society. He gave a new approach for social and economic reform, called Progressive Utilization Theory (Prout), which teaches local economic control and global government.

Shrii Shrii Anandamurti taught Sahaja Yoga, an integrative system that incorporates the philosophical base and practices of Ashtaunga yoga with classical north Indian Tantra. He was most beloved to those who knew him. He would help people in endless ways: giving wisdom to live by, healing illness, and most importantly, giving a glimpse of divinity by his presence. Many miraculous experiences occurred around him. He was known, on more than one occasion, to have given darshan in two different locations hundreds of miles apart at the same time in the same evening. When near him, many fell into bliss and experienced subtle realms of existence. He seemed to know everything that was in the minds of his devotees. When coming from his public talk or darshan, each person would feel that the discourse was speaking to them alone, addressing whatever they had just been concerned about or contemplating.

In 1990, the physical personage of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti passed from this world but the divine consciousness that identified itself by this name so many years ago remains as an endless source of love and guidance for all who wish to experience it. The discourses in these pages represent one expression of this divine flow. The subtle spiritual presence of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, Ba’ba’, continues.

From The Editors

Feminine Mysticism, the Secrets of Empowered Feminine was first published in Finland as Naismystisismi, naisen voiman lähde in 2011. The book was exceptionally well received by the Ananda Marga spiritual community and by critics. Quite soon after the book was published, inspired readers gathered together to form study groups to explore the thoughts introduced in the book.

Encouraged by this favorable reception we have followed the same editorial guidelines for the present English edition. The Finnish edition naturally required some linguistic and cultural-based explanations regarding e.g. translation and choice of certain terms but in other respects the contents and the structure of both editions are similar. We hope the following few lines could serve as a small ‘window’ to the editorial framework of this groundbreaking book.

The title of the book introduces the relatively new concept of feminine mysticism. A short description from a semantic and etymological point of view might be helpful to the reader: The messages in this book declare that sustainable balance and can only be based on spirituality, the innermost essence of all existence which cannot be understood rationally; it can only be understood through experience. This is the aspect of mysticism.[1] Secondly, in the vast web of creation, every single form of life has a path and purpose of its own. For this reason it is of vital importance for women to find and follow their special path. This is the aspect called feminine. Feminine mysticism is more than inner spiritual experience and it is more than feminine assertion; it is a pragmatic concept embracing all the interconnected strata of a woman’s life. In fact, feminine mysticism is about nothing less than the celebration of all life.

Some of the intuitive messages in the section on Women’s Tantra talk about the early matriarchy [2] that prevailed in different parts of the world 45 000 – 8000 BC. Western researchers have been intrigued by the controversial question of matriarchy for at least the last three centuries. Some of the feminist scholars and archaeologists have published hypotheses about societies that worshipped the Mother Goddess and were ruled by women throughout prehistory (Paleolithic and Neolithic Europe) and ancient civilizations.

The topics of this book cover a large variety of phenomena and reflect the vastness of the universal knowledge of the Source of these messages. The articles were transcribed and edited into a written form on the basis of audio-tape recordings of discourses, speeches and discussions held on different occasions with different audiences, hence the overlapping of some subjects. Repetition has been allowed to some extent in order to maintain the excellent oratorical structure of the discourses and also because on many occasions the same subject was discussed and analyzed from slightly different points of view and it was found important to cover all the valuable insights connected with a certain topic.

There are a number of Sanskrit words in this book. To substantiate the decision of not trying to find corresponding English words the editors would like to explain something about the nature of Sanskrit and its role in spiritual philosophy: The teachings of tantra and related philosophy were originally given in Sanskrit. The Sanskrit concepts are concise and profound. Often there is no exact equivalent to them in any other language. The problem of Sanskrit usage was solved by attaching a list of the Sanskrit concepts and their definitions/explanations at the end of the book.

Some of the examples under the sections dealing with women and society discuss the US society, as the audiences during the discourses were mainly members of this nation. It is obvious, however, that the same kinds of problems and situations burden all western societies and even affect the whole global community. Humanity really is one, in a most tangible way, where women’s status and improvement thereof is concerned. This book (an example of international cooperation itself) emphasizes universality and international communication and cooperation.

It has been a great adventure and joy to contribute to making this book. The work has been a journey – exceptionally demanding, most rewarding and deeply healing. We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the Source and our appreciation to the author, Maetreyii Nolan, and the team of dedicated people who inspired us and supported our work.

Liisa Kannisto

Leena Juvonen

Introduction

For millennia, spirituality has labored under patriarchal biases that fail to address feminine characteristics of divinity and have not properly nurtured the spiritual complexion of women. As a result, a great imbalance has been fostered in which there is a lack of proper respect for creation and in which feminine strengths are not valued and drawn forth in service to society. This failing of spiritual traditions to fully recognize the divine feminine has contributed greatly to the social and ecological crises of our time. If a proper understanding of the Divine Mother, of the divine creative force, and of the feminine expression of spirituality is not developed at this juncture in human evolution, our collective future will be at risk.

In response to this need, on an archetypal level the influence of the goddess is again emerging. The spirituality of traditional peoples, which retains an Earth orientation, has gained new respect. Various goddess traditions including the Wicca religion are resurfacing and thriving. Eco-feminists are grounding their beliefs in goddess spirituality, with rituals that honor the sacredness of creation. Within Christianity, there is a re-evaluation of the spiritual significance of Mary, and among esoteric Christians, there is an emerging Sophia theology. The revival of the divine feminine has also gained momentum from greater recognition of feminine mythical deities and from growing archaeological evidence that the goddess was the central deity of ancient matriarchal societies. Today women are emerging as spiritual leaders after thousands of years of religious suppression. Now is a new era in which the underlying qualities and characteristics of the divine feminine are coming alive in the world.

In the series of intuitional discourses compiled in this book, feminine mysticism is explored in the context of the ancient spiritual tradition of Tantra. Tantra literally means, that which liberates from darkness. It is the alchemical science of the transformation of consciousness, not sexual practices, as it has been popularly known in the West. Tantra is particularly relevant to women's spirituality because it is an ancient spiritual path that originated in the matriarchal era when women were in full spiritual confidence and power. Tantra developed in northern India and spread to Tibet in the form of Vajrayana Buddhism and to other parts of the world. Women long maintained a prominent role in the transmission of Tantra and refined their spiritual practices to meet the spiritual needs of women, even when patriarchal culture replaced matriarchy. Thus, Tantra-oriented feminine mysticism is highly attuned to women's physiological characteristics. In particular, Tantra recognizes and works with the rich emotional faculties of women, drawing forth their special emotional capacities to express spiritual devotion.

The roots of feminine mysticism reach deep into the history of human civilization, dating back to the ancient goddess cultures. In the time of matriarchy the mystical feminine was well explored, but as time passed and women lost status, their spiritual rites became suppressed, judged as either immoral or dangerous. Over time, fewer women knew and understood the feminine mystical journey. They hid themselves to protect both the teachings and their lives. Some of the teachings have been kept alive in certain arcane schools, but in the larger part, they are forgotten.

Women today are searching for their lost heritage, but it is not easy to find. This is because the heritage was all but destroyed; the mystery schools for women are no longer. Additionally, the ancient teachings were given for a different age, a different time in the evolution of human society. At this time, a new paradigm is emerging as women are coming out of the shadows and feminine mysticism is surfacing again. The spiritual teachings for women are emerging. The mother is coming forward on this earth, gaining power and status once again.

The series of discourses compiled in this book explore feminine mysticism in a manner relevant to this dawning era in which women are coming back into the fullness of their feminine identity and in which human culture seeks to balance masculine and feminine expressions of the divine. This revival of feminine mysticism has value not only for women's spiritual attainment, but also for maturing human society so that the violence of war, the destruction of the environment, and other social ills may find deep solutions.

In order to understand the divine feminine, one must explore the inner significance of the different aspects of feminine expression. The role of women in relationships, their sexuality, psychology and physiology are all aspects of the manifestation of the divine feminine. Thus, the series of discourses included in this book directly address not only the mystical aspects of the feminine, but also the practical aspects of women's lives.

In the passages that follow, we will explore feminine mysticism by delving into different aspects of the development of the divine feminine through intuitionally received discourses. These insightful discourses postulate theories on the origin of women's spiritual practices. They explore an intuitive understanding of the development of matriarchy, giving a vision of what the world may have looked like when women were in power and of how and why matriarchy declined. They also discuss the development of women in today's society and the emergence of the divine feminine in the world and in working life. This examination of feminine mysticism looks at sexuality as it relates to a woman's spiritual life and as it relates to the emergence of women's power and creativity. Also of interest are some practical suggestions and advice about women's physiology and health and a woman’s role as a mother.

Through this deep and insightful exploration into the roots of feminine mysticism and the different ways in which it may touch a woman's life, we hope to shed light on the relationship between spirituality and femininity and to share with readers some unique perspectives which may be inspiring and helpful on their inner journeys.

Maetreyii Ma Nolan

PART 1 THE ORIGINS OF WOMEN’S TANTRA

During the period from approximately 45,000 BCE to approximately 8,000 BCE, there was a predominance of matriarchal societies upon this planet. During this time there were a variety of independently developed cultures. Human beings had already spread throughout the world and were living in all parts. In the beginning, there were both the present human forms and the proto-humans. They both lived at the time. The proto-humans, at the time of the development of matriarchy, were, in the main, a dying species. The present day human was the rising form, the rising star of that time. The number of humans upon the planet was small and as they spread to different parts of the world they became isolated and developed independent languages and independent cultures. However, some streams of human development were brought together. It is a fact that there was also extraterrestrial influence in this development.

Matriarchal Societies of the Ancient Past

There are different ages, or yugas, on the planet and each expresses a different configuration of energy. As the astrological energies and the planetary configurations and spatial energies change, the development of consciousness upon the planet changes and so there are different ages. In the different ages, different types of energy patterns gain predominance. These are sometimes called archetypes. The feminine archetype was fully manifested during the matriarchal era.

Matriarchy was well developed at an early time, long before recorded history. Matriarchal societies progressed down through the ages until perhaps 10,000 or 11,000 years ago when these societies, one by one, began to decline and be replaced by more aggressive, warlike and patriarchal societies. Before that time they were in their heyday. The matriarchy that developed in the old European region was a part of the matrilineal heritage of that era. Atlantean society also had a matriarchal base. Although there were other influences, it was primarily matriarchal. Most societies of that time, simple or complex, were matriarchal.

After that period came a steady increase of patriarchal domination at large and many changes took place in human culture. Some matriarchal societies did survive but in general they were somewhat diminished after that period. They did not have the full scope of power that they previously enjoyed.

In the beginning of matriarchy human beings lived primarily in very simple conditions. They were hunters and gatherers. They roamed the countryside getting their food from the abundance of the earth around them. These people were primarily organized in clans or tribes and the different clans were small. If they became too large, they would burden the food resources of a particular area and they would break apart and again become small. In this way, small bands of people, small tribes, spread farther and farther out to inhabit the earth.

There were tribal identities. Some of these small clans would belong to one tribe, some to another and they would have their primary territories. There was quite a bit of land, many natural resources, and life was abundant upon the planet. Thus, there was not much competition between people. The strength of a clan depended on the health of its children; strong boys and girls were to hunt, bear children and preserve the clan. Therefore, the role of the mother became very significant. There was no marriage system; the mothers ruled the clans. All knew who their mother was, but the father’s identity was often unclear. It was a communal situation; there was no marriage per se. All could remember and honor the mother who took care of them in their childhood, but as to the father, this was a mystery. No one knew nor cared. This was true in almost all of these societies. As they developed more, this changed. However, for many thousands of years there was no emphasis on fatherhood, only motherhood. The children would look to the mother.

A woman who had ten sons and daughters was a very wealthy person for she would have the honor of all ten children, were they healthy and strong and living to their adulthood. With her children themselves having children, a mother would become highly honored in the clan. All her children and her children’s children would look to her and say, Oh there is my mother, and there is my mother's mother. She is so great. She is the mother of my mother. She would get much praise and much honor from her loving children and so her place in the clan would be very high. In this way, clan mothers gained a great deal of status. Those with the most children had the most status. Those who bore many healthy, strong children and who lived through childbearing became highly honored. They were respected for being mothers, for bearing the children. This was their great feat in life. The mother was worshiped as the source of nurturance, of love and compassion, and the protector and caregiver for the clan.

Then a kind of ancestor worship came into being; My mother's mother's mother was a great woman. She had fifteen children and she could keep us all safe throughout the coldest winter. She did so many wondrous feats. The mothers of the past became worshipped and this ancestor worship became the first religion of these people. The stories of the great mothers of the past grew and grew and soon they were known for accomplishing great feats, for having great powers to protect and nurture the clan. They were seen as goddesses. Carvings were made to worship them and images were painted upon the rocks. In so many ways, they were worshipped. Certain ceremonies began to be performed to worship the mother of the mothers, known by many different names. The worship of goddesses began with this ancestor worship, the first religion. It was my mother's mother who could do these things. As it became five generations down, ten generations down, soon the mother's, mother's, mother's, mother became a goddess. The people put their trust and love in the mothers and in this way found comfort and protection.

All of these mother gods were very protective. Some were very soft and comforting; some were very fierce and warlike. Yet, all protected their children. They were the nurturing, protecting force for the clan. When a small band of people lives alone in a vast wilderness, they may feel some need for protection. These people found that very mystical events would sometimes occur. Then the clan began to develop certain rituals to evoke the protection of the great mothers of the past. They began to develop certain ceremonies, chants, drawings, carvings and practices to bring forward the power of the great mothers of the past; to nurture and protect them, to make sure they had food throughout the whole season so that no one froze, no one starved, no one died of hunger. This was the job of the great clan mothers, to protect the clan. These were hunter-gatherer societies. For the hunt to be good, they felt that the mothers must bless them and they began to give certain offerings.

There began to be one designated leader. She was often a woman who had a number of children and was particularly good at child rearing. She was one who could direct the children and keep their loyalty and faith. Such clan mothers would guide the clan in its journeys. The hunters would worship the clan mother and they would bring treats of meats and fish and wild foods for the mothers. They would make a special place for them to sleep and these women would perform ceremonies to bless the hunters before the hunt, to make them strong and virile, to make them brave, to bring the animals in so that they would be there for the hunt, and to avert the dangers. It was felt that a clan with a powerful clan mother would have a far greater advantage over one that did not.

Over time, people felt that these women had supernatural powers and that if there were not a strong clan mother, a clan could not survive properly. If a clan began to have illness, began to diminish in numbers, began to have hunger in the winter, all thought that there were defects with the clan mother and a new mother would be chosen for the clan. For it was the duty of the mother to make certain that her clan grew in numbers, was healthy and prosperous, and the hunts were successful. These were the duties of the clan mother and she would perform all the ceremonies, all the rites, to make certain that these things occurred. Then the hunters and all of the people of the clan gave great worship to the mother. When the mother died, a statue would be carved and she would be worshipped, put in a special place, kept in a special compartment for those great mothers of the past.

Then it began to be that the mothers, in order to perform their rigorous duties for the clan, would evoke the powers of the great mothers of the past. A powerful clan mother was thought to have extraordinary powers to evoke the powers of the ancient ones and to control the birds in the air, the fish in the streams and the animals. If there were a powerful clan mother, it was felt that no wild creature would dare attack the clan and that the hunts would come to them. Such great clan mothers were given great respect, not only in their own clan, but also in all the surrounding clans. People would say, Such and such clan is very great for their clan mother is a great holy woman who can perform so many miracles. Their clan will prosper for one-hundred years. It was felt that these clan mothers had great capacities and if a clan did not prosper, it was for the lack of such a great clan mother.

These were the ways of the ancient matriarchal societies. For thousands upon thousands of years it went thus. It was a simple and a friendly life. There was no need for war. What was there was in abundance. Occasionally one clan would skirmish with another or take over another. A clan with a strong mother that was considered to have powerful magic might absorb a weaker clan that had no strong mother to guide it. Generally, this was not considered aggressive because the poor clan was without guidance and they were very happy to have a powerful clan mother to help them. In this way, sometimes one clan would absorb another, but generally speaking, there was a great deal of land; game was in abundance and these people were nomadic. There was no need to fight each other; there was nothing to fight over. These people did not build cities.

As time went on and the societies became more developed, the tendency to nomadic life began to shift. The clans became larger. Those successful clans with powerful clan mothers did not want to disband. They wanted to stay together and so the people began to think, How shall we live in such a way that we will not be apart from each other? They began to settle down, to cultivate the earth and to remain primarily in one locale. For a certain part of the year, they might go to a different place and then return but still they began to settle primarily in certain areas. They began to grow in size so that the clans became tribes and the tribes became small nations, city-states that housed many thousands of people. Here the people, having a more sedate life, began to build abodes for themselves, began to till the soil and began to tame the animals for their use.

Now, the role of the clan mother became somewhat different but not at all diminished. There was no need for increased numbers as there was in the nomadic society, but there was a need for blessings upon the land; that the land should bear harvest, that the game should come to them each year, that there be a peaceful and abundant relationship with the natural surroundings. So again, the clan mothers ruled the society, but they were no longer simple women who had borne children with great success. They became priestesses and a system of temples developed for the worship of the great goddesses. Those ancient clan mothers, who became known for their capacity to protect and guide their clan down through the ages, became worshipped. As these women’s progeny grew in numbers, they became the great Goddesses from the ancient past who protected and guided the people. They were the matron saints of those societies. The people thought that these goddesses from the ancient past required temples to be built, buildings in which they would be exclusively worshipped. They felt that if they could evoke the goddess’ power that the people would prosper as they had in the original clans in which these great mothers were so powerful. Thus, the temples to the different goddesses were established. The goddess worshipped in each city-state would be the ancient mother's mother who successfully guided the clan from whom the people descended. So there would be different goddesses in the different city-states.

As the system of city-states began to further develop and the hunter-gatherer societies became more settled, many of these societies began to stop their annual pilgrimage to different regions for the colder months. They began to simply stay in one place. Hence, in about 15,000 BCE, city-states became the norm. The entire Mediterranean region became covered with them and they spread north along the Atlantic up into Ireland and the British Isles. There were some scattered states in present-day France, Spain, Great Britain and even into the Scandinavian region. They grew inland around the Baltic Sea, and there were even some in northern Russia. In India, they settled in the Indus valley, along the southern coast near what would now be Mumbai, Chennai, in the southern coastal region, and down to the island areas of Ceylon. In the northern and southern parts of the African region these city-states also developed. In the east, there were no city-states during this time; their development followed a different track.

There were also city-states on a continental rift, a kind of long and thin landmass that skirted the coast from what is now North Carolina south past Mexico in the Atlantic. This island was a fragment of a mountainous region that had been part of a previous continent. On that continent it was separated from another portion of the land by an inland sea, in the areas now known as the Eastern Coastal Region and the Gulf of Mexico. When it broke apart, sections drifted in different directions. What is now Florida was a part of it and present-day Greenland was connected to it. With the separation of this landmass, a part drifted south to become part of South America. There are islands along South America that