Ancient wisdom of past days can also be the key to our future
Have you noticed it? Time is speeding up. Either the functions of our mind are increasing in speed so that it appears time moves faster and faster, or the events of the world are happening at a much quicker rate. There is no doubt that technological innovations are advancing at an unprecedented pace. This makes it difficult to keep up with all that the world now has to offer, day by day, let alone contemplate the implications.
Once, mankind found itself in a much simpler time. In the ancient world, things changed very little over the course of several generations. While the people of this ancient world certainly did not know as much as we do today, they had the opportunity to experiment and refine their techniques over the course of hundreds of years. These techniques included everything from spiritual connections to healing. As they did these things over and over, they set the prototype for how the mind works at an integral level including the functions of perception and how beliefs are integrated.
Over the centuries, mankind has augmented this prototype mindset. The names, mythologies, and ideologies may change from culture to culture and from time period to time period, yet we are all still human. Our brains and minds still work in the same fundamental way. The basic intention of ancient practices still remain with us today: building a sense of community, connecting with something greater than ourselves and innovating in order to survive.
As we look to the future and attempt to see what is to come, it is important to remember where we came from as a species. There is a popular Buddhist saying that goes, “If you want to know your past life, look at your present condition. If you want to know your future life, look at your present actions.” This applies just as much for the individual as it does for the whole of humanity. If we want to know why the world is in its current state, we must understand how we got here. In order to do this, we must study history and attempt to understand why the people of the past did what they did. As we do this, we can change our behaviors in order to create an even better future for generations to come. In essence, we study yesterday to live better today. This way, we can create the space for an even brighter tomorrow.
There is so much for us to learn about the ancient world and the discoveries they made. As we gain a deeper understanding of our modern world, the past innovators walk with us. Ancient guides lead us with their wisdom and inspiration, if only we learn how to listen to them. One day, when this era is considered to be an ancient world, we too will become the guides for distant future generations. They will look to us to lead them to even brighter horizons.
There is much to see atop the shoulders of giants.
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Goddess Mythology Throughout the Ages
Mythological gods and goddesses have long symbolized the eternal heaven within human beings. This is how cultures connect to and move through life in a way that enables them to make sense of their surroundings and circumstances and move beyond what often is a hard physical reality.
Cultures throughout time have embraced and worshipped the image of a mother goddess for a variety of reasons. Mainly, she is looked to as a symbol for abundance, fertility, kindness, family, marriage, good harvests, and good fortune. Traits ascribed to these lovely beings, such as femininity and womanhood, have also represented hearth, home, family, fertility, compassion, strength, and loving-kindness throughout the centuries. Others, like the Norse giantess Hel and the Egyptian goddess Isis, represent the darker sides of life — the underworld, death, magic healing, and guiding the fates of men.
History of Goddess Worship
Goddess or woman worship began around the Paleolithic period (2.5 million years ago to 10,000 BCE), which is humanity’s longest recorded time on Earth. Archaeological digs unearthed artifacts dating back to this time period, the most frequent of which is Venus, believed to have been carved between 24,000 to 22,000 BCE.
The next period to follow was the Neolithic, in which more carved goddess figurines were unearthed and appear to date back 10,000 years. This era was when farming became standard practice, and figurines from this time period most likely represented fertility and offerings to ensure ample harvest.
The Egyptians were also at the forefront of goddess culture, beginning with their Nagada culture. Quite a few murals depict a goddess figure standing between two lionesses. Lionesses were a symbol of good motherhood. Earth, moon, sky, and primordial waters were also associated with the feminine and the care-giving powers therein. Egyptians worshipped many gods and goddesses, but the most prominent of the female figures in Egyptian mythology was Isis and Hathor. These traditions were then passed to other cultures.
