Goddesses in Plain View: Listen To Your Mother and Grandmother Too! (New Essay)

Goddesses in Plain View: Listen To Your Mother and Grandmother Too (an essay from the heart) by Tim Kavi

Long-time readers and new readers, I hope too, realize that I write a lot about Goddesses and that I am writing in reverence, about archetypes (in a mythological and Jungian perspective) that can empower men and women alike, (as well as all persons), respecting mythology, and the tradition and empowerment of matriarchy over patriarchy.

Thus, I come before you with an essay that reminds us that goddesses are not as distant in history and development as one might think. Indeed, there is a strong mother goddess tradition in many traditions, as well as the older woman as a wise and guiding spirit. But these are not just abstractions or archetypes of the realization of potential. They are lived out realities manifesting themselves in personality cores and collective memories as long as there has been storytelling and nurturing.

Likewise, local manifestations of many goddesses may be much nearer than you think, perhaps embodied in your own mother, grandmother, mother-in-law,  wife, or a woman who is special to you, including heroines. But it is the mothering goddess I emphasize today. And as you might know, my own mother and grandmother are very, very, special to me. I have often written about my grandmother and mother, who penned poems about family life as an inspiration. And in many ways, they have instructed me throughout my life, even though they have both passed, their goddess natures and guidance still speak to me. When they do, I must listen with careful attention! Sometimes they are at the seashore, sometimes in the mountains, sometimes in a quiet whisper, sometimes in a heart tug of direction, and sometimes even in my dreams.

The following list shows how the mother goddess can be Jungian archetypes:

Psychological Meaning (Carl Jung Archetypes)

The following goddesses represent deep universal patterns:

Creation instinct

Maternal protection

Life–death cycles

Emotional nurturing

Cosmic origin

These appear independently across cultures because they reflect fundamental human experience of motherhood and existence itself.

The next few charts outline many mother-type goddesses. (Forgive me for exclusions, as there are many more than I can list here.

Archetypes of the Divine Mother

Archetype	Goddess	Culture	Role	Symbols
🌍 Earth Mother	Gaia	Greek	Primordial Earth, mother of all life	Earth, fruit
	Pachamama	Andean/Inca	Sustains crops and humanity	Mountains, soil
	Demeter	Greek	Agriculture and maternal grief	Wheat, torch
	Ninhursag	Sumerian	Creator of humans and nature	Omega symbol, womb
	Nerthus	Germanic	Sacred earth mother	Cart, earth
	Jord	Norse	Mother of Thor, embodiment of Earth	Land, fertility
🌌 Cosmic/Primordial Mother	Isis	Egyptian	Universal mother, resurrection	Throne crown, wings
	Aditi	Vedic Hindu	Mother of gods and cosmos	Sky, infinity
	Tiamat	Babylonian	Chaos mother, creator of gods	Serpent, ocean
	Eurynome	Greek	Creator goddess of the universe	Cosmic dance
	Coatlicue	Aztec	Mother of gods, life and death	Serpents, skulls
	Papa	Māori	Earth mother of all beings	Earth, embrace
❤️ Compassionate/Protective Mother	Parvati	Hindu	Universal mother and protector	Lotus, lion
	Tara	Buddhist	Compassion and salvation	Lotus
	Guanyin	Chinese Buddhist	Mercy and maternal compassion	Vase, willow
	Hathor	Egyptian	Motherhood, love, joy	Cow horns, sun disk
	Frigg	Norse	Protector of children and family	Spindle
	Yemaya	Yoruba	Mother of oceans and humanity	Ocean, moon
⚔️ Warrior Mother	Durga	Hindu	Cosmic protector	Weapons, lion
	Kali	Hindu	Destroyer of evil, liberator	Skull garland
	Sekhmet	Egyptian	Divine vengeance and protection	Lioness
	Anat	Canaanite	Fierce protector and mother	Weapons
	The Morrigan	Celtic	War, fate, sovereignty	Crow
	Cybele	Anatolian	Wild nature and protector	Lions

The most important mothering goddess is the one you are "listening" to right now; (or need to listen to), whenever you have need, and long to make a difference, in a world that truly needs care and nurturance, not to mention yourselves, and those around you! Namaste~~TK

Faceless Wonder (poem)

Faceless Wonder (New Poem)

by Tim Kavi

to the longed for

to the Goddess

I know not your name

in millenia

throughout space and time

all dimensions

Yours and mine

whether in woman

or in man

whether you call it soul

or anima made manifest

in many faces

and many lands

I long to know you

and adore you just the same

I look up

your face has become

a lotus

beneath you 

You gave birth

to all that is

as the lotus

peels back

souls are in expansion

in every universal breath

I see you

I know your name

it is Lajia Gauri

Lajja Gauri

please allow me

to dance the triumphant dance

as my patience 

is rewarded by your smiling

blissful being!

More About Goddesses:Mother Shayi Nanzhao (Photos also by Tim Kavi)

More About Goddesses:  Mother Shayi Nanzhao

by Tim Kavi

Mother Shayi Nanzhao, also known as Shayi Mu, is one of the more obscure deities or mythical figures in worldwide lore.  Her group statues can be found on Nanzhao Folk Island, depicting a legend tracing the origin of the Ailao people, who are, in turn, said to be the ancestors of the Bai ethnic group, a cornerstone of the Nanzhao kingdom of 738 to 902 AD.  These statues are among the main attractions on the island, which has become a popular tourist destination since 1999.

Shayi, Mother of Dragons

Legend tells us that Shayi was a woman who lived in the Ailao Mountain thousands of years ago.  One day, while fishing, she had touched a log that had, for some reason, made her feel strange and eventually become pregnant.  Shayi would go on to give birth to ten sons, and several years later, when the sons had become older, she had taken them to the same river where she had mysteriously become pregnant after touching the log.

Upon seeing the log, it had transformed into a dragon, who had then asked Shayi where her sons are.  This similarly strange incident had scared off the nine older boys, who had run away upon seeing the dragon.  It was only the youngest who wasn’t scared, as he instead leaped on the dragon’s back; this prompted Shayi to name the boy Jiulong, jiu meaning “back” and long meaning “sit” in the Ailao tongue.  

Despite being the youngest son, Jiulong was chosen by his brothers to rule as king, as he had been licked by his father dragon after he jumped on his back.  The ten brothers would marry the ten daughters of a family residing in Ailao Mountain’s foot, and would become the patriarchs of the Ailao people, and eventually the Bai people.

Different Twists on the Legend of Shayi Mu

There are actually several theories pertaining to the Ailao people.  At least eight of China’s minority nationalities, including the Bai, trace their roots to the Ailao people, and have their own versions of the Mother Shayi Nanzhao/Shayi Mu myth, all similar but with their share of differences.  

Literature such as Confucian scholar Liu Xiang’s The Biographies of Women also depicts small twists on the Shayi Mu legend.  According to this tome, Jian Di, mother of Shang ancestor Qi, had also become pregnant in strange circumstances, this time swallowing a multi-colored egg that a bird dropped while she was bathing.

Due to the main similarity of these myths – a woman founding a civilization – modern scholars believe these stories were created as a means to establish patriarchy from a maternal source.

Mother Shayi Nanzhao’s Symbolism in Modern Times

Many years after the legend of Mother Shayi supposedly took place, her influence remains in modern-day culture.  

As the supposed matriarch of Nanzhao rulers and mother of the Bai people, Mother Shayi is a symbol of ancient matriarchy.  Her statue on Nanzhao Folk Island is said to be representative of independence and feminine strength and determination.  And while there has been controversy regarding whether her nude statue is appropriate, her nudity is said to be more redolent of primitive culture, as opposed to being an attempt toward eroticism.  

Overall, Mother Shayi is seen in today’s times as the symbolism of the Bai’s ancient roots and a symbol of their authenticity as a culture.

ABOUT THE PHOTOS: The photo above is an original photo taken by Tim Kavi at Nanzhao Folk Island which is near modern day Dali City in Yunnan Province, China. The photo was taken by Tim Kavi during the Summer of 2012. The island also includes the statue of another female figure from the Buddhist tradition, Kwan Yin; actual photo below. All Photos Copyright 2012 by Tim Kavi.

There is Mom --Poem for Mother's Day With Photo (Poem)

There is Mom

by Tim Kavi

so what is this?

across the translucent orb

endless universe so vast

that God in his designs

would seek to make perfect

for sure to last?

but the need for what was created

man or woman

to never be alone?

but the sacredness

of family

of love

and of home?

and in that home

stands a sacred one

sure and true

the fortress of Mom

which every kid

growing up, knew

is true blue

in all she said

and did

until around

every troubled bend

twisted by life's

troubles

and uncertain wind?

there is the love

of God

and the love of Mom

gently guiding

assisting in fate

but always loving

there is Mom

there is Mom.

(This is a reprint of a poem that has been on this blog before on Mother's Day.  It is a very special poem as it was written for my own mother in 2010, and I read it at her Memorial Service in 2010.  Moms are very special and I am very lucky to have had a great mom who was always very special and as a child and adult--took care of me in so many ways!~~TK) 

There is Mom (Poem)

There is Mom

by Tim Kavi

so what is this?

across the translucent orb

endless universe so vast

that God in his designs

would seek to make perfect

for sure to last?

but the need for what was created

man or woman

to never be alone?

but the sacredness

of family

of love

and of home?

and in that home

stands a sacred one

sure and true

the fortress of Mom

which every kid

growing up, knew

is true blue

in all she said

and did

until around

every troubled bend

twisted by life's

troubles

and uncertain wind?

there is the love

of God

and the love of Mom

gently guiding

assisting in fate

but always loving

there is Mom

there is Mom.

Poet's Brief Afterword:  Dedicated to all the moms out there.  Happy Mother's Day!  Words (even from poets) cannot describe what is meant by the word and love of 'Mother'! It is no wonder that some of the most nurturing goddess archetypes are of the Great Mother, or mother Goddesses.  But who influenced who? Indeed!  Both influenced each other.  Read about my own dream about a Benevolent Mother encounter with Ma Durga--who was seeking me and loving me even as I was trying to hide ! (Click Here for that Account). The poem here, 'There is Mom" is also a poem about my own Mom,  and was read by me as a memorial tribute to her in 2010.~~TK