When I Look to My Ancestresses

Once again, digging into the origins of patriarchy and the intentional destroying of societies in which women were respected, to governmental institutions in which women were and too often still are considered inferior to men, kept purposely suppressed, punished, even too often murdered for defying male dominance in any way, Max Dashu has once again taken those of us who study with her, on a deep journey into the origins of patriarchy, how we as women and girls lost a respect we once had in many places around the world.

A number of us are studying her work to understand, to carry the information, to make it known, to keep it known.

Max is a very early member of World Pulse and stays in touch through news, focussing her time on the all consuming work that she continues to do to make information known that has been intentionally kept from us.

She began a recent session with what is referred to as the Iron Age in Europe 1200-800 bce when men began to make tools and weapons from steel, when alliances between Church and State were made and social hierarchies formed with landlords claiming lands through violence, with landholders being drafted into conquests and the beginning of a system of both taxation and slavery, the origin of the word ‘slavery” being “colonie”. Farmers became “serfs”, enslaved to the land owners, the word “colonization” was born and the takeover spread worldwide.

Law codes were created by Christian priests that women and some men who followed old traditions be labelled as “witches” and a law was created: “Thou shall not suffer a witch to live”. Those not seen as a Christian were flogged and/or murdered. Women in Europe were forced to wear metal helmets with a spike under their tongues to prevent them from speaking. Disobeyers were flogged 200 lashes, drowned, lost freedom on the lands they lived on, pressed into “serfdom” - slavery. Laws were enforced by bishops who wrote manuals for priests.

Women who followed ancient ceremonies such as laying offerings at wells, creating medicines from plants and even meeting in circles as women were pursued and punished. In Germany women were caught and thrown off walls, in Russia punished for “harvest failure”, the priesthood accusing women of sorcery, whoredom, unchaste - any behaviour deemed punishable by the patriarchal leaders. the Royal Inquisition was declared. A war against any woman who disobeyed, any woman who carried traditions now deemed sorcery. Any ceremony mentioning goddesses or laying offerings at the wells renamed sorcery, devil worship. The condemning of anything “pagan”. Anyone following “old traditions” punished, subjected to whip lashes, loss of land, serfdom (essentially slavery). Women were captured and thrown off walls, accused of seducing men by magical arts. In Russia women were accused of causing harvest failures. Any mention of goddesses was seen as “devil worship” and punishable by torture and death. Any bonfire celebrations, dancing around a fire was considered a “witch gathering”. In the 15-16th centuries and later, Courts used torture to extract “confessions” and naming of others. Poor women were most affected, all mothers expected to socialize their daughters.

I am learning all this, memorizing it, repeating it so that it is kept known, that even the recognition of goddesses or spiritual leadership by women was met with torture and murder. That any mention of goddesses was met with being burned in a fire, that this happened to my ancestresses not so long ago, that women’s ceremony is still mistrusted, that taking part is still seen as unacceptable, to be shut down, participants deemed dangerous. That my forefathers brought this to North America and formed a Government that forced Indigenous children into residential schools where they were beaten and often killed for holding onto any part of their original traditions. the generation of women before me kept the stories alive, of ancient traditions here that honoured women, that Indigenous women today are respected leaders, that women elders are cherished, that my roots in England and France had women who were healers, that the witch hunts had continued into the 1800’s, and that any of us breaking free of even current expectations or speaking too strongly, disagreeing with male domination still hear that disdainful accusation: She is such a witch. Ugly. Distasteful. To be avoided. Mistrusted. Ridiculed. Kept silenced. This is my heritage.

As the women’s movement grew we began to meet in circles unapologetically, studying every way that we were silenced, encouraging each other to speak freely, encouraging each other that breaking the rules was opening doors for the next generation. Undoing the taunts that we were acting like witches to meet together, we relearned and retaught the knowledge of herbal medicine, we laughed when we were called witches for disobeying, we picked up the drums again, we danced ceremonial dances that somehow we carried in our bones, we celebrate finding each other.

Now we have each other here, this dream beyond what seemed imaginable, this beautiful strong and solid global network, all of us sharing what still needs to change, sharing what we are making happen, all of us dreaming deep, Interweaving and celebrating together in ways that have never happened before, creating the world we know is possible.