How do you see the Goddess? The Divine Feminine spoken of in Wicca and other Pagan religions? Monolithic woman, the essence of femaleness, the open-armed Mother?
I relate better to male Gods, but I recently had an experience that reminded me of how I found the Goddess so many years ago. Not her name, or stories. Not Pagan literature, but her bright spirit. It was through a specific type of music.
There used to be this alternative rock station in Atlanta called 99X. Once I achieved some measure of independence, a car and a job, I began exploring modern music for the first time. I didn’t like alt rock at first, although I came to love it, but 99X had a Sunday morning show called Organic X. It was mellow alt rock and it was there I first heard the Indigo Girls and fell hopelessly in love with their music.
For me, the Goddess speaks through the female singer/songwriters of the 1990’s. If I need to get my soul right, this is the music that fixes me up. If you want to know what I think the Goddess looks like, I would point to Amy Ray, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Dar Williams, Shawn Colvin, Paula Cole, and even Jewel before she broke my heart by going Nashville on me.
When I hear women talk of needing their own space, their own healing and their own spiritual territory I don’t understand it. But I think I glimpse some of what they mean when I listen to the Indigo Girls.
13. Secure Yourself – Indigo Girls
12. Tiger – Paula Cole
11. Cornflake Girl – Tori Amos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ5VlOl6tj410. Hands – Jewel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFLPwv6b3lI9. Polaroids – Shawn Colvin
8. The Ocean – Dar Williams
7. Fallen – Sarah McLachlan
6. Torn – Natalie Imbruglia
5. Thank You – Natalie Merchant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5ZjrGdlNDo4. Uninvited – Alanis Morrisette
3. 32 Flavors – Ani DiFranco
2. Falling In Love – Lisa Loeb
1. World Falls – Indigo Girls