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by Charlene Bond
If one is to believe various sources Matriarchal/Matercentric societies have existed in the ancient past as well as the not so ancient past. There are ruins of a Matriarchal nature that date 23,000 BCE. One of the most flourishing of such cultures was that of Minoan Crete, lasting through three periods to as recently as 1450 BCE. Many sources reveal that society was as a whole womyn centered until approximately 3000 BCE, but the wholesale subjugation of womyn did not begin until 2000 BCE. The Matriarchal Picts flourished until the 1600's CE, while the Matriarchal societies of Kerala, India and the Owan people of Nigeria were not introduced to patriarchy until approximately 1900 CE. One Polynesian culture did not reflect this shift until 1500 CE.
Accounts of these various Matriarchies have certain things in common. Womyn were revered for their life giving powers. Womyn seemed magickal in that they could create life, produce food (breasts) and bleed without dying (menstruation). A Goddess spirituality based on love, compassion and unity was the Matercentric way. Communal cooperation was the way of life. Monogamy was unheard of, there were no long drawn out sexual associations (marriage, pair bonding) as we know it. The communal pattern was evident in sexual as well as econmic relations. Womyn were the faithkeepers, counselors, teachers and caregivers.
Agriculture was invented by women in the Neolithic period. Womyn reached the apex of their influence in farming, arts, crafts and social influence. Clans were Matrilineal, wealth and property passed down mother to daughter, with collectivist principles. The elder women were revered as the womyn with the most power. It is believed that these communities were not merely a mirror image of patriarchy, but qualitatively different due to the different strategiew womyn employ compared to men. Some of these differences are testosterone influenced in regards to men. Religion played a role in these societies, a female Deity reflected the high esteem womyn as a whole received.
What happened? There are several theories. One popular one is that Indo-European invasions into Eastern Europe and Greece overtook the non-violent Matercentric cultures. Around 3000 BCE waves of aggressive sun-worshipping Aryan warriors from the Nothern Russian arrived on horseback and introduced the people to war, rape and pillage. Womyn became the first slaves as a forceful overthrow of Goddess worship replaced Her with male authoritarian godheads. A male god was contructed through historical record by men as needed to support and encourage male supremacy. Some womyn may have colluded in the creation of patriarchy. Unnatural, repressive and degrading gender roles and sexual morality codes instilled the belief that bodies were evil, passions to be repressed. Monogamy became the order of the day. Patriarchal religion denies womyn her divinity and is used as a tool of oppression and domination. Around 370 CE the library of Alexandria was burned to the ground, and possibly the most intelligent womyn in history, Hypatia, was killed by a mob of angry Christians. Womyn became trapped in a belief system, Christianity, that has no room for them.
In more modern times, in Kerala, India; the British arrived in the early 1900's and enacted laws requiring marriage to be monogamous. The nuclear family emerged as Matriarchal familes broke up, lost lands and wealth and family loyalty. Homeless people became evident for the first time in Kerala's history since womyn ruled. The Matriarchal system collapsed when land ceiling laws went into effect, men left for education and jobs taking their families with them, the nuclear family (man in charge) was seen as more modern and dwindling resources meant large household could no longer be financially maintained. British rule of the Owan people in Nigeria altered womyn's social position through the enactments of laws.
Today the influence of patriarchy, although dwindling, effects us in many ways. Many people suffer various emotional/mental disabilities from the brainwashing concerning sex as evil and dirty. Womyn are still considered immoral if they enjoy sex and talk about it. Womyn are still restricted in some social, political and religious areas. Some womyn continue to be under-represented politically, under-compensated economically for equal work and restricted in many major religions from access to positions of authority. The monogamous sexual morality code and patriarchal family structure is seen as "normal", while reflecting repression of natural instincts. The patriarchal family makes great demands on human nature, chastity and self-sacrifice on the part of womyn, obedience and discipline of the children, control by the father and is autonomous, rather than relying on a group as in Matercentric times. Sexual pleasure gives womyn a source of power over men, therefore our very nature must be denied as dirty and dangerous. Even now, sexual and physical abuse of womyn is so common that many people have become numb to it's reports. Yet even as womyn are condemned for their sexuality, men continue to enjoy it.
The womyn in charge, the Matriarch, has been showing up more and more lately. Seen as a product of men's sexual fantasies, certain people and groups believe there is more. Perhaps it is a genetic memory of times past or perhaps it is simply a crying out for Mother, but more and more men are being drawn to the philosophy of Female Supremacy. Not the cartoon image of brutal womyn aping the actions of terrorizing men, but strong, self-possessed intelligent womyn who enjoy leadership and guiding men to fulfill their destinies. These womyn can be found in all walks of life, in and out of the so-called "adult industry", many unaware of their nature and what it means. However, for the most part, it is only within the "adult industry", specifically that genre labeled Female Domination, that men who would have womyn rule have dared to come forward. The savvy Female Supremacist will look to the pages of the "adult industry" to find men suited to her lifestyle. Men are often confused by the posers, those who portray Female Supremacy but are really only trying to serve men through their fantasies. Many men have become disillusioned and don't believe real Female Supremacist womyn exist. Still other men hope they don't exist, they are having too much fun.
Matriarchy has coexisted with patriarchy, as evidenced by the Keralans and Owans, ceasing to exist only when pushed out of existence. Womyn of power are a threat to the patriarchal structure. Large movements of such womyn would not be allowed to last long. A grass roots movement is already underway. Strategies will need to be planned and plans carried out if Female Supremacy is to survive and a Matriarchy is once again restored. Many who proclaim belief will fall by the wayside when the going gets rough, or even dangerous. It is not a popular place to go against authority, and Matriarchy defies the authority of an entire culture, if not the entire globe. Modern Female Supremacists are not out to convert, they do not stand on corners preaching or handing out tracts, they do not pursue converts. The modern Female Supremacist is attractive by the example she sets, the life she leads and her adherence to Goddess inspired female values. Matriarchy will be established one Matricenter, a household devoted to Female Supremacy and Goddess training and networking, at a time.