Goddess Danu - Reclaiming Femininity
Goddess Danu | Shanelle Jacobs
The goddess Danu, as she’s known in Celtic myth, is the mother goddess—often represented by rivers or bodies of water. Not many stories of Danu have survived the centuries, but what is known of her is that she had a duality of a loving mother demeanor and a fiery counter personality when displeased.
“The goddess Danu, as she’s known in Celtic myth, is the mother goddess—often represented by rivers or bodies of water.”
There’s a story about Danu’s son, who was recognized as one of the most powerful gods, yet without her divine femininity and love, he was nothing. Her kindness and love were so revered that those without it were thought to be powerless.
“Why are attributes assigned to femininity looked down upon? These were gifts from goddesses that we once treasured.”
͢Is this a reverie for tenderness and femininity? So often women are told to “stop being so emotional”, to “grow a thicker skin”, and the worse offender, to “calm down” as if those two words have every worked in the history of communication. Why are attributes assigned to femininity looked down upon? These were gifts from goddesses that we once treasured. Where was the shift, when was it decided that tenderness, empathy, and kindness needed to be rejected from the armor you need for this world?
If someone wishes to drive home the fact that you’re bad at something the term “like a girl” often precedes it. If a man shows emotion he’s told to “stop being such a girl”. Often times as women, myself included, we feel we need to oppress our femininity in order to be taken seriously or to be perceived as good or talented at something. Even something as simple as a color has been hijacked by gender roles and perceptions.
“Often times as women, myself included, we feel we need to oppress our femininity in order to be taken seriously or to be perceived as good or talented at something”
Pink, it’s so “girly”. I remember when I was around 11, I wanted to be taken seriously, I wanted my brother and cousins to think I was “cool”. So guess what color I went out of my way to hate and tell my mom I would never wear, pink. I thought that if I wore this color that was considered so girly, so feminine, I would be considered weak. How terrifying is that? As a child society had already conditioned me to tie femininity and weakness together. It trained me to want to abdicate my divine femininity, to perpetuate this idea that in order to be serious, strong, and intelligent I had to be masculine.
No more. No more teaching children, male, female, or anywhere in between that femininity is the enemy. It is time for all genders to reclaim femininity. Reclaim the power of empathy, kindness, and tenderness.
“ It is time for all genders to reclaim femininity. Reclaim the power of empathy, kindness, and tenderness. ”