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Matriarchy to Patriarchy

Understanding the matriarchal nature of early cultures and societies, helps us visualise and create a better future.

Like many thinking women I have spent some time over the years studying what the world was like during the many millennia before the birth of Christ.

During the few centuries before Jesus and Mohammed, there was a dramatic shift of power from female to male resulting in the patriarchal religions that most of us have grown up in.

It seems that before this dramatic power shift that left the control of society in the hands of men, and relegated women to the kitchen, or behind screens, and to a place of uncertain respect and little control, virtually all societies were matriarchal in nature.

This does not necessarily imply that no men were given respect and power, but that normally the roles men were best suited for were those of explorer and hunter, guard and occasional lover.

And women, in the main, were responsible for the day to day social activities around health and home settlement - including communication, teaching, spiritual practices, health, building and furnishing homes, making household implements, farming, taking care of animals, children and old people.

There is also evidence that shows that these roles were not fixed and fast, that women who wished to join the men could do so, and men whose nature was more nurturing or communicative could stay in the village - at least this appears to be so in many matriarchal groups.

Certainly this ancient order explains very well how language and society evolved into the bronze age. And, how a rural culture could sustain and develop naturally and steadily.

My suspicion at to what happened about 2500 years ago was discontent amongst the men. I think that there was a social revolution, where some men at least wished to grasp the reins of power and use them differently. In those years I think that the promise of power over people replaced the dual momentum of the matriarchies of care and responsibility for people. But this process was covert, underground.

I do not believe that it is a surprise or an accident that the nature of religious doctrine changed dramatically in that time. In order to support the revolutionary change of order into patriotically, men had to create gods that were consistent, that could be relied on to support their bid for power. And so, in fits and starts over the next centuries, much of the world were persuaded to accept that concept of one single judgemental male deity.

Over the past decades the strong shift away from these limiting beliefs has gained momentum.

But where will we go from here?

Do we need to have a single puritanical, God whose sole purpose seems to be to favour his friends with salvation and damn everyone else? I do not think so myself.

I hope and trust in this third millennia as measured by our current calendar, that we can find a way forward that allows us to respect each other and accept each other.

My belief is simple - there are many paths up the mountain - many ways to live your life. There is no one right way that proves all other ways to be false. To find your way up the mountain each of us needs to listen to our wisest kindest self, to refrain from doing harm to others and to our planet, to do the best we can and to learn and love along the way.

One of the ways that has inspired me and supported me along my path has been the discovery of information about the ancient matriarchal societies. Not because I would turn back the hands of time, but because it gives me a balanced perspective to stand alongside the patriarchal ways. It gives us all an alternative perspective on how life might be lived.

I am certain that there is great merit in both then and now, and hope that in the future we can combine the best of both.

Books you might enjoy

The Book of Goddesses and Heroines by Patricia Monaghan

The Great Cosmic Mother - Rediscovering the religion of the earth by Monica Sjoo and Barbara Mor

Women Who Run with Wolves - Contacting the power of the wild woman by Clarissa Pinkola Estes