THE
SYNCHRONICITIES CONTINUE
-by
Michele "Shelley" Takei, Ph.D. (2006)
Joan was enthralled to learn about Mari's early
roots in 1981. I was equally thrilled when my partners and
I discovered
the above manuscript in Joan's archives twenty-five years later!
In many ways it appears that the synchronicities are continuing...
My
passion has always been feminine psychology and spirituality.
I have taught numerous classes on all aspects of Women’s
Ways of Knowing as well as Feminine Archetypes. I was always particularly
interested in the hypothesis that there were many early civilizations
where women were valued equally. I
was as thrilled as Joan to learn that the MARI® was
associated with an ancient city with the same name. Ancient Mari,
which had a temple where they honored a goddess and created mandalas,
was most probably one of these egalitarian cities.
Since
discovering the fascinating roots of Mari in Joan’s
work, I have learned even more about the temple and the goddess
who
share MARI®’s name. The Mari temple
was considered one of the ancient wonders of the world. The temple
was huge, covering
more than six acres, and was located in an area now referred to
as the Holy Land. But this was just the beginning of many deep
connections with the goddess that was the focus of this ancient
city.
According
to historian Barbara G. Walker
(Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, 1983), the Goddess of Flowing Waters was
just one variation of the Goddess Mari. In every
culture, she was associated with water.
The Semites worshipped an androgynous form of the Goddess-and-God, known as
Mari-El ("Mary-God"). The Egyptians honored Meri-Ra, which combined the feminine
principle of water and the masculine principle of the sun. Mari-Baruti, in
Babylonia, was known as the Sea Mother, who lived in the womb-chamber where
statues of gods were said to have life breathed into them, thereby animating
them. Hindu cultures knew her
as Kel-Mari, the Glorious One. She was also known as The Great Fish, who gave
birth to the gods (hence the etymology of "mer-maid").
In
every form, she was known as Mother Sea. Walker states that, “St.
Peter Chrysologus called her the Christian incarnation, the
virgin Mary, the gathering together of the waters. But she was also
the earth and heavens, since her earliest form was a trinity," [p.
584] . Walker also believes that she was probably
the same goddess worshipped by the Slavs under the name
Marzanna (Mari-Anna), who guided the ripening of fruit.
Mari and
her pagan consort may have been the forerunners of Adonis and
Aphrodite. The cult associated with the Nestorian Christians
considered Mari to be The Fate Spinner, who was older than time.
Medieval Spain knew the goddess Mari as the one
who lived in a magical cave, gave gifts of fairy gold, and rode
through the
night as a ball of fire. The islanders of Inis Maree worshipped
the goddess Mari (and later under the guise of St. Mourie),
naming their island in her
honor. For more than 1500 years, she was celebrated on August 25.
I
am honored that the association with the goddess Mari -along
with her rich history-
has found its way into my life.
The synchronicities associated with the MARI® continue to bring
wonderful people and information into my life, and I hope that her life-giving waters
of inspiration and nurturance will forever continue to flow out
through the gift of this marvelous Instrument.
-Michele
"Shelley" Takei, Ph.D. (2006)
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