WHEN YOU LOOK into the eyes of your own mother (the woman who gave physical birth to you, raised you, fed you, reminded you to wash behind your ears) do you see an image of the Goddess? You should.
We often talk about the Goddess in vague, abstract terms. We may give Her a name taken from the pantheons of Old, or maybe assign Her special qualities, colors and symbols. While this is fine, we shouldn't limit our view of Her to only the abstract. Perhaps we can see Her in parts of our everyday lives. Perhaps our first encounter with the Goddess is indeed our own mother.
Of course, in every family, with every child, this relationship is different for each of us. Isn't the same true for our relationship with the Goddess? We each experience Her in different ways. And this often changes over the years. That same woman who nurtured you when you were young might seem like your best friend when you are an adult! You might enjoy the same movies, laugh at the same jokes, and have much in common. In time, as she grows older, she may someday depend on you to "nurture" and care for her. The roles sometime come full circle. And as you treat her, you also treat Her.
We celebrate Mother's Day in the month of May. Have you ever looked at greeting cards designed for mothers? (You know, the mushy floral ones...) Read the words carefully. You'll find phrases about the one who gives "everlasting love" or "the one who is always there" or special thanks for "the countless gifts she gives." You may find words just as beautiful and sincere as any ritual prayer for the Goddess. Look for your own way to make Mother's Day (and Father's Day too) a special spoke in your own personal Wheel of the Year.
See the time you spend with your mother as the most tangible form of Goddess-worship you could ever have. See her as your own personal Mother Goddess, your nearest link in the divine chain of events that gave you life. We often give credit and thanks to our Mother Earth, but we often forget the specific way in which the Earth gave us life. For me, this was a kind-hearted woman, with beautiful green eyes, who married a man she met at a small-town roller skating rink. Together, they became my gateway into the world.++
