Nomi Leasure On Sacred Feminine, Goddess Conspiracy Theories, Fashion Imagery and Nurturing Earth Mothers

Izabel Goulart In Sign from Lilith that Anne Has Religious Morals After All AOC Private Studio

By Nomi Leasure

Encountering the Sacred Feminine

“I’m not ashamed the foundation of my world view came from best-seller, airport fiction. Through Dan Brown’s twisted conspiracy The Da Vinci Code I had my first encounter with the Sacred Feminine. Granted, being born to a self-professed Pagan mother did mean coming in contact with terms like “feminist,” “goddess,” and “earth mother.” Yet, I still wasn’t presented a digestible theory until reading this novel. Within the pages of Robert Langdon’s journey to the find the Holy Grail, we uncover hidden evidence of a child of Jesus, a lineage that would disprove the divinity of Christ, and unearth the buried history of the Sacred Feminine and Goddess worship.

A Solid Faith Abandoned

Almost two years after finishing the page turner I found myself sitting cross legged with a Shaman in the hills of Big Sur, California. Within the spiritual safety of his Iowaska cleansed hut he divulged the guiding beliefs of Shaman who live deep in wooded mountains, awaiting the balance of the world to be restored. The world turned upside down, he told me, when we abandoned our faith in the Sacred Feminine and implanted a patriarchal society in its’ place. Ancient cave paintings depict invasions by “half-man half-beasts,” what we now know as conquistadors and Aryans on horse back who spread “religion,” as well as destruction. Humans lost their connection with nature, which resulted in a phase of history wrought with famine, war and disease that we are still within. Suddenly, what woman was once worshiped for, her feminine sexual powers of regeneration, were blocked by “sacred virginity.” The world will right itself, said the Shaman, when we recognize again the Sacred Feminine of the Universe and adopt a nurturing, rather than war-like, mentality.

These ideas encountered no opposition with me. Instead, they seemed to click with something deep and truthful, awakening a sense of guidance that had until then been dormant, but ever present.

But what I questioned — skimming through Myths of the Female Divine Goddess, loaned to me by Anne as background reading for my new post — does any of this have to do with fashion? At first, coming to Anne of Carversville, I couldn’t relate to the editorial language. I never peered much into the world of high end fashion for it was always a financial improbability that I would soon acquire any of the things I was admiring.

Suddenly now, in this schema of Sacred Feminine, the industry takes a new form in my outlook.

Kate Moss from Versace Spring 2013 CampaignThere’s absolutely no denying one thing: We love looking at beautiful women in and out of clothing. Women, as a sex, are a work of art that the world loves to adorn, depict and capture with the lens of a camera. We are infatuated with women’s fashion, couture and editorials because they are, in a sense, our modern day female worship. These images, I’ve learned, aren’t meant to emulate or capture the everyday woman, but the extremes and depths of a women’s temperament. Take one look at Kate Moss in Versace and there’s no doubt in your mind about the divinity of females. While one can make a legitimate argument about the shallowness of the fashion industry, in comparing images of female deities of the past and the models now gracing the page of Vogue we see similar themes and values. In both, women are revered, powerful and cloaked in the finest.

This is just the beginning of my understanding of Goddess, and I am both nervous and excited about where my journey here at AOC will take me. But where once I felt alone staring at the world this way, I can now seek comfort in the thousands of eyes widening along side mine as we explore ourselves and the world around us. I’ve learned that in embracing Goddess women have an instant connection with Her, as if by simply being female we all share a part of Her energy. Men and women alike may feel a connection with a male Almighty, but from what I’ve heard that connection is like that of a father, not a shared energy or soul. While God can love you, you cannot be God. Women, on the other hand, well we are all Goddesses.” ~ Nomi

“Nomi Leasure is the newest addition to the Anne of Carversville enterprise. Currently she studies Broadcast Communications and Writing at Temple University. A feminist before she even knew it, Nomi embodies the mission of the website and feels a personal connection to the values reflected here. She hopes her young, unforgiving and, at times, naive perspective will find a home in this viewership. Though not well versed in the language of high fashion, she is quickly learning and drawing connections between body image, sensuality, values and style. You can still be feminine and be a feminist.”  

Read Nomi’s first piece First Lady Michelle Obama in Jason Wu: The Feminine Feminist Wears Red. We’ll ask her what she thinks of Karl Lagerfeld’s criticism of Mrs. Obama’s new haircut. Karl loathes the bangs. 

On a parallel note, read Anne’s Lilith Stamps Fury on ‘Lady Lilith’ for L’Officiel Thailand February 2013 AOC Style

Izabel Goulart In Sign from Lilith that Anne Has Religious Morals After All AOC Private Studio

Phoenix Rising, Charlotte Allen's Weak Women, The Antichrist: 2013 Should Be A Spectacular Year

Leaning Towards Solace from Sigur Rós Valtari Mystery Films on Vimeo.

Sigur Rós - Dauðalogn & Varúð
Sigur Rós ‘Valtari’ Mystery Film Experiment: Leaning Towards Solace
Directed by: Floria Sigismondi

We start the new year with a beautiful, conceptual film starring Elle Fanning and John Hawkes in ‘Leaning Towards Solace’, part of Sigur Rós’ Valtari Mystery Film Experiment, in which they’ve urged different artists to create short films inspired by songs off their new album Valtari. Follow the link for many other outstanding films that provoke and inspire thought. See also Sigur Rós’ blog.

“Leaning Towards Solace” was made by Black Dog Films and was directed by Floria Sigismondi.

The concept of the Phoenix, found in Greek mythology and also that of Egypt, is supremely threatening to social conservatives who argue that it’s just another anti-Christ, anti-American concept. Anne of Carversville finds Phoenix Rising concept, which represents the reinvigoration of female values and principles into our thinking, of great interest. Our ideas put us at major odds with Charlotte Allen.

Anne Is Watching

Selita Ebanks | Kanye West ‘Runaway’ Full Video Embedded

I went to sleep last night with the most preposterous thoughts, perhaps inspired by watching the hate videos posted yesterday on AOC, on the 150th anniversary of America’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Rarely do I hoot in the dark, saying “Oh, God, Anne. That is a ridiculous thought!” Probably so.

Watching Floria Sigismondi’s beautiful, haunting film above, I couldn’t help thinking of Kanye West’s ‘Runaway’. I’ve posted it again within the context of this new intellectual meditation.

Symbols of the ancient Phoenix are deplored by ardent social conservatives as signifying the rise of the anti-Christ in the form of Lucifer. The Phoenix destroys itself in flames and then rises from the ashes. The symbol is also tied to the ‘Masonic Christ’, considered by today’s social conservative Republicans to represent the global threat of a new world order.

Charlotte Allen’s Bonfire

Conservative pundit, anti-feminist Charlotte Allen, argues at the National Review that men would have made all the difference in the Newtown massacre, simply because they are male. National Review published Allen’s controversial piece on last week, where she attributed the massacre to Sandy Hook’s female staff and its “feminized setting.”

Male aggression can be a good thing, as in protecting the weak — but it has been forced out of the culture of elementary schools and the education schools that train their personnel. Think of what Sandy Hook might have been like if a couple of male teachers who had played high-school football, or even some of the huskier 12-year-old boys, had converged on Lanza.

When the public predictably went nuts over her comments, Allen responded saying she wasn’t blaming the parents. With thinking people combing her words for countless errors in her facts and assertions, Allen sent out another major volley, writing:

I am, however, blaming our culture that denies, dismisses, and denigrates the masculine traits—including size, strength, male aggression and a male facility for strategic thinking–that until recently have been viewed as essential for building a society and protecting its weaker members.

For more information on just how stupid and weak Charlotte Allen thinks women are, read We Scream, We Swoon. How Dumb Can We Get, a 2008 Washington Post op ed piece.

High Profile Parents

Kim Kardashian on pregnancy with Kanye West’s baby: ‘It’s not as easy as people think’ NY Daily News

We’re assured that the birth won’t be televised. And I’m certain that the news that Kim Kardashian and Kanye will be parents has the KKK beyond bezerk.

Kardashian, 32, hit the 1 Oak party just a day after West, 35, dropped the baby bombshell during a performance in Atlantic City. The happy couple raced from New Jersey to Los Angeles early Monday and then high-tailed it to Vegas for Kardashian’s long-scheduled paid appearance.

Women Lose Power at Google | Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women | Dominionism, Todd Akin & Paul Ryan

An 1886 base-relief figure of Dike Astraea in the Old Supreme Court Chamber at the Vermont State House.

Dice ((Dikê), the personification of justice in ancient Greece, was according to Hesiod, a daughter of Zeus and Themis, one of GlamTribale’s 12 goddesses. In the ancient world, women represented the moral force in judicial systems.

Wiki writes:

One of her epithets was Astraea, referring to her appearance as the constellation Virgo. According to Aratus’ account of the constellation’s origin, Dike lived upon Earth during the Golden and Silver ages, when there were no wars or diseases, men did not yet know how to sail, and men raised fine crops.^[7] They grew greedy, however, and Dike was sickened. She proclaimed:

Behold what manner of race the fathers of the Golden Age left behind them! Far meaner than themselves! but you will breed a viler progeny! Verily wars and cruel bloodshed shall be unto men and grievous woe shall be laid upon them.
—Aratus, Phaenomena 123

Dike left Earth for the sky, whence, as the constellation, she watched the despicable human race. After her departure, the human race declined into the Brazen Age, when diseases arose and they learned how to sail.

Since the 15th century, Lady Justice statues are often depiected wearing a blindfold, to connote objectivity and neutrality regardless of identity, money, power or weakness. Then again, she might be nearly nude, as depicted in this painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder “Justice as a Naked Woman with Sword and Scales”. Sometimes also referred to as “An Allegory of Justice”, the painting

Lucas Cranach the Elder was best known for his paintings of his close friend Martin Luther, founder of the Protestant Reformation.

Global Survey of Evangelical Protestant Leaders The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

In June 2011 we published the findings of Pew Researches study on evangelical beliefs worldwide. With the advent of Christianity, Lady Justice has moved to a place of obscurity in public life and most definitely in America. Truthfully, women never had significant power in America. Just ask Abigail Adams, wife of America’s second president John Adams.

Findings in the Pew survey of evangelical protestant leaders include:

• Most say that men should be the religious leaders in the marriage and family (79%) and the main financial providers for the family (53%). But most do not think that women must stay home and raise children (63%). And a solid majority favors allowing women to serve as pastors (75%).
• The global evangelical leaders are strongly inclined to participate in politics; 84% say religious leaders should express their views on political matters, and 56% say that to be a good evangelical, it is essential to take a public stand on social and political issues when they conflict with moral and biblical principles.

French Roast News

Forbes Female Powerhouses

Forbes Woman has released its 2012 list of the world’s 100 most powerful women. German chancellor Angela Merkel tops the list, with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in second place. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff retains third place. Also in the top five were Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Jill Abramson, who became executive editor of The New York Times in September 2011.

Fewer Google Women

Senior women at Google are out of Larry Page’s inner circle, reports Claire Cain Miller in The New York Times.

Newly appointed Yahoo president Marissa Mayer, who ran Google’s most profitable search division for years was given a new assignment under Page that many cpnsidered a demotion. The new CEO shran his inner circle from 15 under Eric Schmidt to 11. Three of the four cutbacks were women.

Also removed from the L Team, for Larry Page, were Rachel Whetstone, who oversees communications, and Shona Brown, who oversaw business operations and now leads Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, a lower-profile job. Only one woman remains — Susan Wojcicki, who oversees advertising.

Some men were also reshuffled in the changes but were replaced by other men. Some commenters say that Page relates best to product engineers and women aren’t strongly represented there.

Todd Akin Update

American Vision is a Christian nonprofit whose mission if to “restore America to its biblical foundation”. The group’s research director Joel McDurmon writes about pressure from Republicans for Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin to drop out of the race “political gang rape”.

Akin did not drop out of his race against Claire and launched a new website called akin.org/still-standing that apologized for his mistake in using phony science to deny that 32,000 American women a year get pregnant from being raped. US News writes that the photo of a fetus in the womb has since been taken down.

The candidate announced this morning that he has raised $100,000 even though big money Republican donors are treating him like a pariah.

Dominionists like Akin — embracing fundamentalism of the most conservative kind — have a vision of America that is now the sum and substance of the Republican political platform. Addicting Info wrote an article earlier this year that sounds harsh and subjective and yet, the article rings very true to us as dominionism researchers.

Paul Ryan Abortion Record

In the aftermath of the Todd Akin brouhaha over “legitimate rape”, Paul Ryan found his own extreme record on women’s health issues under scrutiny. Ryan opposes abortion under any circumstances, with no exceptions. This most exteme position has earned the vice presidential candidate a 100 percent lifetime score from the National Right to Life, writes Bloomberg.

“He’s certainly a reliable pro-life vote,” Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, said in a telephone interview. “Everyone in the pro-life movement is really excited about Paul Ryan’s vice presidential candidacy. We can expect a Romney administration to reverse many of the anti-life, pro-abortion policies that have been implemented by President Obama.”

Incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill launched a website listing Akin’s most extreme conservative record. Besides his now notorious claims about rape victims not becoming pregnant, Akin supports abandoning minimum wage restrictions for Americans and he refers federal student loan programs to stage III cancer.

Writing for Huff Po, Malika Saada Saar, Executive Director of Human Rights for Girls, cites CDC research that says 60.4% of female victims were first raped before age 18 and 25.% were raped before age 12. We can’t conclude that 85% of the females who become pregnant by rape each year are 18 or under. As the age of onset of fertility drops in the US, the math does take us to the probable conclusion that well over half of rape-related pregnancies are women 18 and under.

J’Adore

Nicole Kidman | Mario Testino | V Magazine September 2012 | ‘Truth or Dare’ AOC Private Studio

If Victoria’s Secret was smart, they would make 45-year-old Nicole Kidman an honorary Angel and contribute $25,000 to her favorite philanthropy. Kidman delivers a jaw-dropping ‘eyes wide open’ performance in Mario Testino’s fabulous editorial for V Magazine’s September Travel issue, and she wears Victoria’s Secret all the way.