By Michelle Wiener (aka, Michelle Mormon)
Today at work, the question of God’s gender came up, and I replied that I believed God has both a male and female persona. My colleague proceeded to ask me what the female persona’s name was. I replied, “I don’t really know, but Asherah would be my best guess.” Then I paused for a second and added, “. . .well that’s the Canaanite name for her.”
I thought very little of the conversation until later as I was driving home. Since I teach religious studies, and we have now reached the Old Testament prophets, I have been thinking a great deal about Hosea and Amos and their definition of “spiritual harlotry.” Hosea’s chief concern was that Israel had turned away from the God of Abraham and began worshiping the deities of the surrounding nations, “They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms. . .Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone” (Hosea 4: 13b, 17). The “oaks and poplars” mentioned refers to the sacred groves and Asherah poles decried by the prophets. Along those same lines, I remember hearing somewhere that statues of Asherah and the Sacred Feminine were uncovered in the excavations of King Solomon’s Temple. The assumption was that Israel, and then later Judah, were being punished for their spiritual harlotry.
As a recent convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have found myself involved as of late in the efforts to see women ordained to the priesthood. I am open about my views on Heavenly Mother and the Sacred Feminine. I believe I know and have experienced Her. However, a healthy sense of fear always strikes in my heart when I read these passages that seem to condemn worship of Her. But as I began to ponder this issue further, I began to see an emerging pattern — a beautiful, clear pattern of exile and return; a pattern categorized by victimization followed by a need for rescue and restoration. Asherah is not only biblical; she is extolled and honored in all Her beauty. And Her time is returning.
The name Asherah translates as “she who moves across the water.” Pure and timeless, Asherah is the Spirit of God who was there in the beginning, moving upon the face of the deep and rejoicing over God’s handiwork (Genesis 1:1; Proverbs 8:30). She is the Queen of Heaven mentioned in Revelation 12:1. She is represented in Scripture by her namesake Sarah- her name being a variation and archetype of Asherah. However, by the time we get to the prophets, we see a whole new pattern emerging- that of a people committing spiritual harlotry, characterized by the prostitute Gomer being pursued by her faithful husband Hosea. This image is further perpetuated by the Cannanite belief that Asherah was constantly cheating on her husband El with his arch-nemesis Baal, the god of the storms; this story mirroring the strange and erratic behavior of the gods in the ancient world. However, whatever this is, it is my firm conviction that this is not behavior that is becoming of an Israelite goddess! Something about this scenario just does not sit quite right with me. It almost seems as if Asherah has had her dignity stripped of her by the very people she represents, not the fertility rituals that have come to characterize and mar Her image.
The Mormon church began in a sacred grove where Joseph Smith had his first vision. From the beginning the Goddess was there. She may not have been there in physical form, but She was there symbolically. We also know that eternal marriage cannot be separated from the LDS tradition, just as Heavenly Mother cannot be separated from Heavenly Father. The Hieros-Gamos (Sacred Marriage) is an essential part of God’s plan, as well as central to what it means to be human. As women, we are made in Her image. She holds the keys to something very powerful that has yet to be reclaimed and redeemed. And together, in accordance with the Shema in Judaism, “the Lord our God is one” (Deut. 6:4).
So to answer my earlier question…yes her name is Asherah. She is the Great Goddess of Israel emerging from the shadows. And this is an exciting time for Mormon feminism! Through Her help, may we continue to move forward as we face the future. . .and the arduous task that lies ahead.
Michelle Wiener runs a website called Agitating Faithfully in support of equality and women’s ordination in the LDS Church. Priesthood ordination for Mormon women has been the subject of a fair bit of online conversation here and here and here and here and here, for starters.
Excellent article and thoughts.
In my studying, women don’t need the priesthood to have power of God. Men get it because they need to learn compassion and service through this power and responsibility. There are amazing subtle things taught in the temple. I hope you go often and realize what is expected if us girls compared to the boys. We have our challenges but we often take on their challenges because they are talked about more openly and frequently. I have a healthy respect and love of the priesthood but I don’t want to hold it more then I do now, I have plenty of access to its power directly with my relationship with my Heavenly Father and through the priesthood holders in my life. One last point is that we all have a job and when we as women take this from our men they can become lost. I have seen it happen. The wife was able to harbes a healing power and was healing people and her husband became lost and unneeded. For me watching it was a power cautionary story. I will not negate his role or his abilities. I have power in being a women, I don’t need or want his to feel equal or strong.
Debora,
In the temple last night it struck me that women already have the priesthood it is just not recognised by the current hierarchy. You will note that both the men and the women put the robe on the left shoulder so they can officiate in the ordinances of the Aaronic P’hood then both the men and women change it to the right so that both the men and women can officiate in the ordinances of the M P’hood.
Have you read in D&C 25 v 7 where the Lord tells Emma that she will be ordained by Joseph, and she was.
Are you aware that the sisters gave p’hood blessings and anointings for healing until 1946.
So without the education and understanding of Michelle I can point you to examples of female priesthood in the church.
I would like more understanding of my mother in heaven, but note there is very little about father in heaven except that he is like his son.
Thank you so much for this wonderful post! As Daniel C. Peterson and others have demonstrated, Asherah is present not only in the Hebrew scriptures but also in the Book of Mormon, as the tree of life.
http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=9&num=2&id=223
The Queen of Heaven is a constant source of spiritual nourishment and comfort for me. I am so excited to see more and more of my sisters and brothers of faith coming to the knowledge of Her!
I suppose that if one is gullible enough to believe in Joseph Smith’s hallucinations & contradictions then its no surprise that the same person would blaspheme the eternal & holy Trinity with this kind of idolatrous demon worship.
If one is gullible enough to believe the rantings desert living iron age men from 3000 years ago then they are in position to try and belittle some other for there believe in mythology of what ever sort .
Well by the Spirit of God Nick is correct but harsh in the representation of th King of Glory who can deliver any person from the lies of the enemy. They must simply want to find God ( Father, Son “Jesus Christ” and the Holy Spirit ) through the gift of Faith through asking forgiveness of their sins that hung the Son of God on the cross, then His truth and true spiritual enlightenment will fill their spirit and soul. One can only realize they are a sinner as the Holy Spirit convicts them of their fallen nature from God Almighty and then by asking with a sincere broken heart over these sins and seek God by Faith believing for ( He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him ) Heb. C.11 v.6