The Sacred Feminine: A Historical Discourse

In ancient cultures, one finds countless examples of the high esteem in which women were held as sacred, fertile beings. Excavations of shrines, reliefs, vulvic bowls, and figures of goddesses with red-painted vaginas, voluptuous breasts, and other symbols of femininity and fertility attest to the high esteem in which women were held. Menstruation, as a purifying process with its flowing blood, vulva, and uterus, was venerated as a sacred aspect of women in many cult rites. According to traditions such as Tantra or Taoism, women still occupy a central position as sacred beings today. The female breast symbolizes nourishment and being nourished, a place of warmth, deep trust, and connection. Chinese tradition describes the sacred space, the womb, as a "lake of blood," "protective palace," or "palace of the child." These names make the dual function of the uterus clear: as a storage organ for blood and female essences with Yin quality, and as a hollow organ and home for the fetus, which ultimately releases the newborn into the world, with Yang quality.

Some eras of traditional Chinese medicine described the uterus as a "little heart." An organ, like the heart, composed of muscle tissue and characterized by a brisk blood flow. In Chinese medicine, blood is sent from the heart, the "ruler of blood," down to the uterus, the "lake of blood," via the Bao Mai meridian. By considering the Chinese perspective, we gain new access to our uterus. The heart's direct connection to the uterus explains the close, psychological relationship between the organs we experience every day. True sexual surrender occurs when we open our hearts and enter into love. Traumatic experiences such as abuse and deep insults can trigger blockages in our hearts, which in turn can have a blocking effect on our cycle and our sexuality. Intimate physical contact and conscious, loving sexuality lead to relaxation and regulation of our cycle. In the ancient West, caves symbolized the uterus, which is why these places were used for female rituals and symbolic rebirths. The fountain also represented a profound feminine symbolism, a place of fertility. Even today, we can find a fountain representing the life of the womb at many important sites, parks, or town centers. The fountain, as a centerpiece, lends the space balancing attributes of strength and tranquility.