Hello, I'm Cimorene! I've been a religious seeker since a young age, and have been looking for "the one" for many years. I was raised as a Baptist Christian, but left that path for several reasons after going away to college. After that, I identified at various times with Wicca, Agnosticism and Pantheism, but none of those belief systems answered the deep spiritual needs I felt, especially the longing for a traditional monotheism that focused on God the Mother.
For awhile I gave up on my search, believing that nothing like what I longed for existed, nor ever would. Then one day I happened upon the website Mother-God.com, and it absolutely changed my life. Here was exactly what I had been looking for for so long - a religion that was resolutely monotheistic, but non-patriarchal, which provided a means of worship of the Celestial Mother without being neo-pagan in worldview.
The religious path I'd found was called Déanism (DEA-nism). "Dea" is simply the Latin term for "Feminine Deity", and its use is preferred over the word "Goddess" because "Goddess" tends to imply a being that is secondary and subordinate to a male "God".
Déanism apparently began about 30 years ago among the Aristasians (an all-female subculture from Great Britain that most would describe as peculiar at best), but has recently spread outside that group. Since it is quite new in terms of a specific spiritual path, it is not widely known - something I hope to change via participation in this forum! Although Déanism isn't especially evangelistic, I think there are many people, like me, who would be drawn to it if they only knew it existed.
So, in the interest of sharing information, here is the Déanist Catechism (from Mother-God.com/catechism), which provides a basic outline of belief. I hope no one will mind me posting it.
"A Short Catechism of the Children of Dea
I. THE ORIGIN OF THE SOUL
From whence do you come and where is your first origin?
I was created from before the beginning of time by Dea out of the overflowing of Her divine love.
What manner of creature are you?
I am the reflection of a fragment of Her eternal Spirit.
What have been your actions since the beginning of time?
I have passed through many states of existence and many forms of life (although I can remember but a little).
How came you upon this wheel of countless existences?
In the beginning, my soul turned from the love of Dea and so fell into exile from her natural state.
What is the natural state of your soul?
The natural state of my soul is Perfect Union with Dea, which is the state of pure delight.
What is the first cause of existence?
Dea is the first cause of existence, for She created the manifest universe.
What is Dea?
Dea is the one Spirit of the universe, complete in Herself, uncreated, and infinite in potency, perception and perfection.
II. DEITY
What are the three Forms of Dea?
Our Celestial Mother, Her Divine Daughter and the Dark Mother who is Absolute Deity.
Who is our Celestial Mother?
The Mother is the Creator of the world, and Ground of all being.
What is Her Nature?
She is pure Life, pure Light and pure energy.
What are Her Acts?
All life, all action and all thought flow from Her.
Who is Her Daughter?
Her Daughter is Princess of the World, Priestess of the World and Queen of Heaven.
What is Her Nature?
She is pure love.
What are Her Acts?
As Princess of the World, She governs all the cycles of life and nature; as Priestess of the World, She gives us Communion with Her Mother; as Queen of Heaven, She shall bring us at last to the Celestial Throne.
Who is the Dark Mother?
She is Absolute Deity, Who existed before the beginning of existence and is beyond being and unbeing.
What is Her Nature?
She is outside space and time; She is all that is and all that is not.
What are Her Acts?
The exhalation of Her breath or Spirit is our Mother, the Creator of the world. Of Her other Acts, our minds cannot conceive.
III. THE NATURE OF DEITY
Had Dea any beginning?
Dea had no beginning and will have no end.
When did Dea create the world?
She creates it now and in every moment; if She ceased to create it, it would cease to exist.
Where is Dea?
She is in every place at all times.
What is the name of Dea?
She has been given many names by many different peoples.
Yet are there many Gods?
No, there is only one God.
Are there any other Deities?
There are no other Deities.
Who are those others that some worship as Deities?
Some are forms under which Dea may appear, or under which certain creatures may perceive Her, others are Janyati and creatures of the higher spheres.
Could Dea have a special relationship with one or more of these higher creatures?
She could have no special relationship.
What is the reason of this?
Firstly, She alone is uncreated; all other beings are of Her creation, therefore none can exist on Her own level.
Secondly, the highest relationship between creature and Deity is that of Perfect Union; this is the final aim of every soul, and no special relationship can be higher than this.
What are the powers of Dea?
The powers of Dea are infinite; no thing is impossible to Her.
What is the knowledge of Dea?
The knowledge of Dea is infinite; She knows all that is, all that has been and all that is to come."
A wealth of information about Déanism may be found at Mother-God.com. If you'd like to read a version of the scriptures, you can find them at femininescriptures.tk.
Thanks to all of you for allowing me the opportunity to share my story - Dea bless you!
For awhile I gave up on my search, believing that nothing like what I longed for existed, nor ever would. Then one day I happened upon the website Mother-God.com, and it absolutely changed my life. Here was exactly what I had been looking for for so long - a religion that was resolutely monotheistic, but non-patriarchal, which provided a means of worship of the Celestial Mother without being neo-pagan in worldview.
The religious path I'd found was called Déanism (DEA-nism). "Dea" is simply the Latin term for "Feminine Deity", and its use is preferred over the word "Goddess" because "Goddess" tends to imply a being that is secondary and subordinate to a male "God".
Déanism apparently began about 30 years ago among the Aristasians (an all-female subculture from Great Britain that most would describe as peculiar at best), but has recently spread outside that group. Since it is quite new in terms of a specific spiritual path, it is not widely known - something I hope to change via participation in this forum! Although Déanism isn't especially evangelistic, I think there are many people, like me, who would be drawn to it if they only knew it existed.
So, in the interest of sharing information, here is the Déanist Catechism (from Mother-God.com/catechism), which provides a basic outline of belief. I hope no one will mind me posting it.
"A Short Catechism of the Children of Dea
I. THE ORIGIN OF THE SOUL
From whence do you come and where is your first origin?
I was created from before the beginning of time by Dea out of the overflowing of Her divine love.
What manner of creature are you?
I am the reflection of a fragment of Her eternal Spirit.
What have been your actions since the beginning of time?
I have passed through many states of existence and many forms of life (although I can remember but a little).
How came you upon this wheel of countless existences?
In the beginning, my soul turned from the love of Dea and so fell into exile from her natural state.
What is the natural state of your soul?
The natural state of my soul is Perfect Union with Dea, which is the state of pure delight.
What is the first cause of existence?
Dea is the first cause of existence, for She created the manifest universe.
What is Dea?
Dea is the one Spirit of the universe, complete in Herself, uncreated, and infinite in potency, perception and perfection.
II. DEITY
What are the three Forms of Dea?
Our Celestial Mother, Her Divine Daughter and the Dark Mother who is Absolute Deity.
Who is our Celestial Mother?
The Mother is the Creator of the world, and Ground of all being.
What is Her Nature?
She is pure Life, pure Light and pure energy.
What are Her Acts?
All life, all action and all thought flow from Her.
Who is Her Daughter?
Her Daughter is Princess of the World, Priestess of the World and Queen of Heaven.
What is Her Nature?
She is pure love.
What are Her Acts?
As Princess of the World, She governs all the cycles of life and nature; as Priestess of the World, She gives us Communion with Her Mother; as Queen of Heaven, She shall bring us at last to the Celestial Throne.
Who is the Dark Mother?
She is Absolute Deity, Who existed before the beginning of existence and is beyond being and unbeing.
What is Her Nature?
She is outside space and time; She is all that is and all that is not.
What are Her Acts?
The exhalation of Her breath or Spirit is our Mother, the Creator of the world. Of Her other Acts, our minds cannot conceive.
III. THE NATURE OF DEITY
Had Dea any beginning?
Dea had no beginning and will have no end.
When did Dea create the world?
She creates it now and in every moment; if She ceased to create it, it would cease to exist.
Where is Dea?
She is in every place at all times.
What is the name of Dea?
She has been given many names by many different peoples.
Yet are there many Gods?
No, there is only one God.
Are there any other Deities?
There are no other Deities.
Who are those others that some worship as Deities?
Some are forms under which Dea may appear, or under which certain creatures may perceive Her, others are Janyati and creatures of the higher spheres.
Could Dea have a special relationship with one or more of these higher creatures?
She could have no special relationship.
What is the reason of this?
Firstly, She alone is uncreated; all other beings are of Her creation, therefore none can exist on Her own level.
Secondly, the highest relationship between creature and Deity is that of Perfect Union; this is the final aim of every soul, and no special relationship can be higher than this.
What are the powers of Dea?
The powers of Dea are infinite; no thing is impossible to Her.
What is the knowledge of Dea?
The knowledge of Dea is infinite; She knows all that is, all that has been and all that is to come."
A wealth of information about Déanism may be found at Mother-God.com. If you'd like to read a version of the scriptures, you can find them at femininescriptures.tk.
Thanks to all of you for allowing me the opportunity to share my story - Dea bless you!
