I'm still reading Drawing Down the Moon (by Margot Adler), and I'm currently on the chapter about Feminism in Wicca/Witchcraft, and its empowerment of women (or wimmin, as it gets irritatingly spelt).

I personally feel that to focus solely on the feminine aspects of the divine to be unbalanced, and that to grow and develop as a person one needs to balance the feminine and masculine elements.

However, I am also aware that I am living in a very different social climate from when the book was written, and in a different society too (Britain as opposed to America), and it's harder for me to understand and appreciate the initial feminist movement and struggles against oppression. It seems to me that if a bloke these days sits any where near a feminist then he's oppressing her, but that's just my take on the situation (and I'm biased, I admit this).

Anyone got any opinions or comments on feminism in the craft?

Just the same as yours really El. I just think that what began as a fight for equality all too quickly became about supremacy and I find that hypocrisy to be honest. I've vented my spleen about too much focus on the goddess aspect before so I'll not bother again but we need both and should respect both equally. I really don't have time for one over the other.

Everything needs balance. I need to focus on both or I feel lopsided

I do tend to run screaming from American feminist wicca because it's so unbalanced and what's with the weird spelling? I've also seen Womyn!

Balance in all things is essential to me

Julia

I've also seen "wombyn". Gah.

Much the same, I prize balance far more than the superiority of either gender. I can see how it would have been easy, when fighting hard for equality in the workplace and in society to tip the balance of the scale too far in either direction, but to stubbornly persist in trying to claim that women are superior to men (or that Goddesses are somehow more divine than Gods) is ridiculous.

As for 'wombyn', anyone who tries to classify me as little more than a uterus is doing far more to 'oppress' me than any sexist as far as I'm concerned - surely part of the feminist movement is concerned with women being seen as more than reproductive machines; why adopt a title as crass and physical as this?

It's like that particular part of us is the most important. I've used mine twice and don't intend to do so again. Many, many women don't use theirs at all

I have arms and hands and legs and feet and, ye gods, is that a brain!!! I can do lots of things that don't involve my uterus

Nah, can't bear this thing that feminism has turned into. It was as necessary as the fight against racism when it started but it's just gone too far now

Julia

I think many feminist seek out the Goddess path or Wicca because it gives them a sense of empowerment and generally have the mistaken idea that it is a woman thing. I used to think that but once I started looking into it and doing some study, I saw that it was a search for balance, something we don't have today IMHO.

Both Male and Female were worshipped or honored and most had equal standing along with giving a purpose in daily life. This is what is lacking I think, in the main stream religions.

Women are seen as the destroyers of paradise and men and should be rained in and kept down and must obey hubby. Nope, don't think so. What balance is there in that.

in societal struggles in philosophy and in "gender" oriented discussions i rarely come across a simple word - bathetic, which means in context a balanced society where "supremacy " isnt an issue.