According to the Grandmothers, prophecy is messages received from Spirit and it is available to each man and woman. It is given to each individual depending on where they are in a manner they can understand if they will open to it. Prophecy is not a story that is told and then remains stagnant. It evolves as the people who receive it evolve. Expectations of those receiving the prophecy has much to do with whether or not the story has a happy or an unhappy ending.
Indigenous peoples of the Americas look forward to the fulfillment of the promise that "when the Eagle of North America and the Condor of South America unite, the spirit of peace will awaken on Earth." (Quote from Jonette Crowley's book, The Eagle and the Condor.) In accord with this prophecy, the Condor was driven to near extinction by the Eagle in the 1400s. Then for 500 years the power of the Eagle, representing the mental and materialistic, predominated over the spiritual, heart-centered, intuitive power of the Condor. Now the Eagle and the Condor have the opportunity to reunite and soar together once more. It is believed by the indigenous people who received this prophecy that the Eagle would have to help the Condor to soar once again.
This prophecy of polar opposites reuniting is being carried out figuratively and literally today. Ceremonies and rituals designed to bring together the masculine and the feminine, the light and the dark, within each individual are being done on behalf of humanity. In her book, The Eagle and the Condor, Jonette Crowley describes her experiences on her trips to Lake Titicaca in South America as she and her guide, Mallku, dance for the reunification of the masculine and the feminine within them.
According to Hopi legend, about five hundred years ago as the white people were discovering the Americas humanity broke the circle of life. The Creator at that time told the people of the Earth:
"I am going to send you in the four directions, and over
time I am going to change you into four colors. But I am
going to give each of you certain teachings, and when you
come back together, you will share these teachings with
each other. Then you can live together and have peace
upon the Earth, and a great civilization will come
about." (from Grandmothers Counsel the World)
The legend predicted that it would be the Fire people, or the white people, who would begin the reunification of humanity.
In North America the bald eagle was almost extinct before the Endangered Specie Act was enacted to ensure it survival. No one had seen a condor in the State of Oregon for 200 years. Recently, there were two condors born in captivity in that state. Literally, the Eagle is now helping the Condor to soar once more.
The Goddess in her aspects of Crone and Maiden appear in the Hopi legend of the butterfly. According to this story, the caterpillar goes into the darkness of the cocoon. While there, the caterpillar experiences a total destruction of what it was, ultimately transforming into a butterfly. This creature is a butterfly even before it emerges into the light. When it does, it is completely transformed from a creature of ignorance with a narrow-minded view to one that knows the interconnectedness of all things and sees the world from a broader viewpoint of compassion, hope and wonder. This legend beautifully illustrates how the Crone through destruction and chaos makes way for the Maiden with her fresh ideas and unity consciousness.
The Goddess, although suppressed, has not remained totally invisible. Appearances of a woman referred to as "the lady" or "our lady" have occurred in such places as Fatima, Lourdes and Medjugorje. When she does appear, this apparition, who many believe to be Mary the mother of Christ, is always silent. People travel from all parts of the world to witness these appearances, many to receive healing, blessings, and forgiveness. Regardless of who she is, believers and non-believers alike come away changed.
In 1991, author Judith T. Lambert, made the last of four pilgrimages to Medjugorje to observe the appearance of an alleged female apparition making herself known to the people of that area. She was a skeptic when these trips began in 1986. Lambert, who had studied ancient goddess traditions, saw a correlation between the apparition at Medjugorje and ancient pagan goddesses. Most of those making the pilgrimage to witness this appearance were of the Catholic or other Christian faiths, so to them, she appeared to be Mother Mary. However, regardless of the specific identity of the woman making her appearance in these places, she represents a Mother Goddess for all people. Seeing the imbalance between the masculine and the feminine principles and the perpetration of dominator patriarchal societies, She comes now to balance the archetypal forces and to remind us that we are all connected. (for more information about Lambert's experiences in Medjugorje see her book, A Mother Goddess for Our Times.)
Prophecies from Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, even the Christian Bible point to the coming of a New Age that will be heralded by the return of the Sacred Feminine. Each of these prophecies predicts cataclysmic events that will change the world as we know it. Worldwide natural disasters are occurring accompanied by destruction of homes, businesses, and loss of life. The global economy is in a downward spiral. Countries, the United States in particular, that were previously considered leaders and super powers appear to be disintegrating. Some believe this is the end of the world. Others know that great forces are at work and that what matters is not so much the specifics of what happens as how humanity moves through these events. Humanity is not victim, but creator.
Thank you Martha for sharing your thoughts with us. I believe we are on a journey, and your writings are sign posts. I am encouraged to keep going.
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