In our search for the sacred identity of womanhood, what can we learn from goddesses such as Inanna, Isis, Hera, Annapurna, and Aphrodite? Why were pharaohs and gods like Shiva so willing to bow down in their presence for the gift of being suckled at the breast or of receiving divine nourishment? We have learned that Lord Shiva wanted to experience enlightenment, but what was the nourishment that he needed for his journey? How can the anatomy and physiology of the breast help us understand our divine inheritance?
Here are some key points:
- The breasts are prominently positioned around the heart chakra, which radiates unconditional love.
- They are not hidden away like other female organs, but clearly visible.
- The breasts are soft and round, with no noticeable defenses, suggesting qualities of trust and openness.
- Prolactin, the mothering hormone, promotes relaxation, loving protection, and nesting instincts.
- Oxytocin, the love hormone, encourages bonding, trust, and a decrease in fear and anxiety.
The purest energy flowing through the breasts is love, wherein love means a deep connection to every part of our existence, our eternal self. Surrounding the heart chakra as they do, the breasts provide a safe and comforting resting place where we can move our awareness between the realms of spirit and matter. Here we drink the abundant love that radiates from the heart chakra; thus cocooned, we surrender our hold on old paradigms of living, and with trust we allow new awareness to develop. It is impossible to imagine a more perfect place in which to surrender than in the soft embrace of the breasts of the Great Mother. Since love is the sustenance that allows us to move with ease between spirit and matter, it is the elixir of immortality.
This transition between different dimensions is similar to the shift between the states of sleeping and wakefulness. As we fall asleep, we surrender our attachment to the physical world and open ourselves to multidimensional experiences while our body rests. When we awaken, we leave behind the dream state and become fully functional and engaged here on Earth. The more secure and safe we feel, the easier it is to sleep.
If we were to see the three faces of the Great Mother, our own birth mother represents her transformational aspect, supplying a vitally important link between the Queen of Heaven and Mother Earth. Without maternal love as expressed by the breasts, it would be impossible for a soul to incarnate here on Earth and for a person to receive spiritual sustenance at various times during his or her life. The newborn, whose soul has lived within the watery spiritual realms for nine months, must adapt to living in the physical world. Through the nourishment provided by breast-feeding and cuddling, the infant starts to adjust to its earthly surroundings.
When the child is deemed ready, the mother weans him or her from the breast and anchors the child to the material world by offering food harvested from Mother Earth. In time, the child learns to stand on his or her own two feet, to make new friends outside the family, to develop a healthy sense of self, and to metaphorically leave the breast and create his or her own life.
For the Hawaiians, this emotional weaning traditionally occurs around the age of five, when, in many cultures, a child begins school. Until then, the upbringing of the child is often shared among the women in a family or tribe, so that they can all instill him or her with the love, confidence, and security the child needs to walk his or her own path, knowing that the nurturing of these collective breasts is always available should the need arise. For there are times in our life, when, like the pharaoh, our soul seeks inspiration and restoration within the ethereal and primordial waters of the Great Mother.
On these occasions, the shift in energy travels in the opposite direction, to that of the newborn baby, moving from the physical world to that of spirit. Instinctively, we move our awareness inward and away from our busy lives, creating an environment that represents the loving bosom of the Great Mother. We probably find ourselves spending more time in nature or surrounded by loving friends and family, intuitively drinking in the warmth of heartfelt connections, trust, and loving protection.
Though we do not attach to a physical breast as an infant does, we still enjoy the closeness of hugs and loving embraces, which bring us in contact with the heart chakra and breasts of a beloved person. As our outer energy becomes quiet, we become more aware of our own heart calling us home, wrapping us in tender love for ourselves.
This surrender into love, the elixir of immortality, allows our consciousness to move from the denser material world toward the lighter and finer frequency of the spirit realms, where our awareness is eternal and unrestricted. With the spirit now free, we become immersed in the pure waters of divine inspiration, receiving nurturance for the soul as it reconnects to its divine purpose. Refreshed and restored, the soul then begins its descent back to Mother Earth. It passes through the heart again, where insights are transformed into dreams, to eventually manifest as reality. Without this ability to set our spirit free, it is easy to become depressed, dis-spirited, dis-heartened, and uninspired. Without our willingness to plant our dreams firmly on this earth, we may become delusional, shallow, fanciful, schizophrenic, and unfulfilled.
A very similar path is taken during the sacred act of sex when we release our hold on the physical world and, through an orgasmic release, surrender into a pure state of bliss. However, if sexual arousal is not associated with intimacy and the opening of the heart — whether with another person or alone in an act of self-pleasuring — then the orgasm will remain on the physical level, with little or no restoration for the soul. Fortunately, we don’t need to have an orgasm to feel ourselves being transported to the pure waters of the Great Mother; all we need is love.
It’s time for women to acknowledge that without the love that emanates from their breasts, the evolution of humanity is doomed. Creative ideas and dreams will fail to be downloaded onto Earth, and the soul will be unable to return to the spiritual realms for restoration and renewal. For such love to flow, as women we need to develop a pride in our breasts that goes far beyond their appearance. As this happens, vulnerability and softness become strengths, facets of one of the most powerful forces in the world: love. As a woman’s self-love expands, her enjoyment of the pleasures of Mother Earth will increase, while at the same time she will experience a heightened sensitivity to the nonphysical, spiritual realms. Then and only then will she be ready to assist in another person’s sacred transformation, and then only if that person genuinely wishes to reconnect to his or her soul’s dreams.
