The Iconography of the Divine Feminine

Beyoncé’s pregnancy reveal photo shoot and 2017 Grammy performance evoked the iconography associated with Motherhood and the Divine Feminine. She pulled inspiration not only from Judeo-Christian iconography but other cultural and religious iconography as well. Why are these images so powerful, and what does it means to celebrate the Divine Feminine? Perhaps it is best to explore this idea through various incarnations of the Divine Feminine. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

Gaia

Gaia is the embodiment of Mother Earth. In Greek mythology, she is mother to all whether through virgin birth or union with her husband Uranus. In Hesiod’s Theogony, we are told that Gaia brought forth her equal, Uranus, to be the abode of the gods. She then gave birth to Ourea (hills) and Pontus (Sea) with no “sweet union of love” i.e. virgin birth. It was then through her union with Uranus that she gave birth to the Titans including Cronus and Rhea, who would be the parents of some of the Olympian gods and goddesses: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Chiron. When we see depictions of Gaia in Greco-Roman art, she is usually shown in scenes from the mythic traditions on vases or in mosaics. 

Isis

Long before it was the name of a jihadist militant group in the Middle East, Isis was the name of an Egyptian goddess. Unlike Gaia, Isis was the daughter of Earth (god Geb) and Sky (goddess Nut). She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife and patroness of nature and magic. Isis was mother of Horus and wife of Osiris. In the mythology of Egypt that would spread to the Greco-Roman world, the tears of Isis weeping over the murder of Osiris was believed to cause the annual Nile floods. These floods contributed to the fertility of the region. Perhaps one of the most common images of Isis is her suckling the infant god, Horus. This image was adapted into Christian iconography as the images of the Virgin Mary nursing the infant Christ child.

Virgin Mary

In terms of the Divine Feminine in the Western culture, the most widely recognized icon would be that of the Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. Even if you aren’t Catholic, you’ve probably heard at least part of the prayer to Mary for intercession. It is a highly recognizable piece of liturgy probably second only to the Lord’s Prayer or Our Father: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among woman, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. The veneration of Mary extends beyond the virgin birth of Christ into the doctrine of Immaculate Conception. This is an idea often confused in Western popular culture as referring to the conception of Jesus and virgin birth; however, the doctrine of Immaculate Conception is the belief that, though conceived through natural means (i.e. she has an earthly mother and father), Mary was born without the stain of original sin on her soul. This doctrine along with her status as the Mother of God, her perpetual virginity, and bodily Assumption into heaven provide a figure of divinity that is only surpassed by the Holy Trinity.  Depictions of Mary, whether she is pictured with Christ or alone, usually include the golden halo that accompanies pictures of Christ denoting her divine status. 

Osun or Oshun

In the Yoruba religion of West Africa, Osun is regarded as the goddess of love and the sweet waters (primarily the River Oshun in Nigeria). She is also highly benevolent and the protector of the poor and mother of all orphans as well as goddess of song and dance. Depictions of this Orisha (gods in the Yoruba pantheon) show her as a beautiful young woman clothed in gold with jewelry, bracelets, beads, mirrors, and elaborate fans adorning her. In the diaspora to the Americas, Osun was adapted into other African religions, so there is not as much known about her worship as some of the other goddess in the Divine Feminine.

Durga

This goddess of the Hindu tradition is revered as the fierce form of the Mother Goddess. She is a warrior goddess rather than the peaceful mother goddess that we often associate with the Divine Feminine. This is a goddess with a body in motion but a calm and serene face. Her violence is not a result of hatred, egotism, or pleasure in violence but rather it is a manifestation of her love for goodness and a desire to protect and liberate those who depend on her. She is often depicted with at least 8 or 10 arms that hold various weapons of the gods riding a lion or a tiger. Durga protects humanity from evil and misery by destroying forces such as selfishness, jealousy, prejudice, hatred, anger, and ego.

Triple Goddess 

The Triple Goddess is the incarnation of the Divine Feminine of three in one: Maid, Mother, and Crone. Each represents a different stage within the female life cycle as well as phases of the moon within the religious practices of the Neopaganism. It can also refer to historical goddess triads in other religions. The Maid, represented by the waxing moon, is the aspect of the divine associated with new beginnings. The Mother is naturally associated with ideas about fertility and sexuality. This is represented by the full moon. The final aspect of the Triple Goddess represented by the waning moon, the Crone, is associated with wisdom, death, and endings. This idea is also a prominent motif in literature. George R.R. Martin used this idea in the development of the primary religion of Westeros, the Faith of the Seven. The Maid as one of the Seven represents innocence and chastity. The Mother is the personification of mercy. The Crone is the representation of wisdom. 

When we examine the visual images that Beyoncé has utilized, she is really tapping into this idea of female strength and the Divine Feminine. Clearly, she meant to channel images of the Blessed Mother Mary, Osun, and Durga to name a few with her performance at the Grammy Awards ceremony. 

Her connection at this very visceral level led to some bizarre comments at the Grammys from other female performers (Adele and Faith Hill) in proclaiming that they would like Beyoncé to be their mothers. There was an interesting article on the NPR website by Denene Millner, “Beyoncé Is Not The Magical Negro Mammy,” regarding this that looked at the comments from an African American perspective that seemed to look at it from the very specific lens of African American history and portrayal of mothers within that community. I think there is additional insight to be gained from looking at a larger historical context by examining the iconography of the Divine Feminine and by extension Divine Motherhood.