For the Circle Never Ends and the Weaver Always Weaves

by Arlene Bailey,  excerpt from “Holding the Rim”, featured in Asherah: Roots of the Mother Tree, Girl God Books  ©Arlene Bailey

“Isis
Astarte 
Diana
Hecate
Demeter
Kali
Inanna

Over and over their voices filled the 
air calling in these Ancient ones, 
their energies, magic and wisdom,
their rage and righteous anger as
shouts of No More and Never Again
filled the air.

Asherah
Erishkigal
Cerridwen
Brigid
Maat
Hathor
Freya
Skadi
Sigyn

Voices invoked the battle energies
as the Warrior Goddesses arrived.

Lilith
Andraste 
Durga
Athena
Hel
Mami Wata
Pele
Ixchel
Freya
An’ Morrighan 
Boudicca of the Iceni
Zenobia of Palmyra
Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi

Through the night they chanted 
the invocation “show us another way”
to the ancient Mothers, Queens, 
Warrioresses, Witches.
Voices raising power and 
raised IN power as both 

Queen Boudicca and
An’ Morrighan
held the circle, swords in hand
symbols of both peace and truth
as well as strength and protection.
Eyes of the night still held vigil 

for this sacred activist work
as each woman plucked 
her part of the web
weaving new threads of hope
and spinning the wheel of change.
Fox, wolf and coyote
opossum, turtle and deer
bear, raccoon and hare
held vigil as the 
moths danced, 
spiders wove webs,
and serpents shed skins 
no longer needed,

all while the calls of the 
owls and night birds echoed 
in synchronous harmony.

As the darkness of night 
gave way to the light 
of a new dawn, the Ravens
and Crows and birds of the day
arrived calling out as the
women prayed their work 
had been enough to alter
the events of this day…

They prayed it was enough 
to alter the events
of the Coming Days.
As they walked back 
through the woods,
sunlight streaming through 
the trees and with eyes still 
watching, the women held the 
Rim of the Eternal Circle 
safely in their hearts and womb space,
encased in a deep knowing that
Whatever this new day held… 
Whatever and Whomever was to come…
Their work, the ancient ways and this
Rim of Power would always continue
For the Circle never ends and the 
Weaver always weaves. 

-Arlene Bailey,  excerpt from “Holding the Rim”, featured in Asherah: Roots of the Mother Tree, Girl God Books  ©Arlene Bailey

Did You Know? The Other Side of Our Story …

Yigael Yadin, Professor of archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Director of the Institute of Archaeology there, recently published his account of the excavation of the city of Hazor in biblical Canaan. Somewhat evasively, he describes the evidence of the worship of the Goddess there in this way:

“Although the official religion of northern Israel was that of Yahweh – the god of Israel – we know from both biblical verses and archaeological discoveries that the cult of Ba’al and Astarte strongly influenced the local population in the form of folk or popular beliefs – for double insurance as it were.”

Hmmmm … ‘double insurance’? Maybe ‘balance’ is a better word ….
and what makes a cult a cult?

Worship of Baal (also spelled Baʿal) was not considered a “cult” in the ancient world the way we use the word today. In its own time, Baal worship was a mainstream, state-sponsored religion across Canaan, Phoenicia, and parts of Mesopotamia. It became labeled a “cult” later, mainly by Israelite and later Christian writers, because of theological conflict.

Here’s why it came to be seen as a cult:

---

1. Baal Worship Was the Rival Religion to Yahweh

In the Hebrew Bible, Baal worship represents the central religious competitor to Yahwism. The biblical authors condemned:

• building Baal altars
• participating in Baal festivals
• offering incense or sacrifices to Baal
• Asherah poles and sacred groves often tied to Baal worship

Because the biblical writers saw it as a threat to monotheism, they framed it as dangerous, corrupting, or cultish.

Perhaps it is time to rethink things ….

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