Book of the Week: When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone
The Forgotten Story of the Divine Feminine
Before patriarchy rewrote the story of creation, there was reverence for the Goddess, the life-bringer, the nurturer, and the embodiment of cosmic balance. In When God Was a Woman, author Merlin Stone peels back the layers of suppression that erased her name from history. Through archaeology, mythology, and anthropology, she traces how once-powerful matriarchal societies were gradually overthrown and replaced by male-dominated systems that demonized feminine wisdom.
The Suppression of Goddess Worship
Stone argues that the earliest civilizations, from Sumer to Egypt and the Indus Valley, worshiped a Divine Mother as the source of creation and life. Her temples were led by priestesses who embodied fertility, balance, and sacred sexuality.
Over time, patriarchal conquerors reframed these symbols of power as sinful or inferior. The serpent, once sacred to the Goddess as a symbol of wisdom and regeneration, was rebranded as a symbol of temptation and evil. The word witch, once meaning wise woman, was twisted into fear.
Through this systematic rewriting, the world was taught to fear the feminine rather than honor it.
Matriarchal Societies and Sacred Power
In prehistoric cultures, women were seen as the living reflection of the divine because of their ability to create life. Societies were structured around cooperation, fertility, and cycles of nature. Temples of the Goddess celebrated balance, the dance between birth, death, and renewal, long before organized religion divided spirit from body.
These matriarchal civilizations practiced Ma’at, the ancient principle of balance, truth, and order. Their power rested not in domination but in harmony, the very foundation of creation itself.
Language, Art, and Religion Rewritten
Merlin Stone reveals how patriarchal systems restructured language, scripture, and art to shift power from Goddess to God.
Ancient female deities were merged, renamed, or vilified.
Stories of divine creation were re-authored to erase the feminine source.
Art transitioned from depictions of fertility and unity to scenes of war, hierarchy, and punishment.
This rewriting didn’t just reshape religion, it reshaped how humanity understood power, morality, and love.
Reclaiming the Divine Feminine Today
Today, women across the world are remembering the ancient song of the Mother. Through healing, spiritual practice, and community, we are restoring the sacred feminine principles of compassion, intuition, and nurturing back into the world’s consciousness.
From herbalism and birth work to intuitive art and energy healing, women are reclaiming the spaces where the Goddess once lived. We are no longer seeking permission to lead; we are remembering that we always have.
Quote Highlights from the Book
“It was when man had replaced woman as the deity of creation that he began to claim her powers as his own.”
“The Goddess had been the image of wisdom and life, her transformation into the image of sin and death marked the true fall of humanity.”
Restoring Ma’at — Balance Through the Feminine
In restoring the feminine principle, we restore Ma’at, the sacred equilibrium between chaos and order, light and dark, masculine and feminine. To live in Ma’at is to walk in truth, to honor the rhythm of creation within and around us.
When we return to this balance, we don’t just remember the Goddess, we become her reflection once again.
Closing Reflection
“How do you embody the Goddess within?”
Allow this question to guide your week. Whether through rest, creation, compassion, or courage; embody her energy in your daily rhythm. Each moment you live in truth, balance, and love, you help the Mother rise again.
