Brittney Hartley’s Views on Feminine Spirituality

“I learned from the holy texts in the west that God with his male pronouns is the one who single handedly creates life, not the women who continue to die in childbirth. Over and over I have learned that men have taken my innate spirituality and given me back crumbs of what the sacred feminine used to be.

In every field of spirituality, in all of my wanderings, I have been asked to prove my worth as a woman. In almost every field of spirituality that I have explored I have been asked to prove my worth. I have been asked if I’m worthy enough to enter their temples, if I’ve solved the koan to their liking, if I’ve had a kundalini awakening at the level that they have. They will ask if I have the appropriate credentials in the right acronyms to even sit at the table.

I’ve been told over and over that my life that is rich with spiritual connection is only acceptable when it is judged acceptable by a man or a male god. In return they demand their priesthoods and their tithings and their titles and their trophies.

For me personally, it took years to disentangle the internalized patriarchy from two decades of study and religion and philosophy and history. And what I learned from the female mystics is that spirituality needs none of that pomp and circumstance. Ideas can be powerful even when they are shared over coffee and conversational language. Books can be profound even when they are not written in language that can only be read by other academics. Rituals can be sacred even when they are household routines. A contemplation practice where you listen to a podcast while walking your dog is just as valid as being able to sit in a full lotus pose. Liturgical calendars can operate around the birthdays and anniversaries of the people who are important to us. The sacrament can be the gift of soured dough bread that you got from a starter that you bought at a farmer’s market. Revelation is when an intuitive friend texts, how are you doing, are you OK?”

Watch nononsensespirituality for her full commentary.