The Goddess - Divine Femininity

Over the years a recurring theme in my work has been the Goddess. The divine feminine. It seems to be something that is making a comeback. Many years ago it was popular amongst our ancestors who worshiped the great Mother as their pre-eminent deity. Today many people seem to be returning to this aspect of the sacred, although I swear this has nothing to do with my experience.

It began for me with a dream. One of those big ones. I won't go into the tedious details but the message was clear. A powerful force was awakening from a long slumber. This force was the goddess. Since this dream I have seen the world in a different way and the divine feminine has grown in meaning for me. As a man I have come to adore the sexual aspects of femininity, as a child I learned what the power of a mother is. And as an artist I kneel at the altar of her wisdom. Like art, much of this inner experience is beyond words, which only seem to cheapen the feelings they are supposed to represent. This is why most people do not speak of it, and those who do, do so at their peril.

When femininity is elevated to the level of the sacred we can speak of an archetype, a powerful image that resides in the psyche. Everything is enhanced. The dark negative aspects of woman become an all destroying monster, the dark goddess, and the positive aspects become the embodiment of the divine. Both aspects can be recognized in the myths of the world. This is magical thinking. It goes against the rationalism of our times, and therein lies its value. It is a madness, not a malady, and a cure for too much sense. How then can I speak of it. I cannot.

Jake Baddeley

P.S. By clicking on the first image you will go to the special portfolio page with all the paintings in this theme