‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿

Mary is wife, mother, and child to the same male power-figure. She is utterly meek, abject, passive. In her, the ancient power of the Goddess is captured, chained, used, cannibalized — "metaphysically cannibalized," in Ti-Grace Atkinson's critical phrase — domesticated and tranquilized. It is no accident that Mary is portrayed as giving birth in tranquility and bliss, as a reward for her asexuality and total submission (thus "redeeming" the crime of Eve)—while Christ, her son, takes on the suffering and dramatic childbearing role of the Mother. For he twists on the cross in labor, to give birth to a redeemed human race. Pierced by a soldier's sword, blood and water pour from his body—exactly as from a woman in childbirth. The figure displayed on the crucifix in Catholic churches particularly is a male parody of the female experience—of menstrual bleeding, of childbirth, of ontological physical suffering for the human race. But while Christ coopts this female experience into his own power and glory—women, who really do these things, have been forced to hide the signs of our bleeding and childbed "crucifixions" as unclean processes, and badges of corruption, inferiority, and shame. The deified male martyr flaunts his "sacrifice" everywhere, and we are supposed to bow down to it. Women, the real thing, are required by "decency" to hide our messiness out of sight.