#mokosz

Jare Gody

Mokosh, the Mother Earth, the Slavic goddess of fertility and harvest.

Prints are available HERE

Thank you, it is very kind of you.

Mokosh - the spelling is not critical, however, I choose the anglicised Cyrillic as a matter of habit, - in my understanding is born of the syncretised belief in a Heavenly Mother, a loving lady of fate, and Mother Earth. The division of a deity into the earthly and celestial aspects, or, otherwise, the merging of the two images into one through which they still end up associated, is a common theme in many a tradition, which I believe to apply here, as well.

Mother of death, Mother of rebirth, Mother to all the children who dare to transgress and transform - Mother of difficult decisions and heavy burdens, Mother of pain and anger, Mother of blood and revolution, Mother of mourning and grief: give wrath to all those who need it now so it might burn within them yet leave them unharmed. give us the necessary bravery to make difficult choices and bring the reckoning upon those who wronged us. steady our hands and voices as we fight for our freedom and let us bring true fear into the hearts of the oppressor.

Mothers who transgress our mortal ideas of motherhood or womanhood yet who bravely guard all your children, keep us safe and guide our anger. Mothers to those who bleed and those who don't, those who wish they did and those who wish they never had; Mothers to those who bear children and those who don't, either by choice or circumstance or by the unfair dealings of the fates.

my first question is this:  I know she is the Goddess of Hearth, Fertility, and Protector to Women and Children... and how do you know that?

the truth is that as with many gods of the old Slavs, we only have scraps and forgotten tales to hold onto - we shall never know her full domain. we shall never truly crack what our ancestors believed... nor whether they were right in their beliefs.

the gods’ true purpose is found in their devotees. their true purpose is, as I profoundly believe, carried through their devotees and enacted by their faithful hands. what other purpose would there be, really?

and so we discover and rediscover our gods every single day through our own experiences, our own hands, our own deeds. our own hearts. as our ancestors before us, in this belief we find our harbour and our safety, our fortune and our redemption. it is what we love in our gods that holds true - not what others tell us of, or what some old texts speak of. 

and so it is up to you whether you desire Mokosz to protect you. whether you desire to hold her close - and being held close in return. she is not only Women nor Womb, not only Children or Childbirth. Not only Hearth or Weaving.

she is creation. she is the abundance of life - with all its joys and pain. she is the warmth of the earth and she is the glorious variety of beings: beings that cannot be contained in what we understand as man or woman. flowers that bloom in a myriad of colours, fruit that ripen under the summer’s sun or within the winter’s reach. the mystery of being - the price of breath, and creation. 

and then - she could be more. she could be less. she could not be at all, in the end. but that does not matter.

your heart matters most. you are free to choose your gods and your path, and you are free to ask their protection or assistance. our human understanding of our gods is simply a beginning - not a limit. do not limit yourself.

I spoke at length about Jarilo - and my views still hold true. our beliefs are only useful when they make us better, and when they make our mortal time more fruitful and bearable. Mokosz will protect you as long as you wish to be protected: as long as you appreciate the beauty and the burden of creation; the truth of life that lies beyond binary understanding; the pain and the glory of carrying on through what the fates throw at us; and finally, that part of your heart that drives you to kindness, curiosity, hospitality, nurturing, and love. and these are by no means “woman’s traits” - as we all so profoundly know. 

reach out to her in the privacy of your own heart. see where it leads you.

and do not be afraid. you are loved by the old ones in this ancient bittersweet way: a quest of self-discovery through their strange ways, and self-love through their strange love.