ABSTRACT
Toknowourselvesasofthisearthistoknowourdeepconnectiontoallpeopleandallbeings.Allbeingsareinterdependentintheweboflife.Thisisthe distinctiveconceptionofnatureandourplaceinitfoundinGoddessreligion. ImagesofGoddessesthatcombinehumanfemaleandanimalformsconveya mysticalsenseoftheconnectionofalllifeonearth.Thoughsomehavearguedthatrationalthoughthasenabledhumanitytoevolvebeyondthisancientsensibility,IagreewithMarijaGimbutasthatthevisionofancientGoddessreligionwasnevercompletelylost.Wefeeldeeplywithinourselvesthat wearepartofallthatis,butwemustlearntospeakofwhatweknow.We know,too,thatweparticipatefullyintheearth'scyclesofbirth,death,and regeneration,thoughsomehaveattemptedtodenythatthisistrue.
