MULIER MULIERI DEAM?
Where can we find the divine feminine in pop culture?
I have been thinking about this concept for a few days, and it led me into a labyrinthine exploration... and I am still not certain how to relay my ideas in this medium...
--
Of course, when talking about the Divine Feminine in general, I am more likely to look for the Ur examples
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UrExample
http://aethyrflux.livejournal.com/142871.html
http://aethyrflux.livejournal.com/30290.html
http://aethyrflux.livejournal.com/196880.html
http://pacifica.edu/innercontent-m.aspx?id=1762
http://piereligion.org/pantheon.html
And I generally point people towards Christine Hoff Kraemer's resources... particularly this one first:
Annotated Bibliography of Histories and Ethnographies of Interest to Contemporary Pagans
Designed especially for the smart and skeptical contemporary Pagan practitioner who is frustrated with the bad history that is rampant in so many Pagan books.
http://christinehoffkraemer.com/paganbiblio.html
She even edited a book that relates to many of these themes
Graven Images: Religion in Comic Books & Graphic Novels
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/sermonsfromthemound/religion-in-comic-books-and-graphic-novels/
I really appreciate y'all encouraging me to turn around and look at where we are with modern media portrayals, rather than just contemplating where we came from & where we are going
And I must say that I am glad that at least this is a completely discredited trope, now...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet
--
While this is true, it is also true for all young people, whatever gender...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GirlsNeedRoleModels
We have to be careful of the fine print in what we are asking for, since this is what we actually want...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RoundedCharacter
And this is what we get, more often from the big media conglomerates:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ActionGirl
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Xenafication
Not that such results are always bad... but they often are, from a certain perspective
http://www.overthinkingit.com/2008/08/18/why-strong-female-characters-are-bad-for-women/
http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2013/08/i-hate-strong-female-characters
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13005634470A35826100&page=0
So, can we address the actual issue, please?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Empowerment
Perhaps we need to define our territory...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GenderDynamicsIndex
Because most tropes can conceivably be the same at a basic level, irregardless of gender
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GenderFlip
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleSixtyThree
Although there have been some traditional problems in exploring this concept
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DistaffCounterpart
In general, there are some tropes tropes that blend genders more often
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GenderBlendingTropes
While the standard model of the feminine gender has been this
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheChick
Caused by an obvious issue
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MostWritersAreMale
And even though this may be changing to some degree... in fandom, we all too regularly see serious stereotypical typecasting for Gender
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GenderAndSexualityTropes
Here are some attempts to categorize archetypes that are generally played as female
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MasterCharacterHeroines
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RomanceGenreHeroines
http://web.archive.org/web/20100413031554/http://pegasus.msmc.la.edu/english/students/casssand/Heroine%20vs%20Hero/HerovsHeroine_Journey.htm
Certain tropes are often culturally associated with "femininity"
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FemininityTropes
And there are some characters that are identified as feminine, almost all of the time
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AlwaysFemale
So, what is it that is uniquely "feminine," anyway?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WomensMysteries
Unfortunately, in the process of defining what is "acceptable," cultures create scapegoats by exclusion of the "other"
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AcceptableFeminineGoalsAndTraits
Paulo Coelho & Ernest Becker have both written extensively about this
http://aethyrflux.livejournal.com/196880.html
However, there are at least some traditional themes which often lead to some reverence for the divine feminine
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CourtlyLove
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HerosMuse
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SexyMentor
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheLadysFavour
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EarthMother
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InHarmonyWithNature
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MotherNature
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GaiasVengeance
There is this one curious theme between certain tropes that usually involves an innocent girl becoming all-powerful, which I have always associated with the Phoenix, for some reason...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FinalGirl
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheChosenOne
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CosmicKeystone
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MacGuffinGirl
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BarrierMaiden
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ApocalypseMaiden
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SentientCosmicForce
YMMV, but there may be more recent references to the divine feminine due to these influences...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/Gnosticism
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/Wicca
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/Neo-Paganism
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HermeticMagic
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RitualMagic
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EsotericMotifs
And although there are some feminine elements in certain religious traditions... sometimes, they are shrouded in mystery
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/Religion
But why is there no entry for "goddess" or "god is female" on TVtropes???!
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Goddess
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13644158970A33580800&page=0
So, apparently, we have to read the feminine into the mysteries... rather than in between the lines, i like to think of it as how seemingly parallel lines are actually curved by gravity wells in space-time, so that they actually meet on the horizon.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OurGodsAreGreater
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GodTropes
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TropesOfTheDivine
And what does it really matter, if we're essentially making all of this stuff up?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AllMythsAreTrue
But beware the fakirs, salesmen, parasites, & predators...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ScamReligion
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/TheDaVinciCode?from=Main.TheDaVinciCode
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DanBrowned
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Plantard
Big media has institutionalized & enshrined this kind of scam
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DocumentaryOfLies
Television networks that produce such content usually justify it by saying - off camera - that the programs are entertainment only and the filmmakers have no more of a duty to reflect the truth than do the makers of The X-Files; if viewers mistake it for non-fiction, that's their problem. That defense might work if the programs themselves were actually presented as fiction...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WhoWouldBeStupidEnough
Personally, I prefer the other end of the extreme
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy
And ultimately, we come face to face with the divine, much closer than many would have guessed, anyway
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TomatoInTheMirror
--
Admittedly, I don't watch TV, much... But I understand that female characters have been getting better, over the years...
Even Alice Lidell was a self-possessed protagonist
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland
Wendy Darling was also a true heroine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Darling
And Dorothy Gale has been an inspiration for generation of strong-willed young ladies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Gale
For half a century, many of the ladies on Dr. Who have a great deal of depth to their characters
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Franchise/Whoniverse
And now we have the ultra-rational, calculating & strategic Scully from the X-Files
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AgentScully
As well as the raging warrior Starbuck from the Battlestar reboot
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined
The entire ethos of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is replete with examples of complex, well-rounded female characters
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer?from=Main.BuffyTheVampireSlayer
http://www.academia.edu/3486345/Willow_and_Which_Craft_The_portrayal_of_witchcraft_in_Joss_Whedons_Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer
http://feminismandreligion.com/2012/04/14/buffy-vs-bella-by-anjeanette-leboeuf/
Now, if we could only replace Disney in the West with Hayao Miyazaki...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/HayaoMiyazaki
http://christinehoffkraemer.com/miyazaki.html
And while we're talking about anime that references the divine feminine, I would suggest watching Evangelion
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion
http://www.academia.edu/1686835/Self_and_M_other_Apocalypse_as_Return_to_the_Womb_in_Neon_Genesis_Evangelion
http://christinehoffkraemer.com/thesis.html
There are of course many series of anime inspired by similar Gnostic themes, such as "serial experiments: lain"
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/SerialExperimentsLain?from=Main.SerialExperimentsLain
The Matrix saga blurred the lines between film & anime, while exploring many aspects of Gnosticism... here's an essay particularly examining it from a feminine perspective
http://www.matrixfans.net/editorials/the-matrix-and-the-mater/
http://www.matrixfans.net/editorials/the-matrix-and-the-mater/the-matrix-and-the-mater-2-why-trinity-had-to-die/
http://www.matrixfans.net/editorials/the-matrix-and-the-mater/the-matrix-and-the-mater-3-girl-power-and-the-matrix/
http://www.matrixfans.net/editorials/the-matrix-and-the-mater/the-matrix-and-the-mater-4-sex-and-sensibility/
http://www.matrixfans.net/editorials/the-matrix-and-the-mater/the-matrix-and-the-mater-5-embodiment-and-the-ghost-in-the-machine/
And speaking of new riffs on old themes, here's a curious & surprising comparison & contrast of Philip Pullman & C.S. Lewis
http://www.academia.edu/1223115/Re-Defining_CS_Lewis_and_Philip_Pullman_Conventional_and_Progressive_heroes_and_heroines_in_The_Lion_The_Witch_and_the_Wardrobe_and_The_Golden_Compass
Not that Pullman's writing hasn't been subversive in some way or another
http://www.academia.edu/2341612/Subversion_of_Religious_Canon_in_Pullmans_His_Dark_Materials
Yet, the most obvious case for exploring magick & witchcraft in the context of modern culture is probably J. K. Rowling
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JKRowling?from=Main.JKRowling
But I am much more prone to point towards the triumph of Felicia Day as promoting intelligent, well-rounded female character development
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/FeliciaDay?from=Main.FeliciaDay
Although I probably know even more geek girls who will be more likely to promote Joss Whedon, any day
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JossWhedon?from=Main.JossWhedon
And recently, we have seen a new rising star who writes complex female characters... George R. R. Martin
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/GeorgeRRMartin
In general, I would say that Neil Gaiman has been quite fortunate in having his works adapted to the screen... and has managed to help us all explore the mysteries together, for decades now
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/TheSandman
There are many other examples in comics & novels that are not quite as popular with the mass market, yet...
Apparently, if you don't want to write the screenplays yourself (Alan Moore rightly refuses to do so), you may not be so fortunate in the adaptation of your tales... yet, I doubt that we will see a Promethea film anytime soon (unless Kenneth Anger finally wants to film a talkie, for real, this time?)... but Moore's graphic novels are some of the deepest explorations of hermetic magick you will find
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/Promethea?from=Main.Promethea
http://christinehoffkraemer.com/CC2006.html
http://www.academia.edu/567388/_The_Magic_Circus_of_the_Mind_Alan_Moores_Promethea_and_the_Transformation_of_Consciousness_through_Comics
Grant Morrison's work is pure chaos magick
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Comicbook/TheInvisibles?from=Main.TheInvisibles
Starhawk is an inspiring figure in activism, literature, & ritual...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starhawk
And I have always been fond of Ursula K. Le Guin's work
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/UrsulaKLeGuin?from=Main.UrsulaKLeGuin
In case you hadn't already guessed, I love Charlotte Perkins Gilman
http://aethyrflux.livejournal.com/39596.html#cutid1
Octavia Butler is an amazing writer
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OctaviaButler
And I absolutely love the work of Spider & Jeanne Robinson
http://www.callahans.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_Robinson
http://www.stardancemovie.com/about_stardance.html
I imagine there's a few more names that could be pulled out of these lists as promoting exploration of the divine feminine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Women_writers_by_formathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_speculative_fiction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_science_fiction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopian_and_dystopian_fiction#Feminist_Utopias
--
Perhaps though, this is what we are really dealing with right now:
The Postmodern Sacred:
http://www.academia.edu/367910/The_Postmodern_Sacred
I am looking forward to reading Emily McAvan's entire PhD dissertation, from Murdoch University in Perth Australia...
The Postmodern Sacred: Popular Culture Spirituality in the Genres of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Fantastic Horror
http://www.amazon.com/The-Postmodern-Sacred-Popular-Spirituality/dp/0786463880/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352965516&sr=8-1&keywords=postmodern+sacred
Here's a preview
http://books.google.com/books?id=rFpzhejcQSoC&source=gbs_book_other_versions
There are some other gems, referenced here:
http://www.academia.edu/Documents/in/Popular_Culture_and_Religious_Studies
http://claremont.academia.edu/FeminismandReligion/Papers
--
I am reminded of a conversation I had with Sam Webster about the lack of ritual in Western culture...
http://aethyrflux.livejournal.com/30788.html
And similarly, Christine Hoff Kraemer also explores what Sam would call the liminoid nature of sacred elements in cinematic culture
http://www.academia.edu/559960/Film_as_Religion
But no matter how certain films may try to capture the elements of the sacred, they often end up feeling empty & cliche
http://jsri.ro/ojs/index.php/jsri/article/view/650
However, some audiences are certainly more vulnerable than others (q.v. the "DanBrowned" trope, above)
"From Angels to Aliens: Teenagers, the Media, and the Supernatural," By Lynn Schofield Clark
http://books.google.com/books/about/From_Angels_to_Aliens.html?id=PLw9h1_b8EcC
--
For further comparisons between the religious models, media tropes & role playing game characters, etc... perhaps we may consider the "Chosen Ideal"
http://sophia-dione.livejournal.com/1354.html
...which I might refer to as a Devotional Archeype, not unlike a character sheet in the context of Avatarism?
http://www.avatarism.org/post/55564747974/avatarism-presents-the-first-official-avatar-character
http://www.avatarism.org/post/804849398/a-word-about-avatarism-from-the-teafaerie
http://www.avatarism.org/post/28906419961/avatarism-presents-avatarism-basics
http://www.avatarism.org/post/28734401246/avatarism-presents-what-is-avatarism-by-alexander
Here's a related speech from TeaFaerie that I was looking forward to @ Burning Man, this year... now available for those of you who may not have been able to attend in person, for whatever reason!
Hacking the Game
...concerning: the purpose of metaphors, the Simulation Hypothesis, Virtuality, Avatarism, Life as a MMG, Being a Superhero, Manifestation, and how the Psychedelic Ultraculture can (maybe) help Save the World!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBV9wr2k8ys
I have been thinking about this concept for a few days, and it led me into a labyrinthine exploration... and I am still not certain how to relay my ideas in this medium...
--
Of course, when talking about the Divine Feminine in general, I am more likely to look for the Ur examples
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UrExample
http://aethyrflux.livejournal.com/142871.html
http://aethyrflux.livejournal.com/30290.html
http://aethyrflux.livejournal.com/196880.html
http://pacifica.edu/innercontent-m.aspx?id=1762
http://piereligion.org/pantheon.html
And I generally point people towards Christine Hoff Kraemer's resources... particularly this one first:
Annotated Bibliography of Histories and Ethnographies of Interest to Contemporary Pagans
Designed especially for the smart and skeptical contemporary Pagan practitioner who is frustrated with the bad history that is rampant in so many Pagan books.
http://christinehoffkraemer.com/paganbiblio.html
She even edited a book that relates to many of these themes
Graven Images: Religion in Comic Books & Graphic Novels
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/sermonsfromthemound/religion-in-comic-books-and-graphic-novels/
I really appreciate y'all encouraging me to turn around and look at where we are with modern media portrayals, rather than just contemplating where we came from & where we are going
And I must say that I am glad that at least this is a completely discredited trope, now...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet
--
While this is true, it is also true for all young people, whatever gender...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GirlsNeedRoleModels
We have to be careful of the fine print in what we are asking for, since this is what we actually want...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RoundedCharacter
And this is what we get, more often from the big media conglomerates:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ActionGirl
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Xenafication
Not that such results are always bad... but they often are, from a certain perspective
http://www.overthinkingit.com/2008/08/18/why-strong-female-characters-are-bad-for-women/
http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2013/08/i-hate-strong-female-characters
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13005634470A35826100&page=0
So, can we address the actual issue, please?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Empowerment
Perhaps we need to define our territory...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GenderDynamicsIndex
Because most tropes can conceivably be the same at a basic level, irregardless of gender
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GenderFlip
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleSixtyThree
Although there have been some traditional problems in exploring this concept
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DistaffCounterpart
In general, there are some tropes tropes that blend genders more often
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GenderBlendingTropes
While the standard model of the feminine gender has been this
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheChick
Caused by an obvious issue
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MostWritersAreMale
And even though this may be changing to some degree... in fandom, we all too regularly see serious stereotypical typecasting for Gender
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GenderAndSexualityTropes
Here are some attempts to categorize archetypes that are generally played as female
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MasterCharacterHeroines
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RomanceGenreHeroines
http://web.archive.org/web/20100413031554/http://pegasus.msmc.la.edu/english/students/casssand/Heroine%20vs%20Hero/HerovsHeroine_Journey.htm
Certain tropes are often culturally associated with "femininity"
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FemininityTropes
And there are some characters that are identified as feminine, almost all of the time
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AlwaysFemale
So, what is it that is uniquely "feminine," anyway?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WomensMysteries
Unfortunately, in the process of defining what is "acceptable," cultures create scapegoats by exclusion of the "other"
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AcceptableFeminineGoalsAndTraits
Paulo Coelho & Ernest Becker have both written extensively about this
http://aethyrflux.livejournal.com/196880.html
However, there are at least some traditional themes which often lead to some reverence for the divine feminine
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CourtlyLove
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HerosMuse
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SexyMentor
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheLadysFavour
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EarthMother
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InHarmonyWithNature
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MotherNature
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GaiasVengeance
There is this one curious theme between certain tropes that usually involves an innocent girl becoming all-powerful, which I have always associated with the Phoenix, for some reason...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FinalGirl
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheChosenOne
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CosmicKeystone
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MacGuffinGirl
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BarrierMaiden
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ApocalypseMaiden
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SentientCosmicForce
YMMV, but there may be more recent references to the divine feminine due to these influences...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/Gnosticism
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/Wicca
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/Neo-Paganism
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HermeticMagic
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RitualMagic
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EsotericMotifs
And although there are some feminine elements in certain religious traditions... sometimes, they are shrouded in mystery
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/Religion
But why is there no entry for "goddess" or "god is female" on TVtropes???!
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Goddess
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13644158970A33580800&page=0
So, apparently, we have to read the feminine into the mysteries... rather than in between the lines, i like to think of it as how seemingly parallel lines are actually curved by gravity wells in space-time, so that they actually meet on the horizon.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OurGodsAreGreater
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GodTropes
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TropesOfTheDivine
And what does it really matter, if we're essentially making all of this stuff up?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AllMythsAreTrue
But beware the fakirs, salesmen, parasites, & predators...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ScamReligion
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/TheDaVinciCode?from=Main.TheDaVinciCode
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DanBrowned
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Plantard
Big media has institutionalized & enshrined this kind of scam
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DocumentaryOfLies
Television networks that produce such content usually justify it by saying - off camera - that the programs are entertainment only and the filmmakers have no more of a duty to reflect the truth than do the makers of The X-Files; if viewers mistake it for non-fiction, that's their problem. That defense might work if the programs themselves were actually presented as fiction...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WhoWouldBeStupidEnough
Personally, I prefer the other end of the extreme
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy
And ultimately, we come face to face with the divine, much closer than many would have guessed, anyway
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TomatoInTheMirror
--
Admittedly, I don't watch TV, much... But I understand that female characters have been getting better, over the years...
Even Alice Lidell was a self-possessed protagonist
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland
Wendy Darling was also a true heroine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Darling
And Dorothy Gale has been an inspiration for generation of strong-willed young ladies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Gale
For half a century, many of the ladies on Dr. Who have a great deal of depth to their characters
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Franchise/Whoniverse
And now we have the ultra-rational, calculating & strategic Scully from the X-Files
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AgentScully
As well as the raging warrior Starbuck from the Battlestar reboot
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined
The entire ethos of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is replete with examples of complex, well-rounded female characters
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer?from=Main.BuffyTheVampireSlayer
http://www.academia.edu/3486345/Willow_and_Which_Craft_The_portrayal_of_witchcraft_in_Joss_Whedons_Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer
http://feminismandreligion.com/2012/04/14/buffy-vs-bella-by-anjeanette-leboeuf/
Now, if we could only replace Disney in the West with Hayao Miyazaki...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/HayaoMiyazaki
http://christinehoffkraemer.com/miyazaki.html
And while we're talking about anime that references the divine feminine, I would suggest watching Evangelion
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion
http://www.academia.edu/1686835/Self_and_M_other_Apocalypse_as_Return_to_the_Womb_in_Neon_Genesis_Evangelion
http://christinehoffkraemer.com/thesis.html
There are of course many series of anime inspired by similar Gnostic themes, such as "serial experiments: lain"
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/SerialExperimentsLain?from=Main.SerialExperimentsLain
The Matrix saga blurred the lines between film & anime, while exploring many aspects of Gnosticism... here's an essay particularly examining it from a feminine perspective
http://www.matrixfans.net/editorials/the-matrix-and-the-mater/
http://www.matrixfans.net/editorials/the-matrix-and-the-mater/the-matrix-and-the-mater-2-why-trinity-had-to-die/
http://www.matrixfans.net/editorials/the-matrix-and-the-mater/the-matrix-and-the-mater-3-girl-power-and-the-matrix/
http://www.matrixfans.net/editorials/the-matrix-and-the-mater/the-matrix-and-the-mater-4-sex-and-sensibility/
http://www.matrixfans.net/editorials/the-matrix-and-the-mater/the-matrix-and-the-mater-5-embodiment-and-the-ghost-in-the-machine/
And speaking of new riffs on old themes, here's a curious & surprising comparison & contrast of Philip Pullman & C.S. Lewis
http://www.academia.edu/1223115/Re-Defining_CS_Lewis_and_Philip_Pullman_Conventional_and_Progressive_heroes_and_heroines_in_The_Lion_The_Witch_and_the_Wardrobe_and_The_Golden_Compass
Not that Pullman's writing hasn't been subversive in some way or another
http://www.academia.edu/2341612/Subversion_of_Religious_Canon_in_Pullmans_His_Dark_Materials
Yet, the most obvious case for exploring magick & witchcraft in the context of modern culture is probably J. K. Rowling
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JKRowling?from=Main.JKRowling
But I am much more prone to point towards the triumph of Felicia Day as promoting intelligent, well-rounded female character development
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/FeliciaDay?from=Main.FeliciaDay
Although I probably know even more geek girls who will be more likely to promote Joss Whedon, any day
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JossWhedon?from=Main.JossWhedon
And recently, we have seen a new rising star who writes complex female characters... George R. R. Martin
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/GeorgeRRMartin
In general, I would say that Neil Gaiman has been quite fortunate in having his works adapted to the screen... and has managed to help us all explore the mysteries together, for decades now
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/TheSandman
There are many other examples in comics & novels that are not quite as popular with the mass market, yet...
Apparently, if you don't want to write the screenplays yourself (Alan Moore rightly refuses to do so), you may not be so fortunate in the adaptation of your tales... yet, I doubt that we will see a Promethea film anytime soon (unless Kenneth Anger finally wants to film a talkie, for real, this time?)... but Moore's graphic novels are some of the deepest explorations of hermetic magick you will find
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/Promethea?from=Main.Promethea
http://christinehoffkraemer.com/CC2006.html
http://www.academia.edu/567388/_The_Magic_Circus_of_the_Mind_Alan_Moores_Promethea_and_the_Transformation_of_Consciousness_through_Comics
Grant Morrison's work is pure chaos magick
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Comicbook/TheInvisibles?from=Main.TheInvisibles
Starhawk is an inspiring figure in activism, literature, & ritual...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starhawk
And I have always been fond of Ursula K. Le Guin's work
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/UrsulaKLeGuin?from=Main.UrsulaKLeGuin
In case you hadn't already guessed, I love Charlotte Perkins Gilman
http://aethyrflux.livejournal.com/39596.html#cutid1
Octavia Butler is an amazing writer
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OctaviaButler
And I absolutely love the work of Spider & Jeanne Robinson
http://www.callahans.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_Robinson
http://www.stardancemovie.com/about_stardance.html
I imagine there's a few more names that could be pulled out of these lists as promoting exploration of the divine feminine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Women_writers_by_formathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_speculative_fiction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_science_fiction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopian_and_dystopian_fiction#Feminist_Utopias
--
Perhaps though, this is what we are really dealing with right now:
The Postmodern Sacred:
http://www.academia.edu/367910/The_Postmodern_Sacred
I am looking forward to reading Emily McAvan's entire PhD dissertation, from Murdoch University in Perth Australia...
The Postmodern Sacred: Popular Culture Spirituality in the Genres of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Fantastic Horror
http://www.amazon.com/The-Postmodern-Sacred-Popular-Spirituality/dp/0786463880/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352965516&sr=8-1&keywords=postmodern+sacred
Here's a preview
http://books.google.com/books?id=rFpzhejcQSoC&source=gbs_book_other_versions
There are some other gems, referenced here:
http://www.academia.edu/Documents/in/Popular_Culture_and_Religious_Studies
http://claremont.academia.edu/FeminismandReligion/Papers
--
I am reminded of a conversation I had with Sam Webster about the lack of ritual in Western culture...
http://aethyrflux.livejournal.com/30788.html
And similarly, Christine Hoff Kraemer also explores what Sam would call the liminoid nature of sacred elements in cinematic culture
http://www.academia.edu/559960/Film_as_Religion
But no matter how certain films may try to capture the elements of the sacred, they often end up feeling empty & cliche
http://jsri.ro/ojs/index.php/jsri/article/view/650
However, some audiences are certainly more vulnerable than others (q.v. the "DanBrowned" trope, above)
"From Angels to Aliens: Teenagers, the Media, and the Supernatural," By Lynn Schofield Clark
http://books.google.com/books/about/From_Angels_to_Aliens.html?id=PLw9h1_b8EcC
--
For further comparisons between the religious models, media tropes & role playing game characters, etc... perhaps we may consider the "Chosen Ideal"
http://sophia-dione.livejournal.com/1354.html
...which I might refer to as a Devotional Archeype, not unlike a character sheet in the context of Avatarism?
http://www.avatarism.org/post/55564747974/avatarism-presents-the-first-official-avatar-character
http://www.avatarism.org/post/804849398/a-word-about-avatarism-from-the-teafaerie
http://www.avatarism.org/post/28906419961/avatarism-presents-avatarism-basics
http://www.avatarism.org/post/28734401246/avatarism-presents-what-is-avatarism-by-alexander
Here's a related speech from TeaFaerie that I was looking forward to @ Burning Man, this year... now available for those of you who may not have been able to attend in person, for whatever reason!
Hacking the Game
...concerning: the purpose of metaphors, the Simulation Hypothesis, Virtuality, Avatarism, Life as a MMG, Being a Superhero, Manifestation, and how the Psychedelic Ultraculture can (maybe) help Save the World!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBV9wr2k8ys