1990 Quote by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki
““To the altars of the Great Mother, and later still to that of the Horned God, came those women who wanted children. In the Delta of the Nile in the small city of Mendes they worshipped a God with a goat's head. In the earliest times the Goat of Mendes was a simple fertility God, the animal's horned head and shaggy nether limbs representing the sexual energy of the most prolific animal the Egyptians knew. Its curving horns emulated the erect male penis and so it became a symbol of the seed-bearer. The God Pan served a similar purpose in ancient Greece. The early [Christian] Church labelled this simple but incredibly ancient God form 'the Devil', horned and hooved, and consigned it to oblivion except in the remnants of the Old Religion which remembered it only in a debased form. Now it is a symbol so defiled and linked to Satanism that it is impossible to use it even if one wished to do so. Please understand this fully: this particular symbol cannot be used, and those who have the knowledge and the understanding will leave it well alone. I repeat, this symbol cannot be used with safety.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Esoteric Symbolism, 2000s (author’s writings)
The Goat of Mendes, once a fertility symbol, was demonized by later religions, making its use unsafe in modern contexts.
In simple terms: Ancient fertility symbol became taboo and linked to evil.
Key Takeaway
Avoid using symbols with dangerous historical connotations.
Themes
mythology
symbolism
religion
cultural appropriation
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
esoteric
critical
When to use this quote
- Art
- literature
- ritual practice
- education
Key Concepts
Fertility archetypes
demonization
taboo symbols
Questions to Reflect On
- Can a symbol be safely reclaimed?
- What responsibilities accompany using historically charged symbols?
A Different Perspective
Some may argue reclaiming symbols can subvert negative meanings.
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