Love Letter to Minne

 

Beloved Goddess,

Throughout history, known as the Goddess of Love, including romantic love, you represent unity, devotion, fidelity- both the benefit and the blessing of ever deepening love.

Though your name means 'remembrance, many seem to have forgotten who you are! 

Unexplainably, around the 15th century, you became associated with unrequited love and thereafter were referred to as 'the Goddess who steals men's hearts'. 

One ancient work of art depicts a lover standing before you, heart in hand, with three of your arrows piercing it! 

These words written as explanation:  

Gracious Lady, I have surrendered.

Lady, send me solace, my heart has been wounded.

However did the Goddess of Love become the Goddess who purposely inflicts pain and suffering? Truly, are we to believe that you have nothing better to do than to spend your time and energy devising devious ways to break the heart of every man who comes within range of your bow or sword as the image below details?!

“The Power of Frau Minne”
(Allegorical depiction of women’s power over men’s hearts). 

Seriously? Are we to believe that you are to blame for the broken hearts of mankind? 

Goddess Minne sits on a throne made of two men.
Holding the heart just ripped from one mans chest,
with sword in hand, she proceeds to cut out the other's!

For reasons still unknown, yet, which seem only to serve the patriarchal agenda, women and Goddesses are too often demonized. Why has our natural beauty, sexuality and sensual charms been twisted into something ugly, or a cruel weapon to use against our self or another? And, why is our wisdom, power and unspoken intention made evil, sadistic or dangerous? 

Every woman, on some level, still holds aspects or fragments of this blame, shame or secret guilt deep within... We are conditioned to politely avert unwanted attention, bend over backwards to please or keep the peace, and to quietly avoid or ignore unwanted attention. 

And, if we don't... 

If we remember who we are, reclaim our power and choose to free ourselves from false expectations, degrading accusations or the unwarranted responsibility for a love sick or lustful mans woundedness, and just go about our life as we desire... wearing what we want, speaking up for ourselves, declining undesired advances by saying 'No'- we may, more often than not, find ourselves being hurt, silenced, ignored, stalked, tortured, called derogatory names, defenseless, raped, manhandled, disrespected or even murdered!

What are we to do? Please return and help us set this imbalance right, help us reclaim proper boundaries and respect. It's gotten completely out of hand! It's time for the true meaning of love to rule again. It's time for all hearts to heal. 

Thank you.

-Yours devotedly