7 Sacred Mothers To Celebrate An Interfaith Mother's Day

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/09/sacred-mothers-mothers-day_n_5275878.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

The Huffington Post | by Antonia Blumberg

Posted: 05/09/2014 8:33 pm EDT Updated: 05/09/2014 8:59 pm EDT

Mother's Day offers the perfect opportunity to celebrate mother goddesses and sacred mothers from different faiths. These holy and divine figures capture some of the important qualities mothers can embody for us -- on Mother's Day and every other day of the year.

As York University researcher Johanna H. Stuckey points out, mother goddesses often encompass many more divine traits than their motherhood alone. But motherhood does play an integral role in their cosmic stories, as well as in the lives of mothers, women and men who worship them.

Here are 7 mother goddesses and sacred mothers from 7 world traditions:

Durga (Hindu)


Durga is the supreme Mother Goddess in Hinduism who represents unified divine energy. In addition to her compassion, Durga is a fierce destroyer of injustice. When evil forces threatened the existence of the gods, they came together to bring Durga into being -- only she had the power to defeat the demons and save the gods. To her worshippers, Durga removes fear and obstacles and always aids those who call on her.

Virgin Mary (Christian)


Though not considered to be a goddess, the Virgin Mary hold the key role of sacred mother in the Christian faith. Like her son, Mary came into the world through a miraculous conception, and her role in Jesus' life, death and resurrection make her a highly venerated figure among Christians, and particularly among Catholics.

Pachamama (South American indigenous)


Pachamama is a Mother Earth goddess venerated by indigenous South American Andean traditions. She embodies health, happiness and fortune, as well as the powerful, life-giving properties of nature. Activists have also invoked Pachamama's name to draw indigenous groups into the rainforest conservation movement.

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