Self-defence

A man, in part, a poet, whole, and Muse-obsessed; in a matricentral culture born and bred – all women : mothers, sisters, Magdalens, muses – goddesses. In response to the constraint that you appear to feel – culturally induced and encouraged, most likely – your inability to react to abuse as instinctually, as expeditiously as required, given the circumstances – dare you prepare in advance a defence to the intrusive intent of groping men?

For the bullying to cease, a deterrent must inflict both insult and injury. Every lesson of worth that I have learned in my life has been taught to me by a woman. Desiring anything of value from a man – unsolicited – I have won it in battle.  

Were I there, a stranger, observing, a man, in part, a poet, whole, and Muse-obsessed, without expectation or invitation, I would rise, chivalrously, your champion. Acquiescence is acceptance. Anyone who witnesses abuse, and refuses to act, is twice the coward. The first crime, any feeling but loathing in the witness itself; the second, even an interval of hesitation between seconds in rushing to the aid of the abused.

Words may be a weapon, too, of course, but not as effective as the sting, the burn of the sudden smite of unexpected force – not shield, but sword. The men who abuse assume the tacit approval of other men, the accustomed consent of women. Make a stand. Act, first, yourself, in self-defence, then shame the others for their pusillanimity. To be an artist means never to avert one’s eyes. May others be aroused from the torpidity of indifference, of complaisance, of ignorance. There should be zero tolerance for abuse of any kind.

Men can truly love only one other, despite however many dalliances. Women are not so limited, so constrained; they can spread their love around. Perhaps that is why patricentral religions tolerate but one male god; while matricentral spirituality – Pagan, or pre-Abrahamic, pre-Christian – allows any number of goddesses and demigoddesses. Prior to the advent of patricentral worship, matricentral worship was widespread, if not universal. Mary, relegated to a cult figure by many ill-informed, misguided Americans, was rather, is rather, a re-embodiment, a reincarnation, of that age-old archetype and worship of the Mother goddess.

As a woman, you are either a goddess or a doormat. A goddess, born; a doormat only in your acquiescence to abuse from and subservience to men.