Realizing the Archaic Future A Radical Elemental Feminist Manifesto

 

 

"Throughout patriarchal history women have experienced surges of Memories of an Archaic Past. Patriarchal men have done everything they could to stop women from this Re-membering. They are doing this today--by deadening and killing of Women's Studies, by erasing Feminist books, i.e., making them inaccessible, putting them out of print, keeping them out of libraries, forcing women's bookstores out of business. They try to kill our Deep Memories by tokenizing/taming women faculty members and other professionals.

In the early 1970s Elizabeth Gould Davis and Monique Witting were outstanding examples of Memory Bearers of an Archaic Past. That period was marked by Volcanic Eruptions of Memories which were recognized by and assumed into the consciousness of many women. In the late nineteenth century Matilda Joslyn Gage was such a Memory Bearer. And there were many before that.

Those Memories are still alive. The Volcanic Eruptions that occur from Time to Time spew forth Lava that enriches the soil for the flowering of Elemental Feminist Genius. When the predictable backlash from the patriarchy occurs after each Eruption women become exhausted and feel betrayed. It appears that the Volcanic soil is also exhausted. We often have described this experience as "having to reinvent the wheel over and over." - Mary Daly, QUINTESSENCE: Realizing the Archaic Future A Radical Elemental Feminist Manifesto