I Pulled a Card for You Today

From my Sacred Muse deck: a woman, her story, and oh-so-much wisdom that's perfect for you!

Today’s card: Jezebel

Her story: Her story—more, her name—are quickly put into the camp of how not to be. I’m not completely sure why this is . . . well, other than the fact that (almost) any women with power is downplayed if not demonized in this text.

According to the biblical narrative, Jezebel, along with her husband, instituted the worship of Baal and Asherah on a national scale—which would have been in direct contradiction to the singular deity of the Israelites. In addition, we’re told she violently purged the prophets of that deity, Yahweh. For these offences, she suffered a horrific death by defenestration (being thrown out a window). She gets one more mention in the Book of Revelation: her name symbolically associated with false prophets.

*sigh*

When we only hear her story told through the lens of those who cast her as the villain, who didn’t believe in the same god(s) she did, and who didn’t like that she was passionate and outspoken, it’s not surprising that her name is spoken with disdain.

But a closer (and more generous . . . and maybe even more objective) look reveals a woman who was incredibly powerful and deeply committed to her own spirituality. That, it seems to me, is worth honoring. She is.

“[If] we recover the figure of Jezebel, we not only undermine patriarchal assumptions about the story, we undermine the very basic patriarchal assumptions about what characteristics and actions constitute bad women.” ~ Source

Mmmmm. She most definitely seems worth a second look!

Her wisdom and voice on your behalf: