Capitolo, Tessamarie
THE DARK GODDESS: AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE DARK FEMININE

Journal of Sandplay Therapy, Volume 1, Number 2, 1991

KEY WORDS: cultural, Black Goddess, Black Madonna, Inanna, Hecate, Artemis/Diana, Kali, Seven African Powers, black, alchemical process, sandplay therapy.

ABSTRACT: The various expressions of the archetype of the Dark Goddess through myth and history are explored in this article. The Black Madonna, Lilith, Inanna, Hecate, Artemis, Diana, Kali and the Seven Africa Powers are described. The author describes her splitting off of the dark side of the feminine due to her culture and illegitimacy as a child. Feelings of passion, sexuality, sensuality, anger and rage went underground with the adoration of the Virgin Mary, promoted as the ideal. With the owning of the totality of the feminine, a woman recognizes and owns her own strength. Two examples are given of the trays of a six-year old girl and a fifty-eight year old woman, and the manifestation of the protective, dark goddesses for their healing of sexual abuse.