As Above, So Below—A Cosmic Tale by Mary Gelfand

It was when I was studying to become a Witch that I first encountered the phrase ‘As Above, So Below,’ which I now know to be a paraphrase of a ninth century Hermetic text from an Arabic source.  I liked this phrase from the beginning as it expressed something I believed but had struggled to articulate so elegantly.  I believe that there is a sacred connection between our earthy human existence and the grandeur of the cosmos—our very bodies are composed of star dust.

I was delighted to discover a more specific description of that connection in the Journey of the Universe, by cosmologist Brian Swimme & Mary Tucker, founder of the Forum on Religion & Ecology at Yale. They discuss the creation of the universe in terms of natural cycles of expansion and contraction, which they also refer to as ‘attraction,’ or gravity. They write “All of space and time and mass and energy began as a ‘single point’ that was trillions of degrees hot and that instantly rushed apart. (p. 4)” That expansion is on-going, billions of years later. 

At the same time, “there is another fundamental force at play in our universe:  a force of attraction, pulling things together….  The universe expanded and cooled and gravity pulled some of the matter together to form the galaxies and stars. These two opposing dynamics, expansion and contraction, were the dominant powers operating at the beginning of the universe.  … the universe as a whole…has been shaped by these two opposing and creative dynamics. (p. 6)”

Swimme & Tucker go on to observe that expansion and contraction are natural processes that are repeated in our human bodies. I love that our bodies, and indeed most other living things here on earth, are locked into a cosmic process as old as time itself. As Above, So Below. Breathing follows this pattern–our lungs expand and contract—ad infinitum, until death claims us. The heart follows this pattern too, expanding as blood flows into it and contracting as it pumps blood into the circulatory system.  Digestion is a process of expansion and contraction as are women’s monthly cycles. The creation of life itself follows this pattern as pregnancy involves expansion, and birth itself is a process of contraction. As Above, So Below.

 I don’t pretend to understand the math and science behind the kind of astronomical research that the Journey of the Universe describes, but I’m fascinated by the expansion/contraction dynamic. I love that I can observe this dynamic in my own body as I go about my daily life. I am humbled to know that my life, body, and soul are part of this cosmic cycle, and appreciate that my very life depends on a relationship that dates back to the beginning of time.    

But I also find myself wondering—what happened before that moment?  How did all that mass and energy and stuff get compressed into a space described as ‘a point,’ which I imagine as a single grain of sand? The release of energy from that point produced so much light that astronomers cannot see past that point into even more ancient time. They assume that time began in that moment, so they can’t answer my question concerning what happened before then. Fortunately, my imagination and intuition can.  And given the mythic patriarchal propensity to claim all births as theirs, it seemed to me that here was something I wanted to claim for  women—the ones who give birth. 

As I continued to contemplate my question, a vision began to coalesce in my consciousness. I saw a group of 3 female forms—magnificently tall and grand—surrounded by darkness, standing in a circular shape, facing outward. Fiery energy extended over their heads rather like angel wings, but I name these beings Goddesses. The Goddesses began calling  all the elements of space—the energy, the mass, the molecules, the wisps—that existed before the instantaneous expansion Swimme and Tucker describe. 

They called this material with intention, by drumming and singing and dancing. They made great sweeping gestures with their glowing wings and encompassed all space around, above and below them. Slowly, gradually,  they gathered in the last bits. Then they carefully shaped and arranged it, packing it all into that one tiny point—stuffing it in with great care and intensity—saying prayers over it—holding it in a circle of love. When all was gathered—when the time was right—they turned to face the point, gave it one last loving caress. Then, with glowing finger tips united, they touched the point with a single spark and said, “The energy must be discharged.”  With this everything was released and the ever-changing universe was born. 

In the 1980s, feminist mystic and artist Meinrad Craighead wrote, “Whether we are weaving tissue in the womb or imagery in the soul, our work is sexual:  the work of conception, gestation and birth.” The universe was conceived, gestated, and birthed—as are all forms of life on this planet.  and the Divine Feminine was the midwife. 

Science can give us facts and figures and I honor its ability to observe, calculate, and analyze the data being accumulated in this Space Age. But I believe that humans also need mythologies—stories that relate to how we live our lives and serve to inspire us to grow and expand ourselves. 

Craighead talks about how important it is for women to create and record our own mythologies. As we know, the historic record has been manipulated to support a masculine narrative. It is up to us to write ourselves into the new record—to develop a creation narrative that empowers and honors women’s innate gifts and abilities. Remember, ‘She changes everything she touches and everything she touches changes.’

Swimme, Brian Thomas & Mary Evelyn Tucker, Journey of the Universe.  Yale University Press, 2011. pp 4, 6.   

Giles, Mary E., editor.  The Feminist Mystic and other Essays on Women & Spirituality.  Crossroad Publishing Co., 1982.  P.79.