Follow Up to WATERmeditation
“Goddesses of Justice”
with Cynthia Tootle
Monday, October 2, 2023 7:30 PM ET
Video can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pFbPgFFpuY
WATER thanks Cynthia Tootle who led us in meditation. Her topic, Goddesses of Justice, was well chosen for the day.
The Rev. Cynthia Tootle is an expert on Goddesses. She is a minister at the Takoma Metaphysical Chapel where both her intellectual and pastoral skills are welcome. Cynthia is an engineer by training and vocation. She had a long career with the federal government and now in her retirement has embraced her calling to ministry.
She has an amazing scope when it comes to Goddesses, studying one each month. She shares her knowledge and the Goddesses’ messages with us so very generously.
Her comments, which are in the video, included her various understandings of justice:
–an eye for an eye
–bad guys lose, good guys win
–justice for George Floyd’s killer, but will it mean anything?
–restorative justice—who and what will be restored?
None of it seemed to work, so she searched her Goddesses including Shams, the Arabian Goddess of the Sun. Just shining light on something can move toward justice. She looked at Themis, the goddess often depicted with scales, sometimes with a blindfold. She considered Maat, the Egyptian winged goddess. None of them seemed quite right either.
The song, “Justice,” by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers has the line “For justice, one, one, one word prayer.” That seems to say it as well as anything.
The video that she used is: https://youtu.be/zOPIehLcXgc?si=INcQ8ASUiPHzosJM
Here are the lyrics to at least one version (there are several) of the song:
Lyrics to “Justice” by Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers
Justice, people say, justice
Justice, brother say, justice
Judge me if I am weak
Judge me if I am strong
Judge my days and all life long
They let the baby cry, let the mama cry
And youths like I and I have to cry
For justice, one, one, one word prayer
Justice, who yea, justice, justice
Is like a good friend
Who long time we don’t see
Why they taking liberty
Who, is like a good friend
Who long time we don’t see
Why they taking liberty, with I and I and I
Justice, yea yea yea
Justice, now not later, justice
Justice, people say
For I and I, justice, justice
Justice, where are you
Justice, look what they do
They make the innocent cry
The innocent cry
Look what they do to Garvey
They make the innocent die
They make the innocent die
How dem lie on Steve Biko
Justice, justice, the one word prayer
Justice, who yea, justice
The poor man cry, why do they do the wrong
Justice, they make me sing this song
Justice, who yea woa, mmmh, yea, yea
Justice, justice, desert me not
Justice, they are on my back
Justice, the more the tears
The more, the more we want, justice, justice
————————————————————————————
There were many thoughtful observations in our discussion. A sample follows:
–equity vs. egality as depicted by a cartoon suggested by Beth Feckter:
— Holly Near’s song, “I am Willing,” suggested by Domini Collins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AkGk5maD8Q
–George Floyd memorial photo from Gail DeGeorge
–Prayer by Carol Laverdure written during the meditation time:
Justice
Justice
Just us
Justice is
Just us Being
Justice
Just to self
Just to the other
Just within self
Just within the world
Just Being
Justice
Loving Justice
Goddess of LovingJustice
Loving just as is
Jesus Justice
Jesus -the Word- is hidden
Within Justice
God is
God is us
God Justice
Goddess Justice
Feathered
Winged
Hearted
Justice
Justice
Balanced
Weighted
Breathed
Breathe
Justice
Ah
Aha
Om
