Since ecofeminist awareness is a foundation upon which SHARANYA is based, we share here some historical background and thoughts on the subject...which we hope prove useful in deepening your understanding of this philosophy, its spiritual dimension, and implications for social justice.

Background & Context

Ecofeminism as a named discipline began with the coining of the term eco-féminisme by French philosopher and feminist Françoise d'Eaubonne in her book Féminisme ou la Mort (Feminism or Death) over twenty years ago in 1974. The term, however, was quickly adopted in the late seventies and early eighties by American feminist philosophers (e.g., Mary Daly and Greta Gaard). Through these and other teachers’ writings and lectures, ecofeminism gained an embodied life.

While those who had been fighting in feminist circles for the right of women to inhabit their own bodies and those in the environmental movement had been fighting for the right to live upon a healthy planet, women and men recognizing the ecofeminist vision as an expression of interrelationship sought to bring the two together. They were able to couple their efforts through realizing that a healing of our individual bodies can and will eventually help to heal the planet. But interestingly, ecofeminism is as diverse in its expression as are the earth-based religions of the world; part of ecofeminism's particular beauty is its diverse and multiplexic embrace; meaning its embracement of multiplicity and complexity in a respectful regard for all the members of Earth's community.

Throughout the eighties, particularly as we headed into the '90s, ecofeminist philosophy flourished. Ecofeminist groups, conferences (such as the 1987 conference on ecofeminism organized by Irene Diamond and Gloria Orenstein and the 1989 meeting of the National Women's Studies Association Ecofeminist Task Force); and newsletters (such as the Ecofeminist Newsletter of Washington State University), were born. All of these methods of communicating ecofeminist ideas generated more and more interest. Additionally, both the written and oral word helped to create a focus and network for ecofeminist evolution.

At the core of ecofeminism is the belief that there must be a fundamental shift in values from death-oriented to life-affirming; ecofeminism values individual action and responsibility in making such changes happen. It does so within a matrix of interconnectedness, aware of the processes that are life. For many, it is a direct experience of the world as sacred. It is a rekindling of the spirit thrown away in the modern West, a bringing back of wonder on all levels. It welcomes nature as a companion, rather than as a field for experiments, and it celebrates the entire spectrum of life.

Within the last twenty years, many people (especially those marginalized, ignored and frustrated by the patriarchal project of religion), have found community in something other than the Abrahamic faiths. Spiritual traditions accepting of a wide range of beliefs such as Unitarianism, Wicca (an earth-based tradition that to a large extent reclaims pre-Christian European beliefs) and other life-affirming pathways have become a focus for those working to heal inner and outer forms of abuse in their own lives and on the planet. By teaching the value of connection to nature as sacred, such traditions of the West have also found themselves aligned with many of the wisdoms espoused by Native American and Eastern traditions.

Further, many people began to find strength and empowerment through focus on the Divine as a feminine force; an alien concept to people raised within the constructs of most Western religions. For most, the Goddess helped bring balance to the ubiquitous and male-focused Judeo-Christian traditions. Discovery and work with the Divine Feminine, or Goddess, helped many to revive the power of nature and the power of woman lying just under the cloak of patriarchal domination. In fact it helped many to reclaim an important piece of psychospiritual reality.

Much of the groundwork for the surge of interest in these spiritual pathways was initiated by feminists seeking to give women a voice in history. In time, feminism itself gave rise to the women's spirituality movement, a movement that connected women’s ancient stories with women’s power, voice, devotion to nature and a reverence for the female form in all shapes and sizes. Women working with ancient images and symbols of Goddess (many of which were discovered, interpreted, and elaborated upon by archaeomythologist, Marija Gimbutas) began to develop a sense of self that transcended the purely patriarchal definitions of “woman” and a conscious collective of people who could honor any and all presence of feminine beauty began to grow.

Among many women, the establishment of a connection to the earth through an imaging of a Divine Feminine force came readily, and brought with it a tremendous sense of empowerment. And it should be noted that for men too, earth-based spirituality--and ecofeminism have been guides out of the culturally-defined aspects of what it means to be a man in today's world.

Over time, more and more ecofeminists have come to embrace the spiritual dimension of their philosophical beliefs.  One group that provided an initial forum for explorations in New York City was EVE: Ecofeminist Visions Emerging.

Spirituality is now more widely recognized and engaged by ecofeminists as a valid, experiential source of knowing; one capable of honoring the entire diversity of creation while helping to heal the splits of the dichotomized western worldview. And while we have a way to go before Gaian wholeness can be achieved, we've certainly come quite far in our struggles to make life on our planet work. Ecofeminism is one solid reason why that's the case.

For additional reading on some of ways in which ecofeminism and Tantra are related, and how this informs SHARANYA and the Sha'can tradition, click here.

Some Recommended Readings

Adams, Carol J. The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory. New York, 1990.

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Adams, Carol J., editor. Ecofeminism and the Sacred. (Continuum: New York) 1993. An anthology of essays devoted to the spiritual dimension of ecofeminist thought, including philosophically based arguments, and essays by women of color. Very useful for discussion of spirituality in this paper.

Alaimo, Stacy. "Cyborg and Ecofeminist Interventions: Challenges for an Environmental Feminism." Feminist Studies, Spring 1994, Vol. 20.

Animal Welfare Institute. Animals and Their Legal Rights: A Survry of American Laws from 1641 - 1990. (4th Edition, 1990). -State composite

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Bigwood, Carol. Earth Muse: Feminism, Nature and Art. (Temple University Press: Philadelphia) 1993. Ecofeminism explored from feminist, philosophical, spiritual and artistic perspectives.

Brower, Michael and Warren Leon. The Consumer's Guide to Effective
Environmental Choices: Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned scientists.  A great guide for creating an ecologically-sound approach to day-to-day consumer choices.

Caldwell, Lynton Keith. International Environmental Policy: Emergence and Dimensions. (Duke University Press) 1990. A look at the political / environmental debate, and where it's going.

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Caputi, Jane. Gossips, Gorgons & Crones: The Fates of the Earth (Sante Fe) 1993

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Chapple, Christopher Key, Non violence to Animals, Earth and Self in Asian Traditions. (State University of New York Press) 1993.

Clarke, Paul A.B. & Linzey, A., editors. Political Theory and Animal Rights. London, 1990. (Foreword by Tom Regan) - Anthology of essays.

Daly, Herman E.  Beyond Growth.  Daly is a radical iconoclast economist at the World Bank, who argues that "sustainable development" is a vacuous phrase and that we need to give up on the idea of perpetual economic growth in favor of ecological justice, social equality, amelioration of poverty, etc.

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Daly, Mary. Gyn/Ecology: The Metaethics of Radical Feminism. (Beacon Press: Boston) 1978. Philosophical, theological and political underpinnings of ecofeminist thought.

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Davidson, John. The Web of Life: Life Force: The Energetic Constitution of Man and the Neuro-Endocrine Connection. (The C.W. Daniel Company Limited: England) 1988. Accessible look at the systems of the human and the planet, and how we are interlinked.

Devall, Bill and George Sessions.  Deep Ecology: Living as if Nature Mattered.   Foundational work of deep ecology.

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Diamond, Irene and Orenstein, Gloria Feman; editors. Reweaving the World: The Emergence of Ecofeminism. (Sierra Club: San Francisco) 1990. Yet another anthology of essays on ecofeminism; but an excellent one. Includes perspectives of women of the South (i.e., Third World) on ecofeminist/ecological issues. Foundational work for any comprehensive examination of ecofeminist principals.

Ehrenreich. The Hearts of Men: American Dreams and the Flight from Commitment. A very thoughtful critique of the evolution of relations between the sexes over the past few decades and a re-examination of what a nonpatriarchal family structure might look like.

Ewing, Doris and Steven Schacht.  Feminism and Men: Restructuring Gender Relations. A selection of essays that examine the potential for cooperative efforts between the genders to create a nonpatriarchal future and explore ways to open a constructive dialogue between men and women, in which men are partners and active participants rather than passive bystanders or active resisters.

Gaard, Greta, editor. Ecofeminism: Women, Animals, Nature. (Temple University Press: Philadelphia) 1993. An anthology of essays about, as the title suggests, women, animals and nature. Particularly useful analysis offered in one essay of cross-cultural dynamics of the woman/nature relationship. Provides a cross-cultural critique of ecofeminism that is very useful as well as specific positions on the importance of animals in an ecofeminist dialogue.

Gore, V.P, Al. Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit, (Penguin Books: New York) 1993. Ecology and the governmental perspective.

Green, Karen. "Freud, Wollstonecraft, and Ecofeminism: A defense of Liberal Feminism. " Environmental Ethics, Summer 1994; Vol. 16.Critique of some ecofeminist thought. Provocative and compelling arguments.

Griffin, David Ray and Falk, Richard, editors. Postmodern Politics for a Planet in Crisis: Policy, Process, and Presidential Vision. (State University of New York Press) 1993.

Griffin, Susan. Woman and Nature: The Roaring Inside Her. (Harper & Row: San Francisco) 1978. A foundational ecofeminist text that provides a woman's perspective on the development of human culture in poetic and prose forms. Chronicles the oppression of women and nature from the creation story of the Bible, through the Age of Reason and beyond into today.

Halifax, Joan. The Fruitful Darkness: Reconnecting with the Body of the Earth (Harper: San Francisco) 1994

Hypatia:A Journal of Feminist Philosophy, Special Issue, Ecological Feminism. Spring 1991, Vol. 6, No. 1. Fantastic early collection of ecofeminist thought. Foundational text.

Kenton, Edna. The Book of Earths (William Morrow & Co.,: New York) 1928

Krishnamurti, J. On Nature and the Environment. (Harper: San Francisco) 1991. A collection of essays by Krishnamurti, Hindu scholar, philosopher and religious leader, on the intersection of spirit, the planet and human action.

Leeming, David & Jake Page. Goddess: Myths of the Female Divine (Oxford Univ. Press: Oxford, New York) 1994

Lovelock, J.E. Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth, (Oxford University Press: Oxford) 1979. The explanation of the earth as a living, breathing, dynamic system.

Luke, Helen, M. Woman, Earth and Spirit: The Feminine in Symbol and Myth (Crossrosad: New York) 1981

Macy, Joanna. World as Lover, World As Self (Parallax Press: Berkeley, CA) 1991. A Buddhist (Western) perspective on the relationship between this religious philosophy, spirituality, the planet and what human beings can do to alleviate suffering.

Mander, Jerry. In the Absence of the Sacred: The Failure of Technology and the Survival of the Indian Nations. (Sierra Club Books: San Francisco, California) 1991. A look at the impact of technology on the indigenous peoples of North America.

Mason, J. & Singer P. Animal Factories: An Inside Look at the Manufacturing of Food for Profit. - Photographs/Documentary

Metis: A Feminist Journal of Transformative Wisdom. Winter/Spring 1996. Vol. 1, Number 1. Particularly useful is Charlene Spretnak's article on nonduality in ecofeminist thought and Carol Christ’s article on Thealogy.

Mies, Maria and Shiva, Vandana. Ecofeminism. (Fernwood Publications, Nova Scotia & Zed Books: London) 1993. Brilliant scholarly essays on ecofeminist issues from North/South to reproductive to action initiatives. Necessary text for cross-cultural analyses and action research methods.

Murphy, Patrick D. Literature, Nature, and Other: Ecofeminist Critiques. (State University Press of New York) 1995.

Naranjo, Claudio. The End of Patriarchy: And the Dawning of a Tri-une Society (Amber Lotus: Oakland, CA) 1994. Social pathology, spirituality and new tools to create a better world.

National Academy of Sciences. One Earth, One Future: Our Chaging Global Environment. (Washington D.C.) 1990. Good for statistics on the environmental destruction of our planet and its natural resources.

Nicholson, Shirley & Rosen, Brenda, editors. Gaia's Hidden Life: The Unseen Intelligence of Nature. (Quest Books: Wheaton, IL) 1992. Collection of essays that reveal individual's relationships to nature and the mystical qualities of the immanent divine.

Nozick, Robert. The Examined Life: Philosophical Meditations. (Touchstone: New York) 1989. Discussion layout of the "matrix" of life.

Orr, David W. Ecological Literacy: Education and the Transition to a Postmodern World. (State University of New York Press) 1992. A look at how to make a sustainable educational system for the future. Excellent reference for making theory into praxis.

Patel, A.B. Towards A New World Order, (World Union International: India) 1974. An Eastern account of consciousness evolution based largely on Sri Aurobindo's work.

Patel, Kartikeya C. "Women, Earth, and the Goddess: A Shakta-Hindu Interpretation of Embodied Religion", Hypatia vol. 8 , no 4 (Fall 1994).

Plant, Christopher and Judith. Turtle Talk: Voices for a Sustainable Future. (New Society Publishers: Philadelphia) 1990. Environmentalists and ecofeminists look at how to create a sustainable future. Essays are a valuable diversity of perspectives.

Plant, Judith, editor. Healing the Wounds: The Promise of Ecofeminism. (New Society Publishers: Philadelphia) 1989. An anthology of essays on ecofeminism. A foundational ecofeminist text; excellent reading material and references for this paper.

Radford Ruether, Rosemary. Gaia & God: An Ecofeminist Theology of Earth Healing. (Harper: San Francisco) 1992. Theologian's look from a feminist perspective at the relationship between the planet and the Judeo-Christian God, and their compatibility. Interesting ecofeminist analysis of spirituality in an other than earth-based realm.

Rae, Eleanor. Women, the Earth, the Divine. (Orbis Books: New York) 1994

Regan, Tom. The Case for Animal Rights. Berkeley, 1983.  Philosophical animal rights exploration.

ReVision: A Journal of Consciousness and Transformation, Spring 1996, Vol 18, No. 4. Magazine issue devoted to the replies of thinkers to Ken Wilber's work. Essential to any discussion of Wilber and ecofeminist critiques.

Robbins, Tom.  Diet for a New America. Classic of the vegetarian and animal rights movements.

Rosen, Steven. Food for the Spirit: Vegetarianism and the World Religions. Explores some world religions and makes a case for vegetarianism.