We are blessed with an alternative to the powers of domination and authoritarian patriarchy that do not support the health of society and our planet. The ancient and wise concepts and ideals embodied in the notion of the Sacred Feminine, which offer pathways to a more sustainable future, have become indelibly integrated into our lives, reminding us that there is an alternative to living in the crises of our present day.

As the paradigm of power shifts across the globe, we reframe our faith in organized religion. And as climate change quickly approaches a point of no return, we begin to use the divine intelligence gleaned from the Sacred Feminine to lead and to find solutions and sanctuary.

Humans are listening to conscience, heart wisdom, and intuition to manifest a new normal. We are practicing partnership, generosity, and compassion to establish a new way of being. We have hit the reset button and are tapping into empathy and morality. We are witnessing this awakening across the globe as people from all walks of life and cultures turn to Goddess—the deity, archetype and ideal of the Sacred Feminine, to evolve beyond the malignant chaos we face today.

Our mythology shapes our culture, and history’s focus on male deities eventually led to imbalances in leadership structures that promoted domination, control and more forceful forms of relating. Scholars of matriarchal studies, such as Heidi Abendroth, have long recognized that cultures centered around the Sacred Feminine create more balanced and peaceful societies. Ancient Crete was an example of an egalitarian society, as was Çatalhöyük, Turkey. Unfortunately, at some point, Goddess was pushed aside, as were her ideals of nurturing, caring, sharing and concern for the common good, and over time, such egalitarian societies of peace and partnership were overrun by aggressive tribes that revered war gods.

While mythology may not seem immediately relevant to our everyday lives, we can connect the dots between the loss of a feminine face of god and the state of pay inequity for women. Without Goddess, we have patriarchal religions where women are conditioned to believe they’re second-class citizens, meant to submit to their husbands; and many women never lead an authentic life or reach their fullest potential.

Without the Sacred Feminine, we also end up with political systems in which women are not free to choose what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. Around the world, women suffer genital mutilation, are subject to arranged marriages, or in some cases, are forced to wear burqas against their will. Most of us can think of other forms of oppression suffered by women in the United States, as well as across the globe.

Patriarchy has been destructive and demoralizing not only to women, though; it affects Mother Earth and even men, too. There is a direct connection between societies that oppress or exploit women and the destruction of Mother Earth and her inhabitants. And patriarchy also prevents men from being their authentic and whole selves, as they strive to live according to man-made dogma or rules determined by religion, culture, or popular society.

The Sacred Feminine provides a path forward for a more whole, healthy and sustainable future for most of us, and She is being embraced by folks from many walks of life. We can witness this paradigm shift in politics as some presidential candidates are calling for policies that benefit the “we” and the “us,” also recognized as the 99 percent, rather than the “I” and the “me,” represented by the one percent.

In a better world of the future, all our boats float, and we are no longer subject to the corruption of predator capitalism, where corporations take advantage of employees and deny them adequate benefits. Greed and exploitation are not the way of the Sacred Feminine. Instead, advocates of Goddess promote generosity, compassion and partnership.

Rev. Dr. Karen Tate is a four-time published author and a speaker, sacred tour leader and social justice activist. She also hosts the online Blog Talk Radio show Voices of the Sacred Feminine. For more information, visit KarenTate.com.