Eve, Lilith, Pandora, and You - The First Women Beauty, defiance, curiosity, and power

femmefatalefinalbo
2 days ago
4 min read

Welcome to The Feminine Philosophy, a non scientific non fact checked guide to… women.

Actually, “guide” is a strong word, so let’s call it a blog.

A blog about women? Shocking, I know. In truth, the topic is womanhood; how to embrace your femininity and what that even means.

Before I introduce myself, I have a quick PSA:

This blog is for everyone. Though I’m a woman writing about women, The Feminine Philosophy is a safe space for all races, religions, sexualities, and genders. We love the Dolls here!

Now onto the introduction:

Hi, my name is G.A.I.A. That stands for Great And Intelligent Alias, but let’s stick with Gaia. Gaia is the ancient Greek goddess of Earth, so it feels fitting. This blog is my high school passion project. I plan to go into psychology with a specialization in women and children, and I thought this would be a great way to do a creative project that aligns with my future.

But, enough about me.

My first topic, my inaugural subject, will be- drumroll, please-

Women!

Kidding. Our first topic will be the first three women: Eve, Pandora, and Lilith.

“If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.” - Sojourner Truth, 1851

Eve

Eve. The first woman of the Bible. The wife of Adam. The reason why humans no longer reside in paradise...

Or so they say.

Eve is often misinterpreted as a seductress. Most people see her as an immoral woman who ruined everything for the rest of us.

This is not factual. Eve was both curious and cursed. She was made of the bone of her husband and was, therefore, subservient. She lacked the privilege of autonomy. Her curiosity, then, makes perfect sense. She was tricked into eating an apple from The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, because Satan targeted her natural thirst for understanding. She wasn't evil, nor did she swindle Adam into eating the apple. She handed him the fruit, and he ate it. He had autonomy.

Eve sinned only because she had nothing but the freedom to be curious. Yearning for knowledge was really the only thing she could do.

From the misconstrued legacy of Eve, we can learn that to seek autonomy in a male-dominated society is natural. To be curious is natural. Even if it feels wrong or hard, remember that Eve was still helped by God after the Fall. Meaning that though she sinned, she was forgiven. Seeking knowledge and asking questions are foundational parts of womanhood.

Pandora

Similarly to Eve, Pandora (yes, like the box) let curiosity get the best of her. Pandora was the first human woman in Greek mythology. She was created by Hephaestus under the order of Zeus. She was sent to marry a man and was told not to open the jar (mistranslated as a box) she was given. Like Eve, she fell subject to curiosity and opened it. The moment the jar opened, all of the most horrific things were released onto mankind.

It is then easy to write her off, as death and illness and everything horrible was rained upon us. It is impossible to ignore, however, that she replaced the evil with hope. Though the meaning of this has been debated for millennia, I choose to believe the positive. I think the symbolism refers to the fact that the only thing that can save us is hope.

The curiosity of Pandora can then teach us that, no matter how scary or dark knowledge is, it is worth learning because if we remain ignorant, we remain unable to hope.

Lilith

Lilith is said in Jewish and Mesopotamian folklore to be Adam’s first wife who was made from the same earth as him. Because there was no difference between them, Lilith refused to be subservient to him. This enraged both Adam and God and prompted her to escape Eden. The very first first woman had no desire to be below a man. She would rather leave paradise than be forced to submit. This energy defines the strength and freedom that women have always had. She teaches us that women have always wanted autonomy. She teaches us that women are inherently strong. She teaches us that from the beginning of time, women have refused to be powerless.

But so what? What do the stories actually do now?

The tales of these women provide insight into three characteristics of womanhood: defiance, curiosity, and freedom.

Defiance

Eve didn’t listen. That doesn’t make her wrong. It makes her a challenger. That shows she had some sort of agency even when she was told she didn’t.

Curiosity

Pandora looked in the jar. She saw what was bad and provided a light at the end of the tunnel.

Freedom

Lilith refused to be less than. She knew what she was worth and wouldn’t let anyone try to take it away from her.

The Philosophy - AKA: takeaways

These early women teach us to be strong, to never let a man define us, and to seek freedom of the mind, body, and spirit. They teach us that Power has always been within us.

Thanks for reading my inaugural post! Updates will be made sporadically, so make sure you check back often if you want to see my next "Philosophical" writing.

Bye for now!

With love,

GAIA.