This is a great read but we can't ignore the fact that many women are backing and supporting these men's efforts. The problem is not gender, it's power. Even when there's a matriarchy we have to solve the problem of abuse of power.
Thanks for reading, Heidi! <3 I only brought feminism into the discussion to stress that, at its core, feminism has always aimed to dismantle a system built around a deeply distorted definition of power. Beyond that, this isn’t really a question of gender at all, because there are increasingly far-right women who actively perpetuate these ideas too, Alice Weidel in Germany being one example. It’s a lot harder to abuse power under matriarchal structures, as power is not concentrated in the hands of individuals but distributed through the community, with decision-making rooted in consensus. So my point is not that women are inherently less capable of abusing power, but that the structure itself makes domination harder to accumulate.
Yes, and if sharing power is a guiding ethos, then it becomes integral to all socioeconomic transactions. It all requires accelerated methodologies to spread the process individual and the collective healing of multi-generational trauma, which as we know, can make or break a movement in the actualizing of it’s goals.
Healing our own trauma-stories and learning how to identify when they emerged to sabotage our ability to work well together was part of early feminism, especially radical feminism. :)
Yes, the only sustainable society is a democracy, and the only sustainable democracy is a society where power is conrinuously redistributed and never allowed to accumulate and concentrate in the hands of a few. Ie the highest functioning democracies are matriarchal.
Thanks for the clarification! I think what we should consider is that the difficulty of accumulating that power, for women, is exactly what will ensure that most women who look to accumulate power will go to extremes to please the patriarchy to achieve the position, because the matriarchy is not allowed to exist in those spaces. The example of far-right women that you mentioned is a perfect one, and we can also see it in Democratic/liberal women -- for instance, Nancy Pelosi, who became Speaker of the House and instantly cut abortion rights for women in order to curry favor with men in power.
Please read Pelosi’s statements throughout her tenure as a House member following immediately after Alito’s wet dream establishing the male dominance over women as he killed Roe v. Wade. Yes, liberal that she always was in support of women’s and racial civil rights were always not only her calling card but her demonstrated passion for equality across the board. I , too, am a flaming liberal demanding equal rights and equal responsibilities for all women and men. That is the goal. If you have genuine, reliable proof that Pelosi cut abortion rights, please provide reliable proof using organizational media that strive to provide truthful information, not any sources that have no affiliation to the truth. Thank you in advance.
Maybe we’re talking about a matriarchal paradigm vs a patriarchal one? It’s not a given that someone will line up with that based on their birth sex… although there’s an obvious strong incentive for men to embrace the paradigm that so massively privileges them. The bitter irony is that matriarchies don’t seem to overly privilege anyone, while benefiting everyone… but still so many choose the structure that favours power over justice.
I can’t get my head round how Alice Weidel is supposed to be anti patriarchy? Please explain!
In my view she is instrumentalised by the very structures of power to give that obnoxious party a soft face. How she can reconcile what she is propagating in public with her own personal
life choices is beyond me. So maybe you can enlighten us here?
I didn’t say Alice Weidel is anti-patriarchy haha, she’s quite literally the personification of it!! I said she is a woman propagating a distorted version of power to stress that it’s not only men who can uphold and reproduce patriarchal power.
It could be that it's not 'a woman or man' thing, but a 'masculine and feminine' thing. Which is to say that the qualities of this polarity can/should keep each other in balance in a healthy system. Dominant power-over systems could in fact be seen as a shadow expression of unhealthy masculinity (e.g. The archetypes of the Tyrant King or the Sadist Warrior). Power-with (sharing) or power-to (empowering) systems include a healthy balance of masculine and feminine qualities, coming from humans with their egos in check (secure enough in themselves to share power) and the ability to relate with both the feminine and masculine expressions of power.
Matriarchy is a way of organizing and is not exclusive to a particular gender. Just like any gendered person can abuse power in a patriarchy, any gendered person can benefit from matriarchy. Patriarchy operates from a zero-sum-game mentality and views interactions as ways to have power OVER people. Matriarchy invites people to organize by asking how questions like: How does this decision benefit the greater whole? Who does this action nurture? What harm could befall the ecosystem by making this decision? Matriarchy views interactions as ways to share power WITH others.
Most (if not all) indigenous societies were/are matriarchal, which is why civilizations go out of their way to ethnically cleanse and genicide them. The genesis of patriarchy is the reductionist fetishization of masculinity as a basis for social structure and leadership based on supremacist ideology.
Have you not been reading? It is indeed "a man or woman thing." Patriarchy protects power for (certain, individually selected) men. Matriarchy, as I'm saying, should provide a countervailing force instead of imitating patriarchy.
Hey ladies, it’s not about women or men, , it’s about our internal balance, each human, whatever gender, gets to choose whether to go for the pointy pyramid power over or the round circular power of shared strength, and willingness to trust to build a future together, it’s teamwork.
That is why it is about a system and not about every single individual in that system. Yes women have been vocal supporters of the system whilst being one of the main victims of it. Sounds familiar? Women defending their husbands maltreatment? Children defending their abusing parents? These are symptoms of a bigger scheme, symptoms that mostly refer to total submission, elimination of personal judgement by terror and violence. It’s everywhere. And it can’t hide once you have seen it … thé system and its symptoms.
Matriarchal. I grew up in a matriarchal household, 6 female children, 1 male, a mother, 2 widowed grandmothers, 4 widowed aunts and a mostly absent father who let mom run the household. I went to Catholic school run by nuns. I didn’t know there was a patriarchal world until I got out into it. When I discovered that men used women for sex, I rebelled against marriage and became the libertine of the family. I studied accounting and computer software and worked all my career as a single childless woman. Now I see how far patriarchy has progressed and practices oppression of all others including animals and the earth. Now I’m vegetarian and the thought of eating dead chickens or calves who have lived a miserable torturous life turns my stomach. I’m 76 and live with a liberal man I’ve known since grade school. I bought my own house 16 years ago and Jack and I reconnected 23 years ago and he moved in 5 years ago. We are not getting married. We thought about it but the prenuptial and the legal bonds turned us against the idea. We are still common law married and we’ll deal with end of life on our own. This era is so extreme. This is a possible turning point for the world. Will we continue the destructive ways of all the past ruined civilizations or will we figure out how to use this impossibly beautiful planet 🌎 we have the good fortune to live on? This place is fascinating.
Until gender is not a factor in determining who gets which constitutional rights, women are legal property.
Slave revolts fail because slaves only economic value is their labor. We ran head on into that problem in the 60-70s.
Now, women are 49% of the paid workforce. Black women are the most highly educated demographic in America.
We have the right to vote.
Christian interference in law making has kept us second class 'citizens,' with limited civil rights. Anti-choice was a fringe group of Catholics until Reagan opened the door to Falwell and the Moral majority.
Thank you so much for your articulation of this, truly, your perspective has me feeling more liberated from the existential doom that has been hanging around.
This piece really brought home to me how important the differences in language are. I have started differentiating matriarchal and matrilineal in my own head. When most folks think about patriarchy, they seem to equate it with power…in this instance power in the hands of men. Lately, when I see folks referring to matriarchy…it also seems to equate with power…power in the hands of women.
Since moving to upstate New York, I have been educating myself about the Haudenosaunee, a confederacy of 6 Native American tribes. I have learned that the Haudenosaunee Confederacy is the oldest continuously operating democratic society on the planet. Instead of a power based patriarchy or matriarchy their matrilineal society is based on gender equity. All members of the society are viewed as integral members of the community. Are Haudenosaunee communities perfect in their community organization or their daily lives…of course not. They experience all the social issues any other poor communities experience. What I see as the difference is the Haudenosaunee are working toward an equitable society. Would you say that mainstream American is working toward a more equitable society? I sure wouldn’t.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Haudenosaunee Confederacy should check out a 5 part PBS documentary called “Rematriated Voices.” It was developed thru a partnership of Haudenosaunee members and staff at the Syracuse University Library. It is hosted by Michelle Schenandoah, a member of the Oneida tribe. I don’t get PBS as part of my cable package so I had to access it thru PBS Passport. We can learn a lot from our indigenous neighbors.
I’ve been laughing out loud several times while reading your essay - I love how you present such an important topic and your PoV with humor delicately intertwined *chefs kiss*
Beautiful work of writing! 👏🏼💐 I have only just started reading "The Legacy of Mothers" by Erella Shadmi, and its marvelous. I hope work being published on matriarchal models and the gift economy will become more publicly known 🙏🏼
The 20th century’s bestseller was the Bible, with “dominion” (Genesis 1:26) as a justification for humanity’s devouring of resources. What was the #2 bestseller?
Lord of the Rings, with its central focus on destroying the ring of power, ie dominion. This century started off with the film version, which has brought the concept to a wider audience. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Someone stating that the future is completely dependent on their idea is more than dramatic. It’s tyrannical short sided and contains all the elements it claims to stand against
To me the statement that power exists in sustaining life not dominating it—is the whole point. We evolved to survive, not dominate. It turns religion on its head and shows its weakness. It is the truth with a capital T. And so refreshing to read.
I also appreciated the statement that the domination crowd can’t feel awe for what they don’t control. This statement opened the doors of my consciousness. I thought of every time I noticed this and how it hurt me, first intellectually then I felt it in my being, like a slap then brain fog then awakening to the reality of those who think only of what they can extract. I didn’t have words until you shared them just now.
Quick story:
I was married. He was a largely okay person but attempted to dominate in our relationship. I couldn’t understand it. It seemed absurd. Can’t he see this has no purpose?
Then one day we stood on the shore of a wild and wintry northern beach. The sound, fury and power of it was mesmerizing. I felt awe.
He said, “I don’t see the point of going to a beach where you can’t surf or even swim.”
I didn’t have words for the feeling. I just knew, oh no, this isn’t my type of person. The ocean exists. It doesn’t exist my for my use or to please me, it just is and its isness is spectacular.
I’m sad for people who can’t feel this but mostly I want them to get out of the way because they break everything they touch.
By the way after we divorced a met a man who said on our first date, “You are sovereign and sacred. Do what makes you the most free, always, if it includes me or not.”
Systems of oppression don’t exist in gender but in perspective.
"What good is being the most technologically advanced, economically powerful, resource-rich species in history if the systems that made us powerful are simultaneously destroying the conditions that allow us to exist?" - Louder and exactly. Great piece, thank you.
There's not nearly enough fiction that tells the story of the second part of this thought:
"In a domination-based system (patriarchy), power is measured by how much control you can exert over other people, resources and, ultimately, life itself. In a matriarchal framework, power isn’t defined by how much power you can exert over life, but how well you can sustain life."
As a writer and reader, we can find lots of fiction — people telling stories about the horrors of patriarchal society. I myself am writing a story like this in Gulliver's Travels: The Broligarchy (a serial novel on Substack). But there aren't nearly enough stories about the latter half of that thought — a matriarchal society that is about sustaining life."
Not saying there are no stories, but there aren't enough. Is "Parable of the Sower" a story of the latter? It probably skirts both. Handmaid's Tale is the former. V for Vendetta is the former. 1984 is the former. Huxley wrote the former. Again and again we see examples of men destroying the planet, but how rare are the stories of women trying to sustain it?
All I'm saying here is that we need more tales of the latter. Society lives in its stories. Society carries its stories forward. Society builds on stories. And I can't help but wonder if we keep ending up in male-centric situations globally partly as a result of having so few, or no, female-centric stories.
Just a thought here. Fiction tells the story of what we know told in a way we've never seen. But often these are the same stories over and over. Maybe we should be telling different stories.
I have read & re read Women Who Run With the Wolves for uplifting & insightful stories. I’m guessing many here are in that camp.
Or maybe just us old crones! lol I’m 70 yrs young as of my August 2026 birthday. Still adjusting to that reality. It feels like it’s time for a re read of WWRWW A WAS now that I think about it.
Note: if I live to be my 104 yo mother’s age, I will have another 35 yrs on this earth. Lots more time to live & create & support Mother Earth & all her inhabitants.
The matriarchy has always been here. The techbros making it a contest do so at their own peril! The coming backlash & karma can be a b*tch!
It’s a series of shorts so you can pick up & put down as time allows. It’s such a unique book full of myths & fables passed down verbally for generations. The author, Clarissa Pinkerton Estes, PhD collected them during her life and it’s just healing & wonderful to experience to read.
I had a paperback that I read often enough that it fell apart. I finally replace it with a hardcover. It sits by my nightstand at the ready when I need a lift!
Wouldn’t you say that most of the stories you referenced though are warning tales. How many patriarchal utopian tales do we have. I’d say rather than needing more stories of matriarchy we need more stories of success. We stories that focus on solutions to what’s not working than stories warning us about possible futures. Cause the futures are basically already here.
That works, too. Yes, they are definitely warnings, and won't disagree with more stories of success. I'm simply looking at a healthy dose of possibility from a different story type, that’s all. We have plenty of stories of male dominance that either survives or is destroyed, but where are the alternative narratives that let us imagine something new and different?
I myself am writing a story now about a woman that overcomes a patriarchal system in a near future technofascist America. Gulliver’s Travels: The Broligarchy is free to read on Substack. But, I still wonder if we would benefit from a different approach.
I think patriarchy is an overcompensation for the powerlessness men feel because they can't create life. Women are born with the potential and POWER to produce life. Men's power comes with their willingness to end life. Women and girls need to recognize and actualize our inherent strength and power and not let these petty little men gaslight us into believing their delusion of superiority. Our ability to create is not limited to birthing lives, we have ideas, love, a sense of fairness, integrity, justice, desire for freedom for all, that could create/birth a whole new paradigm of what life on Earth could be.
Thanks for putting clear words to the global power imbalance. I hope this article resonates with young minds and they will come to see that patriarchy vs matriarchy goes beyond their own gender. Do you think there’s a (hidden) psychological aspect to this? For example, wealthy men who never bothered to see a therapist?
This is a great read but we can't ignore the fact that many women are backing and supporting these men's efforts. The problem is not gender, it's power. Even when there's a matriarchy we have to solve the problem of abuse of power.
Thanks for reading, Heidi! <3 I only brought feminism into the discussion to stress that, at its core, feminism has always aimed to dismantle a system built around a deeply distorted definition of power. Beyond that, this isn’t really a question of gender at all, because there are increasingly far-right women who actively perpetuate these ideas too, Alice Weidel in Germany being one example. It’s a lot harder to abuse power under matriarchal structures, as power is not concentrated in the hands of individuals but distributed through the community, with decision-making rooted in consensus. So my point is not that women are inherently less capable of abusing power, but that the structure itself makes domination harder to accumulate.
Yes, and if sharing power is a guiding ethos, then it becomes integral to all socioeconomic transactions. It all requires accelerated methodologies to spread the process individual and the collective healing of multi-generational trauma, which as we know, can make or break a movement in the actualizing of it’s goals.
Healing our own trauma-stories and learning how to identify when they emerged to sabotage our ability to work well together was part of early feminism, especially radical feminism. :)
Yes, the only sustainable society is a democracy, and the only sustainable democracy is a society where power is conrinuously redistributed and never allowed to accumulate and concentrate in the hands of a few. Ie the highest functioning democracies are matriarchal.
Thanks for the clarification! I think what we should consider is that the difficulty of accumulating that power, for women, is exactly what will ensure that most women who look to accumulate power will go to extremes to please the patriarchy to achieve the position, because the matriarchy is not allowed to exist in those spaces. The example of far-right women that you mentioned is a perfect one, and we can also see it in Democratic/liberal women -- for instance, Nancy Pelosi, who became Speaker of the House and instantly cut abortion rights for women in order to curry favor with men in power.
Please read Pelosi’s statements throughout her tenure as a House member following immediately after Alito’s wet dream establishing the male dominance over women as he killed Roe v. Wade. Yes, liberal that she always was in support of women’s and racial civil rights were always not only her calling card but her demonstrated passion for equality across the board. I , too, am a flaming liberal demanding equal rights and equal responsibilities for all women and men. That is the goal. If you have genuine, reliable proof that Pelosi cut abortion rights, please provide reliable proof using organizational media that strive to provide truthful information, not any sources that have no affiliation to the truth. Thank you in advance.
Maybe we’re talking about a matriarchal paradigm vs a patriarchal one? It’s not a given that someone will line up with that based on their birth sex… although there’s an obvious strong incentive for men to embrace the paradigm that so massively privileges them. The bitter irony is that matriarchies don’t seem to overly privilege anyone, while benefiting everyone… but still so many choose the structure that favours power over justice.
I can’t get my head round how Alice Weidel is supposed to be anti patriarchy? Please explain!
In my view she is instrumentalised by the very structures of power to give that obnoxious party a soft face. How she can reconcile what she is propagating in public with her own personal
life choices is beyond me. So maybe you can enlighten us here?
I didn’t say Alice Weidel is anti-patriarchy haha, she’s quite literally the personification of it!! I said she is a woman propagating a distorted version of power to stress that it’s not only men who can uphold and reproduce patriarchal power.
Figuratively. "Personification" of a given concept is itself figurative, and is therefore the opposite of literal.
It could be that it's not 'a woman or man' thing, but a 'masculine and feminine' thing. Which is to say that the qualities of this polarity can/should keep each other in balance in a healthy system. Dominant power-over systems could in fact be seen as a shadow expression of unhealthy masculinity (e.g. The archetypes of the Tyrant King or the Sadist Warrior). Power-with (sharing) or power-to (empowering) systems include a healthy balance of masculine and feminine qualities, coming from humans with their egos in check (secure enough in themselves to share power) and the ability to relate with both the feminine and masculine expressions of power.
Matriarchy is a way of organizing and is not exclusive to a particular gender. Just like any gendered person can abuse power in a patriarchy, any gendered person can benefit from matriarchy. Patriarchy operates from a zero-sum-game mentality and views interactions as ways to have power OVER people. Matriarchy invites people to organize by asking how questions like: How does this decision benefit the greater whole? Who does this action nurture? What harm could befall the ecosystem by making this decision? Matriarchy views interactions as ways to share power WITH others.
Most (if not all) indigenous societies were/are matriarchal, which is why civilizations go out of their way to ethnically cleanse and genicide them. The genesis of patriarchy is the reductionist fetishization of masculinity as a basis for social structure and leadership based on supremacist ideology.
Have you not been reading? It is indeed "a man or woman thing." Patriarchy protects power for (certain, individually selected) men. Matriarchy, as I'm saying, should provide a countervailing force instead of imitating patriarchy.
Hey ladies, it’s not about women or men, , it’s about our internal balance, each human, whatever gender, gets to choose whether to go for the pointy pyramid power over or the round circular power of shared strength, and willingness to trust to build a future together, it’s teamwork.
Solving the abuse of power requires we temper it with Love and Wisdom.
This. Very Law of One: Ra Materials of you!
That is why it is about a system and not about every single individual in that system. Yes women have been vocal supporters of the system whilst being one of the main victims of it. Sounds familiar? Women defending their husbands maltreatment? Children defending their abusing parents? These are symptoms of a bigger scheme, symptoms that mostly refer to total submission, elimination of personal judgement by terror and violence. It’s everywhere. And it can’t hide once you have seen it … thé system and its symptoms.
Matriarchal. I grew up in a matriarchal household, 6 female children, 1 male, a mother, 2 widowed grandmothers, 4 widowed aunts and a mostly absent father who let mom run the household. I went to Catholic school run by nuns. I didn’t know there was a patriarchal world until I got out into it. When I discovered that men used women for sex, I rebelled against marriage and became the libertine of the family. I studied accounting and computer software and worked all my career as a single childless woman. Now I see how far patriarchy has progressed and practices oppression of all others including animals and the earth. Now I’m vegetarian and the thought of eating dead chickens or calves who have lived a miserable torturous life turns my stomach. I’m 76 and live with a liberal man I’ve known since grade school. I bought my own house 16 years ago and Jack and I reconnected 23 years ago and he moved in 5 years ago. We are not getting married. We thought about it but the prenuptial and the legal bonds turned us against the idea. We are still common law married and we’ll deal with end of life on our own. This era is so extreme. This is a possible turning point for the world. Will we continue the destructive ways of all the past ruined civilizations or will we figure out how to use this impossibly beautiful planet 🌎 we have the good fortune to live on? This place is fascinating.
Until gender is not a factor in determining who gets which constitutional rights, women are legal property.
Slave revolts fail because slaves only economic value is their labor. We ran head on into that problem in the 60-70s.
Now, women are 49% of the paid workforce. Black women are the most highly educated demographic in America.
We have the right to vote.
Christian interference in law making has kept us second class 'citizens,' with limited civil rights. Anti-choice was a fringe group of Catholics until Reagan opened the door to Falwell and the Moral majority.
Educate or perish.
Thank you so much for your articulation of this, truly, your perspective has me feeling more liberated from the existential doom that has been hanging around.
thank you so much for reading!! <33
This piece really brought home to me how important the differences in language are. I have started differentiating matriarchal and matrilineal in my own head. When most folks think about patriarchy, they seem to equate it with power…in this instance power in the hands of men. Lately, when I see folks referring to matriarchy…it also seems to equate with power…power in the hands of women.
Since moving to upstate New York, I have been educating myself about the Haudenosaunee, a confederacy of 6 Native American tribes. I have learned that the Haudenosaunee Confederacy is the oldest continuously operating democratic society on the planet. Instead of a power based patriarchy or matriarchy their matrilineal society is based on gender equity. All members of the society are viewed as integral members of the community. Are Haudenosaunee communities perfect in their community organization or their daily lives…of course not. They experience all the social issues any other poor communities experience. What I see as the difference is the Haudenosaunee are working toward an equitable society. Would you say that mainstream American is working toward a more equitable society? I sure wouldn’t.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Haudenosaunee Confederacy should check out a 5 part PBS documentary called “Rematriated Voices.” It was developed thru a partnership of Haudenosaunee members and staff at the Syracuse University Library. It is hosted by Michelle Schenandoah, a member of the Oneida tribe. I don’t get PBS as part of my cable package so I had to access it thru PBS Passport. We can learn a lot from our indigenous neighbors.
thank you for sharing this. i will watch the documentary!
I’ve been laughing out loud several times while reading your essay - I love how you present such an important topic and your PoV with humor delicately intertwined *chefs kiss*
aww thank you so much Viktoria!! means a lot! <33
This was an incredible read, thank you for writing it 🌟
thank YOU for reading it, Mary <33
Beautiful work of writing! 👏🏼💐 I have only just started reading "The Legacy of Mothers" by Erella Shadmi, and its marvelous. I hope work being published on matriarchal models and the gift economy will become more publicly known 🙏🏼
aww thank you so much!! I will put the The Legacy of Mothers on my reading list! <3
This was an amazing read, thank you so much. I’ve shared with lots of other women!
thank you so much for reading and sharing with other women!! <33
The 20th century’s bestseller was the Bible, with “dominion” (Genesis 1:26) as a justification for humanity’s devouring of resources. What was the #2 bestseller?
Lord of the Rings, with its central focus on destroying the ring of power, ie dominion. This century started off with the film version, which has brought the concept to a wider audience. Keeping my fingers crossed.
I read The Lord of the Rings at age 17 (in 1966) and was greatly influenced by it. I was so happy to see it become a series of films.
"Either matriarchy is the future, or there won’t be a future."
Doesn't sound dramatic to me, sounds like common sense.
Someone stating that the future is completely dependent on their idea is more than dramatic. It’s tyrannical short sided and contains all the elements it claims to stand against
To me the statement that power exists in sustaining life not dominating it—is the whole point. We evolved to survive, not dominate. It turns religion on its head and shows its weakness. It is the truth with a capital T. And so refreshing to read.
I also appreciated the statement that the domination crowd can’t feel awe for what they don’t control. This statement opened the doors of my consciousness. I thought of every time I noticed this and how it hurt me, first intellectually then I felt it in my being, like a slap then brain fog then awakening to the reality of those who think only of what they can extract. I didn’t have words until you shared them just now.
Quick story:
I was married. He was a largely okay person but attempted to dominate in our relationship. I couldn’t understand it. It seemed absurd. Can’t he see this has no purpose?
Then one day we stood on the shore of a wild and wintry northern beach. The sound, fury and power of it was mesmerizing. I felt awe.
He said, “I don’t see the point of going to a beach where you can’t surf or even swim.”
I didn’t have words for the feeling. I just knew, oh no, this isn’t my type of person. The ocean exists. It doesn’t exist my for my use or to please me, it just is and its isness is spectacular.
I’m sad for people who can’t feel this but mostly I want them to get out of the way because they break everything they touch.
By the way after we divorced a met a man who said on our first date, “You are sovereign and sacred. Do what makes you the most free, always, if it includes me or not.”
Systems of oppression don’t exist in gender but in perspective.
"What good is being the most technologically advanced, economically powerful, resource-rich species in history if the systems that made us powerful are simultaneously destroying the conditions that allow us to exist?" - Louder and exactly. Great piece, thank you.
There's not nearly enough fiction that tells the story of the second part of this thought:
"In a domination-based system (patriarchy), power is measured by how much control you can exert over other people, resources and, ultimately, life itself. In a matriarchal framework, power isn’t defined by how much power you can exert over life, but how well you can sustain life."
As a writer and reader, we can find lots of fiction — people telling stories about the horrors of patriarchal society. I myself am writing a story like this in Gulliver's Travels: The Broligarchy (a serial novel on Substack). But there aren't nearly enough stories about the latter half of that thought — a matriarchal society that is about sustaining life."
Not saying there are no stories, but there aren't enough. Is "Parable of the Sower" a story of the latter? It probably skirts both. Handmaid's Tale is the former. V for Vendetta is the former. 1984 is the former. Huxley wrote the former. Again and again we see examples of men destroying the planet, but how rare are the stories of women trying to sustain it?
All I'm saying here is that we need more tales of the latter. Society lives in its stories. Society carries its stories forward. Society builds on stories. And I can't help but wonder if we keep ending up in male-centric situations globally partly as a result of having so few, or no, female-centric stories.
Just a thought here. Fiction tells the story of what we know told in a way we've never seen. But often these are the same stories over and over. Maybe we should be telling different stories.
I have read & re read Women Who Run With the Wolves for uplifting & insightful stories. I’m guessing many here are in that camp.
Or maybe just us old crones! lol I’m 70 yrs young as of my August 2026 birthday. Still adjusting to that reality. It feels like it’s time for a re read of WWRWW A WAS now that I think about it.
Note: if I live to be my 104 yo mother’s age, I will have another 35 yrs on this earth. Lots more time to live & create & support Mother Earth & all her inhabitants.
The matriarchy has always been here. The techbros making it a contest do so at their own peril! The coming backlash & karma can be a b*tch!
Love to you all! 🤗💙
I'll add that to my TBR, which is dizzyingly long, but more's the better.
It’s a series of shorts so you can pick up & put down as time allows. It’s such a unique book full of myths & fables passed down verbally for generations. The author, Clarissa Pinkerton Estes, PhD collected them during her life and it’s just healing & wonderful to experience to read.
I had a paperback that I read often enough that it fell apart. I finally replace it with a hardcover. It sits by my nightstand at the ready when I need a lift!
Wouldn’t you say that most of the stories you referenced though are warning tales. How many patriarchal utopian tales do we have. I’d say rather than needing more stories of matriarchy we need more stories of success. We stories that focus on solutions to what’s not working than stories warning us about possible futures. Cause the futures are basically already here.
That works, too. Yes, they are definitely warnings, and won't disagree with more stories of success. I'm simply looking at a healthy dose of possibility from a different story type, that’s all. We have plenty of stories of male dominance that either survives or is destroyed, but where are the alternative narratives that let us imagine something new and different?
I myself am writing a story now about a woman that overcomes a patriarchal system in a near future technofascist America. Gulliver’s Travels: The Broligarchy is free to read on Substack. But, I still wonder if we would benefit from a different approach.
I think patriarchy is an overcompensation for the powerlessness men feel because they can't create life. Women are born with the potential and POWER to produce life. Men's power comes with their willingness to end life. Women and girls need to recognize and actualize our inherent strength and power and not let these petty little men gaslight us into believing their delusion of superiority. Our ability to create is not limited to birthing lives, we have ideas, love, a sense of fairness, integrity, justice, desire for freedom for all, that could create/birth a whole new paradigm of what life on Earth could be.
Brilliant essay.
I sincerely hope that the matriarchy come to fruition. Clearly the way that things have been operating, for centuries, is not working well.
Can we please stop killing one another? Let's work together to share our collective abilities and resources for the betterment of everyone.
This makes far more sense to me. And I'm a MAN!
Thanks for putting clear words to the global power imbalance. I hope this article resonates with young minds and they will come to see that patriarchy vs matriarchy goes beyond their own gender. Do you think there’s a (hidden) psychological aspect to this? For example, wealthy men who never bothered to see a therapist?
As Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor say, in End Times Fascism, they're also (the tech bros, etc...are) Quitters and/or Traitors. I agree.