Before Eve, there was Lilith. The first woman, created not from Adam’s rib but from the same earth as him. Equal, powerful and unwilling to submit. In the Alphabet of Sirach (c. 700–1000 AD), an ancient Jewish text, she refuses to lie beneath Adam, declaring, “We are equal, for we are both from the earth.” When he tries to force her submission, she speaks the sacred name of God and flies away into the desert.

According to religious scholar Barbara Black Koltuv in her book The Book of Lilith, this first act of rebellion marks Lilith as the original feminist, the first woman to demand equality and choose exile over submission. She becomes, in Koltuv’s words, “the archetype of the strong, independent woman.”

Beyond the Garden

Modern scholars like Siegmund Hurwitz, in his comprehensive work “Lilith: The First Eve,” trace Lilith’s origins back to ancient Sumerian mythology. There, she appears as ‘Lilitu,’ a powerful wind spirit associated with fertility and autonomy. This early version of Lilith was not a demoness, but a goddess in her own right.

The transformation of Lilith from goddess to demon reveals much about patriarchal society’s fear of independent women. As noted by feminist theologian Judith Plaskow in her influential essay “The Coming of Lilith,” the demonisation of Lilith parallels the historical persecution of women who refused to conform to societal expectations.

The Dark Goddess Rises

Today, Lilith has been reclaimed as a symbol of feminine power and resistance. Her story resonates with anyone who has ever been told to make themselves smaller, quieter, more compliant. She represents:

• The power of saying no
• The courage to face exile rather than surrender autonomy
• The strength to create one’s own path
• The wisdom that comes from embracing one’s whole self
• The fierce independence that society often tries to crush

Lilith’s Lessons

Lilith teaches us that the price of freedom is often isolation, but that true power comes from being willing to stand alone. She shows us that the labels society uses to control us—difficult, disruptive, dangerous—can become our strengths.

In Lilith’s Cave: Jewish Tales of the Supernatural, Howard Schwartz explores how she became associated with the protection of women in childbirth—a fascinating transformation from baby-stealer to guardian. This evolution suggests that what patriarchy fears most about feminine power is often exactly what women need most.

Modern Manifestations

Lilith’s energy manifests today in:

• Women who choose their own paths despite society’s judgment
• Those who speak truth to power
• Anyone who refuses to make themselves smaller to make others comfortable
• People who embrace their sexuality without shame
• Those who choose solitude over toxic relationships

Working with Lilith

Lilith’s energy is potent and transformative. She is not a gentle guide but a fierce awakener. To work with her is to be prepared for radical change.

Here are some signs that you are ready to work with Lilith or that she may be calling you:

• You feel a deep urge for independence
• Traditional roles feel increasingly confining
• You’re drawn to forbidden knowledge
• You find power in what society calls dark
• You’re ready to speak long-held truths

Lilith Symbols

The key symbols associated with Lilith include the owl, particularly the screech owl, as she was often depicted in ancient Mesopotamian art and texts as having owl-like features or being accompanied by owls. Black cats and wolves are also frequently associated with her, symbolising her wild and untamed nature.

The moon, especially the dark moon, is strongly connected to Lilith, representing her independence and hidden power.

Stones associated with Lilith include black moonstone, obsidian, and deep red garnets.

Her colours are typically dark – black, deep red and dark purple – reflecting her connection to the night and hidden knowledge.

Lilith Wisdom

Lilith can be a powerful ally when we are working on developing our intuition and our place in the world. She can help us to:

• Trust our inner knowing
• Never negotiate our essential worth
• Learn to be comfortable in solitude
• Embrace our sexuality as power
• Recognise that rejection by a toxic system is often protection

The Price and the Promise

As demonstrated in Raphael Patai’s book The Hebrew Goddess, Lilith’s story has been consistently rewritten by those in power. But beneath the layers of demonisation lies the truth: Lilith represents the price and promise of feminine power fully claimed.

The price: You may be misunderstood, maligned, cast out. The promise: You will be fully, gloriously yourself.

Contemporary Significance

Modern feminist scholars like Judith Plaskow argue that Lilith’s story is more relevant than ever in an age when women’s rights and autonomy are still under threat. Her refusal to submit, her claiming of her own sexuality, and her willingness to face the consequences of her choices make her a powerful role model for contemporary resistance.

They called Lilith a demon because she refused to submit. They called her dangerous because she was free. They called her dark because she held up a mirror to their own fears. Every woman who has ever been called too much, too loud, too ambitious, too sexual walks in her footsteps.

When they try to demonise your power, remember Lilith. Remember that your refusal to submit is holy. Remember that your wildness is sacred. Remember that sometimes, being cast out of the garden is the beginning of finding your true path.

Lilith Meditation: Embracing Your Dark Power

Choose the dark moon for this working, when the night is at its deepest. You’ll need:

• A red or black candle
• A mirror
• Pomegranate seeds or dark red wine
• Dragon’s blood or jasmine incense
• Dark stones like obsidian or black tourmaline
• A snake symbol or or other symbol of Lilith

Create your space in darkness. Sit before your mirror with the candle to your left and arange the stone in any way you choose. Light the incense, letting its smoke curl around you. Have the pomegranate seeds or wine ready.

Look into the mirror and speak: “I call to the first woman, the first rebel, the one who refused to bow, the one who chose exile over submission, Lilith, teach me your ways”

Light the candle and watch how the shadows dance on your face. See how the darkness and light play together, how each makes the other more powerful. Take three deep breaths and continue:

“I honour my refusal to submit, I honour my right to choose, I honour my power to leave, I honour my courage to stand alone”

Eat a pomegranate seed or take a sip of wine. Feel its sweetness and its tartness—like freedom, it holds both pleasure and pain.

Now close your eyes and imagine yourself in the garden. Feel the moment when you’re told to be less, to bow down, to submit. Feel the pressure to conform crushing in on you. Feel your spine straighten. Feel your wings unfurl. Feel your voice rise. Feel yourself choose freedom.

Speak with power: “I am my own authority, I am my own sanctuary, I choose my own path, I speak my own truth, In darkness and in light, in exile and in power, I claim my sovereignty”

Sit in meditation, feeling Lilith’s energy move through you. Listen for her wisdom. What structures in your life are ready to be broken? What false securities are ready to be abandoned? What truth are you ready to speak?

Before closing, speak one final time: “By moon dark and starlight, by serpent wisdom and desert winds, by the power of my own voice, I claim my freedom, I claim my power, I claim my path. So mote it be”

Take the remaining pomegranate seeds or wine outside and offer them to the earth. Let the candle burn out naturally if safe to do so.

In the days following this meditation, pay attention to:

• Moments when you’re tempted to submit against your will
• Opportunities to speak your truth
• Signs and symbols of snakes or owls
• Dreams of flying or desert landscapes
• Situations where exile might actually be liberation

Lilith’s path isn’t easy, but it leads to true freedom. Sometimes you have to leave the garden to find your power.

Blessed be

Eva x