In spite of the powerful influence of monotheistic religions on modern Western culture, worship of the goddess has never completely vanished. Goddess worship has continued unbroken, albeit in secret during times of subjugation of all but the established State religions. In modern times, religious freedom in many countries has allowed for a revival of public goddess worship in the forms of wicca and neo-paganism. Witchcraft was once associated with black magic or sorcery, but in the Wiccan tradition, the "goddess herself returns in her many forms as the...maiden, mother and crone - and is at the center of (neo-pagan) worship" (Gadon 169). Neo-Pagans celebrate both gods and goddesses, 
but there are many branches under that deceptively simple heading that worship only goddesses, such as Demeter, Inanna and Isis. It was the 19th century Romantics, with their renewed appreciation of nature and emotions, who "rediscovered" female deities, but the "religion of the goddess (had) never completely died out despute the brutal persecutions of the Spanish Inquisition and the witch burnings (for it) was kept alive by a handful of the faithful who practiced (in small groups or covens)" (Leeming 233). The number of self-described neo-pagans has risen sharply in the past few decades, as evidenced by statistics that list around one million pagans in the United States. Modern artistic interpretations of goddesses can be found at mainstream malls and internet sites, and whereas books on Goddess worship we once relegated to specialty shops, they can now be found at large chain stores country-wide. 
Interpretations of the goddess tend to be very personal as information about ancient rituals are scarce in this age, but many artists rely on archaeological artifacts as a basis for their modern art and there are now thousands of goddess images available.
Another interesting modern development in recognizing the power of the Goddess comes in the form of the Gaia Conciousness Movement, prompted by views of a polluted planet as seen by astronauts in 1969. The theory of the earth as a complete entity with feelings "runs counter to the materialistic ethos dominant in the west since the (17th) century scientific revolution" (Gadon 353). Followers of the Gaia Consciousness Movement believe that the earth has been damaged beyond human repair and it is now attempting to fight back with earthquakes, volcanoes and other natural disasters.
Goddess worship seems here to stay. It orginated before written history and evolved through the ages adapting with the changing culture values of society. The staying power of goddess worship seems indicative of a need for people to reach out to a feminine deity either separate from or in conjunction with the accepted monotheistic god. No matter what the reason, the goddess will most likely continue to evolve to meet the needs of future generations.
