THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW

Life is a lesson and planet Earth is our school. When we are awake and aware, we have many teaching moments that present themselves in our lives. Most of what I have learned to date, the real life-changing lessons, have been learned by living day to day, while listening and watching life. The lessons are numerous and when we have the heart and hunger of a student, every day is school. 

While sitting on my back porch contemplating the trees, this came to me. Things we need to know. Following this thought was a list of simple truths that are important for all to know. 

1. We all matter.

2. We are all loved                                                                    

3. We are all here on purpose and for a purpose.

4. We all belong

As I thought on these truths, I realized these are the experiences we all long for at the deepest level, our soul cravings.  Whether we are consciously aware of it or not, these are things we long to know!! It is so important to know we matter and that we are loved. Just as important is the realization that we matter because we are each here for a purpose and without our being here, the world would not be the same. Living life on purpose, and fulfilling our purpose, changes the paradigm of how we view our place in the world. We are all part of the whole, we all belong to something bigger than our self. 

When we truly know these simple, yet essential truths, life changes for us. Life, as we know it, takes on new and deeper meaning. We are more aware, more in touch with what is going on in us and around us, more in tune with the inner workings of life, and have a deeper sense of our connection to all. 

The difference, once we touch and understand we are enveloped in and by creator energy, is our vision becomes clearer, we are more at peace with self and the world around us, and we get to experience the joy of what it feels like to be held in love and tenderness. No matter what is going on around me, or in the world, I always know in the deepest part of my being that divine energy has me, and that my life is as it is because of grace and mercy.

We are all creations of divine, benevolent energy and we all matter. The rain falls on the just and the unjust and the sun shines on all. We are all included under the umbrella of grace and mercy and unless we move out from that benevolent field of nurturing and caring, we are all held. Even when we don't know we are being held, or when we forget or doubt it because we may be in a dark place, we are still held in love and mercy.

You matter greatly! You are totally loved!! You are here on purpose and for a purpose!! You belong to that which encompasses all!!  Take it in.  Breathe it in. Let this settle in your bones, your body, your mind and your heart. 💓💓💓

HONOR YOUR MOTHER

I understand that Earth Day is April 22, but I am of a mind to celebrate Earth Day every day. 

I have always felt an affinity with the earth, but as I get older, and hopefully wiser, my affinity for our dear mother grows. For me, earth is not just about the ground I stand on, it is about all of nature, all that grows in the earth, all of the waters and everything that moves upon it and in it. 

Living in the woods, I am very aware of the trees and the life-giving oxygen they provide for me. I love trees, I notice trees everywhere I go. I pay attention to their shape, leaves, limbs, roots, color and width and height, Trees fascinate me and I find solace in them  Often, I walk up to a tree and wrap my arms around it while pressing my forehead, 3rd eye, against the trunk. I breath in its strength and its resilience. Sometimes, when I am alone and I get afraid,  I take comfort in being surrounded by trees and consider them to be my sentinels.

I love to walk on the earth barefoot. I take my shoes off often and plant my feet in the earth, and remember this earth, mother earth, is what supports me. I draw her strength up into my feet and let it course through my body. 

I can't think of anything more refreshing than being in nature. It calls to me and soothes me and warms my heart. Watching the birds eat at their feeders and fly from tree to tree, and sing to the sky and to each other, reminds me that nature just is as it is. It makes no pretense to be anything other than what it is. Birds don't try to be fish, and dogs don't try to be cats and trees don't try to be animals. Nature is comfortable in being as it is and that impresses me. 

Watching plants grow, and animals live, reminds me of how benevolent creator energy is. Lifegiving rain falls on the just and the unjust, and the sun shines on us all. Beloved universal energy does not discriminate. We are all blessed with life giving air, water and sunshine. Even when it feels like we may have been forgotten, grace and mercy still surround us and creator energy is still enshrouding all. 

I believe the task of walking softly upon mother earth, falls to us all. It is up to each individual to do our part to preserve, nurture and honor our mother. Without her life giving gifts, we would all cease to exist. Let's not take her for granted and dishonor her. I pray we all teach our children and those around us the importance of respecting our earth and everything on it.

 

 

I AM WOMAN-HEAR ME ROAR

 

This blog has been rolling around in me for a few days now, and I have been arguing with myself about whether to write it or not. What most of my readers probably do not know about me, is that I struggle with myself about what to put out there in the public sphere. I have noticed that the stuff I struggle with the most, is usually the posts that I get the most positive feedback from. So, here goes.

For years, I have been very aware of the "patriarchy" and how it operates. I began to notice this back in the 1970's and my awareness has continued to grow as I listen, read  and observe. When I talk about patriarchy, I am not talking about men in general, because all men are not patriarchal. 

Patriarchy applies to the rule and domination by men. It is about the thought that men are superior and that women are supposed to be subject to them. It is about men being the rulers, chiefs and law makers. True patriarchs will not go down without a fight. They are not about to give up their right to rule.

When women begin to roar, patriarchy responds with a fight. The fight usually includes an attempt to silence women, to patronize, accuse, make fun of, slap down, shut up, pass laws against and in some cases kill. A true patriarch is afraid of women's power, and will do all they can to keep it at bay and keep it quiet, submissive and under patriarchal control. 

While those men who are terrified of woman's power, are doing what they can to keep us silent and in our place, the powerful feminine spirit within each woman is questioning, rising up and clamoring against the injustice and the de-humanization being done to women all over. We are finding our voices and marching and crying out against what we have submitted to for so long. 

Here is my story about the experience I had when I began to awaken and  find my voice. 

Back in the 70's I belonged to a church that believed men were the superior sex, and that women were supposed to submit to and defer to the voice of patriarchy. I was enslaved in this belief and lived in it for about three years. Thankfully, truth began to dawn on me, and I started waking up. As I did, I found myself  questioning the status quo, and thinking, "wait a minute, something does not feel right here."  I knew in my bones that something was out of kilter. I felt the imbalance in my spirit, but at first did not know what was no longer sitting in my gut as "the truth." Slowly, I began to see the ugliness of patriarchy and I began to share my message in different groups. 

It was not long before I personally found out the extent patriarchy will go to shut down a woman who is speaking out for equality of women. The elders first brought me before their esteemed group and demanded I shut up or leave the church. Believe me, I wanted to leave that institution more than they wanted me gone, but I could not leave because I knew in my heart it was not the right time. I was being called on to share my message of freedom and power with some of the women and knew I had to stay till I was through. I knew in my heart I would be protected and would leave at just the right time.

During this time, I had different men and women in the church tell me I was demon-possessed, and attempted to call them out of me. Since there were no demons in me, their attempt to exorcise me failed. They called me names and told all the women to stay away from me because I was evil. However, there were a handful of women who were ready to hear a message of power and freedom. I wanted them to know they were not inferior and they were not here for the service of men. Whenever I had the chance, I told them how beautiful, worthy  and magnificent they were. Some heard me, many were terrified of what I was saying and closed their ears and hearts. 

Finally, it all came to a head on a Sunday morning. I went to church, as was my custom, and when the service was over I walked out of the sanctuary and into the vestibule. There was a large circle of people waiting for me. The circle was composed of the elders, the pastors, and a lot of angry men and women. I was publicly cast out and told to never come back. As I stood outside the church, instead of shame, I felt relief because I knew my  time there was finally over, and I was free to no longer go there. I was empowered to continue to spread the message of the sacredness of the feminine and the beauty and sisterhood of women. 

 I left that place with the sad knowledge of how afraid many women are of hearing the truth about their power and their place in the world, and how afraid the patriarchy is of having their throne toppled and there being equality among all.

Here it is, almost 50 years later, and I still see the fear in many women about being told of their magnificence. I also see the stronghold the patriarchy still has, and their deep fear of losing that hold. I can only hope that both male and female will come to an understanding of the equality of the sexes, and that women will give up the fear of questioning patriarchal power. I also hold out hope that the patriarchy will see the ugliness and brutality of their incessant need to rule and have power over women, and be willing to give it up.

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