For Your Spirit ... An Introduction to the Wise Woman in You
“Don’t drink at the water’s edge. Throw yourself in. Become the water. Only then will your thirst be quenched.” -- Jeanette Berson
Welcome! I hope that you have come here with a thirst for knowledge and a willingness to get your feet wet.
It should not, hopefully, come as a surprise that a site dedicated to promoting the pursuit of a natural lifestyle should incorporate these pages. To the contrary, a holistic approach to achieving and maintaining homeostasis -- a state of stability and optimal wellness -- involves integrating every aspect of the mind, body and spirit. Just as we sustain our bodies with organic herbs and foods and maintain our homes with green cleaning products and earth-friendly furnishings, the mind and spirit also need nourishment for sustenance and growth. Think of this site as a buffet from which you are free to sample and digest at your own pace.
A Brief Explanation of What the Wise Woman Workshop is Not About
This is not a girls-only club. Wise women (and men) embrace the concept of duality as it exists universally in nature and recognize and honor the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine in themselves and in each other. These terms do not refer to gender or sexuality, but to the receptive, intuitive and creative aspects of the feminine (the Goddess, Gaia, the Virgin Mary, Shekinah, yin energy) and the rational, protective and benevolently powerful qualities of the masculine (the God, Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, yang energy).
“You were once wild here. Don’t let them tame you.” ― Isadora Duncan
This is not about religion. The concepts presented here subscribe to natural laws, not those constructed by religious groups. Centuries of patriarchal rule that sought to instill the "one true (male) god" doctrine has repressed feminine archetypes from co-existing in the individual psyche and the collective unconscious. This imbalance resulted in the domination and abuse of the earth, as well as the alienation of the true Divine Masculine (and of men). Because Wicca, Shamanism, Paganism and other nature-based, earth-centered spiritual practices observe natural laws and honor duality, you will encounter material here that speaks to these organic life philosophies. You are in no danger of being converted to anything but aliveness.
“When I come to the edge of all the light I know, and am about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: either there will be something solid to stand on or I will be taught how to fly.” -- Barbara J. Winter
The Wise Woman Archetype
The psychiatrist Carl Jung proposed that the assumption of Mary (her admittance to heaven) in Catholicism in 1950 was a pivotal step in the reintegration of the feminine to divinity. He later wrote, "The woman of today is faced with a tremendous cultural task -- perhaps it will be the dawn of a new era.” Anticipation of this new era is echoed in various Native American writings and, most notably, the Mayan Calender. Rather than face global destruction at the galactic alignment of December 21, 2012, the decline of male world domination was initiated and "the shift of planetary stewardship was placed into the hands of the Feminine."
The archetypal energies that manifest in the Divine Feminine include Priestess, Warrioress, Lover and Wise Woman, the latter being associated with the crone stage of life. Does this mean being a Wise Woman requires being an old lady? It does not. You are all of these archetypes at the same time. The Wise Woman has acquired the wisdom to integrate these energies, to lead and inspire others with truth and courage to effect personal and planetary healing, to co-create with the Divine Masculine.
Welcome to the dawn of a new era -- and to your sacred role in it. Aho!