The Goddess is subtle. She begins by dropping little hints here and there to get our attention. Her presence continues to grow and grow until she surrounds all aspects of our lives. Then she challenges us to discover all the wonderful things we had forgotten when we put her on the shelf.
It can be a long transition. Some women spend years in search of a former self who is passionate, intelligent, joyful and rich in spirit. Combining her with our many years of life experience, we emerge into a person we no longer know — but we are glad for the woman we have become. We are reanimated and strong. We have rediscovered the capacity to enjoy all of life, the accomplishments as well as the challenges.
In this time of Full Moon, we seek to find new meanings for who we are in life by keeping our new covenant with the Goddess. As we nurture her by practicing all we have learned, her influence brings a depth and color back to our lives that were lost somewhere along the path to "growing up." We realize that it is actually more practical to embrace the ways of the Goddess, rather than banishing her to the farthest reaches of our minds where she cannot be heard. She will guide us well if we allow her to be important in our lives.
DAILY DEVOTION
It is important to allow at least a few minutes each and every day to focus on the Goddess. Write in your journal, take a walk, meditate or pray for a time. Whatever your personal ritual, be sure to make it a frequent, meaningful activity in the mosaic of your life.
This is perhaps a different spiritual path than the one we grew up in. Will God forget us or strike us down if we choose to recognize and honor the Goddess as well? Of course not! Nobody on Earth can say for sure that only one or the other path is the right one. We must just keep whatever God we worship in our hearts, and know also that the Goddess is within us as well. Perhaps we will be able to become more balanced spiritually. Our children, in turn, can be brought up in a more balanced way, to honor both their masculine and feminine attributes. This will allow a more varied perception of the forces of nature that shape our planet, and a more liberal view of the ideologies that influence our societies.
INVEST IN DREAMS
Continue to learn. If you ever think that there is nothing new in the world to learn, you are mistaken. Nobody will ever be able to learn all there is to know in a single lifetime. Research subjects you are interested in. Teach others about things you know and you will come to know those things even better.
Clean up clutter. Don't allow the flow in your life to become stagnated by anything. Keep your surroundings clean and your relationships honest. If there is anything restricting the flow, get rid of it! Right now! Don't allow yourself to become comfortable with it. If you allow it to stay it will drain you, distract you and ultimately stop you from moving forward in your life.
Be honest — especially with yourself. This is perhaps the most difficult aspect of keeping the Goddess in the forefront of our lives. She is brutally honest. She causes upheaval and discomfort. She delights in growth, progress and change. Honesty is hard. But it is also very rewarding. We owe it to ourselves to be honest, so that we can be confident in our direction at all times.
Live your dreams. Find what you love and do it! If you have forgotten, rediscover what you loved as a child — ask parents, grandparents or siblings if they remember. Imagine back to the time when the Goddess was unbridled in your life and remember what you wanted to do when you "grew up." Make sure your children keep track of what they love from the very beginning. Let them write letters to themselves each year. Seal them up and give them the bundle on their twenty-first birthday. It will give them direction and much food for thought.
ONGOING INNER REFLECTION
Freeing ourselves from damaging beliefs and stereotypes takes work. Moving forward in life means that we must let go of old ways of thinking and being so that new views and insights can come to us in their due time. This is the essence of the Goddess. She creates a richness in our lives that is colorful, euphoric, deep. She reveals endless inner landscapes to explore, endless new ways of looking at things. She encourages new ideas and living life to the fullest both within and outside ourselves. The authenticity of our outlook is strengthened by the loving presence of the Goddess — who will see us through even the most difficult times.
FOREVER FREE
Once we embrace the Goddess, she will never let us go. She brings us closer to the more peaceful, meaningful way of life many of us desire. So much has been taken from women through the ages. So much was lost as we became a Patriarchal society. The Goddess is not to be deterred, however. She has continued to exert her influence in spite of the efforts to silence her.
As women, we must honor our femininity and all of the natural gifts that come with that blessing. We must encourage our children to learn the ways of the Goddess as well. Teach your sons that it is wrong to overpower women — because we were meant to stand side-by-side. Teach your daughters that no man has the right to be in control of her life — and teach her how to protect herself from relinquishing that control. In this way we can pass our Goddess power on to coming generations in an effort to continue what we have begun in our own lives. Stand tall and believe in who you are, and the Goddess will remain with you always.
May the depth, joy and satisfaction of rediscovering the Goddess be with you all!
© 2003, All Rights Reserved
Bio:
Jenna Logan (a pseudonym) has studied the many facets that make up human spirituality for over fifteen years. Her endeavors have taken her through various organized religions, Native Indian concepts, A Course In Miracles, herbology, alchemy, new age, eastern and Goddess philosophies. She is a happily married mother of two. Her journey continues . . . .
Jenna can be reached at: mphill@monarch.net
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