The Goddess' Falcon!

I went to see Maleficent last night and have once again been changed by 98 minutes of watching a Disney film. I will not be giving away anything here, in fact I am not even going to say anything about the movie. What I will say is that it brought back a memory of a piece I had written in 2003, shortly after leaving my husband of 30 years. I was reading a Rumi poem, which I present 1st and it inspired my response to the story; My Story. I have revised it to use Goddess language as at that time I was still in the chains of the Patriarchal Church. In fact, it makes more sense to me now, changing the language and the ending. Blessed be! (Bob is the name of my ex-husband)

The King’s Falcon

Rumi

The king had a noble falcon who wandered away one day,

and into the tent of an

old woman, who was making dumpling stew for her children,

“Who’s been taking care

of you?” she asked, quickly tying the falcon’s foot. She

clipped his wings and cut

his fierce talons and fed him straw. “Someone who doesn’t

know how to treat falcons,”

she answered herself, “but your mother knows!” Friend,

this kind of talk is a prison.

Don’t listen. The king spent all day looking for his

falcon, and came at sunset to

the tent and saw his fine raptor standing on a shelf in

the smoky steam of the old

woman’s cooking. “You left me for this?” The falcon

rubbed his wings against

the king’s hand, feeling wordlessly what was almost lost.

The falcon is like one who,

through grace, gets to sit close to the king, and so thinks

he’s on the same level as

the king. Then he turns his head for a moment and he’s in

the old woman’s tent. Don’t

feel special in the king’s presence. Be mannerly and

thankful and very humble. A

falcon is an image of that part of you that belongs to the

king. Once there was a blind

falcon who fell in with owls in a wilderness. They thought

he wanted to take over the ruin

they were living in. They tore his feathers. “Wait, I

have no interest in this

place. My home is the forearm of the king. “The owls

thought this was some kind

of bragging trick to distract them. “No! I don’t claim

to be like the king. I am

a ragged, blind falcon. All I can do is listen for

the king’s drum and

fly to the sound when I hear it. I am not of

the king’s species or genus,

but I have taken in some of the king’s light, the way

air is swept up into a fire,

the way water becomes plant. My ego has died into

the king’s being. I roll in

the dust at the feet of his horse. Don’t let this

blind-falcon form fool you.

I am really a delicious dessert that you should taste

now, you owls, before

I hear the drum again, because then I’ll be gone.

The Soul of Rumi by Coleman Barks  pg 66

The Goddess’ Eagle

My Story

(originally written 4-6-03; revised 05-31-14)

The Goddess had a noble Eagle who Wandered Away one Day, and into the Apartment of Bob. “Who’s been Taking Care of You?” he asked, quickly tying the Eagle’s Foot. He clipped Her Wings and cut Her Fierce Talons. “Someone who doesn’t Know how to Treat Eagles,” he answered himself, “but I Know! I will help you Reach your Potential and Find YourSelf!”

Friend, this kind of Talk is a Prison. Don’t Listen! Goddess spent All Day (years) looking for Her Eagle, and came at Sunset (my sunset) to that House and Saw Her Fine Eagle Standing on a Shelf in the Smoky Steam of Bob’s Cooking. “You left me for This?” The Eagle Rubbed Her Wings against the hand of the Goddess, Feeling Wordlessly What was Almost Lost!

The Eagle is like one who, through Grace, gets to sit close to the Goddess, and Knows She is on the Same Level of the Goddess. Then She turns her Head for a Moment and She’s back in Bob’s apartment.

Don’t feel Special in the Presence of the Goddess. Be mannerly and Thankful and Humble. An Eagle is an Image of that Part of You that Belongs to the Goddess; to Your Own Inner Female!

Then there was a Blind Eagle who Fell in with Owls in a Wilderness. They thought She wanted to Take over the ruin they were Living in. They Tore Her Feathers. “Wait I have No Interest in This Place. My Home is the Forearm of the Goddess."

The Owls thought this was some kind of Bragging Trick to Distract them. 

“No, I don’t claim to be the Goddess for I am a ragged, blind Eagle. All I can Do is Listen for the Goddess’ Drum and Fly to the Sound when I Hear it. I am of the Goddess’ species and I have Taken in Her Light the Way Air is Swept up into a Fire, the Way Water Becomes Plant. My Ego has Died into the being of Goddess. I roll in the Dust at the Feet of Her Horse and She Lifts me to Ride with Her. There I find My Voice! Don’t let this Blind Eagle Form Fool You!”

I am really a Delicious Dessert that you should Taste Now, you Owls, before I Hear the Drum again, because then I’ll be Gone. 

Pg 350 from Rumi:

The inner nature of the white falcon is strong and

Determined. Her anger builds,

And suddenly she pours the ladle of hot soup over his head.

Tears come from those beautiful

Falcon eyes. He remembers his former life, the king’s love

Whistle, the great circling

over the ocean, the distances that can condense so quickly

to a point. Falcon tears

are food for a true human being, perfume for Gabriel. Your

soul is the king’s falcon

who says, This old woman’s rage does not touch my glory

or my discipline. I must be

quiet now.

 

Deb’s Response:

The Inner Nature of the Eagle is Strong and Determined. Bob’s Anger Builds, and Suddenly he pours the Ladle of Hot Soup over Her Head.

Tears come From those Beautiful Eagle Eyes. She Remembers Her Former Life, the Love Whistle of the Goddess, the Circling over the Ocean, the Distances that Can Condense so Quickly to a Point.

Eagle Tears are Food for True Human Being, Perfume for the Goddess; Perfume for the Inner Female Voice.

Your Soul is the Goddess’ Eagle, who says, “Bob’s rage does not Touch My Glory or my Discipline.”

Fly I did and Fly I always Will!

This Woman’s Rage……

Will Never Ever be Quiet………..

False Evidence Appearing Real

This is a follow up to my last blog post about my family members being uneasy when they are on a plane with Middle Eastern looking people. I received a lot of comments both on the blog and on facebook and a few privately about me needing to understand where they are coming from and "the state of world." I appreciate all comments and conversation and never ever desire that every one think, believe or act the way that I do. But I still stand on my opinion of profiling and judgment.

I have been thinking a lot about these comments and then the mass murder spree happened this week. Another disturbed individual took it upon himself to act out his anger by taking a gun and mowing down people.

Goddess and I have had a lot to talk about this week.

Last Friday night, I was taking my parents home from eating dinner out for my Dad's 81st birthday. When we drove up, Mom noticed a medium sized snake on the sidewalk to the front door (we enter through the garage where the cars are parked). My Mom began yelling at my Dad to get the shovel and cut the snakes head off and Kill it. She was Terrified and we were still in the car. I told her that I would get it away and we were not Killing the snake. She began to Shake in Terror and argued until I could get her out of the car and into the house. I then asked Dad for the  water hose and we pushed the shake back into the forest away from the house without killing it. Mom was not happy with me at all that evening; terrified that the snake would come back.

When I got home I kinda laughed to myself. I imagined this snake being a scout, sent out by the terrorists snakes to see who was home so they could attack. Now, don't get me wrong, I totally understand being afraid of snakes, and I know this was a copperhead and given enough provocation could have struck and caused problems for each of us, BUT I began to wonder: Why is our first instinct to KILL the perceived "enemy"? Why? Because we can! We have the Power, the Control and the Entitlement to Kill the poor snake that was minding its own business not even understanding that it was trespassing on my parent's property. Thus, reason for Killing the intruder.

Ok, so what does this have to do with the follow up to my last blog post? I am getting to it.

As I was walking this morning I began to think about FEAR. I began to really think about how much we are all AFRAID these days. We are afraid we will get Cancer, lose our jobs, be blown up in a plane by a Middle Eastern looking man, be raped, have our homes foreclosed on, be vandalized, get Alzheimers, etc etc etc........

When I was a Christian, I believed there was this Satan who existed, and this Satan caused all the evil things to happen in the world. Heck, when my husband was at his worst I blamed Satan for getting inside of him instead of holding my ex responsible for his abusive behavior. Satan...evil....

Well, I no longer believe in this Satan, but I do understand that there is a Negative Force that permeates our lives and this morning on my walk I realized it is FEAR! We live Afraid! But we choose what to be afraid of. We choose it because we listen to what the Media tells us and what our Government tells us and what our Religion tells us and what our Medical professionals tell us, what our Talk Show Hosts tell us, we are to be afraid of.

And then because we are Human Beings; the most Powerful, the most Intelligent, the most Wonderful beings on the earth we use our sense of Power and Control and Entitlement to deal with our FEAR how ever we wish to do so. If that means cutting off the head of a snake minding its own business or shooting 7 women or blowing up airplanes or abusing children; then so be it. It is our right to do so because we are going to "get them before they get us"! It is our Right; we are entitled not to be afraid, to protect ourselves and our loved ones at all costs. But the funny thing is, we only become more Afraid.

FEAR to me is the great "evil" in the world. The young man who went on the shooting spree was AFRAID of the rejection and of never having a woman have sex with him. The 9/11 Terrorists were AFRAID of the power that this country wields. Men are AFRAID of loosing their Rightful Position of Power, the Church is AFRAID of those who don't think like them, etc etc etc.

It is FEAR....False Evidence Appearing Real....that keeps us in this mindset of "if every one had guns then when someone starts shooting we can shoot back." It is madness....it is FEAR!

And those in "Power" thrive on instilling that fear on the masses. The Church does it with the FEAR of Hell and Damnation. The Government does it with the FEAR of....oh you name it and they instill FEAR! Hey I remember being scared shitless as a child of the mean ol' Soviet Union. I got that FEAR because every few weeks we had bomb drills and we had to either get under our desks or sometimes we had to run home as fast as we could. I was so scared and I didn't even know who Mr. Russia was.

I choose not to be AFRAID! I choose not to be looking over my shoulder at every one trying to discern if they are a danger to me or not. Yes, I am alert. Yes, I am aware of my surroundings (I am a retired social worker for Goddess sakes....). Yes, I understand that there are people who make horrible choices that may in fact put me or one of my loved ones in danger. But I am also an intelligent woman. And just seeing a "Middle Eastern looking" man on a plane is no evidence that he is going to blow up the plane. And just seeing a snake on the side walk does not mean it will slither over as soon as I get out of the car just so it can bite me.

In this day and age of Mass Media; 24 hour news access and good ol' facebook we are never without something to be Afraid of. And that my friend is so very very sad. And I often wonder if a lot of our "mental illness" is just not the result of living in this Madness day after day after day!

So, I stand by my last blog post, that it is a sad statement that we live our lives in this way; Profiling and Judging and as a Result live in FEAR.

Take a step back and really look at what we are all Afraid of. We are Afraid of loosing Power and Control. That's what it is all about really! Cancer takes away our Control over life; the Terrorist takes away our Control of peaceful living; the Church takes away our Control over our own decisions in this lifetime; and the Government...well, that's a Blog for another Time!

Peace, Love and Not Being Afraid!

Really? Is this not 2014?

I promise not to Rant! I promise not to throw judgment! I promise not to make this a bigger deal than it is! Maybe!

Last week I was out with family members having dinner.  It was a nice time.

The conversation turned to a vacation that was recently taken and the story went something like this: As they were waiting for the doors of the plane to close, they noticed a "Middle Eastern Looking Man" leave his seat in the front and walk slowly to the back of the plane where he opened a compartment and then sat in an empty seat. They were aware of him because he looked Middle Eastern. Then another "Middle Eastern Looking Man" got up from the front; walked to the back; nodded to the other man and went into the bathroom. They wondered if they needed to report this suspicious behavior to anyone. I of course asked, "what suspicious behavior?" Well, that led to one of my relatives, who flies many times a week to say, "I am always nervous when a "Middle Eastern Looking Man" is on the same flight as I am. That led to others agreeing.

Of course, I was boiling inside, and really decided I was most assuredly adopted even tho' I look just like my parents.

So, very calmly I said, "Interesting, I too am nervous and cautious. But it is when a "White Male" gets on the plane since almost all of the "Terrorists type" attacks since 9/11 have been by White American Males."

I was ignored; cause you see I am the hippie, tree hugging, Gay and Black and Middle Eastern looking~~ loving, War hating, RadFeminist, probably Lesbian, pagan witch of the family. I am sure they all wish I was adopted!

What a sad sad conversation this was for me to listen to. Really? This is 2014 isn't it? We already fought to get rid of ethnic profiling and embrace equality of human beings way back in the old days of the 60/70's right?

Well, I must say we can do a lot of blaming. When I told this story to a young woman at work her comment was, "it's the media's fault!"

NO DAMN IT! It is NOT! It is our fault. We should know better.

But alas, it is the State of our Patriarchal Mindset that looks at everyone as the Enemy, unless they look, act, talk, and believe just like us and then you can't be too careful!

So, this was on my mind as I was shopping in Harris Teeter after work. I really wanted a piece of pizza for dinner. I have been so good with my eating of late and that sounded like a great way to cheat a bit.

Oh wait, sorry...I was thinking about this conversation when after getting my pizza I watched as the lady behind the counter threw two large pizzas into the trash can. They cannot sit out longer than 2 hours. Then they have to be thrown away.

I thought of all the hungry people right here in Charlotte NC. I thought about all the Muslims who just want to get on a plane and go to their destination. My nephew just wants to be in love with his boyfriend and not be harassed or denied a marriage license if they decide to get married. And me?

Well, I just want to see the Age of Aquarius before my life is over here on this Planet. And to that end I will continue to call out the lady in the salon who stopped watching HGTV because of all the gays and I will remind people that Catholic Priests and other Religious men have terrorized more children then the number of men who blew up the planes of 9/11. And I will do this until I take my last breathe.

But then again, I am a hippie-tree-hugging, Gay, Black, Middle Eastern looking~~ loving, RadFeminsit, War hating, pagan witch! Goddess I love being ME!

The Last Cleansing! Done and Done!

So, you know in the movies where the abused woman lays in bed plotting how she is going to kill her abuser? Well, I have been doing this same thing for the past 2 weeks, but in this case the abuser happens to be the Christian Tradition and all Patriarchal Religions for that matter.

You see, after I retired I decided to go to a Christian Seminary (at the time I was still very enmeshed in that Tradition although not really; that being a story for another time). It was two years of hell where I graduated with a Masters of Religion even tho' as I received my diploma I was sure what they wanted to do was burn me at the stake. For the last year, there were murmurings that I was indeed a witch; working with the devil. This dark door was the beginning of my actual realization that I could no longer live the lies, the betrayal, the misogynistic attitudes and hatred spewed by those who thought they were speaking directly through the Divine.

Yes I eventually left the Tradition and totally embraced my Truth! But there was always this nagging thought that something was still left to be done. Two weeks ago I was on a cleaning spree and that included going through every thing piled up on the shelves in my walk in closet. There it was! The Christian Theology Book we used for the one year of "true hell class" taught by a author of said book, named Dr. Yeago. He was a very very scarey man and I cringed every time I had to sit in his class.

So there was the books of lies, of hatred, of all the things I found so upsetting since I was a teen, fighting against the very church that I did in fact find some love with. I opened the pages and a burning set forth in my hands. I knew the page I had to get to, but had to leaf through all the pages to find it (I could remember how the words sat on the page, here 6 years later, but not the page number). There is was; all highlighted with question marks all around it. This was the point in the class where I took issue openingly with this man.

In a nut shell the teaching was about the use of "Father" especially in the Lord's Prayer. He put in a paragraph that acknowledged that for many women it is hard to use this word due to abuses by their Father or father figure. BUT we as Pastors cannot ALLOW them to use Mother or not say the word Father at all. It is up to use to teach them that they have a loving father in heaven who would never hurt them and that it is inappropriate and wrong to call Father anything else...and on and on and on.

I was infuriated and took issue with this writing, putting on my social worker feminist mental health" hat. He put me in my place very firmly and that was that. But the fuming never left and so for the past 2 weeks I have laid in bed and thought about how in fact I was going to finally kill this abuser in ceremony.

Today had to be the day! Sunday; Mother's Day! And oh how right it was! So, I want to take you with me on the Journey of the Last Cleansing!

I began the day with pulling a Tarot Card for my new pack and it was the Magician. I then looked at the Moon App I have on my phone and read that today was the day to deal with past karma and cleansing the past. I gathered my materials (6 pages from the book I tore out; sage; lighter) and off I went to the Lake.

The morning was very foggy but the greens were delicious and nourished me on my walk to the Lake. I wished Mother Earth a Happy Mother's Day and told Her what I was doing and I could hear her chuckle as She knows all before we do!

As I arrived at the Lake a woman and her dog were leaving. She looked at me funny and then I realized I was wearing my WITCH T-shirt. Didn't plan that. As she was leaving she called out to her dog "Come Dehlia". I then chucked! Dehlia: one of the really Bad Girls of the Hebrew Bible; she is the one who cut off Samson's hair; ridding him of his strength! How appropriate!

The Lake was the image of Avalon! Another affirmation of my Path. The Mists of Avalon was the book that finally set forth the Journey to my Truth! The fog set like a cloak over me and it was as if it was just me and the work I had to do! And funny, but no one came to the Lake while I was there.

I saged myself and the area around the fire pit. I sang an ancient language that I did not know and don't know what it meant and I danced around the fire pit!

I chose the pages carefully in the order I thought were most symbolic of the hatred and lies of the Christian Tradition/Church. This was the first and as it burned I denounced all that I had been taught; all that was being taught and would be taught. I spoke of the hatred the church had for homosexuals, for the poor, for other religions and people who did not look like them. I then added the next page and the next page, but saved for last the page about Father language. I cursed my last pastor who destroyed lives with his homophobic language and misogynistic views. His horrible sermons against a woman's right to choose reminding them that they must come for confession if they had had an abortion (this was a lutheran church not catholic) and ask the "Father" to forgive them so they could be clean again. I cursed those who perpetrated upon innocent children. And I denounced the power and control of ALL the patriarchal religions who act just alike; stealing innocent girls for the sex trade and in the name of god buy these same girls.

As the burning was finished I lit sage on top and gave thanks for the coming of the Time of the Goddess of Love and Life! I cleansed the words written here and what was left in the 1000 page book, which I took and threw in the dumpster! I saged for all those who have suffered great damage at the hands of all the patriarchal religions, me being one of them.

And then I danced once again around the fire pit again ancient words coming out of my mouth that I did not recognize. And out of the mist came this:

A sweet family of mallard ducks swimming and singing there amazing song. I stood in honor of the message from Mother. All was right with Her world and mine! Here was the symbol of New Birth; of what was important. All the rules and doctrine and dogma and power and control hurt and stigmatize people. And here was the beauty of love and peace and joy. Just a simple mallard family swimming along taking care of each other. One adult in the front and one in the back and the vulnerable in the middle. It was perfect!

I then took a stick and pushed the ashes into the fire pit with the other trash there. And I added another sage stick and stood until it burned out and it was done. And it was right and perfect.

I, as others, will always carry the wounds of the patriarchal message of hate clothed in a message of love. I will carry the wounds of a pastor who told me I had to stay in an abusive marriage because I had made a promise before god to stay there in sickness and health until death do us part. I finally, without the blessing of the church; left the marriage cause I was laying in bed every night planning how to kill the man who lay beside me and he wasn't worth going to jail over.

I will continue to speak out against these religions, but I now do it from a different place. I do it from a place of release from the bondage and brainwashing. I do it from a heart that loves all that Mother has given us! I do it from a heart that loves all of creation and does not want to see anything or anyone hurt again.

May our Journey be full of Love and Light; Paths that are not straight and sometimes muddy; and may we always have the Heart of Mother and our Sisters as we take up our Walking Sticks and Journey on! Love and Peace!

Blessed be! 

Shadow Visits!

Shadow knocked on the Door to my Heart!

I turned on the TV!
Once Upon a Time
Believe
Revenge

Shadow knocked on the Door to my Brain!

I turned on music!
Washed my face
Brushed my teeth
Put on my PJs
Climbed under the covers

Shadow knocked on the Door of my Dreams!
Bathroom
Balcony
Back to bed

Shadow knocked on the Door of my Awakening!
Morning News on
Shower
Make up
Hair done
Breakfast
Work

Shadow stopped knocking

Today as I took my morning walk in the Forest and to the Lake, Shadow slipped into my Mind and Heart as I was no where to be distracted from Her Knocking. She did not wait for me to invite her in!

Shadow said, "Good morning my sweet Goddess. Did you not hear my knocking this week? Did you choose to ignore me? Were you afraid of what I would be asking you to look at; to visit with; to say good bye to? Did you not hear my knocking this week?"

I kept walking and looked back over my week. Did not I not hear Her knocking? I realized I was having a great week and so maybe I didn't want to have Shadow visit me.

Shadow said, "I have come to say Good bye! I have come to say I am the last of the Shadows. I have come to release you from looking behind you and wondering when the next Shadow would come for a visit. You my dear have visited with, made peace with and dismissed all the Shadows that dwelt within you.  That is the reason you have felt such peace lately. I am the last Shadow to visit you."

Shadow said, "You no longer have visits from Shame, Confusion, Regret and Anger. You no longer have visits from the Embarrassment of your choices. You no longer sit with the Shadow of Failed Motherhood, Failed Wife, Failed Daughter. You have said good bye to the 'Failed' and 'not enough' Shadows that plagued you for so long. You have dismissed "my body is not perfect, my brain not smart and my health questionable' Shadows."

Shadow said, "In doing so, you understand that you do not 'need' someone to save you from the sinful nature you were born with because you were not born 'sinful'. You have embraced the understanding that you are a goddess with the ability to heal, teach, love, be passionate, conquer, travel, dream, be alone, and so forth and so on. You have embraced who you are, what you need and don't need. You are now able to not take responsibility for  another's journey but are able to walk with them when invited and leave the journey when it is time.

"And so," said Shadow "I take my leave. I am the Shadow that sent all the Shadows to you. I am the Shadow of the Light and Love; of Acceptance and Embracing; of the Moon, the Sun, the Stars, the Grasses, the animals and the very Air that you breathe. For you see, my dear goddess, Shadows are not dark and monstrous. You made them to be because that was familiar. Shadows are always there to help you make sense of that which makes no sense. You have done the work and you have released your own Self by listening to Your Own Voice."

I was at the Lake by this time, and stopped to build an altar of stones. It is freeing to know I have done what I need to do to no longer have to reside in that place of Shadow work. I am now free to use the passion and the knowledge learned from those visits to be a presence in the world where I am called to be. I can choose what issues are important to me and speak on them. I can choose who is in my life and who is not. I can choose...me, healthy, beautiful, incredible, magickal ME!

And so, I thanked this last Shadow for all She had done in my life. And She Left.

May you be willing to sit with the Shadows and not see them as monsters but as friends who are there to help you become free of them!

Blessed be and much love!

Life after Death?

So, my older cousins were visiting my parents last week. They are Mormons. An interesting religion indeed and we have had many many conversations around what they believe, how they worship and where they think they go after they die. That was when I was a Christian.

Since leaving the Christian Tradition, they have not seemed to want to ask me questions or have discussions around what I now believe, so I was not in the conversation they had with my Mom about what happens after we die.

On my walk yesterday, I began really thinking about what I Believe Happens after I take my last Breath in this Garden. When I was a Christian, I had problems with the whole: we die and our soul goes to live with Jesus where we wait until Judgement Day. You see even all those years I had a struggle with the whole "Judgement Day" concept. When I left that Tradition, I spoke of Summerland and of Reincarnation, Past Lives, etc. There was still this belief that something is Next for me when I take my last Breath.

On my walk, it hit me how as Human Beings we spend most of our life trying to keep Death at Bay. We try so hard to Stay in this Garden no matter how good or bad our Lives are Here cause the thought of "Death" is just too much to handle I guess. So we make up Stories as to what lies in the Beyond. We speak of beautiful fields to run in, or banquet tables, or singing with angels, or waiting to be put into another body but while waiting we get to walk down golden paved roads and sing and dance! And really if that makes Letting go of the Fear of Dying then that is Wonderful.

Ok, so I asked myself, "Self, where do you stand on this issue of what happens After?"

I stopped, looked around and Knew that I Knew that I Knew that I no longer Think about the Afterlife. I don't Choose how I Live because one Day there will be this Judgement Day and I will have to explain all my Actions to the Divine.

Nope, I don't dwell in the Unknown any  more. And that is Comforting to me. I really don't care what happens after I take my last Breath of the Air in this Garden. What I realized is that thinking and worrying about the Afterlife only uses Energy that we are to Use here in This Life; whether it is the Only or the One of Many. Some External Story of Facing god has so many all tied up that they can't do the Good that we are to do Here and Now.

But you see, telling People that there is this Judgement Day is a part of the Power and Control. You see, it is all about realizing that we are horrible people really, full of sin, and the only way to not have more of the terrible painful life we already have when we die (i.e. hell), is to go by the rules/doctrine/dogma of the religion and be Saved! The Leaders, dead or alive, of the "religion" have the answers, have the direct conversation with the Deity in question so you are either in or out which means always thinking about what happens afterwards and if you will pass the Judgement Test when you get there.

Way too much Energy spent on the Unknown, if you ask me. But that is just me.

There are lots of Promises made about the Hereafter: rejoining Relatives who have gone before us; seeing the beloved Pets that went before us too; and most of all we will not have to come back Here to this Painful, Horrible Place called Earth.

What a Shame really. Maybe if we all paid more attention to what it means "To Do No Harm," Earth wouldn't be such a Terrible Place to live. Maybe if we really took care of the Garden then we wouldn't have so many Dis-eases. Maybe, just maybe, if we Gave Up all Power and Control and looked at our Neighbor with non-judgmental eyes; coveting what they have or hating what they have that we don't have or we don't like; Maybe Just Maybe we would be Happy and Contented and not have to spend money we don't have to gather Stuff all around us which we can't take with us anyway. But most of all Maybe there would be no more Hunger, no more Poverty, no more Abuse and Neglect.

So, that's the answer I would have given to my Cousins and my Parents. What do I believe happens when I die? I really don't Care because I am living the Best I can right now. I am Caring for my Neighbor with what I have and I am Speaking up for those Without a Voice who "religion" has convinced they have to give them all their Money so this Afterlife will be one bang up Party! I just don't spend the Energy Thinking About What is Going to Happen.

You see, I only have so much Energy, and I want to use it Drinking in every bit of the Gifts from the Goddess! I want to use my Energy to hug a co-worker who has been demeaned by a vindictive and hurtful Manager at work. I want to use my Energy, loving my Kids, loving my Family, loving my Facebook Friends, sending Cards, walking in the Forest, Hooping, etc etc etc.

Yep....I got too much to do Here to worry about There!

And I do like Surprises!

Blessed be! 

Creation Story I can get behind!

"The Ancient Ones told humanity that it is our job to care for the animals and all the kingdoms of nature, the Grandmothers say. In the creation myths of the Grandmother's traditions, it is said that in the beginning, wisdom and knowledge were gained from the animals, that the Creator did not speak directly to humanity. He showed himself through the beasts. Through observing all the kingdoms of nature and the stars and the sun and the moon, humanity was to humbly learn how to live on this planet. Everything on Earth was created for a purpose. for every disease there was a cure in the plant kingdom, and every person was born with a mission, the Grandmothers say." (GRANDMOTHERS COUNSEL THE WORLD Women Elders Offer Their Vision For Our Planet; Carol Schaefer, pg 163)

The Creator, or rather Creatress as I prefer, was silent. She did not speak directly to humanity.

How different from the Biblical Creation Story where this Male God is doing a lot of talking. This God speaks and everything comes into being because he speaks it into being. Then he lays down the rules to humanity and ultimately he speaks the words that throw humanity out of the garden and into toil and trouble. But before he throws them out he gives the man "dominion" (power and control) over everything God Spoke into being.

How's that working out? I think it is not!

But in the Ancient Ones creation myths the One who is Creating does not speak to humanity, but expects that humanity will "learn" by watching, observing, participating with the rest of the Garden; particularly the animals. It is a gentle creation story, don't you think?

"The Creation story of Grandmother Agnes's people, which is similar to many other indigenous people's creations stories, states that the Creator created men and women to take care of His Creation, which was why He was giving them a brain and with that brain the power to reason. The Creator gave us our gifts to be a voice for the voiceless, Grandmother Agnes explains. Humans were told to use all the gifts of nature in moderation and to keep all things in balance." (pg 164)

But as we know this did not happen. Man uses his brain for power and control, destruction and war, hate and abuse. And the Earth is crying out for us to be Her Voice! The Animals are begging for us to be their Voice. The Water is drowning in Her own filth and needs the Voice that we were given.

We have forgotten to look for the lessons, to sit and watch animals who teach us how to live in community; how to only take that which is needed to survive on a daily basis. We are now lost. We no longer know and it is hurting us all!

The Shift is here. So many of us have rediscovered how to watch and learn; how to be silent; and most of all how to Speak for the Voiceless!

I prefer this Creation Story if there has to be one. Really, it doesn't make any difference how all this was Created, what makes a difference to me is that I leave where ever I walk better than how I found it. What makes a difference is how often I close my mouth and just watch and listen.

And you know what? The Goddess would create in this way; not the Male god of the Bible. The Goddess would create in Silence; would ask humanity to stop, look, listen and learn. The Goddess would ask us to Care For not Dominate animals, the winged ones, the one-legged, the two legged, the water ones and all else in the Garden. She would not set up a bunch of rules for humanity to go by and She certainly would not throw us out of Her beautiful garden.

So, there is much for us to do to change the narrative of the predominate patriarchal myths. May we all join our hearts and tell a new story! Blessed be. Oh and while you are at it; Grandmothers Counsel The World is a most satisfying and motivating read! Take the time to do so!

Aho and love!