Claiming Croneship once again!

I really am Convinced that one can never get enough Self-Affirmation! And I don't mean the "oh ain't I amazing" kind of Self-Affirmation; although as Women we have to do that every Minute of the day for sure, cause the World won't do it for us!

That being said:

Yesterday, August 30th, I turned the Wheel to age 62! Oh where has the Time gone I say so often. I Love getting Older as I am now able to look Back and View my Life through different Lenses; I get to actually see where my Ego was in Charge and where I let Goddess take over; I get to See where I was Offered a Crossroads and took the Path traveled by so Many and ended up Miserable from my own Choices; and I get to Witness the Times I actually took the Road Less Traveled and Saw and Experienced things and People who changed my very Soul! Ahhh.....looking back is Good.

But then there are Times; like Happened to Me yesterday, that we don't Think to do very often and yet we must find Time to do them. We need to Listen for the Call of the Divine to Self-Affirm and that was what happened on my Walk yesterday Morning.

It was Hot and Steamy at Dawn and yet I heard Gaia calling my Name, so off I went. I have a "forest" I walk in but only in the fall, winter and early spring. During the summer it is filled with Copperhead snakes, tics and mosquitoes. But yesterday, I knew I had to go and be Embraced; return to the Womb of Gaia, on the day I was pushed out from my Mother's Womb 62 years ago.

 I only went in enough so that I could feel Her embrace! Surrounded by the weighted Tree limbs; Soaking in the Green Colors; Smelling the Decay; Breathing in the sweet Smells of Gaia! I stood up on the fallen Tree trunk, held out my Hands and looking up spoke these Words, "I AM Goddess Deb! I am Lady of the Forest! I carry Earth Energy and thus Am connected to the Very Ground upon which I walk! I AM!"

As I walked from the Embrace of the Forest (with numerous mosquito bites I discovered later! arggg) I looked up at the Tres. The Wheel is Turning and my Gram taught me that the Leaves and other Vegetation will begin to look Tired before they Turn into Brilliant Colors. And I could Sense their Tiredness; their Readiness for Rest and I stood and said, "I AM Goddess Deb! I am getting Tired as the Wheel turns to 62 years of Walking in my Moccasins upon this Sacred Ground! But like You, My Colors are just now Beginning to Show Brightly and then it will be Time for Rest as Winter comes upon Us."

To the Lake I went as I Heard Grandmother Tree whispering: "Come sweet Goddess Deb!" And there She stood; Regal; Tall, Strong, Weathered, Beautiful....Just Like Me! And I embraced Her and She embraced me. And I kissed Her Hardened Bark and exchanged sacred DNA with Grandmother Tree. And we were One at that Moment.

The Altars I set when She claimed me as Her Own remain by Her strong roots. I placed my Hands on Grandmother Tree and said these words: "I AM Goddess Deb! I am Virgo Goddess! I Carry Earth Energy and yet have been Gifted with the Ability to See into the Cosmos; to Travel the Solar System! I Carry Brown Bear, Wolf and Mouse Energy. I am of the Turtle Clan. My Violet is buried here as I carry Violet Energy. I AM one with the Earth; with Gaia! I have been Chosen to Walk Heavily on this Earth, to Speak Loudly, but to meet Others at the very Base of their Trees of Life and Walk their Journey for a Time Designated by the Goddess."

I could feel The entire Universe Smile! I could Hear Goddess breathe in my Words and Breathe them back out into the World. I felt Whole and Replenished and Called!

As I stood there with my Hands on Grandmother Tree, I heard the Lady of the Lake Splashing my Name! I turned and all became very Silent. No longer did the boats Race by dragging water skiers; no longer did the Birds sing and the Crickets speak. No, at that Moment, I sensed the Lady of the Lake Rising up and Covering me with Her precious Water as a Crown Full of Stones worn smooth by the moving Water. And I knew at that Moment, that I had been Crowned once again Crone, the Wise One, the Messenger, the Compassionate One, the Holder of Stories of Old and New, the Witch of the Goddess Table!

I don't tell this story to brag or say how Special I am. I tell this Story as a Reminder that this isn't just for certain Women. We all must make Affirmations such as what happened here. We cannot wait for another to affirm for us! NO! And it may feel uncomfortable as we are trained to think we are not worthy of this. We feel that we are holding ourselves above others and that is a big no-no in the patriarchal world we live in....but WE KNOW that we are all Equal! We have been called for different Purposes, different Seasons and different Callings. Sometimes I need you to take care of me so I can rest and other times I need to care for you! But there is not Lesser than...there is Just You and Me and Us!

So find your time to Self-Affirm. You don't have to go on a walk, or go to the Forest, or anything dramatic; just go into the bathroom and look in the mirror and Listen and Speak! It is Your Turn! It is Our Turn! It is Our Time!

Blessed be and much love! 

It's been a Misognystic Kind week....oh wait that is every week!

Maybe it's because I am getting ready to turn 62 in a a week.

Maybe it's because I am reading more Feminist books.

Or Maybe, just maybe it's because Misogyny is just so much a part of who we are, that even enlightened women don't seem to see it any more, unless it is some politician spouting anti-contraceptive language on our TV, interrupting our entertainment that is also full of woman-hating, woman demeaning messages.

Definition of Misogyny: dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.

I have been a Feminist since my teens. This "rebellion" went against everything I was taught in my family and church. It went against the shows I watched on TV: Father Knows Best; and against the '50's family values that a woman's place was in the home, barefoot and pregnant.

This "rebellion" is still being classified by many in my family as, "hippie, 60's stuff" or as my mom told me: "you are just a product of your generation." (i.e. it is time for you to grow up and get over all of this silly stuff).

So this week it has been slammed in my face at work.

First, I was talking to a man who I have had many conversations with. I walked up on him with his hand in the copier and it looked stuck. My comment was, "Sean, is your hand stuck in the copier?" He said, "No!" I then said, "Oh I guess not or you would be screaming in pain." His reply?

"You would never catch me screaming and crying like a little girl!!!!!!!!!"

Now maybe it is because I am going to be 62 in a week, or I have read too many feminist books lately or because I am still a hippie rebellious person, but this comment went all over me!

And out of this beautiful mouth of mine came these words:

"Well, that was a very misogynistic comment." (I really didn't even think he would know the word, but he did.)

He got very defensive and took issue with me. I pointed out the obvious about this statement and what it said about girls and women and how that was misogynistic. He didn't agree with me, but that was ok, I got my point across and all the men in the room were listening and probably didn't join in the woman bashing as I AM the owner's sister!

Second and the most telling and disturbing:

I came upon one of the women I work with who was very upset. Her younger sister is getting married in a month and she is the Maid of Honor. Alecia has worked very hard on the shower, bachelorette party, etc. She had been receiving text messages from her sister telling her not to get overly dressed up for the wedding as the bride didn't want her sister to "out shine her". Alecia said her sister was very demeaning about how she over dresses and puts on too much makeup and is prettier than her anyway. Her sister told her that it was "her" day, "she" was the bride and "she" didn't want anyone looking at anyone but "her".

Now, I must say Alecia does not on any given day look "over made up." She is a beautiful woman and likes to dress nice. Needless to say, my friend had her heart broken but was very angry.

Do you see it? Do you see the competition that women have been taught to have by the patriarchal misogyny? Here is one sister literally calling out another sister about her appearance and especially how not to be more "attractive" than her so as not to "out shine her". Is this crazy or what?

Crazy? No! It is Misogyny at it's most potent. It is the part we miss. It is the part that says, "Two women can't live in the same household/can't be in the kitchen together/can't be best friends." It is the part that has women say "I am only friends with men! Women are too catty and bitchy and will knife you in the back in a heart beat."

Can you imagine this woman's husband saying to his best man, "Now dude, I don't want you to shave for the wedding 'cause I want to look better than you since it is "my" day and I want all eyes on "me".

Women are our own worst enemy! I keep saying it over and over. The War on Women will not be Won until Women refuse to join in the Misogyny! I have found that Women are the Worse Women Haters! We gossip about other women, we tear down other women, we demean other women. Men could just sit back and rest awhile because in my mind Women are doing the Work of Hating Women for them.

Yes, this is a big button for me as you can see.

These are only two of the daily examples of why women are still seen as "second class" and should be beat up, spit up, sexualized, paid less, etc.

And yes, I will be 62 in a week and I will NOT stop being Vocal about my passions. Just because I can now apply for Social Security does not mean I am done with my fight for Women to be Human Beings. We are not waiting for anyone to give us our rights! We have them and must claim them!

Blessed be!

A week of Aging!

This past week was interesting to say the least. My Sister and I drove my parents to Pennsylvania so our Mom could visit her Sister, Sister in law and her Nieces. She also wanted to stop by the House she lived in until she was 11, when they moved to Virginia. Her parents moved back to that house after I was born; thus it is the Home that I knew and loved as Gram's house. It was a week of Aging!

My parents are both 81 and Dad just can't and won't (thank goodness) make that long drive anymore (11 hours). My Sister and I are happy to do it and get to see our relatives also. We were all closer to my Mom's side of the Family.

It was a week of Aging and Dying.

My Mom is a Storyteller (much to our chagrin sometimes as she tells the same stories over and over); and so there was much telling of Stories of times Gone by. There was Talk of how the buildings had aged, the vegetation was overgrown and of the people who were now buried deep inside Hays/South Easton Cemetery! (Yes, there was a trip to visit my grand and great grandparents burial places.)

It was a week of Death, Dying and Aging!

And it was a picture of life as we move into that time of More Years behind us then in front of us! Story telling was the theme of the week.

Stories are important. These oral Traditions make sure we have a Container for what has made us who we are. It is a Container full of the Puzzle Pieces that we all struggle to fit together into a coherent picture of Life!

I have two maternal aunts left; one my mom's sister and one her sister-in-law. My mom's sister is in the last stages of Alzheimers. She no longer can tell Stories or even appreciate the ones my Mom tried to tell her. And so we sat around and told stories about her as if she too was buried in the ground along side my grandparents. Alzheimer is a Disease where you Grieve the person's death twice!

My mom's sister-in-law is in a nursing home at 92 years of age and has begged to Die for the last 11 years (since mom's brother died); and yet she is still hanging in there, playing Solitaire and Drinking Vodka...yep at the nursing home! She told lots of Stories although her Memory is getting weaker. Now unable to walk unassisted, she just waits at the nursing home for the "relief of death'.

My Dad had a few "heart episodes" while on the trip and on Friday he sees the cardiologist for the next step after tests before we left. He told my Sister and I that he had said Good Bye to both my Aunts knowing "one of us won't be here this time next year and it may be me."

It was a trip of Aging, Death and Dying!

But it was so much a Trip about Life! We laughed, we told stories, we ate lots of ice cream, we spent a lot of time in the car; we gossiped, we prayed, we bought 8 Shoofly pies at the bakery and we had a good time . We found out that my dad's sister-in-law in Virginia who has terminal cancer was put in the hospital and so there was the talk of what life would look like for his brother who is Aging and not well. They are both in their 90's.

And I was talking about applying for Social Security in the next few months and one of my sister's friends from high school died of brain cancer at age 52.

We got home fine; and while doing laundry and unpacking I began thinking that it is possible that we will be going to a few funerals this year. But isn't that what we all have in common? One day we will all face the whole Aging, Death and Dying time of our lives! 

Just like the Trees of the forest, the Animals, the fish and Mamma Earth Her very Self! And come Monday, even the Moon Goddess will begin to Disappear and Die in the Sky. BUT She teaches us that what ever happens there is fullness after every Death; whether that is physical, emotional, or spiritual.

So as I gaze at Grandmother Moon in all her fullness I will give thanks for the Light each of these people have brought into my life. I will cherish the Memories, the Stories, and all the times we will have together until the Quietness of Death calls each of us Home! And I will even appreciate Mom's Stories as it is the Container that holds the pieces for the Puzzle of my Life!

And it is all Good! So let's just celebrate when we can!

Love and Light!

The Promise Land!

It was the summer of 2009. I had been in seminary for a year, had open heart surgery, and was now volunteering at a summer day camp held at one of the local Lutheran churches for Refuge children while waiting for the fall classes to begin.

The children at this day camp lived in the Columbia SC area and all were sponsored by one church or another. A lot of the children couldn't even speak English. Most of them lived in a very run down trailer park in a high crime area of the city. I rode in the van to pick the kids up and I was reminded of my Social Work days going into the Projects checking on abused and neglected kids. These children looked a lot like most of my clients. How could these families still be living like this if churches were helping them????

It was lunch time and I looked around and saw one little girl sitting all by herself. I took my tray over and asked if I could sit with her. She nodded her head and I sat down. We ate in silence. When she had finished eating, she picked up a crayon and began to draw. She was from Mexico and was 10 years old. As she drew she told me her story. I want to share it with you! (Her name was hard to say, so I have forgotten it, which I am very sorry for, but her face will never leave my heart!)

(I am going to tell the story as if she was telling it; thus the "I" and "we" pronouns)

****I lived in Mexico with my mom, dad and two little sisters. My dad would leave for long times looking for work. My mom would do other people's laundry or try and clean houses, but there was no work. We lived in a wooden house without a door and dirt floors. It had two rooms and we went to the bathroom outside in the back yard in the dirt. My sister and I would have to cover it all up. It was one of our jobs. My mom couldn't pay all the bills and they would shut off our electricity and water.

My sister and I would take our clothes to the market and sell them so we could help her pay the bills. Sometimes we had to get into garbage cans to have something to eat.

We are Catholics and at night my mom would tell us about the Promise Land. She would tell us that one day we would all live in the Promise Land and have jobs, and get to go to school, and have plenty of food and not have to sell our clothes. She told us that one day we would be happy and never be sad again. She told us this Promise Land was America.

One night, my sister and I were asleep and our mom woke us up and told us to be very quiet. Outside was most of my family; uncles, aunts and lots of cousins. We couldn't take anything with us; not even my stuffed rabbit that I slept with all the time. Our relatives kept whispering that it was time to go to the Promise Land.

We made it to the water and I knew we had to swim to get there. The water was very rough and cold. I was trying to hold on to my uncle so my mom could hold on to my little sisters. My uncle could not swim and he finally let go of me and went under the water and drowned. Another uncle caught me and helped me in the water. When we got to land 2 aunts and some cousins had drowned.

We ran through lots of trees and bushes and got cut up a lot. But finally we were able to stop and rest. I was so hungry and wanted to go to sleep but they told me I couldn't. We kept going and going until we stopped at this house. We went inside and our family began to cry and thank God that he had brought us to the Promise Land where we would have money and food and clothes and a nice house to live in.******

At this point she stopped talking and I was doing all I could not to sob. I asked her if her life was different now? (remember I picked her up in the van from the run down trailer in the high crime area). She looked into my eyes and for the first time smiled. She said, "Oh yes! We live in a very nice house, and have food and water and I don't have to sell my clothes. My mom cleans "rich" people's houses and they will send her home with clothes for us and sometimes food. And the nice people at the church come and get us for Sunday School and we learn about how good God is to bring us to the Promise Land and tells us to be thankful for all that is being done for us."

THE PROMISE LAND! The United States of America....THE PROMISE LAND!!!!

So when you hear of those who want to ship the kids who are running to our country BACK...remember why they are coming here. It is NOT to deal drugs, steal jobs, or any other sundry of evil reasons (although I am not naive enough to think there is not that going on too)....they believe in their hearts what they hear and see....THIS IS THE PROMISE LAND! The Land of Milk and Honey! The Land where every one has a job, a house, food, clothing, education, and enough and more of everything you will need. AND everyone is HAPPY!

Yes, I am sure on any given day, this little girl feels she is in the Promise Land. Living in the run down trailer where there is a bathroom, running water and electricity is that Promise Land to her. Living where her mom can go to work (she never mentioned her father), and she and her sisters can go to school is the Promise Land. And yet, there are many who desperately want all the refuges/immigrants "to go back from where they came from." Too many of these people are the same ones who go to the churches that sponsor these families.Too many are followers of their Jesus.

Whenever I hear the debates over immigration, whenever I hear about the need to build huge fences around our country to keep all these blood suckers out of our country; I think of this little girl, drawing and tell her story to a white woman who does have more than enough, lives in a very nice place and has never been without what I needed to survive.

I thanked her for telling me her story and told her I was sorry about the relatives who had drowned that night trying to get here. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said nothing. Who wants to be somewhere bad enough that they will get in an ocean of water not knowing how to swim; trusting that god will get them there? Desperate people do that. Hungry, homeless, scared, desperate people do that.

The Goddess I know weeps!

Interesting enough; the next day this little girl did not get on the van and did not come back to the day camp. No one went to ask why or to check on her. I was told; "This is what Those People do." The Social Worker in me cringed. And I would ask over and over again: What would Jesus do? Don't you think he would go and check on her (remember I was in seminary)? I never got a clear cut answer and I was not allowed to go and follow up myself.

I think of this 10 year old child from Mexico and wonder if the Promise Land is all it was portrayed to be. And I reflect on the number of times the President and others in charge remind us that this is The Greatest Country on Earth. Yes, the Promise Land. And then I think about that great statue in the New Harbor. This is what she says:

 Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

(Poem on the Statue of Liberty)

Blessed be!

Reflecting or Being the Light?

In my part of the Forest it is the First Day of Summer; Summer Solstice; Litha! We celebrate the Longest day of the Year, even if it only means 5 seconds of more Sun! Ah...the Sun! Huge, fiery, missed when we have had days of rain (which we have not); can cause burns on our skin and lead to cancer. Ah...the Sun!

I was thinking about a discussion I had in seminary with my Missiology (the area of practical theology that investigates the mandate, message, and mission of the Christian church, especially the nature of missionary work) Professor. I made the comment in a paper that we live in a Dark World. He totally disagreed and this carried into the classroom for discussion.

You see, for me, the World is Dark. I worked in social work for 33 years and saw the Darkness; I marched against an unnecessary War in the 60's as I was seeing the Darkness; I lived through an emotional and sexual abusive marriage for 30 years and watched as my children suffered the results of this man's actions, words and beliefs; yep...Dark World!

The Professor (whom I adored!) said that the world was not dark as Jesus was the world. It was just that we have forgotten how to reflect his light into the world.

My position was that the World is Dark and We are to Reflect Ourselves into the World; Us who carry the Light, the Love and the Understanding of how we are to Treat one another and all of Creation. Of course, this did not bode well in a Christian seminary that I was saying that "I" have the Light and Love that the World needs.

Today as the Sun Shines with all Her Might down upon the Northern Hemisphere, I am thinking about Light. I am thinking about the World that has so much Darkness in it. And I am Thinking about all the Light and Love that is in the World but gets Smothered over by all the Constant Oozing of Hatred, Bigotry, Misogyny, Corruption, Abuse, Lies, Betrayal, War, and Self-absorption. I still hold that this is a Dark World, but only because Human Beings have Decided that Living in the Darkness is the preferable Way to live.

But WE Know differently! We the Witches know this is not true! We the Goddesses know that the Light comes from Within! We Are the Light and the Love! Those before the onslaught of Patriarchal Religion and Thought, always Knew this to be Truth. But when the Male God came into being; the message was one that we were the Dark Ones and only through him could we even begin to get a glimpse of any Light and Love and most of that would be after we leave this planet. And only believing in him could we even have hopes of being Good enough to be anything but Dark.

What a shame! What a terrible Shame! We do not Reflect the Light of a Divine Being...WE are the Light of the Divine! We are the Divine! And as such we Shine as Bright as the Sun.

So then why is the world so full of Darkness, Terror, Nightmarish Actions of the most Intelligent Creatures here on Earth? Why? Because we have Forgotten. We have been Brainwashes by those who wish us to Believe that we are the Scum of the Earth, we are the Dark Sinful Creations, even tho' WE are the only ones actually made in the Creators image. Makes my head hurt!

The Sun is Shining Brightly here in my part of the Forest and I think about the Light and Love that is Each of Us. I See it every Day and yet, it Never makes the News and seldom is the Topic of Sermons.

I see it on facebook as we each hold and support one Another as we Travel this World that wants to Convince us that it is a Dark Place. I see it as my Kale and Rosemary grow and the birds come and Dine at my Feeder. I see it as a Card shows up just at the right Time, and as my Son and Daughter sat with Me as the Sun was going Down and Love Poured out from Everywhere! I see it All around me, but others don't see it.

We must make sure we Re-member that Light! We must not be brainwashed any longer in  believing that this Forest, this Garden is Dark. For you see, just like the pilot light under the gas water heater, the Light burns even when it seems the Light has gone out. Look UP! In the Darkest of Nights, the Stars are there as is Grandmother Moon. Even if the sky if covered with clouds we can be assured that the Light is behind those clouds! We KNOW it to be true.

Accept the call of the Goddess to Shine the Light...don't wait for "something" outside of you to be there so you can Reflect it! That is a Lie! That keeps us trapped in the Darkness. Light the Candle within you! And if you feel your Light has Gone out or the Oil is running Low; be Assure it has not, but Reach out to Someone you Know who will Relight your Light; Reach out to your Pet, your Loved one; reach out to Goddess for She is the One Who lit the Light inside of you in the First Place!

Blessed be on this day we celebrate the Sun! 

This is What Sisterhood Looks Like!

This morning I was on my walk and noticed an older woman walking slowly in front of me. I noticed that every now and then she would lift her glasses and wipe under her eyes. A sure sign she was crying.

As I passed her, I slowed down and asked if she was ok. She could not talk, but continued to cry silently. I waited until she got her herself together and she began to talk.

Her best friend, Cindy's, Mom lives in my complex and had a stroke last week and she is unable to live alone any longer. Patty and Cindy have been friends since they were 12 years old and now they are both 66. Patty lives in Oklahoma and Cindy in Texas. So when Patty got the call, she hopped on a plane, flew to Texas and then drove to South Carolina with Cindy to help her make decisions for her Mom.

This is what Sisterhood looks like.

The choice of Mom being here in a nursing home is out as she does not qualify (makes too much in Social Security...not sure I knew that was possible, but anyway...). The cost for assisted living is not affordable either.

So two options are now on the table: Mom goes home with Patty and lives in the mother-in-laws apartment. Or she goes home with her daughter, Cindy and she finds assisted living in Texas. Then the question is whether to fly her to either place or to drive her. Lots of considerations on the Table.

This is what Sisterhood looks like.

Patty said she got up with a heavy heart and decided to walk outside to see if she could hear God's will. She spoke a lot about trusting in God, God's plans, etc. I knew from her language she was Christian.

After she talked for awhile, I asked if I could pray with her. She was so thankful; and there in the middle of the street two Sisters, having only just randomly met, prayed to the Divine for clear discernment.

This is what Sisterhood looks like.

After the prayer, Patty asked me, "What church do you belong to?" Now, I knew this was not the time or place to disclose to this woman that she had just been prayed for by a witch. So I said, "I do not go belong to a church here." She was shocked and said, "oh but you must!" I told her I was raised Lutheran, but felt that "God" had told me to find "him" in nature right now.

She then began to tell me she had been Southern Baptist and she and her husband were now Nazarene and how much Bible Study they do and how I really needed to go to church.

She then said this while pointing her finger at me, "The reason we must go to church is so that God can reprimand us, teach us and let us know that what we are doing is not right. We can do what we want for 6 days, but on Sunday is the time we have to go to church so God can get right in our face and straighten us out."

From her point of view I guess this is what Sisterhood looks like. She cared about my right living.

I smiled and told her that I really was glad that we had this Divine Appointment and that I would keep her and her friend and her mother in my heart and I knew that God would show them the right path to take. She hugged me and we said good bye.

This IS what Sisterhood looks like.

Two women sharing an intimate moment in the middle of the street in the Forest! Right there in the midst of the Divine and all that was fresh and green and lush! I know she was sure I was a Christian and that is ok; it is part of my heritage. What is important is that in this moment I listened to Goddess and stopped to help a Sister who needed to talk to someone not connected with her situation; someone who was there in a sweaty tank top  and shorts, who paid attention to the signs of another Sister. And it was important to me that she Honored me by inviting me into her Story. That is Trust.

That is what Sisterhood looks like!

I came home and placed a ribbon on the Prayer Trellis for each of them. I know that these two Sisters not related by blood will make the best decision for Cindy's mom. How do I know?

That is what Sisterhood looks like!

Blessed be!

We are too much like the people of Oz!

Walking is Cathartic for me and I often am amazed at what comes flowing through the waves of this old brain. Sometimes it is pretty mundane; sometimes very sad; sometimes happy and a lot of times just plain surreal.

But then there are mornings like this when a scene from a movie pops up right in the middle of my conversation with Self and Goddess.

So, I was musing about how quiet social media has gotten now that 2 weeks have gone by since the misogynistic driven killing happened. This led me to remember 9/11. I was fully involved in the Christian Church at that time and remember people flocking to church during the week for prayer and consolation; for a desire to understand what happened and to ask their God to help us revenge this horrible killing. The pews were packed as were the weekly prayer services. It was happening to all Christian denominations, Jewish and Buddhist temples. People were showing up in droves waiting for the Pastor/Priest/Rabbi to give them words from the Divine One!

And then within a few months, if that long, the people went back to their lives and the religious buildings were once again less than full.

In popped a scene from The Wizard of Oz.

Dorothy and her friends are in the Green Castle where the People of Oz live with the Wizard in Charge! They have just gotten all dolled up so they would look presentable to the Wizard and all of a sudden there in the Sky the Wicked Witch of the West is writing Surrender Dorothy! Do you remember?

All the people run to the entrance to the Wizard, in fear with questions as to the meaning of this event. As they gather, the Guard of the Door, quiets them:

  Here -- here -- here -- wait a minute!
          Wait a minute! Stop - stop - stop! It's
          all right!

                    GUARD
          Every -- It's all right! Everything is
          all right! The Great and Powerful Oz has
          got matters well in hand - I hope -- So
          you can all go....

                    GUARD
          ...home -- and there's nothing to worry

and assures them that the Wizard has everything under control and they are to now go home. And they all turn and go back to their activities.

That is what happened after 9/11. We all went back to what we were doing and trusted that Someone had it all under control so we could go about our selfish lives.

This happens over and over again, does it not? That is why we keep fighting the same battles over and over again. That is why some of us continually say "wait; this is cropping up again; didn't we already take care of this?"

And so, it happened after Columbine; after Va Tech shooting; after the Theater mass murder; after Sandy Hook; after.......do you get the picture. So after the most recent mass murders, once again the debates began about gun control, mental illness and now misogyny has come to the surface as it does when we battle reproductive rights after some political person makes horrible comments or another abortion clinic gets closed down.

And after a few days, we all seem to go back to our lives of making money; keeping house; going to school; raising children; playing sports; etc etc etc.

But in the Wizard of Oz; Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion would not give up. They stayed and did not leave when the Guard told every one to do so. They had a mission; they had problems to solve; and they, led by Dorothy, would NOT stop until they saw the Wizard. But if you notice; everyone else left and went home.

And that is what we do as human beings. Maybe it's because we think "someone" really is taking care of it. Or maybe "it" is way too overwhelming and it is easier to just stop thinking about it. Or maybe this is the way we are conditioned to deal with The Journey. We want Something to happen, but not if it interferes with OUR OWN PERSONAL AGENDA! And of course, we love the BLAME game!

It is interesting to see how quickly people now play the Mental Illness card during these horrific acts. "Oh we really can't do anything about this because he was mentally ill. Guns don't kill people; mentally ill people kill people." And so the right wing protects their precious guns and the left wing protects their mentally ill. And the rest of us go about our business cause the Guard of the Wizard assured us it would be taken care of. We scream and yell our individual positions on social media and then it becomes old news and we get back to our own lives.

Oh, but then the next murders come and we are SHOCKED that this has happened again and we rush to the "Wizards" in our lives (FOX and CNN; churches; facebook; Twitter, etc) but then we "go back home" until the next situation shows itself!

Doesn't this make you tired? It does me and I was exhausted at the end of last week. I am so done watching this cycle go on and on and on. I get tired of thinking of all the sit-ins and peace and civil rights marches I participated in. I get tired of thinking how many years I have been a Voice for Women's Rights; Children's Rights, etc. It's been a long road.

BUT I am too much like Dorothy! I will continue to push the "Guard" at the Door until He lets me in to see the Wizards! How about you? What if we all refused to "go home"? What would that look like? Well, I hope to one day see it happen; and soon!

I'll see you at the Door!