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!