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The Sacred Journal is a free newsletter that features my thoughts, areas of interest and psychic insights. It is a monthly publication by Charlene Ryan. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Hello, This month I'll be discussing another interest of mine "Women of Empowerment". It deals with the history of women in religions and the stages of a woman's life. In each issue I will share my thoughts, areas of interest, and psychic insights. I welcome feedback and your personal insights to share with other Sacred Journal subscribers. I encourage input on areas you would like to see addressed. Charlene ----------------------------------------------------------------
Rites and Passages Women Undergo In Their Desire to Connect to the Divine Women of all ages have been confused as to what it means to be a woman, and more an empowered woman. Today women know that time was of the essence; she must use her voice and unique expression to lift all to higher dimensions of relating, and higher dimensions of love. Women have looked to mythology and history to find what few mentors there were in the world to help her define herself. Deena Metzger in her book, “To be a Woman”, says. “ It is no wonder that from the beginning the first patriarchs, the priests of Judea and Israel, the prophets of Jehovah, all condemned the Holy Prostitutes. If the priests wished to insert themselves between the people and the Divine, they had to remove women from the role. So it was that sexuality was originally considered sinful per se, or that women’s sexuality threatened property or progeny; it was that in order for the priests to have power, women had to be replaced as a road to the Divine – this gate had to be closed. It was, we can speculate, to this end that the terrible misogyny we all suffer was instituted. We have learned to be ashamed of something that was once known to be a link to the Divine.” History reveals that in Grecian, Egyptian, Hinduism, Buddhism and the Gnostics cultures there were temples that housed Holy Prostitutes. Men could establish their connection to the Divine within them through union with a woman’s body. It is highly probable that people who inhabited Europe many thousand of years ago celebrated the cyclical return of life, each year at the beginning of spring, through religious rites in which the sexual union of female and male principles was a form of sacrament. Today in our culture sexuality has become something to control, and be ashamed of unless it is being represented as a marketing tool. Many women are confused about their sexuality and have internalized her shame and conflict. We have been taught to disown a most important aspect of our being. We can experience our own sexual energy as something that is ours and does not belong to any other person or any market. It is possible to reclaim our bodies and our sexuality as something inherently sacred and as a direct link to the Divine. In the 21st century we are at the threshold of normalizing a universal acceptance of celebration and ceremony initiating women into the Divine Feminine aspect of the Creative Force. As woman it is our acknowledgement of the Goddess within us and the honoring of each of the rites of passage that we must pass through. Each stage is an initiation to the next step, with each passage we must leave something behind to make room for the new. Each rite of passage into womanhood has its own unique challenges and gifts. For the Maiden it is a time of discovery, of passion and ego development. She faces the challenges of trust, risk taking, innocence, identity, and sexual exploration. Her goal is to find her voice, know her values and purpose. She must learn to stay connected with others without losing touch with her own inner world. The dilemma for the Maiden is that she feels that when she speaks her mind and heart people wont want to be with them. If she doesn’t nobody will connect with her…either way she can feel alone. The second phase is that of Mother. For her it is a time of ego actualization. She must choose a path of focus and commitment to the birth of her creative expression. She is in her childbearing time, whether she chooses this focus or that of a profession, she devotes herself to others. Her goal is to actualize the dreams of the maiden, strengthen her spiritual awareness and service. The dilemma for the Mother is “doing it all”. She must balance outer needs and responsibilities with inner peace and harmony. Being and claiming her authentic self, and in so doing leading a productive life. We turn to the Crone for guidance. She teaches us and tells us stories. She reaches into her soul, that place of solitude to bring forth her wisdom. Her’s is a time to actualize her dreams and visions. The dilemma for the Crone is to find a way not to become invisible to society. It is a time of thriving and being free from her past dragons. The Crone is wisdom personified. It is her task to embrace her wisdom, expand her creativity, and share, especially with other women, the knowledge she has gleaned from her years of experience. She is more empowered now than in the past. No longer a throwaway. Fully developed she is Lilith, that part of ourselves that refuses to be controlled and passionately claims her personal power and stands on her convictions which are driven by an internal motive. She is committed to her personal freedom and keeps her moral strength alive. Her leadership is through struggle, sacrifice and even martyrdom. She has the courage and conviction to match up to any demands of the time. If she appeals for assistance she can invoke the Divine to recast the situation to bring good to all concerned. She is all three aspects of the Goddess. She carries strength to be herself and is the veritable Wild Woman, Woman of Empowerment. Discussion on this topic is encouraged. Please send your comments or questions to: Send your answers to: cr@charleneryan.com Copyright Charlene Ryan 2001 | |||
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