On Her Way

“Not only is another world possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” --Arundhati Roy

Ten years ago I walked into a domestic violence shelter with my five kids, terrified and numb at the same time. I was welcomed by a Catholic nun and part of me worried that I was going to be “returned” to my husband. You see, when I left my husband I was not only leaving him, but a powerful and influential church. Although at my core I believed I was doing the right thing, in many ways my image of God was still that of a white man who was going to punish me for my sin.

Yet, despite that, I felt Spirit with me. I started to heal as I was welcomed by these nuns who didn’t judge me, who clearly believed in a different image of spirituality. My journey since then has been a winding one, but throughout it all my deep faith and connection to Spirit carried me. As I healed I began to understand how patriarchy at its roots stems from a view of God as male--an oppressive and wounded male. I began to connect more deeply with my intuition, and with the Divine feminine. This shaped my belief that our world will only truly heal when the divine feminine is welcomed back. I understood that the wounds of women mirror the wounds of our planet. Mother earth, too, has been raped, and her wisdom ignored and dismissed.

My world vision is one where those qualities of the feminine are nurtured and valued in both women and men. Where global decisions are made from a place of openness, and unity, and where the Goddess is embraced. We are being called, each in our own way, to birth this new world and I believe this begins with birthing it within. My personal vision is to help other women heal the various ways that they might be dismissing, or shaming, their own sacred feminine so they can shine and be the full expression of who Spirit made them to be. I do this through the individual therapy work I do; through the meditation classes I lead; and through the healing grief rituals I facilitate which help women to come together and grieve. I also continue to grow in trust of my ability to use my writing to bring hope, awareness and healing. World Pulse has helped me clarify my vision of creating an online forum to “gather the women,” creating a critical mass of us who can continue to heal ourselves and the world. I envision this online forum to include photography and film as a way of expressing our truths and healing our community.

It struck me recently that I am pregnant again, not with another child, but with this vision. If I am chosen to be one of the Voices of our Future Correspondents I will use the training process to help me birth this online forum for the women in my community. I see the vision mentors as gentle and powerful midwives for this birth, helping me to both push forward and surrender to spirit, to open to the world and contract and connect with my inner wisdom. I also know that they will help me learn new skills that will help me be a more effective leader.

I would rejoice at being chosen as one of the thirty correspondents, seeing it not only as an honor, but a great responsibility to use this experience for inner and outer transformation. I also recognize as I’ve read the other women’s stories that we are all pregnant with beautiful and powerful change. And that whoever among us are chosen as the thirty, it will be a cause for celebration for them, and for us all.

I’ve been inspired and humbled by the strength and resilience we’ve all shown despite the pain so many of us have witnessed and experienced. I trust that as we keep walking in courage and love, Spirit will show me--all of us--the way to shine our light and to welcome this new world that is on her way.