“You cannot oppress a person, when there is a feeling that in them they are in touch with something that is sacred. You can’t oppress them at the soul level.” Jean Bolen
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We live in a society that oppresses everything feminine – feminine values, ways of being, expressions and more. The corollary, more often unspoken than spoken, is that this society, and every patriarchal society, oppresses women. While the severity of this oppression varies by race, society, culture, country, religion, at the core of patriarchy is the oppression of women.
We may want to deny this. After all, our fathers, brothers, and sons are men. And, patriarchy teaches us, as women, that it is our duty to make sure the men in our lives feel good about themselves, that it is our role to do that.
Why do women fight patriarchy? Because, they have the most to gain from its demise. Why do so many men turn a blind eye to it? Because they believe they have the most to lose.
Why do we all avoid, on some level, engaging fully in seeing through this dream? Because it hurts to see the way we’ve been conditioned to treat each other, and to treat ourselves. Because we fear what might happen if this all changes. Because we must grow up, emotionally, to step into our power as sacred beings. And, a myriad of other reasons.
But, men aren’t patriarchy, just as women aren’t the images that patriarchy makes us out to be. Patriarchy is the structure woven into the institutions of this society.
We all, both men and women, to some varying degree, hold this structure up, whether we are aware of it or not. It is woven so deeply, none of us see the full extent of our compliance or complicity, unless we truly awaken out of the dream that is the world of patriarchy.
Men benefit the most from the privileges automatically bestowed at birth in a society that is based on patriarchy. But, even those that are privileged in patriarchy, are suffering, because this is not our natural, sacred way of living.
It is painful to be oppressed. It is painful to oppress. We are all losing in this dream. We know this, and we deny it.
And, we all, men and women, must be part of the solution. The solution is awakening. Awakening to this sacred nature within. A nature that knows the beauty and goodness in all beings.
Something is awakening. Something sacred, something vital, something that knows truth. We are awakening. We are waking up from this dream of patriarchy, from this dream of separation and control, from this dream of fear, domination and oppression.
As Jean Bolen so eloquently points out, when the soul wakes up to that which is sacred within, it can no longer be oppressed. While the body may be abused, the psyche verbally and emotionally assaulted, the soul, when aware and aware of its divine nature, can not be oppressed.
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And you, beautiful woman. The sacred feminine is alive and breathing right inside your body. As a woman, you have the ability to bring life into life, whether it is babies or any of the other myriad ways you can create new life. Your creativity, sensuality and sexuality are intricately woven together in a way that allows you to nurture and love all of life, without losing yourself. This same rich tapestry is also the source of a fiery life-affirming force, a Kali energy that surfaces as you express the fullness of what you are.
When you come to know the divine feminine you, a true dignity arises from within. You accept the humbleness of your own soul and the opportunity to serve all of life.
You have a part to play in this divine dance of life that is yours and only yours. Your sacred feminine creativity and open heart are needed in our world today.
It is time for us as women to remember our innate power, and to no longer trade it for the false securities of our cultural conditioning.
It is time for us to realize that what we are as women is wholly different than men- this difference serves the natural expression of the masculine rather than competing with it.
When we bring together our innate love for the sacred and our deepest desires to see love made manifest in the world, we become a powerful creative force in service to something greater than ourselves.
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The good news is that you are already this sacred being. You don’t have to do anything to learn it, to become it, to get the hang of it. The only thing standing between you and your knowing of your divine nature is the revealing of you to you.
Are you ready to reveal you to you, to look within to the beauty that is you?
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This breathtaking image is “Protecting New Life”, by Shiloh Sophia McCloud, an incredible artist with a divine brush.
Julie, I have no idea why I wasn’t following your blog before, but I am now! Another force for the Divine Feminine! Yeah!
Dear Shawna, I’m so glad you are here! Yeah for the Divine Feminine, Divine Masculine, Divine Life. Blessings.
“men aren’t patriarchy, just as women aren’t the images that patriarchy makes us out to be”: exactly. decades ago, when i first started out on this path, i admit to using the two synonymously. but i long ago realized that patriarchy is, as you say, a societal structure. yes, there’s masculine and feminine. they’re different, to be sure, but neither is inherently better than the other just because of the initial consonant. and just because it’s the way we’ve always done it doesn’t mean it’s the right way. i embody masculine and feminine traits and characteristics, and it serves me well. but it’s time for me to stop applauding the touting the masculine traits while apologizing for the feminine. time for me to stop being embarrassed about my feminine characteristics. time for me to stop being ashamed of being a woman, a female.
this sentence is key for me: “When you come to know the divine feminine you, a true dignity arises from within.”
you know me, i’ll have more to say later . . .
Oh, Jeanne. Yes. It is time to stop being ashamed of being female. Time to stop anything that doesn’t honor your true dignity as a sacred being in a sacred body living in a sacred world. Loving you, J
I found your blog via a Tweet. How timely it was to find it today as I just wrote in my journal this morning about some feelings about being female. Aspects about being female that I battle with internally. Aspects that I have a hard time accepting. Aspects that men can never understand because they will never have to deal with them. Stuff I’ve been carrying around for some time.
Thank you for bringing me back to understanding my sacred feminine self; my power. Your words have resonated with me.
Amy, I’m so glad you found the blog and that you left us all a wonderful comment.
Your words resonate with me, and I’m sure they will with many readers. “Aspects about being female that I battle with internally.” I know this is going on in so many women. This is exactly the conversation that I long to have with many women. We are divine in all of our femaleness, not in spite of it. I’m glad we’re having this conversation. I’m wondering what helped to shift your feelings to one of sacredness?
Thank you. Blessings to you.
Hi Julie,
After writing my morning grumbles, I used turn-around phrases. Similar to Byron Katie’s work, I take my negative voice’s phrase or statement and turn it into a positive phrase. Then I repeat it a few times. Between that and being pointed to your post, it really helped.
Namaste
Wonderful. This sacred feminine is you. You are her. Somewhere inside, you know this, fully, already. We all do. We’re just re-awakening to her.
New to you. What a glorious message that makes me feel calm. Not about hammering the wonderful men with whom I live and so enrich my life, but about celebrating the feminine within me.
Yes, about celebrating the feminine within you, and within all of life. So glad you’re here, Rebecca.
I resonate to, and agree with, all you so eloquently and passionately express here. Themes of awakening and the world’s tremendous need for the return of the divine feminine seem to be spontaneously unfolding around us in an increasing vibration of intensity and synchronicity. Namaste
Isn’t it awe-inspiring? She, the Unknown She, is unfolding right now. Both within and without. Everywhere. In us all. What will it take to welcome her? Namaste
As always, Julie, you tenderly touch nerves that invite us to deeper emotion, deeper awareness, deeper truth. I am not immune. SO grateful for this post, for your acknowledgment of the sacred nature, for the gentle prod to reveal myself to myself.
Thank you, my friend. Stunningly beautiful – this…and you.
Ronna, and what a beautiful Self you are. Thank you, dear friend.
Loved this post and I love your blog! 🙂 Now following!
Jody, Thank you, thank you, and thank you. I’m glad you’re here. I look forward to conversations with you. Blessings.
Hello Julie,
I’m a novice in blogging, finding my voice, and so our mutual friend and sister, Heather (www.fumblingforwords.com) recommended your blog. Beautiful – your writing, the art work, the poetry and excerpts – a rich experience. As I scroll down to your post on process painting, I’m realizing a long held dream to study with Michele Cassou, an originator of a process painting method called Point Zero. I’ll attend her master’s class in Taos, NM in October, with the intention of weaving this into my coaching and “embodied” leadership retreat practices.
I’ll be following your writing, and referring both you and Heather to a friend beginning her doctoral thesis on feminine leadership as you both add to a knowledge base, in a contemporary manner.
Thank you and namaste.