Your Feminine MIND-A Process of Becoming.

 

Anais Nin- “Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fe with the same people and have the same job, but you have had 365 days more experience and opportunity for personal growth, so you are indeed a different person. Rather than coming back around to exactly the same point, as if you were on a merry-go round, you have changed and developed, as if you were going up a spiral staircase. Even your body has changed. The oldest red blood cell in your circulatory system is only going to be about 120 days old, and every three days we have a new intestinal wall!
For a woman, cyclical hormonal and emotional changes occur within the body all the time. Over the course of our lives we change from children to young women, then experience the transition into the ‘mother’ years (even if you choose or are unable to have children- your body and hormones will still be in this cycle) and then we change again, experiencing the process of menopause-which incidentally has a beginning, a middle and an end of it’s own. Eventually, we become post-menopausal women.
Unfortunately, this particular change is not often honored in our society, making it difficult for many of us to really benefit from the rray, changes are occurring. How often have you heard someone say, “Oh it’s my birthday again and everything’s still exactly the same as it was last year.”
Well, just look closely at your life for a moment. Maybe you’re still living in the same place with the same people and have the same job, but you have had 365 days more experience and opportunity for personal growth, so you are indeed a different person. Rather than coming back around to exactly the same point, as if you were on a merry-go round, you have changed and developed, as if you were going up a spiral staircase. Even your body has changed. The oldest red blood cell in your circulatory system is only going to be about 120 days old, and every three days we have a new intestinal wall!
For a woman, cyclical hormonal and emotional changes occur within the body all the time. Over the course of our lives we change from children to young women, then experience the transition into the ‘mother’ years (even if you choose or are unable to have children- your body and hormones will still be in this cycle) and then we change again, experiencing the process of menopause-which incidentally has a beginning, a middle and an end of it’s own. Eventually, we become post-menopausal women.
Unfortunately, this particular change is not often honored in our society, making it difficult for many of us to really benefit from the lessons we can learn if we are allowed to explore and develop our personal power, but we’re starting to get there.
To make this process of life and change feel more natural and desirable, we need to begin accepting and honoring change. We need to realize thaasy, but life is a ‘work in progress’- and we can be the artist.

Perimenopause? Who, Me?

Although I’ve been planning to begin this blog proper since January 2012 the Universe /Goddess, call the Source power what you will, has had other ideas.
Issues around breast health and many other serendipitous occurrences have conspired to hold up actually starting. I’d finally been kind of waiting for a sign to say “This is it…. get going!”
So this month I experienced my first moon time in six months. If that’s not a sign I don’t know what is! Synchronistically I also started reading “The Wisdom Of Menopause” By Dr Christiane Northrup. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. For those of us going through the Climacteric, a.k.a Perimenopause (meaning that I haven’t yet gone a full twelve months without a period but I am experiencing many symptoms such as hot flushes, vagueness, breast changes, difficulty losing weight and emotional fluctuations) it is a touchstone which reassures that others are experiencing the same issues and still thriving and flourishing, in fact sometimes living the most positive, healthy, juicy and fulfilling part of their lives to date.
When I was writing Moon Rites originally ten years ago, obviously I had to rely on the wisdom of more experienced mentors like Susun Weed (Mistress of Herbal Lore and Women’s Wisdom par excellence- author of Menopausal Years The Wise Woman Way) and the wonderful Elaine An (a VERY weird situation for me!) Instead, aseling as well, a technique I’m still learning and will talk about later. I’m not my normal self yet, by any stretch, but I’m coping pretty well to date.
To me, it seems like even though this transition is as big and important as becoming pregnant, our society does not acknowledge it as such- in fact, quite the opposite.
So even though it’s quite a challenge, I’m in a privileged position where I can hopefully put everything I discovered ten years ago together with what I’m experiencing and discovering now and act for others like you as the touchstone you need to navigate your own transitions. We all need a touchstone and we all need to know we are not alone!