by user_dd | Jun 29, 2015 | Community Conversations
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]Is religion sexist?
It wasn’t until the late 1970s that women were allowed to be ordained as priests in the Episcopal Church, and not until 1994 that they were in the Church of England. It’s still a point of debate in many religious groups. This all begs a deeper question, though: how spiritual can a woman be?
We hear so much about Jesus, Moses, Buddha, and Mohammed. The great spiritual authorities, it appears, are all men. There’s not much talk of women leading spiritual movements and paving the way. This doesn’t mean they aren’t there – we just have to take a look around and discover what the female side has to say about Reality. There just may be insights essential to our spiritual growth…
WHICH WITCH
We’ve come a long way in bridging equality between the sexes. It’s refreshing to see a lady run for President (whatever the opinions might be about Hillary Clinton). Yet, to give the female perspective the respect it deserves means also honoring the great spiritual teachers of the past who were women.
Women with spiritual talent were called witches in some regions. The word “witch,” and related terms, wasn’t always foul. She might have been revered for her wisdom and healing powers. Though some cultures had categories for malevolent witches, it was the rise of Christianity that really branded them all as sinister. Instead of being seen as women of spiritual knowledge, they were reframed as followers of the Devil.
Men who didn’t bow to Church orthodoxy were also judged and persecuted. Yet, as Brian Pavlac, Professor of History at King’s College, explains:
Some witch hunts did almost exclusively target women, in percentages as high as 95% of the victims.
There may have been many great healers and wise women in Europe who were mislabeled and murdered. We might never know, but if we look to ancient societies, we can find many references to such types of women.
SEERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
Ever heard the phrase “Know Thyself”? This famous axiom comes from an inscription at a temple of Apollo in Ancient Greece. A priestess, the Pythia, delivered prophecies at this temple. She’d sit on a tripod over a crack in the earth, from which psychotropic vapors were said to rise. This helped her slip into a trance and dictate premonitions and insights.
There were many like her, often called sibyls, named after the legendary prophetess, Sibyl, whose prophecies were written and passed down for years. Considered mouthpieces of the Divine, these women were highly respected and consulted by great men, from kings to philosophers. Socrates, himself, said of the Delphi priestess that she was “an essential guide to personal and state development.” He vigorously pursued his life purpose after hearing her words, which led to the birth of Western philosophy’s foundation.
Going further North, we find many parallels in early Scandinavian countries. The seiokonur, like the sybils, were seers and priestesses, most of them female. They were considered the religious leaders of the Viking communities, and are described in the various Norse Sagas. The seiokonur were often consulted in times of conflict, to offer counsel and predictions. They would operate mainly through chanting and prayer, and could also help grant the wishes of petitioners.
If we go South, we see in many African communities that women had revered spiritual roles. They were considered naturally better at channeling and mediumship than men, allowing Spirit to work through them. They also frequently offered prayers and blessings to children, families, and their village. After the African diaspora, traditions such as Voudoun, Candomble, and Santeria evolved, blending African systems with other cultures. In Voudoun, women gain spiritual authority faster than men, becoming what are called Mambos. They heal, make predictions, give advice, bestow blessings, and channel spirits. Women in Voudoun communities are thought to have a great propensity toward spiritual development.
Maybe you’re seeing a trend…In general, women seem especially capable of letting go and opening up to Spirit. Socrates even commented that the Pythia’s success came from her ability to wholly abandon herself to a Higher Power.
It’s clear that women were revered spiritual authorities in many regions of the ancient world. In the next post, we’ll look at a few female Adepts who contributed to the evolution of spirituality.
Spirit In Transition is a personal development community which offers Spiritual Development Classes & Events facilitated by a Life Coach. We help everyday people break through their own blockages and live an extraordinary life, on purpose and powerfully. Call: 503-415-9533 or come to an event to get involved.
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by user_dd | Jun 22, 2015 | Announcements
Do you struggle with relationships—finding, building, or keeping them? Most people make these three (3) mistakes in relationships:
- Not being available—you think you’re ready for a commitment, but you can’t commit to an ice cream flavor let alone another person.
- Not knowing what you want—ever notice how hard it is to please someone when you have no idea what makes them happy? No, your partner should not be a graduate of the psychic network and know how to read your mind.
- Not listening—you can spot the above two mistakes in the people you’re dating pretty quickly if you listen to what they’re saying. If you can spot these in other people, you’ll be more likely to spot them in yourself. So really this one is about learning how to listen to yourself as well as others.
Love shows itself in powerful ways through other people we connect with romantically, socially, and physically. Other people literally become an extension of ourselves. We have the potential to grow significantly when we find relationships that complement our weaknesses and illuminate our strengths.
Spirit in Transition is hosting a new community event called Finding ‘the One.’ Based on the book Calling in “The One”: 7 Weeks to Attract the Love of Your Life (no prior reading needed), this bi-weekly series offers strategies for attracting love into your life and improving relationships.
To find out more and register for the address, click here.
Our meetings are held at 7:15pm, every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month.
We hope to see you there!
by user_dd | Jun 16, 2015 | Community Conversations
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When I was young (and still today), I’d love throwing myself into random places where trees grew crooked, grass reached high, and strange critters roamed about. For me, green literally meant go! This was often a sacred experience, and something inside me yearned to merge with my surroundings, to feel Gaia’s pulse.
Our ancient ancestors, living in the Paleolithic era, were very much in tune with their environments. They had to be, in order to hunt and gather food well. Rich stories emerged from these tribes, personifying the forces of nature, and rituals developed to commune with and appease them. We can see vestiges of this life today in indigenous tribes around the world.
In the Industrial West, we could judge such traditions as unevolved or even absurd—but look at where we are. We’re wreaking havoc on our planet, something which will one day come back to bite us all, unless we change. The way to change is understanding. The way to understanding, in this case, is becoming aware of our relationship with nature, and how all things are interconnected.
How do we do this? Here are some simple practices that helped me:
- Explore. Find the most natural setting you can, even if it is a patch of grass outside your apartment complex. Be observant, with the curiosity and enthusiasm of a child. If you get a little dirty, that’s fine. Nature is dirty! Using all of your senses, feel out your surroundings—smell, touch, listen, look. Even taste, if you KNOW something that is edible….or simply taste the air. When you return to the “normal world,” try this experiment again, in your modern settings. What sort of animals are around you? Plants you’ve never seen? Floral smell you’ve never paid attention to? Instead of swatting away spiders, take a minute to check them out, how they act, how many eyes they have. Then let them free outside.
- Imagine. For the sheer hell of it, try to see if you can “communicate” with the rocks, trees, and plants you come across. Imagine you’re having a dialogue with them. What would they say? What would be their personalities? Keep a level head, of course, but try to have fun with this. You might uncover some interesting new insights.
- Commune. Sit on the ground, near a tree, or by a body of water—really, anywhere in nature. Relax. Let your thoughts flow without getting caught up in them. Focus on your body. Then focus on the sensations you have – the texture of the ground, the feel of the air, the sounds around you, the smells. This is similar to the first exercise, but let yourself go this time. Be completely in the Here and Now. Try to feel as if you are becoming your surroundings. How does that feel? Let this be your sole attention. Allow all other thoughts to pass by like clouds until you forget about them.
- Partner. Nature can be our ally. To realize this more, try to figure out a project that immerses you in nature or is directly dependent on it. You could construct an art piece that uses natural materials, i.e., pine needles, bark, branches, leaves, stones, feathers, etc. You could grow a garden, even a little window garden from a pot or wooden box. Maybe you could study up on medicinal or edible wild plants, and go searching for them. Ever build a rainwater collection unit? It could be fun. Get creative. Please be conscientious with what you take – don’t hoard and don’t disrupt an ecosystem.
- Respect. Show nature you care by cutting your energy usage, carpooling or riding your bike, recycling, planting trees, donating money to help protect wildlife or the rainforests, and not littering. Give friendly reminders to others, as well.
These are just some basic ideas to get you started on the path of building a relationship with nature. It’s the Gaia Mother of us all, and we would prosper by giving Her the respect She deserves.
How do you connect with nature? Please share below![/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_code]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[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
