Un-Strap and Let Go!

Hours of thought provoking, humorous reading today, along with some hilarious conversation, sparked this entry. I spent the afternoon reading a series of articles that were written and contributed to the Women’s radio website by one of my teachers, Susun Weed. Many of them covered topics as per usual of hers, such as how to prepare nourishing herbal infusions, menstruation, identifying wild edibles, etc. However, two articles in particular caught my attention. Not because they were of a different subject matter than what Susun usually covers, but the way she wrote them seemed to resonate with the theme of my day. Susun has eloquent speech, incorporating a unique sense of humor and emanating wisdom.

The two articles which I was especially intrigued by, were titled “The Vagina” and “Ancient Breasts”. The article “The Vagina” was introduced by Susun in her humorous way.

“I am the sheath of the sword. I am toothed, armed, and ready to bite. I have the power to defend, to keep women safe. I am not passive, accepting, ready to be filled. I am aware, watchful, ready to reject what I don’t want and to seize what I will.

Listen to me and I will tell you how safe we are, right now, in this moment. When we are secure, I am open and receptive, moist and inviting. When we feel threatened, I become cold and hard, hot and tight, irritated, and inflamed. If the danger goes on and on, I weep, I am overrun.

In health and joy, I am a rich and thriving ecosystem: friendly yeasts, beneficial bacteria, and a generous assortment of slippery, slidey lubricants thrive in my tangy-tasting depths.

I am stretchy. I am expansive. Fill me and I yearn for more. I am yielding; I melt, I surrender. Yet in yielding, I deliver. I am the victor. I clench my fist and grab the prize. Mine.

Do you think that I drool? I do. Do you think that I dribble, leak, and flood? I do. I am messy. I push the boundaries. I am greedy. I am slick. I am sleek.

I lie between what is shown and what is hidden. I am both public and private. I am not visible, yet I am the identity of a woman. By my name is woman named. By my power is woman empowered.”

The rest of the article was very informational, describing common issues that come up among Women and practices to maintain vaginal health. I would recommend checking it out, so if you would like to read more of the article, you can find it here.

It was the “Ancient Breasts” article which really got me thinking, in a positive and negative manner. Susun details the sacredness of a Woman’s breasts in the article. The emphasis she put on them set me on the course of pondering a topic that is familiar to me.

I frequently think about the suppression of Women. We currently live in a patriarchal society, where Women have forgotten the sacred Shakti embodiment, that we all have deep within us. Thankfully, there is a growing community of Women out there, working towards facilitating us in remembering our power and loving our bodies. Instead of worshipping their bodies, generally speaking, Women – Young and old – Cake their face with chemical based make-up, stuff themselves with tampons made of toxic chemicals to hide the blood they excrete, and ingest synthetic hormones to try and make the “monthly curse” go away. What if I told you that the “monthly curse” really wasn’t a curse at all? What if I took it further, and said that it is a holy blessing, that provides us with wisdom and guidance? What if I told you that it isn’t natural to strap your breasts down with wire-lined traps, we refer to today as “bras”? If I said your breasts were blissful, flowing with the energy of life, would you agree with me? Ever thought about opening the strapped traps and letting your breasts hang freely?

Unfortunately, Women have been confused into thinking that all of those unnatural practices are normal. Is it really normal to hide your natural beauty and suppress your feminine bodily functions? I certainly don’t think so, and I know a whole lot of Women who would agree with me. Did you know that traditional cultures worshipped Women? Not only did they worship Women, but they viewed functions like menstruation as holy. Elaborate ceremonies were held for young Women upon the beginning of their cycle, aiding in a feeling of reverence for their monthly BLESSING – In comparison to the young girls of today who usually dread it, and immediately want to pretend like it is not there through the use of tampons. The lunar cycles govern the tides and fluids of the female body and our continually shifting balance of hormones. We were created to menstruate with the New Moon and ovulate with the Full Moon every month. Of course this is far from true nowadays because there are so many external chemicals and other factors that cause irregular cycles for Women, but in the perfect world – One without xeno-estrogens and unnatural lighting – This is how the female body functioned. With each New Moon, all of the Women in the village of these ancient cultures would retreat to a sacred space to honor, embrace, and meditate with their menstrual cycle. Today, we are expected to attend work and follow the demands of every day life with no breaks, rather than retreat and meditate.

“From the very flesh and blood and from the constant cycles of filling and emptying the red vase in her belly, a woman understands physically, emotionally, and spiritually that zeniths fade and expire, and what is left is reborn in unexpected ways and inspired means, only to fall back to nothing, and yet be reconceived again in full glory.” ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Did our ancestors have tampons made of rayon and dioxin (two chemicals that have been found to cause cancer and TSS) which they would absorb their blood with? No way! They would bleed into Mother Earth, their gardens, nourishing her and their plant, making the connection for the celestial bodies of the Moon and Earth. What about bras? Were they sporting lacy, pink Victoria’s Secret bras all day everyday… Sleeping in them, for that matter?! Heck no! They were letting their bountiful mounds of bliss free and probably not even wearing clothes most of the time! What about birth control? How did they stay fertile or control pregnancy? They used whole herbs that they harvested from the wild by hand, like red clover and oatstraw to increase fertility, and wild carrot (queen anne’s lace) and neem leaf to keep from becoming pregnant.

The negative aspect of all this for me, is that there are still Women out there who are lost. Still out of touch with their birth right of power, strength, and wisdom. The beautiful and oh-so-positive aspect is, we are only moving forward and upward. There are so many Women out there spreading the message of empowerment and our community is growing. Everyday I find a new teacher to further facilitate my expansion of knowledge and discovery of my innate Goddess.

What I am getting at here, is the fact that being a Woman is a gift – As are our breasts, our yoni’s, our ability to give life, our monthly blood, and so on. We should be embracing our feminine nature and honoring our bodies as the holy temples that they are. Our curves are Mother Natures way of representing the cycles of life that we possess. We are wise and divine Goddesses. All of us.

Women rise up, for all we are worth.
~ ALisa Starkweather

I know this entry is full on, but I am simply trying to express is my passion for empowering my SiStars. Susun Weed was one of many Wise Women who set me on my path of remembering and awakening, and I feel like it is my duty to continue spreading the memories to more Women. So, instead of putting on that make-up, let your beautiful face shine with its natural light! Ditch the bra, even get rid of your panties and go dance to your favorite song – Like no one is watching! How about running outside naked, and letting the sun’s rays nourish the places that it doesn’t usually have the opportunity to? Just don’t let the neighbors see

I would like to share a few resources, for those who would like to delve into this matter further:

Websites:
www.susunweed.com
www.womensradio.com
www.alisastarkweather.com
www.natural-progesterone-advisory.com

Books:
Her Blood is Gold by Lara Owen
Women’s Rituals by Barbara G. Walker
Having Faith by Sandra Steingraber
Woman’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom by Christiane Northrup

Music:
Just for Today by India Arie
Because I am a Queen by India Arie
Tell Him by Lauryn Hill
Empire State of Mind (pt. 2) by Alicia Keyes
Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin
Right to Be Wrong by Joss Stone
Wild Child by Enya
The Healer by Erykah Badu
Something On My Mind by Paula Fuga

There is a wealth of information out there, and it will come to you as you open up to it… As it probably already has for most of you! So, un-strap, open the traps, and let the Wild Woman out!