Fierce Femininity

Over the past couple of years my spiritual life has become more and more involved and just better. With that being said it is my intention to update this blog on a regular basis of once every two weeks at the least.

Last year I went through Initiation into The Lady Yeshe Rabbit's Amazon Dianic Lineage. I had entered into that process with the mindset of getting in touch with my Femininity and to become comfortable with it. I felt as that there was something missing from me because I wasn't as comfortable in pink and lace as I am in leather and black. So I spent a good portion of my beginning intitation playing the opposite game with myself, wherein do the opposite of whatever my instinctual answer would be. Instead of choosing a blood covered war goddess, I tried working with the a healer and elegant lady.

Needless to say this did not bring about the change I had thought I was looking for. You will not see me suddenly the epitome of Victorian womanly elegance (unless I happen to be in costume for that at the time) frills and soft subtle grace are still things that do not come so very easily to me. No at the end of it all, I came out fully embracing the wild fierce side of me that is my femininity. Praises to the Morrighhan and her ass kicking lessons.

Why am I bringing this up? Why do I feel like sharing this?

Consider it a proclamation, my firmly placing a flag in the ground to defend and bring forth that fierce energy for women to feel safe in and revel in even for just a short while.

It seems in my humble opinion that after one goes through the trail by fire and does the work to become a High Priestess, she then has to decide what sort of High Priestess she's going to be. Every one's skills and talents are different, and from them come that special flavor of magic that only she can craft and bring to the table. And it's a process in itself and may change over time, but for the here and now I know this is what I want to cultivate for myself to give to my community whenever needed.

This last Saturday, we had our Full Moon Women's Circle Grove of Artemis this year we are going through The Women's Wheel of Life by Elizabeth Davis and Carol Leonard for each of our full moon rituals. This last ritual was of the Blood Sister and was amazing and could be a whole post to itself, but the part that is important was the last activity.

It involved all the women chanting, and going up to the Priestess who invoked the Goddess and getting painted with war paint "blood". The war paint was made from lipstick and olive oil and really had a slick feel to it. Needless to say I took the opportunity have my face bathed in blood.

There is something primal and oh so real about rituals like this for me. I really feel like they bring out my true self, my real power and potential. Dancing a chanting around the circle face covered in red blood, it was so enthralling to see everyone and move through that wealth of energy. To see some of my sisters meet me eye to eye with shock and a bit of fear, others to feed off the energy and delve deeper into their own primal need to be savage and untamed. Seeing the surprise of those who didn't expect themselves to enjoy it so much. And ultimately that's what I want to nurture and bring out.

Society overall is too restricting on everyone, and certainly on women. How often do we get the chance as grown women, to run down forested hills bare foot, to let our hair dance and tangle in the wind and not care who sees it. To cover ourselves in muck and blood and be unafraid if mother sees? Not often if at all. It is in ritual that we can access this side of ourselves, the parts of us that still remember the lifetimes when we cut down our enemies, when dirt, blood, and dyes where badges of honor.

This is my pledge as a High Priestess to bring those opportunities to the women of my community, and to the men of my community. So that we do not have to go so long without unlocked the door to our primal fierce self.

Blessings of the Gods on you all,

Chieftain Branwen
High Priestess of Warrior Bardic Wisdoms