Sisterhood

Thank you for your thoughts Siduri… I’m so glad sisters are talking about this. Our loss of solidarity is a key issue, and as Jeannine Parvati says, "the wound reveals the cure."

I think one of the reasons the things I list in my Sisterhood Rant don’t happen, or only happen intermittently, and only until they are eroded or swept away… is because of scarcity. Patriarchy is built on scarcity…Scare City.

There is only so much access to resources, and the people "on top" of the pyramid have the most access, while those "on bottom" have the least, yet generally work the hardest for the lowest pay. This model translates even into our most intimate relationships and friendships, resources usually translating as
attention, admiration, recognition, empowerment, creative expression, fulfillment, and so on. There is never enough, especially when the men are getting most of it, and sisters scrabble over the bones. Thus, competition, jealousy, backstabbing, etc.

The antidote to scarcity is abundance. It is so amazing how simple it is to reverse this dillemma and create a circle of abundance of all these things, so that every member of the circle is honored, happy, feels heard, supported, believed in. I learned about it from the experience of passing the rattle or
talking stick. Everyone had their turn to speak and be heard… there was room enough for all. What a concept.

As the rattle went round in those early  circles I was in, I saw how an abundance of empowerment, support, listening, being heard was being created from this simple act. I have learned so much just
from being in circles of women. I don’t think it’s about getting rid of the ego at all…ego just means "I am" and is about having a Self. Women’s sense of Selfhood has been beaten down and beaten down, which is another reason we run into power imbalances and conflicts as we start to get closer. Get rid of our Self?

I think just the opposite… let us celebrate our selves and each other’s sense of Self in the best sense… our uniqueness, our presence as individuals in the circle… not to blow anyone up "better" or "above" anyone else… but all of us honored and enjoyed equally.

Simple but not always easy to accomplish. We have so many old tapes and programs from the patriarchy. Many of these kick in when we start to open up and get closer to one another. We’ve been taught by experience that women are not to be trusted… that some will dominate and take over…others will
disappear and not do their part…some will be too dependent… others too aloof…some will compete with us and try to take away what we have, some will even tear us down instead of building us up. All these are conditioned behaviours, designed to keep us divided. We can turn it all around if we choose to. I don’t have all the answers, but I know it can be done.

BB
Shekhinah

Moonspells November 7 2004