True, we modern mavens can fill up our own gas tanks ($3.29 a gallon in San Francisco) and run for Veep ($150,000 on clothing and make-up). But we’re losing our link to our ancient Gaias, our inner wisdom and serenity. We need this not merely to co-exist with men in that testy Mars-to-Venus dynamic, but to navigate through the rough and often disturbing waters that engulf us.
The planet is hurting, the global economy is limping, our soldiers are dying, our food prices are soaring. How does the true goddess cope? Perhaps these suggested acts from diverse spiritual mothers on the web will guide you down the path of healing and bliss.
Act 1: See Yourself as a Goddess
Austrialian author Anita Revel tells us the ancient goddess was honored for reaping an abundant harvest or for safely escorting souls to their after-life. Today, she says, we should honor ourselves by staying very present and making choices with intention. “Every action, thought, projection of self, and treatment of others, is a reflection of the goddess within,” she observes. Look in the mirror and say “I love you” and act with integrity for the highest good at all times. Revel has written The 7-Day Chakra Workout as a how-to for aligning all aspects of your life in harmony. Regardless of our individual spiritual inclinations, it’s a lovely exercise.
Act 2: Learn How to Pole Dance to Tap Your Sensuality
Sounds funny, I know, but not only is it an awesome form of burning cals, it is central to learning how to love your body and cultivate good feelings about who you are. At any size! This, according to Nicole (above, left), the founder of Goddess Academy in Salt Lake City, Utah. The exotic dancer and self-described yogini runs workshops to inspire women to experience their own inner love and sensuality. One of the instructors called The Russian Goddess (above, right) sings the praises of the pole: “Everything depends on your desire and determination, not on your age, strength or flexibility.” Friends of mine who pole dance say it has really spiced up their love life.
Act 3: Take Spiritual Baths
Forgo the quick and dirty shower. A good soak is healing and restorative. Isn’t that why we love spas? As with yoga, bathing lets us contemplate and indulge. Just ask Lady Bridget who details the ins and outs of the spiritual bath, including when to take one (after the Full Moon, on a Monday, to banish your hostility); what to put into the water (epsom salts, baking soda, scented oils); optimum ambience (burn candles and incense); and Goddess blessings to recite (“O water, I charge thee – be purified”). Bathing is such a divine ancient ritual, it’s no wonder so many bath companies incorporate goddess names, such as the Organic Goddess Line of red tea and vitamins from the Organic Bath Co.
Act 4: Get out the Eco Garden Gloves
Tie back your lovely locks, slip on a vintage smock, grab a hoe, and nurture your inner earth mama. Writer Peg Streep (above) digs up the benefits we reap in the garden in her book, Spiritual Gardening. As she sees it, planting seeds makes us active participants in the cycle of life, while tending our gardens teaches us about larger patterns of the cycle that are beyond our control. “We learn patience from the long wait from planting to sprouting to blooming, as we learn acceptance when nature takes its own course,” she writes. “We gain humility when we catch a true glimpse of the extraordinary complexity of the natural world.” Protect your goddess hands with green gloves from Organic Style and check out gardening tools from our own VivaTerra.
Act 5: Simplify Your Complicated Life
Karen Hudson and Lily Hills (below) are the directors of Goddess to Goddess in Carmel, California, which offers seminars for regaining your focus on your inner goddess. “Oftentimes distracted by the sheer volumes of things we feel we have to do, we lose contact with our Goddess Self and life becomes a blur of tasks and responsiblities frequently accompanied by tension and anxiety,” they teach. Their seminars include Stress Reduction, Eating in Alliance, and Leadership Excellence. Simplify your life at home, as well: cut down on your child’s lessons and acitivities; reduce and recycle your wardrobe. Eliminate clutter. Minimalism is close to goddessism.
Act 6: Be a Natural Beauty
In Sarah Dunant’s stunning novel, The Birth of Venus, (below) we’re reminded how the olive-skinned Italian beauties of 15th-Century Florence were encouraged to bleach their hair and lighten their skin to appear more beautiful. Even today in Italy, many women prefer blonde. The multi-billion dollar global beauty industry relies on media-warped ideals of beauty, rather than the goddess image so clearly depicted by early artists and sculptors. Try using only natural skin and beauty products that promote healthy glows rather than the chemicals that disguise your outer beauty and threaten your health, as well.
Act 7: Switch to Tea
The web site Women of China explains afternoon caffeine breaks work wonders for white collar workers in China to boost labor productivity. Can’t you just hear the tea goddesses scream? We green beings equate sipping a cup of organic green, black, red, white or herbal tea with slowing down and relaxing. Caffeine will block your inner goddess, contributing to tension and nervousness, while tea will soothe your soul and keep you goddess smile white and bright at the same time. Take time out to brew a pot and read The Story of Tea: A Cultural History And Drinking Guide by Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss. It chronicles 2,000 years of tea-totaling and explores the development of organic production and fair trade practises. I like the recipe tips and resources for buying tea.
Act 8: Walk Softly
Reduce your carbon heel print by wearing soft, comfortable shoes that don’t cramp your goddess style. How many of us are grouchy when are feet hurt? How many are suffering from Plantar Fasciitis or bunions and still squeezing into narrow heels? The eco-friendly options from Planet Shoes will make a fashion statement without compromisng your soles.
Act 9: Talk Softly
As you walk softly, learn to speak to loved ones without harsh tones and to perform acts of kindness. How we communicate with others is essential to cultivating goddess serenity. Anita Revel tells goddesses to choose their words wisely to facilitate understanding. At my daughter’s k-8 school, the one teacher who refuses to raise her voice has the greatest upperhand with the kids. She told me it is her rule to never yell, and boy, do they listen. She is one of the most blissful and spiritual women I have met. Related to this is random acts of goddess, kindness we practice daily, from volunteering to sort tin cans at the food bank to donating Halloween costumes to the poor. According to the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, good deeds are actually good for your health (diminishing the effect of diseases and disorders, psychological and physical). Kindness towards others releases endorphins that relieve stress and promote emotional well-being.
Act 10: Make Daily Goddess Affirmations
Sirona Knight reinforces the benefits of divine daily affirmations in her book Goddess Bless. Among them: “Goddess bless, for I am a reflection of you; Goddess bless, for your love and compassion.” Simple stuff. You can certainly create your own. I truly believe we need to affirm our inner strength and beauty to survive these very challening times. Along with that, positive visualization can be key for using our healing powers to help friends in need. A dear friend of mine who gave her own kidney to her son, asked a group of us to envision a fuzzy yellow blanket wrapping her and her son in love prior to the surgery. We did, and the operation was a great success. Let’s honor and believe in our goddess power!
Top image panel: Dmitry Kichenko, Felipe Lee, Hello, halogen eyes,