Bitchology by Unknown

 

   

When I stand up for myself and my beliefs, they call me a bitch.

When I stand up for those I love, they call me a bitch.

When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts or do things my own way, they call me a bitch.

Being a bitch means I won’t compromise what’s in my heart.

It means I live my life MY way.

It means I won’t allow anyone to step on me.

When I refuse to tolerate injustice and speak against it, I am defined as a bitch.

The same thing happens when I take time for myself instead of being everyone’s maid, or when I act a little selfish.

It means I have the courage and strength to allow myself to be who I truly am and won’t become anyone else’s idea of what they think I ‘should’ be.

I am outspoken, opinionated and determined.

I want what I want and there is nothing wrong with that!

So try to stomp on me, just try to douse my inner flame, try to squash every ounce of beauty I hold within me.

You won’t succeed. And if that makes me a bitch ,so be it.

I embrace the title and am proud to bear it.

B – Babe

I – In

T – Total

C – Control of

H – Herself

B = Beloved

I = Intelligent

T = Talented

C = Charming

H = Hell of a Woman

B = Beautiful

I = Individual

T = That

C = Can

H = Handle ‘anything’

"No More Smalling up of Me" by Jean Wilson

	No more meekly saying 'yes' When my heart is screaming 'no' No more taming of my feelings So my power won't show No more hiding my exuberance From disapproving eyes No more watering down myself So my spirit won't rise No more 'smalling up' of me Pretending I am not here No more running from the music And the spotlight's glare No more living in this prison Barricaded by my fears No more turning and retreating In the face of new frontiers Even as I am speaking I am taking shape and form Harnessing my powers Like a gathering storm There's no obstacle so bold As to dare stand in my way I am taking back my life And I am doing it today. Jean is a Jamaican writer, workshop leader and performance poet with a special interest in inspirational creative expression. No More 'Smalling Up' of Me is the title poem of her poetry book published by Ian Randle Publishers Ltd., Jamaica.

Voices of Women ~ Amelia Earhart ~ Birthday, July 24, 1897

Amelia Earhart

Today we celebrate the 115th Anniversary of the Birth Amelia Earhart...
Earthbound Blessings being sent to you in the Heavens, this day, Beloved One...

Born July 24, 1897, disappeared July 2, 1937, took off on last airplane trip June 1, 1937

Occupation: aviator

Known for: aviatrix, flyer, lecturer, writer -- setting records in aviation, and her 1937 disappearance in an attempt to fly around the world

Also known as: Amelia Mary Earhart Putnam
About Amelia Earhart:

Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas. Her father was a lawyer for a railroad company, a job which required frequent moving, and so Amelia Earhart and her sister lived with grandparents until Amelia was 12. She then moved around with her parents for some years, until her father lost his job due to a drinking problem.

At age 20, Amelia Earhart, on a trip to Toronto, Canada, volunteered as a nurse's aide at a military hospital, part of the World War I war effort. She made several tries at studying medicine and she worked at other jobs including social work, but after she discovered flying, that became her passion.

Amelia Earhart's first flight was at an airshow with her father, which motivated her first to learn to fly -- her teacher was Neta Snook, the first woman instructor to graduate from the Curtiss School of Aviation.

Amelia Earhart then bought her own plane and began to set records, but sold the plane to drive East with her newly-divorced mother.

In 1926, magazine publisher George Putnam tapped Amelia Earhart to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic -- as a passenger. The pilot and navigator were both men. Amelia Earhart became an instant celebrity as a woman aviator, and began to give lectures and fly in shows, again setting records. In one notable incident, she flew First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt over Washington, D.C.

In 1931, George Putnam, now divorced, married Amelia Earhart. She flew solo across the Atlantic in 1932, and in 1935 became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the mainland. In 1935 she also set speed records traveling from Los Angeles to Mexico City, and from Mexico City to New York.
Purdue University hired Amelia Earhart as a faculty member to counsel female students on opportunities, and in 1937 Purdue gave Amelia Earhart a plane.

Amelia Earhart was determined to fly around the world. Replacing her first navigator with Fred Noonan, and after several false starts, Amelia Earhart began her round-the-world flight on June 1, 1937.

Near the end of the trip, Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan missed their expected landing on Howland Island in the Pacific, and their fate is still uncertain. Theories include crashing over the ocean, crashing on Howland Island or a nearby island without the ability to contact help, being shot down by the Japanese, or being captured or killed by the Japanese.

Amelia Earhart and Women's History:
Why did Amelia Earhart capture the imagination of the public? As a woman daring to do what few women -- or men -- had done, at a time when the organized women's movement had virtually disappeared, she represented a woman willing to break out of traditional roles.

QUOTES BY AMELIA EARHART

About her first airplane ride: "As soon as we left the ground, I knew I had to fly."

"Flying may not be all plain sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price."

"After midnight the moon set and I was alone with the stars. I have often said that the lure of flying is the lure of beauty, and I need no other flight to convince me that the reason flyers fly, whether they know it or not, is the esthetic appeal of flying."

"Adventure is worthwhile in itself."

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it."

"I want to do something useful in the world."

"Please know that I am quite aware of the hazards. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others. [Last letter to her husband before her last flight.]"

"Women must pay for everything. They do get more glory than men for comparable feats. But, they also get more notoriety when they crash."

"The woman who can create her own job is the woman who will win fame and fortune."

"After all, times are changing and women need the critical stimulus of competition outside the home. A girl must nowaways believe completely in herself as an individual. She must realize at the outset that a woman must do the same job better than a man to get as much credit for it. She must be aware of the various discriminations, both legal and traditional, against women in the business world."

" ... now and then women should do for themselves what men have already done -- occasionally what men have not done -- thereby establishing themselves as persons, and perhaps encouraging other women toward greater independence of thought and action. Some such consideration was a contributing reason for my wanting to do what I so much wanted to do."

"My ambition is to have this wonderful gift produce practical results for the future of commercial flying and for the women who may want to fly tomorrow's planes."

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward."

"Never do things others can do and will do if there are things others cannot do or will not do."

"Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done."

"Anticipation, I suppose, sometimes exceeds realization.'

"Worry retards reaction and makes clear-cut decisions impossible."

"I would rather face a watery grave, than go on living as a fraud."

 

"The Holy Bitch"

Thoughts On, About and by Women featuring Denise Linn

"I love my women friends. They comfort me during the hard times and celebrate with me during the splendid times. They are wonderful, passionate, compassionate and kind...and some of them are also occasionally considered "bitches". People have said to me, "Denise you are so nice, why do you have friends that act like bitches?". After hearing this comment, a number of times, I realized that I was subconsciously drawn to strong women who spoke their truth and weren't afraid to speak up for themselves....
The word "bitch" has an interesting history. It became a derogatory term in early Christendom because it was one of the most sacred titles of the goddess Artemis, who led a pack of hunting dogs. "Holy Bitches" were also found in ancient India as the revered Bitch Goddess Sarama, who led the Vedic dogs of death and rebirth...
I have grown to cherish cherish the word "bitch" and I even use an acronym for a woman who is "Being In Total Control of Herself".
Of course, there are nasty bitches, but the woman I'm describing is a "holy bitch." She is self assertive while at the same time maintaining her humor, dignity and grace. A holy bitch speaks for herself, yet she still has love, joy, and creativity in her life.
The greatest thing I learned from these friends is that you can communicate your truth clearly and compassionately without having to package it with a pink bow and "niceness."

~ Excerpted from "Secrets and Mysteries" by Denise Linn (This sub chapter entitled "Holy Bitch", is among one of my favorites in this book:)

Today's Featured Voices of Women ~ Joan Baez

TODAY'S FEATURED VOICES OF WOMEN ~ JOAN BAEZ

Women have often been key leaders in working for peace. Joan Baez is known for her pro-peace positions in the Vietnam era.

"My concern has always been for the people who are victimized, unable to speak for themselves and who need outside help." ~JB

Dates: January 9, 1941 -
Occupation: folksinger, activist
Known for: part of the 1960s folk revival; advocacy of peace and human rights
Also Known as: Joan Chandos Baez
About Joan Baez
Joan Baez was born in Staten Island, New York. Her father was a physicist, born in Mexico, and her mother of Scottish and English descent. She grew up in New York and California, and when her father took a faculty position in Massachusetts, she attended Boston University and began to sing in coffeehouses and small clubs. Bob Gibson invited her to attend the 1959 Newport Folk Festival where she was a hit.

Vanguard Records signed Baez and in 1960 her first album, Joan Baez, came out. Baez was known for her soprano voice, her haunting songs, and, until she cut it in 1968, her long black hair. Early in her career she performed with Bob Dylan, and they toured together in the 1970s.

Subjected to racial slurs and discrimination in her own childhood because of her Mexican heritage and features, Joan Baez became involved with a variety of social causes early in her career, including civil rights and nonviolence. She was sometimes jailed for her protests. Joan Baez married David Harris, a Vietnam draft protestor, in 1968, and he was in jail for most of the years of their marriage. They divorced in 1973, after having one child, Gabriel Earl.

In 1967, the Daughters of the American Revolution denied Joan Baez permission to perform at Constitution Hall, resonating with their famous denial of the same privilege to Marian Anderson.

Early in her career, Joan Baez stressed historical folk songs, adding political songs to her repertoire during the 1960s. Later, she added country songs and more mainstream popular music, though always including many songs with political messages. She supported such organizations as Amnesty International and Humanitas International. Joan Baez continues to speak and sing for peaceful solutions to violence in the Middle East and Latin America.

Martha Graham on the reponsibility of Creation

Martha Graham - on the responsibility of "Creation"

by Linda Living Joy Lorenzo on Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 2:04am

 

"There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening,
that is translated through you into action.

And because there is only one you in all of time,
this expression is unique.

And if you block it, it will never exist again through any other medium,
and it will be lost forever.
The world will not have it.

It is not your business to determine how good it is,
nor how valuable it is,
nor how it compares with any other expression.

It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly,
to keep the channel open.

You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work.
You do have to keep open and aware,
to direct the urges that motivate you.

Always keep the channel open.
No artist is ever pleased.
There is no satisfaction, whatever, at any time.

There is only a queer Divine Dissatisfaction,
A Blessed Unrest...
That keeps us marching at what makes us more alive than the others."

-Martha Graham

The Mixing Bowl by Gunilla Norris excerpted from the book, "Becoming Bread"

The Mixing Bowl by Gunilla Norris

The Mixing Bowl by Gunilla Norris
excerpted from the book, "Becoming Bread"

Here on the table
is the mixing bowl.
Brown and ordinary,
turned on the potters wheel,
it has an umber rim
and glazed cinnamon-speckled sides.

Its task is to be open,
a simple space.
This bowl is clay, earth, matter.
Particular.
We are like it.
Clay, earth, matter.
Particular and vast when we are empty...

When life can fill us
to the rim, brimming.

We are the mixing place,
where terror and hate,
where love and hope,
the way we move,
our smiles and uncertainties,
our courage and stupidities
are all embraced.

We are the body bowl...
the forming space,
the home of possiblity.

Standing by Gunilla Norris

Standing

by Gunilla Norris

This morning as I put my feet on the floor
Let me remember how many thousands of years
it took for this act to be possible--
The slow and painstaking development
so that a human creature could rise,
could stand on two feet, and then walk.

From the very beginning, from the very first explosion
Your precise and patient love has been creating us.

The wonder is that now my hands are free
even as I walk or run or stand or dance.
The wonder is that now that I am upright,
my eyes can gaze at the ground,
along the ground, and beyond to the horizon.

I know You have made me
and all creatures for Freedom...
an ever-increasing, evolving freedom.
I am filled with awe by this.

It requires that we face the unknown,
that we rise to it.
You are still exploding in us,
and I am scared.
My trust is so small.

But You are near. You are here
even as you have been from the very first.
You are the vast time and space
in which life is happening. You are Life itself
providing us with centuries to become
Your conscious image.

With wonder at what You have entrusted to us,
help me to know that You are both
the ground and the being
apart from which there is nothing.

Help me to stand up
in Your Freedom.

I Am a Wild Woman by Melissa Clary (aka, Bright Star Woman)

I AM A WILD WOMAN

by Linda Living Joy Lorenzo on Saturday, February 28, 2009 at 9:27am

I AM A WILD WOMAN

- by Melissa Clary (aka, Bright Star Woman)

(Originally posted by Aleksandra Ivanković )

This is dedicated to all the beautiful "Wild Women" who have graced my life in so many ways...there are too many to tag here...but you all know who you are...and these words will find you...I love you all, Beautiful Sisters!

I am a wild woman
I know, inspite of myself
and in spite of what I've been told
that there's beauty in every age
no matter how old

I am a wild woman
I've learned what it means to be a life bearer
to bear children
to create art
to plant seeds of love

I am a wild woman
from the depths of the dirt underneath my fingernails
to the height of my very soul
I am one with the Earth
the winds from the four directions whisper through my skin

I am a wild woman
and the spirit of every wild woman coalesces in me
for we are each wild women
and we are all the spirit of the wild woman
I will follow the voice in my heart

I am a wild woman
I sing from my heart
I dance with the stars
I howl at the moon
I love uncontrollably

I am a wild woman
from the deepest, darkest, most sacred part of me
I am fearless
I cry in strength
I open my arms to the sky and welcome the rain

I am a wild woman
I nurture, love and protect
I stand, strongly, silently, sweetly for my brothers
I walk dutifully, prayerfully, joyfully upon the mother
and I will not be stopped

I am a wild woman.

The Warrior Woman Awakens ~ Unknown

Warrior Woman Has Fully Awoken!
~ Unkown

This woman has been kind, gentle,
and has much love,
All of this has been given with
the blessing of the Great Spirit above,
But Great Spirit gave her something
else and she didn't know it...
The Great Spirit gave her
the blessing of being a warrior woman
as now her light is lit!

This warrior woman has come
fully alive today,
She is no longer anyone's slave or prey,
She is taking back her life today,
And those who know who she truly is,
can stay.
No longer will she live the lives of others,
She will give back the blames and responsibilities of others
where it belongs,
For she also has the bear and wolf inside her,
which is now so very powerful
and uniquely strong.


The warrior woman now knows what road she must follow,
For others it will be to hard to swallow.
Her life was taken from her unknowingly many years ago,
And this warrior woman is taking back her life before the next winds blow.

Oh Sister Moon you give me the strength
as a warrior woman to conquer what's on my path,
high above and way beneath,
and the much needed strength to take on the wrath.

This warrior woman is fully awakened and is taking a stand,
taking the problems by the horns with my hand.
I will conquer all that is there,
all and who comes as they dare.

Warrior woman has fully awoken,
and many will see that they were mistaken
in robbing her of her life.
They as a thief, Warrior woman will conquer
and have no grief!

This warrior woman will protect her people, her son,
and those who need her.
If anyone hurts them, look out!
They will hear a GGGGGGRRRRRRRRR,
As they run and shout!

This warrior woman is taking back her life,
taking back the respect that was taken from her
throughout the years ever so slow.
This warrior woman is removing pain and hurt from within the heart
caused by the knife,
from all those who are both family and foe.

I am claiming what's mine, and my dignity,
From those who live in this society of vanity.
I am claiming back in full my heritage.
And as a warrior woman, I am going to clean up
many years of carnage.

For now standing in front of you,
you see this warrior woman... you see me.
Someone special has taught me to be free,
From this day forward for me no more slavery...
Gentleness, kindness, and love is part of me, and so is my dignity.
This is NOT WEAKNESS, as others believe.
But this strength is within me and within you.

I will listen to the spirits and grow,
I will travel in the whispering winds as they blow.
All the work I now do will be for Our People and all nations,
I will protect and guide the future generations.

Now it is time for me to travel on my new path,
As a warrior woman conquering all wrath.
If you ever see and want to meet me,
Please come, and I will also teach and share with you how to be free.

The Empowered Woman in honor of International Woman's Day by Sonny Carroll

The Empowered Woman in honor of International Woman's Day

by Linda Living Joy Lorenzo on Sunday, March 8, 2009 at 3:46pm

 

To my beautiful empowered sisters and (enlightened brothers:)

Once again, the tag limit hinders me from including all...but I know this note will find you...
On this the Day which honors all Women and the Goddess Within

The Empowered Woman
by Sonny Carroll

The Empowered Woman,
she moves through the world
with a sense of confidence and grace.
Her once reckless spirit now tempered by wisdom.
Quietly, yet firmly, she speaks her truth without doubt or hesitation
and the life she leads is of her own creation.

She now understands what it means to live and let live.
How much to ask for herself and how much to give.
She has a strong, yet generous heart
and the inner beauty she emanates truly sets her apart.
Like the mythical Phoenix,
she has risen from the ashes and soared to a new plane of existence,
unfettered by the things that once had posed such resistance.

Her senses now heightened,
she sees everything so clearly.
She hears the wind rustling through the trees;
beckoning her to live the dreams she holds so dearly.
She feels the softness of her hands
and muses at the strength that they possess.
Her needs and desires she has learned to express.
She has tasted the bitter and savored the sweet fruits of life,
overcome adversity and pushed past heartache and strife.

And the one thing she never understood,
she now knows to be true,
it all begins and ends with you.

Women's Declaration of Interdepnedence by BJ Gallagher and Lisa Hammond

Women's Declaration of Interdependence

Declaration of Interdependence
by BJ Gallagher and Lisa Hammond

We hold these truths to be self-evident:

That all women are created equal -
but each is blessed with different gifts and talents.

That all women are endowed with certain individual rights -
but each must assume shared responsibilities.

For the happiness of all
depends on the commitment of each
to support equality and individuality,
rights and responsibilities.

We declare all women to be mutually interdependent -
banding together to support one another,
sharing our experience, strength, and hope,
that all may enjoy life, love,
and the pursuit of laughter.

We agree to encourage one another in tough times
and celebrate in good times.

We commit to taking turns leading and following,
inspiring and teaching,
listening and learning.

We agree to give credit where credit is due -
including us.

We commit to loving ourselves first -
because we can't give what we don't have.

With this Declaration of Interdependence,
we set ourselves free -
free from old beliefs that are no longer true,
free from self-doubt, insecurity, and loneliness,
free from self-imposed perfectionism.

We set ourselves free -
heeding our intuition in all her guises,
loving our bodies through every change,
finding our voices to speak our own truths.

We set ourselves free -
to create fulfilling work,
to form nurturing families,
and to build great friendships.

We are strong;
we are beautiful;
we are generous;
we are wise.

We are women -
committed to creating
a world that affirms us all.

My Top 30 Books that are a must read by and/or For Women (LLJL)

My 30 Top Books that are a must By and/or For Women

by Linda Living Joy Lorenzo on Friday, July 9, 2010 at 12:21pm

To All My Beautiful Sisters in the Light...
Daughters of the Rainbow...
Dancers of Joy!...

While by no means, is this List complete...
I wanted to share with you my top 30 picks...
That I believe every woman at some point in her Life should...
Beg, borrow, steal, read or own...:)

And so to you, my Beloveds, I offer this gift...
In the words of Beautiful Sage and Consumate Wild Woman, Sark...

"Be Delicious...
Discover Your Goodness...
Smile when YOU feel like it...
Be Rare, Eccentric and Original...
Describe yourself as Marvelous...
Paint Your Soul...
Investigate your Dark Places with a Flashlight...
Make More Mistakes...
Tell the Truth Faster...
Be a Succulent Wild Woman!...
Eat Mangoes Naked, Lick the Juice off Your Arms, and Dance in the Pits!"

WITH ALL MY LOVE AND PROFOUND GRATITUDE
FOR THE PLACES YOU PLAY IN MY LIFE...
AND THE SPACES YOU FILL IN MY HEART...
LADIES...
THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!!

1. Simple Abundance - Sarah Ban Breathnach

2. Empowering Women - Louise Hay

3. Secrets and Mysteries - Denise Linn

4. Everyday Grace - Marianne Williamson

5. A Woman's Worth - Marianne Williamson

6. The Age of Miracles, Embracing the New Midlife - Marianne Williamson

7. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

8. The Dance of the Dissident Daughter - Sue Monk Kidd

9. Bird by Bird - Anne LaMotte

10. The Invitation - Oriah Mountain Dreamer

11. The Call: Discovering Why you are Here - Oriah Mountain Dreamer

12. The Dance: Moving to the Deep Rythms of Your Life - Oriah Mountain Dreamer

13. Letter to My Daughter - Maya Angelou

14. The Secret Pleasures of Menopause - Christiane Northrup

15. Women's Bodies/Women's Wisdom - Christiane Northrup

16. The Power of Joy - Christiane Northrup

17. The Unmistakable Touch of Grace - Cheryl Richardson

18. Rock your World with Divine Mother - Sondra Ray

19. Women who Run with the Wolves - Clarissa Pinkola Estes

20. Everyday Sacred - Sue Bender

21. The Millionth Circle - Jean Shinoda Bolen

22. Succulent Wild Women - Sark

23. Getting In Touch with your Inner Bitch - Elizabeth Nutts

24. Anything We Love Can be Saved - Alice Walker

25. The Legacy of Luna - Julia Butterfly Hill

26. Gifts from the Sea - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

27. Reason for Hope - Jane Goddall

28. Old Friend from Faraway - Natalie Goldberg

29. The Wave in the Mind - Ursula LeGuin

30. One Day My Soul Just Opened Up - Iyanla Vanzant

Mermaid or Whale - Unknown

MERMAID OR WHALE

(Just for the record...I personally, do believe mermaids exist...:)

Recently, in a large city in France ,a poster featuring a young,
...thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym.

It said, "This summer,do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"

A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match
those of the woman on the poster,
responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern,
Whales are always surrounded by friends
(dolphins, sea lions, curious humans.)
They have an active sex life,
get pregnant and have adorable baby whales.
They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp.
They play and swim in the seas,
seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Bering Sea
and the coral reefs of Polynesia .
Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs.
They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators
other than humans.
They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist.
If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices
of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis.
Fish or human?
They don't have a sex life,
because they kill men who get close to them,
not to mention how could they have sex?
I mean, just look at them ... where is IT?
Therefore, they don't have kids either.
Not to mention,
who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me:

I want to be a whale!

P..S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads
the idea that only skinny people are beautiful...
but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids,
a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver,
and a piece of chocolate with my friends.

With time, we gain weight,
because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads
that when there is no more room,it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.
So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured,educated and happy.

Beginning today,
when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think,
Good grief, look how smart I am!¨

Arise! The Mother's Day Proclamation by Julia Ward Howe

"Mother's Day started when mothers from the South who'd lost sons during the Civil War joined with mothers from the North who'd lost sons in the war, trying to inspire the women of the world to stop war altogether. Let's make Mother's Day a day when we all make a stand for peace, beginning with where we stand within ourselves..." ~ Marianne Williamson

The "Mother's Day Proclamation" by Julia Ward Howe was one of the early calls to celebrate Mother's Day in the United States. Written in 1870, Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation was a pacifist reaction to the carnage of the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. The Proclamation was tied to Howe's feminist belief that women had a responsibility to shape their societies at the political level.

Today, the proclamation is included in the Unitarian Universalist hymnal, Singing the Living Tradition. A singing quartet called the Righteous Mothers released a recording of the Proclamation as part of their 25th anniversary CD in 2006.

Mother's Day Proclamation

Arise, then, women of this day!

Arise, all women who have hearts,
Whether our baptism be of water or of tears!

Say firmly:
"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own.
It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God.

In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And at the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

A Mother's Day Tribute - a compilation (LLJL)

In the Honoring of this most Special Day I would like to reflect in Thanksgiving
for all who have nutured our lives...
To the Divine Feminine in all women who by virtue of thier very presence
have Nutured, Blessed and given Sustenance and Strength to a
World hungry for thier Gifts of Love.

To the life-giving ones
Who heal with their presence
Who listen in sympathy
Who give wise advice ... but only when asked for it.
We are grateful for all those who have mothered us
Who have held us gently in times of sorrow
Who celebrated with us our triumphs -- no matter how small
Who noticed when we changed and grew,
who praised us for taking risks
who took genuine pride in our success,
and who expressed genuine compassion when we did not succeed.
On this day that honors Mothers
let us honor all mothers
men and women alike
who from somewhere in their being
have freely and wholeheartedly given life, and sustenance, and vision to us.

On this most Sacred of Days let us also, give Honor to Beloved Mother Gaia...Our Earth Mother...Unconditional Provider and Nuturer of All...

In the Spirit of this Sharing I offer homage by way of several pieces honoring
Our Beloved Mother Earth and All the Women that have graced our Lives...

May all my Beautiful Sisters be Blessed this Most Precious Day...

The following is in dedication to them and to the Most Beloved Mother of All...

To Mother Gaia...Earth Mother to All...

"Every man for the sake of the great blessed Mother in Heaven, and for the love of his own little mother on earth, should handle all womankind gently, and hold them in all Honour". ~Alfred Lord Tennyson

Morning Hummingbird

Beloved Mother
I am your morning hummingbird
hovering in dreamlike winds
around the fragrant rose
of your radiant heart light

Sipping the sweet white nectar of your divine love
I am nourished and sustained
I am ablaze with whirling galaxies
of undivided joy

I am drunk and swooning
as I press my long slender beak
deep into the luminous petals
of your Great Heart
to sip the rapturous flowing currents
of your shining being

~ Reprinted from the book Soft Moon Shinning by Ethan Walker III ~

Mother Earth

Mother of all the high-strung poets and singers departed,
Mother of all the grass that weaves over their graves the glory of the field,
Mother of all the manifold forms of life, deep-bosomed, patient, impassive,
Silent brooder and nurse of lyrical joys and sorrows!
Out of thee, yea, surely out of the fertile depth below thy breast,
Issued in some strange way, thou lying motionless, voiceless,
All these songs of nature, rhythmical, passionate, yearning,
Coming in music from earth, but not unto earth returning.

Dust are the blood-red hearts that beat in time to these measures,
Thou hast taken them back to thyself, secretly, irresistibly
Drawing the crimson currents of life down, down, down
Deep into thy bosom again, as a river is lost in the sand.
But the souls of the singers have entered into the songs that revealed them, --
Passionate songs, immortal songs of joy and grief and love and longing:
Floating from heart to heart of thy children, they echo above thee:
Do they not utter thy heart, the voices of those that love thee?

Long hadst thou lain like a queen transformed by some old enchantment
Into an alien shape, mysterious, beautiful, speechless,
Knowing not who thou wert, till the touch of thy Lord and Lover
Working within thee awakened the man-child to breathe thy secret.
All of thy flowers and birds and forests and flowing waters
Are but enchanted forms to embody the life of the spirit;
Thou thyself, earth-mother, in mountain and meadow and ocean,
Holdest the poem of God, eternal thought and emotion

~ Henry Van Dyke ~

Mother Earth and Father Time

How very special are we
For just a moment to be
Part of life’s eternal rhyme
How very special are we
To have on our family tree
Mother Earth and Father Time

He turns the seasons around
And so she changes her gown
But they always look in their prime
They go on dancing their dance
Of everlasting romance
Mother Earth and Father Time

The summer larks return to sing
Oh, what a gift they give
Then autumn days grow short and cold
Oh, what a joy to live

How very special are we
For just a moment to be
Part of life’s eternal rhyme
How very special are we
To have on our family tree
Mother Earth and Father Time

~ Unknown ~

To All Women Everywhere

"Mother's Day is in honor of the best Mother who ever lived -the Mother of your heart." ~Anna Jarvis

See the Woman
(a Poem by John Trudell)

She has a young face
An old face
She carries herself well
In all ages
She survives all man has done

In some tribes she is free
In some religions
She is under man
In some societies
She’s worth what she consumes

In some nations
She is delicate strength
In some states
She is told she is weak
In some classes
She is property owned

In all instances
She is sister to earth
In all conditions
She is life bringer
In all life she is our necessity

See the woman eyes
Flowers swaying
On scattered hills
Sundancing calling in the bees

See the woman heart
Lavender butterflies
Fronting blue sky
Misty rain falling
On soft wild roses

See the woman beauty
Lightning streaking
Dark summer nights
Forests of pines mating
With new winter snow

See the woman spirit
Daily serving courage
With laughter
Her breath a dream
And a prayer

~ John Trudell is an acclaimed poet, national recording artist, actor and activist whose international following reflects the universal language of his words, work and message. Trudell (Santee Sioux) was a spokesperson for the Indian of All Tribes occupation of Alcatraz Island from 1969 to 1971. He then worked with the American Indian Movement (AIM), serving as Chairman of AIM from 1973 to 1979. In February of 1979, a fire of unknown origin ( which he is convinced was not an accident) killed Trudell’s wife, three children and mother-in-law. It was through this horrific tragedy that Trudell began to find his voice as an artist and poet, writing, in his words, “to stay connected to this reality.” ~


Imagine a Woman

Imagine a woman who believes it is right and good she is a woman.
A woman who honors her experiences and tells her stories.
Who refuses to carry the sins of others within her body and life.

Imagine a woman who believes she is good.
A woman who trusts and respects herself.
Who listens to her needs and desires, and meets them
With tenderness and grace.

Imagine a woman who has acknowledged the past’s influence on the present.
A woman who has walked through her past.
Who has healed into the present.

Imagine a woman who authors her own life.
A woman who exerts, initiates, and moves on her own behalf.
Who refuses to surrender except to her truest self and to her wisest voice.

Imagine a woman who names her own gods.
A woman who imagines the divine in her image and likeness.
Who designs her own spirituality and allows it to inform her daily life.

Imagine a woman in love with her own body.
A woman who believes her body is enough, just as it is.
Who celebrates her body and its rhythms and cycles as an exquisite resource.

Imagine a woman who honors the face of the Goddess in her changing face.
A woman who celebrates the accumulation of her years and her wisdom.
Who refuses to use precious energy disguising the changes in her body
And life.

~ Patricia Lynn Reilly ~


Angels in the Bedraggled Earth
(A remarkably stunning and moving piece by Independent Journalist Ira Mathur)

As your eyes scan this page millions of women are in various stages of childbirth - in fields, and huts, homes, apartments, hospitals and health centres. A few are alone and scared, but many, even the poor or obscure, are not.

No matter where or how this happens, it is seen as an important event. Every birth is greeted with a unanimous astonishment and acknowledgement of the vast unknown. Despite the problems of overpopulation, India recently celebrated the birth of its billionth baby. The birth is greeted with shouts in every conceivable language and culture of “It’s a miracle!”

A lifetime of intensity is poured into these moments: the wave of undiluted pain comes pounding in, subsides and rolls back with a more forceful crash, forcing out cries that burst out from the depths of a woman. From her cocoon of pain she dimly hears shouts to bear down, hold back, push, as if they are from another world, nothing to do with her. The faces of doctors and midwives in crisp blinding white of glints of steel, masks and gloves are a blur. She barely feels the hands she is clutching for support.

Finally, wrapped up in red life-forming placenta, a tiny body emerges out of her ripped body. With the child, she is handed a lifetime injection of love tinged with the pain that comes from loving too much. Her tears, her sweat pouring from her brow, her flowing and clotted mess of blood is mingled now with relief, laughter, and exhaustion, wonder, and above all hope.

And something changes in the woman - she is no longer a human being with selfish desires. Even after cord is cut, even if she or her baby dies the mystical ties that bind her to the child remains tightly bound, flowing somewhere together into the stream of the universe.

Living Paintings

The mother and child, Madonna and bambino, have been immortalised by great painters, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli; in Hindu Mythology; in the earliest cave etchings, in world art, literature and history.

But this is no static tableau to be admired at in an art gallery. There are millions of living paintings around us in our modern age. The images no less endearing for their ordinary-ness, perhaps more so, since they go unrecognised unseen. Consider a few:

· A mother sits in her working clothes pumping out breast milk into a container for her newborn and swallows her tears after dropping her child to the baby sitter so she looks smart for the office meeting. Like a juggler she finds ways to somehow hold down a job, find time for her child, rush to the supermarket and drug store, make PTA meetings, and time to bake a birthday cake.

· A mother gets her pay docked, and puts up with angry employers and threats so she can spend the day taking her sick child to the hospital. An inner barometer in her will happily forego self-preservation to safeguard her child’s health.

· A mother sits in a camp where hundreds like her are battling famine, with her baby to her breast, too weak to even brush away flies, but her grip on her baby doesn’t weaken even after she or the baby dies.

· A mother at home spends all day taking care of three children: makes sure they brush their teeth, get their meals on time, wipes bottoms, and tears, fights back anger when they don’t listen or disrespect her, takes them to school and lessons, spends time over their homework, admonishes, hugs, and praises, dispenses advice and medicine, separates fights, and tries to teach them the small curtsies like please and thank you and the big ones, like right from wrong.

In Between

In between there somewhere she forgets who she is, suppresses her longing for her paintbrush or office, travel or ambition. She wonders at night, when it’s quiet or over the kitchen sink, where all the years, and the carefree laughter and the sense of possibility went. Forgets that she has a body and mind that needs care. When her children are grown and sophisticated, they come and go, like butterflies, chastising her for her old fashioned ways. She continues to love them, and suffer pangs of pain when they are in trouble or go away, or buy a motorcycle or are out too late.

· A mother sits by her critically ill child who nearly drowned for trying to save a friend. As she passes her hands over his brow she thanks God for his courage, his good heart, and then goes numb with fear, rocking up and down as if in a trance, “I can’t lose him, I can’t lose him.” She is not alone. A thousand mothers feel for her.

· A mother thinks of the worst thing that could ever happen to her is her child dying before she does. The child dies. But she never lets the child go. She holds on to that child, and by a supreme act of will, keeps him or her alive in her heart, because if she didn’t do that she couldn’t live.

· A mother shops and laughs, travels and gossips with her children who drop in all the time to see her. Somehow she is among the luckiest ones. She has learned to hold on, not with guilt, or recriminations, but with a wacky sense of humour and wit that never grows old. She has become their friend without asking for anything in return because she too has made a full life for herself. She has given them the gift of independence, of huge spaces and possibilities, of going after impossible dreams, because she was brave and wise enough to recognise that although she loves her children she has her own destiny. She may have had to go away for periods of time - may have not always been there to comb their hair or pick them up after a fall, but by allowing herself to fulfil her own potential she has given them the gift of theirs.

There are so many types of mothers. Call it a mystic tie, a finer, purer tie than any ties that bind. Whatever it is, you, our mothers gone, and mothers present, mothers to be, and mothers who’ve lost their children, working mothers, frail mothers, mothers who’ve adopted, and those who’ve had to give up their babies, will go on being what you’ve always been, angels in this bedraggled earth of ours.

The difference is even if it is just for one day, today, Mothers’ Day, we acknowledge you.

~ Ira Mathur is an Indian born Caribbean freelance journalist/writer working in radio, television and print in Trinidad, West Indies. She has been a regular columnist since 1995 and currently writes for the Trinidad Guardian.
Ira spent her childhood in India and Tobago, her University years in Canada, lived in England and settled in Trinidad.
Like most children of the Diaspora, she inhabits many worlds, not quite belonging to any one, but improvising, choosing and claiming chunks of most. ~

International Woman's Day - A compilation by Maya Angelou

To All my Beloved Sisters on this day which honors all women past, present and future...
On this years, International Women's Day...I offer up two poems by my most sacred mentor and shero...Maya Angelou

I RISE

...You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

PHENOMENAL WOMAN

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

~ Maya Angelou

Susan B (LLJL)

Today I am drinking from a mug, that has the phrase "Failure is Impossible!", and will wear a pin to work with the same words...as today, is a most special day for Women Everywhere, but most especially for those of us who live in the Rochester, NY area...

Today commemorates the Birthday of Susan B. Anthony, who worked and made her home, here, in Rochester. She was a fierce advocate and activist for the Rights of Women, and was the First US Women to have her likeness on a coin...

And those words "Failure is Impossible" were her banner and became the clarion call for all Women to stand up and raise their voices not just for the rights of Women but for Human Rights Everywhere.

As you go throughout your day today, ask yourself, how will you honor this special Sister? Give a little thought of praise and gratitude to this incredible woman, who made so many of the freedoms that we currently enjoy and may take for granted, possible...

"The older I get, the greater power I seem to have to help the world; I am like a snowball - the further I am rolled the more I gain."~ SBA

Wonderful Wild Women of Upstate New York

Women of Greater Rochester and Upstate New York... You are cordially invited to join this new group...

"Wonderful Wild Women of Upstate New York"
Please click on this link and request to be added if you would like to join this group
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_143092205752463

Calling All the Beautiful, Magnificent Women of the Greater Rochester and Upstate New York Area...You are cordially invited to join the group, "Wonderful Wild Women of Upstate New York"

Let us come together to Grow in the Beauty of Sisterhood and Mutual Respect.

Let us come together to Celebrate not only our Diversities but our Commonalities, as well.

Let us come together to Encourage and Enhance one another to step fully into Our Power as Women, Mothers, Daughters, Sisters and Nuturers of Our World.

Let us come together to Laugh, Cry, Sing, Dance, Eat, Pray and Love as we fully express the Joy of Our True Being!

Let us Connect with One Another in the Spirit of Celebration, Sharing and Support.

This group is a means for All Women of Any Age in the Greater Rochester and Upstate New York area to come together in a variety of ways and Celebrate our Connection and Power Together as Women of the World.

~ Social Gatherings
~ Local Get Togethers and Events
~ Community Projects
~ Retreats
~ Workshops
~ Book Clubs
~ Study Groups
~ Movie Nights
~ Theatre and Music
~ Museum trips
~ Coffee Houses
~ Outdoor Events
~ Trips to Local areas such as Lily Dale or Wine Country
~ General Sharing and Availability for One Another
~ Online Forums
(The Possibilities are endless..All Ideas welcome)

Women's Support...Becoming our Own Role Models

Daily Om, April 15, 2010
Women’s Support
Becoming Our Own Role Models

There was a time where women stood together in a bond of sisterhood, women supporting women.

As women embrace the fullness of who they are as individuals, they may find themselves supporting other women, helping others to reach the level of inner comfort and outer freedom that they themselves have found. Among those who are less sure of themselves and their place in the world, it may be more common to criticize other women than to seek their help. But there are things that a woman can only learn from another woman, as there are things about being a man that can only be learned from other men. We all recognize that we have much to learn from each other regardless of gender, but sometimes we could use a supportive role model that gives us a more precise example of what and who we can become.

There was a time where women stood together in a bond of sisterhood, women supporting women. It is only natural that the pendulum swings out of balance for a while so that we may have the experience of what we do not want. It is up to women to bring the pendulum back into balance and bring back the sacred sisterhood we yearn for at our core.

If we envision a world where women support each other and help each other find their place in an ever-changing world, then we can become the change we want to see. Jealousy, envy, criticism, and judgment are refuges for the insecure. As we help others to become self-assured, we create a world in which all people help each other, regardless of gender. Only women can make the change in how women are seen and understood, not just by other women but by the world at large. The way we speak about each other to other women and to the men in our lives informs everyone to treat us with the respect that all women, and all people, deserve.