The realization of women’s spiritual work being entirely different from men’s has slapped me across the face in ways I can’t stop considering since I read it last week! I have spent YEARS and YEARS of my life trying to play basketball 🏀 only using one hand. A good ball player can easily switch between hands and use the skill/tool needed for that situation. I’m so thankful to have awareness of such a fascinating concept and realize the FUTURE OF POSSIBILITIES is yet to be written! Perhaps we form a new “religion” that teaches the feminine how to dribble left-handed: one of us teach a lesson on saying no, hearing our own inner voice, trusting self, standing up, advocating for ourselves or others, cultivating leisure time, allowing creativity and contemplation be as paramount as anything else, and allowing ourselves to experience life on our terms. THAT is the religion I know I need right now. Who’s with me?!? 😄.
Love that you have explored this topic more since the last essay. As predicted I haven't been able to stop thinking about the concept and shared your article with my fellow sisters who are seeking a different way post orthodox religion. Thanks for the reading list.
great follow up. one book that has had a passage stuck in my head since I read it in May is: The Way of the Rose - the radical path of the divine feminine hidden in the rosary. Essentially it purposes that meditation has been a primarily a masculine practice evolving from the need for stillness for hunting. conversely, bead practice in the form of prayer with the rosary seems to have evolved from the gathering behaviors of women as they collected seeds and berries. this struck me as I've never gotten value out of meditation but give me something crafty to do with my hands - like cross stitch - and my mind is clear and calm. so in borrowing this framework, I guess fiber arts is part of my spiritual toolkit :)
Oh my gosh I love this example so much Alyson! Thank you so much for sharing it. And "stillness for hunting"?! Fascinating. I wonder how many other spiritual practices have their roots in hunting?
Have you read what bell hooks wrote about Codependent No More in her own book, Communion? It gives a healthy dose of salt to add to Beattie's work. Worth taking the time. Anything by bell is _revolutionary_.
The realization of women’s spiritual work being entirely different from men’s has slapped me across the face in ways I can’t stop considering since I read it last week! I have spent YEARS and YEARS of my life trying to play basketball 🏀 only using one hand. A good ball player can easily switch between hands and use the skill/tool needed for that situation. I’m so thankful to have awareness of such a fascinating concept and realize the FUTURE OF POSSIBILITIES is yet to be written! Perhaps we form a new “religion” that teaches the feminine how to dribble left-handed: one of us teach a lesson on saying no, hearing our own inner voice, trusting self, standing up, advocating for ourselves or others, cultivating leisure time, allowing creativity and contemplation be as paramount as anything else, and allowing ourselves to experience life on our terms. THAT is the religion I know I need right now. Who’s with me?!? 😄.
ME!!!! I'm with you! I'm fist pumping here at my dining room table. Let's goooooooo!
Love that you have explored this topic more since the last essay. As predicted I haven't been able to stop thinking about the concept and shared your article with my fellow sisters who are seeking a different way post orthodox religion. Thanks for the reading list.
great follow up. one book that has had a passage stuck in my head since I read it in May is: The Way of the Rose - the radical path of the divine feminine hidden in the rosary. Essentially it purposes that meditation has been a primarily a masculine practice evolving from the need for stillness for hunting. conversely, bead practice in the form of prayer with the rosary seems to have evolved from the gathering behaviors of women as they collected seeds and berries. this struck me as I've never gotten value out of meditation but give me something crafty to do with my hands - like cross stitch - and my mind is clear and calm. so in borrowing this framework, I guess fiber arts is part of my spiritual toolkit :)
Oh my gosh I love this example so much Alyson! Thank you so much for sharing it. And "stillness for hunting"?! Fascinating. I wonder how many other spiritual practices have their roots in hunting?
I love the book list. Also, I ordered the new edition of Melodie’s book and then preceded to not reread it. Maybe one day.
I need to re-read. I read it a few years ago and even then I was like "I should probably read this regularly."
Have you read what bell hooks wrote about Codependent No More in her own book, Communion? It gives a healthy dose of salt to add to Beattie's work. Worth taking the time. Anything by bell is _revolutionary_.