Women are naturally cyclical. We do and do again, and it's easy to get trapped in that and just go round and round. But if we cycle consciously, every cycle will be more expansive and enlightening than the one before. This is true Feminine energy: a spiral outwards, covering more ground, taking in more each time, glancing sideways to how it used to be and what you have learned.
Category: healing
Finding Balance (as a 21st-century mama)
Balance. Ultimately, it's what we're all aiming for, right? Whether it's balancing our work life and home life, balancing our gut flora, our circadian rhythm, or our dreams with our reality. There are so many things that knock us off balance, though.
The Science of Stress
You've probably heard people use the phrase 'survival mode' (usually in the context of women, usually mothers). We use it to describe lives that are chaotic and so full that there is no space to relax. That phrase, though, is actually spot-on. When we feel like this, our bodies literally switch onto another setting where survival is the only thing that matters.
Relinquishing Control
So, it snowed in Athens again! I've been here since the end of 2011, and the first time it snowed 'properly' was last winter. Don't get me wrong, it often snows in Greece ... just not here in Athens. Then, Storm Elpis hit us at the beginning of last week. Where we live, on the western edge of the city, things weren't too bad. Our council salted the main roads and we didn't lose power even for five minutes. But in other parts of the city, the damage was severe. Roads were impassable, trees were down, and some areas had no power for days.
The Healer Within
Once upon a time, all women were healers. We had to be. There was nothing else. We sought out plants to staunch bleeding, to minimise infection, to combat the symptoms of diseases that had no names. We supported our sisters, our nieces and our daughters through pregnancy and childbirth. We shared our knowledge, their joy. We held their hands through suffering and pain. And when there was nothing more we could do, we closed their eyes and held the broken people left behind.