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This post is about the importance of us women taking up space if we’re going to save humanity and the world. But we’ll get to that in a moment. First, I want to share a story.
I was recently on retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains with 64 other women. The name of the wilderness retreat was Wild Woman Fest (aka Fest), and it certainly lived up to its name.
We had no wifi or cell service for over three days.
We got bare-ass naked and danced around the fire, communed with trees, and skinny dipped. Yes, we let it all – and I mean all – hang out…without self-consciousness or apology.
Mother Turtle shared her wisdom and guided us in singing songs, and Danielle Dulsky mesmerized us with her storytelling and powerful ritual of wedding us to our wild selves.
We ate delicious food, sat in massage circles, and did yoga.
We forest bathed, shared our talent at an open mic, and offered our wares at an intimate lakeside fair.
And so much more.
So many memories were made. So many new friendships began.
We unapologetically took up space. In fact, we were explicitly told at the Fest’s open mic that we weren’t permitted to apologize or offer disclaimers for our art. So beautiful of an instruction that was, as every women knows in her bones that such invitation is rarely offered.
And now, I want to share something that happened at the lakeside fair.
If you’ve seen this Instagram post, this story will sound familiar. This is an expansion of that post.
A sister’s disclaimer for the price of her art
A sister had a blanket full of pottery for sale at the fair, and a small, handle-free cup immediately caught my eye.
This stoneware vessel would be perfect for my morning ritual with Sacred Mama Cacao, and the fact that it was made by such a beautiful spirit made it all the more sacred to me.
There wasn’t a price tag, so I asked her how much she was selling it for.
She said something like “Pay what you want for it.”
Now, I love a good deal, and I’ve even grown to (somewhat) enjoy watching my partner haggle with artists at street festivals. But something about this wasn’t sitting well with me.
So in response, I asked her something like “What is it worth to you?”
She hesitated, then offered a few disclaimers about what went into making this cup before suggesting $10.
As I witnessed this sister not taking up space, a fire deep within my being ignited.
I saw a sister effectively apologizing for her glorious art.
I saw a sister with a luminous spirit playing small.
I saw a sister who both wanted to be seen and yet seemed afraid to be seen.
I felt so much compassion for her…and possibly even rage at humanity?! I don’t think rage is the word, but it’s like I witnessed the weight of our global sisterhood being forced into the shadows for centuries – more like millennia – in this single interaction, and it fucking hurt me at a deeply psychic level.
Honestly, I don’t know why this particular experience had that deep of an effect on me! Anyway…
I don’t recall exactly what I said in response, but the gist was something like this:
“This is your art, and both you and your art are worthy of taking up space without disclaimers. Plus, this cup is worth more to me than that.”
I gave her $20. We both made out.
At the end of Fest when we were saying our goodbyes, this sister and I had a moment. I don’t remember her exact words and she expressed struggling to find the right ones, but the takeaway was that something powerful had happened. She witnessed something profound in me, and I witnessed something profound in her…
Humanity needs us to take up space if we are to survive.
Sister, our world is on a nearly unstoppable trajectory hellbent on destroying humanity (save for the few elites who plan to colonize Mars).
No one really knows where the tipping point lies or if it will occur within the lifetimes of Earth’s current generations. But it’s approaching, and I’d argue that deep within we all know it even as we defend our behaviors that fuel it.
But maybe – just maybe – we’ll experience enough of a rise in the feminine to return Earth to a state of balance, before it’s too late.
I am not well-versed in the subject of balancing masculine and feminine energies, but I can say with great confidence that when women reclaim their wild spirits, Mama Earth benefits. Which means humanity benefits.
We reclaim our wild spirits when we insist on taking up space…
When we don’t apologize or offer disclaimers for being who we are…
When we share our art with the world in the gloriousness that each of us sisters uniquely possesses…
When we lift up our sisters and walk side-by-side rather than in competition with them…
When we gaze into our own eyes (using a mirror) or another sister’s eyes and hold this gaze for what may seem to be an eternity – like two minutes! – and we see our Selves, our souls, our Oneness…
When we reconnect with Mama Earth in whatever way our spirits call us to, through ritual or being barefoot or communing with trees or whatever…
When we live in integrity with our true nature…
How will taking up space like this help humanity?
Taking up space means that we will not play small, hide, or stay quiet.
And when we take up space, we plant a seed that inspires others to do the same.
Someone who is unapologetically willing to take up space and is connected deeply with her true nature lives differently.
She lives in greater harmony with all her relations – human, animal, nature – and she contributes to the elevating of the collective consciousness of humanity when she does.
Her way of being is contagious.
Remember how fast Covid spread throughout the world during the pandemic? Remember how – try as we might – we couldn’t contain it?
That’s the kind of contagion I’m talking about.
Let’s create a ‘pandemic’ of sisters taking up space, of living in integrity with their true natures, of re-wilding their spirits, and of elevating the collective consciousness of humanity world wide.
I’m here to support sisters like you in taking up space.
Wayfinding
I am a Martha Beck-certified Wayfinder Life Coach and ICF-credentialed coach, but I like to call what I offer Wayfinding or Wayfinding Coaching.
I help sisters – especially highly sensitive Gen X sisters who are exhausted by our get more, do more, be more cultural paradigm or who are navigating mid-life change – reclaim their innate wisdom, re-wild their spirits, and actualize their souls’ missions on Earth.
If this speaks to you, consider exploring Wayfinding with me.
Sacred Sister Circles
Around every full moon, I host a free Sacred Sister Full Moon Circle around my fire pit (weather-permitting) or in my living room. If you live in or near Chicago, I invite you to come! You can learn more about these circles here or register for the next one here.
I also offer monthly low-cost Sacred Sister Virtual Circles via Zoom, and sometimes I’ll offer other circling opportunities – like Sacred Journeys with Mama Cacao – all of which are posted here.
It would be an honor to sit with you in circle, sister.
And just a note about how the circles I facilitate encourage you to take up space…
In every Sacred Circle I offer where sharing is involved (which at the time of writing is all of them), each sister receives the same amount of time to share, whether it’s with words or silence.
We’ve so often been conditioned to share quickly or not at all, and by ensuring that each sister gets to choose what she does with her time (and that she can’t just ‘pass’ her time to another when she chooses silence), we witness each sister as she takes up space.
This is one of the most powerful elements of the circles I call, or so I’ve been told time and time again.
To be seen, witnessed, and ‘held’ is such a powerful gift…
That is all, sister.
I see you.👁️ And I love you.❤️
