There seems to be a feeling of tenseness in my body this morning, a sort of frozen stuck-ness that does not wish to be released. I went to the grocery store early and there was no one there nor on the streets between home and the store. Maybe everyone is feeling this, at least those of us who are sensitive to such things.
Things are shifting. What worked before is no longer reliable. Things insist on being renewed. The things that we have felt sure of, the things we have believed must be brought out and looked at, turned this way and that in the light of day to see just what they are saying to us. Change is in the air and we resist. We long for the known way of walking and yet we know that this way is not possible any longer.
This morning I was reading from a book by Nina Simons called Nature, Culture and the Sacred. I so appreciate her and usually find myself in deep agreement with her. This morning was no exception. Here is a quote from the book:
“ I am stunned by the power of women, and our capacity to heal. Wise elders, friends and mutual mentors among the women I am honored to work with remind me to listen deeply to all my sources of guidance, to seek assistance from nature, from my dreams and intuition, to inquire of my ancestors, and listen for responses, before determining a course of action. This requires me to peel away layers of patterning, of rushing to respond to prove my value through productivity. It requires me to question old and deeply ingrained habits. As I practice composting layers of acculturated learning that I absorbed unknowingly through the invisible water of culture we swim in, I wonder whether I will ever be free of it: I realize I need to decolonize my mind and practice reclaiming and remembering other ways of knowing.”
Yes, our minds have been colonized by the culture we live in. Today let us watch and see what needs to be put on the compost pile. Let’s call for help and support and encouragement in letting go, in releasing these old patterns. Let us embrace the Mystery and open to finding a new way that honors our heritage of deep Earth memories. Bless you.
Leo 3 degrees – Decolonizing the Mind
