Lyssanda Designs

Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake)  1861 – 1913

One of the first women writers to define Canadian literature in our founding years, the iconic  Pauline Johnson also made a huge contribution to First Nations oral and written history.  Her  life is absolutely fascinating given her unique perspective as the daughter of a Haudenosaunee (Mohawk) Chief and an English mother, a mix that informed her literary output and theatrical performances with both the prevailing Victorian sensibility and a heightened reverence for the subtleties of the natural world.

I recently discovered the poem Easter, written by Pauline Johnson on April 1, 1888, and was thrilled with the inherent imagery of strong feminine forces at work in the cycles of nature, guiding the transformation of early Spring into the warmer days of April.  Whether from the influence of the romantic prose of the Victorian era or as a genuine connection to the natural world as being conscious and alive, Johnson succeeds in describing the attributes of each season as if they are elementals or animated spirits.  Using sweet, gentle, yet passionate phrasing, Johnson expresses the yearning of the heart while clearly evoking the mystery, timelessness and dreamlike qualities of wild nature.  Using aspects of what we would today call anthropomorphization, discovering the beauty of nature and expressing this adoration with the human voice was the very purpose of poetry for Pauline Johnson. 

As we engage in the current Mother Earth recovery project and a return to nature-focused values, we can learn much from the animistic dedication, respect and enjoyment of the natural world that Pauline experienced in her early Industrial Revolution, pre-technological world.     As I was able to recognize the strong feminine energies in Pauline’s poem Easter, I must conclude that she was cognizant of the power of the Divine Feminine in the spiraling aspects and cycles of all life. Having always felt a strong soul-sister connection to her that transcends time and space, I took the liberty of changing two words that appear in the poem; “Lent” to “Imbolc” and the word “Easter” to “Ostara”.  These simple alterations miraculously birth the poem anew as an expression of Goddess Spirituality and the Rites of Spring.  I humbly offer this revisitation with respect and the tenderness of hope, that perhaps Pauline would have approved.

EASTER  

Pauline Johnson ~ April 1, 1888

Imbolc gathers up her cloak of sombre shading
        In her reluctant hands.
Her beauty heightens, fairest in its fading,
        As pensively she stands
Awaiting Ostara’s benediction falling,
        Like silver stars at night,
Before she can obey the summons calling
        Her to her upward flight,
Awaiting Ostara’s wings that she must borrow
    Ere she can hope to fly –
Those glorious wings that we shall see to-morrow
        Against the far, blue sky.
Has not the purple of her vesture’s lining
        Brought calm and rest to all?
Has her dark robe had naught of golden shining
        Been naught but pleasure’s pall?
Who knows? Perhaps when to the world returning
        In youth’s light joyousness,
We’ll wear some rarer jewels we found burning
        In Imbolc’s black-bordered dress.
So hand in hand with fitful March she lingers
        To beg the crowning grace
Of lifting with her pure and holy fingers
        The veil from April’s face.
Sweet, rosy April – laughing, sighing, waiting
        Until the gateway swings,
And she and Imbolc can kiss between the grating
    Of Ostara’s tissue wings.
Too brief the bliss – the parting comes with sorrow.
    Good-bye dear Imbolc, good-bye!
We’ll watch your fading wings outlined to-morrow
        Against the far blue sky.

I love Dolores Stewart Riccio's magical "Divine Circle" novels featuring the five gifted Wiccan women Cassandra, Heather, Fiona, Phillipa and Deirdre.  Riccio fashions the crime-solving adventures of these classy, spunky, crafty, mystical and creative wise-women into entertaining and informative reads.    There are wonderful references to myriad practices of the Craft ~ Sabbat celebrations, Goddess worship, rituals, spell-casting, energy healing, time-bending, shapeshifting, psychic & clairvoyant skills, oracle work with tarot & pendulum, special foods, herblore and even Wiccan arts and crafts! 

Being an enthusiastic secondhand store "picker", one of my favorite parts in The Divine Circle of Ladies Courting Trouble is the finding of an old moldy book of recipes and spells by Fiona at a yard sale.  Only in Plymouth, Massachusetts could such a thing be possible!  This fascinating antique book becomes a reliable reference for exactly the right spell or "key" or potion or recipe, just when the Circle seems to be at a loss and seeking otherworldly options.  I love old books, and the serendipity of finding exactly what you need when you need it, is for me, the most fascinating aspect of living a magic-filled life. 

In that spirit, I was taken by surprise to see a gorgeous miniature book entitled Wicca: Ancient Feminine Magic in one of my local recycling shops.   Not passed down to me from mysterious ancestors, but priced at $1, a unique find nonetheless!  A welcome addition to my magical library, it contains many inspirational passages such as this:

"Open the door.  There is magic in the wind outside, chanting to you.  The ways of Wicca are of pleasure and delight.  Approach Wicca with love and respect.  Learn to pay attention and listen to the world around you. Mother Earth holds many secrets in her bosom.  These secrets are whispered to those who will listen."

You just never know what you might find (or what might find you) in with those curios and clear-outs.   Blessings in Her!

“Painter of Light” David Parson began his Goddess Series some years ago, and it has been thrilling for me to observe his tributes to the Divine Feminine with his gorgeous, lush (and very sexy!) paintings and pastel works.  His creative vision honours Gaia, Vesta, Hera, Medusa, Sarasvati and many other Goddesses from around the world.  Last year, David produced the luminous and incredibly beautiful painting “Turtle Island”, as inspired by a creation story from the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) people.  The People of the Longhouse traditionally have a matrilineal society, and their creation story features a Goddess/Creatrix known as “Sky Woman”.  The deep meaning of their cultural teachings and knowledge is embedded in and transmitted by their oral tradition, and for millennia this sacred creation story was passed down from the Ancestors through generations of storytellers.

Sky Woman Falls to Earth

In the beginning there was no earth to live on, but up above in the Sky World, there was a woman, Sky Woman, who dreamed dreams.  One night she fell through a hole in the sky and fell downward toward the great emptiness. There was nothing below her but a heaving ocean of water. The beaver, the otter, the muskrat and the turtle saw her fall, and fearing that she would drown, sent a flock of ducks to catch her.  The ducks flew underneath Sky Woman, caught her on their backs and set her safely down on the turtle’s shell.

After she had rested she told the animals what must be done.  She said that she needed soil which could be obtained from the bottom of the sea that covered the world.  The strong beaver was the first to go down toward the bottom.  He was gone for a very long time, until finally his drowned body floated to the surface.  The otter considered himself to be a much better swimmer than the beaver and he was the second to make the attempt.  He was down for an even longer time, and when his body surfaced he too was dead.  Finally, the muskrat attempted the dive.  He was underwater even longer than the otter, but his body eventually floated to the surface.  Sky Woman discovered a tiny piece of soil in the crevice of the muskrat’s paw, and she sprinkled this on the edge of the turtle’s shell.

As Sky Woman slept, the world grew from the edge of the turtle’s shell and extended as far as one could see in every direction.  By the time she awoke there were willows growing along the edge of the world, and they were the first trees to grow upon the earth.  The birds and the animals rushed about building countries and continents, until, in the end, they had made the whole earth, while all the time Sky Woman was riding safely on turtle’s back.  And the turtle holds the Earth up to this very day!



See the Goddess Series and more from this award-winning artist at www.davidparson.ca

“The process of creating is what sustains me, what connects me to my authentic self.  With divinity we grow…..to grace we aspire…..in love we cherish the day.” 
- David Parson

Never doubt the power of small humble things, like seeds.  The heart and soul of creation, the fertility gifts of Gaia that are tenderly nurtured by the plant-spirit Devas, seeds carry the ultimate promise of rebirth and regeneration, the growth of the springtime blossom and the tiny sprout that are the "green fuse" in wild nature.  As small and unadorned as they seem, seeds hold the essence of the eternal spiral of life and represent spiritual renewal to the human soul.  Recently an Anishnaabe friend brought back a gift for me from the Caribbean, beautiful seeds indigenous to the region strung on simple, yet meaningful necklaces.  She could not have known (except with the sacred intuition of an earth-connected wisewoman) that these seeds would have such compelling meaning for me.  Many years ago when my beloved grandmother's estate went up for auction I rescued items that were important to me, giving up many other objects in the mercantile process.  Much later I realized that the unassuming and simple little things she collected, like her apple seed necklaces, were now lost forever.  I regretted not having known the true value of the small things that had touched my heart.   But in one of life's surprising and serendipitous moments, the longing I had carried all those years dissolved when my friend placed the humble seed necklaces from Mexico into my hands.   Chi Meegwetch, LG, for turning the sacred wheel of destiny, for allowing the circle to come around again, for bringing closure and a healing balm to my heart. Your gift is a reaffirmation of the potent seeds of love that are Mother Earth's gifts to all her children, and the gifts of our Mothers and our Grandmothers to us all. 

An Ojibway friend gave me these modest and decorative bead bracelets at the solstice with a humorous request to "Buy back the island of Manhattan on behalf of the original inhabitants of Turtle Island".  How incredibly funny and dreadfully sad at the same time!  Can we even imagine how beautiful and pristine the eastern seaboard was at the time of European contact?  With our modern attitude of ennui can we even begin to understand how the original inhabitants of North America were embedded in the sacredness of the natural world and how they respected the demarcated niche that humanity held in that ecosystem?  Yes, the ethnocentric conquerors used beads as part of their trade offerings to secure access and title to lands. But what would pretty trinkets have meant to people that held the entire magnificent luminous world in their hearts and minds?  To peoples who are in and of the land, not above it or separate from it, the idea of land ownership  is inconceivable and obscene.  How they must have tolerated these crazy white men, not believing for a moment that their world was in jeopardy! Now a couple of centuries have passed, Manhattan's skyscrapers and concrete jungles blot out the natural landscape, and if there is one thing we know for sure (wondrous gifts of medicine, science, and indoor plumbing none-withstanding) it is that the "civilized world" of the arrogant and destructive settler society is not the correct way to be living on Turtle Island.  To earth-based traditions it was self-evident that we are inseparably linked to nature.  We ARE nature, and the time has come for all people to remember who we are, where we belong and what is sacred.  We need to love the land, to give thanks for the gifts of the Earth.  The recovery of the indigenous soul in all of us should come first, as it is the thread of our humanness woven inextricably with the world.  Then, let us recover Manhattan, with green spaces, permaculture, bicycles, natural power, green technology, heirloom seeds and community gardens - whatever it takes.  And oh yes - good joke, big sister, and Meegwetch for the baubles!

REVIEW
The Divine Feminine Fire:
Creativity and Your Yearning to Express Your Self
By Teri Degler
Dreamriver Press, 2009

“The feminine fire is a primordial, elemental force that is powerful
beyond our wildest imaginings.  It is, in fact, power itself.”  

    Teri Degler's brilliant work of scholarship and wisdom connects mythology to our spiritual and creative journey and the awakening of the Divine Feminine.  By decoding texts from religious and mystical traditions and delving into the mysteries of kundalini energy, Teri has been able to identify the Divine Feminine Fire as a source of empowerment already embodied within us.  This cosmic force, also known as Shakti, Shekinah or Sophia, is not just the voice of the feminine, or the divine within, or of our higher self, but it is the force itself.  Teri helps us to understand this force, how it exists within, how it manifests, and how it propels our spiritual journey and boosts our empowerment and self-expression.  We know this power as the yearning we feel to help others, to heal, to grow spiritually, to express our creativity and to transform our self and the world.  Often we suppress the yearning to create in favor or more socially acceptable activities.  Teri counteracts this with the life stories of both historic and contemporary women, and gives us teachings on how to "fire-up" our creativity and birth our own passions, desires, projects and visions.

    Examining the Divine Feminine Fire at work in the fascinating lives of Mahadevi Akka, a 12th century Hindu saint and Mechthild of Magdeburg, a 13th century Christian mystic, reveals surprising similarities to the spiritual experiences of women today.  The kundalini-shakti experience of Mahadevi teaches us to become comfortable with our wilder, more powerful emotions, and the holy spirit experience of Mechthild teaches us to go with the flow, to accept and embrace the life-long process of transformation.  Covered with greater detail in her earlier book "The Fiery Muse", Teri describes how the works of Hildegard of Bingen parallel the universal life force (the Divine Feminine "Shakti" principle), triggering a transformation of consciousness that led to Hildegard's mystical experiences and divinely-inspired creativity.

    Teri finds that three manifestations of the Divine Feminine from different spiritual traditions - Shakti, Shekinah and Sophia - share many of the same characteristics.  They represent the embodiment of the sacred within, manifest as divine light, are seen as the universal life force, and are a source of transformation and creative inspiration in our lives.  Inspired creativity is part of Shakti Awakening - a path that combines both spirituality and creativity.  Teri has found that the source for spiritual experience and creative energy is exactly the same, and moves us in the same transformational direction.  Creative blocks and the critical inner voice can be overcome, and our work is to allow ourselves to hear the call of the creative spirit, recognize the urge or profound need to create, and give this feeling its full expression.  The energy of life and creation is impossible to control, yet it pulses through each one of us and has a role to play in our daily lives.

    Women have always had access to the Divine Feminine within, but Teri gives us the actual steps we can take to recognize this energy, make it real, and discover how the embodied Divine Feminine can become an ever-expanding source of creativity. The first step is to recognize Her in your life by becoming familiar with the sacred stories of Shakti, Shekinah and Sophia; the second is to learn to listen to Her when she is calling you; the third is learning to hold Her great power in your body, to simply be with Her; and the fourth step is to express Her, the creativity of your soul, and allow Her to flow outward from the heart of your being.  With these four steps we can integrate the Divine Feminine into our lives, connect with Her through creative expression of all types, and "radiant with joy and enthusiasm", dedicate ourselves to manifesting Divine Feminine Spirit in the  world!

Back in December of 1987, I wrote a poem entitled Women Are the Only Hope in a meditative moment.  Little did I know that the title would be the exact wording and precursor to a concept that would later appear in the collective consciousness and expressed by, among others, Mendelson Joe!

Women Are the Only Hope

Watching as darkness falls,
the perfect moment
when shadows shift in the sky,
brief lights backdrop the landscape,
quickly fading to black,
I wonder about the rift between men
and the dimensions within women.

Time and again I’ve thought
of a tree standing tall,
supporting the sky
in complete control of a quiet life,
in synergy with the environment.
Unlike man, even at his best.
In his world of acceleration,
who sits in the shadows?
Women are the only hope.

Lyssanda Eyers, 1987

Raconteur, railer, mixed-media artist and musician Mendelson Joe believes that speaking out can make a difference, and that women are the only hope for the future.  I am compelled to reproduce an excerpt from his book “Alien” - an extraordinary passage, eloquent in its plea for the empowerment of women everywhere.  If you are not familiar with his work an exploration could be in order at www.karenrobinsongallery.com

Women Are the Only Hope..........by Mendelson Joe
     The world is in such a mess now. There will never be leadership from men, because there are too few men who think like David Suzuki.  So we’re fucked.  The only hope is women; I really believe it.  By using technology to communicate with one another, women can start to change the world.  They should make use of everything that connects people – the internet, telephones, television, writing, singing.  Women have to somehow unite and take control of the world.  And the only way they can do it is by withholding sex from men.  That’s the only way you can control men, to not allow them access to you unless they behave right.  These are not original thoughts.  If women were to band together and control men in this way, it would be at the risk of their own well-being, because the men would go around raping everybody.  So women not only have to becomes strong, they have to be protective of each other and they have to be aggressive.  Well, that’s an awful lot to ask overnight.  But it’s gotta happen soon.
    Mothers are less likely to build bombs and drop them.  Women are less liable to want their children to go to war.  Women are less likely to knowingly pollute where they know their children are going to have to live.
            from “Alien: The Strange Life and Times of Mendelson Joe" © Mendelson Joe 2000

This strikes me as a powerful wake-up call for the coming together of women in sisterhood and support.  Since the revival of the play Lysistrata, whereby the women of classical Athens withheld sex to end the Peloponnesian War, there have been instances of women "saying no" to deal with corruption in government and business or to establish peace.   Not that this would be likely to occur on a large scale (?) but just for the fun of it, think of what might happen if the wives of our world leaders decided to give it a try!  The reality is that women’s unity can make a huge difference.  We need to reject the competitiveness and mistrust of each other that has been instilled in us by the patriarchy to keep us disconnected from each other and from our personal and shared power.  We need to have our voices heard as a collective!   If you haven’t already, is there a woman’s circle or group at the local level you can join to address personal and political transformation?  As with women everywhere, I have gained an extraordinary amount of awareness and empowerment since I wrote my poem in 1987.  Changes seem to come slowly, but the great turning is happening nonetheless.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."  Margaret Mead

Jean Shinoda Bolen has been urging us on to the tipping point with her work and guideline “Gather the Women Save the World.”   She is a leader for today’s time of transition, and advocates setting up women’s circles and grassroots groups at the community level, for a start.  www.jeanshinodabolen.com

"Women Are Our Only Hope" book by Anthony DiGiorgio
http://www.amazon.com/Women-Are-Our-Only-Hope/dp/1420884689/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1294352341&sr=8-4

"Women's Leadership -  the Only Hope for a Just World"
speech by Ela R. Bhatt, founder of SEWA
http://www.allvoices.com/news/5367472-womens-leadership-is-only-hope-for-just-world

"Societies of Peace: Matriarchies Past, Present and Future" edited by Heide Goettner-Abendroth
http://www.amazon.com/SOCIETIES-PEACE-MATRIARCHIES-PRESENT-FUTURE/dp/0978223357/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294352566&sr=8-1

I am lucky, in my life, to have side-stepped the church and organized religion.  At a very early age my Sunday-school experience felt deeply wrong.  I rejected the church completely, and luckily no one pressured me to return to the flock. So, as a free and unburdened spirit I spent years shedding the conditioning of the dominant society that keeps us all separated from what is truly important - the embrace of a spiritual path unique to each individual and an overwhelming love for the land. Accessing my own inner knowing and wisdom through reflection, meditation, dreams, oracles and intuitive affirmation was a big part of the process.  When I discovered contemporary Goddess literature and archaeology my joy was complete!  Among other eye-openers, I will never forget the electric moment of seeing ancient matriarchal carvings and Paleolithic goddesses for the first time in Lucy Lippard’s “Overlay”.   In the college library that day, the door opened to a NEW version of history - a woman-empowered history – and a feminine view of diety.    THERE SHE WAS - She had been there all along, waiting, and after all that seeking, the Goddess embraced me and I embraced HER with all of my body, mind and soul!

This chant invokes Her presence, Her embrace, Her counsel - open to the visions and the joy!

Holy Wisdom
Mother of the Universe
Mother of Creation
Mother of Divinity
Mother of Creative Potential
Mother of Sacred Silence
Mother of the Mysteries
Mother of the Cosmic Embrace
Mother of Unconditional Love
Mother of all the Gods
Mother of the Earth and all Her creatures
Be With Me Now
Bless me with your wisdom
Bless me with your vision
Bless me with your healing
Bestow upon me your grace
Bestow upon me your protection
Bestow upon me your joy
Bestow upon me your guidance
As I adore and honor thee
So be it
Blessed Be

The Goddess is everywhere!  My blog entries are strange and wondrous musings on the ethos of the Divine Feminine and diverse manifestations of the Goddess in myth, history and modern times. I delve into Goddess Spirituality with reviews, critique, poetry, discourse, personal journalling, cross-connections, discovery, frivolity, blessings and prayer.  It is my highest joy to promote those creative expressions that contribute to the manifestation of matriarchal wisdom and feminine power!