International Women’s Day
It is wonderful that today March 8, International Women’s Day falls on a full moon this year.
What is International Women’s Day?
Since 1975, women’s right and women’s awareness has been celebrated on this day. It has more emphasis in other countries and less in the US.
It is so un-widely known in the US, (commercialism has not taken over this holiday) that I never knew about it until I happened to be in Australia on March 8, several years ago. I felt daft as everyone there knew about it. However, I forgot about it again, until a few years later, a client who was born in Eastern Europe gave me chocolates on March 8th, in celebration.
Now I want to spread the word! (Read a thorough history of International Women’s Day.) We need to spread the word so that we can create a new world. It is the condor people, the feminine energy that is going to lead us out of the mess we’ve made of this world. Read the Prophecy of the Eagle and Condor: Balancing the Feminine and Masculine Energy.
Dualistic thinking
I cannot begin to describe how women have been treated in this world since dualistic thinking has taken over in the first centuries BCE. But we have all read the history books. We have read the recent news, where women are still being kidnapped, murdered, sold into sexual slavery, and beheaded. You’d think we are more civilized than to still be burning women at the stake. But we as a global culture have not stepped too far away from this. Dualistic thinking is a Western way of viewing the world. It is “us/them” thinking, competitive and only one side could win. Gender was divided into men and women, men won, women, lost; and centuries of patriarchy resulted in eons of cruelty and inequality.
You better get wild right now, young lady!
Today we celebrate women and their journey through this, the many accomplishments in achieving equality. But recognize that we have a ways to go still. We are coming to a time, where women are angry and fed up with being treated so poorly. We are looking to the men in our lives to make it right for us, acknowledge what we have been through. The men are confused because we have always been so nurturing and generous.
This is a transitional time as we are all seeking balance and attempting to adjust to a world were there is true equality. Sometimes the scale teeter tauters to extremes as it is trying to adjust to a new weight. We have to be patient and kind to each other through this, because it effects our most precious relationships. We have to keep seeing and honoring the goodness in each other, instead of pointing out the bad and holding each other accountable.
I have been on my own journey to recapture the feminine inside of me, and to search for the feminine divine in the world. I been reading about it, dressing more feminine, lying on the ground to connect with Mother Earth, and working on forgiveness and unconditional love to everyone, even those who are mean to me. Holding people accountable, is like trying to get power over them, just as they had of you. It perpetuates the cycle. For us to get out of this gender discourse, we have to allow each other to find the divine and balance of feminine and masculine traits inside of each of us. And then we need to recognize and love each other for that.
Feminine power
For us women, we have to decide a way we want to be, without the container of those who try to control us. And just be that way, without excuses, without blaming others or ourselves, and without fear. Even if we have to speak with our voices shaking, we need to speak!
I wrote the following verse in my journal a year ago.
I will no longer hide my passion, my limitless energy under a bushel.
No matter what, I will allow my light to shine without abandon.
I will not let patriarchal expectations and gas-lighting make me feel bad about this enthusiasm.
I will refuse to calm down or chill out when I am told, refuse to support this oppression in all of its forms.
When necessary, I will always stand up for myself, my daughter, and all feminine energy.
I will release my inner spaz to her calling, embrace her, infuse her with LOVE so that she may assist her beloveds.
Guided by the wisdom of the Goddess Justicia, I am positioned in my most feminine power, to save, to change, to heal, to nurture all sentient beings. Having only compassion for those that criticize.
Demanding balance in the form of a dance, I live, I love. I get wild.
Ladies, Get wild under the full moon!
Remember when your parents told you to “calm down” young lady, because ladies were seen and not heard. I no longer want to calm down. I want to be heard and hear you, too. Women, if you are holding back your most beautiful, divine self–feeling you are not allowed or that you don’t deserve it, I hope you join me today in writing a statement of change – a new mission for yourself to become more yourself without limitations of gender discourse. Dance, live, love, get wild. The moon is full and you have my permission.
Happy International Women’s Day! Buy yourselves some chocolates.
I am checking since early morning and waiting for that post to pop up! It was evident for me you were going to write about women’s day, and I can say that it’s the first year I ever think of that day, and ever think women deserve to have freedom and deserve to be heard. I used to judge and criticize those who pretended to be equal with men. I’m so glad I have changed.
I love what you wrote in your journal, and I love this enthusiasm you have put at the end!! It gave me a big smile.
I am now getting used to the idea of having some rights, but I think i still have a lot to learn before being able to put into practice!!
I always laugh at myself when driving and slowed down by a car in front of me, my first reaction used to be: “Oh Women!! I’m sure it’s a woman driving, they shouldn’t be allowed on the streets!!” Not any more!
nikky44 recently posted..I’d rather be…..
Oh, you do? I thought that it was ONLY me thinking these thoughts of other female drivers. Haha, despite of the fact that I am a feminist, kinda’ :). I blame this on the men! They have brainwashed us! 🙂
Julie recently posted..dental crowns
Too true, It would be a brilliant conspiracy, if it wasn’t so horrible!
I wasn’t even planning on it and woke late today and threw this together. I am glad you are changing and thinking of yourself as a women as more worthy! Don’t blame yourself for thinking otherwise before, you were just expressing what you had been taught, unfortunately. Now we know better!
Jodi, I didn’t get an email that you made a comment, so I was checking now, just to read other’s comments on your post, and I found that one.
Less than 5 minutes ago, I finished writing a post where I said that I shouldn’t blame myself for the way I was thinking, since that is what I was taught 🙂
nikky44 recently posted..Women, 2nd class human beings
So cool!
Jodi,
Great post! I’m stopping by from She Writes. Happy International Women’s Day. Are you participating in the Blog for International Women’s Day?
Loved your post Debra! I will participate next year for sure, now that I know about it!
Happy Women’s Day! (It always bothered me when people told me something wasn’t ladylike.)
Kelly Hashway recently posted..Operative by Kate Kaynak
Yes, kelly, a woman after my own heart! Happy women’s day to an accomplished woman who makes no excuses and gets the job done, staying cheerful and generous all the while.
I almost wish I were a woman when I read your enthusiasm for the feminine! You are an inspiration Jodi
Behind every great woman is a great man, and behind every great man is a great woman. We are in this together, Paul!
“Demanding balance in the form of a dance, I live, I love. I get wild.”
Wonderful. I wish this for us all. Truly inspirational post. What a great day!
Lisa W. Rosenberg recently posted..School “A” or Bust
Thank you so much! It means a lot coming from a wonder woman like you!
Lovely! Get wild and eat chocolate? Don’t mind if I do!
Nadine Feldman recently posted..Happy International Women’s Day!
Thank you for this. There is a ‘wildness’ inherent in women, I believe and when we embrace and unleash this – once we are no longer afraid of it – we heal our selves, families and communities. Bless you for your contribution to this process!!
deborah recently posted..13
Thank you Deborah, I do feel blessed to be part of such wonderful women leading the way!
What a perfect saying: Ladies, get wild under the full moon. I’m with you all the way.
I liked your prose. Very meaningful. Your friend from She Writes Bloggers.
Thanks for commenting on the prose, I did mean a lot to me.
Glad you are releasing your inner spaz, Jodi! Good post, my friend.
Thanks MJ!
So looking forward to a blessed evening under the full moon.
And yes, chocolate will be invited. And candles.
The Writing Goddess recently posted..Faux-pology, Anyone? More Like A Three-Pronged Attack
I hope it was heavenly!
Great post, Jodi! Very empowering and also a reminder that women all over the world don’t have the same freedoms. So many live under oppression.Here in the US our reproductive rights are being challenged–and threatened–in the political arena. We have a long way to go, though we also have come a long way. Well, I love your poem and am going to share it with my daughter.
Monica, Thank you and I hope your daughter loves it!
Jodi, when I clicked on your blog this morning, I didn’t know that I would walk away feeling so alive, so empowered, so proud to be a woman! Oh my goodness, this is a magnificent post! Love, love, love it! It’s about damn time we honor our womanhood, that we rise to our potential, that we bond as sisters in the glory that is feminine! The verse you wrote in your journal is wonderful! Indeed there is no need to stifle our voice, to bow down to men and society’s expectations! We must reclaim our worth, sister! Thank you for this post! 🙂
Hi there, Jodi, I was honored to receive the Liebster Blog Award and I am now passing it along to you.
That is so kind! Thank you! I’ll incorporate in into this week’s post!
“For us women, we have to decide a way we want to be, without the container of those who try to control us.” YES! Love this! Thank you for writing this, Jodi. You’ve helped me celebrate the day!
Tina Barbour recently posted..A bit of memoir: Walk everywhere, eat according to plan
Thank you Tina for your kindness! We have to celebrate and keep celebrating! XoJ