The path of the Radiant Woman is the awakening of the Sacred Feminine that lives deep inside every woman. It’s a powerful gift that we have kept protected and hidden for thousands of years, and for good reason. But our gifts are needed in the world now more than ever so we are being called to awaken. We have to do it together through holding each other, through our healing and by celebrating each other through our breakthroughs.
In order to do this in the most supportive and authentic way, we have to address the deep sister wound that we carry. Maybe you are aware of it, maybe you are not. This wound expresses itself in the form of competition, judgement, alienation and jealousy. Women have been betraying women out of fear for a very long time. We have hurt each other, knowingly and unknowingly and this core wound has kept us separate. And here is the thing, we need each other. It is actually through sharing our unique journeys with one another that we grow exponentially. We amplify each other’s growth through our reflections. We are both medicine and fertilizer for one another.
We are so much stronger together than we could ever be apart and alone. So we must heal this wound once and for all. How do we heal it? Well, just like healing anything. It starts within. It is up to each one of us to acknowledge it by admitting our own part in it, and then forgive ourselves and others. The truth is that we, along with the women who have come before us, have each done what we have felt we needed to do to survive in a world that does not acknowledge the unique gifts women bring to the table. Many of us have felt alone on our path. We have felt unworthy, undeserving, not knowing how to take up space or how to belong in a world where we don’t feel valued.
We have either embraced our wounded feminine, needing to be saved, or the wounded masculine/martyr: over-working, striving to prove, competing, controlling, etc. And sometimes it’s a combination of the two. Both identities we created out of survival and are rooted in the fear of somehow being less than, but the gifts of the sacred feminine are rooted in love. Our power comes from a deep place of knowing we call intuition. It has been difficult for us to trust our intuition because our wisdom has been dismissed for millennia. We need each other to affirm the wisdom we each carry so we can learn to trust it and depend on it. This is how we claim our true Radiance. We do it together. I have known for some time that my life’s work is to be a part of the awakening of the Divine Feminine on the planet. What that means to me is that I am here for you and other women like you, to affirm your Radiance. We all have it inside of us, it just needs some coaxing to come out of hiding.
A few years ago, I signed up for Mama Gena’s school of womanly arts. I felt inspired after reading her best-selling book, “Pussy: A Reclamation”. I resonated with her message about reclaiming our power through sisterhood so off I went to New York to join 900 women for 3 epic weekends. I wanted so much to feel a part of a greater sisterhood. Women supporting women. Though there were many gifts I received, overall, I felt overwhelmed by the experience. It was like ripping the band-aid off a wound that hadn’t fully healed yet. Instead of feeling connected and expanded, I left realizing how disconnected I felt. Sure, I have always had my intimate circle of women I felt safe with, but in general, I felt guarded around groups of women. And it makes sense, having experienced rejection by multiple female peers growing up, mean girls and even close friends, not to mention my adult caregivers. These experiences led me to build a protective armor around myself. On the one hand, these barriers kept me safe, on the other hand they kept me separate. After my experience with Mama Gena, I knew I had to heal this wound inside myself.
Here are the steps I suggest:
Acknowledgement: this first step involves bringing to mind all the times you have felt hurt by girls or women in your life. You can only heal what you are willing to bring into the light. Journaling is a wonderful tool I highly recommend. And don’t forget to look at any of the ways you have hurt other women in your thoughts or your actions.
Express your feelings: This step can be challenging for women because many of us were taught to suppress our feelings, but in order to heal the wound you have to be willing to feel it. (It’s really helpful to have a witness for this step; someone to hold space while you release. Choose someone who is able to hold conscious space without interfering with your process.)
Forgiveness: This step can only be taken after you have taken the first two steps. Otherwise the forgiveness will not be authentic. I use a forgiveness prayer for this step. And it goes like this:
“If anyone has ever hurt me in the past, knowingly or unknowingly, I forgive her. And if ever I have hurt anyone in the past, knowingly or unknowingly, I forgive myself.”
I highly suggest reciting this prayer every day for 30 days. I guarantee you will feel a weight lifting from your shoulders. This may seem like a lot of work, but it’s really nothing compared to what you will gain. This work doesn’t need to be perfect or even complete. All love needs is a crack so the light can get in.
We need each other for support as we awaken these powerful gifts we carry inside; to affirm each other, to witness each other, to validate each other, to celebrate each other as we learn how to trust our intuition, and to speak our truth. Deep down we all long for that deep sense of belonging, and it’s up to each one of us to take that first step to choose to belong. Let’s practice taking this courageous step together.
I’ve opened up a facebook group with the intention to provide a container that feels healing and supportive as we each grow and expand into the Radiance that lives inside of each one of us. We cannot do it alone. Join me and the women who are beginning to gather. The door is open, but you have to choose it.
Peace and Blessings