Glimpses
of Womongathering
<<It was really nice to be there again. It was so nice tobe
'living'
outdoors for those few days. I always forget how much I lovethat until
I
live it again. It was especially nice just sitting and talkingwithsome
of
the women. So nice to see/feel/experience such sweet spirits.
The rituals
themselves, some of which I participated in (or tried to), and othersof
which I only observed, were just so-so. Nothing about them reallyspoke
to
me, except perhaps for the thunder and lightening during the closing
ceremony. I was absolutely drenched, and giddy, by the time Igot back
to my
room. :)
I had a couple of particularly meaningful experiences. The first
was when I
walked down to the lake by myself the night I arrived. The moonwasshining
on the water. It was so beautiful. When I looked up atthe sky,
the big
dipper was right over my head, just as it is when I look up from mydeck.
It
was a wonderful reminder that my place was indeed there, is indeedhere, and
is, in fact, wherever I am in the universe.
This was really a carry-over from my experience there two years ago.
Down at
the lake, I stood in the rain looking out at the water. WhenI closed
my
eyes, I could hear the raindrops falling on the water, and I couldfeel them
touching my skin, and I was so incredibly aware of the wind blowingthrough
my hair. It was the most 'at peace' feeling I've ever experienced,and
I
knew without a doubt at that moment, that that place was MY place inthe
universe. I have never before felt such a sense of belongingas I did
that
day. So this time at the lake was my reminder.
As if that weren't enough, I went to a workshop on Gifts of the Spirit
-
Getting in Touch With Your Intuition. I've never really trustedmy
intuition, so I went hoping to learn how to get in touch with it andtrust
it. There was a huge pile of gifts, and each woman was to intuitwhich
was
for her. I looked from one to another, wondering how I couldpossibly
know,
and again, not trusting my intuition. I didn't know what elseto do,
so I
closed my eyes and sort of meditated for a few minutes. WhenI opened
my
eyes, they fell on a gift way across the pile, and suddenly I knewthat was
the one meant for me. I don't know how I knew. It justcalledto
me. I
kept staring at it. I couldn't even tell what the shape of itwas because
of
the way it was laying on the blanket, but I couldn't pull my eyes awayfrom
it.
When it came time to choose our gift, I got up and started walking toward
it.
I was afraid someone else would pick it up before I could reachforit,
and
that would mean I had been wrong (again, not trusting my intuition),but no
one else reached for it. I took it back to my chair and justheld it
for the
longest time. When I finally unwrapped it, my eyes welled upwith tears.
It
was a marble-sized 'earth' -- another more tangible reminderthat my
place
is everywhere I am.
It was so incredible to listen to some of the other women talk abouthow
they
knew which gift was theirs, and what the significance of the gift wasfor
them. There weren't many dry eyes at the end of it. Itwas really
a
powerful workshop.
I think I will trust my intuition more now. It helps that recently
I have
been more mindful that the divine is within each of us, and I believethat's
what intuition is -- the divine speaking to us from within us.>>
So Lee, thanks for being the catalyst for these wonderful things.
Debi
Thursday night's opening ritual under the stars and waxing crescent
moon
opened me to a profound Womongathering. I remember the weekendin
snapshots...moments captured by my heart and replayed even as I goabout my
daily life in the 'real' world.
Elizabeth Nahum's workshop on "Self-hypnosis for Trance Induction"
was
taught in a spirited, knowledgeable, thoughtful way by a teacher Ihave come
to deeply respect and admire, and has given me an invaluable tool totakemy
spiritual work far deeper than ever before. I was able to immediately
put
Elizabeth's techniques to use and have continued to explore and usethis
process in my work. Experimenting and learning and utilizingher teachings
in will enhance all that I do for a long time to come.
Friday night's community ritual was at times playful, at timesquiet,
but
powerful and joyous...a lovefest and vow between us and the Goddess...and
one another.
Other 'photographs' in my soul's album : the lake in wind &moonlight;
walking the labyrinth under the summer sun; laughing with old and new
friends into the night; working side by side with friends and
former-strangers in the kitchen; DeLuna's haunting music; lessons learned;
hearing Goddess' voice in the laughter and whispers of other women;Sappho's
words closing the festival as thunder rocked and lightining flashed..."It
is
done!"
See you next year!
--Ashling Kelly
