Latest @girlgodbooks anthology is OUT NOW! Wounded Feminine : Grieving with Goddess superbly coedited by @cladorartandwords Trista and Pat "Wounded Feminine is a magnificent chorus, which wades in the mind/heart/soul of the reader churning the long-lasting waves inwardly. Animating the legacy of the collective grief and strife for love and connection with the whole, many voices of the anthology reshape the consciousness of what was lost and transform the subconsciousness into the power of the Cosmic Mother. This anthology is the seeds of deep thoughts, the indispensable steps for matriversal soteriology." -Helen Hye-Sook Hwang, the author of Reader: Toward Magoist Cetaceanism (Mago Books, 2023) Available from @girlgodbooks website or online stores
Words for these timesDeconstruct : 'to break something down into its separate parts in order to understand its meaning, especially when this is different from how it was previously understood' (Cambridge Dictionary) It's not usual August energy. 2024 hasn't been a year of the 'same old'. We are a choice point #evolve or This is the POINT of wellness & spiritual practices, of education - to support us to deconstruct (individually, collectively, institutionally) - to go #inandthrough - and rebuild a humane, humanitarian, humanity. I was raised in a working class northern mining village (near Sunderland where the recent race riots & far right violence have taken place). My grandfathers were miners. I was surrounded by poverty, hostile, racist language and attitudes, domestic violence, abuse and misogyny. And I was fortunate to escape that cycle through education, reconnecting to my body and soul and through the ongoing deconstruction of (and divesting from) the internalised constructs of racism, ableism, classism, misogyny, colonialism etc etc. I'm not an expert. This work is not done. And it's messy & painful. And, I continue to do it because I value humanity, feel a moral obligation to repair/heal on behalf of past generations and evolve for the sake of future generations. And I recognise interconnectedness - and therefore the futility of doing anything other than this. Divest : to get rid of (Cambridge Dictionary) This is what we are being called to do during these times. Deconstruct & divest from external & internalised, conscious & unconscious constructs, attitudes, thought forms, language, behaviour and repetitions of racism. Spiritual and wellbeing practice of the week : BE ACTIVELY ANTI-RACIST. This week has highlighted (again) the urgent need for all of us to move from non-racist to anti-racist. This is a process and one which is much needed in family, educational, academic, healthcare, therapy, wellbeing, religious & spiritual spaces. I speak only to what I have direct experience of - it is of course needed everywhere. Brilliant model by Andrew M. Ibrahim MD, MSc which I'm reflecting on today as I assess where I am (& the circles I mix in are) on the journey & where to go next to learn, grow & evolve. Resensitise : to make someone sensitive to (= aware of or affected by) something again (Cambridge Dictionary) The systems, structures & institutions in patriarchal & colonial societies are designed to desensitise us - make us insensitive, unaware of our common humanity, unaffected by the suffering of others. For me the purpose of 'healing' and of spiritual & wellbeing practices are to provide tools to develop the capacity to FEEL more & communities where we become aware of our interconnectedness, our common humanity, & are affected & moved by the suffering of others. The purpose is for us to be fully resourced & feel so deeply, with such compassion & empathy, that we are mobilised to take action for collective change & justice. Rehumanise : to make human again, to make it suitable for humans again (no dictionary definition needed) We finish our time in education dehumanised, dissociated & disembodied, after hours sat at desks, separated from nature & creativity, being fed a colonial curriculum. We enter into a dehumanising society, working in dehumanising institutions, operating in dehumanising structures. Being fed dehumanising & colonial narratives this time by the media. May those of us who are providing pathways away from this - creatives, artists, writers, poets, activists, advocates, holistic & nature based therapists, wellbeing practitioners, social justice communities - focus on REHUMANISING. REHUMANISING not only individuals, collectives, communities but essentially organisational, institutional and structural policy, procedure, & practice. Let's make society & its institutions humane, humanitarian & hospitable for humans - at a mind, body & soul level. Words from Neurodiverse ConnectionTruth and RepairBYSTANDERS
"In recent years, I have begun to contemplate the idea of a fourth and final stage of recovery, and that is justice. If trauma is truly a social problem, and indeed it is, then recovery cannot be simply a private, individual matter. The wounds of trauma are not merely those caused by the perpetrators of violence and exploitation; the actions of the bystanders - all those who are complicit in or who prefer not to know about the abuse or who blame the victims - often cause ever deeper wounds" Truth and Repair ~ Judith Herman Sometimes a book puts into words your #fleshyknowing & resonates deeply with your lived experience & validates you so profoundly that your life is forever changed by it. Reading this book, this weekend, has had that impact. Thank you for writing this book Judith Herman #trailblazer #truthteller #justiceseeker COMPLICITY "Acknowledgement on a massive scale means recognition not only of the crimes committed by individual perpetrators but also of the complicity of all the people who enabled them. ... they wanted the church to stipulate 'that the abuse was not the fault of the victims, and that the shame belongs only to those who did the abuse and those who covered it up.'" Truth and Repair ~ Judith Herman A transferable & relevant extract which validates my #fleshyknowing that the institutions in society we go to for our moral compass, justification & solace are in fact a-moral in their complicity in abuse (of all kinds), victim blaming & dehumanisation. Whilst survivors may creatively find comfort in the spiritual realm - directly in relation with the Divine - ultimately trauma can't be resolved & healed without a HUMAN community which is not complicit, does not deny or stay silent to abuse & actively seeks justice. A humane, humanitarian, human community forging a humane, humanitarian humanity. I've found that some of the most victim blaming, retraumatising & dehumanising spaces are 'moral' 'theological' 'religious' 'spiritual' 'wellbeing' & 'therapeutic' spaces. VISIONING JUSTICE The radical (or root cause addressing) survivors vision of justice needs "truth and repair -acknowledgement, vindication, apology, and amends - from their moral communities" "Because many people in their communities enabled the abuse they endured, they seek community amends in the form of institutional & cultural change" Truth and Repair ~ Judith Herman I've had a #fleshyknowing of this for a while. I now have research & evidence based text to say I'm not alone in this vision. No more victim blaming. No more bystander apathy & silence. No more collusion. In our homes, families & friendship groups, schools, churches, wellbeing retreats, spiritual communities, universities, mental health services, court rooms (& all the other spaces we inhabit) Actively educate - deconstruct, divest, resensitise & rehumanise - evolve & embody JUSTICE. Words for these times. I’ll leave it there for now. Kay x
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"Just like you my WORTH and POWER – theLEADERSHIP which I offer – is in and of – from and through – my extraordinarily ordinary FULL HUMANITY & CREATIVE LIFEFORCE"This New Moon and Eclipse Season I shed all labels and any remnants of spiritual bypassing and ‘hiding’ and offer you the knowing that there is a Leadership Pathway of Power and Worth which stems from your Creative Lifeforce and Authentic Human Self.
For me – as a woman – this is what is meant by Priestessing – Leading from and as the Feminine. To do this requires education, evolution and embodiment – through the creative amalgamation of metacognition, intuition and instinct – AND the great undoing of conditioning and patriarchal enmeshment and collusion. IT IS NOT AN EASY PATH AND WE NEED SUPPORT AND MENTORSHIP TO DO THIS. I still receive mentorship and supervision – and will continue to do so. Moving forward my focus will be directed towards:
ALL OF THE ACADEMIC, SPIRITUAL AND WELLNESS EDUCATION AND TRAINING I HAVE UNDERTAKEN WILL BE WOVEN INTO MY WORK. My published book Mentorship with Goddess is a feminine wisdom and wellness handbook and workbook – and lays the foundations for those called to follow the Feminine Leadership aka the Priestess path. Want to take it further and start to undo conditioning and embody your authentic Self and Leadership? Get in touch! I was raised in a working class northern mining village (near Sunderland where the recent race riots & far right violence have taken place). My grandfathers were miners. I was surrounded by poverty, hostile, racist language and attitudes, domestic violence, abuse and misogyny.
And I was fortunate to escape that cycle through education, reconnecting to my body and soul and through the ongoing deconstruction of (and divesting from) the internalised constructs of racism, ableism, classism, misogyny, colonialism etc etc. I'm not an expert. This work is not done. And it's messy & painful. And, I continue to do it because I value humanity, feel a moral obligation to repair/heal on behalf of past generations and evolve for the sake of future generations. And I recognise interconnectedness - and therefore the futility of doing anything other than this. Extract from my introduction to the @girlgodbooks anthology Pain Perspectives: Finding Meaning in the Fire 🔥 which is FREE to download on Kindle today through to Sunday.
Pain Perspectives is an anthology that tells the stories of women’s bodies and their experiences of chronic pain and illness. It also reveals the deep wisdom held within the suffering. The art, writing, and poetry from women around the world showcased in this book offers three clear messages. The first is that women are sick both metaphorically and physically. Lots of women. The second is that the patriarchal systems and structures in society are the origin of the sickness. Patriarchy hurts. The third is that the path of Goddess is both the medicine and the cure. Pleasure liberates. Read how Goddess and Goddess spirituality supports women to heal and find their voice, so that others may too. And post Church I repeated this the 'new age' & 'wellness' communities - also colonial but also hyper-individualistic systems.
The spell is broken. Wounded Feminine : Grieving with Goddess - latest @girlgodbooks Anthology is available to preorder here 👉 https://www.thegirlgod.com/wounded_feminine.php & will be published this summer. Radically Embodying Goddess.
Putting the finishing touches to the materials & content I'm sharing at next weekend's two day workshop I'm co-facilitating with Dr Lynne Sedgmore in #glastonbury Avalon Room, BA6 9DU Drawing on my published writing & resources- including from some of the books above - published by @girlgodbooks cover art @katshawartist @arna_baartz_contemporary & also available from online stores. Radical embodiment 🧬 #fleshyknowing going #inandthrough our #tangibledivinity is part of #futuristic living, #sustainablechange & the re-membering of a #humane #humanitarian #humanity The future = #embodimentspirituality #embodiededucation 🌠 Finishing preparation for our day event Embodied Education Creating Safe Space for Learning, Sharing & Facilitating in #glastonbury Avalon Room, BA6 9DU (https://goddesstempleteachings.co.uk/radicallyembodying/embodied-education/) on Monday May 27th, bank holiday here in the UK.
Suitable for anyone connected to schools, universities, youth work, teaching, home-schooling, unschooling, health and social care services, charities, social justice, parenting, holistic health and therapeutic settings, religious, and spiritual spaces. |
AuthorKay Louise Aldred MA, PGCE Archives
September 2024
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