What the World Needs Now is Wisdom

The truth is: Wisdom is certainly needed right now in our world.

When women break away from the patriarchal structures and strictures of life, we recognize our feminine gifts and re-discover our wisdom. Wisdom itself is encoded in both our physical and soulful DNA, and is available to us within our own bodies, minds, souls and spirit. Wisdom belongs to all humanity, and yet the truth is that women and feminine consciousness connect most easily to it.

I believe Wisdom is women’s special gift to the world.  Not knowledge—Wisdom.  Born of instinct and feeling, intuition and imagination as well as knowledge.  It’s an ancient way of knowing that our current society has tried to make us ignore and forget.  But since Wisdom is embedded in Nature and in our nature, it can be rediscovered.   Lady Wisdom knows the cosmic laws of our Universe and can teach them to us.  

As women step outside patriarchy’s collective expectations and heal ourselves, we can learn Lady Wisdom’s ways and heal the world.  That’s why it is so important for women to leave the Father’s House; that is, leave behind the patriarchal rules and expectations of being a proper wife, worker, mother, friend, lover—as well as the rebellious roles we play out against those rules by being wild, irresponsible, addicted, promiscuous, angry, or crazy.

To leave the Father’s House means to leave behind the old rules and perspective of patriarchy, to take responsibility for our own life and find meaning in what we do; to learn to understand our feelings instead of being overwhelmed by them or repressing them; to learn to listen to and trust our intuitions instead of ignoring them; to search for our personal visions and meaning in life instead of buying into the prevailing collective story of desire, power and consumption; to open ourselves to love in all the forms it comes to us in, instead of continuing to get lost in the misery and need to possess and control love; to rediscover our creativity and give it to the world, whether it is through our children who grow into conscious adults or our artistic creations that open others to healing and consciousness.

These are the gifts women discover once we leave the Father’s House behind. We find our own talents, our own patterns of life; we discover the source of the wisdom we need to live in harmony with our Mother, the Earth.    

Wisdom comes from a discerning mind, a compassionate heart, a wise imagination and a centered spiritual vision.  Wisdom encourages intelligent and fruitful dialogue over issues and opens us to think with our hearts, to love in a way that allows for our imperfections while demanding greater consciousness, to use our imaginations for life rather than profit. Wisdom takes the whole into account, while still honoring individuality. What wonders could we achieve here on Earth if we all asked for the gifts of Lady Wisdom?

Moving from Father's Daughter to Wisdom's Daughter

I was speaking with a woman who has been working in very masculine-oriented situations and she expressed how hard it is to get past their male prejudices.  It's so ingrained in our society.   And it's not only men.  Women have the same prejudices and unfortunately, we are still passing it along to our children. 

Sheryl Sandberg told Jon Stewart a story when he was interviewing her about her new book, Lean In.  A young 5 year old girl heard her mom talking to a friend about how when a man is decisive and assertive, people like him more.  But when a woman is, people like her less.  She asked her daughter what she thought and the little girl said, "She should be less assertive so that people like her more."   Being agreeable and kind is important, but to shrink from taking a stand is not a good message to be giving our girls.  

But we put up with it.  Why?  Because we're Father's Daughters, 'for the masculine in all things'.  Not that being a Father's Daughter is a bad thing.  All of us are father's daughters and for the most part, we've done a pretty good job of it--we've brought our feminine gifts to the table as much as we could.  It's what makes us so good in the world. We've learned to balance both our masculine and feminine sides.  But these are still in the service of the old masculine/feminine viewpoint.  The one that patriarchy supports, meaning that women and feminine consciousness and spirit are 'less' important than the masculine dominant of power, domination and wealth.  
The change of focus that we get by leaving the 'father's house' frees us up to ignore the old rules of who we are and who we should be--even in the midst of patriarchy.  That change allows us to find our unique feminine standpoint and a new understanding of what action we need to take.  (Now wouldn't that be something if we women just stopped 'obeying' the rules!)  It lets us open up to our own truths and helps us live them.  

In many ways, we have to be father's daughters to become wise women.  It just means there's another step in our process--stepping into our wisdom.  Becoming Wisdom's Daughters! 

Wisdom's Energy Path

Talked today with my friend who is a brilliant scholar, who learned ancient Greek, Latin and even Coptic so she could study the Bible in it's original language - language being one vehicle not only of story but of Wisdom.  She brought up the very visceral meaning of many of the ancient words in the Bible.  She said that the ancient languages meant both the physical Sun and God's Son Jesus.  And that is why the Sun is Lord of Life, just as Earth is Lady of Life and the Moon is Nourisher of Life. 

She led me over to her patio where the Sun could shine down up us and we told this story together.

                           Aeterna Saltatus,  cAndrew Gonzales,www.sublimatrix.com

The Sun is our source of life.  Like our cousins the plants and trees, without it we could not grow.  We connect to the heavens through the life-giving beams of the Sun.  We connect!  With the Spirit that animates Life.  And so we let the Light shine upon us so we could take in its blessing.  In the Bible, apparently, it calls on us to look into the face of the Sun.  Perhaps we have to stop fearing that the Sun will hurt us and go back out into his nurturing rays. 

-- and she said, 'Tell the Sun, who is the Son of God, what it is you need to grow into your special creative gift.  And then the Sun will send those wishes over to the Moon so She can begin the work of incarnating it for you.'

So often, people want to do away with the dualities of life.  But that's ignoring the realities of Life.

Today is Good Friday, the day we rejoice in our ability to be nailed to the cross of Matter (Mother).  That is the only path to Resurrection.

May you be Blessed during this new season of Life.

Awakening the Wise Man: How Wisdom Guides ‘Right Action’

Awakening the Wise Man: How Wisdom Guides ‘Right Action’

“What we need now more than ever is Wisdom.”

       We are living in such a time of change and transformation that the most important thing women and men can do for ourselves is to know who we are, so we don’t get caught up in collective fears.  More than ever before, we need to make wise choices about all aspects of our lives—our relationship to ourselves, to others, to our work and creativity, and to our interactions in our community and in the world.  

       Perhaps more than at any other time in history, our choices matter.  The future is in our hands.  Each of us has the responsibility to know our core values and stand up for them.  It’s time to wed our beliefs with the right course of action. 

       Conscious action/right action is guided by our relationship with Lady Wisdom, the source of the cosmic laws of life.   When we stand up for justice or the environment, we take a step on the road to right action.  But what happens when we continue down that road?  If we are still using our old operating system, we inevitably revert to old patriarchal rules and behaviors.   To make real and lasting changes, we need to upgrade our understanding of life and our unique destiny.   

       For right action to have a powerful impact, we have to wed it to Lady Wisdom.

  
       Just as we need both masculine and feminine consciousness, left and right brain working together to become more self-aware, we need women and men working together to create a different future, for ourselves and our world.

       Women and feminine consciousness have a close relationship with Lady Wisdom.  But Lady Wisdom desires to be wed to the divine Masculine Spirit within each of us.  We need to unite our feminine ‘being’ with our masculine ‘doing’. What good is Wisdom if we don’t act on it?  Once we learn to access Wisdom, our choices will lead to right action.  

Cathy Pagano is the author of the book, Wisdom’s Daughters: How Women Can Change the World.  

              

Spring Equinox: Balancing Light and Darkness

Lady Wisdom speaks to us through Nature.  And through Cosmos.

Today we turn the Wheel of the Year and celebrate Spring Equinox here in the northern hemisphere.  Our neighbors living south of the equator are celebrating Autumn Equinox, gathering in the harvest of their summer season, letting go of the light and sinking back into the Winter darkness for a rest. 

In ritual, North is the direction of Earth and ancient Wisdom, the silence of Winter and the brilliant sky of Midnight.  Protection, security and the Ancestors' Wisdom are invoked in the North.

Our Sun is about to travel North now, bringing summer with it.   On this day of balance, the balance of Light and Dark, we take a breath and fill ourselves with Life and Light and let go of Winter's darkness.  We are coming out of death into rebirth.

How do we let go of the old as we step into new life?  We do have to shed a skin -- our outer protection needs renewal too.  Who do you want to be this year?  Desire it, love it, be it.  

Let desire burn in your hearts.  What do you desire?  What do you love?  Are they different or the same?  Can you share it?  If you can, you unite desire and love.

there are always two sides to life in our world--we are created in the tension of opposites.  Don't deny the dark within you - shed light on it, bring it into the light and let it get some Vit. D!   Don't deny the light in you--there's enough darkness in the world.

As the sunlight grows in the North in the coming months, I invoke for myself and for whoever wants it, the powers of the North.  Bless us with the power to make wise decisions about life, bless us with the power to grow and manifest our creativity and bless us with the beauty of life.

Wisdom’s Daughters: How Women Can Change the World

          I've been working for over 30 years to understand who Lady Wisdom is and how to listen to her.  And I share what I've found in my book, Wisdom's Daughters.  The book describes the archetypal path women walk to regain our freedom and our Wisdom.  Since the Goddess works in threes, there are three tasks on this journey.   One: to learn symbolic language since this is the language of the Imagination, the voice of Wisdom.  Two: to leave ‘the Father’s House’ and reclaim a truly feminine standpoint.  Three: to understand how the image of Lady Wisdom as “A woman clothed with the Sun, standing on the Moon, crowned with Stars, giving birth to the Savior” teaches us to access Wisdom in our daily lives.

          A world-wide issue that must be faced is how women find our freedom and feminine standpoint, which has been repressed, rejected and ignored for centuries, unless it supported patriarchal values.  To be free is harder than it seems, because we are not looking only for the outer trappings of freedom and equality, but first and foremost an inner knowing.  Inner freedom is the gift women seek.  Wisdom is our gift back to the world.

          The archetypal journey women face as we leave the ‘father’s house’ of patriarchal rules behind and discover, as if for the first time, our own feminine standpoint, is hard.  While many women have already made this journey alone and without guides, we have come to a time when naming the journey, the issues and the outcome will accelerate the process for more women.   With many crucial challenges facing our world, women are being called to discover and contribute our wisdom to the world.  Wisdom’s Daughters is here to help. 

Please bring your own comments and wisdom to share here.  Lady Wisdom speaks through all of us -- once we learn how to listen. 

Wisdom's Daugthers

I am so proud to announce the release of my book, "Wisdom's Daughters: How Women Can Change the World". And it's my daughter Jennifer's 43rd birthday too! Please check it out @ https://sites.google.com/site/wwwwisdomsdaughterscom/