MY advice
Question:
>From: "fiona" <fi…@amdyne.net> > I’m 52, that’s kind of old and I’m definitely post menopausal.
fiona, I just turned 50 last month and I don’t think we’re old at all. Yeah, a 50ish body doesn’t quite move like it used to and I may creak and groan a bit, but I’ve seen 70-year olds who look and act younger than someone twenty years younger. Sure, all of us will have days when we "feel" our age, but otherwise, I don’t want to consider myself *old* until … well, never!! Cheer up, we’ve just begun to live the second half of our way to the century mark! : ) Louise
Response:
Perhaps heavy physical labor has made the difference? I imagine myself feeling at least 20 years younger after I retire in 2001. Then I shall start my third career. fiona – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -KissThSkyy wrote in message <19990414003845.10079.00000…@ng98.aol.com>… >>From: "fiona" <fi…@amdyne.net> >> I’m 52, that’s kind of old and I’m definitely post menopausal. >fiona, I just turned 50 last month and I don’t think we’re old at all. Yeah, a >50ish body doesn’t quite move like it used to and I may creak and groan a bit, >but I’ve seen 70-year olds who look and act younger than someone >twenty years younger. Sure, all of us will have days when we "feel" our age, >but otherwise, I don’t want to consider myself *old* until … well, never!! >Cheer up, we’ve just begun to live the second half of our way >to the century mark! : ) >Louise
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On Wed, 14 Apr 1999, Mrs AneeBear wrote: > >On Tue, 13 Apr 1999, Dorothy wrote: > >> Good advice, Pat. But the "crone" thing sounds so derogatory. Where did > >> you come up with that? > >[tishy's advice snipped (but it really was good)]
kitten: > >ah, dorothy…crone is one of those words that we need to reclaim as a > >title of pride. the crone is the goddess of death, and birth, and is a > >guide to the underworld. the crone holds her blood magic inside, and
[saving bandwidth] aneebear: > WOW, you said a mouthful there kitten! Where you laying in the middle > of the floor staring at the ceiling when all the above came to you, > dear? That is where I am when I get really strange beliefs that bounce > around the walls. <G>
*giggle* nope…i can’t type when i’m laying in the middle of the floor staring at the ceiling… …i’m pretty much a goddess centered pagan and i have a friend who has gone from artimis to hecate with nothing in between (it’s very hard on her wife and her friends…i’ve been paying more attention to hecate and the other aspects of the crone because of her, and because i am headed that way too.) also, sometimes when i am extremely premenstrual i get lost in this lovely fog and there is no connnection between my conscious mind and my fingers on the keyboard…i don’t know whether i’m going to end of with great stream of consciousness stuff or utter nonsense… hugs, kitten / / ’my life is [still] a soap opera. isn’t yours?’ {=.=} ~ kitt…@uiuc.edu barbara trumpinski-roberts http://members.tripod.com/~barbarakitten
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And then, on Wed, 14 Apr 1999 07:04:30 -0500, barbara trumpinski-roberts <kitt…@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, said this: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->On Wed, 14 Apr 1999, Mrs AneeBear wrote: >> >On Tue, 13 Apr 1999, Dorothy wrote: >> >> Good advice, Pat. But the "crone" thing sounds so derogatory. Where did >> >> you come up with that? >> >[tishy's advice snipped (but it really was good)] >kitten: >> >ah, dorothy…crone is one of those words that we need to reclaim as a >> >title of pride. the crone is the goddess of death, and birth, and is a >> >guide to the underworld. the crone holds her blood magic inside, and >[saving bandwidth] >aneebear: >> WOW, you said a mouthful there kitten! Where you laying in the middle >> of the floor staring at the ceiling when all the above came to you, >> dear? That is where I am when I get really strange beliefs that bounce >> around the walls. <G> >*giggle* nope…i can’t type when i’m laying in the middle of the floor >staring at the ceiling… >…i’m pretty much a goddess centered pagan and i have a friend who has >gone from artimis to hecate with nothing in between (it’s very hard on her >wife and her friends…i’ve been paying more attention to hecate and the >other aspects of the crone because of her, and because i am headed that >way too.) also, sometimes when i am extremely premenstrual i get lost in >this lovely fog and there is no connnection between my conscious mind and >my fingers on the keyboard…i don’t know whether i’m going to end of with >great stream of consciousness stuff or utter nonsense…
Uh huh, ::::writing notes on little pad:::: and how long have you been feeling this way kitten? <smile> TME Mz AneeBear <giggles> – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->hugs, >kitten >/ / ’my life is [still] a soap opera. isn’t yours?’ >{=.=} > ~ kitt…@uiuc.edu barbara trumpinski-roberts > http://members.tripod.com/~barbarakitten
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In article <3713E2E4.5…@pacbell.net>, RuthJ <rcjac…@pacbell.net> wrote: >Greetings Pat: (emailed and posted) As you may know I have been away >from the newsgroup for a while due to a new hand injury (much improved) >and now a new person in my life,
Ruth! I know this was directed to a different Pat, but how good to hear your virtual voice here again. Congratulations on the healing hand … *and* the rest of the excellent news. (-: > but I wanted you and others to know I >find this post of yours refreshing and the advice therein appropriate to >life in general, not just to this newsgroup.
You know, I posted a response to the question about tishy’s "crone" designation yesterday, and completely neglected to note that I utterly agree with her wise words, even when (fallible human that I am) I let the heat of the moment make me behave otherwise. (Maybe when my behavior and my intentions are in complete accord I’ll have earned that "crone" title myself?) > Having now passed my 53rd >birthday I must be well on my way to cronehood, as I enter my ninth year >of perimenopause: my periods are now "officially" irregular (according >to my acupuncturist, who is also a gynecologist). I am still taking no >hormones and plan to take none, but am using some Chinese herbs in very >small quantities, in the hopes of avoiding another 10 days of pms! I >wish for all women, in this group and elsewhere, as relatively easy a >meno-passage as I have had: with the change to daylight savings time, my >insomnia seems to have waned. Best wishes, RuthJ
Best wishes to you, too. My own peri adventures continue to be occasionally bothersome, frequently amusing, and generally not half as bad as I’d feared, largely thanks to the good advice, information and occasional hand-holding I get from this group. –Pat Kight kig…@peak.org
Response:
Fiona, you are definitely not old at 52. The heavy labor probably helped your muscle tone! And Jinelle,
thanks for the Transitions info. However, is there a denial stage? I think I’m doing it all backwards. I had
chaos for many moons but now I’m in denial. I don’t want to be a crone! I am a regal 5′9", 145 lbs.(well,
it’s closer to 149 at this posting) and feel younger now than I did 10 years ago (could be all the step
aerobics classes or hanging out with college kids….why do they call me Mam?) I don’t think I am in any
position to help formulate any transition rituals since I am having this denial. I am visualizing all of you
dragging me, kicking and screaming across the threshold of "Cronedom." OK, I know, Dorothy has to
find her own way back to Kansas. But the Kansas that she left doesn’t seem to be there anymore and
therein lies the grief! 
-**** Posted from RemarQ, http://www.remarq.com/?a ****- Search and Read Usenet Discussions in your Browser – FREE –
Response:
On Wed, 14 Apr 1999 18:33:16 -0800, bkl…@fred.net (Barb) wrote: > I am visualizing all of you >dragging me, kicking and screaming across the threshold of "Cronedom." OK, >I know, Dorothy has to >find her own way back to Kansas. But the Kansas that she left doesn’t seem >to be there anymore and >therein lies the grief!
That’s the part that takes the time and the acceptance – the realization that Kansas *isn’t* there any more but there’s something equally desirable though different in its stead. Sure you don’t want to be a crone because you don’t know what being a crone is like. Why you may even think it’s being an ugly badtempered nothing in decline;-) If you read the metatarsa site you will find that you cannot be dragged into cronedom because to be a crone means to make all the judgements and movements purely by yourself. *You* will the one who decides "Now *this* is worthy of a gold toe, because I have shifted in some notable positive direction." Just stopping having periods doesn’t really make you a crone though it’s a start and does allow you one gold toe;-) Believe me, it’s great over the great divide, and I feel very well thankyou, physically *and * mentally. Pat(Crone)
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Dear Pat, Thanks for the advice. Yes, Glinda, I know it is Dorothy’s responsibility to find her place and I’m not putting you down for embracing your positive transition. In fact, I envy your positive attitude. Have you always felt this way or was there a time when you were fighting it? The book, "transitions" that Jinelle talked about seemed to be outlining the same steps that Kubler:Ross (?) talked about in her book about Terminal Illness. I have an awful lot to be thankful for. I do think I am in pretty good shape physically….it’s my brain that I’m having the most problems with (and that can be just as frustrating as a physical affliction). Maybe worse. I can’t seem to handle what I used to mentally, emotionally, psychologically. And it is hard to accept that, when the physical me is still rarin’ to go. It is also hard for others near and dear to me to understand that I can’t handle what I once did. They see me as physically fit and why in the H— can’t I host 4 Christmas get togethers and work 40 hours a week and mow the grass and take care of the house and take care of my mother-in-law …….etc. I am burnt out. When is it MY TURN? Sorry to seem so selfish but I have been taking care of others my whole life (I was always the strong one; able to keep things together) and I don’t want to do it anymore. Sorry this got off topic. Just neede to rant a little, I guess. Keep up the positive attitude. I look up to you as a role model! A REGAL CRONE! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -ti…@cheerful.com wrote: > On Wed, 14 Apr 1999 18:33:16 -0800, bkl…@fred.net (Barb) wrote: > > I am visualizing all of you > >dragging me, kicking and screaming across the threshold of "Cronedom." OK, > >I know, Dorothy has to > >find her own way back to Kansas. But the Kansas that she left doesn’t seem > >to be there anymore and > >therein lies the grief! > That’s the part that takes the time and the acceptance – the > realization that Kansas *isn’t* there any more but there’s something > equally desirable though different in its stead. Sure you don’t want > to be a crone because you don’t know what being a crone is like. Why > you may even think it’s being an ugly badtempered nothing in > decline;-) > If you read the metatarsa site you will find that you cannot be > dragged into cronedom because to be a crone means to make all the > judgements and movements purely by yourself. *You* will the one who > decides "Now *this* is worthy of a gold toe, because I have shifted in > some notable positive direction." Just stopping having periods doesn’t > really make you a crone though it’s a start and does allow you one > gold toe;-) > Believe me, it’s great over the great divide, and I feel very well > thankyou, physically *and * mentally. > Pat(Crone)
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On Thu, 15 Apr 1999, Dorothy wrote: > thankful for. I do think I am in pretty good shape physically….it’s > my brain that I’m having the most problems with (and that can be just > as frustrating as a physical affliction). Maybe worse. I can’t seem > to handle what I used to mentally, emotionally, psychologically. And > it is hard to accept that, when the
Barb, I found writing in journals helped so much to start sorting out all the confused thoughts. I used it to dialogue with the opposing voices. A retreat seminar I took had the novel idea that one writes one thread of thoughts with the right (or dominant hand) and then writes in response to this with their left (or less dominant) hand. It is a gimmick but led to powerful results on honesty and insight. In JAMA this month, there is an article about using journal writing as a tool to lessen the effects of asthma and allergies. The mind and body are one and there is no body wellness without mental, emotional and intellectual wellness as well, IMHO. > mother-in-law …….etc. I am burnt out. When is it MY TURN? > Sorry to seem so selfish but I have been taking care of others my > whole life (I was always the strong one; able to keep things together) > and I don’t want to do it anymore.
You have a kernel of an important inner dialogue right there, There is nothing to apologize at all for those thoughts, but look how you censored yourself from what sure sounds like your authentic feelings. Interestingly, medical intuitive Louise Hay (Her book: Heal Your Body)comments that persons afflicted with thyroid disorders often say exactly the same thing" "When is it MY TURN?" > Sorry this got off topic. Just neede to rant a little, I guess. Keep up the > positive attitude. I look up to you as a role model! A REGAL CRONE!
Barbara, from my perspective you are very much -on- target. Best wishes, j
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piggybacking here: > >Greetings Pat: (emailed and posted) As you may know I have been away > >from the newsgroup for a while due to a new hand injury (much improved) > >and now a new person in my life, > Ruth! I know this was directed to a different Pat, but how good to hear > your virtual voice here again. Congratulations on the healing hand … > *and* the rest of the excellent news. (-:
i too would like to say welcome back to you, ruth.. > > but I wanted you and others to know I > >find this post of yours refreshing and the advice therein appropriate to > >life in general, not just to this newsgroup. > You know, I posted a response to the question about tishy’s "crone" > designation yesterday, and completely neglected to note that I utterly > agree with her wise words, even when (fallible human that I am) I > let the heat of the moment make me behave otherwise. (Maybe when my > behavior and my intentions are in complete accord I’ll have earned that > "crone" title myself?)
i don’t know if the edits make sense or not, but…i was on the phone with a friend last night (trying to get her to come out and celebrate her 44th birthday) and we were talking about the word crone. she’s another one who thought that crone was an insult (an old hag) so now i am looking for things to send her to convince her otherwise. (she won’t come out…feels guilty about leaving her mother alone on the weekend after leaving her alone all week while my friend works…but that’s another story) hugs, kitten / / ’my life is [still] a soap opera. isn’t yours?’ {=.=} ~ kitt…@uiuc.edu barbara trumpinski-roberts http://members.tripod.com/~barbarakitten
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barbara trumpinski-roberts wrote: >… i was on the phone with > a friend last night (trying to get her to come out and celebrate her 44th > birthday) and we were talking about the word crone. she’s another one who > thought that crone was an insult (an old hag) so now i am looking for > things to send her to convince her otherwise.
Does she have Web access? If so, you might send her to take a look at http://www.runningdeer.com/crone/crone.htm … a nice, gentle, uplifting introduction to the concept by some fairly interesting women. –Pat Kight kig…@peak.org
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Just read "Wisdom of the Crones" and loved it. Maybe there’s hope for me yet!
Barb (aka Dorothy) -**** Posted from RemarQ, http://www.remarq.com/?a ****- Search and Read Usenet Discussions in your Browser – FREE –
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Dorothy wrote in message <3715EEB9.1B744…@fred.net>… >I have an awful lot to be >thankful for. I do think I am in pretty good shape physically….it’s my brain >that I’m having the most problems with (and that can be just as frustrating as a >physical affliction). Maybe worse. I can’t seem to handle what I used to >mentally, emotionally, psychologically. And it is hard to accept that, when the >physical me is still rarin’ to go. It is also hard for others near and dear to >me to understand that I can’t handle what I once did. They see me as physically >fit and why in the H— can’t I host 4 Christmas get togethers and work 40 hours >a week and mow the grass and take care of the house and take care of my >mother-in-law …….etc. I am burnt out. When is it MY TURN? Sorry to seem >so selfish but I have been taking care of others my whole life (I was always the >strong one; able to keep things together) and I don’t want to do it
anymore. ——————– Oh, I know someone will attack me for mentioning this….but have you read "Co-Dependent No More" by Melody Beattie? This book, to me, makes such good sense about being a compulsive caretaker….among many other things. People mock the concept of co-dependency, but I personally have found it very useful and helpful and so have several of my friends. "Eva"
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My advice as a card carrying senior citizen crone who has indeed got some claim to wisdom born out of not always enjoyable experience is: Concentrate on providing quality yourself rather than fighting/discussing/innuendoizing about the flaws of others. Be a role model not a preacher. Accept variety of style and worldview. Ignore provocation. Let bygones be bygones – assume growth in others. Respond to questions as though they have no hidden agenda. Attack the facts not the messenger. Above all remember what this newsgroup is about – menopause. Just in case anybody is in any doubt – I *do* mean that I think that in many cases this is not already being done. If anybody wants to tell me what a jerk I am for posting this, do it by email and do it openly. That way, the group won’t be disrupted and I ‘ll know what I’m responding to. Pat(Crone)
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Good advice, Pat. But the "crone" thing sounds so derogatory. Where did you come up with that? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -ti…@cheerful.com wrote: > My advice as a card carrying senior citizen crone who has indeed got > some claim to wisdom born out of not always enjoyable experience is: > Concentrate on providing quality yourself rather than > fighting/discussing/innuendoizing about the flaws of others. > Be a role model not a preacher. > Accept variety of style and worldview. > Ignore provocation. > Let bygones be bygones – assume growth in others. > Respond to questions as though they have no hidden agenda. > Attack the facts not the messenger. > Above all remember what this newsgroup is about – menopause. > Just in case anybody is in any doubt – I *do* mean that I think that > in many cases this is not already being done. If anybody wants to tell > me what a jerk I am for posting this, do it by email and do it openly. > That way, the group won’t be disrupted and I ‘ll know what I’m > responding to. > Pat(Crone)
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Dorothy wrote: > Good advice, Pat. But the "crone" thing sounds so derogatory. Where did > you come up with that?
I don’t know about Pat, but I know that in many Pagan circles, Crone is a title of honor. There is a special ceremony that happens once you are fully through menopause and acknowledges the wisdom of the years you have gained through experience. karla who was an attendant at a *very* beautiful croning ceremony a couple of years back even though it wasn’t the faith I practice.
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In article <37138488.9B10A…@fred.net>, Dorothy <bkl…@fred.net> writes >Good advice, Pat. But the "crone" thing sounds so derogatory. Where did >you come up with that?
It was great advice. Germaine Greer amongst others uses the term and it’s one I LOVE. I regard myself as a trainee crone and use the term with pride. YMMV Joanna
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Dorothy wrote: > Good advice, Pat. But the "crone" thing sounds so derogatory. Where did > you come up with that?
*smile* Trust me, Dorothy, the word "crone" has a long and honored place here. We’ve had some pretty wonderful and spirited discussions on its use. I think Tishy wears it as a badge of honor. I hope I’ll grow up one day to do the same. Take a look at the section of her Web site on "Myth and Ritual," in particular the "Golden Toenail" thread, for some idea of why: http://www.oxford.net/~tishy/contents.html#myth –Pat Kight (Crone wannabee) kig…@peak.org
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On Tue, 13 Apr 1999, Dorothy wrote: > Good advice, Pat. But the "crone" thing sounds so derogatory. Where did > you come up with that?
[tishy's advice snipped (but it really was good)] ah, dorothy…crone is one of those words that we need to reclaim as a title of pride. the crone is the goddess of death, and birth, and is a guide to the underworld. the crone holds her blood magic inside, and gives it out as wisdom. if you are a crone you have lived life, walked the walk and you can pass on your knowledge to your (spiritual as well as literal) daughters. as a crone you don’t need a man (although you can keep one around if you choose)…you can ‘wear purple, with a red hat that doesn’t go’ and spit in a disrectful younguns eye. sorry….i’m in a mood…if i don’t start my period by friday (new moon) i might have to do something drastic. hugs, kitten / / ’my life is [still] a soap opera. isn’t yours?’ {=.=} ~ kitt…@uiuc.edu barbara trumpinski-roberts http://members.tripod.com/~barbarakitten
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Thanks to all for the education on being a crone. I looked it up in my Thorndike-Barnhart Comprehensive
Dictionary and it said "Crone: A shrunken old woman" I like the idea of a ceremony. Our society lacks a lot
of rituals that might ease transitions into different stages of life. -**** Posted from RemarQ, http://www.remarq.com/?a ****- Search and Read Usenet Discussions in your Browser – FREE –
Response:
Barb wrote in message … >Thanks to all for the education on being a crone. I looked it up in my >Thorndike-Barnhart Comprehensive >Dictionary and it said "Crone: A shrunken old woman"
Guess I qualify for that one. I have lost over an inch of height and I’m 52, that’s kind of old and I’m definitely post menopausal. fiona – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I like the idea of a >ceremony. Our society lacks a lot >of rituals that might ease transitions into different stages of life. > -**** Posted from RemarQ, http://www.remarq.com/?a ****- > Search and Read Usenet Discussions in your Browser – FREE –
Response:
On Tue, 13 Apr 1999, Barb wrote: > Thanks to all for the education on being a crone. I looked it up in my > Thorndike-Barnhart Comprehensive > Dictionary and it said "Crone: A shrunken old woman" I like the idea of a > ceremony. Our society lacks a lot > of rituals that might ease transitions into different stages of life.
Barbara, You hit on a topic that we have discussed a lot in the past, and have never really gone anywhere with it. A few of us have done the gold toenails "ritual" and that is as good a place to start as any. And we worked on a myth story called the "MenoPause Cave." But unlike births and weddings, we have not really done a good job on menopause and divorces. Death has lost a lot of meaningful ritual and our puberty "coming of age" rituals could probably use a lot of reworking too. There was an excellent book called "Transitions" that was used in a Menopause Adult Ed course that discussed transitions in general and it held that there must always first be a mourning for what is being left, then an expectation of a period of chaos before the new beginning can emerge. The book warned that one simply can not change the order of this. There must be a mourning first and I think sometimes we are too eager to get beyond the chaos without honoring what is being left behind. But from time to time we do try to talk about all of this so thanks for bringing this very interesting topic again. One thing that struck me when I started exploring mythological initiation models that one common denominator was sleep deprivation. Boot camps, medical interships, fraternity hazing all use sleep deprivation. And the midlife/menopause 4am Cafe seems to be a common part of the menopause transition story. The point of the sleep deprivation is to bury the ego and let the true Self emerge so there is some reason to give pause to those early am wakening when we are really alone with ourselves in a dark universe, yet women are monthly creatures of the moon cycles so is this moon cycling waking cycle part of some ancient past we have? But it is humbling when it occurs and may be one more part of our getting in touch with our deeper natures again at this time. Others will point out that sleeplessness can be deadly so this is not a trivial moment for sure. But it can be an awe inspiring one in the right context. How would you like to see a menopause ritual evolve? How would you like to honor the mourning element of this transitions? How would you like help in crossing the chaos part and what good things do you want to see about the new beginning to make it all worth it? I hope you can read some of our stories about all of this on tishy’s website and see what you would like to add. www.oxford.net/~tishy/beyond.html j
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -ti…@cheerful.com wrote: > My advice as a card carrying senior citizen crone who has indeed got > some claim to wisdom born out of not always enjoyable experience is: > Concentrate on providing quality yourself rather than > fighting/discussing/innuendoizing about the flaws of others. > Be a role model not a preacher. > Accept variety of style and worldview. > Ignore provocation. > Let bygones be bygones – assume growth in others. > Respond to questions as though they have no hidden agenda. > Attack the facts not the messenger. > Above all remember what this newsgroup is about – menopause. > Just in case anybody is in any doubt – I *do* mean that I think that > in many cases this is not already being done. If anybody wants to tell > me what a jerk I am for posting this, do it by email and do it openly. > That way, the group won’t be disrupted and I ‘ll know what I’m > responding to. > Pat(Crone)
Greetings Pat: (emailed and posted) As you may know I have been away from the newsgroup for a while due to a new hand injury (much improved) and now a new person in my life, but I wanted you and others to know I find this post of yours refreshing and the advice therein appropriate to life in general, not just to this newsgroup. Having now passed my 53rd birthday I must be well on my way to cronehood, as I enter my ninth year of perimenopause: my periods are now "officially" irregular (according to my acupuncturist, who is also a gynecologist). I am still taking no hormones and plan to take none, but am using some Chinese herbs in very small quantities, in the hopes of avoiding another 10 days of pms! I wish for all women, in this group and elsewhere, as relatively easy a meno-passage as I have had: with the change to daylight savings time, my insomnia seems to have waned. Best wishes, RuthJ
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And then, on Tue, 13 Apr 1999 17:54:56 -0500, barbara trumpinski-roberts <kitt…@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, said this: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->On Tue, 13 Apr 1999, Dorothy wrote: >> Good advice, Pat. But the "crone" thing sounds so derogatory. Where did >> you come up with that? >[tishy's advice snipped (but it really was good)] >ah, dorothy…crone is one of those words that we need to reclaim as a >title of pride. the crone is the goddess of death, and birth, and is a >guide to the underworld. the crone holds her blood magic inside, and >gives it out as wisdom. if you are a crone you have lived life, walked >the walk and you can pass on your knowledge to your (spiritual as well as >literal) daughters. as a crone you don’t need a man (although you can >keep one around if you choose)…you can ‘wear purple, with a red hat that >doesn’t go’ and spit in a disrectful younguns eye. >sorry….i’m in a mood…if i don’t start my period by friday (new moon) i >might have to do something drastic.
WOW, you said a mouthful there kitten! Where you laying in the middle of the floor staring at the ceiling when all the above came to you, dear? That is where I am when I get really strange beliefs that bounce around the walls. <G> AneeBear – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->hugs, >kitten >/ / ’my life is [still] a soap opera. isn’t yours?’ >{=.=} > ~ kitt…@uiuc.edu barbara trumpinski-roberts > http://members.tripod.com/~barbarakitten
Response:
On Tue, 13 Apr 1999 17:54:56 -0500, barbara trumpinski-roberts – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -<kitt…@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> wrote: >ah, dorothy…crone is one of those words that we need to reclaim as a >title of pride. the crone is the goddess of death, and birth, and is a >guide to the underworld. the crone holds her blood magic inside, and >gives it out as wisdom. if you are a crone you have lived life, walked >the walk and you can pass on your knowledge to your (spiritual as well as >literal) daughters. as a crone you don’t need a man (although you can >keep one around if you choose)…you can ‘wear purple, with a red hat that >doesn’t go’ and spit in a disrectful younguns eye. >hugs, >kitten >/ / ’my life is [still] a soap opera. isn’t yours?’ >{=.=} > ~ kitt…@uiuc.edu barbara trumpinski-roberts > http://members.tripod.com/~barbarakitten
A small portion of a poem about a mystical creature in native folklore by Louise Bernice Halfe, also known as Skydancer, and a grandmother of two. [ When I look at her picture I think of Sonja, see: http://www.swifty.com/twuc/halfe.htm ] Pakak* <much snipped> We stood face to face Pakak, your skeleton frame All exposed And I lighter than I could stand I fed you the drink of healing tears And you ran your skeleton fingers Down your face and on to mine I gave you a prayer cloth And weaved a blanket of forgiveness And you covered us both Skeleton and flesh I gave you the smoke of truth You lit your pipe to life LIfted it to your ghostly mouth And to mine My Pakak companion A telling and frightening soul My dancing skeleton My dancing friend We carry our bundles Side by side Hands held from: An Anthology, Writing the Circle, Native Women of Western Canada. NuWest (1993) footnote at end of poem: "….When we view our skeletons and give them the food of respect, they strengthen our spirit, and emotional and spiritual healing occurs. Our desire to live in harmony with others and with our Earthmother becomes possible" p. 80 Louise Bernice Halfe is a self-proclaimed hag. Kathryn droz…@home.com
