Patriarchy has emphasized initiations that focus on transcending the body to join with Spirit. These solar initiations include fire-walking, warrior sweat-lodges, the Sun Dance, meditations, some martial arts, and many forms of vision quests. They all use endurance and trance to reach out of the body and, thereby, elevate consciousness. As women, we have tried, and often succeeded, in using these methods to reach heightened states.
But now, as the Divine Feminine is returning to consciousness, the Priestess Archetype is also returning as Her entry portal. Lunar initiations, or those that call Spirit into the body, are most welcome.The Priestess is the embodiment of Goddess Consciousness. Psyche, or Soul, loves to be fully embodied, yet most of us center ourselves from our neck up. As we women reclaim our goddess natures, the true function of feeling feminine gets to play and be re-membered. Shakti dances into ecstatic bliss. Aphrodite revels in sacred sexual pleasure. Pele fully runs the life-force energy of fiery passion. Inanna consciously surrenders to the death-rebirth mysteries. Baubo laughs her bawdy belly laugh. Kuan Yin cries her tears of compassion for all living things while Gaia pours forth her infinite abundance.
Priestess consciousness allows the myriad faces of the Goddess to be soulfully expressed through the human woman as she steps into her spiritual power!
Women walk very differently on a spiritual path when they are encouraged to fully express their soulful nature. The soul is described as feminine by many sources and is at once wild, willful, chaotic, earthy, sensual, sweet, deeply emotional, compassionate and passionate. I find that these natural soul qualities are also the qualities of the feminine seeking the awakened priestess within. The priestess initiate, filled by her internal connection to Goddess Consciousness which can also be described as a soulful connection to self, relationships and the Earth is then prepared to move through the tasks of initiation. This results in full awakening and empowerment as Priestess in the Temple of the World.
Charge of the Goddess
—Doreen Valiente
from Earth Prayers
I who am the beauty of the green earth
and the white moon on the mysteries of the waters,
I call upon your soul to arise and come unto Me,
For I am the soul of nature
that gives life to the Universe,
From Me all things proceed
and unto Me they must return.
Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices,
For behold all acts of love and pleasure
are My rituals,
Let there be beauty and strength,
power and compassion,
Honor and humility, mirth and reverence
within you.
And you who seek to know Me,
Know that the seeking and yearning
will avail you not,
Unless you know the Mystery:
For if that which you seek,
You find not within yourself,
You will never find it with out.
For behold,
I have been with you from the beginning,
And I am that which is attained at the end of desire.
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