Monday, April 06, 2009

Saved by an Estrogen Tsunami

When you pray for rain, buy an umbrella.

I asked the universe to rain on me and end the creative drought I found myself in. Salvation came in torrents, waves of beautiful, quenching relief that washed over me like a flood, waking me up and bringing me back to life.

I went to a women's retreat this past weekend. We called it a Goddess Weekend, but I like the name a friend from Twitter used for a women's outing - an estrogen tsunami. (Thanks, @micrathene!)

This tsunami was made up of woman of all ages and stages of life. There were the just barely eighteens, the young mother suckling her son, the single, the married, the divorced, the mothers and grandmothers. Some were healthy and robust; some were battling illnesses. Some were happy and cheerful; some were seeking solace. It would be hard to find a more diverse group. Yet among them all there was a common thread of strength, creativity, survival.

How can I tell you how good it was to be in the company of these women? We laughed and talked and told stories. We shared a powerful ritual in which the maiden, the mother, and the crone used us to tell the stories and teach the lessons we needed to hear. We made food together and cleaned up together. We danced and celebrated being sexy and fun. We loaded our own gear in and out and hooked up our own electronics and backed our own cars in and out of the woods. It was fun, but most of all, it was healing. Whatever the cause of my creative drought, the beautiful, wild, soaking rain of my sisters' company has put it to rest.

In honor of the estrogen tsunami, I'll share some photos I took this weekend. Water is a favorite subject for me and my camera, and the light and patterns of the creek flowing over the rocks just fascinated me. Maybe it reminded me of the way we women flow through life...over rocks and jagged edges, under, over, and around obstacles, sometimes in a flood, sometimes in a trickle, but we keep moving, moving, moving. Along the way, we cleanse, heal, soothe, refresh, nourish...when needed, we reshape, remove, and destroy. We are strong, even when our touch is tender.

Rush on, sisters...rush on.

6 comments:

  1. I would enjoy a retreat like this one!

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  2. Yvonne, we do them about once a year and you are absolutely invited from this point forward. You'll love it!

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  3. What a beautiful description of Goddess weekend. That is just how I imagine it when I hear you and others talk of it.

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  4. Kat, you can come, too...and I would love it if you did!

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  5. Anonymous8:07 PM

    Well, you DID ask...glad to have you back, Momma! To comment on your question in the prior blog... Usually, I end up in drought mode because I'm out of balance in some way- I've neglected something. So to get out of it, I indulge my senses in some way: drench them in decadence, then wallow in what's leftover. ~zephyr

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  6. What an interesting idea...the idea of being out of balance really resonates with me in this case. I'm spending so much energy in other areas that there's nothing left for others. I like the idea of drenching the senses...like it a lot, actually...sounds delightfully...decadent!

    Thanks...as always...for singing along and for the good insight.

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Sing with me...