Third Wave Witch: Feminist Spirituality, Spiritual Feminism

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Weekly Goddess Inspiration: Oya

Maybe I should be a little worried that a Goddess whose message is about communication showed up while Mercury is in retrograde. Those who know me know that I have a hard time restraining my tongue and my rather...strong...opinions at the best of times, and during a Merc Retro I'm even worse. My patience runs very short and my "filter," which is porous enough on a regular day, goes down entirely. Add in that I'm someone who makes much of her living with words, whether by lecturing in front of a classroom, writing articles, or blogging, and anything that interferes with communication can wreak all sorts of havoc in my life.

But Oya, Yoruba Goddess/Orisha of the Winds -- is my guide for this week, and I've learned in my time working with the Goddess that you don't resist. When She wants to talk, She will be heard. And that goes double for the Orishas.

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"When the time is right, you will speak with authority"


Mercury's backwards boogie aside, Oya and her message are coming at a good phase of life for me. In spite of the fact that I make my living with words and knowledge, I suffer from my share of imposter syndrome. I often question whether what I have to say is worth saying, or if people truly take my words seriously or to heart. Even when I have feedback to the contrary, I often worry that what I say will sound stupid or ill thought out. I know it's a common enough problem for women in the academy, and it's insidious. Part of my work this year is healing this for myself -- learning to trust my words, my ability to craft them, and my readers' judgement. In fact, Oya is the Outcome card in my annual Samhain Tarot reading -- she is Strength, as pictured above, and assures me of the authority of my voice. There are definite parallels with Amaterasu's message last week about speaking and living my truth!

Some questions I'll be working with this week, and that I invite you to consider:

What is the Universe encouraging me to say?

What makes it difficult for me to speak my truth?

How can I more effectively speak my truth?

When do I feel most secure in my authority and knowledge?

When do I feel least secure in my authority and knowledge?

How can I support myself in speaking my truth?

How can I ask others to support me in speaking my truth?

How can I support others in speaking their truths?

 

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Susan Harper is an eclectic solitary Feminist Witch from Irving, Texas. She is a professor of Anthropology, Sociology, and Women's Studies, with a focus on gender, religion, and sexuality. She is also an activist, community educator, and writer. When she's not making magick or fomenting social change, Susan is the head soapmaker, herbalist, and aromatherapist for Dreaming Priestess Creations. She shares her life with her partner, Stephanie, five cats, and two guinea pigs.

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