"Wolves and women are relational by nature, inquiring, possessed of great endurance and strength. They are deeply intuitive, intensely concerned with their young, their mate, and their pack." ~Clarissa Pinkola Estés
If you don’t have a copy of the “Women Who Run With The Wolves," by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, then stop reading this and go find one! Wrought with pearls of wisdom, it is an essential text for the creative woman. Estés collects myths and stories of the Wild Woman archetype, breaks down the archeology of the fairytale, and uses it as a tool to reconstruct the intergenerational lines of communication between women that have been severed by patriarchal rule. By drawing on the similarities between woman and wolf, Estès' book evokes the wild woman that is deep within the female psyche.
In the chapter, Homing: Returning to Oneself, Estés speaks of the soul-home; that state of being where we feel the most ourselves; where we feel whole; where we feel satisfied. Through the mechanisms of motherhood, I have been fortunate to discover that my soul-home exists in nurturing the creative life. If I cannot visit my soul-home frequently, I find myself depleted, withered, and dry. When I devote myself to the practice of creation, I am at peace.
With the arrival of baby girl came a huge shift in priority; a period of constant giving. After the excitement of the new baby dwindled, and the steady rush of visitors slowed to a trickle, I found myself knee-deep in the mamahood. Between changing cloth diapers (yes, I said cloth) and washing dishes, something started to pull me to the wayside. I began to reminisce about carefree days that once were; an indiscernible need for something more. Then I realized one day that, in the throws of the mamahood, I had abandoned my soul-home. And that began my initiation process into making the journey back home.
Embarking on this journey is not without its obstacles. Although we’d like to think that women have transcended the barriers built by patriarchy, these barriers still exist. A common myth or misconception is that when we become mothers we should want for nothing more. I believe both men and women suffer from this thinking. And it is this kind of thinking that prevents us, as mothers, from hearing the calling back to our homes. What is beautiful, however, about this process is that the calling--the voice--never stops calling out. Your creativity may lay dormant, but it never disappears. It will keep calling to you until you decide that your are ready to answer.
If you don’t have a copy of the “Women Who Run With The Wolves," by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, then stop reading this and go find one! Wrought with pearls of wisdom, it is an essential text for the creative woman. Estés collects myths and stories of the Wild Woman archetype, breaks down the archeology of the fairytale, and uses it as a tool to reconstruct the intergenerational lines of communication between women that have been severed by patriarchal rule. By drawing on the similarities between woman and wolf, Estès' book evokes the wild woman that is deep within the female psyche.
In the chapter, Homing: Returning to Oneself, Estés speaks of the soul-home; that state of being where we feel the most ourselves; where we feel whole; where we feel satisfied. Through the mechanisms of motherhood, I have been fortunate to discover that my soul-home exists in nurturing the creative life. If I cannot visit my soul-home frequently, I find myself depleted, withered, and dry. When I devote myself to the practice of creation, I am at peace.
With the arrival of baby girl came a huge shift in priority; a period of constant giving. After the excitement of the new baby dwindled, and the steady rush of visitors slowed to a trickle, I found myself knee-deep in the mamahood. Between changing cloth diapers (yes, I said cloth) and washing dishes, something started to pull me to the wayside. I began to reminisce about carefree days that once were; an indiscernible need for something more. Then I realized one day that, in the throws of the mamahood, I had abandoned my soul-home. And that began my initiation process into making the journey back home.
Embarking on this journey is not without its obstacles. Although we’d like to think that women have transcended the barriers built by patriarchy, these barriers still exist. A common myth or misconception is that when we become mothers we should want for nothing more. I believe both men and women suffer from this thinking. And it is this kind of thinking that prevents us, as mothers, from hearing the calling back to our homes. What is beautiful, however, about this process is that the calling--the voice--never stops calling out. Your creativity may lay dormant, but it never disappears. It will keep calling to you until you decide that your are ready to answer.
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