On the Path: Spiritual Pregnancy

"Pregnancy magnifies women; they become more than simply human. They become living avatars of the Goddess."

"Childbirth, like other women’s mysteries, allows a connection to be made between the laboring woman and all her female ancestors, as well as her ultimate ancestor and mother, the Goddess."

Murphy-Hiscock, Arin (2008-07-01). Passages Pagan Pregnancy (Kindle Locations 306-307). F+W Media, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Today I want to write about pregnancy. Not in a complaining light, but rather from a spiritual perspective.

"The Goddess is first of all the earth, the dark nurturing mother who brings forth all life. She is the power of fertility and generation; the womb, and also the receptive tomb, the power of death. All proceeds from her; all returns to her. As earth, she is also plant life; trees, the herbs and grains that sustain life. She is the body, and the body is sacred...whether we are eating, sleeping, making love, we are manifesting the Goddess." --Starhawk 

Those who are familiar with the concept of the three-fold Goddess will recognize the significance of this particular transition from maiden to mother. Not only is it a physical transformation, but the internal  transformation is one that carries a woman through the next phase of life. It could be said that labor itself is a birthing not only of another life-form, but also of a new woman. 

I find myself reflecting more on my own childhood and on the changes I am experiencing as my baby grows. I've noticed my life choices become less about me particularly as they become more about us--my husband, my child, and our future as a family. As I take in the physical changes I am preparing myself for bringing my child into the world, both what that means literally and emotionally. I am excited to teach and to learn, and I feel blessed to be given this opportunity to affect another human being so profoundly. 

Life as it grows inside you is nurturing and reassuring. It brings a calm that tells you in no uncertain terms that the circle of life goes on continuously. We as human beings are irrevocably connected to one another, with birth being just the beginning of the journey. 

Blessings,

Denora

Leading by Fear

I have a rather personal topic to cover today, not only because it's important to put this issue into words, but because it hit home in a most personal way.

This week I was a victim of leadership by fear.

I believe it's crucial for me to clarify exactly what I mean when I say this. Basically on the spectrum of leadership styles one can find any mixture of the two oldest factors--love and fear. Surely, from historical examples we can draw a correlation between those kings, politicians, and persons of power who have led using a mixture of both these tactics, or a system of one over the other. Even in my own  leadership history I have had to find my own best balance, usually due to my own ethical and moral beliefs in the basic capacities of humanity and the necessity of accomplishing the mission. Fear is a useful tool when used correctly, but can lead to animosity, laziness, and desensitization if used ineffectively.

In my case, I was exposed to the type of leadership style which borders on abuse of power. This is driven by the need to instill fear in the member in order to correct some observed misconduct, but also when examined from all angles comes across as insulting rather than disciplinary because it lacks the basic level of respect that should be present between two members of an organization regardless of rank or position. Examples of this also include mysoginistic behaviors towards women, racial discrimination, or discrimination based on age, religion, disability, or other cause. Behaviors directly observed to be driven by one of these factors are better suited to be reported to outside agencies or higher management, however cases of abuse of power are often so obtuse they can often be heralded as no-nonsense leadership and lauded as getting to the point of business. Make no mistake though, abuse of power and position is still abuse and has the detrimental effect of degrading the productivity and  effectiveness of its workers. In the end, this type of leadership has the absolute opposite effect than intended. Leadership itself is an art, but not one that operates independently from the basic needs of people so long as it is practiced between people. Just some thoughts.


Denora