{"id":20405,"date":"2019-07-03T09:44:41","date_gmt":"2019-07-03T14:44:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=21715"},"modified":"2019-07-03T09:55:01","modified_gmt":"2019-07-03T14:55:01","slug":"perimenopause-a-spiritual-threshold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2019\/07\/03\/perimenopause-a-spiritual-threshold\/","title":{"rendered":"Perimenopause: A Spiritual Threshold"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The special powers and sensibilities of women (especially menstrual powers) are central to the Wise Woman tradition. Men in the Wise Woman tradition find the wise woman within themselves and become her. In the Wise Woman tradition, we nourish. We do not fix or cure or balance\u2026health\/wholeness\/holiness comes through nourishment. Healing occurs in the ground of woman power, in the ground of heart-centered compassion\u2026Nourishment encourages expansion and growth. Nourishment includes. Nourishment supports each being as unique, holy, individual. Nourishing our problems encourages love for all parts of ourselves.<\/strong><\/em>

<\/strong>-Susan S. Weed from \u201cHealing Wise\u201d<\/strong><\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

(Haida Gwaii Beachcombing Collage by Jennifer Engracio)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, I was talking to a friend who is also at the threshold of perimenopause about the changes she is experiencing as a woman at this age. Neither of us have ever been forty-four before, after all! And it turns out that we are feeling similarly at this point in our development even though we lead quite different lives in many ways. Ellen Besso\u2019s article on menopause being a time for women to go inside in order to heal deeper emotional wounds makes sense to me. I feel my psyche is mature enough now to go there\u2013that I can finally parent myself compassionately through the pieces I discover: pretty and ugly. Recently, I\u2019ve been able to unearth the root cause of many issues that plagued me my whole life. And I have faith that my body will continue to heal as that process completes itself with the support of homeopathic medicines, practicing living aloha, and ceremony. I also feel that there is a deeper level of spiritual fulfillment that I am starting to venture into. I don\u2019t know what this is going to look like and I am curious about how all of this is unfolding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nthese psychological shifts started happening along with the\nphysiological ones, I didn\u2019t put the two together. I initially\nthought I was losing my zest for life or that there was something\nwrong with my dreaming and manifesting skills that I\u2019d always been\nable to lean on. What I see now is that there is a really profound\nchange happening in all of my energy bodies requiring me to rest and\nintrospect more. Gone are the days of rushing through life to get as\nmany things done as possible. I find myself reflecting on what I\u2019ve\naccomplished in my life so far. Morbid thoughts come and go: If I\ndied tomorrow, would the legacy I leave behind be enough? Somewhere\nalong the way, part of life has become about achieving things as a\nway to validate my existence somehow. As if taking up space isn\u2019t\nalright unless I am contributing in ways that the mainstream culture\napproves of. These thoughts are fleeting though. These false beliefs\nare what I am letting go of as they arise in my consciousness. This\nis the transcendence that is presently taking place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve\nbeen going on the long walk to the beach most mornings here on Haida\nGwaii in Northwestern Canada. It is late spring and nature is alive\nand blooming. Most mornings, I walk through the bird sanctuary, the\ndark and cool rainforest and its ethereal cemetery until I get spat\nout onto the big open ocean. I breathe in the salty air and thank the\nGoddess I am here in all this beauty. It is all I can do to keep\ntaking it all in, allowing its magic to fill every cell of my body.\nThis morning, I rode a bike so I could spend more time on the beach\nlooking for agates, shells and beach glass. I haven\u2019t ridden a bike\naround the \u2018hood like that since I was in elementary school; this\nmade my inner kid indescribably happy. I bumped up and down the\ntrails giggling to myself as I went. Ironically, even though I work\nwith children, there are things I forgot about slowing down to kids\u2019\npace\u2013like the details and moments I notice when I am not on a\nmission to get somewhere. I spend my days wandering and beachcombing\nfor treasures that maybe only I will find beautiful. But then, when I\nwas a kid, I didn\u2019t care if other folks thought these finds had\nvalue. I am going back to a time when all there was was me and\nSpirit. Back then, I was conscious of what was happening in the now\nand nothing else. I can sense something being rejuvenated inside\nmyself even while I don\u2019t know exactly what it is. And I don\u2019t\nfeel I need to know. I know it\u2019s all as it should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nis the first time I\u2019ve given myself a \u201cvictory vacation\u201d where\nI am celebrating all of the accomplishments and challenges I\u2019ve\ntransitioned through in my life. And there have been a lot of them!\nMy inner landscape has completely changed. I am in a space where\nnothing new has emerged to place my focused energy on. I am in the\ndreaming of creation. Little wisps of inspiration and interest come\nmy way, yet something has yet to really take hold. Strangely, I am\nnot panicking about this like I would have done in my thirties. My\nego keeps telling me I should be worried, but I am really not and\nthis is liberating. I feel more present lately\u2013like I did when I\nwas a kid. Susun S. Weed describes this further in her incredible\nbook \u201cHealing Wise\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Wise Woman tradition, all health\u2026begins with a return to the void. To\u2026become whole, we turn again around the spiral of our life\u2026The void is woman power: simultaneously dynamic and relaxed; empty yet completely full, satiated yet always consuming; creative, abundant, insatiable, unfillable, unquenchable, wild, having nothing to receive, knowing everything is already present, completely calm. Here in the void lives the Crone.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nIf\nI had a wish for women my age, it would be to surrender to this\nprocess. Fear of the unknown is natural, however, I hope we can\nremember to celebrate all of the things we\u2019ve accomplished and\novercome in our lives and to \u201cnourish\u201d our current challenges.\nIt\u2019s good to acknowledge the enormity of this with all of the\nresponsibilities pulling on women in the world! I recommend that\nwomen take time for reflection so they can really be in this new\npsychological and spiritual landscape they find themselves in as they\nprepare to enter their crone years. I\u2019ve found solace and insight\nspeaking to fellow sisters who are going through this stage of life\nand I really encourage you to do the same if you are in the same boat\nwith us! I have a feeling an exciting and edgy new journey is\nbeginning\u2026for all of us if we can find the courage to welcome the\nelder we are becoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article:\nThe Change: Medical Problem or Spiritual Passage? By Ellen Besso<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.life.ca\/naturallife\/0608\/spiritual_menopause.htm<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book: \u201cHealing Wise (Wise Woman Herbal)<\/a>\u201d by Susun S. Weed<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaida\nGwaii Beachcombing\u201d collage by Jennifer Engr\u00e1cio<\/p>\n\n\n\n

**<\/strong>*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About\nthe Author:<\/strong>\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jennifer\nEngr\u00e1cio<\/strong>\nhas been a student of shamanism since 2005. Jennifer is a certified\nteacher who has worked with children in many different education\nsettings since 2001. She is a certified shamanic coach, reiki master,\nand lomilomi practitioner; in addition, she runs Spiral Dance\nShamanics. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, she now lives in\nCalgary, Canada with her life partner. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Engr\u00e1cio\nparticipated in self-publishing three books that are now available: \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe\nMagic Circle: Shamanic Ceremonies for the Child and the Child Within\u201d\n<\/em>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWomen\u2019s\nPower Stories: Honouring the Feminine Principle of Life\u201d <\/em>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDreaming of Cupcakes: A Food Addict\u2019s Shamanic Journey into Healing<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dreaming of Cupcakes: A Food Addict\u2019S Shamanic Journey into Healing on Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The special powers and sensibilities of women (especially menstrual powers) are central to the Wise Woman tradition. Men in the Wise Woman tradition find the wise woman within themselves and become her. In the Wise Woman tradition, we nourish. We do not fix or cure or balance\u2026health\/wholeness\/holiness comes through nourishment. Healing occurs in the ground of woman power, in the ground of heart-centered compassion\u2026Nourishment encourages expansion and growth. Nourishment includes. Nourishment supports each being as unique, holy, individual. Nourishing our problems encourages love for all parts of ourselves. -Susan S. Weed from \u201cHealing Wise\u201d (Haida Gwaii Beachcombing Collage by Jennifer Engracio) Recently, I was talking to a friend who is also at the threshold of perimenopause about the changes she is experiencing as a woman at this age. Neither of us have ever been forty-four before, after all! And it turns out that we are feeling similarly at this point in our development even though we lead quite different lives in many ways. Ellen Besso\u2019s article on menopause being a time for women to go inside in order to heal deeper emotional wounds makes sense to me. I feel my psyche is mature enough now to go there\u2013that I can finally parent myself compassionately through the pieces I discover: pretty and ugly. Recently, I\u2019ve been able to unearth the root cause of many issues that plagued me my whole life. And I have faith that my body will continue to heal as that process completes itself with the support of homeopathic medicines, practicing living aloha, and ceremony. I also feel that there is a deeper level of spiritual fulfillment that I am starting to venture into. I don\u2019t know what this is going to look like and I am curious about how all of this is unfolding. When these psychological shifts started happening along with the physiological ones, I didn\u2019t put the two together. I initially thought I was losing my zest for life or that there was something wrong with my dreaming and manifesting skills that I\u2019d always been able to lean on. What I see now is that there is a really profound change happening in all of my energy bodies requiring me to rest and introspect more. Gone are the days of rushing through life to get as many things done as possible. I find myself reflecting on what I\u2019ve accomplished in my life so far. Morbid thoughts come and go: If I died tomorrow, would the legacy I leave behind be enough? Somewhere along the way, part of life has become about achieving things as a way to validate my existence somehow. As if taking up space isn\u2019t alright unless I am contributing in ways that the mainstream culture approves of. These thoughts are fleeting though. These false beliefs are what I am letting go of as they arise in my consciousness. This is the transcendence that is presently taking place. I\u2019ve been going on the long walk to the beach most mornings here on Haida Gwaii in Northwestern Canada. It is late spring and nature is alive and blooming. Most mornings, I walk through the bird sanctuary, the dark and cool rainforest and its ethereal cemetery until I get spat out onto the big open ocean. I breathe in the salty air and thank the Goddess I am here in all this beauty. It is all I can do to keep taking it all in, allowing its magic to fill every cell of my body. This morning, I rode a bike so I could spend more time on the beach looking for agates, shells and beach glass. I haven\u2019t ridden a bike around the \u2018hood like that since I was in elementary school; this made my inner kid indescribably happy. I bumped up and down the trails giggling to myself as I went. Ironically, even though I work with children, there are things I forgot about slowing down to kids\u2019 pace\u2013like the details and moments I notice when I am not on a mission to get somewhere. I spend my days wandering and beachcombing for treasures that maybe only I will find beautiful. But then, when I was a kid, I didn\u2019t care if other folks thought these finds had value. I am going back to a time when all there was was me and Spirit. Back then, I was conscious of what was happening in the now and nothing else. I can sense something being rejuvenated inside myself even while I don\u2019t know exactly what it is. And I don\u2019t feel I need to know. I know it\u2019s all as it should be. This is the first time I\u2019ve given myself a \u201cvictory vacation\u201d where I am celebrating all of the accomplishments and challenges I\u2019ve transitioned through in my life. And there have been a lot of them! My inner landscape has completely changed. I am in a space where nothing new has emerged to place my focused energy on. I am in the dreaming of creation. Little wisps of inspiration and interest come my way, yet something has yet to really take hold. Strangely, I am not panicking about this like I would have done in my thirties. My ego keeps telling me I should be worried, but I am really not and this is liberating. I feel more present lately\u2013like I did when I was a kid. Susun S. Weed describes this further in her incredible book \u201cHealing Wise\u201d: In the Wise Woman tradition, all health\u2026begins with a return to the void. To\u2026become whole, we turn again around the spiral of our life\u2026The void is woman power: simultaneously dynamic and relaxed; empty yet completely full, satiated yet always consuming; creative, abundant, insatiable, unfillable, unquenchable, wild, having nothing to receive, knowing everything is already present, completely calm. Here in the void lives the Crone. If I had a wish for women my age, it would be to surrender to this process. Fear of the unknown is natural, however, I hope we can remember to celebrate all of the things we\u2019ve accomplished and overcome in our lives and to \u201cnourish\u201d our current challenges. It\u2019s good to acknowledge the enormity of this with all of the responsibilities pulling on women in the world! I recommend that women take time for reflection so they can really be in this new psychological and spiritual landscape they find themselves in as they prepare to enter their crone years. I\u2019ve found solace and insight speaking to fellow sisters who are going through this stage of life and I really encourage you to do the same if you are in the same boat with us! I have a feeling an exciting and edgy new journey is beginning\u2026for all of us if we can find the courage to welcome the elder we are becoming. Resources: Article: The Change: Medical Problem or Spiritual Passage? By Ellen Besso https:\/\/www.life.ca\/naturallife\/0608\/spiritual_menopause.htm Book: \u201cHealing Wise (Wise Woman Herbal)\u201d by Susun S. Weed \u201cHaida Gwaii Beachcombing\u201d collage by Jennifer Engr\u00e1cio *** About the Author: Jennifer Engr\u00e1cio has been a student of shamanism since 2005. Jennifer is a certified teacher who has worked with children in many different education settings since 2001. She is a certified shamanic coach, reiki master, and lomilomi practitioner; in addition, she runs Spiral Dance Shamanics. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, she now lives in Calgary, Canada with her life partner. Engr\u00e1cio participated in self-publishing three books that are now available: \u201cThe Magic Circle: Shamanic Ceremonies for the Child and the Child Within\u201d \u201cWomen\u2019s Power Stories: Honouring the Feminine Principle of Life\u201d \u201cDreaming of Cupcakes: A Food Addict\u2019s Shamanic Journey into Healing\u201d Dreaming of Cupcakes: A Food Addict\u2019S Shamanic Journey into Healing on Amazon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":234,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/234"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20405\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}