The old women I admire have the following:
-a unique, very curated personal style
-collections of all kinds
-hobbies, lots of them
-strong opinions
-really fantastic advice
-lots of lore and stories
-rich female friendships
I took a couple workshops at Scottsdale Artist School last month and I was the youngest by far in both workshops. I loved being amongst older women with their grey hair grown out and hearing their advice for me on painting and life. It felt like they instantly took me under their wing. It reaffirmed some of the choices I have made lately and some bigger life decisions I have been contemplating.
So with that, a lot of today’s picks will be around enhancing these areas of life so we can be one step closer to being wise old women!!!!!
Book:
The Great Cosmic Mother by Monica Sjöö and Barbara Mor
This book will be required reading for my kids before they leave our home - it is all about the history of goddess worship, matriarchies, and the sacredness of our cycles, menopause, and just being a woman! It is a deep dive into the divine feminine through history, archeology, mythology, and art. I have learned so much that I wish I had learned a lot earlier but that is okay I can’t wait to teach my kids as they get older! The stories she shares will make you feel so powerful. She also references a lot of other books so I made a list and plan to make my way down the list this year.
*Gentle reminder to not buy books from Amazon - use ThriftBooks or AbeBooks (or any similar site)! If you are in Arizona I go to Book Gallery in Mesa!*
Excerpt:
This is from The Book of Promethea — Helene writes about a love between two women and it is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I know this is not what she is speaking of but this part reminded me of my experience leaving religion. Because while I had my records removed and I no longer go to church (the changed world) I am still replacing each of the old organs one by one. I am always discovering new little parts of me that are still infected by this religion in ways I never even noticed before leaving. But it is exciting work - it is fun for me to “replace these organs” .. I feel healthier and happier each time I replace one!
Article:
I absolutely LOVED this substack article!!!! Leaving a quote below - but she speaks about the “sweetness of doing nothing” .. I loved every word of it.
“living effortlessly doesn’t mean being lazy—it means being intentional. it means choosing to exist for yourself, rather than performing for a world that never seems to be satisfied. it’s about letting the world rush past you while you find your own rhythm, not because you’re falling behind, but because you’ve chosen to step out of a game you no longer wish to play.”
User Generated Content:
from Tumblr..
Beginning of February* … and emphasis on the first one. I always feel like someone is mad at me!!! Or I am in trouble! We are adults! We are not in trouble! It’s okay! Me to myself.
Thought:
In Pepper’s room (my youngest daughter) next to her rocking chair is a side table with flowers and a framed photo of her as a baby. Every single night when I put her to bed (she is now 2 and a half) we read her books and sing her songs and say her affirmations. Then she grabs the framed photo and sings a song to “baby Pepper” and says the affirmations to baby Pepper. It is the sweetest thing. But beyond that it got me thinking… what if we did inner child work with our kids as they age?
What if instead of them growing up and reaching the age where their pain has caught up to them and they begin inner child work as a way of rediscovering joy.. what if they just did it each year in simple ways? Like having little pictures of them younger framed by their bed and saying affirmations to them? Or even just having candid conversations with my 9 year old about something that hurt her 6 year old self?
I did EMDR and it was a really useful therapy tool for me to close the loop on a few things that happened as a child. But what if I didn’t need to wait til my 30’s to do that?
Just a thought. What do you think?
Youtube Video: I highly recommend having Emmy on in the background while you fold laundry or make your bed or get ready. She is such a warm and cozy human with beautiful advice! I really love her.
Have a great week angels!!!! xoxoxo
Adding “Instagram means nothing to me” to my vision board
I love the way you are thinking about the beautiful source of old, wise women. Have you listened to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s podcast, Wiser Than Me? I think you would love it.