A feminine rising

It was a big ask.

Inviting women to meet me at 6am on a weekday, in the dark, on a patch of grass deep in a relatively unknown and isolated garden with no signposts or lighting.

Yet, this morning, eleven extraordinary, adventurous women followed a fairy and tea light trail to meet me and co-create a Women's circle to celebrate International Women's Day.

We set up a special space where our conversations were only for our container, and we understood that it was our opportunity to be seen, heard and valued as whole exactly as we arrived.

Over the next hour, we:

Remembered our ancestors, the women on whose shoulders we stand.

Acknowledged and honoured the Wurundjeri people, the traditional custodians of the land.

Reflected on the undervalued, dismissed, silenced parts of our feminine.

Recognised the impact of societal conditioning, ignoring our shadows, and looking outside of ourselves for validation.

Chose to nurture an aspect of our feminine so that it may rise and grow surrounded by the love and encouragement of sisters.

Nibbled on berries and bliss balls, exchanged recycled gifts, and felt deep connection with new sisters.

The collective power and love we channelled will ripple out into sisters beyond our reach through the generous donations of all who came (and one who joined us in spirit). We raised $285 that will be equally distributed to three women's empowerment organisations - One Girl, Share the Dignity, and Happy Boxes.

The feminine we celebrated, and we desire to see in the world now, is beautifully articulated in Dr Shafali's poem, ‘The Time of the Awakened Women’ from her book, 'A Radical Awakening’

I shared it with my sisters this morning and I wanted to share it with you too.

A little gift for you, and in celebration of you, on International Women's Day!

Let me know if it speaks to you too. What does it make you want to do? What aspect of your feminine feels like rising up?

There comes a time in the life of a woman

When she discards her old ways like tossed shoes in the garbage

When she shreds her list of ‘shoulds' and obligations

And when impossible expectations are burned in an incinerator

There comes a time in the life of a woman

Wen the approval of others once jewels now turn to pennies in her sock

When the hunt for another is now replaced by a hunt for herself

And when parental tentacles of tradition no longer define her truth

There comes a time in the life of a woman

When her desire to fit in with the crowd dissolves

When her manic compulsion to be perfect vaporises

And when her obsession to be voted popular eviscerates

There comes a time in the life of a woman

When she simply says "no more"

When facade, artifice, and guile leave her nauseated

And when righteousness, dogma, and superiority repulse her

There comes a time in the life of a woman

When she no longer fears conflict but faces it boldly like a lioness

When she guards her authenticity as fearlessly as she guards her babies

And when she drops the role of saviour knowing she can only save herself

There comes a time in the life of a woman

When she no longer cowers in the shadows of her unworthiness

When she no longer plays small so others can feel big

And when she swaps the role of victim for the role of co-creator

There comes a time in the life of a woman

When she finally releases her childlike dependencies on others

When she dares to rewrite a new mandate of living for herself

One that says:

I release unworthiness and fear

I divorce servility and passivity

I divest inauthenticity and enmeshment

I end the pretence of being someone I am not

And from now on I declare…

I will ascent into my highest power

I will embrace my greatest autonomy

I will celebrate my deepest worth

I will embody my fiercest courage

and mainfest the most authentic me

The time is now

I am ready

To awaken into my renaissance.

And so it is.

xo, Penny

Ps. If you don't identify with the feminine aspect of yourself (if this concept of feminine is being confused with gender identity in your mind, you can find more about ‘Balancing the Masculine and feminine energies’ in this brief blog article. Essentially, the feminine qualities have been devalued in favour of the masculine for thousands of years)