This I Promise

What comes to your mind when you hear the words 'sacred prostitute'? How would you describe the qualities of the divine feminine? These qualities reside in your body. Where are they and how do you experience them? Or not? Do they whisper to you when you least expect it? Do you listen or turn away?

These and other questions have been posed to me as I participate in a series of seminars and workshops on the divine feminine with writing and creativity coach Emily Hanlon.
(www.thefictionwritersjourney.com) For the last year or so we have met a couple of times a month with a group of courageous insightful women via conference call. It has not been easy. At times it is all I can do to show up. Once I even refused to announce myself on the call. I lurked instead, letting others speak, risk, reveal, and heal. Last week I took a leap and wrote the following piece during the workshop. It has proven to be most empowering for me and I share it with the intention that it will find its way to those who may benefit in some way from reading it. Male or female we must reclaim our sacred feminine parts. The world needs our energy. I believe our survival depends on it.

Workshop writing:

My legs clamp tightly together in fear
seeking to shelter the vulnerable, shameful,
and yes, sacred part of me.
Gently, very gently, I breathe into
those tight places. I let them begin
to relax.
I do not force them. They have been forced
too many times. They will open
of their own accord or they will not open
at all.
This I promise.
This I promise.

You will never again be forced to open beyond
your capacity to do so.
Your openess will be beautiful -
like a flowering lotus that floats on a still pond -
roots sunk deep in the dark rich mud far below.