Mothers' Day and the Divine Feminine
You may have not known, but it was Mothers' Day yesterday! May 10th, 2020. And in light of that I did a little research into the history of the day. I have another business, massage therapy, and I do a blog there too, and for that blog site I wanted to do a Mothers' Day post. So I dived in for some research and I found out who was the mother of Mothers' day! And how it was inspired to become a day. But, since that is separate form this blog, I did more research into history.
I found that we have always celebrated the Divine Feminine. Not just with a day and festivities, but even a week of honoring the Divine Feminine. Not all countries celebrate mothers day, but we do here in the USA. This is what I found out about the history of it here in the US....
Mother's day is celebrated every year on the second Sunday of May, established as a National Holiday on May 9th 1914 by Congress. The first "real"time it was celebrated was on May 10th, 1908 by Anna Jarvis.
Anna Jarvis was a suffragist, feminist, and a copywriter. She was just like her mother, Ann Jarvis. Ann Jarvis, during the civil war, organized a call to action from all women by organizing women's brigades. She encouraged women to do all they could to help the injured during the war no matter what side their men took. She remained neutral throughout the division of Virginia during the civil war. She set up shop in her Methodist church and cared for the sick and injured. She was a huge social activist and organizer. She even spoke about healing the rift between north and south, trying to get people to move passed the war.
Throughout this whole ordeal she encouraged her daughter to get an education and sent her to college. Because of her mother Anna Jarvis started the Mothers day movement in honor of her courage and ability. Not just to honor her mother, but to honor all mothers that fought for their children to give them a better life.
The story goes Anna heard her mother say, during a bible study group, about mothers in the bible, "I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial day, there are many days for men, but none for mothers." That stuck with Anna and so 3 years after he mothers death, she fought long and hard for the day to be heard. She sent 500 white carnations to Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton West Virginia. This started it all.
Anna wanted the day to help all mothers, not just ones own mother. She was hoping to have mothers band together and help the less fortunate ones. Sadly, she noticed that she was not getting any credit for her hard work and it was becoming more commercialized. For most of her life she fought for this day to be a special event to honor all the mothers, not just a few. She became frustrated when others where coming forward to claim that they had celebrated the first mothers day. Before she died she became broke, blind, and in a sanitarium. She had used her inheritance to fight for the day to be celebrated.
With the sad notation behind Mother's Day, it can still be a time to help all mothers become great, bring each other up and not down. Mothers day means a lot to me, especially to honor my own mom, and my grandma's past. They are strong, courageous, independent women that have helped shaped me into, hopefully, someone to be proud of.
And that last line is what stuck with me after writing all of that for my massage website's blog. That is when I went into looking at my pagan aspect of a day like that. The significance of it. I began to look at all the powerful women and goddesses throughout antiquity.
This lead me into my own insights as to what this day means to me? What did mothers day mean to me anyway? I had no clue at this point. So I did more research into it and some celebrations like, Ostara aka Easter, or May day, and other celebrations that had a day for a goddess. This was celebrated for centuries before the Patriarchy took right over and made it all about the Masculine and threw it out of balance. That whole Ying/Yang was shut down. It was all about superiority, dominance, and misinformation. I even found out about Friday the 13th! This was a day to the Goddesses of old, not what is now seen by most, as a day of unluckiness. My mind was exploding!
I was a little annoyed at first, because I am a feminist for sure, but I still had no idea how deep an oppression went. Pissed me off! But then I calmed, and knew that I had to do something to bring it back, at least for me. So I decided to go on a "pilgrimage" to all the women that were in my family, I wanted to go to their graves and leave flowers in honor of the Divine Feminine and thanking them for their motherhood.
I even invoked my Matron Goddesses, Sekhmet, Isis and Bastet. Divine females that are mothers in their own right. Mother of cats. Mother of war and healing. Mother of a king. All using their powerful might to do what needs done. I know there is finally a National Women's Day too, but I wanted to still honor that aspect of the divine feminine.
I even honored my own mother, by writing her a note in her card. Of course, it was a card with a Yorkie on it. One, I have 2 Yorkshire terriers, and two, my mom loves animals. It was perfect! I will get into what I wrote in just a second.
I started out on my pilgrimage to honor my Motherly ancestors with the furthest out, my grandma Eblin. She was my dad's mother. She and I were pretty close. We used to bake in the kitchen together. I loved to help her icing her famous double decker chocolate cakes. She also raised 4 boys, and you know she didn't take shit. She loved doing dishes. Loved taking walks in the yard. We always took a walk after we had one or two slices of that chocolate cake. I also stole her heels! I loved the click-clack sound they made on the tile floor in the kitchen. Still love that click-clack sound! Made me feel powerful. She just told me to put them back before I broke them! I love her and miss her.
On the way to the cemetery, I decided to take the route by the house. Almost as if I were actually going to see her. And boy was that a little rough. I took the wrong direction on the way there! I took the back roads from the highway, just because I wanted the nostalgia factor. I got so annoyed that I went the wrong way, but I finally made it with my husband in tow. He had to tell me it was fine a few times, because I got annoyed with myself for not being able to remember.
You're probably wondering why? Well, I wanted to just be able to remember it. I had not been that way, nor lived in the area for 10 years now, but I just wanted that nostalgia of happier days as we go to her graveside. I wanted to be able to see if I could remember every detail of her voice, of her look she would give me when I stole her shoes, and of the times we would bake in the kitchen. You see there is a long story involved surrounding her death, and I, to this day, have not gotten to grieve for her like I should have and wanted to. I had to show strength when I went to her funeral, because I felt I couldn't let certain family members see me weak. They would take advantage. Well at least the one would. So, I held it together because I needed to stay focused. I suppressed my feelings and went about my day. Especially, when all I wanted to do was cry. We made it to the cemetery, while I was thinking about everything and nothing, and laid her flowers next to her to honor her Divine Power. Then I went 2 down to honor my Aunt Betty, she was my grandma's sister.
We then made our way to my mom! We left the cemetery to go see my parental units. We got her a small wind catcher from Costco, so she could have some decoration in her yard, and I gave her my card. I will say I had trepidation on what she would say or do, but I got over it quick because I know she knew that I meant every word. She looked at me after reading it, with such love that it was worth crying while writing it earlier. Here is what I wrote.
"My start into adult life was a little shakey. I made decisions that may have not been the best, but it was something the Universe was wanting me to learn. The only reason that I now have some purpose meaning, and an inner strength to accomplished anything now is because of yours and dads inner strength and light that you and dad taught me. You are the reason that I am capable of anything that I se my mind to and take names! I started rocky, but because of the love you both have shown me, I have made better decisions and am able to find my purpose in life. I did it! You are the greatest blessing a son could have. Thank you for being my mom. Love your son. "
I cried a little writing that, but I got through it and meant every word of it, because doing all this research and working with Goddesses regularly, I felt that Mother Power. The love, protection, healing touch that goes with it.
We then left and went to the Marion Cemetery, in Marion Ohio. (Don't worry they were running a sale on plots and crypts, now tell me that ain't fucked up!) This is where the ones I never got to meet are buried, and a 2 that I did get a chance to know. I wanted to honor the ones I didn't because they were the strong women that raised the ones I knew! So I laid flowers to my 3 Great Aunts, and both my great grandmas. It was amazing. I felt love when I did that, like they were next to me. Hell they were!
We then went to see my sister and niece. My niece was the main reason that my husband and I went, it was for her birthday "party". Since we couldn't hug or be near each other due to the Coronavirus. (My brother-in-law had tested positive, so they were in quarantine.) My sister put out some cake on the porch for anyone that dropped by to talk to her through the window. It felt so weird not being able to hug or kiss my family, but I know it is for the best. To keep them healthy and safe. So we stayed for a little bit while our niece, Kara, talked to us through the open window; then made our way to the last location. Caledonia, Ohio.
This cemetery is where my grandma Mowry, aunt sue, granny, and my newly deceased cousin, Melissa, are, this is my mothers' side. My mom's mother, aunt, niece, and grandma. This was a rough one to do too. You see my family could not go to her funeral. My mom, dad, brother-in-law, niece, husband, and I, did not go to keep the peace. We wanted my grandma to be buried in peace. You see the family blamed my mother for her death, more so my cousins that were abusing her financially. I think they were hoping to still have control over grandma, even though she was in the hospital, to take more money from her, or steal more things to sell like they did. To this day, they don't think they were in the wrong, and I can tell you I am one PISSED off Witch, so you can only imagine what I can do at this point, or have already done, but I digress. At the time, they were getting violent while at the hospital, as her physical body was dying. The guards at the hospital had to be called to stop the family from fighting over her.
My 3 cousins that had stolen money and items from grandma, were the most vocal. My mom's siblings would not tell their kids off, because none of them have a back bone, so my mom got her hand print and left. She did her duty as the eldest, and her medical power of attorney, and knew that if she went, they would cause a scene and add more violence to my grandmas memory. So being the childish fucks they are, we never got to go. When my grandma Mowry went, I cried like my soul split in two, I was unconsolable, trust me my husband tried. I just cried until I couldn't cry anymore and fell asleep. I think I finally let out all the hurt and sadness; because, I knew I couldn't go either, they would still cause a scene. And she was my last grandparent, I had lost one without knowing, and the other 2 before her. It finally all came out and I just let it. We got to say our own goodbyes before everyone else did, so that was nice, but never got to take her to her final resting place. They took from us something we will never have again. That is the most devastating thing anyone can go through. Not being able to say a proper goodbye. But I know my grandma understood. I laid my flowers for her remembering all of that and the good times. Like eating her "shit on a shingle" meal, it was so good! Staying the night and helping her around the house, and going with my grandpa Mowry to the Duke and Duchess to get coffee, doughnut, and a paper. I remembered it all.
I then laid flowers for my cousin Melissa, whom we got to go to the funeral for, and of course, everyone didn't say sorry or anything for grandma. They all acted like none of it happened. We laid her to rest and I had the honor of carrying her to her final resting place. I laid my flowers for her. Then moved to my great grandma, and Aunt Sue. My great grandma is my grandma's mother, and my aunt Sue was her sister. I laid flowers in honor of them.
Doing this gave me a sense of connection to my ancestors and the Divine Feminine. I was able to honor the strong goddesses in my family. The ones that I had a connection to or not. They were a part of my own story. All the good and the bad. It was breathe taking. Doing all of this has given me a sense of relief, of peace. I know they are at peace. I know they are looking down on me with pride and such love and affection. I know I will be okay, knowing I have such feminine strength in my family. I was truly blessed. Am truly blessed.
So go out and honor the Divine Feminine everyday, not just one or two days out of the year. Because without the Divine Feminine, there would be no life. No balance. Honor your own internal Divine Feminine, because even the male form has it! It is an amazingly powerful energy that you can tap into and honor. You won't regret it! I know I haven't! So regardless if you have a mother or not, at least honor the Divine Mother in you! Blessed be!
Below is a great blessing that Avalon Cameron did in collaboration with the Witch of Wonderlust, Olivia! Enjoy!!
Posted by: Sean Eblin, the War Witch
Copyright
I found that we have always celebrated the Divine Feminine. Not just with a day and festivities, but even a week of honoring the Divine Feminine. Not all countries celebrate mothers day, but we do here in the USA. This is what I found out about the history of it here in the US....Mother's day is celebrated every year on the second Sunday of May, established as a National Holiday on May 9th 1914 by Congress. The first "real"time it was celebrated was on May 10th, 1908 by Anna Jarvis.
Anna Jarvis was a suffragist, feminist, and a copywriter. She was just like her mother, Ann Jarvis. Ann Jarvis, during the civil war, organized a call to action from all women by organizing women's brigades. She encouraged women to do all they could to help the injured during the war no matter what side their men took. She remained neutral throughout the division of Virginia during the civil war. She set up shop in her Methodist church and cared for the sick and injured. She was a huge social activist and organizer. She even spoke about healing the rift between north and south, trying to get people to move passed the war.
Throughout this whole ordeal she encouraged her daughter to get an education and sent her to college. Because of her mother Anna Jarvis started the Mothers day movement in honor of her courage and ability. Not just to honor her mother, but to honor all mothers that fought for their children to give them a better life.
The story goes Anna heard her mother say, during a bible study group, about mothers in the bible, "I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial day, there are many days for men, but none for mothers." That stuck with Anna and so 3 years after he mothers death, she fought long and hard for the day to be heard. She sent 500 white carnations to Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton West Virginia. This started it all.
Anna wanted the day to help all mothers, not just ones own mother. She was hoping to have mothers band together and help the less fortunate ones. Sadly, she noticed that she was not getting any credit for her hard work and it was becoming more commercialized. For most of her life she fought for this day to be a special event to honor all the mothers, not just a few. She became frustrated when others where coming forward to claim that they had celebrated the first mothers day. Before she died she became broke, blind, and in a sanitarium. She had used her inheritance to fight for the day to be celebrated.
With the sad notation behind Mother's Day, it can still be a time to help all mothers become great, bring each other up and not down. Mothers day means a lot to me, especially to honor my own mom, and my grandma's past. They are strong, courageous, independent women that have helped shaped me into, hopefully, someone to be proud of.
And that last line is what stuck with me after writing all of that for my massage website's blog. That is when I went into looking at my pagan aspect of a day like that. The significance of it. I began to look at all the powerful women and goddesses throughout antiquity.
This lead me into my own insights as to what this day means to me? What did mothers day mean to me anyway? I had no clue at this point. So I did more research into it and some celebrations like, Ostara aka Easter, or May day, and other celebrations that had a day for a goddess. This was celebrated for centuries before the Patriarchy took right over and made it all about the Masculine and threw it out of balance. That whole Ying/Yang was shut down. It was all about superiority, dominance, and misinformation. I even found out about Friday the 13th! This was a day to the Goddesses of old, not what is now seen by most, as a day of unluckiness. My mind was exploding!
I was a little annoyed at first, because I am a feminist for sure, but I still had no idea how deep an oppression went. Pissed me off! But then I calmed, and knew that I had to do something to bring it back, at least for me. So I decided to go on a "pilgrimage" to all the women that were in my family, I wanted to go to their graves and leave flowers in honor of the Divine Feminine and thanking them for their motherhood.
I even invoked my Matron Goddesses, Sekhmet, Isis and Bastet. Divine females that are mothers in their own right. Mother of cats. Mother of war and healing. Mother of a king. All using their powerful might to do what needs done. I know there is finally a National Women's Day too, but I wanted to still honor that aspect of the divine feminine.
I even honored my own mother, by writing her a note in her card. Of course, it was a card with a Yorkie on it. One, I have 2 Yorkshire terriers, and two, my mom loves animals. It was perfect! I will get into what I wrote in just a second.
I started out on my pilgrimage to honor my Motherly ancestors with the furthest out, my grandma Eblin. She was my dad's mother. She and I were pretty close. We used to bake in the kitchen together. I loved to help her icing her famous double decker chocolate cakes. She also raised 4 boys, and you know she didn't take shit. She loved doing dishes. Loved taking walks in the yard. We always took a walk after we had one or two slices of that chocolate cake. I also stole her heels! I loved the click-clack sound they made on the tile floor in the kitchen. Still love that click-clack sound! Made me feel powerful. She just told me to put them back before I broke them! I love her and miss her.
On the way to the cemetery, I decided to take the route by the house. Almost as if I were actually going to see her. And boy was that a little rough. I took the wrong direction on the way there! I took the back roads from the highway, just because I wanted the nostalgia factor. I got so annoyed that I went the wrong way, but I finally made it with my husband in tow. He had to tell me it was fine a few times, because I got annoyed with myself for not being able to remember.
You're probably wondering why? Well, I wanted to just be able to remember it. I had not been that way, nor lived in the area for 10 years now, but I just wanted that nostalgia of happier days as we go to her graveside. I wanted to be able to see if I could remember every detail of her voice, of her look she would give me when I stole her shoes, and of the times we would bake in the kitchen. You see there is a long story involved surrounding her death, and I, to this day, have not gotten to grieve for her like I should have and wanted to. I had to show strength when I went to her funeral, because I felt I couldn't let certain family members see me weak. They would take advantage. Well at least the one would. So, I held it together because I needed to stay focused. I suppressed my feelings and went about my day. Especially, when all I wanted to do was cry. We made it to the cemetery, while I was thinking about everything and nothing, and laid her flowers next to her to honor her Divine Power. Then I went 2 down to honor my Aunt Betty, she was my grandma's sister.
We then made our way to my mom! We left the cemetery to go see my parental units. We got her a small wind catcher from Costco, so she could have some decoration in her yard, and I gave her my card. I will say I had trepidation on what she would say or do, but I got over it quick because I know she knew that I meant every word. She looked at me after reading it, with such love that it was worth crying while writing it earlier. Here is what I wrote.
"My start into adult life was a little shakey. I made decisions that may have not been the best, but it was something the Universe was wanting me to learn. The only reason that I now have some purpose meaning, and an inner strength to accomplished anything now is because of yours and dads inner strength and light that you and dad taught me. You are the reason that I am capable of anything that I se my mind to and take names! I started rocky, but because of the love you both have shown me, I have made better decisions and am able to find my purpose in life. I did it! You are the greatest blessing a son could have. Thank you for being my mom. Love your son. "
I cried a little writing that, but I got through it and meant every word of it, because doing all this research and working with Goddesses regularly, I felt that Mother Power. The love, protection, healing touch that goes with it.
We then left and went to the Marion Cemetery, in Marion Ohio. (Don't worry they were running a sale on plots and crypts, now tell me that ain't fucked up!) This is where the ones I never got to meet are buried, and a 2 that I did get a chance to know. I wanted to honor the ones I didn't because they were the strong women that raised the ones I knew! So I laid flowers to my 3 Great Aunts, and both my great grandmas. It was amazing. I felt love when I did that, like they were next to me. Hell they were!
We then went to see my sister and niece. My niece was the main reason that my husband and I went, it was for her birthday "party". Since we couldn't hug or be near each other due to the Coronavirus. (My brother-in-law had tested positive, so they were in quarantine.) My sister put out some cake on the porch for anyone that dropped by to talk to her through the window. It felt so weird not being able to hug or kiss my family, but I know it is for the best. To keep them healthy and safe. So we stayed for a little bit while our niece, Kara, talked to us through the open window; then made our way to the last location. Caledonia, Ohio.
This cemetery is where my grandma Mowry, aunt sue, granny, and my newly deceased cousin, Melissa, are, this is my mothers' side. My mom's mother, aunt, niece, and grandma. This was a rough one to do too. You see my family could not go to her funeral. My mom, dad, brother-in-law, niece, husband, and I, did not go to keep the peace. We wanted my grandma to be buried in peace. You see the family blamed my mother for her death, more so my cousins that were abusing her financially. I think they were hoping to still have control over grandma, even though she was in the hospital, to take more money from her, or steal more things to sell like they did. To this day, they don't think they were in the wrong, and I can tell you I am one PISSED off Witch, so you can only imagine what I can do at this point, or have already done, but I digress. At the time, they were getting violent while at the hospital, as her physical body was dying. The guards at the hospital had to be called to stop the family from fighting over her.
My 3 cousins that had stolen money and items from grandma, were the most vocal. My mom's siblings would not tell their kids off, because none of them have a back bone, so my mom got her hand print and left. She did her duty as the eldest, and her medical power of attorney, and knew that if she went, they would cause a scene and add more violence to my grandmas memory. So being the childish fucks they are, we never got to go. When my grandma Mowry went, I cried like my soul split in two, I was unconsolable, trust me my husband tried. I just cried until I couldn't cry anymore and fell asleep. I think I finally let out all the hurt and sadness; because, I knew I couldn't go either, they would still cause a scene. And she was my last grandparent, I had lost one without knowing, and the other 2 before her. It finally all came out and I just let it. We got to say our own goodbyes before everyone else did, so that was nice, but never got to take her to her final resting place. They took from us something we will never have again. That is the most devastating thing anyone can go through. Not being able to say a proper goodbye. But I know my grandma understood. I laid my flowers for her remembering all of that and the good times. Like eating her "shit on a shingle" meal, it was so good! Staying the night and helping her around the house, and going with my grandpa Mowry to the Duke and Duchess to get coffee, doughnut, and a paper. I remembered it all.
I then laid flowers for my cousin Melissa, whom we got to go to the funeral for, and of course, everyone didn't say sorry or anything for grandma. They all acted like none of it happened. We laid her to rest and I had the honor of carrying her to her final resting place. I laid my flowers for her. Then moved to my great grandma, and Aunt Sue. My great grandma is my grandma's mother, and my aunt Sue was her sister. I laid flowers in honor of them.
Doing this gave me a sense of connection to my ancestors and the Divine Feminine. I was able to honor the strong goddesses in my family. The ones that I had a connection to or not. They were a part of my own story. All the good and the bad. It was breathe taking. Doing all of this has given me a sense of relief, of peace. I know they are at peace. I know they are looking down on me with pride and such love and affection. I know I will be okay, knowing I have such feminine strength in my family. I was truly blessed. Am truly blessed.
So go out and honor the Divine Feminine everyday, not just one or two days out of the year. Because without the Divine Feminine, there would be no life. No balance. Honor your own internal Divine Feminine, because even the male form has it! It is an amazingly powerful energy that you can tap into and honor. You won't regret it! I know I haven't! So regardless if you have a mother or not, at least honor the Divine Mother in you! Blessed be!
Below is a great blessing that Avalon Cameron did in collaboration with the Witch of Wonderlust, Olivia! Enjoy!!
Posted by: Sean Eblin, the War Witch
Copyright
Comments
Post a Comment