Everyday Medicine Woman

The following are explanations to some frequently asked questions concerning the philosophies and therapeutic applications associated with my work.

1. What does the term "Everyday Medicine Woman" mean?
2. What is"earth honoring" medicine?
3. How do these teachings differ from other spiritual practices?
4. How can such ancient traditions still be relevant today?
5. Why do these traditions have particular relevance for women?
6. How do women use these teachings to make changes in their lives?
7. What does the term healing "cultural wounds" mean?

What does the term "Everyday Medicine Woman" mean?
Within every woman is the wisdom and ancient lineage that when activated can inform and direct a more fulfilling and healthy life experience. Many women are longing for the support of an extended family that is becoming extinct in our society. By connecting to these simple ways that we have lost, we can become the elders we seek for each other and for our families. There is a dream that exists in the hearts of so many women. The teachings of our earth honoring sisters can be the bridge to the remembrance. If we have the courage to surrender to the power that exists in our hearts, develop the personal gift within our soul and express it through the energy of the feminine nature, we become Everyday Medicine Women.

What is "earth honoring" medicine?
All contemporary cultures have indigenous roots. When we lived with more of an active relationship to nature, we saw ourselves as part of a larger whole. Our life cycle could be reflected in seasonal cycles of birth and death. As women, we could connect with the monthly phases of the moon and daily ocean cycles of the tides. By viewing our life in this way, we were able to find acceptance, peace and harmony without the psychological struggles, frustrations and guilt that can plague us for questions that have no answers.

While many of these connections have been lost with our ancestors, there are still communities that actively live by these simple, yet powerful principles. While, small numbers of these types of communities exist in the United States, many can be found in the Americas (Mexico, Central and South America) and throughout the world, Western influence has been less established or accepted and the value for these timeless customs is still retained. For these cultures there is no separation between nature, spiritual belief, and human beings. All aspects of their beliefs are woven into every thought, action and daily practices. For example: when cooking, the women connect to the spiritual essence of the food. They thank Mother Earth for these gifts that feed her family or herself. They pray or sing while preparing the food and align with the elements (water, fire) to support the alchemy that cooking entails. There are ceremonies like this to support every function from menstrual periods to making crafts. By connecting to the spirit in all matter, there is more magic, and a sense of being supported in all endeavors. This is an earth honoring path that is very simple in principle, yet extremely challenging to actualize.

The term medicine is used to distinguish a particular quality or gift that exists within a person that when developed, has power and impact on others in the community. This medicine can be reflected in their name as well. There is also medicine in the traditions of the culture, particular to gender and in all aspects of nature. This is reflected in the native saying; "we are all related."

How do these teachings differ from other spiritual practices?
These teachings are deeply aligned with other traditions yet the main difference exists with the embracing of the human experience rather than the transcendence. In these traditions, women are equal to men yet have particular wisdom and customs that honor the feminine just as men have to support their evolution. No matter how powerful or wise as a teacher or healer, each person still lives within their community, has a family and sexuality is an active part of their lives. While these are ideals and everyone has human vulnerabilities, no one is exempt from the daily responsibilities and challenges. This is what the term "the good red road" means in the earth honoring traditions. It implies that you walk your daily life path connected to the balance of spiritual principles and earthly pleasures. This embraces the most important philosophy believing that at birth we start on a path that is circular; a medicine wheel. It creates opportunities through the mundane life that initiates and teaches us to evolve as souls and as a species.

How can such ancient traditions still be relevant today?
We are living in unprecedented times without maps to guide or direct us. Many of us feel that our leaders have misdirected us and that we have no input in decisions that directly affect our lives. Many are turning away from contemporary religious institutions and are seeking the more ancient, mystical origins of these beliefs. Others have become spiritual dabblers and are creating a mosaic practice of many customs. We are looking to find a way to have faith and openness in a time when the illusion of safety has been ripped away. Most of us come from families that emigrated here from other countries. Since the emphasis was on blending in and embracing the American dream, most of the older traditions that our ancestors relied on for healing, wisdom and creating inner peace within the family have been lost. Many who are reconnecting to the wisdom of a simpler way to live are finding a sane way to thrive in confusing times.

Why do these traditions have particular relevance for women?
There are so many reasons. For one, women have forgotten who they are and what it means to embrace being a female. We know what struggles women have faced in the last thirty years to be recognized in the world of work. In order to stand tall and demand a place in our chosen professions or make enough money to support our families, women had to learn how to be strong in the same ways as the men who held the power. This resulted in the suppression of our intuition, our heart felt emotions and our kindness. Not only did we have to deal with the demands of balancing impossible career and family responsibilities, more specific to the gender, but also began developing stress related diseases such as heart disease, ulcers and panic attacks. More importantly, we lost our joy and passion.

These traditions believe that women are more powerful then men because they can give birth and bleed yet do not die each month. They feel that we not only have the ability to create a baby inside of us, but also carry the dreams and love for the collective on an energetic level. From this perspective we are taught that the womb allows us to be connected to the cosmos; all of creation. Using these philosophies, many of the women I have had the privilege to work with those who suffer from infertility, female related disorders and lack energy or creativity, begin to heal. This doesn't mean that they get pregnant or don't need medical intervention. They no longer live in self-hatred. They come into acceptance of their bodies and hearts. The resolution of body and eating disorders happens when we begin to see ourselves as part of nature and a reflection of the divine feminine is miraculous.

The other extremely important part of these teaching for women is the emphasis placed on the talking circle. Women who live in more of a tribal community have a regular opportunity to connect as a sisterhood. Think of the sewing circles or card games our grandmothers shared. While we try to grab a taste of these when at yoga class, day care centers or the gym, it's not authorized as important and created as part of our schedule. The success of women's book clubs is due to the experience of sisterhood as much as discussing literature.

How do women use these teachings to make changes in their lives?
We need to become more ceremonial on a regular basis. One way of seeing ceremony is to actively "show up" and be co-creators in our lives. Rather then being passive when a problem arises, these traditions offer us tools to call upon the unseen world of allies that is around us and ask for assistance in bringing our lives back into balance.

Indigenous teaching tells us that it is in the balance of thought and action, and by managing our power through our heart that clear direction can emerge.

We learn as women how to tap into the power of the feminine that exists not only in ourselves, but in nature and in the spirit realms. There are many forms of this energy from the blessed mother seen in the Catholic traditions to Kali, the Hindu mother of lower worlds who protects and destroys. The same water can be a placid lake or raging river. By remembering that we are connected to this energy, we can change the dynamic in our relationships and with ourselves. Once we understand that our umbilical cord is connected to our spirit mother earth, we never walk alone.

What does the term healing "cultural wounds" mean?
Most of us understand that some events that we experienced in the course of our lives altered our sense of self and could be seen as having a traumatic affect on us. Many of these events occurred in the context of our nuclear or extended families. The same thing can be said for individuals who experience this type of phenomena through exposure in the community or culture where we live. We could cite many examples of this as relating to women in our culture. One significant area that we need to heal as a cultural level is the images that are portrayed defining what is beauty at a physical level for women. Another wound is the violence perpetuated on women and our contribution to this in order to keep a partner. Unfortunately , women contribute to this through non-action due to lack of self-esteem or fear of losing their partner. One could say that the amount of plastic surgery women are having is a result of the cultural wound.

Earth honoring traditions have suffered from this due to the effects of the conquest 500 years ago when those "native" to their culture were seen as dangerous and threatening and were forced to go into hiding when practicing their ceremonies. It is felt that we must heal the shadow or imprint of these experiences or we will be haunted by them.

One of the most powerful ways to heal is to forgive and grieve. All traditions have some sort of grief ritual. In the earth honoring way, one gives back to spirit and nature the pain that we hold in our hearts, often by creating a symbolic representation of it and through burial or fire let it go. Then through prayer, we are taught to fill this void with the energy of nature. The last step which can be the hardest is to celebrate the life we have and come into the present committed to living life in a way that honors ourselves and those we encounter.