We started the Radical Wise Wild Women Programme at the end of January, and we are about to complete our journey.
Each week’s programme was dedicated to a theme.
We explored through movement, voice, work, journaling, visualisation etc.. our relationship with archetypes.
I love playing and dancing with archetypes.
They belong to our collective subconscious.
They live in stories, fairy tales, and our imagination and are part of our human heritage.
I love exploring my connection with animals as their gifts and strengths also live in our psyche, and they have many things to teach us if we are willing to listen. The picture below is taken by the deck Medicine Cards by David Carson and Jamie Sams.
So let me introduce you to these themes:
Week 1: She-Wolf
Intuition and sensuality – Power and mastery – Singing the bones of the Radical Wise Wild Woman
So who is the she-wolf?
What’s her medicine?
All her senses are sharp.
She feels the moon. And the moon represents deep unconscious psychic energies, a symbol of secret knowledge and wisdom.
She-wolf teaches about instincts, inner guidance and loyalty. Wolves live together, and yet their individuality is strong.
Week 2: She-Beaver
– Creating – Action – Body-Heart Alignment – Collective dream work –
Beavers carry both the energy and medicine of water and earth.
They have a strong sense of working together. They have a group mind and are skilful builders.
Beavers teach us the power of collective dream work and accomplishment through cooperation.
Week 3: She-Turtle
– Grounding – Slowing down – Honouring Mother Earth inside and around us –
Turtles are a symbol of Mother Earth in various ancient spiritual traditions.
They teach us about the importance of reciprocity and giving and receiving.
And they show us how to connect firmly to the ground.
Turtles bury their eggs in the ground, allowing sunlight and warmth to incubate their creatures.
Their shell is a shield that protects them from all the changes occurring on the planet.
In Week 4, we will have a community ritual.
We will dance with the Munay Ki Rite of the Womb.
You can read more about it here.
Week 5: She-Spider
– Weaving and belonging – Strengthening our circle-
Some ancient cultures say that the spider brought the first letters of the alphabet to humans through her web. They also said that she dreamt of the world before it was created.
She represents feminine energy, creativity, connection, patience and infinite possibilities.
Week 6: She-Lynx
– Listening to your inner core wisdom – Reclaiming lost treasures-
Lynxes are very active at night and have a strong capacity to see in the dark.
The etymology of their name comes from the Indo-European word ‘lewk’, which means light.
They have a thick fur coat that protects them and allows them to adapt to various challenging cold environments.
Their fluffy ears work as formidable antennae.
Some cultures consider the lynx the guardian of lost secrets and treasures and a symbol of clairvoyance. They also teach us about inner knowing and intuition.
Week 7: She-Black Panther
– Surrendering – Embracing the unknown and the mystery – Integration –
The black panther is a very powerful animal and teacher.
She moves graciously and lightly.
She helps us see the darkness within and without and face our fears.
The black panther also symbolises the connection to Moon energies, shapeshifting, psychic energies and healthy aggression.
Her black colour is considered sacred in many ancient cultures and an invitation to find courage and healing in the unknown.
You can read here below some of the participants’ words:
Reflections on the Beaver
These above are examples. The programme includes other juicy stuff and invitations (i.e. connection with the elements and different archetypes, such as the Sacred Fool, the Dancing Warrior, the Wise Wild Woman etc.), but I wanted to give you an idea.
If you want to know more about the Radical Wild Wise Women Circle and how we will connect with the archetypal forces, you can join the waitlist for next year. You can read more about the programme here.
Please note that next year’s format will be slightly different. It will probably be a 4 months journey with bi-monthly sessions.
Some are leaders and guides in the therapeutic field and want to dive deep together to nourish themselves so that goodness can ripple out in many areas of their lives. Others feel the urgency to create positive change and more meaning. Some need to go inward, while others want to share their gifts more widely.
Certainly, all these women want to rewrite a more empowering, uplifting and beautiful story about midlife and beyond and want to be in service of life. And they want to do it together.
I am excited and honoured that these women embarked on this journey with me.
“The way to maintain one’s connection to the wild is to ask yourself what it is that you want. This is the sorting of the seed from the dirt. One of the most important discriminations we can make in this matter is the difference between things that beckon to us and things that call from our souls. (…) Be wild; that is how to clear the river. The river does not flow in polluted, we manage that. The river does not dry up, we block it. If we want to allow it its freedom, we have to allow our ideational lives to be let loose, to stream, letting anything come, initially censoring nothing. That is creative life. It is made up of divine paradox. To create one must be willing to be stone stupid, to sit upon a throne on top of a jackass and spill rubies from one’s mouth. Then the river will flow, then we can stand in the stream of it raining down.”
― Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Thank you so much for being here today. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
With love,
Laura