Visions from a Volcano
The first time I went to Costa Rica, 25 years ago, I had the opportunity to travel alone for part of my visit. While I loved journeying with my friend, there’s something special about traveling alone. More doors open for magic to happen.
I went to Costa Rica to experience a ‘tropical vacation’. I actually hadn’t been on a vacation since I lived with my parents. My attention was on holistic health and spiritual growth, so if I did any retreats, it was along these lines. I wanted to do something different. Let’s try a ‘vacation’ to a part of the world I was never drawn to. I had never even heard of Costa Rica, so this was going to be an adventure.
What I thought was going to be a traditional holiday turned out to change my life – forever. There’s something about the tropics and how it awakens one’s sensuality. Everything is so alive, fresh, green, lush and downright sexy. Yes, my body came alive. Dancing by the river, those brilliant starry nights and hot days, the power of each element, and oh yes, the beauty. Everything so new. I never imagined that there could be so much life in one place. It was awesome and nerve racking at times. Everywhere I looked something was moving – ants, land crabs, snakes and a variety of other creatures I had no name for.
After traveling on my own for a while I ended up at a quaint resort that was right beside the oldest active volcano in Costa Rica – La Poas. Part of my stay there included a horseback ride to see the volcano from across a gorgeous valley. I sat quickly while my guide waited patiently for this North American tourist. He was a biologist and I could feel how connected he was with the Earth. It oozed from him. Doing these rides was not a first choice for him.
Stunned by the beauty of the two cascading waterfalls pouring out of the side of the volcano, I was caught off guard when I heard the volcano rumble. It was a deep ancient sound that moved through my nervous system like waves of memory. Before I knew it I was weeping uncontrollably. My whole body awakened to the memory of my forgotten and yet so known relationship with Mother Earth. That I had lost this connection was excruciating.Yet feeling it again was a joy that only weeping could satisfy. An image of who Earth truly is flooded my mind. I saw Her as a big black mama with this much compassion (imagine my arms spread out as wide as they can stretch), and this much bullshit, (imagine my thumbs and index fingers pressed closely together). For the first time I felt what being a woman meant.
Historically women have been conditioned to believe many untruths about themselves. Be seen and not heard, be nice, you are here to serve a man, feel guilty about your sexuality, to name a very few. These indoctrinations are being challenged now as woman reclaim who we are and our important role in bringing balance to a world that is terribly out of balance, due to a dominant male culture. This is not a put down of men or a desire for woman to dominate. We need a return of balance between the masculine and feminine energies. This is possible and essential if we are to create a more beautiful world.
So what does the true or sacred feminine look and act like? I don’t know. But we are finding out, side by side with each other and with the sacred masculine. For it takes both aspects of life in perfect balance to create a life-giving world. We grow together.
The image I was given in Costa Rica is, for me, a hint as to what the sacred feminine is. Women everywhere are saying ‘Enough!. No more bullshit. Stop the insanity of – war, profit over life, decision making that hardly takes the next generation into account, let alone the next 7 generations, as the First Nation’s people did. Enough power over, racism, deceit, greed, slavery, killing of the innocent and destroying of our home – Earth. It’s time to come together and re-build with arms open wide in compassion – but no more fooling around. We don’t have time.
I’ve had the privilege and joy of sitting with circles of women for almost 30 years, exploring this question, our struggles, joys, and our responsibility. The Earth is calling. The Sacred Feminine is returning. Together we are reclaiming her, discovering her gifts and supporting the return of balance to our lives, communities and our beautiful Earth Mother.