The Return of the Priestess
by Sharon Fallon Shreve
I
’m often asked, “What is a priestess and what does she do?“
A simple explanation is to offer Webster’s definition: a priestess is a woman who officiates in sacred rites.
While this is quite accurate, in truth, a priestess is and does so much
more. She serves the spiritual needs of the community.
Long ago the priestesses in communities carefully observed the patterns and rhythms of Nature.
Attuning to earth’s cycles, they honored the Great Mother by performing sacred seasonal
rituals.
Women, seen as an embodiment of the Great Mother, were deeply revered,
honored and celebrated
for, like the earth, a woman too was able to grow life within her. Later in history, Roman, Greek, and Egyptian priestesses lived in holy temples. They, too, worshiped the Great Mother, the Goddess in Her many forms. They served the spiritual needs of the community as well and were also held in high esteem. Numerous hierarchies and historical events ensued. Soon, men began to fear the power of priestesses.
The natural spiritual and mystical practices of priestesses were viewed
as evil. Their power, greatly misunderstood, was thought to be a dark force that needed
to be annihilated. Thousands of priestesses were persecuted, put to death for their beliefs and spiritual practices. Those managing to escape death fled their holy temples and went underground into hiding.
Today, in the midst of a two-thousand-year period of patriarchy, a modern-day priestess is emerging. She brings to present times richly-steeped
ancient wisdom, integrating past spiritual teachings with a few spins of her own.
In addition to her work as Priestess, she may also have a family and hold a conventional job
as well. She holds within a deep moon-water essence, and her mission is to help bring into fruition the vital life-force energy of the almost forgotten Divine Feminine. Intuitively, she knows a conversion to a matriarchy isn't what's currently needed. A modern-day priestess instead directs her energy to restoring a natural, harmonious balance between the genders and All That Is. Weaving her fluid moon-water essence with the energies of the fixed sun-fire masculine, she helps re-birth Sacred Union.
Women choosing to walk the path of the priestess
have answered a deep inner calling. Hearing within
and resonating passionately to the ancient call of the Great Mother, a time came when each heart knew with
absolute certainty... yes, this is it... Hers is the work I am to do...the very reason I've incarnated at this time! For me personally, the
actual word “priestess” whenever spoken created an ecstatic internal hum, a familiar vibration that was/is one of pure bliss. How blessed to be so crystal clear regarding one's life purpose! This being said, I also feel compelled to share the path of the priestess, though richly rewarding, is not an easy one. It is a path requiring deep integrity and tremendous dedication.
With courage and grace, a modern-day priestess journeys the continuous ascents and descents of
life's spiral. Constant deep inner work is a must. Confronting, clearing, healing past wounds energetically empties her of what no longer serves use or purpose. Going into the inner realms…quiet times of reflection, prayer, meditation…enables her to better “see” and “sense” her truth more clearly. Hard work and perseverance bring rewards. Soon she begins to recognize herself as a unique expression of the face of the Divine Mother. She learns to value and deeply honor her own femininity. She becomes a holy vessel, better able to hold sacred space for all humankind.
A priestess is dedicated to serving the beauty, love, and spirit in all life. She learns how to attune to
and work sacredly with all energies, particularly those of Nature and the elements. Like a fluid dance of ebb and flow, a priestess works passionately to raise the vibration of our physical world, infusing it with sacredness. Illuminating all that she is and does a priestess experiences great joy when performing divinely-inspired ceremony and ritual. Often compared to a Shaman, she is able to position herself
between the visible and invisible worlds, residing in the valley of enriched tension lying between the
two dimensions. A High Priestess works with even finer, more subtle energy frequencies. Archetypically speaking, she is a direct emissary of the Divine Feminine represented here on Earth.
A Magdalene (another name for a High Priestess), is the trademark used for a lineage of present-day priestesses first birthed by Nicole Christine in Tuscan, Arizona in 1994. Differing from priestesses who adhere to particular religious or earth-based practices, a Magdalene is non-sectarian, wholly sovereign unto herself.
Whenever I dream, it seems I dream of Erin's rolling hills,
Of all its lovely, shimmery lakes & little babbling rills.
I hear a colleen's lilting laugh across a meadow fair,
And, in my dreams, it almost seems to me that I am there.
O, Ireland! O, Ireland! We're never far apart;
For you & all your beauty fill my mind & touch my heart.
It's a dear old land of leprechauns & wondrous wishing wells;
Nowhere else on God's green earth, there be such lakes & dells.
No wonder that the angels love that shamrock covered shore;
It draws my heart toward home again & I love it more & more.
Have you ever heard the story of how Ireland got its name?
I'll tell you so you'll understand from whence old Ireland came.
No wonder that I love that dear sweet land across the sea;
For here's the way my dear old father told the tale to me:
"A little bit of heaven fell from out the sky one day;
And it nestled on the ocean, in a spot so far away.
And, when the angels found it, it looked so sweet & fair;
They said, 'Suppose we leave it? For it looks so peaceful there.'
So they sprinkled it with stardust
just to make the shamrocks grow;
'Tis the only place you'll find them, no matter where you go.
And they dotted it with silver to make the lakes so grand;
And when they had it finished, they called it 'Ireland!' "
Dearest One !
Are you presently experiencing chaos? If so, you are not alone.
We all know HOW to experience peace, but are we CHOOSING peace??? As an empath and ultra-sensitive I am aware of the tremendous impact the power and lure of ego is currently presenting. So many of us are struggling right now!
An overwhelming uprooting is taking place on our planet. Our spirits are being pulled with great force, drawn to the illusion of the "outside" world... a place of drama where the small self (ego) thrives. Choices are being made that are not feeding our inner Spirit. We're often opting for activities that leave us feeling resentful, unbalanced, depleted, rather than choosing experiences that would likely enhance a peace-filled sense of harmony and interconnectedness.
Ego is powerful. It reasons, explains, justifies, excuses. In all situations ask your Higher Self... where is the Absolute Truth here??? While it's true the Universe IS throwing out some real curve balls these days, it's up to us how we choose to handle them. Remember? It's that "free will" clause.
It may appear at present that chaos is winning a battle in the war of Peace. The good news is, as the Course in Miracles suggests, we can choose differently. From the tiniest to the largest, before making any decision ask yourself... will this choice bring me happiness, is an experience of peace likely to result from my choice? If not, you may wish to "choose again".
Earth School and the spiritual path are challenging. We spend an extraordinary amount of time and energy gathering knowledge. We take courses, classes, attend lectures, seminars, read books, listen to tapes, join support groups. Yep, we KNOW spiritual theory alright, but another vital ingredient is necessary for the bread to "rise." Sometimes we lament about how unfair things are, appear bewildered as to why life just isn't "working" for us. Alas, we forget to add the vital ingredient... PRACTICE! In order to reap the rewards of inner peace the knowledge we've gathered must be integrated with daily spiritual practice. Ask yourself this... how much pleasure will I derive from being able to masterfully read the musical notes of all my piano lessons if I never actually sit down and play the piano?
Are you taking time to meditate, pray, be still, get quiet? Are you engaging in work, activity, sharing friendships that uplift and support your desire for peace? Isn't this what every spiritual religion, course, class, lecture, seminar, book, tape, support group we've invested our time, energy, and money into tells us we need to do? Why then such resistance? Why choose a noisy, crowed vacation spot for a mini-getaway, instead of a peace-filled, spiritual week-end retreat? Why choose to spend time with people who treat you poorly rather than with friends who accept, love, and support you? Is it possible we prefer chaos... prefer suffering??? Hard to imagine, isn't it?
Every soul journeys toward enlightenment.
May your journey be filled with light life-lessons, your choices bring God/Goddesses's peace to your deserving heart.
We are One.
Sharon Fallon Shreve
May 20, 2002
On the surface of the world right now
there is a war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly, at the same time,
something else is happening underground.
An inner revolution is taking place
and certain individuals are being called to a higher light.
It is a silent revolution.
From the inside out.
From the ground up.
This is a Global operation.
A Spiritual Conspiracy.
There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet.
You wont see us on the TV
You wont read about us in the newspaper
You wont hear about us on the radio
We don't seek any glory
We don't wear any uniform
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles
Most of us work anonymously
We are quietly working behind the scenes
in every country and culture of the world
Cities big and small, mountains and valleys,
in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands.
You could pass by one of us on the street
and not even notice.
We go undercover.
We remain behind the scenes
It is of no concern to us who takes the final
credit but simply that the work gets done
Occasionally we spot each other in the street
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way.
During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs
But behind the false storefront at night
is where the real work takes a place.
Some call us the Conscious Army.
We are slowly creating a new world
with the power of our minds and s/he.
Our orders come from from the Central Spiritual Intelligence
We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking
Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Movies ~ Kind words ~
Smiles ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Social activism ~
Websites Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness...
We each express ourselves in our own unique ways
with our own unique gifts and talents.
Be the change you want to see in the world
That is the motto that fills our hearts.
We know it is the only way real transformation takes place
We know that quietly and humbly we have the
power of all the oceans combined.
Our work is slow and meticulous.
Like the formation of mountains
It is not even visible at first glance
And yet with it entire tectonic plates
shall be moved in the centuries to come.
Love is the new religion of the 21st century.
You don't have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it
It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Nobody else can do it for you
We are now recruiting.
Perhaps you will join us or already have.
All are welcome.
The door is open
~ author unknown
Invocation
(art
by Josephine Wall)
Mother,
it is daughter
calling to you
from my heart
Mother,
Divine Mother,
trusted friend
and
faithful lover
Always
and forever
You and I
are One
Thank you
for your Presence
for your Wisdom
for your Love
Mother,
Divine Mother,
trusted friend
and
faithful lover
