I recently was invited to facilitate a workshop on ‘Reclaiming the Wisdom of Menopause’ at the 2nd Annual Wise Women’s Gathering held beside the beautiful Hawkesbury River. The natural setting in the valley was spectacular, but even more spectacular was the power of the true Feminine paradigm that governed the Gathering. A large percentage of the women there were healers: naturopaths, bodyworkers, midwives, herbalists, death doulas, etc. What struck me was the incredible natural outpouring of women’s generosity, borne of our authentic, non-patriarchal, non-competitive Feminine need to freely share and dispense our knowledge and wisdom, to mentor and include, to grow together for the strengthening of all of us as a whole people.

After years of herbal studies, these days I only share my knowledge amongst family and friends. During the Wise Women’s Gathering I became so re-inspired about eco-feminism: the correlation between how humans treat the Earth and how we treat women, drawing connection between the politics of domination culture and feminism, marginalisation or invisibility) of an advocate voice for the Earth, and marginalisation of women, the perverse perception of women as a resource for others’ gain, and erroneous perception of the Earth as a resource for material gain.

 

Women (and men) can reclaim our connection to, trust in, and respect for our Mother Nature, initiate sustainable ecological practices, and take responsibility for our own health and well-being by simply learning about plant life, and making our own medicines in our backyards! I’m not just talking about adding a cute ornamental kale to your office landscaping, or making the occasional dream pillow for a Christmas present- I’m talking about a powerful global grass roots movement of true empowerment that simultaneously fosters care for and understanding of our planet’s vast ecology- all through becoming aware of our local weeds and herbs and their medicinal properties, and then sharing that knowledge freely.

Small changes can yield big results. Start small. Find one local weed or herb, or a local plant you have an affinity with and investigate it’s edible or medicinal qualities. Observe the plants changes over the seasons. Grow your herbal knowledge. Write to me to let me know how this small interest in your local plant life impacts on your life and your world view. See how this can change your perspective on plants, ecology, and the cycles of life.

A big thank you to all the organisers and presenters at the Wise Women’s Gathering. Hope to see you there next year 🙂