Sophia Bonnie Wodin

  Vernal Equinox: a time of Balance.   The Balance of darkness turning towards light.   A time to turning outwards after a winter of reflection.   A time of action following, this year, a winter of action.   Whoops!   Many of us have been more active this past winter than we have been in a long time.   What do we do now? How can we reflect this changing cycle?   If you are like me, you fire yourself up for an action and before there’s a chance to sit back and reflect, a new action claims our attention. How do we find Balance? Clarissa Pinkola Estes is frequently quoted saying, “We are made for these times….”   Indeed it seems that we are.   We charge into the fray feeling empowered among our sisters and brothers working together. Idyllic? Yes. Then we turn on our device-of-choice to find ourselves called back to the streets, the phone, the letter-writing desk, the meeting, the workshop.   The possibi...

“Can we be like drops of water falling on the stone Splashing, Breaking, Dispersing in air Weaker than the stone by far but be aware That as time goes by the rock will wear away. And the water comes again…..”                               By Meg Christian* Persistent as drops of water.   That’s exactly what we are when we speak out and stand up for our rights. As living beings.   As women and people of color, disabled and able-bodied, LGBTQ and gender fluid.   Coming together as neighbors of differing races and faiths standing strong in our hope of a life-affirming future. We can become like water.   We can boil with anger, surge with conviction and flood the restraints of denial with our determination. Like drops of water, individuals merge when the call comes, rising up and connecting. ...

“Fired up Ain't gonna take it no more Tired up Ain't gonna take it no more...." lyric by Holly Near Fired up then tied up. As I surf today’s political waves all too frequently that’s how I feel.   The Women’s March in Washington D.C. with its Sister marches around the world energized us giving us hope. They were followed by a barrage of proclamations, Executive Orders, and the ensuing protests. In Canada, where I reside, we have our share of political betrayals.   From reneging on his campaign promise of electoral reform to supporting the construction of two pipelines all the while maintaining that we can protect our waters, Trudeau’s appeal is wearing thin. The news twists and skews events to promote fear and sensationalism rather than understanding.   It seems essential to remember who I am and what I know in order to navigate daily events.    To help me out, I turn to the Elements of life. Today I am thinking about Fi...

“Welcome Brigit             Brigit is come Brigit is welcome               Welcome Brigit Brigit is come Brigit is welcome Welcome Brigit…..”* Intoned seven women dressed in white gowns and red cloaks approach from the north. Intoned seven men in red trousers and white blouses with red cloaks approach from the south. When they reach the clearing each procession continued round the circle, sun-wise, until the circle was complete. And then the women walked again until they were placed woman, man, woman, man describing the circular clear in these mid-winter woods. A thin sliver of the new moon peeked through the clouds.   Stars shone upon the gathering. In the center of the circle stood three facing out towards the circle and forest beyond, a fire at their backs. The first holds a pen and larger book.   Th...