Noticing the rising tide of womens’ voices

What am I noticing right now…

…about the rising tide of women’s leadership?

…about women reclaiming their spiritual power?

…about your own spiritual journey?

…about the role of women in the world?

This question is so timely for me, as I have been chosen by WorldPulse to become an editorial mentor to a woman from an oppressive country. The purpose of the WorldPulse effort is to assist women who have stories to tell of problems still besieging women. The campaign is to fine tune the voices of these women so that they may be understood by people worldwide, especially in the Unites States. It is a solution oriented writing campaign. I am so proud to be able to use my voice and my experience with other authors from less progressive areas than my own.

I am seeing more women willing to speak out, especially in small groups where they feel assured of their own safety. The online communities, such as Women of Spirit and Faith and WorldPulse offer anonymity and affirmation to begin reaching out. This is so important in the beginning of speaking out against oppressors. Each of these efforts allow women to reach and teach each other.

Women are looking for spiritual alternatives to the patriarchal paths that are lead by fear. We are succeeding in finding new ways to define the differences in the spirits of other animals and those we can call fully human. It is important that we look farther than our own past, when we, too, were less capable of balance in ourselves and our surrounding universe.

In my own spiritual journey, which includes a beloved husband, son, and grandson, I am particularly sensitive to our female imperative to find a place of honor in the world for those who will not be warriors. The anti-war protests of the 1960s and 1970s began the journey when mothers refused to feed their young men into the maw of war. The feminist movement, which included easy access to birth control gave women empowering choices that we had not had before. This also freed men to differently define their relationships with women.

Men have been accepted for many years as the less verbal of the genders, yet they have controlled the anointing of words to scriptural acceptance. We women have much to say in framing the sacred conversations, but we must be careful to think clearly about our objectives before we speak. Writing is a powerful force for structuring our thoughts.

Neither fear nor giving in to sadness will create lasting change. We women must help each other to hone and focus a new way to win the war of words, which will win hearts and minds, if spoken clearly and followed faithfully. We must also open our hearts, minds and bodies in teaching our men how we need for them to behave as equal parts of our sacred bonds lest we lose these magnificent creatures to a cloned humanity of only women.

We have the opportunity to reframe the spiritual discussion. The first focus must be on the question, “What do we want in humanity, going forward?”

Yvette Warren is a grandmother and a newly ordained minister in the Universal Life Church.  Her blog, which explores interfaith family values can be found at: One Family, Many Faiths