Fall Greetings Sweet Humans.
If you're reading this newsletter, you likely have some form of relationship with the subtle inward-looking energies, so I'm sure you're feeling this deep New Moon that just passed, and the final stages of Saturn in Sagittarius. Saturn is 'the great teacher', the maker and bringer of lessons. If Earth is a school, Saturn is the Headmaster. And in Sagittarius the syllabus is about transparency and authenticity. As Saturn prepares to leave Sagittarius on December 19th, there is a big push to make sure all the lessons have been presented, so the energy will intensify. The hidden will become known, those areas that have been veiled in delusion will come to light. Those places where we've all been complicit in collective illusion will be brought to our attention in a big way. Hmmm. Any of this sounding familiar? **
For me personally, what's up in the collective with regards to what I'll call 'The Harvey Weinstein Effect' is an incredible gift to humanity. All this time I thought HW came to Earth to present beautiful films that stir our hearts and imaginations. Now I realize he also came to be a very toxic male energy that was vile to the extreme, so that when exposed, we could not demur and look away. We have all been complicit in his behavior. And by 'his' I mean the toxic masculine. I've been complicit by ignoring and pushing aside years of unwanted sexual touch and advances. I was complicit in college when I was date raped; although I told everyone about it - to warn them to stay away from that guy - I did not even consider going to the police and pressing charges as I should have. I didn't even have a concept that I had a right not to be raped. This is an uncomfortably familiar story in the feminine collective. We have for generations somehow passed on this gene of passivity, complacency, the thinking that as long as we come out of it alive, we're good. And Harvey Weinstein took it SO far, he finally ignited the voice of a solitary woman. And her courage spread so much that women are awakening en masse to the fact that HOLY SHIT WE HAVE A VOICE. And the good men of America are holding the container for this truth to be known and flourish. That's a lot.
In my personal interaction with the HW Effect, I am investigating why I stayed silent all my life up to this point. What drove that? Why did I never call out the ones who treated me inappropriately? In my head I say because I never really cared about their advances, they did not harm me personally because I thought they were just jerks, mesmerized by their penises, 'bad' men, who could never actually touch the truth of me. Now I realize that by not defending myself, I gave them permission to continue to act that way with me AND WITH OTHER WOMEN - woman who maybe didn't have the tools to hold themselves in the midst of that. Women who might make it mean something about themselves, that they are weak, unworthy, or ___________. We all have a responsibility to speak out against injustice for ourselves, yes, and also for others. We will only change this culture of silence together.
So thanks to Harvey Weinstein, I am finding my voice in a new way. I'm noticing when I silence or coerce myself during the course of a day. The other evening I received a call from the Geffen Theater, asking for money to support its program that brings inner-city kids in to see theater shows. I typically cut these calls off immediately, saying NO THANK YOU and hanging up but I'm a member of the Geffen so I thought the call was about that. As he began his spiel, I noticed my body become weary with the thought "DANG IT now I'm going to have to donate money to a cause I don't care about." And this time I really heard that thought and was all "OH NO YOU DONT!" and when he finished I politely told him that while it sounded like a lovely program, it wasn't in my donating dollars wheel house. THAT FELT SO GOOD. While this may seem small, IT'S HUGE YA'LL. Every time we remain silent or do something that doesn't jive with our authentic values, we weaken our boundaries, we leak our precious energy and power. Every time. And when we get comfortable doing it with small things, it becomes very easy to do it with bigger things. This is the road to chronic disempowerment which has been the feminine condition for millennia. Thus the HW Effect.
So using our lives as Course Work, this is an excellent time to dive into your own story around Voice and Power. How do you relinquish it on the regular? How do you hold your boundaries in the face of a toxic masculine? In my own inquiry, I was shocked by the speed and depth of the revelations - it was like a river whose dam burst. This stuff is right below the surface yet has remained hidden. And knowing about it will change everything. As we reclaim our voices, it's VITAL that we speak from a place of self-honoring rather than defending against or judging the other. Self-honoring aligns us with the Divine Feminine, while defending and judging only fuel the toxicity. Standing in self-honoring allows the masculine to find his own voice of honor - this is the way forward now.
Be brave, go deep, leave no stone unturned. And sing - it will help your voice to emerge powerfully and beautifully. Report back.
At this season of Thanks-Giving, I am grateful for you, for your willingness to be here reading these words, adding your voice to the human healing collective. I'm grateful for your wisdom, your heart, your unique gifts that you deliver with style and generosity. Thank you for working to be your best self, striving to live your highest life, for in doing so you elevate all others. I love you. Also, a shout out to all those who personally experienced Harvey Weinstein's atrocious behavior. I offer you love, compassion, hope and healing. Thank you for your part in this tremendous moment of awakening.
Lastly, a genuine and heart-felt Thank You Harvey Weinstein. Your actions are moving mountains.
**Thank you Dr. Michael Lennox for the crux of this teaching.
