Stories of where we come from and what our ancestors believed are important.  We pass these stories down to our children, and we encounter them again in the books we read and the traditions we inherit.  Most of us know the familiar story of the woman in the garden, who is often portrayed as the beginning of humanity's fall.  When this is one of the primary stories we learn about women, it can unconsciously shape the way we see ourselves and the place we believe we hold in the world.

The world is in need of new stories and women who live from a new starting point.  We need women who will change the story of who they believe themselves to be and to see themselves as sovereign women in the world.    We must change the stories we tell about ourselves if we wish to change the way the world sees us.  

" If the foundation stories of our culture show women as weak and inferior, then however much we may rail against it, we will be treated as if we are weak and inferior.  Our voices will have no traction.  But if the mythology and history of our culture includes women who are wise, women who are powerful and strong, it opens up a space for women to live up to those stories:  to become wise, and powerful and strong.  To be taken seriously, and to have our voices heard."

— Sharon Blackie, If Women Rose Rooted

For me, the Celtic stories and myths reveal a sovereign woman who had a place in her culture and her world.  She was not subordinated or lesser; she knew her own power and place within her community and allowed it to guide her actions.

This was a culture where women were honored for their creative powers and wisdom, and where they played an active role in the social, political, and religious life of their communities.  This was a tradition where the feminine perspective was held in balance with the masculine.

These are the stories that invite us to rethink the stories we were raised with, to see ourselves in a new way, and to remember the woman we are capable of becoming.  

As I began to read and research, I learned that the Celtic and pre-Celtic peoples were ruled by feminine leaders and goddesses.  In fact, it is one of the few ancient mythologies where the female was honored as Creator, Source.

For me, this felt like coming home to a view of the universe that was inclusive of and reverent toward the Divine Feminine in all of us.

The Divine Feminine is not a goddess to be worshipped.  Nor is it a replacement for the masculine.  Rather, it is an aspect of the Divine that recognizes and honors the feminine nature within all of us.  This includes the often maligned and dismissed qualities which include the capacity to create and nurture, to receive and act on intuitive guidance rather than dependence on an outside source or system, and the miraculous ability to bring forth new life.  

The Divine Feminine is the understanding that the feminine is not lesser or secondary, but she carries her own power, wisdom and intuition.  It is an honoring of the sacred within women who for over 5,000 years have been seen as lesser. 

While we have made many strides in society to acknowledge and protect women's rights, there is still a long way to go.  Now is the time for individual women to fully step into their own power and view themselves as whole and equal.