Intuition and the Feminine.
I’m not sure about you, but I love when I read something that is hundreds of years old, yet still resonates / offers insight today. I have always been fascinated by stories and tales. The lost bits of wisdom in such narratives have always fascinated me as they are some of the only connections we have to the teachings of people before us. I believe that although society has evolved very quickly, our biology has not. I think that there are many things to be learned from stories of the past — little pieces of us long gone but not so far removed from our psyche.
I recently read a beautiful interpretation of the old Russian story, “Vasalisa”.
Today, we are stripped of our inherited wisdoms. They become washed away in a society that can be so easily disconnected from themselves. One that tends to be very “forward” focused. One that is putting energy towards making women equal rather than teaching them about the inner workings of the feminine and what it means to BE a woman. I am grateful to have been raised by a mother who taught me an intuitive nature, which many girls today are not.
In the story, Vasalisa is sent to Baba Yaga to get fire. She is demanded to cook, sweep and do some tedious, seemingly impossible chores by Baba Yaga.
The interpreter notes she must DO the tedious things — she must tend to herself, rather her intuition.
“Some women become confused about soulful work, and neglect its architecture till it’s taken back by the forest.”
To cook is to keep a fire under herself — to burn with passion. It fuels her and keeps her energy and vitality up.
“…for it is easy for the flame to go out.” It must be fed.
To sweep and sort are to navigate the various choices in life. What’s nourishing versus depleting, true versus false, useful versus what is not. To follow the intuitive nudges and release the false interpretations of our thoughts and the thoughts of those around us.
“Not so long ago, women were deeply involved in the rhythms of life and death.”
Seasons if you will.
Through these chores, Baba Yaga teaches Vasalisa not to cringe away from the big, from the unknown, the cyclical.
“What happens to a garden can happen to our minds/soul. Too much water, too little water, infestations, heat, storm, miracles, dying back, coming back, healing, blossoming. We must move WITH rather than against the inhalations and exhalations of a greater wild Nature.”
“Love-giving and death-dealing natures are waiting to be befriended, forever loved. In this process, we become like the cyclical wild.”
When you clear space, when you tend to your intuition and to your mind — you are much better equipped to move through life with confidence and ease. Intuition is not meant to be a nuanced idea or a “woo woo” concept.
I believe that every woman has an intuitive nature. It is how we best sort through the “stuff”. It is how we let die what must die and nourish that which we wish to give life to — whether that be our relationships, our ideas, our passions.
Connecting with our intuitive nature creates an essence that not only radiates outside of us to every part of our lives, but also takes some of the stress and anxiety out of our days. When we feel connected to ourselves, when we trust our judgment and regularly tend to our “soul-space”, imagine the capacity we have available for LIFE to enter.