Whales have endeared themselves to many people as we have learned more about their incredible intelligence. We marvel at their majestic movements. Whale ‘song’ is listened to as an aid to relaxation and meditation. Now we know something else that separates them from all other mammals except humans.
Whales of both genders live long lives, but unlike other mammals, when the female ceases her role as a mother, she doesn’t die, she becomes the protector of her daughter’s offspring and the one that is followed and listened to. She is the wise leader of the pod, that leads them to the best fishing grounds. She is respected and valued.
Human beings have traditionally revered and respected the older matriarchs. These were the wise women who knew about healing and childbirth and were in a position to take care of the grandchildren, give sage advice and teach their knowledge to the younger generations.
Today our lives may not always include child-rearing, but we have careers and life-skills that enrich our knowledge and understanding. Wherever our life-path has taken us, we will have gained experience and knowledge. So now is the time to celebrate again the wise women of our tribe.
I definitely fall into that age bracket and I love it! My friends are no longer tied to child-rearing, or establishing themselves in their developing careers, or finding their place in the world. We all know who and what we are and we have a bit more time to enjoy that place.
Sometimes the transition through the menopause can be challenging and because of hormonal changes and maybe also because of the much promoted cult of ‘youth’, we can feel dismayed, or discouraged and depressed about the thought of getting older. I like to turn that all around and welcome the next stage as being ‘the wise woman of the tribe’.
There are so many things we can do to assist with hormonal imbalances and also, there is much we can do to shift from a negative viewpoint to the viewpoint where we can see ourselves as we truly are, beautiful in our uniqueness and with wisdom gained from life experiences. We deserve to respect and love ourselves and when we do that, inevitably those around us will love and respect us too. If others fail to see us as we are, they better watch out, because we are more powerful than ever before in our lives.
If you are approaching menopause, starting into the peri-menopausal phase, full-on with hot flushes and mood swings which teeter on murderous intent or still grappling with some residual unwanted symptoms, please come and join us at The Change and Me, a series of one day seminars starting in London, 17 February at the Kailash Centre, St. John's Wood, NW8.