Recently, I participated in a DreamQuest retreat. The retreat theme was Dreaming the Sacred Feminine. The idea of the sacred feminine is relatively new with me, but it is becoming an exciting adventure. Because of my religious upbringing, I honestly have no idea how to envision the sacred feminine, either in my understanding of God or in my understanding of myself. But over the past few years, I have been getting glimpses and teasers of what the sacred feminine might be and how it might look and how I might experience it in my own life.
One such glimpse came during the DreamQuest. On the first evening, each participant drew an animal card. This animal became the creature for reflecting upon during the retreat, and hopefully, a symbol to carry with oneself into the year.
My animal for the retreat was the Bear. With Bear, I was reminded of the rhythmic cycles of the feminine. Bear rests in the winter, but she is not entirely asleep. She is restfully awake. She hides herself away in a dark place—her cave, and gives her body space to care for itself. She is preparing herself for her spring emergence into light and activity.
This is my need as well. I want to honor this cycle of rest and activity. Too often, I feel guilty for resting. But like Bear, my body needs space for self care. I will not have the reserves necessary for the spring time growth if I do not take the winter nap and be restfully awake.
So as I take Bear with me into this new year, I will occasionally post my reflections as we advance into the future together.
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