Joyous Spring Equinox to you all.
May Eoster's sacred rabbit hop into your life with joy as the Egg of Creation balances on its end.
Eoster being an ancient goddess of spring and fertility, who is accompanied by her symbol of fecundity – the Eoster rabbit.
And, at the exact moment of the equinox, an egg will balance on its end. Mama Donna Henes continues to offer Eggs on End: Standing On Ceremony for the joy of the public in New York City at every equinox, so you can see the balance for yourself.
Which brings me to some thoughts I have been having about the words shaman, priestess, and witch.
Shaman, a word from Siberia, means "woman with drum." I am a shamanic herbalist and I train shamanic apprentices.
A priestess is "a woman who presides over religious rites; a woman who is responsible for sacred duties." Though she may also be "the wife or concubine of a priest." I am a High Priestess of the Goddess.
"Witch" is, to my mind, the European equivalent of shaman, though without the drum. I am a Green Witch, initiated by Z Budapest both as a witch and, a decade later, as a High Priestess.
Words are powerful. Words create the stories of our lives. Claiming ourselves as women who are shamans, priestesses, and witches is an important way of creating herstory in addition to history, now and in the future.
What are your thoughts on these words? What do you call yourself?
May you spring into the growing light with vibrant colors and green blessings.
Susun