I have recently read the book: The Goddess Path by Patricia Monaghan. This is a book that was designed to help the reader to help nurture your own connection to the goddess and to share in her wisdom. Within each chapter that is dedicated to a specific goddess there is history about the goddess, myths involving the goddess, invocations for the goddess, ritual suggestions and questions to aid the reader with exploring their relationship with her.
There will be a few blog posts with my personal responses to some of the questions found in each chapter of this book. I urge you to follow along with me as we experience the Goddess within.
The thirteenth chapter is about Brigid and you can find the questions I will be answering in this post on page 177 of the book.
There will be a few blog posts with my personal responses to some of the questions found in each chapter of this book. I urge you to follow along with me as we experience the Goddess within.
The thirteenth chapter is about Brigid and you can find the questions I will be answering in this post on page 177 of the book.
Think back to the most recent difficult period you endured. What, ultimately, did you learn from the difficulties?
I believe that many of the difficult periods in my life recently that I've endured deals with physical pain and suffering. Beginning a few years ago when I had pain issues with my neck, right shoulder and lower back any time that I've found that I was unable to accomplish a task it didn't really deal with my mental or emotional abilities but rather the fact that I was in too much pain to accomplish the task at hand physically. This situation is due to something I am energetically holding onto that has now manifested in a physical symptom so that I can no longer ignore it. This also forces me to stay connected to my physical body when my natural response to stress or conflict is to transcend my physical and 'hide' in my spiritual or energetic being.
Think of a mistake you made recently. What were the consequences, and what did you learn from them?
Personally I do not view things as mistakes so this question is difficult for me to answer. I look to each choice as an opportunity and sometimes my projections of what I desire from a situation does not manifest I look to what has manifested instead and see how that can be of a benefit. If I am to contemplate this question instead: Think of a choice that you made recently that did not manifest in the way you desired, what did you learn from this situation? I can see that perhaps what I desired for my outcome wasn't in my best interest at the time and that my Higher-Self shifted the intention to manifest something that was more beneficial for me and those involved in the situation.
When you made mistakes in your childhood, how were they dealt with? Were you punished, and if so, how? Are there ways you act now that are based on those experiences?
Growing up there were definitely rules and expectations that were set in place in our home. I can remember being punished for different things - especially not doing chores, forgetting to take prescribed medications, 'talking back' or being disrespectful in questioning authority. My punishment when younger was being hit with The Red Ruler on the butt however as I grew older I was 'grounded' or privileges were taken from me. I do believe that my actions now are based on how I was treated as a child. I rarely spanked my children even when they were younger. It was something that didn't feel 'right' to me though their biological father would spank them - giving them 'pow pows'. I do my best to set rules and expectations with the input from the children to find out if they feel that they can fulfill the expectations and if they feel the rules are agreeable. I never felt that I was able to give input when I was younger.
What is the worst mistake you have ever made? How did you manage to recover from that mistake?
Again, I don't view choices as mistakes. Everything I've done, all choices I made in my past has brought me here to this moment and I like where I am. I am happy and wouldn't want to change anything.
Someone else looking at my past might consider the fact that I married my first husband may have been a mistake or perhaps my second marriage being a mistake however I see that I learned a lot about myself and what I desired for myself from those marriages. Both men taught me a great deal by being a part of my life experience at those times and I am grateful for those experiences.
When you have been criticized, how do you feel? How do you respond?
Criticism was very hurtful to me when I was younger but I have found that I listen to those who offer me criticism and consider their opinion testing it to see if their ideas make sense to me or if I feel they are complete trash. I think that I am more objective (though still somewhat defensive) when it comes to criticism because I am more confident in my own thoughts, actions, and words.
Consider the ways your mother and father criticized you. Were there specific things you were always “in trouble for”? How has your life been altered by those criticisms?
I used to get in trouble for 'talking back'. If I didn't agree with their rules I wasn't allow to question them and that made me very upset so I would verbalize what I thought and that got me into a lot of trouble. When I became 'old enough' to have my own opinions and was able to make my own decisions then I did. My favorite song back then was Janet Jackson's Control. The lyrics say, "Got my own mind, I wanna make my own decisions, When it has to do with my life, my life, I wanna be the one in control" It was my anthem back when I was a teenager.
How critical are you of other people? How do you express that criticism?
I do my best not to judge others negatively. I understand that what I would do and what they may do are two very different perspectives and remember that they didn't live the same life as I have so their decisions, words, and actions will be different. I generally only offer opinions when asked for them because I also understand that not everyone wants opinions if they are comfortable and confident in their own personal choices. If I am asked my opinion, I am always honest but I also do my best to deliver my advice with compassion and with the understanding that it is basically just an opinion.
When something happens that is beyond your control, do you feel it is a judgment on you? Where did you get this idea?
Honestly I do not believe that anything is beyond my control if it directly affects me. I make decisions that create consequences and if I find myself in a situation that at first appears as if it is beyond my control I understand that on some energetic level that I have created the circumstance that I find myself in. I always have choices. I always have options and to look at a situation as if there is no control in the matter is truly a defeatist perspective, in my opinion.
When you have suffered a loss, do you feel blamed or judged by the world in any way? If so, how can you release this feeling?
I do not feel blamed. I do not accept responsibility for other people's choices. That is their shit and is on them.
I believe that many of the difficult periods in my life recently that I've endured deals with physical pain and suffering. Beginning a few years ago when I had pain issues with my neck, right shoulder and lower back any time that I've found that I was unable to accomplish a task it didn't really deal with my mental or emotional abilities but rather the fact that I was in too much pain to accomplish the task at hand physically. This situation is due to something I am energetically holding onto that has now manifested in a physical symptom so that I can no longer ignore it. This also forces me to stay connected to my physical body when my natural response to stress or conflict is to transcend my physical and 'hide' in my spiritual or energetic being.
Think of a mistake you made recently. What were the consequences, and what did you learn from them?
Personally I do not view things as mistakes so this question is difficult for me to answer. I look to each choice as an opportunity and sometimes my projections of what I desire from a situation does not manifest I look to what has manifested instead and see how that can be of a benefit. If I am to contemplate this question instead: Think of a choice that you made recently that did not manifest in the way you desired, what did you learn from this situation? I can see that perhaps what I desired for my outcome wasn't in my best interest at the time and that my Higher-Self shifted the intention to manifest something that was more beneficial for me and those involved in the situation.
When you made mistakes in your childhood, how were they dealt with? Were you punished, and if so, how? Are there ways you act now that are based on those experiences?
Growing up there were definitely rules and expectations that were set in place in our home. I can remember being punished for different things - especially not doing chores, forgetting to take prescribed medications, 'talking back' or being disrespectful in questioning authority. My punishment when younger was being hit with The Red Ruler on the butt however as I grew older I was 'grounded' or privileges were taken from me. I do believe that my actions now are based on how I was treated as a child. I rarely spanked my children even when they were younger. It was something that didn't feel 'right' to me though their biological father would spank them - giving them 'pow pows'. I do my best to set rules and expectations with the input from the children to find out if they feel that they can fulfill the expectations and if they feel the rules are agreeable. I never felt that I was able to give input when I was younger.
What is the worst mistake you have ever made? How did you manage to recover from that mistake?
Again, I don't view choices as mistakes. Everything I've done, all choices I made in my past has brought me here to this moment and I like where I am. I am happy and wouldn't want to change anything.
Someone else looking at my past might consider the fact that I married my first husband may have been a mistake or perhaps my second marriage being a mistake however I see that I learned a lot about myself and what I desired for myself from those marriages. Both men taught me a great deal by being a part of my life experience at those times and I am grateful for those experiences.
When you have been criticized, how do you feel? How do you respond?
Criticism was very hurtful to me when I was younger but I have found that I listen to those who offer me criticism and consider their opinion testing it to see if their ideas make sense to me or if I feel they are complete trash. I think that I am more objective (though still somewhat defensive) when it comes to criticism because I am more confident in my own thoughts, actions, and words.
Consider the ways your mother and father criticized you. Were there specific things you were always “in trouble for”? How has your life been altered by those criticisms?
I used to get in trouble for 'talking back'. If I didn't agree with their rules I wasn't allow to question them and that made me very upset so I would verbalize what I thought and that got me into a lot of trouble. When I became 'old enough' to have my own opinions and was able to make my own decisions then I did. My favorite song back then was Janet Jackson's Control. The lyrics say, "Got my own mind, I wanna make my own decisions, When it has to do with my life, my life, I wanna be the one in control" It was my anthem back when I was a teenager.
How critical are you of other people? How do you express that criticism?
I do my best not to judge others negatively. I understand that what I would do and what they may do are two very different perspectives and remember that they didn't live the same life as I have so their decisions, words, and actions will be different. I generally only offer opinions when asked for them because I also understand that not everyone wants opinions if they are comfortable and confident in their own personal choices. If I am asked my opinion, I am always honest but I also do my best to deliver my advice with compassion and with the understanding that it is basically just an opinion.
When something happens that is beyond your control, do you feel it is a judgment on you? Where did you get this idea?
Honestly I do not believe that anything is beyond my control if it directly affects me. I make decisions that create consequences and if I find myself in a situation that at first appears as if it is beyond my control I understand that on some energetic level that I have created the circumstance that I find myself in. I always have choices. I always have options and to look at a situation as if there is no control in the matter is truly a defeatist perspective, in my opinion.
When you have suffered a loss, do you feel blamed or judged by the world in any way? If so, how can you release this feeling?
I do not feel blamed. I do not accept responsibility for other people's choices. That is their shit and is on them.
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