Trusting your Inner Knowing Say YES to all that is unfolding By Ann Moir-Bussy

Just before Christmas last year, we explored the powerful symbol of the Virgin Mary giving birth to God, by her YES to becoming the human instrument for the divine to enter humanity. Such an undivided YES was an acknowledgement of that inner wholeness and a recognition of that sacred autonomy within each of us.  And we spoke of the importance of each of us to being ‘forever pregnant, forever giving birth, and forever a Virgin’.    

I recently discovered that the word we translate as ‘virgin’ comes from the Greek parthenos. Interestingly, Parthenos was the title of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom. Athena was Parthenos – virgin – born from her father’s head, untouched, never bearing children. Wisdom without a womb. So, virginity isn’t about sexual purity but more to do with wholeness – saying YES to receiving the wisdom that is already within us – the Christ consciousness and embracing that inner journey to wholeness, creativity and being receptive to the divine intuition that comes with that.

Consent to YES

YES implies consent. However, women have often been raised to be obedient, compliant, and silent. We have lost that inner wholeness as we learned to comply with the duality that has become rampant, and it is not easy for us to remember that feminine capacity to receive without being fragmented. Some of our reflections on the dark goddesses in previous columns have pointed to the transformational journey we need to undertake to reclaim our divine creativity and wisdom.

It is the Christ consciousness within that enables us to go beyond duality, beyond either/or rigidity and the suppression of the feminine archetype, which renamed the feminine principle of healing, intuition, and transformation as something dangerous and dark.

Baba Yaga

Slavic mythology has the powerful story of Baba Yaga, who, prior to being demonised, was not just evil but a guide, a gatekeeper who tested those willing to learn and gave them the knowledge they needed. She is a Life/Death Life Goddess – a figure of transformation – images reflected in so many myths around the world. Baba Yaga is an image of the divine Feminine – that which is capable of ruthless destruction and loving nurturing. We’ve met these goddesses before when we explored Ereshkigal and Cailleach.

Baba Yaga appears in Russian folklore, and in our upcoming seminar, we will explore how each of us carries this dark side and must meet it and confront it as we examine the journey of Vasilisa the Beautiful and her encounter with Baba Yaga. When Valilisa’s mother is dying, she gifts her a magic doll and tells her to feed her, and when she needs advice, the doll will support her. (More of this to come in the seminar – and such a revealing tale for our meeting with Baba Yaga!)

Baba Yaga is the archetype of fierce, deep knowing and is deeply intuitive. Clarissa Pinkola Estes likens her to La Que Sebe – she who sees and knows; women’s instinct, intuition, wisdom and knowing. Baba Yaga does not have time or patience for those who are “too good’ or naïve – that is, those who don’t acknowledge and embrace their deep inner knowing. And as Vasillisa discovered, Baba Yaga is said to live in a house on yellow chicken legs, which allows her to wander the woods wherever she wants.

What does this have to do with commencing our New Year, and how can an ugly, fierce and human-eating witch remind us of the potential and gifts we have?

Here are some reflections.

1. We are on a journey of transformation, and we must learn to reclaim and trust our own deep inner wisdom. Trust your intuition – your own knowing.
2. Remember, we are on this journey in times of global and collective chaotic change. We must let go of internalised voices that have silenced us, suppressed the feminine, or encouraged us to be ‘too good’ and compliant to what is expected from ‘society’ or family. Find your own voice.
3. Learn to navigate the times of grief and loss and transitions in our own lives, remembering we have the ability to integrate all aspects of ourselves.
4. Baba Yaga invites us to step into our own power and thereby let go of our previous, more submissive or compliant small identity. This year, step into the powerful wisdom that is within and become the ‘dangerous old woman’. Become ‘she who is one in herself’

And in the words of the poet Robert Bly, let us embrace this New Year and say,

I love you with what in me is unfinished.

I love you with what in me is still changing.

With the New Year unfolding, check out this brief reflection which I completed after the Christmas Column – Forever Pregnant – Forever Giving Birth – Forever a Virgin.
I believe it’s very relevant as we go through the New Year. Please enjoy it FREE here:
https://1drv.ms/v/c/04b1c300c92f424b/IQDTi6S7C8efRZxdYwgfIhR3AUYQMcPctoBGLUr8kKkOtTM?e=Z0dKn7

For more information go to:
www.annmoirbussy.com.au

Read about our new membership and all that will be available for you
when you join, including access to all seminars – existing ones and those
coming up for the year.

More details will be available at the beginning of February.
Contact Ann any time on email: ann@annmoirbussy.com.au