| In the beginning, everything began, as | | | | torture the women. They began to kill |
| it always does, with birth. The Great | | | | the women. They bound women's feet for |
| Mother of All gave birth, and the Earth | | | | this pain gave men pleasure.They burned |
| began to breathe. Again, and again, and | | | | women at the stake for how dare any |
| again, the Great Mother gave birth. And | | | | woman pretend to know the healing ways |
| the plants began to breathe and the | | | | of the plants. They stoned women to |
| animals began to breathe and the | | | | death for it frightened them to see even |
| two-legged ones began to breathe. All | | | | the smallest bit of her holy flesh. They |
| forms of life began to breathe. To | | | | cut out the pleasure parts from between |
| breathe, to live. In the air, on the | | | | her legs for here was a power that |
| land, in the water, and even in the | | | | seemed uncontrollable. And they told |
| fires of deep sulfurous vents where | | | | her, again and again, until she began to |
| light never shines, all forms of life | | | | believe it was true, that she was not |
| began to breathe. And they were all very | | | | sacred, that she was not made in the |
| hungry."What shall we eat?" they asked | | | | image of God.The men told each other |
| the Great Mother. "You eat me," she said | | | | that women were inferior, that the |
| with a smile. And they did. They ate of | | | | animals were inferior, and that the |
| Her body. The plants sent their roots | | | | plants were inferior. Soon, puffed up |
| down into the earth and they ate of Her | | | | with false pride, the men began to |
| flesh and Her bones. The plants drank | | | | devise ways to use the women and the |
| Her clear blood. From her deep springs, | | | | animals and the plants without respect |
| from her flowing waters, the plants ate. | | | | for their power, without respect for |
| And they grew strong. And they gave | | | | their sacredness. The men began to |
| birth. The grasses multiplied and | | | | believe that their view of the world was |
| rippled in the wind. Roots grew fat and | | | | the only view of the world.From one side |
| juicy. And everywhere there were | | | | of the Earth to the other, they abused |
| amazingly-shaped leaves, and flowers of | | | | the women and the plants and the |
| many colors, and fruits wondrous to | | | | animals. They used them without regard |
| behold.The animals ate Her. They did not | | | | and kept them locked away. They ignored |
| eat Her flesh and Her bones as the | | | | the cries of pain. They came to believe |
| plants did. They could not send their | | | | that women and plants and animals |
| roots into Her, for they had legs and | | | | actually enjoyed being hurt. They |
| they moved about on the face of the | | | | confused some women so terribly that |
| Earth. Some of the animals ate of the | | | | these women began to believe that they |
| grasses that grew from the Mother. Some | | | | actually were dirty and in need of |
| of the two-legged ones ate the seeds of | | | | punishment. They tortured so many women |
| the grasses and the roots of the plants | | | | that the wisdom of the women seemed to |
| and their leaves. They ate and they ate | | | | be the lie, and the lies of the men took |
| and they ate. They began to give birth, | | | | on the trappings of truth.But the Great |
| too. Soon there were many, many mouths | | | | Mother lives in every woman. In every |
| eating the Mother. There were many, many | | | | place and every time, the Great Mother |
| feet stirring up the red dust of the | | | | shows herself in the form of every |
| Mother. There were many mouths to praise | | | | living woman. "Eat me." she whispers in |
| her abundance. And many mouths to | | | | the dreams of the woman. And the woman |
| feed."I am you and you are me. I am here | | | | throws off the bed covers and walks |
| for you to eat. Now eat me. Eat all of | | | | barefoot into the moonlit night. She is |
| me." she urged them. And some of the | | | | yearning. She feels a deep stirring in |
| animals ate Her flesh and Her bones in | | | | her belly. She looks at the moon and she |
| the form of the other animals. And some | | | | fancies that she hears the moon speaking |
| of the two-legged ones ate Her flesh and | | | | to her. "You are sacred. You are the |
| Her bones in the form of the animals. | | | | beginning and the end of all existence. |
| And her clear blood became red. And this | | | | I am you and you are me. Keep sacred the |
| red blood flowed in the bodies of the | | | | days of your bleeding and I will share |
| animals and the bodies of the | | | | with you the wisdom of the plants and |
| two-leggeds who ate of the animals who | | | | the animals and the very Earth."Can she |
| ate of the plants who ate of Her. And | | | | believe it is true? Dare she believe the |
| the Great Mother was well pleased.Now | | | | truth of the words she seems to hear? |
| this red blood flowed in the bodies of | | | | All her life she has been told that she |
| the two-legged ones. It flowed in their | | | | is not pretty enough, nor smart enough, |
| bodies and it sang to them. This red | | | | not strong enough. Everything seems to |
| blood sang to them of the endless wisdom | | | | tell her that she is too round, too |
| of the Great Mother, and the endless | | | | emotional, too sensitive. And not |
| dance of the moon, and the endless | | | | sacred, in fact, the complete opposite |
| spiral of birth and life and death. And | | | | of sacred. All the days of her life she |
| the ones who were round and full like | | | | has heard the stories of the wonders of |
| the Mother felt the blood stirring in | | | | man, the creator. She has heard it so |
| their bellies. The good red blood moved | | | | often that it has the sound of truth: |
| in their bellies and they were full of | | | | God is a man. God is all-powerful, so |
| wonder, and they said to the Mother: | | | | men are all-powerful (and women are |
| "What shall we do with the red blood | | | | weak). God is clean, so men are clean |
| that moves so strongly in our bellies, | | | | (and women are dirty). God is pure, so |
| Mother?" And she replied: "Give it to | | | | men are pure (and women are filth). God |
| me. Return this blood to me. Nourish me. | | | | never bleeds from between his legs and |
| Allow me to replenish myself from your | | | | men never bleed from between their legs |
| blood." And so they did.Each month when | | | | (so the flowing blood of women is a |
| the moon grew dark and disappeared, the | | | | sickness, a curse, a punishment). How |
| blood began to flow from between the | | | | can she believe that her blood is |
| legs of some of the two-legged ones. | | | | sacred? How can she allow herself to |
| From the wombs of the two-legged ones, | | | | feel pleasure, to name it good, to name |
| the blood flowed: red and rich and | | | | it holy? How can she dare to believe |
| nourishing. The red blood flowed into | | | | that she is the Goddess?Yes, the |
| Her and she said: "You are me and I am | | | | Goddess! The Goddess who is alive in |
| you. Your blood is my blood. And my | | | | every woman, in every place, in every |
| blood is yours. Forever and forever, we | | | | time. The Goddess who whispers in our |
| will nourish each other. And if you will | | | | dreams. The Goddess who smiles in our |
| keep holy the days of your bleeding, I | | | | lives. The Goddess who stirs the blood |
| will teach you all the secrets of the | | | | in our bellies. The Goddess who knows |
| plants and the animals. And if you will | | | | that every woman is wise and powerful |
| keep holy the days of your bleeding, I | | | | and sacred. The Goddess who calls to us: |
| will teach you all the secrets of Heaven | | | | "Keep the days of your bleeding sacred. |
| and Earth." And so the women kept holy | | | | Remember that your blood is the blood of |
| the days of their bleeding, and they | | | | life, the blood of peace. Feed me your |
| grew wise in the ways of the plants, the | | | | blood, your moon-time blood, oh my |
| ways of the animals, and the ways of | | | | daughter, my lover. Feed me, for I |
| Heaven and Earth.And so it was for many, | | | | hunger and I thirst for you."Return to |
| many turns of the Earth around the Sun. | | | | me. Return to yourself. Remember |
| Until the change. No one really knows | | | | yourself. Remember me. I am the Great |
| where it started. Like a small fire, at | | | | Mother. I am the Goddess. I am the Wise |
| first it seemed harmless. The women were | | | | Woman. Listen to my words. Listen to my |
| wise and they thought no harm could come | | | | song. I am in you, thus I can never be |
| to them. Were they not the very Earth | | | | lost. My story is your story. And it is |
| herself? To harm a woman, was it not the | | | | the true story of birth and life and |
| same as harming the Mother? And who | | | | death. Eat me. Feed me. You are woman |
| would be so foolish as to harm their own | | | | and so am I. Through me, you exist; |
| Mother? To harm the source of | | | | through you, I exist. We are the ones |
| nourishment and comfort and strength?Yet | | | | who create. We are the ones who nourish. |
| there were those who were so foolish. | | | | We are the ones who open the gates |
| Deluded, they grew arrogant, and began | | | | between the worlds. We are the ones who |
| to tell the story of creation in a | | | | must reclaim ourselves, who must reweave |
| strange way. They began to believe that | | | | ourselves."Oh sister, dear sister, the |
| a man gave birth to the Earth and to | | | | threads are thin, the song is faint. |
| humans! They said that man was the | | | | Tell me it is not too late. Tell me that |
| source of all nourishment and wisdom. | | | | you hear me. Tell me that you believe |
| They said that man was the image of God, | | | | me. Tell me that the Goddess has |
| and that God was jealous, and angry, | | | | returned. Tell me you are listening to |
| that God demanded pain and blood and | | | | the plants and the animals and your own |
| despised the simple pleasures of the | | | | deep knowing. Tell me you are looking |
| body, of the earth. They said that God | | | | past the slick, simple lies and into the |
| lived above, not within the earth, that | | | | messy, complex truth. Tell me that you |
| God lived in heaven and was above all | | | | feel the red blood stirring in your |
| life. They said that men were above all | | | | belly."Tell me it is not too late. Tell |
| life, too. That man had dominion over | | | | me the sisters are awakening. Tell me |
| all of life, over all of the Earth | | | | the moonlodge is rebuilt. Tell me that |
| herself, to do with as he pleased.Oh, | | | | the words of White Buffalo Calf Woman |
| how silly their stories were. Surely no | | | | were not in vain. Tell me that Kwan |
| one could believe such stories! Surely | | | | Yin's heart is not breaking. Tell me |
| everyone could see clearly that woman | | | | that Venus is safe. Tell me that Artemis |
| was the source of life, and nourishment. | | | | roams free in the woods. Tell me that |
| Surely it was clear that the women's | | | | Lilith is welcome at your table. Tell me |
| blood was the life of the Earth and the | | | | that you remember that pleasure is holy |
| life of the people. And that the | | | | to me. Tell me that you refuse to |
| pleasure of the body was holy, was | | | | believe that you delight in pain."Tell |
| sacred, was good. That the Earth was | | | | me that you feel me reaching out to you |
| alive, was our true Mother, and must be | | | | from the deep core of your being, from |
| respected. That we are part of Her, | | | | time out of mind. Tell me that you feel |
| dependent on Her for our very | | | | me waking up inside you, waking you up |
| breath.But, like a small fire left alone | | | | to your beauty and your power. Tell me |
| when the wind is blowing, the strange | | | | that you are reclaiming your truth and |
| stories of God, of man as creator, grew | | | | turning a deaf ear to the lies. Tell me |
| and multiplied. The small fire of deceit | | | | that you remember that you are the |
| rapidly became a raging storm, a storm | | | | Goddess. Tell me that you remember that |
| that threatened all life. For the men | | | | you and I are the same. Tell me you keep |
| began to say that the blood of women was | | | | sacred the days of your bleeding. Tell |
| bad, that women's moon time blood was | | | | me you honor your crones."I have been |
| dirty, unclean, even dangerous. They | | | | with you since the beginning, and I will |
| began to say that women themselves were | | | | be with you at the end. I am part of you |
| dirty and dangerous. They began to say | | | | and you are part of me. Allow me to love |
| that the Earth was dirty and dangerous. | | | | you. Allow me to honor you. Allow me to |
| They began to think of themselves as | | | | return."Susun Weed |
| apart from the Earth, as separate from | | | | PO Box 64 |
| the Earth, as better than the Earth. | | | | Woodstock, NY 12498 |
| They began to think of themselves as | | | | Fax: 1-845-246-8081Vibrant, passionate, |
| apart from women, as superior to women, | | | | and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an |
| as the master of women.The women did | | | | international reputation for her |
| their best to tend to the holy fires. | | | | groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and |
| The women did their best to keep the | | | | writings on health and nutrition. She |
| days of their bleeding sacred. The women | | | | challenges conventional medical |
| did their best to teach their daughters | | | | approaches with humor, insight, and her |
| how to learn from the plants and the | | | | vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal |
| animals and the Earth. And the women did | | | | medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her |
| their best to be true to the mysteries | | | | animated and enthusiastic lectures are |
| of the moon-time and the wisdom of the | | | | engaging and often profoundly |
| Great Mother.But the men were lost. | | | | provocative.Susun is one of America's |
| Without the wisdom of the women, alone | | | | best-known authorities on herbal |
| and apart, the men forgot the ways of | | | | medicine and natural approaches to |
| peace. They forgot that the Earth was | | | | women's health. Her four best-selling |
| their Mother. They forgot that all women | | | | books are recommended by expert |
| were sacred. And they began to fight. At | | | | herbalists and well-known physicians and |
| first they fought only among themselves. | | | | are used and cherished by millions of |
| But soon the sickness spread and the men | | | | women around the world. |
| began to fight the women. They began to | | | | |