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