G is for Goddess, Gratitude and Elbow Grease

Several years ago, on the evening of a full moon and the summer solstice, I was hit with a sudden and burning need to proclaim my devotion to the Goddess. Standing barefoot in the moonlit night, surrounded by comfrey and ripe blackberries, I announced to the universe my promise: To pledge my life, and that of my daughters, in service to the Goddess.

Little did I know what that would mean...

Now, as a little background, I am not a religious person. Spiritual in an all-encompassing, earthy kind of way, sure - but not tied to (or particularly involved in) any one path. But for some reason, that evening, I was Called. Please feel free to substitute "God", "Energy", "Aliens", or whatever word works best for you in place of Goddess - that is just the aspect of the divine that rings truest for me!

Since that promise, I have experienced both the worst and the best life has to offer. I have been literally broken, physically and emotionally - and I have learned to heal, truly and wholly, and to love and be loved. I have discovered that the greatest of life's challenges also offer the greatest gifts - although we have to work to unwrap them, and they often need aging and the right catalyst to ripen. I have also realized what it means to "serve the Goddess" - and that it is not just a verbal promise, but a commitment to work my arse off!

Rather than saying devotionals and prayers or taking a vow of celibacy (which I did do for a time), the way I can best serve and celebrate the Goddess is by embracing my own power, beauty and wisdom - by becoming as true an embodiment of divinity as I am capable of and realizing my full potential. My girls will grow up learning to do the same, and I will do my best to help every woman I befriend discover her own divinity.

Goddess, I am incredibly grateful to you for the gifts I have been given - not least of all my husband, who is the light of my life and the sun to my moon, and my children, who are are the most precious of jewels and the shining stars in my sky. Thank you for always giving us enough, and for providing me with the raw materials to make something incredible. Thank you for the strength, beauty, compassion and wisdom you have given to me - and for showing me how to find it in every person and situation.