In earlier times when metaphor and archetype rather than scientific knowledge described how things worked, there was a feeling of awesomeness towards women. The awesomeness had to do with the changes her body went through. A girl became a woman when she menstruated; blood has always had a numinous quality. She bled every months, until she got pregnant and then stopped bleeding for 9 months and became a container for new life.  It was thought that she retained the blood in her body in order to make a baby.  After she had the baby, she would bleed once again, month in and month out, until menopauze when once again she would stop bleeding.  This was also considered awesome , for now it was thought she retained the blood in her body not to make a baby, but to make wisdom. (From The Heroine's Journey by Maureen Murdock)

 

The idea for this new story workshop originates from my own personal disappointment in the  cultural lack of understanding of, and support for, what I believe to be a spiritual, and emotional  transformation and empowering process - and which our culture calls menopause and treats like a disease. (but in other cultures is referred to as'the second spring' (China)  or 'renewal years' (Japan)  It will loosely follow the symbolism of the Seal Skin, Soul Skin story as explained in the book "Women Who Run With The Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. This story touches on the female need for cyclical living, and the balance between living in the outer and inner worlds (topside and underworld). It will also use insights from the book "Wise Power: The Transformation of Menopause" from The Red School and will feature mediations, exercises and constellations,  voice dialogue and much needed sisterhood,  ritual and sharing around this deeply  powerful and sometimes unsetteling and transformative process..