Sacred Words, Sacred Voices
written by Sister Kate for Harvest Moon Oct 2018
Reference Readings in American Indian Law: Recalling the Rhythm of Survival
Our readings show you that in our quest to combine the best of what our ancient mothers had in life and living on this planet, along with the best of what science has given and taught us since they walked the earth, it cannot have escaped your notice that we need our voices. The protection of the voices and the words of the women is part of our sacred duty.
We protect our voices so that we may raise them in protest on behalf of wrong doings against the wounded and marginalized among us. We protect our voices so that we may sing in gratitude to Mother Goddess, to show our appreciation for our gifts. We preserve our voices so that we may coo to the sick and sing to the children.
We protect our voices so we can use them for serious discussion, as we are serious women on a serious mission, and we brook no frivolity when it comes to words. Words are sacred. They separate us from the animals. Sometimes I think our Creator, God, our Mother Goddess, stood over her magnificence and pondered a long while before eventually deciding she would, indeed, endow us with the gift of speech, because Creator knew that we, mere mortals, would choose to mis-use that gift as we do so much, today.
To the sisters, speaking is a sacred act. We measure our words. We use them not loosely or foolishly. It is our custom to be silent. To work side by side in silence. To save our words for our suffering patients. To not waste them on silliness or foolishness. When we do speak, our mantra is that small minds talk about things, mediocre minds talk about people, and great minds talk about ideas. We believe that. If the elders are to engage in conversations that go beyond 2 sentences, then it is not going to be about Tupperware. Well, it could be about Tupperware if we were discussing the idea of replacing plastics with hemp.
We sow prayer into our work. Prayerful thoughts cannot be held with noise. You cannot hear the messages your angels want you to hear, you cannot plug into a higher energy vibration while you are chattering. We value quiet contemplative work environments and believe we are emulating what our ancient mothers would have demanded.
We are recalling the rhythm of survival*. We know that those enclaves, those tribes, those communities who will survive and thrive during this time of great change must have each other’s backs, must have art, and music, and culture, and evolution, and education, and those who do not, will find the transition to the matriarchy difficult and exhausting. Those who do have all these things, will find it exhilarating.
We make the sign of the cross using moon-water stationed in basins near our entrance doors.
Earth, Fire Wind and Waters, Mother Goddess, Bless your Daughters.
