Monday, March 10, 2008

Yeah, what she said...

Brightonwoman I guess has more reflection time up there in the cold and snow. Or maybe she is just smarter. I dunno. Anyway, on Saturday, she posted about being a woman. I totally agree with her. So rather than being a copy cat or trying to say it as well as she did, I'll just say, Yeah That.

6 comments:

PapaCoyote said...

Interesting post. I could not help to muse about some American Indian cultures. Most, probably all, had menstruating women going to the "moon" lodge. Nobody probably knows the genesis of this practice, but we do know that those societies viewed menstruating women to have very strong "medicine" or "power." Their presence could upset the balance of harmony in the village. Probably did if they did not go into seclusion.

My readings on this subject have lead me to believe that the women did not see this as a banishment, but a time when they could have some time to themselves for conversing, crafting, and meditating. A pretty valuable few days I would think. Maybe the time away from the opposite sex was an interlude enjoyed by both sexes.

No tipi to clean, no firewood to gather and not having to answer to that age old question by husbands, "Where in Seyan (they did not have a concept of hell and sin) did you put my peace pipe, woman? I had it right here!"

Supposedly, women in the village evolved over the years to having their periods at roughly the same time. I wonder if that supposition is really true. I can certainly understand that the women would prefer to have it that way.

For what it is worth, Indian men had several wives at a time; as many as they could provide for. James Beckwourth, an African-American man and a Crow war chief, had ten wives at one point in his life.

Jenni said...

LOL
Link away sister! I don't know that I'm any smarter than anyone...I just have a tendency to think rapidly and on many frequencies at once (I always have a dozen posty ideas wooshing around in my head).
I had just been flipping channels and saw that STUPID yaz commercial again and had to rant about it. One thing led to another...what can I say?! Saturday is Hubby's night out (playing D&D) and Wolf was in bed and Bear was asleep in my lap. I SHOULD have been in bed but I was surfing instead...

Papa Coyote's comment is fascinating, and totally backs up what i've always thought--menstruating isn't a banishment, but it IS a time of difference, and should be respected as such.
I have heard many women say they get bursts of creativity at that time of the month!

RasJane said...

Actually, it has been proven over and over again that women in close groups will align menstruation to each other. And other research has shown that, barring artificial light, a woman's cycles will align with that of the moon. Fascinating!
I love the idea of the red tent. I think it is something that more and more women wish they had. Once you start to learn about the harmony of your body, you kinda want to start honoring it. I notice that I get creative and nesting urges around the end of my cycle.

PapaCoyote said...

I just wasted a half hour posting a brilliant essay about this subject (tongue firmly in cheek) to Brightwoman on her blog only to find that she does not accept comments unlessed screened. Wow. Live and learn. And I have a great book to recommend for her enjoyment. Oh yeah, and the blog was erased and I don't chew my cabbage twice.

Jenni said...

Not wasted! i just have the 'approval' setting on my comments because that way I actually SEE them!
I pretty much always approve them. I just want to make sure I see everything that comes through!

PapaCoyote said...

Brightwoman. I did not realize my posting got through. It just disappeared. I thought maybe it went bye, bye never to be seen again. I am glad that you got to see it. I was kind of bummed because I thought my effort had gone for naught.