Sheila Biodanza
The Menopause
The words of this beautiful song touched my inner insecure child
who appeared during the menopause.
It's so hard to stand your ground when you're so afraid.
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold,
when you look outside. Look inside to your soul
When there's no one else, look inside yourself
Like your oldest friend, just trust the voice within
Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way
If you will learn to begin to trust the voice within
From “The voice within” by Christina Aquilera
The Dark Goddess of the Menopause
At the new moon she is the Virgin goddess, full of enthusiasm for new beginnings as seeds spout and shoots begin to appear.
At the second phase puberty starts, buds turn into flowers, flowers into fruits and she becomes the Divine Mother in charge of procreation and sexuality.
The third phase as the moon starts to wane is ruled by the Dark Goddess. She rules the darkness of the moon, death, rebirth and regeneration. She rules the time in a woman’s life when all that has run its course is outmoded or no longer meaningful must be destroyed to make way for a more authentic life. She rules menopause. She is often portrayed without breasts and with a very large vulvar opening. She reminds me of a lovely Celtic statue, often found carved in old, ancient churches in the UK, from a time when pagan and Christian symbols adorned churches. Her name is’ Sheila na Gig’.
Menopause is the time of initiation into the mysteries of the Dark goddess. In today’s youth obsessed, patriarchal society she has been feared and suppressed in our psyches so when she appears it can feel like an earthquake happening in our lives but she is the archetype by which we can heal our separation from our feminine nature. She has always been there but we forgot to notice her, every month at the dark of the moon when menstrual blood flowed she was there. Now instead of being released the dark blood of creative power is retained and made available for her use. She is the teacher who guides us through the transformation which is needed; she holds our hand as we connect to the demons in the labyrinth of our psyche so we can face them with courage and strength. She teaches us to be deeply and spontaneously sexual, assertive, straight and incorruptible, intuitive and free. She urges us to claim our power, to set limits and say ‘no’ to anyone trying to abuse or steal our power. She quickly cuts through all our urges to be pleasing, submissive, gentle and nice. She will not take no for an answer and if we try to ignore her, her energies will manifest as serious disease. She asks us to reclaim our sexuality. Not the sexuality of child-bearing but a sexuality of sheer instinct and wildness dancing naked in the woods. The crone’s sexuality belongs to herself alone; it is sheer eroticism and ecstasy which is the fire energy which fuels all creative powers. It is the energy of kundalini power, the power of the serpent which heals not only her but also the world.
Based on a text from Passage to Power by Lesley Kenton
The Emotional Menopause
A Return to Innocence
A little of my journey
The Menopause and Biodanza, two amazing gifts to help our return you to the innocence of who you really are. There was I living life to the full feeling like I had finally landed on this earth, running my own business and house, travelling and seeing a lovely Dutch man. It felt so right to sell my house, give up my business and move to Holland. Then I crashed big time.
What had happened to me why did I suddenly feel so insecure, why was my hurt insecure child suddenly there again. Why had I started to feel everything so deeply and intensely? Somehow I know in the past I would have felt this a little but never to this extent.
I realised the only thing which could have made this difference was having just reached the menopause plus doing biodanza school was also bringing more challenges to the surface to be faced.
The hormonal changes in the brain start to bring up all those past issues which have not been healed. It seems to shine a light on things in a way that cannot be ignored, like taking part in a biodanza Minotaur project.
So what is the innocence I wish to return to? For me this is the innocence of the child who is full of potentials who fearlessly follows her instincts and has a thirst for life and living, before she developed all the patterns of fear and coping through various experiences in her early life. My journey is and has been about returning to myself, learning to listen to the wise voice within instead of relying on things outside of myself and trying to develop all those unfulfilled potentials and release all those still stuck deep within.
I started off thinking this was a journey into old age wisdom and power, then everything fell into place for me. in the final circle of a vivencia, I was teaching with Philippe. I suddenly really listened to the words of Enigma's "Return to Innocence" and it was then that I realised that this journey into age and wisdom was in fact a return to the innocence of childhood before life had left its scars. Each scar collected on the journey I see as a badge of growth and wisdom gained throughout life.
What I want at the end of this journey is the open heart of the innocent child combined with the wisdom, strength and knowledge so I can take my place in this world with a loving confidence. This is also the gift which Rolando’s system of biodanza gives us.
For me the menopause seems to add an intensity which won’t be denied.
The menopause is like reaching a point in your life where you find yourself standing at the gates of an ancient temple. As you stand there it can feel like all that is waiting for you is darkness, danger and decay. If you have the courage to pass the monsters at the gate and enter with courage then an adventure lays waiting. It is an adventure in learning to listen and hear the call of your soul leading you to reclaim all of your power and find the treasure of true joy in your life.
Based on a passage from; Passage to Power by Lesley Kenton
I invite you to join me in this journey. To take the hand of the dark goddess and to step into the temple and face the challenges ahead with courage, wisdom and of course a sense of humour!