Woman, Feed Yourself.

I came across a woman’s post about fasting last night.

She was talking about how ‘the body gets cluttered up when we get overwhelmed and the antenna needs clearing.’ She was planning on doing a fast and cited a couple of traditions (masculine-oriented) as points of reference.

She then invited other people to share in the comments what benefits they have gotten from fasting.

As I read through the comments from other women all of them praising ‘being emptied, clear receivers of truth’ one thought struck me: “They all feel so disembodied.”

I was a little hesitant to leave my reply amongst all the other’s that were glorifying the clarity and purification of fasting, but what the fuck. I did so anyway and this is what I said:

“I don’t fast.

My body still bleeds so it purges regularly about 4 days a month. This is a natural cleansing process for women, especially when engaged with consciously. Rigorous rituals, like fasting and vision quest, were designed for men because they don’t have an obvious initiation (into adulthood) like women do, nor do they have a monthly purgatory cycle. So though I intermittently fast most days, as that is the process that best serves my digestion and metabolism—I will never fast for spiritual purposes.”

I felt a little cringe as I hit enter and went on my way, but the woman (the original poster) replied under my own comment:

“I’m glad you said this. I actually feel like it kind of messed me up a little and I didn’t get my questions answered.”

I responded with: “Im glad it’s beneficial! Red Tent is our way!”

Women’s bodies are not designed for deprivation.

We—women—are designed to host and feed life.

Rituals (such as fasting), that are perfectly compatible with (some) male bodies, do not open us up to spirit in the same way. We are already open. We are living portals for life. Our blood is our ritual and when our menstrual cycle has finished, we become containers for an even deeper wisdom—that of the Crone.

Fasting, especially this time of year as we wind towards darker days, is counter-intuitive and counter-instinctive. Everything in us—instinctively—is saying: Slow down. Rest. Prepare for the lean months, conserve energy.

Now is the time for us to gather in our Harvest. Take count of what we have accomplished this year and gently release what is ready to be shed.

Now is the time for making pies, sipping steaming mugs of tea, and snuggling under nubby blankets. For putting onions, garlic, and potatoes in the ground. For brining the seeds from the summer flower’s blooms.

The Ancient Grandmothers beckon to our bodies over steaming cauldrons of soups and stew. And granny only ever has one thing to say to us.

“Eat.”

~Justice Bartlett

Image: Artem Mastev

Bedhead Mystic

bedheadmystic #autumn #equinox #instinctrepair #thewayofwomb