“And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said to her, “Woman, thou art loosed from thy infirmity.”
~Luke 13:12 (NOT Bishop TD Jakes O_o)

5 years ago, when I began blogging publicly, I tried to find a title for my site that represented how I was feeling at the time. That was the beginning of “Woman Thou Art Loosed!!!” I’m still pissed that I deleted the whole thing without bothering to save any of the entries. (UGH!!) I would love to compare the 29-year-old Beloved with the 34-year-old SoJo.

I recall on that blog, battling between writing about my spiritual development and the randumb whodikkery that bubbled up inside of me. I was both “sanctified” and “silly”…. “loving” yet “leery” of people.  I loved the interaction that I had on my site, but felt guilty when I began to feel as though I was writing for other people more than myself. I ended up feeling more bound than I was before I began writing.

It’s funny how God can put something on your heart and no matter how much you fight it, you can never escape it. “Loosing” myself seems to be a recurring theme in my life. When began this blog after my hiatus, I didn’t actively THINK that I was loosing myself again. I just wanted  to re-establish my own little place in cyberspace – move back into the neighborhood (shout out to Blogsome Bay ) . But the more I began to write, I realized that I was unbinding myself again…a little older and lot less concerned about what people thought.

I told you guys that I would review the book, Divine Nourishment, in portions. I still haven’t finished reading it. As small as the book is, I realized that it is something that you have let sit on your spirit and give it space to work. One of the MOST important things that I’m internalizing about this text as I’m letting it work in and thru me – is that my experience is not isolated.

Mary Lane talks about the connection between the “wounding” of Femininity/Nature and how this time in the Universe seems to be a time of rebellion in both regards.  But unlike most of the people who I see nowadays that label themselves as feminists and womanists, she does not approach the healing process from an adversarial aspect.  One of the things that has been bothering me lately, is how aggressive and antagonistic that we’ve become towards our men.  It seems like they (not talking about the advice-for-profit “prophets”, but average guys) can’t say anything nowadays without us coming  at them with the heat of a thousand bloody tampons (shout out to whoever used that phrase on Twitter – can’t remember lol).  That anger is even projected onto women who don’t feel as angry or helpless as they do.

It’s not without cause, though.  Women, as a collective, are tired of being told how, when and where to act, scolded for leading with our emotions but chastised for not being feminine enough.  Making ourselves vulnerable,  being  rejected and then told that we shouldn’t carry baggage (while we accept men’s emotional luggage and even clear out a space in our closets for them to unpack it).  Mmmhm.  We’d be lying if we said that we haven’t experienced those types of things and have at one time or another resented being placed (or placing ourselves) in that position.

But the beauty in this book is that the focus is finally on us without putting the BURDEN on us (or them).    She gives the reader, through a glimpse of her journey sprinkled with her “Ah-ha” moments, how her level of awareness and acceptance of her feminine power developed.  Her descriptions are so vivid that at first, you place yourself in her shoes.  Then you begin to look back on your own life and pinpoint your own “Ah-ha’s” like a map – connecting the dots and seeing the path you took that led you to your present space.  In retrospect, your life has always been in order.  There has been both rhyme and reason, the entire time – no matter how chaotic it may have seemed at the moment.  Whether you like where you’re standing, and want to continue in that direction or you dislike it, and want to turn around or change course.  It doesn’t matter.  But it all.begins.to.make.sense.   All of a sudden, there’s this surge of power that starts in your fingers and toes.  You’re ready to move forward in your own right and create/develop/recognize/give birth to your own energy.   Can you tell that I’m really digging this book?  LOL!

If you’re looking for a self-help book or “fix-it” manual like the books that are peddled in mainstream, think again.  In fact, one of the things that she specifically says is WOMEN:  STOP GIVING/TAKING SO MUCH DAMN ADVICE…. (to be continued)….