INTEGRATED: Wonder Woman

“You are stronger than you believe. You have greater powers than you know.”

-Antiope, Wonder Woman’s aunt

Wonder Woman is the most beloved and enduringly popular female comic-book superhero of all time. And she’s got serious longevity: Only Superman and Batman have been in print longer. Since the first Wonder Woman comic books appeared on the shelves in 1941, young girls everywhere have looked up to her, been dazzled by her, and ardently wished to BE her. Just like other superheroes, Wonder Woman has a secret identity. Unlike her super compatriots, she also has a fascinating and slightly salacious backstory!

The creation of Wonder Woman

“I am who the world needs me to be. I'm Wonder Woman.” 

~ from DC Comics

Comic books were a brand new medium back in the late 1930s. The first issue of Superman launched in 1938, and in its wildly successful wake, publishers scrambled to create equally appealing characters.[1]The majority of these heroes were men, but a shrewd and unlikely author saw that the world was hungry for a strong woman character to headline her own comic.

That author was Dr. William Moulton Marston, a psychologist and co-creator of an early prototype of the lie detector. He’d never written fiction before and had actually been hired by a comic book company to defend the entire medium against calls to ban comics. Mothers and teachers across America were calling comics violent, amoral, and a terrible influence on young readers. After spending some time in the trenches with the writers and illustrators and colorists, Marston decided that the best defense against these moral high-ground critiques was to create a woman superhero. After all, the aspect of comics that got most American mothers in a tizzy was their brutal masculinity. Bring in a lady to calm them down![2]

“Well, Doc,” Maxwell Charles Gaines, founder of DC Comics told him, “I picked Superman after every syndicate in America turned it down. I’ll take a chance on your Wonder Woman! But you’ll have to write the strip yourself.”[3]

Marston was an outspoken feminist and had every intention of making Wonder Woman comics into subversive propaganda. He’d use them to subtly fight for women’s rights and show readers across the world that women could be strong, powerful, and wise. (In other words, INTEGRATED!) Marston was also a sexually adventurous man, and littered his Wonder Woman scripts with bondage imagery. He lived with his legal wife and a second, undocumented wife and based Wonder Woman’s character largely on these two women. Gaines may have hired him to quell controversy, but Dr. Marston just ended up stirring the pot![4]Luckily, Wonder Woman comics were a wild and nearly instantaneous success.

After William Moulton Marston died in 1947—just six years after the first copy of Wonder Woman appeared—DC Comics quickly began eradicating the feminism, toning down the bondage, and taking the character in a less controversial direction. Over the decades, the company has changed her origin story, re-launched the series multiple times, and made more changes than can be counted. Marston once said, “Frankly, Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who, I believe, should rule the world.”[5]His vision may have gotten lost a few times over the course of her evolution, but that powerful core still remains.

Wonder Woman’s origin story

"The gods made the Amazons to restore peace to the world, and it’s what I’m going to do."

~ Wonder Woman

Enough about the man who created her! Let’s talk about the hero herself!

Again, DC Comics has published several iterations of Wonder Woman’s origins, but the original Marston story is the one that purists favor. In it, Diana is young a princess living on the secret island of Themyscira, a tropical paradise inhabited only by women warriors called Amazons. The Amazons were granted this island by the Greek gods and, Diana’s birth smacks of Greek mythology: She’s the daughter of Queen Hippolyta, but she was brought to life from a clay sculpture Diana loves her life of learning and sparring and training, having never known any other world.

The gods created the Amazons to bring a message of peace to humanity, but they never lived out that fate. Instead, after being enslaved by men for many years, they hid themselves away from the brutality and ignorance of man’s world, and built a matriarchal society brimming with magic and powerful sisterhood. As World War II rages outside their island, they are blissfully ignorant.[8]

Then Captain Steve Trevor crashes his fighter plane on the island, and begs for the Amazon’s help in the war. Hippolyta holds a tournament to determine who will return with Trevor, and (of course) Diana wins. She is given gifts by her loving sisters, including the Lasso of Truth and sandals that allow her to run at great speed. She does not, however, accompany the captain back to fight, but instead considers herself an emissary from Themyscira charged with bringing her ancestors’ message of peace to a tumultuous world, a Warrior-Sage.[9]

Of course, after she arrives, she is unable to remain peaceful for long. Although she takes on the mild-mannered alter ego of Diana Prince in daily life, she transforms into Wonder Woman whenever she needs to fight the forces of injustice. And she’s been fighting since 1941, in more than 700 comic books,[10]several television shows, and a big-budget Hollywood film.

Wonder Woman’s cultural impact

“If you need to stop an asteroid, you call Superman. If you need to solve a mystery, you call Batman. But if you need to stop a war, you call Wonder Woman.”

~ Gail Simone, comic book writer

Wonder Woman has been an icon of female strength, wisdom, and power for generations. Even women who don’t identify with the Warrior often adore and revere her, seeing her as a level-headed Sage, ardent Lover, or caring Mother to all of humanity. She holds near-universal appeal because she is such a perfect balance of female archetypes. We can allidentify with Wonder Woman on some level.

And we’ve all loved and admired her from the moment her comics hit the newsstands. She paved the way for other women superheroes, and did so early in the history of comic books and superhero sagas. She has earned legions of loyal fans, and more join the ranks every day. The 2017 film sparked a new wave of interest, a new throng of young girls carrying Wonder Woman lunchboxes and backpacks to school, dreaming of being as strong and wise as she is. 

Our culture loves nothing more than to tear down a powerful, confident warrior woman. Physical prowess, bravery, speaking our minds, showing emotion, all of these things make us targets for ridicule. And millions of women worldwide, when faced with scorn and derision, put their hands on their hips and stand tall, imagining Wonder Woman rising up within them.

[1]http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/the-golden-age-of-comics/

[2]https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/origin-story-wonder-woman-180952710/

[3]Ibid.

[4]https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/origin-story-wonder-woman-180952710/

[5]Ibid.

[6]http://www.vulture.com/2017/06/wonder-woman-origin-story-the-strange-feminist-history.html

[7]https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/6/7/15740202/wonder-woman-origin-story-amazons-marston-explained

[8]Ibid.

[9]Ibid.

[10]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publication_history_of_Wonder_Woman

The Real Reason Why Mary Magdalene Is Such a Controversial Figure

http://time.com/5210705/mary-magdalene-controversial/

Operation Family Caregiver Annual Conference

Get Unstuck: 7 Rock-Solid Steps to Overcome Inertia, Build Willpower and Implement Change by Lorena Knapp

How often have you said, “I know what I need to do” or “I’m planning on it” but days later (or weeks or months) you still haven’t taken action? You want to do it. You mean to do it. You should do it. But you aren’t.

You’re stuck.

Why? Inertia.

Inertia is the disinclination to move or act.

Inertia is powerful. It keeps us in the job we hate, spending time with “Debbie Downers”, or from shedding the extra 15 pounds. We are creatures of habit. We don’t like change.

To overcome inertia you will need to apply force. In this case, the “force” is the decision to act and moving from thinking to doing.

Overcoming inertia is simple but it isn’t easy. It will be work. You’ll want to slide back into your old habits. Starting an exercise program and getting into shape? Not that fun. Staying in shape? Not nearly as difficult. In the beginning, you will need willpower to develop momentum and establish a new way of being.

What we know about willpower: 

It is a limited resource.

You have a finite amount it willpower. The more choices you make, the more you deplete your willpower. After I’ve been flying for several hours, making countless decisions about the weather, our route, the fuel required, and how to best assist the crew and the patient, my willpower is depleted. This is when I am most likely to make poor food choices. The package of cookies in the vending machine or a fast-food meal seems like a great idea even though I often have healthy snacks in my flight bag.

Finding ways to limit your choices will help preserve your willpower.

Having a system helps. A routine prevents you from having to make as many choices. President Obama’s diet and wardrobe are limited. He says,“I don’t want to waste any time deciding what to wear or what to eat. I have difficult decisions to make.”

Believing in your willpower makes it stronger.

Research has shown that if believe you have the willpower to do something you are much more likely to succeed. If you believe your willpower is weak, you are much more likely to give in or settle. When you tell yourself, I have no willpower to resist moose tracks ice cream (the best ice cream ever), this is true. But if you tell yourself you can resist, then that will be true. Stop telling yourself you don’t have any willpower. You do. Once you strengthen willpower in one area of your life, it will carry over to other areas of your life.

7 Rock-Solid Steps to Overcome Inertia and Implement Change

1. Start Small. All you want to do in the beginning is have a tiny bit of movement. Think of a train. It takes time to build momentum. At first, all you need to do is get out of the station. What is one small action you can take today? Go for a walk? Research job opportunities for 15 minutes? Declutter one drawer? Replace one soda with water? Small actions lead to big dreams.

2. Create a Routine and Make a Date with Yourself. At a recent writing retreat with Ron Carlson, he said, “You wouldn’t not show up for a coffee date with a friend, so why aren’t you showing up for a date with yourself?” He was referring to a writing practice but the sentiment could be applied to anything you want to do. Scheduling a date with yourself is like the “pay yourself first” financial strategy. Carve out time for you. Preferably daily. Make it into a routine. Working on something for a shorter period of time daily is preferable to a longer block of time less frequently. Even twenty minutes is effective. Show up.

3. Be Specific. You’ve scheduled a time for your project. Now make it as simple as possible. Remove as many choices as you can to preserve your willpower. Decide exactly what you will accomplish. I often feel resistance when I am working on my book. Thoughts of “I don’t know what I’m doing” threaten to derail me. At the end of each writing session I make a note about what to work on next. Then when I open my Scrivener file, I skip the scariness of a blank page and instead have a clear direction for the day. Choose what you’ll do for your workout. Decide the topic of your blog post ahead of time. Know what tweaks you want to make to your website. Pick which drawer you will declutter. Be specific.

4. Create Consequences. Consequences can be positive or negative. I work much better with positive consequences. In the beginning, keep the rewards small and frequent. Once you’ve developed some momentum, you will be able to sustain yourself for longer and work toward bigger rewards. I wanted to read a juicy new book about the Pilgrim family but didn’t allow myself to start it until I had finished my writing for the week. What will you earn if you work on your project three days in a row? Dinner with a friend? A movie? Downloading a new song?

5. Believe in Your Willpower. Tell yourself you can do it. Your brain believes what you tell it. If you tell yourself you can be organized, you’re more likely to be organized.  If you tell yourself you work out regularly, you will. Create a new normal.

6. Don’t Worry if You Miss a Day. Don’t let one off day or crazy week derail you. Restart. Recommit. This is about progress, not perfection. Each time it will be easier to get going again.

7. Enlist Support. An accountability partner or a supportive community increases your chance of success. Don’t go it alone. Check in with these people regularly. Tell them about your project. Have them ask you about it when they see you. You can’t fall off the radar when you enlist support.

The hardest part of getting unstuck is getting started. By using your willpower, you’ll build momentum and implement lasting change. What change are you implementing?

Photo Credit: Charlotte Anabar

Guest Blogger Bio: Lorena Knapp is a medevac helicopter pilot and writer living in Alaska. Her website, Big State, Big Life, is about sharing the tools, ideas and resources you need to live your own personal Big Life. A life where you are fulfilled and connected with the things and people that matter. No more “somedays,” we are living a Big Life today. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Oh, and you can watch her TEDx talk “Get Uncomfortable: Living in the Yellow” here.

LOVER: Anaïs Nin

The only abnormality is the incapacity to love.

~ Anaïs Nin

Like so many great artists, writer Anaïs Nin received more accolades for her work after her death. During the decades she was living life to its fullest and writing passionately about sensual topics, she was mostly ignored and sometimes shunned. Back then she was one of the only writers writing explicitly about sex from the woman’s point of view, and she didn’t shy away from related topics including illegal abortions, extramarital affairs, and even incest. In modern times, Anaïs would’ve been a rebel. Back in the 1940s when she was creating her mesmerizing stories, she was an outcast.

Anaïs may not have become a trailblazer and a rule-breaker until she was an adult, but her formative years had a huge impact on her wild, untamed personality!

 

A childhood among artists

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.

~ Anaïs Nin

Born in France in 1903 as Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmell (what a mouthful!), Anaïs spent her early years absorbing the cultural wonders of Europe. Her father was Joaquín Nin, a Cuban composer, and her mother was Rosa Culmell, a classically trained singer,[1] so she and her two brothers grew up in a household filled with music. Her father left when Anaïs was just two years old, so the family moved from France to Spain where they stayed until she was a teen.[1] Joaquín was not gone forever, though, and would reappear as a frightening figure in her life just a few years later ...

While in Spain, Anaïs took up a practice that would become totally transformative: journaling. At the age of 11, she began keeping a rich and detailed diary of her thoughts and experiences.[1] These diaries would come to be the source materials for her future books, and many would eventually be published in their original forms.

Also during that time, her father came back into her life, and began to abuse her sexually. She was only nine years old, and would one day recount these experiences in the third volume of her journals, titled Incest.

Appreciating the Integrated Women

Appreciating the Integrated Woman

With all the talk of Women Power at the Golden Globes, it makes us think about what that means?

In generalized terms, integration refers to the overall ability to blend into a larger whole and that makes a powerful woman!

When all the different parts of ourselves become balanced and thus strive to give energy to that equalized whole rather than individual segments of the persona we are powerful!

We all have our home life, work life, love life, how we connect with certain circles of friends, our family persona, our leader face and our cut-loose style to name a few personal segments. Basically, there are a lot of faces that we keep in the closet – and we know which face to grab when we are amidst certain situations, circles or individuals. This juggling act can create stress, resentment and even pain in our lives. The confusion of crossing faces can even spill over into our relationships and behaviors. But what if we could just have a “one face fits all” type presentation to the world?  Is that realistically possible?

The relieving answer is YES.  We are fully capable of developing enough comfort and confidence with the various sides of our character to showcase them as a whole instead of spotlighting ourselves as fragmented parts. Our values can hold a steady line instead of wavering on a situational scale.

Throughout our life, we are shaping our identity.  This consists of clarifying interpersonal growth priorities and eliminating our personal defense mechanisms by countering those guards with opportunities to clear our resistance through growth work. 

Integration bestows acceptance of our life events, traumas, and overall history.  We fully acknowledge, embrace and connect with them instead of justifying, denying or holding onto the victim role and re-living the pain. Through the grace of integration, our thoughts, emotions and actions are essentially the same thing in different phases of manifestation.

Obviously, this is easier said than done and can take lots of practice (and even therapy).  But that’s what role models are for, right?  They show us these shifts are possible and they are vital to a life well lived.  Oprah is a role model for many women and you may have someone else in mind too.

As we ourselves in other women they reflect a prism where our different sides come together to create a beautiful reflection of self-expression. 

 Through their example, we see how to overcome the events of our past, and achieve our various goals without the pigeonhole effect.  They are able to blissfully blend various callings, convictions and qualities, allowing this combination of their powerhouse personas to bring their life to another level of attainable fulfillment. They are in a sense, our integrated icons. 

Here’s one of my role models….

Katharine Hepburn: Liberated and Integrated

“We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers – but never blame yourself. It’s never your fault. But it’s always your fault, because if you wanted to change you’re the one who has got to change.”

Katherine Hepburn

A key ingredient found in an integrated woman is a fierce independence.

And by fierce, we mean a woman with full confidence in her very spirit.

Screen legend Katharine Hepburn was such a woman, but she moved beyond a fighter to integrate her mother, lover and fighter instincts to live a colorful successful life. As a screen legend she broke barriers for women. And as an individual, she didn’t fall into the norms of what a women “should” be.  Her individualization quality led her to be an icon. I picked her because she inspires me to be my best self and move beyond what is expected of a woman.

Not only was she self-assured in her acting abilities, she was also confident in her various convictions –whether they were popular or accepted by the general consensus. 

She was gifted not only in her acting abilities but in having strong confidence in herself- sticking to her likes and convictions whether they were popular or not in her time. With her unconventional lifestyle and the independent characters she brought to the screen, Hepburn epitomized the “modern woman” in 20th century America and is remembered as an important cultural figure.

How often could we use a little pep talk towards owning our own passions and principles?

Here are 10 ways Katharine illustrated how to be an integrated woman who owns her convictions:

1.  She refused to conform when it didn’t feel right.  She listened to her inner wisdom.   We all have this quality, but sometimes don’t tap into it to be our best selves. How often do we find ourselves making decisions based on what our mother, friends, or colleagues would do?  We regularly place the reactions of others above our own satisfaction or beliefs.  Have you ever bypassed an outfit you felt amazing in based on what you feared public perception would be? Katharine was wearing pants (“trousers”) long before it was socially acceptable for a woman to do so.  Imagine the looks she garnered when she graced the room. Even as a young child, Katharine was bold in her persuasions, embodying a tomboy who cut her hair short and preferred to be called “Jimmy.”  In an interesting twist, she ended up starring in a movie alongside Cary Grant as a woman who masquerades as a boy for the majority of the film (of course, she cut her hair short for the role).  Later in life, she was cast in a film that was a frontrunner in dealing with interracial marriage “Guess who’s coming to Dinner.” She also became a supporter for birth control and a woman’s right to choose. Throughout her life, she followed the beat of her own drum.

2.  She rose above criticism.  While acting in theatre, Katharine was bashed by many critics for her “shrill” voice. Instead of cowering and letting that comment keep her from ever gracing a stage again, she took the criticism constructively and signed on with a voice tutor, continuing her acting endeavors all the while.

3.  She dusted herself off after her mistakes.  On the opening night of her first theatre leading role, Katharine showed up late, mixed up her lines, tripped on her feet, and spoke so fast the audience couldn’t understand her – and was promptly fired that night.  Not to be deterred, Katharine sought and captured another leading role in a different play two months later. She then went on to be fired (for an assumed lack of talent) in four more plays, until her breakout performance in The Warrior’s Husband.  In this role, all of her greatest attributes were finally able to shine.  A Hollywood agent in the audience took notice. She was an instant success in the very first movie role she accepted. Had Katharine quit after her 1st, 2nd, 3rd or even 4th dismissal, we may not have one of our most legendary icons, a woman we look up to today.  It is often tenacity, more so than talent, which brings forth a star.

4.  She never gave way to intimidation.  When Katharine made the switch from performing in a theatre to film acting, the move was not without adaptations on her end.  But she was notably never intimidated and went head to head with some of the industries leading stars, all while collecting raving reviews.

5.  She wasn’t afraid to insist.  When Katharine saw the script for Morning Glory on a producer’s desk, she instinctively knew she was born to play the central character, Eva Lovelace, and insisted that she be cast in the role.  She went on to convince the producer, by using her lover and mother qualities kindly nurturing the producer to convince him she was right for the role. In my own life I live by “ you can get more bees with honey. “ I admire her for never appearing like a “ bitch” and yet she got her way.  Yes, she ended up winning an Academy Award for Best Actress, officially solidifying her as one of Hollywood’s key players.

6.  She could brag about herself – and mean it.  We tend to classify bragging about oneself as vain, but on the contrary, isn’t a good dose of self-appreciation excellent for the soul?  Katharine sure thought so!  Notably her favorite role was “Jo” in Little Women, and she was publically proud of her performance. She was once quoted as saying, “I defy anyone to be as good [as Jo] as I was.”  Because she believed in herself, she supported herself  financially. What freedom! “Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting.”   This is not only sage advise, but it allowed her to be a lover and a mother. she nurtured all women to be independent and love who she wanted, not who she  needed to support her.

7.  She remained humble…not meek.  Amidst her peak of fame, Katharine took a role in the film Spitfire.  In it, she played an uneducated mountain girl named Trigger Hicks. Katharine is said to have kept a picture of her character (Trigger Hicks) in her bedroom to keep her humble and inspire her. Success never went to her head, even if she was mega confident! A sage quality is knowing we aren’t the center of  the universe, but can still make a difference.  I relate to this in that I want to hear and write inspirational stories. I’m writing about the wives of wounded warriors’. Finding unsung hero’s is humbling and motivating. Shining the light on them through a book or a movie inspires us all.

8.  She wasn’t afraid to be the “bad guy.”  If we are honest, a lot of our desires go unmet simply because we don’t want to be viewed as the bad guy in the situation.  Katharine marched right over those self-imposed barriers and always remained true to what felt right for her.  She refused to give interviews to the press and even once wrangled a camera from a photographer’s hand when he took an unauthorized photo of her. She opted not to speak to fans or give autographs, and distanced herself from the celebrity lifestyle as she thought the glitzy social scene was superficial. She rarely appeared in public and even chose not to frequent restaurants. She was extremely private but never felt the need to embark upon a justification tour. She wasn’t defensive, but very warm and more interested in others , the qualities of a lover and mother.

9.  Age was never an excuse.  At an age when most Hollywood starlets begin to slip quietly behind the curtain, Katharine took some of the biggest risks of her career and dove even deeper into her craft and pushed her comfort levels. These pivotal years are said to be the heart of her legacy.  She inspires me that we don’t hit our peak at 30. If we are lucky enough to live until 80 we can have many peaks. I hear girls in their 20’s say it’s too late to go back to school or start a new career. She shows us that we can live out all our colors. Life doesn’t end at 40. If we allow our mother, lover, fighter and sage to shine life is fun.

10. She took responsibility for her controversy. And her way of living out her lover archetype. “If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun.” Katharine partook in a long-standing, 27-year affair with fellow married actor, Spencer Tracy.  While the two’s relationship spanned nearly three generations and nine films, she never once pressured him to leave his family even when his wife reportedly “encouraged” him to see other people and they remained separated in different homes for the majority of their marriage.  Katharine never denied their relationship. She wasn’t the one who broke the contract, as she was single. She is also known for saying . “Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get – only with what you are expecting to give – which is everything. “  and “Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then.”  She received all the romance and never the dirty laundry in her relationship with men. As a single woman I can relate to her. I admire her for paving the road for single women. I’m not a spinster and I’m not willing to settle just to look good to society, or not live alone. I love being single with romantic relationships.

11. She always pursued other passion outlets.  Often times when we find our niche, we let that niche define us. Katharine, however, made it a priority to continue adding passions to her repertoire and was an enthusiastic swimmer, tennis player, and painter.

Thank you, Katharine, for paving such a spirited trail for other Integrated Women to follow!

Stepping Stones:

With social media, society’s opinionated threshold is at an all-time high in influencing our attitudes and ideals. It’s easy to conform simply to avoid condemnation.  What is a way you have stood up against an element of conformity in your own life?  What is a way you wish to take a stand?

Katharine was a veteran at dusting herself off after perceived failures. What is a series of setbacks you have overcome?

Katharine insisted on the role that led to her first Academy Award. Have you ever felt so strongly about an intuition that you insisted upon it?

Katharine could brag about herself – it can be healthy! Go ahead and give yourself a hearty dose of brag.  What trait, accomplishment or asset are you proud of? How can you be so grandiose to see your self in a famous icon? We all have Katharine’s traits, but the key is tapping into them to live the life we imagine. Can you be bold enough to live the life you want?

Scientists seek veterans to help treat CTE

Researchers are trying to prevent and treat CTE, the brain disease caused by repetitive head trauma – including combat blasts. Here's how vets can help:

Mysterious & Majestic: Which Goddess is Your Personality?

Ancient Celtic society is as intriguing as it is mysterious.  History laced with folklore, rumor and grandeur to weave a beautiful yet convoluted image of one of the most historically rich cultures of our time. Many Celtic goddesses may have in fact been inspired from actual Celtic women. Some of these goddesses were so beloved, that even the Christian church could not part with them so they elevated them to Saint status and called it a day.

What we do know for sure about women in Ancient Celtic society is they enjoyed rights that women in Greek and Roman societies were not afforded. Celtic women were protected by the law and could own property, get a divorce, be a priest, a judge, a doctor, a poet, fight in battle and even own her own fighting school. They were honored as much for their minds as their bodies and served as both warriors and rulers. Marriage was viewed as an equal partnership, and they could conduct business without the consent or involvement of their husbands. They could serve as political diplomats, become priestesses, poets, and healers.

Since many Americans are in fact descendants of these famous Europeans via Welsh, Scot, Cornish and Breton pedigrees, it is worth noting how we may share a kindred spirit with these ancient deities.

Just as a tree will always produce the leaves of its roots, we also still display the same independence, artistic and audacious nature as these bold beauties.

Here are 11 Celtic Goddesses that should send you on your own kind of odyssey (and may even inspire a special Halloween costume):

1.  The Natropathic: Aine of Knockaine– was the Celtic Goddess of love and fertility, later known as the fairy queen. She is affiliated with the moon, crops, and farms or cattle. Aine is revered among Irish herbalists and healers and is said to be responsible for the body’s life force.

2.  The Green Thumb: Airmid- was a healing Goddess of the celtic order of Tuatha de Danaan, Goddess of medicinal plants and keeper of the spring. She is a regenerator, and brings the dead to life again.

3.  The Tempted: Blodeuwedd – was changed into an owl for committing adultry. She symbolizes wisdom, lunar mysteries, and initiations. She is also known to help a garden or a child grow.

4.  The Multidimensional: Brighid– Some say there are actually three Brighids; one is in charge of poetry and inspiration; one is in charge of midwifery and healing, and the last is in charge of crafts and blacksmithing. When Christianity was at its onset, so loved was Brighid that she was elevated to a saint. However, the upkeep on her flame was considered pagan by the church and it was extinguished out of more than a thousand years of burning. St. Brigit symbolizes human potential and remains one of the most popular Irish saints today, alongside Saint Patrick.

5.  The Dreamer: Caer Ibormeith- was the Goddess of sleep and dreams (think “counting your sheep). She often took the form of a swan who lived on a lake called Dragon’s Mouth, and wore a copious golden chain with 130 golden balls on a silver chain about her slender neck. She was vehemently adored and sought after by the God of young love. When he awakened from a dream of her, he sought her out. After he found her, he too became a swan, and the two of them flew and sang the sweetest, most calming music ever heard upon this earth. They are said to have put all of Ireland asleep with their music for 3 days and 3 nights.

6.  The Horse Lover: Epona- was the Goddess of horsebreeding, healing spring, prosperity and mountains. Called Divine Horse and the Great Mare, the Goddess of horses was acknowledged and also worshipped by Roman soldiers.

7.  The Animal Activist: Flidais– was the Goddess of the forest, woodlands, and wild things. She had a magic cow that could produce milk enough for three hundred men in one night. Also a shapeshifter who rode in a deer-drawn chariot. Heavily associated with protection of wild animals.

8.  The Man-Eater: Maeve- was the Goddess of Earth, fertility and war. She was a great conqueror and enjoyed enslaving the men of the various armies she defeated as spoils of war to pleasure her at will. An extremely lustful woman. The mere sight of Maeve blinds enemies, and she runs faster than the fastest horse. With her heavy sexual drive, she needs thirty men a day to ease her sexual appetite. Also a fertility Goddess.

9.  The Avenger: Morrigan– was the Celtic Goddess of war and death who could take the shape of a crow or raven. If you’ve ever been one to “get even” this Supreme warrior Goddess has got you covered. She is associated with the frightening aspects of female energy. She symbolizes the power of the dark Goddess’ prowess, death, war, and fate. A shapeshifting war Goddess of sensuality, magic, prophecy, revenge.

10. The Fallen Hero Helper: Nemain- was Celtic war goddess who appears to help heroes at their death.

11. The Money-Maker: Rosmerta – was also know as “The Great Provider”. She was the Celtic Goddess of fertility and wealth. Her symbols are a cornucopia [the horn of plenty] and a stick with two snakes. She may be invoked for fertility or money.

Now let’s be honest, more than one of these goddesses represent layers of our own personas, but which is your favorite?  May we always live a life so out of the ordinary that a future civilization is left to wonder if we were in fact real or a beautiful legend.

5 Tools to Help You Feel Alive in the New Year

What makes you feel alive? Here are five tools I use to help me feel alive:

1. Above all, take risks. No caterpillar can become a butterfly without risking leaving the cocoon. You must live unbridled!

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Helen Keller

2. Fill your world with sensual pleasures wherever you can find them: the smell of a BBQ, the taste of your favorite ice cream, the sound of the ocean, the feel of your lover’s touch.

What are your sensual pleasures? I went from a secretive life to a sensual life. A material life to an experiential life. Don’t be ashamed to seek out what pleases and excites you in whatever form it takes, as long as it’s not harmful to others.

I enjoy dancing, the sound of the music, skating around the dance floor and laughter among friends. What is your pleasure?

“The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” Eleanor Roosevelt

3. If you want to feel alive, give life and give of yourself. Strive to make the world a better place because you were here. It definitely will make you feel alive. Pick something that you want to change and be the change you want to see. Is it sharing a love for cooking? Is it helping to empower women? Is it nurturing mother earth by gardening?

Mother Teresa was asked why she helped the children of Calcutta and she responded, “Because it gave ME so much joy!”

4. Don’t let anyone “suck the life out of you.” Negative people will bring you down to their victimization. Most people live lives of quiet desperation, dying with the music still in them. Seek out friends who are excited about life and all the opportunities to enjoy life.

“I do not want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.” Diane Ackerman

5. Be aware of your life. Do you remember what excited you yesterday, what simple pleasures you enjoyed? We can be the co-authors of our life to create the life we want, to feel alive! It just may take thinking about what we want and then taking the risk to make it happen!

“Most people think once or twice a year. I’ve made an international name for myself by thinking once or twice a week. “ George Bernard Shaw.

Meet Me On the Slopes: Reconnecting in Nature

Happy Holidays!

How about giving the gift of time?

If you are a wounded warrior or wife of wounded warrior you are eligible for a free Ski Get away with Vail Veterans or National Ability Center!

If you’re a civilian you can volunteer with these programs!

Here’s an excerpt from the book WOUNDED WARRIOIR, WIFE  showing the healing power through recreation!

When a soldier, marine, sailor or airman return home wounded–grappling with PTS and plagued by nightmares–he may struggle to feel connected to his wife. Married couples who have been close for years, even decades, who are used to trading secrets and sharing life-altering experiences, suddenly feel like they are from different planets. Even like they’re living on different planets. The space seems vast, and the silence seems deafening.

Finding a way to reconnect is essential. Therapy and sharing, bonding over the struggles of a new way of life, and working through difficulties by talking them out are all helpful practices. But sometimes it takes something more–something unexpected and drastically different–to forge a new bond.

This was the case for Jane.

Jane met her husband Kyle while working as a park ranger at Vail mountain , Colorado. He was a big guy, bald and blue-eyed, with an appealingly athletic build and personality to match. Jane was an outdoorsy person herself, and they fell in love hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter together. They were engaged six months after they met and married six months later in October 1990. Kyle was in the Navy reserves then, doing his duty on weekends and two weeks a year. After they were married nearly 20 years, Kyle was put on active duty and was required to leave for longer periods. Eventually he was deployed overseas.

In Afghanistan, Kyle’s Humvee was hit by an IED explosion, and both of his legs had to be amputated. He was lucky to be medevaced out within an first hour or it could have been much worse. After bilateral amputations to the knees, he was fitted with new legs and had to go through intense physical therapy.

Once he was back on his feet, Jane thought their life together would be easier. She didn’t notice the aftershocks of PTS and traumatic brain injury until after Kyle was discharged and had been home for quite some time. He often got dizzy and had ringing in his ears; his eyes became light sensitive which forced him to wear dark glasses all the time; he was very distressed by noise and could not be around crowds. Jane believed they had a strong marriage – they had been married for over 20 years — but his injuries changed how they treated each other.

“We’re still very close and love each other very much,” she said. “But I feel I have to leave the room at times because of something he says or does.”

One of the changes that is most noticeable to Jane is Kyle’s temper. Whenever he became angry he had no filter when he spoke.

“He’s emotionally regressed,” Jane confided. “He’s not the man he used to be. Sometimes I feel like I’m dealing with a two-year-old throwing a temper tantrum.”

Jane found that her husband’s PTS took a psychological toll on her as well. She would get depressed because she couldn’t always do the things she wanted to do. What bothered her the most was having to make excuses to their friends and family for their absences.  Sometimes she would cope in unhealthy ways such as eating more or not going to the gym. Self-care can fall to the wayside when all of your time and energy get used up caring for someone else. It’s natural, but frustrating.

She still puts time, energy, and effort into her relationship with Kyle, though, and focuses on cultivating patience.

“When I was younger I was a bit of a hot head myself, but age has mellowed me, so I can go with the flow better in certain situations.”

Jane has taken it upon herself to study up on PTS to get a better understanding of what triggers Kyle’s outbursts. She also formulates strategies for heading it off by removing him from situations that cause him anxiety or stress.

Jane was grateful that she’d had the chance to travel when she was younger, because when her life changed and she was convinced her globe-trotting days were over, she felt content to stay home and care for her husband and grandkids. But just when Jane had resigned herself to letting go of traveling and adventures, Kyle told her about the Vail Veterans’ Program.

And in the blink of an eye, they were packing their  bags to go to Vail.

The Vail Veterans’ Program was founded in 2004 to provide rehabilitation sports training to severely wounded warriors and their wives. Jane was excited about this organization because although it was focused on helping her husband heal, she got to participate too.

As you might expect of a program based in Vail, this one was all about skiing. Kyle’s instructors at the Vail Veterans Program strapped him into a monoski and put him on Golden Peak’s bunny hill, while Jane skied along with him. She watched him open up and transform before her eyes. This program got him out of his shell and added a new dimension to their life through their shared love of the outdoors.

“Gliding through the snow on ‘wings of wood’ is the closest thing to flying,” Jane explains. “We felt a sense of thrill and joy soaring over the shining crystalline whiteness.”

The healing process is a journey that lasts a lifetime—for wounded warriors and their caregivers. The four days Jane spent with Kyle in Vail skiing and sharing meals with other Wounded Warriors and their wives was a turning point in both of their lives. They met skiing, and it was skiing that brought them back together again. Now these two are healing their wounded souls through sharing new positive experiences, and gently forcing a world that can feel small and suffocating to expand and unfold.

As a physical therapist working with patients in rehabilitation, I have seen how most patients can’t wait to get out into the great outdoors after being in a hospital for months. I’ve taken patients skiing, fishing, hiking and horseback riding, and have watched their eyes light up as they experience the world beyond the hospital room.

For the caregiver, getting away from the hospital was as beneficial to her as it was to her husband. The desire to escape can be irresponsible, but at times it’s essential. Wives of wounded warriors can’t “suit up and show up” day after day without ever taking a break. There are times when she must face her responsibilities and dodging them is not the answer. But every once in a while she needs to break free.

Sometimes I think the very best thing couples can do is run like hell — as fast and as far away as they can possibly go. Because there are circumstances in which a change of scenery can change their minds.  There are times when spending time away from the hospital, away from the city, away from the stress, can be just the balm their wounded soul needs to recover. And when you feel trapped in the stifling space of a home filled with angry outbursts, flashbacks, and night terrors, leaving home together can be the key to unlocking a whole new level of recovery and reconciliation.

Taking a running leap can, at times, gives you a better chance of learning to fly. Leaping together can help you reunite in flight.