Many of you will recall my recent trip to Charleston and meeting Sue Monk Kidd at her Workshops.  I'd mentioned that I'd bought her book, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter."  Believe me, I couldn't put it down.....I have it highlighted throughout and I finished it in three days.  I also ordered a copy for my daughter, Susan, because I feel this is one book that most women should read.

Sue was a "conventionally religious, churchgoing woman, a traditional wife and mother" with a thriving career as a Christian writer, until she began to question her role as a woman in her culture, her family and her church.  She takes readers through the fear, anger, healing, and transformation of her awakening and provides inspiring wisdom for all who struggle to embrace their full humanity.

Between meeting Sue in person and hearing her speak and then reading her book, there's no doubt in my mind that a creative transformation is taking place with me.  But what I wanted to focus on in relation to her book was the Sacred Feminine.  Are you familiar with the term?  Have you done any research on it?  Back in the early 90's when I was embarking on my own spiritual journey, I read the book "Women Who Run With the Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes.......it was one of the most profound books I'd ever read about the feminine soul and how we go about finding that soul.  That was another book that is heavily highlighted with notes in the margins.  I devoured it and it still sits on my bookshelf, within easy reach. 

I'm not sure that all women go through this spiritual journey trying to reconnect to their feminine soul, but I have a feeling quite a number do.  And we're all at various stages and levels of this transformation.  I feel I've traveled quite far.  Actually, before meeting Sue I think I thought I'd reached my peak.......how wrong I was.  When I first began, I believe a lot of the issues I had to deal with back then had to do with the relationship with my mother.  It took many years, and when they finally got sorted out, I guess I thought I was finished seeking the feminine soul. Not by a longshot.

I'm now in the process of going through another transformation, but this time it has to do with my writing and my creativity and I'm welcoming it with open arms.  I won't lie....once I did get home and began processing all that I'd heard Sue speak about, all that I'd taken in, all that I wrote down, I thought perhaps I was being silly.  Maybe it was my great imagination taking hold and I wasn't really on another journey.  I mentioned "signs" in one of my entries the other day.  How they come upon us and if we listen and pay attention, we find their meaning.  I shared with you about the butterfly I found.

Sue explained that snakes are the symbol of feminine wisdom and instinct.  I'm terrified of snakes.  Always have been.  I've never seen anything redeeming about them.  She told about the Minoan Snake Goddess of Crete, who symbolizes the Goddess Within.  This is way too deep and involved for me to explain here in a blog entry, but I just wanted to give you a bit of background. 

After I finished her book, I'd decided I wanted to order a replica of the Minoan Snake Goddess.  I've found one on the Internet, but I haven't ordered it yet.  Maybe I was still doubting all that I'd heard and read.  Maybe I was doubting this creativity spurt in myself.  I'm not sure, but......

A week ago Wednesday, I got together with a new friend on the island, Sue.  During the course of our conversation, she tells me that they have a......pet snake.  A 4 ft. Python, that stays in a cage on their front porch.  As we sat on my lanai talking about the snake and me asking questions.....Sue's book sat inches away from me.  I thought gosh, what a coincidence.  I mean, really, how many people have a snake as a pet?  It's sure not your common household pet....and yet, Sue has one.  I brushed this aside as "coincidence" until last Friday......

When I was having lunch with my friend, Molly.  All of a sudden she pulls her digital camera out of her bag and says, "LOOK what I saw over near Jernigan" (the western part of the island)  I looked at her camera and got goose bumps.......a huge rattlesnake, reclining just off the road.  Molly saw it, rolled down her car window and snapped the picture.

So, I don't know.......is all of this simply coincidence?  Or could they be signs that I shouldn't doubt what I've been feeling about this change in my creativity to another level?  I'm not sure what you think......but as for me, I think I'll just stop doubting.......and go with the flow.  I'll keep you posted.  And an update on my manuscript...........I beat my own self-imposed deadline.  I finished the manuscript a week ago yesterday and got it into the mail to the evaluator a week ago today.  And I'd have to say.......I think my feminine soul is pushing me forward. 

See you tomorrow.........