In Praise of Women Warriors

There are two women prominent in the news right now that I have enormous respect for. They exemplify the Feminine Warrior Spirit to me.

One is Cindy Sheehan whom I started out not liking because of her high-pitched whiney voice (sorry, it's true). This woman has started something big, I think. She took a stand, in the summer heat of a Texas prairie, and people are lining up to support her. Like so many political heroines, truth-tellers all, she has an amazing capacity to shoot right straight thru the bullshit to hit the bullseye:

Why do the right wing media so assiduously scrutinize the words of a grief filled mother and ignore the words of a lying president?
source: Report from Cindy - Day 3
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4295643
Link: http://mwc.mayfirst.org/?q=node/53

and here's her Nov. 4 letter to Bush which is pretty powerful too:
Letter to George from Cindy Sheehan dated Nov 4, 2004
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1997046
Link: http://www.angelfire.com/sk3/spkhntrca/Casey.html


The other warrioress is Beth Holloway Twitty, Natalee's mom. (First: I too mourn and rage that women of color and women who aren't beautiful and young and too many children aren't accorded anything near the media coverage of the perky cheerleader teen from Alabama, but that doesn't mean Natalee's disappearance shouldn't be covered or doesn't deserve to be. EVERY MOTHER's CHILD's disappearance deserves maximum press coverage -- something it occurs to me might actually put a chink in the number of these cases.)

Anyway, she has been down there indefatiguably fighting for her daughter, against an inept official investigation and possibly corrupt officials. She has conducted HER OWN investigation, coming back home for a while and gathering new and important information from her daughter's friends, and most recently, interviewing one of the young jerks released from custody, whom she said wouldn't look at her, wouldn't answer her. I am so proud of her. Through this she has been so dignified, so "together" and for the most part reasonable. She got badly dissed for lashing out verbally against the Aruban govt, and apologized for that later. But damn, she was probably right. I'm proud of her.

I'm especially proud of her given all the ugliness on DU about Natalee and her disappearance -- so much blaming the victim and outright sexism. One of the things that Beth learned when she came home and interviewed Natalee's friends in depth was that "No way Natalee thought she was doing anything other than getting in a taxi cab that would bring her back to the hotel." IOW, Natalee was abducted. AND, she has revealed that there were "sexual assaults" on Natalee IN that taxicab (tho she said she wasn't able to call it rape).

I am SO proud of both these women, fighting for their children -- their dead children, fighting for what's right, fighting corruption and ineptitude, speaking their truths, fightin on against all odds, and showing us the beauty and strength of the modern American Warrior Woman.

I love the way she describes the archetypes, including the Warrior.

Can you synposize or share a quote?

I should have done that but I'm on my sister's computer (Mac) and I'm having all kinds of trouble with simple things. Even cutting and pasting. Argh. I guess a Mac is supposed to be easier, but not if you're not used to it. :)

Here's part of a description of Pearson's follow-up book Awakening the Heros Within from imakenews.com:

While there are many kinds of archetypes that Jung and other authors have identified, Carol Pearson, in her book Awakening the Heros Within, looked at twelve key archetypes that most people experience in their lives. The twelve are grouped into three sets of four each. They relate to our psyche as well as our life-journey in search of wholeness or "individuation." The Ego (the conscious) archetypes relate to the preparation for the journey and include: Innocent, Orphan, Warrior and Caregiver. The Soul (the unconscious) archetypes relate to the journey itself and include: Seeker, Lover, Destroyer, and Creator. The Self (individuation) archetypes relate to the return from the journey and include: Ruler, Magician, Sage, and Fool.

An archetype can be a lifelong pattern, or we can go through a series of archetypes that define our lives. Paradoxically, we can also go through the twelve archetypes in the space of a few short minutes. To help see the relative strengths of the twelve archetypes in your life at the moment there is a Heroic Myth Index quiz in Pearson's book, which you can do.

There would seem to be an overall pattern of people being more in the Ego archetypes in their youth, moving on to the Soul archetypes in adulthood, and finally rounding out their senior years with an emphasis on the Self archetypes.

*****

I have both of these books at home, and I'll look for some good quotes and descriptions when I'm back there. They're quite accessible and not esoteric.

I feel like reading them again, now!

thanks so much. (Ugh. Also sounds like a book I just HAVE TO HAVE.)

But I always have identified with the warrior archetype.

I've come to consider Huffington a pretty powerful writer, but in this she nearly exceeds herself:

Cindy Sheehan Steps Into the Leadership Void

by Arianna Huffington

August 11, 2005

During my many years as a writer, I’ve interviewed hundreds of people. But talking with Cindy Sheehan this morning was unlike any conversation I’ve ever had. Even though we were talking via cell phone -- and had a crummy, staticky connection at that -- her authenticity and passion reached through the receiver and both touched my heart and punched me in the gut.

She spoke with a combination of utter determination, unassailable integrity, fearlessness, and the peace of someone who knows that their cause is just. Her commitment was palpable -- and infectious. It reminded me an old quote about the great Greek orators: “When Pericles spoke, the people said, ‘How well he speaks.’ But when Demosthenes spoke, they said, ‘Let us march!’”

<clip>

The time has passed when we can stand around waiting for a knight on a white horse to ride to our rescue. We’ve got to look to ourselves -- to the leader in the mirror. Our elected officials have woefully failed to provide the leadership needed on this most vital issue of our time. And stepping into that void is Cindy Sheehan. Inspiring us. Touching our conscience. Calling forth our courage and our commitment. Focusing our outrage. And acting as a catalyst for the tens of millions of Americans who know that the war in Iraq is a disgrace.


Link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1695124

and: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/arianna-huffington/cindy-sheehan-steps-into-_5480.html

Cindy Sheehan :yourock: She puts most of our so-called "leaders" to shame.