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Bean wondered if I'm a maiden, mother, or crone.
First there's the fact that I feel a little weird about a categorization that sorts women based on their reproductive status. I know it's deeper than that, but that is the basis for the symbolism, and I think it's a little limited. I don't think I fit neatly (or consistently, if you'd rather) into one categorization. Some days I feel very playful and maideny, some days when working with my grove I think I'm more mothery (it's my baby), some days all full of wisdom and croney. So it depends on the day (hell, sometimes it changes by the hour). I can't even say which I do more often. Some days I feel ways that don't really fit into any of those categories unless you really over-rationalize it. Heck even basic astrology doesn't cover all the kinds of humans with it's 12 categories- you have to start looking at Moon signs and stuff to rationalize that. :)
Mercedes Lackey threw in another category, warrior. Yeah, I can see that, but it still doesn't cover it all. I don't think the guys have it much better. Sometimes they only get 2- bright lord and dark lord. Warrior, father and sage is one way I've heard it; again- I don't think every guy goes through a warrior stage. Lackey did a rover, guardian, hunter, and guide. These are interesting. I'll paste where I'm getting this from below, and though it's fiction it's pretty well established that Mercedes Lackey is pagan and if she doesn't use this symbolism in her personal work I'd be very surprised.
Anyway, I don't know. There's a lot of myth and psychology that tries to lay out a list of developmental categories or milestones people go through; sometimes they build on each other (you can't get to b until you've been through a), or sometimes they're more categories of characterization each with their own challenges or lessons ([whatever you are]s were put on this earth to do x and they won't be fulfilled until they do that in one form or another). Then there's just straight categorization (Myers Briggs, etc). It all has grains of truth, but I don't think any of them have the whole story. Big surprise, huh?
Anyway, why am I awake?
Shin'a'in Song of the Seasons
by Mercedes Lackey
The East wind is calling, so come ride away,
Come follow the Rover into the new day,
Come follow the Maiden, the Dark Moon, with me,
The new year’s beginning, come ride out and see.
Come follow the Rover out onto the plains,
Come greet the new life under sweet singing rains,
Come follow the Maiden beneath the full skies,
For where Her feet pass the new flowers will rise.
The South wind, oh hear it, we ride to the call
We follow the Guardian, the Lord of us all,
We follow the Warrior, the strong to defend,
The New Moon to fighters is ever a friend.
With summer comes fighting, with summer, our foes;
And how we must thwart them the Guardian knows.
The Warrior will give them no path but retreat,
The Warrior and Guardian will bring their defeat.
Come follow the West wind, the wind of the fall,
The Mother will cast Her cloak over us all.
Come follow the Hunter out onto the plain,
Return to the Clan with the prey we have slain.
For now comes the autumn, the time of the West,
The season of Full Moon, of harvest and rest,
So take from Her hands all the fruits of the fields,
And thank Him for all that the autumn-hunt yields.
The North wind, the cold wind, the wind of the snow,
Tells us, it is time winter pastures to go.
The Guide knows the paths, and the Crone shows us how-
The Old Moon, and time for returning is now.
And if, with the winter, should come the last breath,
And riding, we ride out of life into death,
The Wise One, the Old Moon, will ease our last load,
The Guide will be waiting to show the new road.
[dumb confession- I'm positive that Miz Lackey has written a wonderful tune to accompany this piece. However, due to recent caroling activities, it's lodged in my head to the tune of 'Away in a Manger'. Now it probably is in yours too. Sorry.]
First there's the fact that I feel a little weird about a categorization that sorts women based on their reproductive status. I know it's deeper than that, but that is the basis for the symbolism, and I think it's a little limited. I don't think I fit neatly (or consistently, if you'd rather) into one categorization. Some days I feel very playful and maideny, some days when working with my grove I think I'm more mothery (it's my baby), some days all full of wisdom and croney. So it depends on the day (hell, sometimes it changes by the hour). I can't even say which I do more often. Some days I feel ways that don't really fit into any of those categories unless you really over-rationalize it. Heck even basic astrology doesn't cover all the kinds of humans with it's 12 categories- you have to start looking at Moon signs and stuff to rationalize that. :)
Mercedes Lackey threw in another category, warrior. Yeah, I can see that, but it still doesn't cover it all. I don't think the guys have it much better. Sometimes they only get 2- bright lord and dark lord. Warrior, father and sage is one way I've heard it; again- I don't think every guy goes through a warrior stage. Lackey did a rover, guardian, hunter, and guide. These are interesting. I'll paste where I'm getting this from below, and though it's fiction it's pretty well established that Mercedes Lackey is pagan and if she doesn't use this symbolism in her personal work I'd be very surprised.
Anyway, I don't know. There's a lot of myth and psychology that tries to lay out a list of developmental categories or milestones people go through; sometimes they build on each other (you can't get to b until you've been through a), or sometimes they're more categories of characterization each with their own challenges or lessons ([whatever you are]s were put on this earth to do x and they won't be fulfilled until they do that in one form or another). Then there's just straight categorization (Myers Briggs, etc). It all has grains of truth, but I don't think any of them have the whole story. Big surprise, huh?
Anyway, why am I awake?
Shin'a'in Song of the Seasons
by Mercedes Lackey
The East wind is calling, so come ride away,
Come follow the Rover into the new day,
Come follow the Maiden, the Dark Moon, with me,
The new year’s beginning, come ride out and see.
Come follow the Rover out onto the plains,
Come greet the new life under sweet singing rains,
Come follow the Maiden beneath the full skies,
For where Her feet pass the new flowers will rise.
The South wind, oh hear it, we ride to the call
We follow the Guardian, the Lord of us all,
We follow the Warrior, the strong to defend,
The New Moon to fighters is ever a friend.
With summer comes fighting, with summer, our foes;
And how we must thwart them the Guardian knows.
The Warrior will give them no path but retreat,
The Warrior and Guardian will bring their defeat.
Come follow the West wind, the wind of the fall,
The Mother will cast Her cloak over us all.
Come follow the Hunter out onto the plain,
Return to the Clan with the prey we have slain.
For now comes the autumn, the time of the West,
The season of Full Moon, of harvest and rest,
So take from Her hands all the fruits of the fields,
And thank Him for all that the autumn-hunt yields.
The North wind, the cold wind, the wind of the snow,
Tells us, it is time winter pastures to go.
The Guide knows the paths, and the Crone shows us how-
The Old Moon, and time for returning is now.
And if, with the winter, should come the last breath,
And riding, we ride out of life into death,
The Wise One, the Old Moon, will ease our last load,
The Guide will be waiting to show the new road.
[dumb confession- I'm positive that Miz Lackey has written a wonderful tune to accompany this piece. However, due to recent caroling activities, it's lodged in my head to the tune of 'Away in a Manger'. Now it probably is in yours too. Sorry.]
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no subject
Date: Dec. 8th, 2004 06:15 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: Dec. 9th, 2004 02:38 am (UTC)From:i see that you identify with all three and then some.
i don't feel all that maideny anymore, i feel mother, and then warrior sometimes. or mother bear ;)
and lover/sexpot...