By Esther Frances

I’m writing this a couple of hours after the Equinox, feeling optimistic about our human species, feeling that the Great Turning has begun. Like the wee sliver of a crescent moon, I’m feeling the new babe of awakened awareness attempting its first steps.

It’s easy to point the finger at the many examples of atrocities still with us and feel discouraged. The barbarism has been here a long, long time. It is not new. Like a body flushing out toxins, the poisons of prejudice, patriarchy and war testify to the sick mind, body and soul of humanity that has raped and pillaged, extracted and dominated, driven by ignorance, fear and greed, the cause of countless suffering.

YET, in the midst of the horror and the breakdown of the blinded beliefs, a passionate love for Mother Earth is awakening. Tonight at a poetry workshop and open mic I saw men share their feelings, women powerfully express their “no” to the claws of male priviledge while saying yes to their dignity, strength, and beauty, not needing an external source of approval. Continue reading →