Still I Rise

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides.
Just like hopes springing high
Still I rise.

Do you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Digging' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness.
But still, like air, I rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I am a black ocean, leaping and wide
Welling and swelling I bear the tide
Leaving behind the nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors grave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave,
I rise
I rise
I rise.

MAYA ANGELOU

Fifty Shades of WTF?

     I have finally finished reading the Fifty Shades trilogy. And Wow! Just Wow... but so not in a good way. Firstly however,I will make the caveat that if it floats your boat, then absolutely Fair Play to you. It just sank mine to the depths. I think that this probably is my biggest issue with the series. I have no issue, if you find these books sexy. What I do have a massive issue with, is the assumption that all women should find this sexy. These books have been touted to be ’the user’s guide for women’. While this may have been said with a certain amount of humour, I don’t find this funny. To be told that this is what all women want is both highly irritating and nauseating. 
The media explosion surrounding these books fills me with disgust. Along with the Twilight fervour, the open acceptance of the constant manipulation and denigration of women is unreal. I mention Twilight because it is well known that the characters Edward and Bella were the inspiration for EL James’ stories. Both sets of novels present damaged and dangerous ’ideals’ of relationships. Downtrodden and despondent teenager Bella and her manipulative, but rich and beautiful Edward with his barely contained violence. Naive Ana, twenty one years old, but almost idiotically (and unrealistically) innocent and the rich, handsome, but damaged Christian with his barely contained violence. I can’t imagine that barely contained violence is s turn on for most women. Books like this make it seem that it is the case. 
I know girls as young as nine who have read the Twilight saga. Learning that it is okay for an one hundred and eleven year old man to ask you to lie to your friends and family, to sit in your bedroom and watch you sleep. That it is okay for him to dictate all the boundaries within your illicit relationship. To tell you he wants to kill you. That all this is fine, as long as he is beautiful and tells you that he loves you.
Ana and Christian’s relationship is no less dysfunctional. His irrational need to control Ana’s every move. His constant bullying that’s for her own good since she is unable to care for herself properly. His statements that he really would like to hurt her. Again, this is portrayed as acceptable. Christian constantly warns Ana that he is no good for her, he isn't what she wants or needs, but at the same time manipulating her into wanting to save the sad little boy he truly is inside. Both girls are made out to be at fault for wanting what they shouldn't have. 
This once again perpetuates the idea that woman are somehow at fault for succumbing to such manipulations. It is always her fault if she believed the ’I Love Yous’ after the nasty comments and vicious blows. 
These novels set a dangerous precedent that if he is gorgeous and loves you despite all of your faults (that he has pointed out to you), then none of his behaviour is unforgivable. And anyway, if it is, then your love can change him, no matter what. Both Bella and Ana behave in ways that shocked me as a reader, both in their naivity and passivity. Although they are the lead character in the books, they just didn't make me have any emotional rapport with them. They are all cardboard cutouts of human beings, no real emotions, just superficiality and sparkle.
The BDSM within the books didn't shock me in any way. As Christian describes sex with no toys or added extras as “vanilla”, the “kinky fuckery” is probably raspberry ripple at most.  What did annoy me a lot though, was the impression given that those with BDSM tendencies have them due to some kind of damage that has been done to them in the past. 
[SPOILERS ALERT]
Christian is into BDSM because when his birthmother was a “crack-whore” who neglected him while her pimps abused him. He was adopted at four, but then was sexually assaulted and abused for years by an older woman (a family friend).  Not only do all Christian’s issues stem from abuse from women, there is a disturbing implication that BDSM is caused by some kind of sexual abuse. BDSM is a lifestyle choice, probably not understood by the majority of people outside of the culture, but it isn’t something evil and nasty. Although characters within the books state there is nothing wrong with it, there is very much the underlying message that there is.
Plot aside, it just isn't particularly well written. Especially when it is meant to be erotica. Coyness is all well and good, and yes, I understand that the author is meant to be portraying a young, innocent, and naive woman, but personally I found it to be annoying and rather vacuous to constantly read “he kissed me ’there’” instead of her vulva, vagina, cunt, pussy or other more descriptive words. I understand that these words may be too medical or too vulgar, but seriously there are a more poetic ways to describe your genitals if you actually think about it and use your imagination. “There” isn't very concise language. The whole point of “there” is it could be anywhere. Her elbow? Armpit? Left nostril? Surely a writer can use their imagination to find a more fitting description without upsetting anyone's sensibilities. 
Ana’s character is just too unrealistic for me. Virginity aside, to have had no sexual attraction or sensation until she mets her Mr Grey is frankly too unbelievable. I have no issue with a twenty one year old virgin, but to have never even fancied anyone before is beyond belief. It is said that Christian has had no adolescence, but neither has Ana. This is an adolescent relationship based on physical attraction and manipulation. Hardly healthy in any shape or form. 
And yet, this is something we as women are meant to aspire to? She has had no experiences with the opposite sex other than some feeble “making out” sessions. The amount of time that it takes for Ana and Christian to meet, fall in love, and decide to marry is ridiculous. But I suppose this was meant to inject the romance that was lacking. In a matter of weeks, Ana has cured Christian of his “sadistic” ways and by their honeymoon he can no longer bear to see restraint marks upon her wrists and ankles. He is still essentially an overbearing prick, but at least he doesn't want to physically mark her anymore... 
Love changes everything, remember?
Ana also seems to have some kind of multiple personality disorder. In her mind she is three people. Anastasia, her Subconscious, a bespectacled shrew and her Inner Goddess. Essentially her Inner Goddess is Ana’s Id. Her inner dialogue alternates between herself and the Shrew, while her Inner Goddess dons lingerie, red lipstick and spreads her legs at the sound of Christian’s voice. After a while, you actually just want Ana to stop talking to herself and her Shrew, and then lock her skipping Inner Goddess in a cupboard somewhere. It is nonsensical and distracting.
In a nutshell, I can't really understand why this set of stories has caught everyone’s imagination so much. There are so many erotic stories out there, sexier, hotter, racier, kinkier, and just simply, better written.

I Am A Feminist.

I am a Feminist. I will put my hand up and shout loudly that I AM A FEMINIST. I am getting more and more pissed off with the continual attempt to make Feminism out to be something it isn't, and that any one who considers themselves to be Feminist is somehow a misandric sociopath.


WHY I AM A FEMINIST:

 * I have automatic and autonomous rights to my own reproductive system and sexual behaviour.

 * I have the same right to work, earn money, save money, spend money as any other individual, irrespective of their gender. If I am have the same experience and qualification, am doing the same work at the same level of competence, then I have the right to the same pay.

 *I also have the right to choose a more traditionally viewed way of life, to stay at home and raise my children. However, this right is also not dependent on my gender and is a role that any parent should be able to choose, rather than have to make a decision purely based on economics.

 * I believe that sex is a natural part of healthy life, that has been trivialised and demeaned to a state where it is used a commodity to subjugate society into behaving in particular ways.

 * I believe that raising healthy, independent children is one of the most important things that human beings can achieve, but there is no BEST way of doing this, and the hetero-normative view of Married, Female Mother and Male Father is not always the best way of achieving this.

 * I believe that all people are equal, and this equality is not defined by gender, sexuality, religion, race or any other such definition. I do also accept that equality does not mean that every one is the same, and should be treated as such. Every person will have different needs or have different limitations, just that no one person is worth more than someone else.

I could elaborate more on these points, and add more, but I think at this time, this encompasses the most salient points of my Feminism.

More Links to my Feminism:
http://hystericaljugglings.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-would-you-call-it-then.html
http://hystericaljugglings.blogspot.com/2009/03/froyw.html http://hystericaljugglings.blogspot.com/2008/10/pro-choice-does-not-equal-pro-abortion.html
http://hystericaljugglings.blogspot.com/2008/09/quick-simple-post.html
http://hystericaljugglings.blogspot.com/2008/09/fertility-at-any-cost.html
http://hystericaljugglings.blogspot.com/2008/09/feminism-for-all.html
http://hystericaljugglings.blogspot.com/2009/03/patriarchy-hurts-men-too.html

Blodeuwedd

She seems to be popping up all over the place at the moment. And I have always had a soft spot for her ever since my first Goddess Conference. (I attempted to dress up as Her at the Ball.) I always felt that there was more to Her story than just the cliched betrayer she is portrayed to be.

BLODEUWEDD

Within the Celtic Tradition, storytelling has long been a favored occupation and, generally speaking, the longer and more intricate the story, the more revered the legend and the teller. Long held as the embodiment of most ancient Welsh legends is the Mabinogion. The story of Branwen is contained therein, as is the legend of Blodeuwedd. In order to offer some sort of clarity to these legends it is necessary to give you some background in the history of the Celts and, therefore, shed some light on the intricacies of the stories. The Celts, historically, were matrilineal; you were born to your mother’s line, not your father’s. Kingship, therefore, landed upon the son of the king’s sister and not upon the offspring of the king and the queen. Very often, too, the queens were the actual power, with her spouse being a Duke of War, rather than a true king. In order to be a king, one had to marry the land in order to demonstrate his devotion to the sovereignty. Often, this marriage was symbolic and accomplished by the practice of the Great Rite between the proposed king and a priestess of the Goddess. The commission of this act would ensure the king’s love for the land and a lifelong desire to defend her as he would his wife. It is also important to note that there is no Goddess of Love, such as Ishtar, Aphrodite and Venus in other cultures, but there were, throughout the legends, Maiden Goddesses made of flowers or fruit. The most important aspect of the Goddess is triune in nature - the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone - and most legends involve three Goddesses representing these three aspects.

The Legend of Blodeuwedd is also the story of Llew’s struggle for his kingship which was averted and made more difficult by the Goddess Arianrhod who tried Her best to prevent Llew, Her son, his birth-right due to the shame brought upon Her by his companions. (Another story which will be told later.) In short, Arianrhod stated that he would not receive a name, unless it be from Her; he would not receive his arms, unless it be from Her; and, he could never marry a mortal woman. Thus, he could not become king unless it be through Her auspices. In order to assure that Llew would survive long enough to attain his kingship, some magick was given to him in the form of the circumstances of his death. As has been typical of the Celts, his death could only be accomplished through a set of very unlikely and almost preposterous circumstances. He could not be killed indoors or out, on horse or on foot, and the spearhead capable of killing him had to be cast during a sacred period of time. Arianrhod was tricked into giving Llew his name and his arms but the larger problem of having a wife, which would assert his right to the land, was accomplished through the magick of his cousins, Math and Gwydion, who created Blodeuwedd from the flowers of the Oak, Broom and Meadowsweet. Due to the nature of Her Birth, Blodeuwedd - whose name means either ‘Flower Face’ or the ancient name for the Owl - and represents the Earth in full bloom. Through their marriage, Llew’s requirement of marrying the land and thus, his Sovereignty is completed. One day, Llew goes hunting, leaving Blodeuwedd alone with Her ladies in the castle. A young huntsman, Gronw, later seeks shelter and he and Blodeuwedd experience love at first sight. Wanting nothing more than to be together, Gronw persuades Blodeuwedd to discover the improbable circumstances surrounding Llew’s death, an act he would help to accomplish. The plan made, Gronw departs from Blodeuwedd and they remain separate for a long period of time, during which Blodeuwedd feigns anxiety concerning Llew’s death. Eventually, Her pleading persuades Llew to demonstrate these very circumstances in order to allay Her fears by showing Her his death could not be easily accomplished. They prepare a bath on a riverbank, covering it with a thatched roof, being neither indoors nor out. As Llew stands with one foot upon the edge of the tub and the other upon the back of a goat, Gronw throws the specially-made spear, hitting Llew in the side. Llew immediately turns into an eagle and flies off, later discovered and nursed back to health by his cousins, Math and Gwydion. When the two lovers are found, Gronw is killed and Blodeuwedd turned into an owl.

Due to the very circumstances of Her Birth, the actions of Blodeuwedd may be seen in a more sympathetic light. She was created from the flowers of a very powerful Tree - the Oak - and from flowers of an explicitly healing nature,in order to give power to Llew and to be able to continually heal and renew him. She is never asked whether She loves him or desires to marry him. She was created for his purposes, solely to assure his right to rule the land. Her Own desires are impossible to achieve while Llew lives and She is often seen as the epitome of non-assertive femininity, fickleness and the faithless wife, using the passion of two men for Her to seal the doom of both. In truth, Her supposed treachery creates the very conditions to enable Llew to experience the ritual death and rebirth commonly required of the Druidic priesthood, thus ensuring his kingship. Blodeuwedd is seen as a part of his hard and difficult destiny. Throughout Celtic legend, otherworldly women are created and utilized to represent the Land, which is definitely feminine in nature. Owl, the totemic representation of Blodeuwedd, signifies the complete transformation of the initiate as represented by Llew‚s virtual death and subsequent healing. She is signified by the Empress card of the Tarot. She is a Goddess of emotions, representing the matrix that reforms transpersonal and universal energies into well-defined life force. She is also the Maiden Goddess of initiation ceremonies and is known as the Ninefold Goddess of the Western Isles of Paradise. Flowers, the wisdom of innocence, Lunar Mysteries and initiation are Her provinces.

Winter Cymraes
©1994

Blodeuwedd Rising (Song for Hazel)

Summer 2007

by Jacqui Woodward Smith Blodeuwedd, Magdalene of Springtime Sweet flower face with wings of snow You are the gateway to the seasons Fierce in passion, eyes aglow And You will rise in fearless beauty Afraid of You, they change Your face But we remember Your true nature; Reclaim Your love, Reclaim Your place Defiled and changed and called a whore If whore You are then so am I As whore I'll be Your temple priestess And You will give me wings to fly Reclaim the whore and rise in beauty With Goddess spirit deep within Knowing our own Goddess nature How dare they name our passion sin! No one can shackle or control You Owl of Secrets, flying free No chains to bind Your hungry spirit With You beside, no chains on me And we will rise in raging beauty To be what we've been all along When we can stand alone as equals We will sing Blodeuwedd's song They left us here in silent fury Thought that they had won the game But as we reclaim our ancient birthright Blodeuwedd will rise again And we will rise in naked beauty Revealing all we have to give Loving in the ways we choose to Deciding how we want to live They try to make us pretty blossoms Deny our claws, deny our power But we must claim our truth and freedom To choose the owl, to choose the flower And we will rise in powerful beauty Surrender to Blodeuwedd's cry She draws us to the path of moonlight On owl wings we must learn to fly No one has the right to harm us To name and shame, abuse and scar us Call us hag and call us bitch. Reclaim the owl, reclaim the witch! And we will rise in all our beauty For we have heard Flower Face's call Our bodies glowing with our passion Both owls and flowers, Priestesses all! ©Jacqui Woodward Smith

Not sure where the image of Blodeuwedd is from. But it's lovely.

What would YOU call it then?

If an object or body part is inserted into a woman's vagina without her permission, what would you call it?

Rape?

What if she was giving birth at the time?

Would you still call it rape?

What WOULD you call it then? Please remember that rape isn't about sex, it's about power, the power over someone else.

(And yes, I am sure that it would horrify those medics involved to think that they may be participating in something as abhorrent as rape, but seriously people, when (why) do a woman's rights to say yes or no to something end when she is pregnant/giving birth?)

WTF?

In the USA, a woman is executed, although she didn't actually murder anyone...

I appreciate that I won't know all the details in this matter, but essentially it is reported that Teresa Lewis has been executed for her part in the murder of her husband and stepson. However she didn't actually kill them. And the TWO MEN that did got life imprisonment...

I am not saying she shouldn't have been punished for her part in this awful event. But SHE DIDN'T PULL THE TRIGGER. SHE WASN'T EVEN THERE!

She had a limited mental capacity, one of the men in his suicide note wrote that HE instigated it all, and she didn't kill anyone.

But she has been executed all the same...

Why?

What happens when we sanitise all that scares us?

Twilight.

Or Twiglet as some of my friends and I like to call it. A strange phenomenum indeed. An asexual, moralistic, non-sensual vampire. All that makes a vampire a vampire is taken away and what are we left with? Edward Cullen? Really?

Or are we willingly wrapping up wolves in sheepskin that we have given them? Are we glossing over the overt sexuality and violence of a vampire, because we don't like the fact we find it attractive?

Pubescent girls and older women? What do they have in common? I mean I can fully appreciate that Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner are nice to look at. (Well, sorta, add 10 years on both, and I'd like them more)

Can I be provocative and suggest that the similarities between the TwilightTweens/Teens and the TwilightMoms are that both are often at stages in their lives where circumstances have put them into positions they aren't really comfortable with. A young teen is restricted by her age and her financial dependance. Her sexuality is under constraints from her family and her society. Ummmm, hate to say this, but you could also say that about a lot of older women!

But make a sexual predator somehow safe and acceptable, then all that hormonal emotion can be concentrated on the fantasy of Edward Cullen. The young girls really don't know what he like, so feel safe, and the older women do know what he is like, but also know that he has been somewhat castrated, and is again, safe.

Are we so afraid of sex, that our only openly acceptable fantasy is a vampire stalker who will love us forever, but manipulates our sexuality to gain power over us?

"The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion"

"Abortion is a highly personal decision that many women are sure they'll never have to think about until they're suddenly faced with an unexpected pregnancy. But this can happen to anyone, including women who are strongly anti-choice. So what does an anti-choice woman do when she experiences an unwanted pregnancy herself? Often, she will grin and bear it, so to speak, but frequently, she opts for the solution she would deny to other women -- abortion.
In the spring of 2000, I collected the following anecdotes directly from abortion doctors and other clinic staff in North America, Australia, and Europe. The stories are presented in the providers' own words, with minor editing for grammar, clarity, and brevity. Names have been omitted to protect privacy."
"The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion"
When the Anti-Choice Choose
By Joyce Arthur Copyright © September, 2000



A friend of mine posted this on her LJ. I thought I would share it here too. So much for Galatians 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." But then, this isn't often one of God's laws that people like these women actually follow. Hypocrites Much?

Fay Weldon

To be honest, I am tempted to just dismiss this latest hoo-hah over Fay Weldon's comments this week, and blame on the fact that she is an old dear, and therefore may be becoming prone to making comments that are blatently full of shit. I won't though. I suppose if you have ever considered Fay Weldon to be a feminist, then it is a blow to read one of your icons come out with such a crock.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1209154/Fay-Weldon-Women-life-easier-picked-mens-socks-cleaned-loo.html

But the worse thing about it all is this insistance on telling how useless the poor men are. You know, women need to look after them, and change their opinions to make sure they don't threaten their poor minds and egos. I am completely willing to accept that men and women are wired differently. But you know what, everyone is wired differently from everyone else. It has fuck all to do with gender. Gender is a really easy box to put people into, "well, they don't do tidying because they are a man." Nooo, they don't do tidying because they either hate it, or they are lazy fuckers.

If both of you are working, then both of you clean the house. If both of you are working, then both of you cook. If both of you are working, then IT IS AN EQUAL FUCKING RELATIONSHIP WHERE BOTH OF YOU PULL YOUR OWN WEIGHT!

Now, I am a full-time mum at the moment. My husband works hard, but he acknowledges that SO DO I! Looking after children is knackering. Caring for anyone takes time, effort and it is worth something. More than it gets at the moment. Our jobs are different, but one isn't more important than the other. And it certainly doesn't mean that my husband doesn't do anything around the house or with the children. And if I worked fulltime, then he would do more, not less.

Some men would probably live in a hovel if they could get away with it. Some women probably would. But usually someone who lives on their own can cope with the idea of housework. Why does that change for a man as soon as a woman is on the scene. In fact, I would be interested to know what the dynamics are with gay couples get together? Or is it still that old chestnut of gay men aren't the same because they are gay? That argument gets very old very quickly.

So, yes Fay. Quite frankly, I think you are talking out of your arse!

Words fail me...

On how disturbing and disgusting I find this.

http://www.highglitz.com/

These little girls are wearing more make-up than I do. I am a 35 year old woman.

Where are their (usually) mothers' brains at? What sick need do these women have to make their daughters look like this?

Dressing The Bride - Geraldine Charles

Sure, ‘twas as though the granite bones
And flesh of earthen Mother,
Rose up, said, “Well, I’ve a will to be wed
To my white and golden lover
My white, my gold-haired lover.

“He’s a son of the sun and a son of my own
So the sun and the sky I will wed,
For they say I’m owed a warrior bold
To protect the fields in my stead
To preserve the land in my stead.”

Will Sheelah-na-Gig then jig for joy?
Will fairies then dance in a ring?
Or will Morgan le Fay angrily say,
“We’ve started a terrible thing
Oh, begun a terrible thing.”

“Oh, Mother”, we said, “don’t marry that man,
We need no warriors bold and brave -
His kind will call you whore and hag,
Rip minerals from your caves,
Yes, rape iron and oil from your caves.

“No, Mother, don’t marry the son of the sun,
His sons will bring you sorrow -
They’ll shit in the ocean and piss in your wells,
For you there’ll be no tomorrow,
For all of us no tomorrow.”

And Sheelah-na-Gig won’t jig for joy,
The fairies won’t dance in a ring -
And Morgan le Fay will sadly say,
“We’ve started a terrible thing
Oh, begun a terrible thing.”

We’ll give you a day like you never had
A day of praises, joy and mirth -
Far better than tying yourself to that lad
A day for Mother Earth
Just to celebrate Mother Earth.

We’ll dress you in green; we’ll dress you in brown,
We’ll polish your lakes, from swords make ploughs,
And braid wildflowers into your crown -
And berries for your brow,
Gather berries for your brow.

And Sheelah-na-Gig will jig for joy,
The fairies will dance in a ring -
And Morgan le Fay will gravely say,
“We’ve avoided a terrible thing
Oh, escaped a terrible thing.”

But oh, my darlings, sad to say,
She wed the warrior bold and brave.
His sons forced all our maids away,
Ripping minerals from the caves,
Raping iron and oil from our caves.

So we went down to Troytown,
One cold and bitter winter’s day -
And danced into the Maizey Wheel,
And never came out again,
Not for five thousand years and a day.

And Sheelah-na-Gig is forced to church,
The fairies are no longer near.
And Morgan le Fay’s called bitch and whore,
There’s no place for the Lady here,
No, no place for the Lady here.

***

Now the dragon paths are trod again,
The veils are lifting from our eyes -
As earthen mother breaks her chains,
Flicks the warriors off like flies,
Flicks the warriors off like flies.

We’ll dress her in green; we’ll dress her in brown,
And polish her lakes, from swords make ploughs,
And braid wildflowers into her crown -
With berries for her brow,
Yes, to bind around her brow.

And Sheelah-na-Gig will jig for joy,
The fairies will dance in a ring -
And Morgan le Fay will gladly say,
“Our mother is everything
Mother Earth is everything.”

And Sheelah-na-Gig will jig for joy,
The fairies will dance in a ring -
And Morgan le Fay will sing all day,
“Our mother is everything
Mother Earth is everything.”

©2004, Geraldine Charles

How true this is...

From this week's Metro

Actually, some grown up women need to learn this too.

F.R.O.Y.W.

Isn't it interesting how long some men stay "liberal" when it's a choice between his job and HER job? "Oh yeah, I am all for equality!" Yeah, right. Until it is a choice of being equal in who keeps their job! Let the part-timers (predominantly women) and those on maternity leave (umm, women) lose their jobs first!

The old chestnuts of "men need to support their families", "women must choose between a career and having babies". Since apparently men don't have babies. That's quite outstanding scientific news. I am surprised there hasn't been more made of it. Since I had always thought men that had babies were called FATHERS!

So yeah, the title of this post stands for FUCK RIGHT OFF, YOU WANKERS!

A bit US orientated, but...

Are you sure you aren't a Feminist?

Glad to be British

It isn't often that I can say I am proud to be British. Which is quite a sorry state of affairs. However, because I am a Brit, because we have a free NHS (no matter how much we moan about it) this means we have FREE contraception.

Living the the Free and Glorious US of A, you don't get this. As we all know health is something you HAVE to pay for in the states. So if you are suddenly ill, or have an accident, you had better pray to whatever Gods you believe in that your Health Insurance is in order. If it isn't, or you don't have any...well, from the outsider's point of view, it looks like you are screwed.

The reason why I am blogging about this, is because of this here. Hekate's Blog What a sorry situation that is, where politians are actually saying the contraception has no bearing on economics. Even I, who failed her Socialogy A'level understand the links. If women have better contraception, then they can control the size of their families, which impact on how much help from the government they take. It can also free up an extra worker, which makes more money for the economy. It isn't bloody rocket science.

It also links into my rant about Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life. If the Pro-Lifers put as much time, energy and money into helping end poverty, increase sexual education and put money into free contraception, than villifying women for making difficult choices then there would be less abortion! A complete winwin situation. But no, that just makes too much sense.

So yeah, to my US chums out there, I am really sorry that your government can't get their heads around the fact that a National Free Health Service does not equal Socialism, and I wish they would pull their heads out of their arses.

Ban the Bunny -The House Bunny

Why there isn't a bigger fuss about this film, I have no idea. However there is an interesting article in The Guardian about it today.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/15/women

Seriously, WTF do they think they are playing at, making a film like this?

Pro Choice does not equal Pro Abortion

I am completely, fundamentally, utterly Pro Choice. And I don't like abortions. But, seriously, who does? The Pro-lifers would have us believe that being Pro Choice means that we think abortion is a glorious thing, something to be celebrated. How wrong they are. I have been pregnant 3 times, but I only have 2 children. I was pregnant in Dec 06/Jan 07 and I had a miscarriage. It was one of the most horrible experiences of my life. But if, and it is a big if, I was ever in a situation where I knew that I could not cope with a pregnancy or a child for whatever reason, I would consider an abortion. I possibly wouldn't have it anyway. However the point is, that would be my choice and my choice alone.

Choosing have an abortion is probably THE most difficult decision that a woman would ever have to make in her life. I know of no-one who has ever taken the decision lightly. Abortion cannot be limited to only medical reasons, for incest or for rape. It must include the emotional reason, the financal reason, infact any reason why a woman would need an abortion. Why? Because ultimately, in my view, the lives of the living must come before the lives of the unborn. Women do not just become incubators as soon as they become pregnant. Once pregnant, personality does not step aside and the unborn foetus becomes the dominant force.

I wonder if the Pro Lifers feel that an embryo/foetus does not have a soul? Because to me, whatever is that spark of life that makes us what we are is rewoven into the universe (whether that be heaven or whatever) when it's human life ends, and it moves onto where-ever it goes next. (I personally feel that a spirit of an aborted or miscarried embryo/foetus would create itself once more in another pregnacy.) I ask because it would seem that they don't think they have a soul otherwise surely they would feel that an aborted baby would go straight back into the loving hands of God?

What a woman does with her body is none of anyone else's business. If pro-lifers don't like abortion then perhaps they should campaign for other linked issues. Health care, contraception, education, poverty, all those issues that have an impact on abortion rates. If our children were educated better, including about contraception, they wouldn't get/cause pregnancy. If poverty was abolished, then women wouldn't have to worry about raising their children. Simple things, but ones that would actually take some more effort than just lambasting women for their sexual choices.

(As an aside, I can not understand the Pro Life brigade that believe that the life of an unborn child is completely sacrosanct, yet as soon as it is born, commits a crime, than that's it, game over.)

(Second aside, other than Thou Shall Not Kill, which is conveniently ignored once you are born, there is absolutely no reference to abortion in the Bible. Check out this link to Sacred-texts.com http://www.sacred-texts.com/wmn/abib/index.htm#cnote )

Words of Power

As Witches we all know that words have Power. As Women we know words have Power. So why do so many people get irritated by the words Wimmin, Wombyns, Herstory and other words that have been created by the Feminist and Dianic movement. I will admit I did for a while, they just sounded so silly. But then I understood it, their silliness aside, it is important to have these words because they make people think. They jump out of you, and give your subconscious a nudge. They make you question the status quo, and realise that yes, History does alienate women. It is HIs Story. woMEN, etc, etc...

People that say these things have no effect, I will ask you, so NLP doesn't work then? For those that don't know, NLP is this,

NLP is about Language

Language affects how we think and respond. The very process of converting experience into language requires that we condense, distort, and summarise how we perceive the world.

NLP provides questions and patterns to make our communication more clearly understood. NLP teaches us to understand how language affects us through implicit and embedded assumptions.

The English language is full of traps and pitfalls for the unwary communicator... for example, if you are told NOT to think of a kangaroo, you will immediately think of a kangaroo, which is the opposite result from that intended!

Listen for the use of implied assumptions when you use the word "but". For example, "I like the way that you did that piece of work, but... ." The listener tends to forget everything that went before the "but", waiting for problems to emerge.

Since advertisers, the media and politicians use language to convey their messages, learning about language through NLP can increase awareness and "consumer protection" for your mind.
http://www.anlp.org/index.asp?CatName=What%20is%20NLP&CatID=32&PageID=199

Words have the power to change, to ridicule, to support, to harm, to do magick. So surely changing words that have hidden agendas is a valid exercise? Whether you like them or not.

A quick simple post

Everyone should read Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.

And then think of the state of affairs mixing religion and politics.

Fertility at any cost?

What Is Fertility?

–Noun
1. The state or quality of being fertile.
2. Biology. The ability to produce offspring; power of reproduction: the amazing fertility of rabbits
3. The birth-rate of a population
4. (of soil) the capacity to supply nutrients in proper amounts for plant growth when other factors are favourable.

Fer*til"i*ty\, n. [L. fertilitas: cf. F. fertilit['e].] The state or quality of being fertile or fruitful; fruitfulness; productiveness; fecundity; richness; abundance of resources; fertile invention; quickness; readiness; as, the fertility of soil, or of imagination. "fertility of resource." --E. Everett.
And all her husbandry doth lie on heaps Corrupting in its own fertility. --Shak.
Thy very weeds are beautiful; thy waste More rich than other climes' fertility. --Byron.


In today’s society there seems to be a never-ending quest for fertility. It is the new Holy Grail. But in reality is it really our poisoned chalice? I feel rather uncomfortable writing this since I have two healthy children, and I wonder what my position would be if I was unable to have children, but I still think that we are warping fertility into something that it isn’t, and we will undoubtedly have to deal with the repercussions in years to come.

As scientific methods move forward, it is becoming more and more achievable for women of all ages to conceive. However, whether this is morally the right thing to do is a question we have to ask ourselves. But, and this is a big but, do we have the right then to tell other women what they can do about their own fertility just because of their age? As much the idea of an elderly woman getting pregnant might make us uncomfortable, it is a very slippery road to tell them they can’t. What would be the difference in that and telling someone they can’t have an abortion? If women have the right to control their own bodies, then this includes when and how they have babies.

That said, just because medically something is achievable, this does not necessarily mean it should be normalised. There is more at question here than the rights of a woman to reproduce at any cost. Why do women feel they MUST have children? Hormones aside (although they are an important factor), are we still in a situation where a woman’s worth is based solely on her ability to conceive and bear children? Are we still being pushed into motherhood because it is the “natural” role?

Women that say that they don’t want to have children are still often seen as abnormal. Often they are told, “ah well, you will change your mind eventually”, or “Well, don’t leave it too late”. Is a non-maternal woman such an anathema? Where is the freedom to find fertility in other forms? Why is fertility in its other forms considered to be inferior? So many questions that need answering.

We need to move forward and accept fertility in all its forms, whether it is the biological child, or another worthwhile endeavour. We must not alienate either woman, the one that wants a baby outside of “normal” ideas, or the woman who doesn’t want a child at all.