Medicine Woman holds tools for healing in her magic basket.
She dances in the moonlight and sings her prayers.
Medicine Woman knows herbs and signs, stars and sums.
She is between maiden and mother, mother and crone.
She is a the part in each of us that knows deeply.
That sees clearly. That listens between worlds.
Medicine woman cannot be domesticated, at all, ever.
Even when we don’t recognize her, she is always here.
She has butterflies and red roses in her hair
and golden cowgirl boots.
She can be seen at the movies with teenage girls on Friday night.
She may get a tattoo of the Guadalupe on her bicep in the
Mission, or the sacred heart of Jesus on her right shoulder.
You may catch of glimpse of her as she roller skates
through Central Park.
She may teach a workshop on right brain left brain
or the geometry of accounting or raw food or revolution.
She makes potions, jams, sopa and lotions.
She definitely runs with wolves and wolfey women.
She is fierce about many things.
She is compassionate about almost everything.
She plays hard. She takes action. She tree sits.
She runs businesses and believes in abundance.
She pays for everything with cash.
She may paint glitter on her toe nails. Red.
Just don’t think you have her figured out.
She will always surprise you.
She is mystery in breathless red dress.
She is a mother, holding everything and letting it all go.
She may let her armpit hair grow, and her mustache too.
She is the place within us that wants it all. And wants to give it all up.
She swims naked in the ocean. She rides motorcycles up the coast.
She paints, writes, dances, dreams and has multiple income streams.
She is medicine woman. She heals the unexpressed in us.
She asks the question – Who are you not being?
If you want to find her – she is always at Market Place
in the early morning with her baskets of goods.
Hawking her wares. Like Wisdom she calls out into the streets.
Her life is her own. She is on her own. And she likes it that way.
Shiloh Sophia McCloud © 2007-2010
It is the morning after the show and I am still in my pajamas drinking coffee and working on my next great adventure. Being at market in San Francisco with my girlfriends, hawking our wares was exciting, exhausting, and exhilarating. You can see our booth on my Facebook pageand if you have not seen my dear friend Elizabeth’s work up close, check it out.
Being at market made me think about this poem which I wrote in 2007 for the We-Moon calendar of 2008. Every so often I revise it and rework it and continue to add things and see what no longer needs to be there. This week we are digging deep into the Mama’s Medicine Wheel Course (only for Leading A Legendary Life graduates) and true to form, as a teacher who lives her work I dug deep into my own healing journey with yesterday’s dirge and tea party. That teahouse, Samovar, is across the street from Moscone and it is my ritual to take myself there for a luxurious lunch and tea (yes, $9-12 per teapot but well worth every drop) every time I go to market. Yesterday’s post would not exist if not for that pot of tea. And based on the many comments and support I got for that post, I can see I am not alone in the moving on journey…thank you for taking tea with me…and for your prayers.
I want to speak to valuing oneself for a moment and how creativity can move us through our pain. It is because I took that time for me, with my $9 pot of tea, and committed that hour or two to my own healing – that the writing came forth and brought healing to me and to others. WE HAVE to book this kind of time for ourselves, have you scheduled your Moving On Tea Party or something like it? Have you written your Medicine Woman poem yet? Then pull up your calendar and mark it down. Healing takes time. And artful application and intention. I think at the root of Cosmic Cowgirls, and of the University, is my desire to share this way of being and healing and transforming with others.
Drawing, painting, writing is all a part of it. I am so excited because my own teacher, Sue Hoya Sellars has agreed to teach drawing this Sunday – La Fluer.
It is her who told me how art could heal and how to put my VERY intention into the paint or clay or pencil on page.
Life is truly challenging. And shapeshifting. There is A LOT going on with almost every one I know. When we take time to consider and create, gestate and revise, grieve and move on – we honor our process. Then we can move through it and get to a new place simply through writing a poem or drawing a picture – sound too simple? Try it. Energy moves when we move it.
I welcome you sending me your Tea Party ideas and your Medicine Woman poems…
Prayers out to you my friends.
Blessed Lady of Medicine and all things that are good – send prayers of love to my friends and their friends and our world. Blessed Be.
lovingly,
Click here to learn more about my work, paintings and vision.
This is so incredibly beautiful and resonates very deeply with me. It brought a smile to my heart to read this. As a self proclaimed medicine woman myself it was so affirming. Rock on Goddess!!!!! And PS: you are now literally my favorite painter …surpassing Gaugin, Diego Rivera and Paul Klee! Thank you, Karen
I am humbled by this – thank you beyond words.
Shiloh, this is with your permission going in my handwritten BOS as one of the most beautiful homages to wysewomyn everywhere within everywoman. This is so specific, so poetic, yet resonates so universally. . . like a soft beating dove drumbeat in my heart. HuGz & Smooches:) Solo
what is a handwritten bos? whatever it is – yes. This comment is heart warming – thank you very much…
Thank you for sharing this today… I have been wandering, quite lost from myself for a long time and your words have resonated in a very empty place in me. You have put words to something I have been feeling and unable to grasp. May I copy this down in my journal to return to ponder on when I need it?
thank you – and yes of course – please write it down…blessings on your journey
As always, Shiloh…beautifully said.
Babushka Joanna
Shiloh, I always read your poetry, look at your paintings, and I always am amazed and want to express how deeply you touch me with your art and wisdom. But what I want to say in a reply just stays inside as an “I feel it but I cannot express it” sort of feeling.
And just wanted to let you know, you’re my Medicine Woman, you hold the magic potion for souls in need. I proudly own On a Wing and a Dream 15 of 100. The world is waiting for the next one!
I’m looking forward to online painting with you!
Love you!
Isabel
I just found your blog through a reference about you in the book I am reading about Alice Walker (The World Has Changed.) She mentioned that you helped her create her web and blog, which I also like very much, so I thought I would follow that thread to see where it led. I alwyas get the best surprises when I follwo the thread. I have purused a bit of your blog, cried sweet tears while reading your poem, Moving On Tea Party – A Dirge, and love your images of the Divine Mother. I am an artist too. I live in Olympia WA. Am familiar with No. Calif. and its beauty too. I am so glad I have found you. I will come to visit again soon. Thank you for sharing yourself so completely, it helps me in my own journey which is also filled with sadness and joy.
Hello dearest…this is the first time for me here…I had time to finish reading today…beautiful and poignant to read your tale again with updates. Know you are loved and held from me to thee…..A