Love Letter to Fire Woman

 

Beloved Goddess,

Fire woman, wild woman of Borneo, I long to sit with you, again. Paint my face and body to make me beautiful, to tell the story of my life. Burn away the lies and ways that keep me from being true to my self, authentic in my power, connected to the love of earth and soul. 

I dream of hearing your voice... the smooth flow like ocean waves, rising and falling of holy breath, the steady heartbeat of rhythm. I dream of a simpler time, when days spread out slow and long - filled with a hundred timeless things - like cutting wood into small tinder, like burning fires for cooking... like the messy but earthy nature of gathering ash, mixing paint and using twigs and fingers to mark skin on face, hands, legs and body... like being together, gathering with family and tribe - to eat, to laugh, to sit and talk, to adorn one another - the old and new born babes - falling asleep while tedious rites are performed upon their flesh and hair. These old ways are dying and have almost been forgotten in the culture of the West. We rush and stay busy ever moment, almost constant activity... no space or time for the gentle flow of time. 

We have lost our precious memories of the  almost imperceivably slowness of unfolding time when nothing must be done, and yet, when everything is done. I long for this again. I try to recapture it, re-create it, but there is always something in the background 'ticking', scolding, keeping track of how much time has passed, how much time I am wasting - judgment; like the policing of time and space. Making the act of simply being, breathing, being aware and engaging with the little things in life, a crime. Something to be shamed for! No more!!! I release these vile rules and unagreed upon constraints. I release them for myself and for my future generations. 

Fire woman, come and burn away the need for constant business. Burn away the need to conform and fit in. Burn away all that keeps us caged and robs us of our freedom to be alive.

Thank you.

-Yours devotedly.