By itself, we sometimes mistake “power” for a dirty word.

We deny having it. We’re afraid to use it. We dislike and distrust people who do.

Can we explore how context, motivation, and meaning can clarify?

Starhawk wrote eloquently about the differences between power-over (oppressive, abusive), power-with (communal, collaborative), and power-within (self-authoritative, spiritual, personal).

We all have access to power-within. We are capable of choosing, deciding, and acting from what we know to be right, true and correct for us. And, we all have the capacity to work-together, multiplying our power, to create and implement solutions for the common goals of the group, and beyond.

Power-within might be considered “magical” when we recognize it includes our intuitive, instinctual, rational, emotional, and empathic powers along with our ability to imagine/visualize the future.

Power-with becomes magical when we include not just other humans, but also forces and cycles of nature: The moon, sun, earth, air, fire, water, stars, planets, plants, trees, flowers, weather, seasons, animals. Likewise, we engage power-with when we develop relationship with unseen beings such as Ancestors, Descendants, land spirits, nature spirits, gods, goddesses, our own divine nature, and the group-mind of the collective.

I do a lot of talking about the oppressive powers of patriarchy, capitalism, white supremacy, heterosexism, ageism, ableism, etc. I want us to understand that these intersecting systems of power-over impact us. Their messaging gets internalized and can sound like our own voices. Accessing our authentic power-within, in combination with collaborative power, we have a chance to find our true voice, and live from our true will.

One of the internalized messages is: If you’re unhappy, unfulfilled, or under-priviledged–it’s your own fault for not abiding by All The Rules. So, we set about trying to be happy by fixing the parts of us that don’t fit into oppressive paradigms. It rarely occurs to us that it’s the oppression, not our desire for liberation from it, that’s the problem.

The programs, rituals, practices and sessions I offer here, as The Crone Herself, consider what’s ours to heal, and what’s ours to uphold and empower. Simultaneously, we release the systemic messaging which perpetuates our woundedness. We utilize healing modalities, coaching, priestessing, magic, power-with and within, alongside anaylysis of and liberation from culturally and politically oppressive systems.