Bitch, lover or saint ... we all need a little nurturing

…. I'm a little bit of everything … All rolled into one

'Im a bitch, I'm a lover

I'm a child, I'm a mother

I'm a sinner, I'm a saint

... I do not feel ashamed

It was Meredith Brooks belting out this hit from about 10 years ago that gave me the inspiration for today’s post and just in time, I thought, for Women’s Day which South Africa celebrates on Sunday, 9 August, some five months after International Women’s Day on 8 March.

As women we fulfill so many roles and are unashamedly the masters of multitasking, juggling family, work, community and a myriad of other responsibilities. In a single day you can be lover, mother, wife, agony aunt, personal shopper, mom's taxi, teacher, nurse, chef and dishwasher! Think back on your day yesterday …. How much time did you spend on yourself or for yourself? Better yet, go back even further, how much time have you spent just nurturing yourself?

We are prone to nurturing and tend to ignore our own needs as we spend our time and energy on seeing to everyone else’s needs. At our core is the need to fulfill the many expectations we believe we are required to meet. In the process we are guilty of neglecting the most important person in our life – our self.

Looking at the major arcana cards of the tarot I pulled out the six cards that depict women which when placed in order of their appearance, for me, reveal our journey to self-discovery.

We start with The High Priestess, who shows us the need to get in touch with our intuition and sensuality. To gain wisdom and to approach the challenges we face with common sense.

“I am two women: one wants to have all the joy, passion and adventure that life can give me. The other wants to be a slave to routine, to family life, to the things that can be planned and achieved. I'm a housewife and a prostitute, both of us living in the same body and doing battle with each other.” ― Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes

Next is The Empress who signifies the essence of womanhood that includes motherhood, fertility, creativity, beauty, femininity and harmony

“This business of womanhood is a heavy burden.” ― Tsitsi Dangarembga

Strength depicts a maiden taming a lion and signifies the inner strength, bravery, courage, confidence, compassion and the ability to overcome obstacles we find in ourselves.

“The strength of a woman is not measured by the impact that all her hardships in life have had on her; but the strength of a woman is measured by the extent of her refusal to allow those hardships to dictate her and who she becomes.” ― C. JoyBell C.

Lady Justice with her scales of balance reminds us to uphold the truth, our integrity and balance in our lives.

“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” ― Coco Chanel,

The Star signifies the women we develop into, the creatives, the healers, filled with hope and inspiration renewing ourselves into positive, spiritual beings.

“I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.”

― Madonna

The World is our completion of this cycle. It signifies success and wholeness. A point where we understand ourselves and our place in the world. We are in tune with mind, body and spirit and able to share our knowledge with others

“There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty.”

― Steve Maraboli,

But along this journey to self-discovery we need to nurture ourselves every step of the way. We need to take time out to breathe, to connect with who we are and who we want to be. We need to become our own best friend.

“When a woman becomes her own best friend life is easier.” ― Diane Von Furstenberg

To support you on your journey, here are a few crystals to help you deal with the challenges you are bound to encounter along the way:

Apache Tears, often called the grief stone, is a stone of protection. It allows you to shed tears and removes the boundaries that prevent you from experiencing sorrow. It absorbs negative energy and clears the mind to allow you to deal calmly and logically with distressing situations. It’s a stone that encourages spontaneity and removes self-limiting boundaries.

Red Coral is often referred to as a woman’s stone. The Native Americans refer to it as the Blood of Mother Earth while Tibetan women consider it precious for menstruation and fertility. It helps to dispel feelings of despair and encourages energy and passion.

Botswana Agate is a good stone to have when you are working on accepting yourself. It allows you to see things from a new perspective and boosts self-confidence. This is a grounding stone that will centre you and provide balance. It is also said to help you speak your own truth.

Citrine will bring new energy to every aspect of your life. This stone helps develop positive attitudes and boosts self-esteem and confidence. It helps with intuition and creativity and will make you less sensitive to criticism.

Clear Quartz helps to balance your emotions and takes negative thoughts and turns them into positive ones.

Garnet is often called the ‘sex stone’. It is said to provide spontaneous energy when it is required. It is highly recommended for women who are victims of abuse to help them reclaim their power. It is also believed to boost physical sexuality and increase fertility.

Hematite is great for bringing mind, body and soul into balance and harmony. It clears negativity and encourages peace and harmony. It’s the stone I’d recommend for women who are timid as it boosts self-confidence and removes self-limiting boundaries.

Moonstone helps to stabilize and calm emotions and emotional triggers. It’s often recommended for PMS, stress relief, conception, childbirth and breastfeeding.

Red Jasper is another stone to use successfully to calm emotions. It’s a good stone to carry when you are in stressful situations as it brings tranquility and gives you the courage to deal with problems assertively.

Rose Quartz is the crystal of unconditional love. It brings calm and reassurance in times of crisis. It will help you accept change and is often recommended for those in mid-life crisis. Rose Quartz is also said to help women who have trouble finding love to open themselves to love.

Sodalite is a must-have stone for women who find themselves too busy to relax or take some time out. Not only does it help restore mental energies, but it will help you stay true to yourself and to stand up for your beliefs. It also gives you the courage to speak about your feelings and will help release rigid mindsets and those things that hold you back from being who you really are. It also works to balance emotions.

Amber calms the nerves and promotes fidelity in relationships. It helps clear the mind.

Amethyst will help with feelings of victimization and clears negativity. It also protects and keeps you balanced during times of change.

Jade is often recommended to help recover from experiences such as divorce, any type of loss, funerals or minor surgery.

Smokey Quartz is a good stone to use in times of stress. It is often used for PMS and mood swings. It helps to reduce fears of failure and will help remove self-limitations.

We wish all the mothers, daughters, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, nieces and BFFs out there a magical and nurturing Women’s Day. Embrace every aspect of your true self and never feel the need to apologize for who you are.

If you would like to find out more about our crystal and Reiki healing sessions, or tarot card readings, contact us at merakic@yahoo.com. Don't forget to subscribe below for all our latest posts and news. We will never bombard you with emails. By subscribing you will only receive an e-mail when a new post is published