It’s been growing steadily over the last few years us speaking about Menopause, hearing it on the radio, celebrity women campaigning in and outside parliament to allow women the support they need at this time.
This time, Menopause ,is a physical transition, equivalent to puberty and involving the same rollercoaster of hormones and rewiring. But it’s not a medical condition, it’s a natural transformation into a time of great power, when we can be fully ourselves without compromise. It can prompt us to make monumental changes in our lives and become awakened to our true purpose in this next phase of our lives. Sound anything like the old woman myths we’ve all been brought up with ?Put down those knitting needles ( guerilla crochet art work excepted!) and listen to what you really want to do now.
Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer have been holding courses for some years to encourage women and girls to recognise the power and positivity in our Menstrual cycles , to track our own cycles and see those times we have the need to be out there and the times we need to retreat and be still and listen to what is next and how we can awaken more to our callings and right action. www.redschool.net
So it is no surprise that the definitive book about the true nature of Menopause – Wise Power – is out now!
It is the wise women coming back from the woods to tell us how to travel through this exciting time. Truly revelational!
Check out their course due to start https://www.redschool.net/wise-power-retreat
Other inspiring books also out this year on this second half of life is Sharon Blackie’s magnificently named Hagitude – which looks at the old woman archetypes and how they relate to this phase in our lives and how we can smash through the patriarchal intepretations of the witches in the woods
Embracing the positive title Second Spring Kate Codrington’s book gives us a self-care guide to menopause full of humour, honesty, whichever route you choose to take https://www.katecodrington.co.uk/
Finally bravo to Davina McCall for highlighting her own experiences of Menopause in the public arena and producing a roadmap with the help of Dr Naomi Potter, to help us negotiate this next important phase – she freely admits it has given new purpose to her own life
There feels like a shift going on , even with the horror of war, violence against women in Iran and around the world, here too in the UK. Women and men are standing up to be heard despite the danger to themselves – to say enough is enough – we will be heard, seen and be the change we want to see. Courage calls for courage