Voyage of the Soul ~ A Woman’s Mid-life Adventure
by Janet Glass, MA

“A woman’s body is the vessel through which the Goddess comes.”
~ Crossing to Avalon, Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.

As I approach the half-century mark, I can’t help feeling that life is playing a cruel joke. It’s 3:11 a.m., and I am wide-awake as a hot flash drives flames into my body. My mind craves sleep but also realizes that to sweat in bed, awake for the next hour, will most assuredly drive me mad. In my darkest hour I ask God, “Why do I deserve this torment?”

Then I realize with a jolt that I am not alone—there is a sacred sisterhood of which I am a member. Somehow I am at one with the millions of women experiencing this same rite of passage. In the deepest well of my being, I perceive a voice whispering to me that it’s going to be all right; that somehow in the midst of my turmoil, if I dare to look inside myself, I will discover a most sacred Goddess, one who unites us all.

There is no doubt that our lives take on the flavor of adventure as we turn the corner into mid-life. As women, we scan the landscape and somehow sense that things aren’t what they “should” be. Instead of security, we experience chaos. Family dynamics shift as children and sometimes spouses take leave to cross into new life visions. Circumstances often cast us in the most upsetting role of parenting our parents. Our bodies betray us as we are forced to relinquish motherhood and are tossed unwillingly into the frightening state of menopause. Questions about what it all means bubble up from the depths of our psyche and we wonder how we will survive at all.

Mid-life transition often feels this way. Washed onto the lonely shore of a desert island, we wander aimlessly through the uncharted territory of our deepest fears and ugliest realities.
The truth, however, is that with just a bit of attitudinal magic, mid-life can be a bountiful opportunity to rediscover ourselves.

Through our mid-life crisis we are invited to reconnect with the wondrous, mystical, joyful inner being that lives deep inside us all. This is the time to put our self first by honoring our soul. As we unite our heart with the archetypal Goddess, we allow the universal feminine back into our world, where it once lived in peace and tranquility. This is our opportunity to embody the wise-woman/elder and teach our daughters to take their rightful places in the scheme of life. What better role model can we provide for our children than to live our lives with acceptance and joy?
Marianne Williamson urges us in her book, A Woman’s Worth: “Become more beautiful with age. Let’s be wise and mature and queenly. Let’s allow our centers of power to shift with grace, from focus on physical expression to focus on spiritual strength. The game isn’t cruel except when played by the negative mind. In the life God has in mind for us, we grow more and more beautiful and know more and more joy. The longer we live, the more time we have to pursue the things that make life meaningful. Above all, let’s not be ashamed of age.”

We can heal ourselves, and the world around us, by accepting our inner beauty, moving with grace into the realm of the wise-woman/crone, sharing our stories, choosing to set our own values, and captaining our own ship. Our voyage takes courage, action, resilience, and humor. To fully honor our journey, there are certain actions and attitudes we can embody that will support us along the way.

Let us be alert for signposts, taking heed of synchronicities and our deeply intuitive nature. Let us channel the imagination of a child, experiencing the mysteries of life with wonder and joy in lieu of judgment and blame. Let us release our wild woman, which has been buried for too long and yearns for creative expression. Let us appreciate the gifts, beauty, and wisdom that invariably appear along the trail, often in forms we would have passed by in our youth. Let us remain in touch with our gracious inner woman and give thanks to the universe for its bountiful offerings. Let us join together as sisters and commit to our journey as one.

The intelligent path through our initiation is to discover and embody the divine spirit within. So when the going gets tough, let us dip into the depths of our soul and drink from its luscious waters. Be the magic you were meant to be. Shine your light, wear purple, aspire to dream like a child, and set that wild woman free. Rebirth your authentic Self for the world to see, and you shall be exquisitely manifesting the splendor of your wise and wonderful soul.

Janet Glass, MA, is a spiritual counselor dedicated to helping you transform your life from the inside out. www.visionkeeper.com

First appeared in the Apr/May 07 issue of aspire… Magazine