April 13, 2003
Awakened Woman's Circle is working for peace
The Grandmothers Manifesto
Lotus Linton Howard
My Dear Sisters,
My first grandchild was born just a few days after September 11, 2002. I had already passed through the threshold of menopause years ago, and I have believed for a long time that the wisdom of the elder women of all tribes and nations carries the healing energy for the world. But Orion's coming and the painful global events of our time has caused me to sit down and let this GRANDMOTHERS' MANIFESTO come forth, to be spoken, to be written, to be out there on the airwaves. I owe this to him...and all the little ones that we each love so much.
It doesn't matter whether you have grandchildren. In most ancient cultures, all elder women were considered the Grandmothers. What matters is that you have passed or are currently passing through menopause and are committed to the Web of Life paradigm outlined herein. I am not assuming, of course, that the men we love or our younger sisters and daughters do not share this wisdom...for so many do! And I certainly do not want to appear exclusive here. But, the GRANDMOTHERS' MANIFESTO is intended to honor this particular stage of a woman's life, which has been for so long rendered invisible and even abhorrent to the dominant culture. As you well know, the values of the world are topsy-turvy...and this is one attempt toward setting them upright.
So, please, if you are so moved, sign this and pass it on to the elder women among your friends and family who you believe would relish signing this. If your number is 50, 100, 150 (a multiple of 50), please send a copy back to me at <lotuslh@earthlink.net> for I certainly want to keep abreast of where this web will take us in its spread.
I hope many wonderful circles of discussion and action will ensue as we connect with each other this way. Blessings.
Lotus Linton Howard, Ph.D.
Author of Soul Springs: Seeking Self in the Waters
THE GRANDMOTHERS' MANIFESTO
We are the Grandmothers, the Keepers of the Creator's Highest Law, which is the Law of Good Relationship. We are the elder women of all cultures. Some of us have borne children, some have served the world in other ways. Having already brought forth and nurtured the younger ones and the dreams of our youth, we now hold our blood and, in so doing, carry the Wisdom of the Ages within our wombs.
We know that it is only in good relationship to ourselves, to each other, to the Mother Earth, and to the Divine which resides within all of creation that life has any value, meaning or true purpose.
For too many long eras of human history the voices of the women have been silenced. The wisdom of the Grandmothers is expressed in our Love for the innocents, our respect for the healing gifts of Nature, and our patiencewith the unfolding natural rhythms of life. Sadly, this wisdom, honed by years of experience and our womanly perspective, has long been ignored, discounted or forgotten. But we are the graduated citizens, representing the ultimate leadership and benefit to society, for our holistic intelligence has the welfare of the human community at heart.
We do not believe that humanity is destined to forever play out the old patterns and themes of discord and strife. We see our human family poised on the threshold of a new consciousness. Old paradigms based on struggle, greed, power and fear must end. Educational, social, political and religious institutions will make the leaps that reflect humanity's awakening, or they will dissolve to make way for new systems.
Seeds of humanity's new beginnings lie hidden in the old ways of many of the older traditions. Holding these gems of the ancient Grandmothers within us, we stand for loving alternatives to present hierarchical power structures and oppressive economic systems. Bringing the full force of our wisdom into this present time, we, the Grandmothers of the Earth, herein exercise our calling as Wisdom Keepers and declare the following:
1) LIFE IS SACRED. As all the great teachers who have come before us understood, there is an intelligence that arises from the heart that surpasses the intellect alone. It is the reverence for the Divine within all aspects of creation that renders our thoughts and actions to be harmless and life serving. Let the sanctity of life be the central theme and motivation of every teacher and leader of both secular and religious domains, that humanity's days may finally be filled with the peace, good will and freedom that we created to enjoy.
2) THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS GROWTH. Growth implies the evolution of greater understanding and wisdom. We, the Grandmothers, know that wisdom requires the capacity and the will for honesty and self-reflection. Humility arises when the fearful conditioned personality surrenders to the Higher Power within. Then the tendency to blame others, or to project upon them the "evils" we cannot face in ourselves, melts away. Let our leaders be humble and dedicate themselves to personal growth as the authentic road to lasting world peace.
3) WE ARE ALL RELATED. All human beings of every race, creed, gender, or level of development, are our brothers and sisters. All the world's children are our own, to be treated with wisdom, kindness, love and respect.
Each adult is responsible for the welfare of the children. We, the Grandmothers, understand that once people are capable of viewing each other as family, human dynamics will expand into entirely new dimensions. Let all governments and social institutions serve this expansion.
4) WE ARE THE CARETAKERS OF EARTH. Care taking implies stewardship, not domination. We willingly co-exist with the other species of our planet. They, too, are sacred expressions of the Creator and members of the interdependent Web of Life. We know that technologies have been and will be created that can enhance the lives of all without destroying or depleting the Earth. As holders of this sacred trust we Grandmothers receive all the gifts of Nature with gratitude, and we endorse only the technologies that are Earth-sustaining and life enhancing for all beings. Let all methods of fuel, food and material production, all expansions and developments, honor Nature's preservation and enhancement.
5) SELF-LOVE IS THE ROOT OF HEALTH & HAPPINESS. The capacity to truly love oneself is an essential ingredient of personal fulfillment and must become an educational goal. As Grandmothers, we insist upon only the ethics and policies of all social institutions which can inspire the children to love themselves as treasured creations of the Divine - in all their strengths and unique gifts, as well as their areas of weakness and need for growth. We understand that only full cups can overflow to lead rewarding lives and to be of good service to society. Let all local and global programs be dedicated to wisely educating and supporting the teachers and parents of these precious beings.
6) COMPASSION IS A BASIC SKILL. In a world where technologies of mass destruction permeate our societies, the ability to "feel with" another is crucial now to our planetary survival. Compassion frees us from the bondage of fear that keeps us locked within conflict, struggle and warfare. Once the intelligence of the heart is awakened, harming another is unthinkable, for the sense of self surpasses the ego and includes others in its circumference. Let there be education that addresses the development of compassion, for we know that only through acquiring this basic skill can our children enjoy their existence in peace, dignity and grace.
7) PROBLEMS ARE CREATIVE CHALLENGES. We, the Grandmothers, now stand against war and outmoded and destructive reactions to the issues that arise between peoples. We insist upon leaders trained in the skills of diplomacy, multicultural competence, conflict resolution and creative thinking. Those who resort to manipulation, force and unethical means to achieve ego-centric ends must grow or be replaced by those who embody the capacities for true leadership. There is enough brilliance in the minds of the entire human populace to find solutions to all dilemmas. Let it be tapped now.
AND WITH THIS DECLARATION we, the Grandmothers now circle the planet with our Love and our Wisdom. We, the elder women, hold a large percentage of the world's wealth and represent tremendous voting power as well as savvy grass-roots leadership skills. We now pledge to support only those leaders, institutions and projects that respect and reflect our Manifesto. For the sake of the children and the generations of them to come, we oppose all tyranny, greed, hatred, division and violence.
It is said in Hopi prophecy that when the Grandmothers speak, Peace will return to the Earth. We speak now. Let our voice be heard as the final word, as it is meant to be.
1. Lotus Linton Howard
2. Mary E. Billy, Squamish, BC, Canada