First Voice
Dear Readers,
Over the past three evenings I've taken us back over 4,000 years to find our Woman's First Voice. In addition to Enheduanna, the first identified writer, who was a priestess, there was her goddess--Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Goddess of Love and War. What is remarkable about Inanna, first and foremost, is that she embraced the opposites. She was a total being. In addition, she celebrated herself as a sexual woman. The poetry in which she expresses herself is a testiment to that feeling of celebration of womanhood.
I begin with this First Voice because of the freedom of expression and because of its totality. Inanna was equally expressive when she was excited about dressing up, when she was describing her lover and their lovemaking, and when she was angry enough to go to war. Inanna was also described as very clever, tricking her uncle into giving her his powers and then escaping out of his reach.
What I particularly love is the fact that she is free to express herself however she feels and free to say what she needs to say in order to obtain what she wants. In this ancient literature, there is no value placed on what Inanna says. Everything she says is what it is. Period.
So, our question tonight is: If this is how women communicated, why don't we women have this same freedom of expression today?
Well, my great teacher says, none of us arrived at this point in our lives unscathed. For us women, many factors contribute to our communication issues. We want to think it's personal--the things that have happened to us--our upbringing, early trauma, relationships, messages about the way we speak. However, our culture carries messages about women and communication that have nothing to do with us personally--and, also, affect each one of us on a personal level.
Our purpose in Woman's Voice is to find that unique voice that each one of us carries within and to develop the skills that allow our unique voice to become an effective communicator.
Woman's First Voice was untouched by the cultural, social, and religious issues that in later times affected how women speak. In this way, we women have a model for a woman's voice in its wholeness.
Writing Exercise: Do you have a woman's First Voice that is a model for you? A mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, teacher, friend. Someone you admired, someone who influenced your own communication style. Was she outspoken? Or was she soft-spoken? Was she clever with words? Was she more of a strong and respected presence, someone who communicated powerfully with few words? Who is the woman or women who influenced your own communication style? Describe a moment or experience that impressed on you that women are powerful through the power of our voices.
To be continued...and
Thank you once again, dear readers, for joining me here. Thank you for allowing me to share this work with you. And thank you, my special helpers and watchers, for caring for me. I thank you all.
Over the past three evenings I've taken us back over 4,000 years to find our Woman's First Voice. In addition to Enheduanna, the first identified writer, who was a priestess, there was her goddess--Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Goddess of Love and War. What is remarkable about Inanna, first and foremost, is that she embraced the opposites. She was a total being. In addition, she celebrated herself as a sexual woman. The poetry in which she expresses herself is a testiment to that feeling of celebration of womanhood.
I begin with this First Voice because of the freedom of expression and because of its totality. Inanna was equally expressive when she was excited about dressing up, when she was describing her lover and their lovemaking, and when she was angry enough to go to war. Inanna was also described as very clever, tricking her uncle into giving her his powers and then escaping out of his reach.
What I particularly love is the fact that she is free to express herself however she feels and free to say what she needs to say in order to obtain what she wants. In this ancient literature, there is no value placed on what Inanna says. Everything she says is what it is. Period.
So, our question tonight is: If this is how women communicated, why don't we women have this same freedom of expression today?
Well, my great teacher says, none of us arrived at this point in our lives unscathed. For us women, many factors contribute to our communication issues. We want to think it's personal--the things that have happened to us--our upbringing, early trauma, relationships, messages about the way we speak. However, our culture carries messages about women and communication that have nothing to do with us personally--and, also, affect each one of us on a personal level.
Our purpose in Woman's Voice is to find that unique voice that each one of us carries within and to develop the skills that allow our unique voice to become an effective communicator.
Woman's First Voice was untouched by the cultural, social, and religious issues that in later times affected how women speak. In this way, we women have a model for a woman's voice in its wholeness.
Writing Exercise: Do you have a woman's First Voice that is a model for you? A mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, teacher, friend. Someone you admired, someone who influenced your own communication style. Was she outspoken? Or was she soft-spoken? Was she clever with words? Was she more of a strong and respected presence, someone who communicated powerfully with few words? Who is the woman or women who influenced your own communication style? Describe a moment or experience that impressed on you that women are powerful through the power of our voices.
To be continued...and
Thank you once again, dear readers, for joining me here. Thank you for allowing me to share this work with you. And thank you, my special helpers and watchers, for caring for me. I thank you all.
posted by Knowing Woman at 7:36 PM
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