POWER STRATEGIES
OF A WARRIOR GODDESS

By Joan O’Connor Aderman

...Did you know that in Celtic mythology the greatest trainer of warriors was Scathach -- a woman? Why would the Celts, whose very survival depended on the success of their warriors, make their greatest mythological trainer of warriors a woman? The reason is that Scathach was able to teach even the bravest, most physically capable warriors the use of feminine power strategies, which utilize passion, intuition and creativity and the ancient Celts fully understood the effectiveness of such strategies.

...Tragically, in our culture, women are usually encouraged to suppress their emotions, disregard their intuition, stifle their imaginations and dull their intensity, instead of developing these natural abilities. We are taught that emotions weaken us. This is absurd! It is the depth of our emotions that gives us power! It was Joan of Arc’s passion that inspired so many men to follow her into battle. Interestingly, history tells us that Joan of Arc cried very easily. Yet, no one would accuse that great heroine of being weak.

... In truth, it is our ability to care so deeply that gives us our powerful energy. When my husband and I went on safari in Africa we were astonished at how the guides would drive the jeeps right up to the animals -- even a bull elephant that was flapping his ears in warning. However these same seemingly fearless guides would never drive up close to a mother animal with her baby. They respected how powerful a mother animal can be when her offspring is being threatened. The sheer intensity of our emotions gives us strength, courage and commitment. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “A woman is like a teabag; it is only when she is in hot water that you realize how strong she is.” As we know, there is “hot water” at every turn.

...Tragically, women themselves are unaware that emotions, sensitivity and imagination are enormous sources of power. They are taught to believe that there is something wrong with the strength of their feelings or the grandeur of their visions. Many women spend years trying to squeeze themselves into our society’s narrow, constricted view of what a good woman, good wife, good mother, or good daughter “should “ be like, rather than giving full rein to their powerful, flowing spirits.

... The truth is that it is the expansiveness of our imaginations that enables us to get really excited and inspired. If you were any less passionate, you would feel less love, less joy and less enthusiasm. Would you really want to give that up? Would you want to feel less moved by the beauty of a sunset, or less joy when reading a wonderful book? It is not that women are too intense. Rather it is our culture’s view of femininity that is too narrow. Unfortunately, when women try to suppress their emotions, imaginations or intensity, they only succeed in dimming their own lights. Then they wonder why they never have any energy.

...Scathach lived in a castle on the island of Skye. There was only one entrance to the island: an enchanted bridge. If you stepped gingerly onto the bridge, the other side shot up like a see-saw and catapulted you back onto the mainland. Lore tells us that many warriors met their deaths this way. Only by taking a leap long enough to pass the halfway mark could you avoid this pitfall. Isn’t Scathach trying to warn us that the real danger lies in trying to restrict our natural appetites and abilities rather than unleashing them? In withholding our light and filling the world with our brilliance?

...If women would focus on learning how to harness their intensity, emotions and imaginations rather than trying to suppress these assets, they would be shocked at how powerful they can become. However, like any tool, such assets only enhance your power when you learn how to use them strategically (and feminine power is all about strategy)! But where can we look for guidance in a world of contradictions? It is in the stories of the great warrior goddesses - Scathach, Morrigan, Sekhmet, Oshun, Oya, Freya, and Athena that women can learn how to use their natural abilities strategically. Allow these bold archetypes to act as a guide to living authentically and passionately. Study their stories. Let them inspire you to dream bigger, live more fully, and connect with the goddess you hold inside.

Joan O’Connor Aderman, L.C.S.W. is a psychotherapist in private practice in Atlanta. She conducts feminine empowerment workshops and is currently writing a book on the power strategies of the warrior goddesses. She can be contacted by phone at 770-928-2383 or by email at anam7@aol.com