Shekhinah Mountainwater
Ξ August 28th, 2007 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Women's Spituality, Wicca, Goddess |
Blessings sisters,
I wanted to write in remembrance, and share with you about the Shekhinah Mountainwater I knew, … then, now and forever.
I knew Shekhinah Mountainwater for some 17 years plus. We moved in and out of each other’s lives over the years, but always we held a deep love for each other. Shekhinah is like that. She waxed and waned like the living goddess she was.
I remember when I first showed her Yahoo groups, and she set-up her very first online list. She was so scared she’d mess something up, and in almost no time at all she was clicking buttons and posting like pro. Shekhinah spent hours and hours answering every question. Sometimes I couldn’t go visit her until after she’d finished a writing project she was doing for her online sisters. She gave so much love to every word that she shared … and so much love to each of us.
I recall times when we’d chat about what to do if there was discord, and each time Shekhinah put her focus into being the peacekeeper. That’s been her life’s gift, to be a peacekeeper and visionary.
I sat with Shekhinah during her last nights, she looked absolutely radiant. Not to have dreamed of any false hopes for her survival, but to say that a change had come over her.
She was painfully thin, and it was clear she would be physically leaving us soon. But as someone who’d known this woman for a good number of years, I have to tell you, I had absolutely no doubt that the goddess was now embracing Shekhinah. She had a glow about her that’s never been there before, not like this.
Shekhinah and I said our goodbyes that night. We said our I love you’s. And what you should know about Shekhinah that night, was if you were there too, you would have heard those same words with just as much meaning whether she’d known you for years or days. It goes without saying, that if she’d had the strength left to touch you all, she would have.
Shekhinah always said to me, “I’m a radical feminist witch who’s on the top of the wave’s edge.” She got that right!
All the love, energies, prayers and magick that all the women sent her, helped her to make this final journey. It was very clear how much it meant to her. She knew she was loved, and best of all … loved by Amazons.
I thought about writing this memorial to her, and it seemed the best way was to share her final journey with you through my words. You see Shekhinah’s journey had brought her to the final precipice of her life, and that is what I want everyone to know and remember about her.
The Last Rite of Passage
It was one of one of those days in the lives of all who experienced it that will not be forgotten soon, if ever.
I always knew that when the day came that my lovely Kinah was to begin her cross-over journey, that I would be one of several priestesses to hold space for her, sing to her during her rite of passage blessing and love her for the extraordinary friendship I had with her.
On this day, we crones that were so much a part of each other’s lives gathered to share yet another level of the love and caring that has graced our dance of life through the years. Today we were the death crones, come to bless our sister, to help guide her and let her know just how deeply you, us, myself … how much we all loved her.
Z had arrived.
That silver haired Amazon walked into the room with her two walking sticks and you had no doubt that something powerful was about to get going.
When they told Shekhinah that Z was there, Shekhinah made one request … she asked for humor.
Well of course, that made all us crones cackle because asking Z to be funny is never something you need ask. It’s a given. I’m pretty sure Z cackled the loudest too. And honestly, I’ve no doubt that Shekhinah Mountainwater had just pulled a prank in her subtle way.
Z made it very clear to all she had work to do there, and with mischief in her eyes and a little smirk, off she went muttering something about being funny. (You can read Z’s blog for her very accurate details.)
We all waited for a little bit of time to give these two old friends some space to speak in private. When it was time for us to join them, there was our Shekhinah with a smile on her face. Clearly her wish had been granted.
Z reminded Shekhinah of their adventures together and comforted Shekhinah, and eventually explained to Shekhinah that it was time to get down to business. Shekhinah understood and gave permission to be anointed with a beautiful rose oil that Z had brought her.
Shekhinah was very receptive, but also wasn’t shy about voicing her needs or concerns. At one point, Shekhinah was worried that she was going to soil herself. In typical Z fashion, she leaned over Shekhinah and whispered like a naughty little girl, “It’s ok honey, you just go ahead and have a good pee.”
Shekhinah got a little smile from that one.
Then Z began to sing, and the words flowed and flowed from her while the rest of us droned in the background. Shekhinah’s eyes were open wide and she was listening so intently to every word of Z’s song. A song that I didn’t realize until later was being inspired right at that moment. It was beautiful, and at times sad … at others, very funny.
And when it was over, Z gifted Shekhinah with bay tree clippings. Shekhinah liked the song, but she made it clear the bay could go.
I wasn’t expecting to smile and laugh so much with these women and our Shekhinah that day, but seeing the amount of pure joy it gave to Shekhinah was her gift to us. There wasn’t any wailing, and not much crying. But what there was a lot of, was the real love that sisters grace each other’s journey with.
The blessings had been sung and the rite of passage had been gifted to Shekhinah by her community of sisters. It was now up to her as to when would be the time she would release her foothold on this earth and go home.
Transition Time
Shekhinah had slipped into a state of constant sleep. Her breathing was labored, and heavier on the out breaths. It was clear she was nearing her crossing time.
The happy news was that her daughter was with her now. Though they could no longer talk together, I had no doubt that Shekhinah heard every word and was most likely out-of-body hugging her beloved daughter. It’s good they had that time together.
The other happy news, and what I think I’ll chose to hold dear, was that Shekhinah was awake and had more energy most of the night after Z’s visit. She talked and talked about the beautiful ritual that Z lead. She knew what the ritual was for. and she was very happy and smiling as she spoke. She had a lot to say that night, which to me meant that all of the beautiful energies her sisters sent her … energized her and filled her with love.
None of us would have been surprised to glimpse her or dream of her over the next few days. The veil had thinned, and those who have gone before her were waiting to welcome her home.
WE ARE THE FLOW
by Shekhinah Mountainwater
We are the flow,
we are the ebb,
We are the weavers,
we are the web.
We are the weave,
we are the web,
We are the spiders,
we are the thread.
We are the spiders,
we are the thread,
We are the witches,
back from the dead.
The Last Breath
At 2:30 in the afternoon of August 11, 2007, Shekhinah took her final breath and went into the arms of the goddess.
Her battle with cancer was over and she was now in the light of the goddess pain-free.
Several women reported visitation by Shekhinah on this day, I being one of them. I’ve no doubt she came to each of us that day because she would never leave without a big hug good-bye.
Her passing was quiet and peaceful, with one final deep exhalation she chose to go.
The sisters who were with her this day, bathed Shekhinah’s body and dressed her in her ritual robes, surrounding her with rose pedals from her garden. It was exactly the way she’d always said she wanted her final moments to be. It was absolutely the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in death, and for me, as for others who were there, it was life altering.
Those same sisters sang over her body as they conducted the ritual washing of the body, preparing this gentle soul to go back into the arms of the Mother.
Shekhinah had asked to be buried, and so a wooden coffin was brought in. All of the sisters present decorated it with all of Shekhinah’s women’s symbols and her women’s runes … and much more. It was stunning in it brilliant colors and imagery … and magick.
And now it is time for us to celebrate this dear woman’s life together, and remember her.
In the Aftermath of Passage
For days now, we’d been sorting through the life of this woman we called friend and sister. Unearthing spells and charms, and bits of the goddess in every nook and corner of her home. Such a true witch she was!
I didn’t return to the house on this day with the others. Instead I went to do what no one else wanted to do at this time. I went to her graveside and spent the day there.
I know she wasn’t there except in body, but that wasn’t the point. No one had yet to return to this place. No one wanted to face it.
I got down into the dirt of her grave, into her dust and I smoothed it best I could with my shovel. I said to her, “Kinah dear, I am smoothing your top soils in the same way your beloved Z smoothed and healed your aura when she came to you. Now tell me, why have you been bringing me dreams of faery branches?”
Shekhinah always said she had faeries in her hair and then, giggled like a school girl. We loved the Fay together.
Then as I looked around, I saw two branches a short distance away. I turned back to her and smiled saying, “Honey, why is it you always pick the biggest, heaviest and most beautiful branches for me to carry for you?” And she did too, you know. She loved Amazon energies so much, I think she did it on purpose.
And carry it I did. I chose the pretty one and lifted it into my arms like a precious child. I placed it above her head and told her it would be decorated.
Angie, her beloved friend, also came with me, and Angie brought her a rose bush called “Faery” … full of tiny pink and white roses … imagine, both colors happening on one bush. We placed it to her head against the mighty oak tree that stands guardian over her body now. The rose now waits for the head stone to go in first and then, we will plant the rose for her. She loved roses, and her whole house was decorated with them for the goddess Aphrodite with whom she’d danced her whole life.
I turned to her soils once again and said, “What else would you like?” And I heard her giggle, … make me some of those stacking stones that faeries like. So, I gathered stones of all sizes and began to stack them one on top the other, higher and higher.
Finally I said, “Kinah, how about I make you a stone pentagram over your heart to help you on your journey.” And so Angie and I gathered a lot of rocks to form a giant pentagram on top of her soils.
And for me that was the ritual for the day. I said to her, “Shekhinah you didn’t much care for getting too hot and it’s very hot out today. I need to go rest now because I’ve not slept in 48 hours. In fact, in the last week I think I’ve slept maybe 1-2 hours a night. Do you think maybe I could have a little sleep tonight?” And, we laughed because she would so appreciate the witches who held her sacred vigil to make sure her soul safely reached the other side.
The ground she now holds is so peaceful and beautiful … so like her, so like her, little faery woman. She hated loud noises you know, and here there is the sound of the stream’s waters to carry her soul towards radiance.
Shekhinah Mountainwater should always be remembered for her life’s work in honor of the goddess. It is we sisters and witches who must pick up her mantle, just as we must carry the mantles of all these great mothers who have come before us. But just for today, let it be Shekhinah’s we reach for.
In deep love of the Goddess,
Cerridwen Sidhewolf
Dianic witch feminist shekhinah mountainwater Wicca witch Womens Spituality Womens Spituality Movement
