We are all filled with a longing for the wild. There are few culturally sanctioned antidotes for this yearning. We were taught to feel shame for such a desire. We grew our hair long and used it to hide our feelings. But the shadow of Wild Woman still lurks behind us during our days and in our nights. No matter where we are, the shadow that trots behind us is definitely four-footed.
Clarissa Pinkola Estes, PhD,
Women Who Run With The Wolves

I originally sent out this quote to the women in my life that I perceive as strong. Each time I interact with any of these women I realize how gifted I am to have these amazing spirits present with me on my journey. As many of you have stated with my past rants… I’m getting a bit cynical – sheesh… Then a paralyzing thought occurred to me, which froze me right there in the tracks of my black stiletto boots. If I’m not careful I will become the female, better dressed version of a drunken Hemingway who spawns theatrics about love but never really attains it. Ouch… So point taken ladies but don’t expect anything too “fluffy” from me yet. I’m still on the warpath of walking female power contradiction – if you don’t like it you can kiss the toe of my black stiletto boots. I had also considered calling this by a ever evolving thought I have to someday write a book called “How to De-Girl” someday when I have more time and don’t juggle two jobs I may add Animate rant into that idea….

Each day in the life of a women we never are sure first of all what we will wake up to, I speak this of our bodies first and foremost because on any given day I can have a bad face, hair or allover body day and aside from that there’s your significant other which the nurturer inside of all women nags at you to love, support and ultimately heal their day to day fears and uncertainties. Since I’m not a mother I cannot even begin to fathom what it is like to have child related problems, even though my two horses are VERY high maintenance I don’t cart them around with me to the grocery store and they don’t go out past their curfew. A dear friend of mine who happens to be on the receiving end of me analytical insights whether she likes it or not asked me how someone cultivates the “wild woman within” and leads a responsible life.

Let’s break down what we have so far. To be animate you must be living, and moving, an archetype would be the epitome, model or ideal, and hello! - If you need woman explained to you I sincerely doubt you have made it this far into my writing. How does a living, moving, outwardly affected woman maintain the balance of the nurturing mother, the protector, the hero and oftentimes the sole breadwinner while cultivating the wild within?

We all have felt our “wild woman” within at some point in our life; don’t allow yourself to be led astray by “wild” and allow it to be taken pejoratively. I feel that when your have made peace with your wild nature you are more tranquil as a person. Your intuition is honed; you are able to protect yourself, and your loved ones like a mother wolf would protect her cubs. The acknowledgement of the wild woman within could occur when you catch a glimpse of your children at play, a sunrise or sunset or perhaps even as you walk down the street and feel the wind in your hair. Personally I feel those moments of empowerment and wildness most often when I am working with horses, or teaching. However you may go about channeling your wild woman within - rest assured she is there. Most women at some point in their lives loose their touch with her; perhaps it’s the teenage girl who is feeling peer pressure, or a woman in an abusive relationship. There were times in my life I had felt that I’d lost touch with my wild woman within, and each time when I called out to her she found me, once connected I have found that I fight to keep that connection. Thankfully I have a mother who’s the living breathing epitome of wild woman, and that in itself has helped me forge a connection to my own wild nature that is nearly unshakeable.

Each woman who retrieves her wild intuition reaches a point where she is tempted to throw it away, for what is the use of knowing such things. This new found knowing can be very unforgiving. Your vision from within this new knowing sees the old as elderly; the beautiful as verdant, the silly as idiotic, things that used to be just incredible are now miracles to you. It addition to this when you see life with new wild knowing, it creates more work in your own life that cannot be ignored. You comprehend negative forces in either your own life or the lives of others and imbalances become easier to spot both inwardly and outwardly; you insist on repairing these imbalances and refurbishing your life. It’s true it is easier to toss this new wild knowing aside, and simply “go back to sleep” because it can be so exhausting to see and feel so much, we see both the disfigured and the divine with all conditions in between. Yet with this wild knowing integrated inside of you the miracles of deep and true beauty in the world can give you strength. You can see the sweet spirit crushed by hatred, the good intent behind a bad action or choice. It is the seeing eye of knowing we all have within us, the mirror in which all things are sensed and seen. This is your true deep wild nature.

So you see being wild isn’t about breaking all the rules, or being irresponsible, its about being more in touch with yourself so that you can breath strength and your own charisma into everything you touch, the people you love and your own dreams. You don’t necessarily have to be alone or have time to get in touch with your wildish nature; it’s an awareness that you take into consideration every day and carry into your actions. It’s breathing every breath with passion, and fueling your own creative fire that keeps you alive. Ancient Chinese wisdom teaches that spiritual enlightenment can be found in the daily tasks of chopping wood and carrying water, or doing laundry and dishes.

So dearest friends, take moment wherever you are right now. Breath deep, center yourself, feel the strength coursing through your veins and actually call out in your own mind to your wild woman, I guarantee that you will feel her presence and feel her gaining strength inside of you just from this simple recognition. She is you, she’s just the part of you that you may have forgotten about, or that you chose not to listen to because she speaks her mind and is strong and independent. I encourage all women to look out to the world with eyes that are open to the wild knowing nature of other women, we not only have to work on our own internal support structure but if we cultivate the strength of others wild knowing nature we create even more abundance for all.

Much love to all of my friends; because of you all I haven not lost touch with the wild woman within, and a special thanks to my mom who is as previously stated the Epitome of Wild Woman. So from here on out, my wild woman and I may work on some more “fluffy” stuff cause the image of me alone in a bar old and drunken like Hemingway isn’t all that appealing!