THE COURAGE OF TURTLES - Central Washington University

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matching bandanna and exotic jewelry. Twenty women of all ages sat in the familiar
circle around candles, baskets overflowing with leafy branches, a black caldron, and a
rubber snake in the spiral shape that symbolizes the Goddess.
The day began with Anourishing@ chants to the Sacred Corn Mother. Weed=s
morning lecture on the failings of both scientific and alternative medicine displayed her
encyclopedic knowledge of herbs. Participants then used Weed's beaded witch-hazelwood
talking stick to explain why they were there.
Several in the Ahealing professions@ felt disaffected with the medical
establishment. A few had cured themselves of painful physical Afemale@ problems. One
had come because she was interested in Aowning myself since my marriage ended.@ A
fortyish woman C in tears Abecause [here] I=m allowed to speak@C was attending
because AI really love trees.@ A video producer said, AIf we respect ourselves, then we can
respect the environment, the rain forest. I know plants have tremendous power.@ Two
young nannies on their day off seemed to be there by accident.
AA lot of women who come into the women's spirituality movement,@ says Margot
Adler, Acome into it for reasons that are very personal. They feel like sC t, they hate
their bodies, they hate themselves. They come into these groups which basically say to
you, >You=re the Goddess, you=re wonderful.= And that=s really a personally important
experience for a certain period of time. But then comes the question of where do you go
from there? Because then they become very political.@
Attunement to nature and one's own inner wisdom, the idea that Aevery woman is
an extension of the Earth Mother,@ as Weed proclaims, is an attractive idea to harried,
fragmented urbanites, especially at a time when the death of nature is being prophesied.
Some of the events at Weed's Woodstock center are earthy, indeed. At last year=s
ABlood of the Ancients@ retreat, held over Labor Day weekend, Awe recreated the sacred
moon lodge, or menstrual hut,@ recalls Weed, Aand reawakened the old blood mysteries
of woman's creativity C pregnancy, birth, lactation, menstruation, and menopause. We
reclaimed the blood of peace, thereby bringing an end to war.@ Living conditions at the
center are said to be less than idyllic. It Ais really just a shack on a former stone quarry,@
says one participant, Abut there=s a beautiful stream and waterfall C you should have
seen us, about twenty women all nude at the waterfall.@
The plumbing is problematical. AYou can=t flush the indoor toilet often because it
will overflow and there's just one portable toilet outside, so women have to squat on the
ground,@ she says. AAfter a few days, they stop wearing underpants. There are lots of
goats, so you=re walking in human and goat sC all the time. For dinner, it=s great C
Susun just goes out and picks all sorts of greens and flowers for a big salad.@
Such mellow weekend flashbacks to Woodstock >69 are hardly typical of the
classic Wiccan covens. AWe=re more oriented to the balance than to just the Goddess,@
explains Judy Harrow. A plump brunette who is a health worker and sometime radio