06/30/2026
Recently, I was a panelist on one of the Maternal Gift Economy Movement's Salons ( #98)
As we concluded, I felt the question about how do we put an end to this devastation of the planet and its life brought on by the belief in scarcity and the behavior of patriarchy was not adequately addressed. Certainly, the work we have collectively done in looking to what we know now that we did not know 50 years ago plays a part, what we have already done with that information is important, and the contributions of women like Heidi Goettner-Abendorf in moving on and gathering contemporary options like Matriarchy Now! offer an exciting contemplation for the future. And, indeed, within RCGI, we have recognized the need to move on beyond Jade's work and do more linking with other similarly concerned organizations, domestically and internationally.
For myself, as a Priestess of the Goddess (Hera, to be specific) I have determined that the most important individual thing I can do is to daily flush the efforts of the media and actions of the powers of the patriarchy to instill fear, doubt, and panic in me, and so maintain a daily practice of self-centering that prepares me to act with courage and authenticity when I am called to do so. To call out the effort to silence us and to challenge the assumption that we can't act. We can and do. It adds up.
I consider that the assault on the planet and our persons has been going on for the last 5,000 years, but we are still lacking in the collective clarity that I feel will be needed to stop it. Just, one day, I believe we will hit a critical mass of consciousness about the lie that is scarcity and the soul destroying practices that are greed and exploitation, and we will just stop.
I believe this understanding will come from women, from the understanding of our nature and our oneness with the planet Earth, which I consider is Deity, a living, thinking, interactive entity whose energy field we are all a part of. Consequently, it is my honor to continue to educate and serve us so that we are not blocked by fear and may be open to a vision of the future, of what could be, so that we do not hesitate to act in really big ways now and when the time is present.
In the meantime, I look, as I have done for the last 50 years, to the poets and writers, the artists and musicians who are the heart and soul of every revolution, who create the visions of the future forming in the moment, to sustain my hope and add to my inspiration.
In short, I do not know HOW, but I know it will happen. We are not going back, I don't care how often or intensely the fear-mongers throw up the illusions that there is no way out. There is, and probably more than one.
Pat Cuney
