| Regardless of race, class, or culture, women share a profound ability to re-awaken to their ancestral memory and inherently spiritual nature. This process is not identical for all women. Each woman's experience is unique; however, the essence of each woman's experience is analogous to all others' experiences. My inquiry will focus on women's journeys toward self-awareness within the patriarchal context of the United States. Despite the fact that women worldwide have been indoctrinated into a consciousness steeped in a patriarchal paradigm, this work seeks to show that western women possess an innate ability to vanquish their own internalized oppression and reinstate a consciousness that, I believe, holds all life as sacred. The inquiry question is: What is the experience of women who realize a spiritual calling to become priestesses when living in a paradigm that fails to recognize the Divine Feminine? What impact has this shift in consciousness, from unwitting daughters of the patriarchy to self-empowered priestesses, had on their lives, as inspired by an awakening to their inherent spiritual power? ; Using a methodology of organic inquiry (a spiritual, holistic and inclusive approach), I interviewed five contemporary priestesses. This exploration collected and integrated women's stories of initiation, healing, empowerment, and transformation in the journeys of self-awareness and claiming power. Using critical feminist theory and participatory paradigms to look through the lens of feminist spirituality, I discovered that my co-researchers' stories revealed a massive process of “unlearning” that they, of necessity, experienced in order to embrace and feel empowered in their womanhood. This study aims to inspire the reader to employ these findings in the socialization of future generations of young women. |
