The Way of the  Warrior

My apologizes to my male readers.  This page explores what it means to be a warrior from a woman's point of view simply because that's all I feel qualified to address.  Many things in life are completely androgynous, but this is one where I think a woman should have a different perspective.  

"As women it is our task to preserve the balance.  Sometimes we can't, but we have to try.   Men rule us because they are willing to be violent.  They are too stupid to realize that our capacity to be violent exceeds theirs.  Women have to stop being afraid of that potential, and learn instead to exercise it with wisdom and justice."              
                                                                                                        Pat Califia          

This is an interesting quote but I think she has one concept very wrong.  I don't believe woman are more violent than men.  In fact I think violence is, for the most part. against our nature.  What we are, without any doubt, is more lethal than men.  We are death dealers at the most basic level because every woman knows the dark goddess.  You will notice that even this site acknowledges the presence of Hel in the pantheon.  We are executioners, assassins, poisoners, and murderers when we must be, but very rarely will a woman torture someone to death.   Much of the misdirection around this subject comes from a belief that woman are capable of the random violence that men indulge in.  

What does it mean to be a woman warrior?  Does it mean you have to take karate, play sword games at SCA meetings and generally be athletic?  It can mean all of those things or it can mean something very different.  When I first started working on this material I was tempted to claim that I personally knew nothing about the Way of the Warrior, and was just including it for other's information.  That I was a physical klutz and abhorred violence, and couldn't possibly have any warrior energy in me.  Then I got a letter from a young friend asking my help on how to stand up to some bullies and I knew that I had walked a warrior path since I was ten years old.  My skill is the game of the mental warrior, my sword is my words, and in 30 plus years I've perfected my craft. 

The Way of the Woman Warrior Honors three Universal Powers:

The Power of Presence--Charisma and magnetism.
The Power of Commitment
The Willingness to make a decision 

• Know your Opponent.  A warrior always learns everything possible about the opposition.  Most situations can be dealt with very effectively by simply knowing where an opponent is vulnerable. Sometimes the mere knowledge alone is all that's required.
• Understand the cycle of the Victim.  Many problems are best solved not by confrontation but by the "Victim" simply ceasing to be a victim.
• Pay attention.  Stay in the present.  It is the only place anything is really happening.
• Proceed as if you can not fail.  This is not arrogance or false confidence.  It is the realization that once a course of action has been chosen, false doubts accomplish nothing.
• The corollary to the above is begin each battle knowing that "Today is a good day to die".  For each of us that statement will translate to something different.  For me in a work situation is has always been "What's the worst they can do?  Fire me?"
• A warrior needs focus.
• Keep your sense of humor.  Otherwise what is the point? Humor helps you to stretch beyond yourself and your own limits..
• A warrior's worldly task is to sharpen, yet disguise her cutting edges.  It never pays to flaunt your abilities or to draw trouble to yourself.  
• It doesn't matter what anyone says or does...you must be impeccable yourself.  The fight is right here...in the chest.
• Warriors do their utmost, and then, without any remorse or regrets, they relax and let the spirit decide the outcome.
• When a women decides to do something she must go all the way...but she must take responsibility for what she does.  No matter what she does, she must know first why she is doing it, and then she must proceed with her actions without having doubts or remorse  about them.
• Power is something a warrior deals with... power is something in oneself, something that controls one's acts and yet obeys one's command.

GIFT OF 8
This number indicates your natural GIFT in life. This is your God-given talent. You don't have to work for it; it's yours... if you accept it!

The key to accepting your GIFT is to connect with your soul. You cannot accept and use your gift unless you feel that you deserve it. Remember, this gift is already yours. Relax, use it and enjoy it.

Your gift is Courage.

This gift will give you the ability to plan ahead and to help others to get ahead as well. It will enable you to serve many people because it brings with it boundless energy. Your gift will allow you to keep up through every obstacle of life and never quit.

If you keep up on a spiritual path in your life, nothing can ever stop you from achieving your goals. The more you work on yourself, the more your gift will manifest.

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©all original material copyright: Freya Owlsdottir, 1986-2004