{"id":924,"date":"2013-01-04T01:11:51","date_gmt":"2013-01-04T06:11:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sanctuaryofwomen.com\/blog\/?p=924"},"modified":"2013-12-26T13:34:19","modified_gmt":"2013-12-26T17:34:19","slug":"womens-christmas-the-map-you-make-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanctuaryofwomen.com\/blog\/womens-christmas-the-map-you-make-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"Women’s Christmas: The Map You Make Yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\nWise Women Also Came<\/em> \u00a9 Jan L. Richardson<\/p>\n

In some parts of the world, Epiphany (January 6, which brings the Christmas season to a close) is celebrated as Women’s Christmas. Originating in Ireland, where it is known as Nollaig na mBan<\/em>, Women’s Christmas began as a day when the women, who often carried the domestic responsibilities all year, took Epiphany as an occasion to enjoy a break and celebrate together at the end of the holidays.<\/p>\n

Whether your domestic duties are many or few, Women\u2019s Christmas is a good time to pause and take a break from whatever has kept you busy and hurried in the past weeks or months. As the Christmas season comes to a close, this is an occasion both to celebrate with friends and also to spend time in reflection before diving into the responsibilities of this new year.<\/p>\n

As a contribution to your contemplation and celebration, I’ve created a retreat for you to use for Women’s Christmas—or anytime you’re in need of a space of reflection. Titled “The Map You Make Yourself,” the retreat is designed as a mini-pilgrimage into your own life. With readings, blessings, and art, the retreat offers an invitation to ponder where your path has taken you, what you’re noticing in your life right now, and what you’re dreaming for the path ahead.<\/p>\n

The retreat is very flexible, easily adaptable to your own purposes. You can do the retreat with friends near or far, or perhaps simply select a single reflection or two as a starting point for conversation. The retreat includes an introduction with some thoughts about how you might engage these reflections.<\/p>\n

You can download the retreat as a PDF by clicking the link below. There’s no cost; think of it as my Women’s Christmas gift to you! You are welcome to make copies of the retreat to share with friends. And I’d be delighted for you to spread the word about the retreat by sharing this blog post; you can use any of the social media icons at the bottom of this post or simply forward the link to others.<\/p>\n

Download the Women’s Christmas Retreat<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

I’ve also written a Women’s Christmas blessing for you. As we celebrate the day and enter into the year ahead, may you journey well and walk with wisdom.<\/p>\n

The Map You Make Yourself
\nA Blessing for Women\u2019s Christmas<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

You have looked
\nat so many doors
\nwith longing,
\nwondering if your life
\nlay on the other side.<\/p>\n

For today,
\nchoose the door
\nthat opens
\nto the inside.<\/p>\n

Travel the most ancient way
\nof all:
\nthe path that leads you
\nto the center
\nof your life.<\/p>\n

No map
\nbut the one
\nyou make yourself.<\/p>\n

No provision
\nbut what you already carry
\nand the grace that comes
\nto those who walk
\nthe pilgrim\u2019s way.<\/p>\n

Speak this blessing
\nas you set out
\nand watch how
\nyour rhythm slows,
\nthe cadence of the road
\ndrawing you into the pace
\nthat is your own.<\/p>\n

Eat when hungry.
\nRest when tired.
\nListen to your dreaming.
\nWelcome detours
\nas doors deeper in.<\/p>\n

Pray for protection.
\nAsk for the guidance you need.
\nOffer gladness
\nfor the gifts that come
\nand then
\nlet them go.<\/p>\n

Do not expect
\nto return
\nby the same road.
\nHome is always
\nby another way
\nand you will know it
\nnot by the light
\nthat waits for you<\/p>\n

but by the star
\nthat blazes inside you
\ntelling you
\nwhere you are
\nis holy
\nand you are welcome
\nhere.<\/p>\n

P.S.<\/strong> For another reflection on Epiphany, visit this post <\/em>at my blog The Painted Prayerbook:<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Epiphany: Blessing of the Magi<\/a><\/p>\n

DECEMBER 2013 UPDATE: New Women’s Christmas Retreat coming soon!<\/strong><\/p>\n

We’ll soon have a brand-new retreat ready for Women’s Christmas 2014! It will be available shortly at the Women’s Christmas<\/a> page here at the Sanctuary of Women site.<\/p>\n

[The Wise Women Also Came<\/em> image is \u00a9 Jan L. Richardson from the book Night Visions: Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas<\/em><\/a>. To use this image, please visit this page<\/a> at Jan Richardson Images.]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wise Women Also Came \u00a9 Jan L. Richardson In some parts of the world, Epiphany (January 6, which brings the Christmas season to a close) is celebrated as Women’s Christmas. Originating in Ireland, where it is known as Nollaig na mBan, Women’s Christmas began as a day when the women, who often carried the domestic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,6,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blessings","category-christmas","category-sacred-time"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p190Xv-eU","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanctuaryofwomen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanctuaryofwomen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanctuaryofwomen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanctuaryofwomen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanctuaryofwomen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=924"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/sanctuaryofwomen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":968,"href":"https:\/\/sanctuaryofwomen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/924\/revisions\/968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanctuaryofwomen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanctuaryofwomen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanctuaryofwomen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}