***HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY***
When I think of women who are personal inspirations, these are the first names that instantly come to mind. I'm sure if I took the time to sit and think, this list would be pages long!
Marie de France: 12th century author of "Bisclavret" and other epic poems at a time that most women were not allowed to learn to read or write, much less publish work.
Queen Elizabeth I: among her many accomplishments, she delivered England from the debts of her predecessors and defeated the Spanish Armada.
Phillis Wheatley: sadly, her real name seems to be lost to history. Named for the slave ship on which she was transported at age 7 or 8, she was the U.S.'s first published black poet.
Susan B. Anthony: champion of civil rights and women's suffrage.
Frida Kahlo: surrealist painter who challenged gender roles and persevered through painful personal challenges.
Gloria Steinem: I frequently quote her with "The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off," and "Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning."
Carole King: along with composing the soundtrack to so many of our lives, she is among the most successful singer/songwriter/composers of our time.
My favorite goddesses:
Tara, in her many forms and colors, is the goddess of universal compassion.
Kali: just...everything...including but definitely not limited to leading you to salvation by liberating us from the prison that is our own ego.
Athena: goddess of wisdom and arts and crafts. Okay, and victory in warfare too.
Hecate: there is just something about the crossroads...and moonlight...and torches...(as someone who suffers from migraines on bright, sunny days, I am a fan longer nights and shorter days).
I hope this list inspires you as well!
All the best,
-Laura