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The idea of a wise woman may bring different visions to different people. For me, the wise woman evokes the image of a woman who has learned from every experience in her life and come out on the other side a resilient beacon of wisdom and light to those around her, and to herself. She is powerful, and everyone who comes in contact with her can feel that powerful energy around her. Resilience is key to empowering the wise woman inside of each of us. Think of a tree in the midst of a winter storm, that bends but does not break. That is resilience, and when we learn to weather the storms of life without breaking, we have pulled the power of our inner wise woman to the surface.

The Wise Woman archetype is not something that only older women are able to gain access, we all have these wellsprings of power inside of us that merely need to be cultivated and drawn out. Here are seven ways that you can start empowering and drawing out your inner wise woman today.

1. Do something for yourself every day that makes you happy.
   There is nothing selfish about self-care. If you do not fill your inner “cup”, then how are you able to give to those around you? The best way to start a self-care routine and to transform negative thinking around doing things for yourself is to start doing something on a routine basis that is just for you. It doesn’t have to cost anything, and it doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. The goal is getting into the practice of taking time every single day to engage in something that is simply done to make you feel good and fill that cup of happiness within. There are some great ideas for self-care here.

2. Listen to your intuition.
   The wise woman within is really another name for your divine intuition. We are all born with the capacity for that still small voice inside of us to guide us in our daily lives, but often along the way of our life’s path, we tune that voice out. Our intuition is still there, but buried under negative thoughts about our own capabilities, or societal misunderstandings.Learning to listen to your intuition is a key way to empower the wise woman that is inside of you. As you go through each day, be mindful of the little urges or twinges that come from within. It might be centered in your gut, a “gut feeling”, or it could be centered in your heart or mind. You may even hear an inner voice that whispers information. Follow it! Actually following through on your gut feelings and intuition’s guidance builds your ability to hear that intuition even louder next time. So next time you get the urge to take a different route home, don’t question it and don’t try to talk yourself out of it – just do it!

3. Accept your shadow side.
   It is a natural instinct to think of our shadow side as the negative parts of ourself that we want to keep hidden, but that is the opposite of what a wise woman does with her shadow. Carl Jung refers to our shadow as the parts within us that either we don’t like, or we think that society will not like about us, so we reject and hide it away. Learning to face your shadow side with wide open arms of love and acceptance allows for wholeness in life. Digging into the rejected parts of ourselves and gently integrating it into your life creates a deep healing that is conducive to empowering your wise woman within.If you would like guidance on integrating your shadow side, check out my 12-week program called Facing Your Darkness at www.3raysoflight.org!

4. Release what no longer serves you.
   Getting rid of clutter in your home frees up energy around you that allows the universe to fill that space with something even better and more positive. Do you have items in your home that no longer serve you? Perhaps they have served their purpose already and are now ready to be passed to someone else, or maybe it is simply “junk” that you’ve collected in an attempt to fill an emptiness inside of you that your inner wise woman would like to fill instead.The act of getting rid of clutter in your home directly correlates to opening up energetic space in your mind, body and soul. It is interesting that when there is something we need to release such as negative thinking, or even a relationship that no longer serves us, that act of getting rid of physical objects around us or even just cleaning up the clutter or sweeping out our home lifts and clears the energy and can be a catalyst for empowering our wise woman within.

5. Learn to say “no”.
   Women are taught from an early age that saying “no” is being selfish. We are taught to serve in all areas of life, and a woman who does not bend over backwards and do as much as possible for others is seen as selfish and self-centered. This is simply not the case, and saying “no” is an important boundary that all women should feel empowered enough to do on a daily basis.Empowering your wise woman within means that sometimes you choose to say “no” to those around you who seek your aid, even if they are family members or friends. This, like everything else on our list, takes practice. Every day, practice saying “no” to something. It does not have to be something earth-shattering, it can be for simple things that really don’t matter if you say “yes” or “no”, but the practice of merely saying these two letters, NO, help to reprogram your subconscious mind that it is perfectly acceptable for you to not do everything you are asked to do every day.

6. Cultivate a spirit of thankfulness.
   One of the best ways to cultivate a spirit of thankfulness is through a gratitude journal. Writing a list of what you are thankful for on a regular basis gives practice on keeping a much more positive outlook on life despite the circumstances that you may find yourself on any given day. There is always something to be thankful for, though some days may be easier than others. Make it a habit to focus on the positive things around you. A very simple morning ritual to connect with your heart energy center could also help cultivate a spirit of thankfulness. When you rise in the morning, place your hand upon her heart and close your eyes, feeling the energy of your heart chakra. Take a deep breath in, and as you breathe out, say “Thank you.” Do this several times and start your day on the right foot with a spirit of thankfulness!

7. Ground yourself to feel connected to the wisdom of the Earth.
   Remaining grounded is very important to me, and even in winter, you will find me rarely wearing shoes if I am home. I will walk outside even on cold days just to pull the energy of the Earth up through my bare feet. This is called “earthing” and I feel it is one of my most important spiritual practices. I also have certain crystal necklaces and earrings that keep me grounded throughout the day. Whatever it is that grounds you, whether it be walking barefoot on the Earth, wearing crystals with a connection to the root chakra, meditation, soaking your feet in warm water and epsom salts, remembering to eat several times a day, gardening and getting your hands in the dirt, or moving your body in some way such as yoga, dancing, or exercise these are all great ways to ground yourself so that you can pull up from the earth the great wisdom waiting to be tapped. My three favorite crystals for keeping me grounded through the day are black kyanite, black tourmaline (makes great earrings!) and chrysocolla. Chrysocolla is very heavy, and for me, best serves as a palm stone to keep in my purse.

These are all great ways to start empowering your wise woman within, and they all take practice. Start out small, choose one or two of the above suggestions to start incorporating into your life, and please let me know how things are going! If you’d like to delve further and take the next step, check out my 12 week program called Empowering the Wise Woman Within. This program focuses on a core issue that affects almost every part of a woman’s life; self-worth. Come with me on a journey to take your power back, draw out that wise woman inside of you, and learn to love yourself. You can find more information at www.3raysoflight.org.

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