Exploring Patriarchy in a Wounded and Wounding World

by Kayce Stevens Hughlett

excerpt from my full guest blog post for Rose Madrid Swetmen. Click here for full piece. 

These are the tactics of patriarchy—shame and fear, power over, toxic women supporting rule of the father, then claiming it can’t be discrimination because the supporter is female. Let’s not forget calling women crazy or saying they’re a witch for using intuition (like I received on the beach) or for practicing alternative healing methods—Reiki, artmaking as healing, understanding the cycles of the feminine moon. Remember those stern faces of my ancestors? I’m relatively certain they are the faces of angry women. Women tamped down, taught to be smaller, told to stand still and look pretty. We are told to stay in our place. That is the work of patriarchy. We are learning scientifically that that ‘work’ is genetically passed down.

100 days of love

I’m committed to love and light. Not the squishy, rom-com, everything ties up in a perfect bow kinda love (although I am fond of that, too). But rather the deep in my bones, I will fight on your behalf and stand by you, I will tell the Truth even when it’s hard kind of Love.

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I believe ...

I carry many tools in my Mary Poppins' bag for healing, grounding, and living in this complicated world —meditation, journaling, card pulling, SoulStrolling, art making, ... Word or image prompts are two of my favorites, and today's post is a relatively unedited selection from my morning journaling.

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On hope, art, dismantling & rebuilding

Like life (or social justice reform), art is messy. It's a process, not always clean or clear in its meaning or pathway. Often misunderstood or disappointing if looked at from the perspective of imperfection or what's not there or the dismissive 'I don't get it.'

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Celebrating Lammas

I find wonder in impromptu barefoot ceremonies and poems that emerge out of thin air. I find wonder when I have the presence of mind to listen to what is calling me in the moment...

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