I received a lovely e-mail from Christina that describes her memories and experiences of her Greece. I would like to share this with you, because her words contained the healing feminine properties of our connection to the earth and its elements, the security and peacefulness of home and the restorative quality of escaping the busyness of life. She helped remind me to consider how I find these same qualities in my everyday life. I hope that her words will bring you the same peace that they brought me and transport you to a very special place. She writes:

           I am in complete agreement with you, Doctor, Greece itself, is a linear suspension of time.  If one is open to her and anything she has to offer, Greece both amazes and heals.  Our beloved second home is filled with such memes.  Images, smells, sounds and tastes so primal they sustain one even in the most crowded and cluttered moments of our busy lives.   Often when I have reached a limit to my stamina, the memory of the panoramic view of my mother’s village (Rizes – Arcadia) from a neighboring mountain top or memory of a once in life time taste of a lovingly crafted moustokoulouro (Dimitsana) can tame even the most challenging of days or situations.  For reassurance one can reflect upon Limpovisi the mountain home of, at once the most heralded and persecuted hero of all of Greece and the base camp for the Filiki Eteria.  A place that exudes a sense of perseverance and if one is quiet enough one can hear the hooves of the Heros’ horses as they approach the nearby church carrying their hurried masters to where a Priest prayerfully and dutifully awaits to administer Holy Communion.
          For inspiration I can tap back into the electrifying state one can experience in the sea between the Islands of Hydra and Spetses, if one is quiet enough you can still hear Boumboulina’s orders rising from the waves and the sound of the ancient sails flapping in the breeze in harmony with the new ones.  There is a spot in this sea whispers the chants of continued hope and gratitude for freedom, but also cries out for humanity to awaken from their conscious / unconscious slumber.

Regards,
Christina


 

In response to Barbara's story, Cara brought up an important point about Greek men and how women are treated in Greece. I am posting it here, along with my response, for all to see, because it is a common topic of conversation. How can a place that has so many feminine qualities also be home to male chauvinism? I have observed a change for the better in the last twenty years, but it is true that foreign women are not necessarily treated with the utmost respect.

Cara wrote:
"I'm delighted to hear women in Greece are generally respected and valued. I spent a month there in 1999 and loved it. However, I was sexually harassed by more men there than in any of more than a dozen other countries I've visited. From what Barbara writes, I appreciate that I perhaps received a skewed introduction to male-female relations. Certainly, there were a few Greek men who behaved gentlemanly to me: one stranger gave me a mad motorbike ride through a ferry terminal, to help me make my boat on time!"

Hi Cara,
Unfortunately, you are not alone in your experience. Women aren't necessarily treated well in Greece, especially single foreign women. Just because Greece may bring out the feminine within us doesn't mean that women are treated well. There is a general respect for family, and mothers hold a lot of power as far as their sons are concerned. It took me awhile to realize that this means that Greek mothers also have the power to shape their children's values. They must, on some level, value this chauvinism. I see this pattern changing somewhat with the younger generations, but I find that modern-day Greece still reflects the inequality that existed between genders in ancient Athens. Even Athena herself, in some ways, reflects more masculine than feminine wisdom. Perhaps this very duality is exactly what brings the feminine out in me when I am there. I am glad that you brought this up. Too often people assume that when a society expresses feminine characteristics that it means that this same society also values women, but, in fact, the opposite is often true. Look at India!
Rebecca 

The Feminine is expressed in varying degrees and in different ways within each culture. Barbara, an English woman, moved to Greece and has reconnected with her Feminine there.  She has allowed me to share her written comments with you:

“I waited ‘til I turned sixty in order to find my femininity, but I am in Greece, and have a wonderful relationship with a Greek man. That says a lot, but also it’s reflective of the time when I had to work for a living in a society dominated by men, and work with men as the heads of departments. It was very difficult to make any decision related to the caring side of [our] clients’ lives (I was a social worker for over twenty years) without being questioned by men who didn’t understand.  I am now happier than I’ve been in my [whole] life, doing what I want to do, and not feeling I have to explain that I’m a woman and glad about it. I feel Greek men have a much greater understanding of a woman’s world than the men in the U.K.  My feelings of femininity are allowed a free reign, and my Greek man enjoys that difference--and so do I!”

She also adds,”…small kids in Greece are taught to respect women from a young age. I don’t think that happens in the U.K.  Also, you must look at the way of life here.  I open my shutters and see the mountains. The sea is 200 meters away; I hear it from the house. I live with lots of animals which brings out the caring and nurturing side of me. All my senses are met here, smell, touch, sight. A woman’s insight is also met here; the whole country of Greece is filled with sixth senses, which I believe we women pick up on, but men don’t.”

Thank you for sharing your experiences, Barbara.

I hope that those of you who have experienced life in other cultures will share your thoughts with us. When we live in a culture that is masculine-dominant, we need to find ways to bring the Feminine back into balance. Some of us have done this by living in two worlds simultaneously.   Barbara also represents all of the women of her generation and older who have had to struggle with the constraints of living in a masculine-dominant society. We have these women to thank for navigating these difficulties for us and making our pursuit of balance just a bit easier.