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The divine feminine is present in all of our lives. On International Women’s Day, we should feel called to recognize and respect that influence. All of the strong women that surround us deserve at least that much.
On International Women’s Day, we honor the divine feminine by acknowledging women’s influence in our lives. Our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, and the goddesses we work with all deserve to be respected all year round. This one day, we rededicate ourselves to this goal.
We can also spend time questioning stereotypes about women and remembering that women still face oppression all around the world to this day.
How can a witch honor the divine feminine and all of the women in their lives? Here are 5 ways to say thank you to women and remember how womanhood influences everyone’s lives.
Spend Time With Women
Go out of your way to spend time with women. You can visit your mother and grandmother, or call your sister.
If you don’t have many female family members, you can also reach out to women in your community. Offer to spend time with or help out a woman in your neighborhood.
If there are any single mothers, offer to care for their children while they take a break. Or cook them a hot dinner.
Offering to help the women in our lives builds up a support community. We all tend to be cut off from the wider community these days, and it can be hard to break out of that habit. International Women’s Day is an excellent opportunity to meet new people, hear their stories, and change our perspective on life.
Honor Goddesses
Light a special candle for goddesses on your altar. Do a spell to honor women and strengthen all women around the world.
Meditate on the concept of the divine feminine. Reach into yourself and interact with your own divine feminine spark.
Spending time with the higher forms of womanhood and femininity can be a healing experience for anyone struggling in a patriarchal society.
Not sure which goddesses to honor on this day and want some ideas? Consider learning about Hera, Aphrodite, Athena, Lilith, Hecate, Artemis, Astarte, Ashtaroth, Kali, or Brighid. These goddesses have much to teach us about gender equality.
Read Books By And About Women
Immerse yourself in the experiences of other women by reading their stories. Hear their words, experience what they experienced, and see the world through their eyes.
Some people challenge themselves to read only books by women for a whole year. I think that’s a totally worthy goal! But adding even a few more books by and about women into your to be read pile also makes a dent.
Women writers often go ignored by teachers and best-of lists. Go out of your way to find the hidden gems! Hear the voices of women by reading more of their books.
If you are a teacher, encourage your students to pick up more books by women, too! Every student should learn about gender equality. Have a conversation about how women authors are treated by publishers and the public.
Don’t just choose fiction books, either! Pick up some books that will tell you about the historical achievements of women, too.
Volunteer At Or Donate To A Women’s Shelter
Women’s shelters are meant to help women escape homelessness and abusive homes. They often stay there with their children and do everything possible to get back on their feet.
But these shelters often need help. You can volunteer your time or your resources so that these brave women have the support they need.
Many people that work at these shelters say they most often need pads, tampons, and deodorant.
Bras, underwear, toothbrushes, toothpaste, laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, hair detangler, old mobile phones, cards for public transportation, kids games, craft kits, books, diapers, baby wipes, makeup, healthy food, bed sheets, and pillow covers are all very much needed by these shelters.
Always make sure to contact the shelter before you make any purchases for them. They’ll be able to tell you what they are short on so you can focus on what they genuinely need the most.
If you can donate your time, these shelters often really appreciate people who will teach classes. You can teach children how to make art or teach a yoga or dance class.
While those sorts of classes may seem frivolous, remember that everyone needs downtime and to de-stress.
Support Women-Owned Businesses
There are many women starting businesses. After 2020, some of them are really struggling and need to increase business to keep going.
So go out of your way to find a women-owned company to support on International Women’s Day (and every day!).
Why buy from a female business owner? How does that impact the economy and gender equality?
Over the last few decades, the number of women-owned businesses has skyrocketed. In 1972, women-owned just 402,000 or 4.6 percent of businesses; today there are 12.9 million women-owned businesses in the U.S., representing 42 percent of all businesses. Women-owned businesses collectively employ 9.4 million people and generate $1.9 trillion in revenue. (wbenc.org)
While the number of businesses owned by women has exploded in recent years, they still generate much less revenue than men-owned businesses. A woman-owned business generates just $.37 for every dollar generated by other privately held companies.
When you support a business owned by women, you support women’s economic empowerment and their independence in a patriarchal society. You help women meet their goals and have a bright future so that they can go on to support other women-owned businesses.
Female entrepreneurs should have as many opportunities and business options as male entrepreneurs, and supporting their businesses is one way to ensure that happens.
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