“The secret to thriving is the knowledge that we are never simply victims of our bodies. It’s very reassuring to know that we all have within us the ability to heal from anything and go on to live joy-filled lives.” ― Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical And Emotional Health And Healing
Eir is a Nordic Goddess associated with skill and knowing of how to heal. She was who the warriors turned to when they were at war. She went with them and attempted, with all her knowledge, to heal their wounds. She is also the Goddess who sat on a mount and afforded healing to any woman who climbed up to her. She offered, not only healing, she offered protection, she offered help and mercy. We can all use that in our lifetimes.
She was a Valkyrie. A Valkyrie was one of Odin’s handmaidens who collected slain warriors to carry them to Valhalla. Valhalla means “the hall of the fallen”; a realm of the afterlife. Eir was the sister who gathered up the warriors that could live and be healed. She rose from a time when women were the healers, the Medicine Women, the Crones who knew the medicine of herbs. She was said to be found in the Eirflower; a milk flower and copper utensils were used in her healing. She was always shown on a hill, awaiting those who needed her. She was kind, compassionate to those who were hit sicknesses of every kind.
Before Patriarchy, when women were the healers, it was the women who were called upon for their sage wisdom. The men were the helpers in that they carried the sick to her. She was aide to midwives, she was surgeon, she was herbalist, she was one who believed in detoxes. She believed in the power of prayer.
Some of us have stood on that hill. Some of us have sometimes been the one on the hill. It is our duty to turn towards our sisters, our grandmothers, our aunts, our sisterfriends, to help them heal from physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual ills…but only if they ask. It is not our duty to decide who needs us. Be there and they will come. It is my lifelong goal to Be There! It is my reason for this blog. It is the reason I keep working on myself in order to be well enough to do such. Be There with me.
©Carol Desjarlais 10.12.21
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