We Are She Who Remembers
Reclaiming Ancient Wisdom in Modern Times
I looked up from my laptop and saw what appeared to be a miniature Native American chief in full ceremonial dress walking along the edge of my deck.
Okay, not really.
But for a breathtaking moment, my imagination transported me there. What I actually witnessed was almost as magnificent as what I had envisioned.
I'd been immersed in Linda Lay Shuler's "She Who Remembers" book series, captivated by her rich historical tapestry of Native American life and wisdom.
The stories had so thoroughly entered my consciousness that when a majestic pileated woodpecker decided to grace me with her presence, she seemed to step directly from those ancient tales into my modern world.
When the Sacred Visits the Ordinary
Del and I had known that a family of pileated woodpeckers lived in our small woods.
We'd heard their distinctive calls and caught fleeting glimpses over the years. But the day I looked up to find one standing just ten feet away, resplendent in her striking black and red plumage, I felt lifted into another dimension of reality.
I discovered that my most regular visitor was a female. I moved my workspace to the bedroom, French doors thrown wide, so I could welcome her whenever she arrived.
She would visit two or three times a day, and I found myself speaking to her through the screens—asking about the suet, inquiring after her family, thanking her for whatever message she brought.
Because nature, of course, is always speaking to us.
The day she didn't appear, I was surprised by the depth of my sadness. Her presence is so extraordinary that I sometimes have to remind myself she's real.
The Chorus of Messengers
Our yard is home to a symphony of avian visitors. Every variety of woodpecker native to our region frequents our feeders. Multiple pairs of bluebirds, doves, hummingbirds, wrens, sparrows, cardinals, and goldfinches have made our space their daily gathering place. I cherish them all.
The bluebirds carry pure joy in their flight patterns. The social chickadees scold me when feeders run low, then dart past my face as I refill them. Hummingbirds, said to be direct messengers from the divine, herald good fortune wherever they appear.
But a pileated woodpecker as a personal guest? I was overwhelmed with gratitude for this profound gift.
The Message That Bridges Time
The convergence of the book series and her visits felt anything but coincidental.
"She Who Remembers" conveys a profound message that women—and the divine feminine within us all—hold the key to authentic truth.
This feminine wisdom listens to intuition and that still, small voice within, then acts from that deeper knowing, bringing harmony and healing to every situation.
This sacred awareness has been passed down through generations like a golden thread connecting us to our deepest truth.
Or it was supposed to be.
But somewhere along the way, we began to forget. We began to doubt our inner knowing, dismissing our intuition and silencing that wise voice within.
In our hyperconnected yet spiritually disconnected world, we need this remembering more than ever. We need to recall that we are "She Who Remembers"—the keepers of ancient wisdom in modern bodies.
The Woodpecker's Teachings for Our Time
My feathered teacher brought messages ideally suited for our current moment:
She encouraged me to keep "hammering away" at my current projects, even when progress seems slow.
In our instant-gratification culture, she reminded me that meaningful work requires persistence and patience.
She brought the promise that success approaches, even when we can't see it yet. In times of uncertainty and rapid change, this assurance feels like a lifeline.
She called me to listen for the heartbeat of the earth beneath all the digital noise.
Her family's rhythmic drumming on trees can transport us to other dimensions of consciousness—a reminder that there are realities beyond our screens and notifications.
Most importantly, she reminded me that our five senses reveal only a fraction of what's real.
They offer us merely a small window into an infinite world. We first believe what we think we see, then we see what we believe.
Breaking Through the Illusion
In our age of information overload and deliberate misinformation, she reminded me that "fake news" has always existed in various forms.
Anything that speaks of separation rather than our fundamental oneness can be "drummed away" when we remember who we truly are.
Illusion dissolves when we allow the feminine wisdom within to guide us and take action from that guidance. We don't fight darkness with more darkness, but with the light of truth. We don't combat hatred with more hatred, but with the power of love.
She reminded me that beauty manifests in countless forms, and each of us expresses divine perfection in our own unique way.
Unity in Diversity
Consider the vast difference between a tiny hummingbird and a magnificent pileated woodpecker. They look completely different, have different habits, different needs, and different "clothing."
Just like humanity in all its beautiful diversity.
Yet both are perfect expressions of the same creative force.
Both bring their own gifts.
Both have their place in the larger symphony of life.
The Call to Remember
In these times of division and discord, when voices of separation seem to shout the loudest, we who carry the feminine wisdom—regardless of our gender—are called to remember our true nature and purpose.
We are She Who Remembers.
We remember that beneath all apparent differences lies fundamental unity.
We remember that love is stronger than fear, that truth ultimately prevails over illusion, and that harmony is our natural state.
We remember not just for ourselves, but for our world. We remember so we can help others remember, too.
Each visit from my pileated woodpecker teacher was a gentle reminder that the sacred permeates the ordinary, that wisdom comes in unexpected forms, and that we are all connected in ways our rational minds can barely comprehend.
We are one. Now let's act that way.
The time for remembering is now. The world is waiting for She Who Remembers to step forward and share her gifts.
Are you ready to remember who you are?
Tools To Transform Thinking
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Beautiful!