SING AS YOU SHARPEN UP YOUR KNIVES BY MARIANA BANDARRA *
Reverence is the same as discipline:
it sets us free to finally choose what we truly want —
not just what appears readily available.
No beauty is possible if not for our courage
to cut something away
and we must now learn to cut away
that which no longer serves life.
In Reverence, we are ready.
There is an inner battle
for my attention (and yours as well).
In the name of creation,
we are tasked with killing what must die.
And also with grieving what we kill.
We all have a lot on our plates, I know.
I know. Still,
as a species on this planet,
we must do one thing only and that is to reveal
Light in the darkness.
At the heart of that purpose we fi nd Beauty
suddenly things don't feel as cramped.
Hardly ever easy, always worth it.
Beauty opens things up and we can think again.
We can dream again.
No longer naive, we have now lost
all fear of losing.
We dance in times of birthing and we dance in times of killing.
With one hand, Mother Night creates Life.
With the other, she takes it away, teaches us how
to reclaim light from the claws of darkness.
That which has hardened must surrender.
We get to breathe again.
We get to start over.
The sound of laughter rings in the air
this time we feel the release: our hearts feel nourished
from milk and honey overflowing.
Once again, we are learning
what our bodies have always known:
without contraction, there can be no expansion.
The rhythm of life
pulsating deep inside the womb of creation
— falling can feel like diving.
We touch the ground and we're home:
supported by gravity like it's a firm hand
holding our courage and our grief.
Whether we fi nd ourselves
going down or getting back up,
we belong to the Earth.
We are breathing.
Take the blade
with one hand while the other hand remains
forever open and empty to receive — to release, to bless, to heal.
Five fingers fluttering like wind on feathers:
trusting can feel like dancing.
A bird in conversation
with the Night herself.
Light cuts through the darkness
as a fingertip traces across space and time
a piece of story.
This is the calling of Life.
One life. All of it.
In everything that lives
Life reveals itself and beckons you and me
to pour ourselves into it.
Meanwhile, we sing our songs.
Meanwhile, we sharpen our knives.
ABOUT MARIANA BANDARRA
MARIANA BANDARRA is an artist, strategist, and mystic with a revolutionary disposition. From circles to podcasts to devotional chanting, her work aims to inspire sustainable self-expression and awaken radical self-compassion. Drawing on a mix of ancient wisdom and contemporary findings, Mariana helps women and groups
rediscover their wild brilliance, harness their personal power and fi nd their authentic voice.
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