I have a dark confession to make. I have been a mother for twenty years now, and I am not perfect. My mother and grandmother were not perfect either, although according to the family joke, we are all "almost" perfect! In fact, I don't know anyone who is perfect, try as they might. We are occasionally left with unresolved issues that may need a bit of healing in order to help us reach our full potential. The part of us that holds on to these issues is called our inner child, and who better to help us heal our inner child than the nurturing love and tending of the Mother Goddess?

Who is this Inner Child and Why is That Kid Bugging Me?
The inner child is a very important part of our psyche; this is the part ourselves where our inner joys and fears live. The adult we have become is based upon the child that we once were, and many unresolved issues are part of our childhood. When we choose the things that we love, colors, scents, foods, for daily life and ritual, we do this to please our inner child and reach that deep part of ourselves. If our inner child in unhappy, it is difficult and uncomfortable for us to reach those depths of ourselves, and so a healing is in order.

We all receive negative messages at one time of our lives or another, some times for one reason or another, we begin to internalize some of these messages. They become part of us, and we begin to repeat them back to ourselves as part of an internal dialog. Here's a popular example, "You're not good enough," which eventually turns into "I'm not good enough." This kind of negative internal dialog is very counterproductive to helping us reach our goals. The problem is, we get so used to telling ourselves these messages, that it's hard to just stop. In trying to simply banish thoughts that are self destructive, we leave a blank spot where they can just creep back in when we're not paying attention. Therefore it is much more beneficial to change or replace the negative messages with positive ones.

This is where an image of the Mother Goddess comes in.

The Goddess has been with humanity going back to prehistoric times. As evidenced by archeological finds such as the Wilendorf Goddess and the Acheulian Goddess, she has been portrayed as a Great Mother. But how can images of the Mother Goddess help us today? Just as she has been with our race since the beginning, so has she been with us as individuals since our birth. She knows what we have been through, has proudly witnessed our triumphs and tragedies and has been there routing us on, even when we were unaware of her presence. Images of the Mother Goddess can be used during meditation to help us bring healing to our inner child because she personifies the ultimate expression of nurturing, fruitfulness, creation, and unconditional love!

In this meditation, I will be referring to the Goddess image of The Mother card that I designed for The Well Worn Path divination deck by Raven Grimassi and Stephanie Taylor. This meditation is an extension of, and inspired by the alignment by the authors for The Mother card in A Traveler's Guide to The Well Worn Path. The other cards and their alignments in the deck can be used in this way as well, creating a ritual focus for creative meditation and problem solving. Begin by reading over the following meditation first, then find a comfortable and quiet place where you will be undisturbed. Relax your body, close your eyes, and focus your mind upon the following story. You may also have someone read it to you as you meditate.

A Meditation: Everything She Touches Changes
The sun shines warmly upon you as you are walking across a field. A butterfly crosses your path and seems to speak of the promise, of change, and renewal as its wings beat lightly upon the air. You follow it with your eyes, and as you turn your head you notice a tree in the distance and begin to follow the butterfly towards it. As you approach the tree you see that a woman sits beneath the tree with a child resting a drowsy head in her lap. The woman holds a book in her hand which she is reading to the child in a softly soothing voice.

As you witness this scene you begin to realize that the woman is more than a woman, she is part of everything, she is the Mother of all living things, the divine feminine Mother Goddess. As you come to this realization, you feel yourself drawn closer to her, and your eyes begin to close. As your nose is filled with scents of sweet grass and earth, you suddenly realize that you are the child in the lap of the Goddess. You feel completely safe.

The Goddess speaks to you in a soft and loving voice, "My beloved child, I am glad that you have joined me here, something troubles your mind and I would like to help." The Goddess continues as she draws a feather quill from a fold in her gown. "Tell me what weighs upon your mind?" You search your soul and reply, "I'm afraid I'm not good enough." As you share this feeling with the mother, she writes it down with the quill upon a page in the book she holds. "My child, you have carried this for too long upon your soul, will you allow me to transform this foundationless fear into truth?" You answer "yes" and as she passes her hand across the page, the markings begin to shift and flow until the very words upon the page have changed. The Mother begins to read the new words back to you. She begins, "You have always been, and will always be good enough, at the very least. At the very most, you are exceptional, and I am always proud of you." As she reads you, you realize that the words in the book are written upon your soul, and you feel the truth in them. The Goddess has just changed what was once there, you may listen as she continues with a secret message just for you...

When the Mother has finished speaking you feel a warmth come over you. You know that you are loved by the Mother Goddess. You also know that in the future, during times when you would normally repeat to yourself that old negative message, it will be replaced by the new message which the Mother Goddess has given to you. The Mother tells you that you are welcome to return to this place whenever you have need, and she will gladly replace any negative inner messages that you discover with positive ones. You thank her as you notice the butterfly once again flitting in the branches of the tree. You find yourself slowly returning to your consciousness, to the room, the place where you began, and you can now open your eyes.

The Mother is Always There
Now that you have this meditation, you can use it whenever you wish. When you use it again, you can insert whatever concern or negative inner dialog that you wish and wait for the Goddesses reply. If you are feeling down and realize that you are not being fair to yourself, bring your inner child back to the lap of The Mother Goddess and allow her to transform what you have written upon your soul that doesn't serve you. This meditation can also be used anytime you feel that you need a nurturing spirit to comfort you in difficult times. The presence of the Mother Goddess will remind you that you are never all alone in the world, and even when things seem bleak, Her spirit which has been with you from the beginning, will remain as a warm and comforting guide. And the best part is, she will always love you, even if you are merely "almost" perfect!