Podcast 47: Compassion in Action

In this inspiring episode of "Two Crones and a Microphone," join Linda, Betty, and Sally as they delve into the theme of "Compassion in Action." As cultural midwives, they share their wisdom and stories on how to navigate the complexities of modern life with compassion and intention. Drawing from the teachings of their mentor Oh' Shinnah, they explore the power of introspection during the winter months and the importance of setting intentions for the new year. The Crones offer practical advice on how to engage in compassionate action, whether through small everyday choices or larger community efforts. They share personal anecdotes, including a touching story about a mother bear and her cubs, symbolizing introspection and renewal. The episode also highlights the significance of supporting local and global initiatives that align with one's values, emphasizing peaceful change over fear. 

Tune in for an enriching conversation that encourages listeners to reflect, renew, and take action in their communities.

Transcript

Linda: Hello, and welcome to Two Crones and a Microphone. I am Linda.

Betty: And I’m Betty.

Sally: And I’m Sally. We are cultural midwives. Our podcast is about shared wisdom through storytelling and research from us as experienced Crones and friends.

Betty: Many ask how we know each other, so we’d like to share that we first met decades ago studying with Oh Shinnáh and through other teachers—more about Oh Shinnáh later. We love doing these podcasts, and we love sharing wisdom with you, and are committed to mentoring not just each other but mentoring you as well.

Sally: We love sharing our stories with all of you. We’re experienced Crones; we’ve been through the mill—as many of you have as well. We’re here to share ways to help you navigate the muddy waters of our time and, as Oh Shinnáh would say, to help you “clear the raka, raka, rooo.”

Betty: It is truly amazing to believe that we are halfway through our year number three.

Linda: As part of year three—wow—I can’t believe that we’re already in January. We, as the Crones in question, want to talk this year about finding joy and honoring ourselves. It’s important to do, because as we talk about and experience our own joy—as we fill our own cup, which really January is, the Rest and Cleansing Moon, a time to stop and pause and fill our own cup—we have more bandwidth to be of service in our communities. So today’s podcast is “Compassion in Action,” podcast number 47. Thank you for joining us.

Sally: I personally can’t believe we’re up to podcast 47—isn’t that amazing?

Betty: I’m so happy that we have people who are listening and using some of this information. A lot of it is based on Oh Shinnáh and her teachings, since she’s had such an impact on our lives. We introduced Oh Shinnáh’s singing in our last podcast—she sang “Children of the Dawn,” which really relates to what’s going on today. We will tell stories about other aspects of her life and how she has affected our lives individually.

Linda: Our four pillars here at Two Crones and a Microphone are as follows. Our touchstone, of course, is Oh Shinnáh—the way she lived her life and her teachings—and we will give you more information on her as we go on to subsequent podcasts. She’s an amazing woman. Second, our own collective wisdom as Crones. Now, just to reiterate—because someone said to me the other day, “What is a crone?”—a crone is someone who has probably hit her 60s and is moving into her 80s and 90s, and by the time you reach that stage in your life you have accumulated so much wisdom. We’re sharing that with you. Third, the guests we bring in—who will add to everything we’re sharing with you; we have a long list of terrific guests coming up, so please join us for that. And fourth—most importantly—we can’t manage without the response from you, our listeners.

Sally: We are in the process of creating a community: a community not just of Crones but of people who want to learn how to, as I always say, navigate the muddy waters of our time—how to get through all this. Hence, “compassion in action,” rather than fear, is the way forward—and that’s the title of this particular podcast: Compassion in Action.

Linda: I love that. Although it’s the new year on the calendar, this time of the northern hemisphere is a time for body, mind, emotions, and spirit to renew and refresh; for us to rest; and to look into a time of introspection. At this time of year in virtually all cultures, there’s the symbolism of long nights, shorter days, the dark versus the light. Winter solstice marks the ascendancy of the light—moving from the longest night and shortest day as the days start to get longer. The symbolism is applicable in our current world as we look at ourselves moving from times that may feel dark into the light.

For us right now, it’s snowing outside my window.

Betty: Snowing here too.

Linda: I love that because it makes me want to snuggle up with a book; it makes me want to bake; it creates that energy of creating things, of taking the time to rest, of thinking about where I’m going in my life. With the New Year, it’s a time to think about our intention. Just as we did with the podcast—this year looking at joy and replenishing with joy—it’s that time for each of us to stop, set goals, and consider: if we have goals we haven’t met, what is our intention now? Do we need to let some go because they no longer serve us? What do we want to do the same? What do we want to do differently?

It’s time to quiet our minds, slow our breath, and release energies and thought patterns that prevent us from moving forward. I invite you to take this time, no matter your climate—snowy, beach, wherever you are, whatever your age—to rest, cleanse, and replenish.

I also want to encourage you to look at or listen to Linda’s Golden Light meditation and Betty’s deep breathing and releasing practices as ways of relaxing, cleansing, and resetting. It’s a potent time to do that.

I live in a community where bears frequent. This year we had quite a lot of bears in the yard; my favorite was a mother bear with three cubs—not all that usual. When winter set in, mom and the three cubs left; the ground froze and they went into hibernation. I love that analogy: bears in many traditions symbolize introspection because of their hibernation and are associated with the direction of the West. In our tradition through Oh Shinnáh, bear sits in the West—introspection. So this is a great time of year to take in the silence of hibernation, seek answers, and then reawaken and reclaim ourselves as spring comes in. You’ll hear us talk more about that in the next couple months, in our newsletters, and in other things we’re doing. We invite you to renew.

Betty: Oh Shinnáh often spoke about the Hopi prophecies and the Time of Purification. At the time, I don’t think I really understood what that was about; that has changed, because I can see now that it is coming to pass. She also created the song “Children of the Dawn” around this time, and it is absolutely spot on. Again, the song is in our podcast 46, “Weaving Light and Community,” on our YouTube channel, Two Crones and a Microphone. I encourage you to listen to that song—it is beautiful and will stir things up for you.

So, how do we move through this time of change? We believe the way forward is through compassionate action. Here are some ideas on how to do that. As Oh Shinnáh always said: get involved. Pick something you feel strongly about and channel your energy into doing something about that issue.

Sally: You were telling us a story about your daughter, Ariel, and how this applied just last night.

Linda: She’s in her late 20s. She said, “Mom, I really want to help the world—people, animals, other beings, the plants—and it’s overwhelming. I feel like the weight of the world is on me and I don’t know how.” I said, “This is exactly what we would talk about with Oh Shinnáh.” She would say: find something you’re passionate about, pick one thing, and look for a way to apply it locally and either nationally or globally. Work on that until it’s repaired, or until your next passion project arises. That always gave me relief because I could apply myself.

My daughter said, “But I’m working full-time and I have a side gig—what can I do?” I said, “There are so many creative ways: donate, give time, do political work; if it’s 20 minutes a week, that slow drip accumulates. It will make a difference, and you’ll feel better because you know you’re doing what you can.”

Betty: I remember Oh Shinnáh talking about doing the simple things—recycling, turning the water off while washing dishes, taking shorter showers, soaping up with the water off. All those small things make a difference—as we each do a series of small things, they add up, both physically and energetically.

Sally: For me, one thing I did was join Rotary. It’s no longer an old men’s organization—I was the second woman to join in my town. It’s given me the opportunity to work on things locally and to participate in worldwide good works. Locally, we help an organization called Billy’s New Hope Barn—they take in rescue animals. The woman who runs it recently lost her husband, so once a month we go out to help with chores and repairs. Globally, Rotary has worked on polio and now has a new international focus on mental health issues—huge and important work.

Linda: What you do to feel connected and make change might not be what your friends or family choose. Pick what’s important to you. We all care about the environment, for example, but I might do Rotary’s road clean-up while someone else chooses something different. Another route: put your financial support behind products and companies aligned with your values. If a product or company doesn’t align, don’t support it.

Sally: That can feel incremental, but it moves us forward. Decades ago I committed to buying organic where I could and supporting local farms. It’s healthier, better for the Earth, and it puts money directly into the hands of the grower. It also created community—visiting the farm, seeing the animals with my daughter, feeling connected.

Betty: We invite you to think about how you can make a difference in your circle of family, friends, or community—and please make a commitment. It can be local or national. This is an invitation to a way of peaceful change, not an invitation to violent action. As Crones, we do not condone violent action—it increases fear. We are in favor of peaceful change: compassion in action.

Once you’ve picked an issue, write to us and keep us updated on what you’re doing and how we can help. As our circle grows, it strengthens our collective ability to make a difference and walk a path of peaceful change.

If you’re an email user, you can contact us at “two—number two—Crones and a Microphone” at gmail dot com. We’re also on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn—reach out on any of those venues. Let us know what you chose, how it’s going, and how it makes you feel to commit and take action.

Sally: If you’re going to check out the YouTube channel, look for the two owls—that’s Two Crones and a Microphone. And remember: it doesn’t matter what age you are. You could be a crone; you could be a youngster. Take the time to do something good in your community—once a day if you can. If that’s turning off the water and taking a short shower, do it. It could be a youngster donating gently used toys; an 83-year-old sending $5 to support animals, the homeless, or veterans. Everyone, by doing this, channels energy into something that changes their community for good—and in turn, this will change you. The research is out there that proves this to be true. Step up to the plate.

Betty: Please visit TwoCronesAndAMicrophone dot com for our in-person and online classes. Follow our Instagram and Facebook, and our YouTube site. Don’t forget to support us by subscribing to the podcast. We always want to hear what your favorite podcast or wisdom practice has been. We are creating a community here—a community that follows the values we’re putting forth: much of what Oh Shinnáh taught us, our love for Mother Earth, our love for community and for each other.

Linda: In any time of change, it’s wise and important to lean into love, care, and integration with our communities—family, friends, chosen community, faith communities. The more you reflect on what’s important and share it, the more you may ignite a spark in someone else—create interest and connection. That’s one of the values of social media: people across the world can share ideas and spark enthusiasm.

As you set your intention for the year—what you want to create for yourself and how you want to make the world more loving, compassionate, and helpful—share it with us and with each other so we can compound our efforts and help each other along the way.

Betty: We have listeners worldwide—Europe, Latin America, England, Japan, Australia, all over. It would be wonderful to hear regional ideas that arise from different landscapes and cultures; it would be so interesting for all of us to learn from one another.

Sally: Our wisdom practice for this time: bring compassion and action alive in your life. Use Oh Shinnáh’s idea—make a choice for yourself—and please let us know your story. It can inspire others and help you feel that you’re making a difference. Remember, as Oh Shinnáh said, “The only thing we have to give is how we live our lives.” This is one way to make such a difference.

Betty: Well said.

Linda: I think we can wrap up with that—there’s nothing more to add to that last line. The only thing we have to give is how we live our lives, and I think all three of us have tried to do that over the past 30 years or so.

Before we sign off, our own Linda is going to be doing a class on making fire cider. If you don’t know what fire cider is, it’s a remedy used for many years to help—especially now, with so much flu and upper respiratory illness, COVID, and more. Linda is going to show us exactly how to do that, and we’ll be interviewing her as she goes along.

Linda: There are so many different things you can add to fire cider. We’ll make a basic batch, then I’ll take you through options—herbs, spices, and variations—so you can customize it for yourself. The base is apple cider vinegar, onion, garlic, ginger, horseradish, and usually some kind of pepper as a catalyst. It’s comforting and invigorating. After about four weeks, you’ll have a wonderful tonic—something you can take daily to help sustain your body and system. A teaspoon a day; put it in water, on your salad—my friend even uses his fire cider on fresh rice and it’s delicious. You can add thyme and other herbs. It’s fun to make—keep the big jar on your counter, shake it every day, relate to it, sing to it if you like. It’s both antimicrobial and antiviral—good stuff, in a tasty way.

Sally: That’ll be great.

Linda: A closing quote from Mother Teresa: “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

Betty: That’s exactly what we’re talking about.

Sally: We aim to give you ways to be kind to yourself and to others. Many thanks to our sponsor(s). Kindly spread the word. As always, our podcast is dedicated to sharing techniques to aid you in navigating the muddy waters of our time—offering ways to be kind to yourself and others.

Betty: Please sign up for our podcast—and if you can donate a couple of dollars, it helps keep us on the air. Thank you. My little commercial!

Linda: On that note, I always invite everybody to walk in beauty. So—Kaydeeshday: with beauty before you, beauty behind you, beauty above you, and beauty below you, all is made beautiful.

All: Oho. Thank you. Bye, everybody.

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