Moonspell sisters, at 2:30 PST,August 11th, 2006, Shekhinah took her final breath and went into the arms of the goddess.

Her battle with cancer is over and she’s now in the light of the goddess pain-free.

Several women have reported visitation by Shekhinah today, I being one of them. I’ve no doubt she came to each of you today because she would never leave without a big hug good-bye.

Her passing was quiet and peaceful, with one final deep exhalation she chose to go.

The sisters who are with her today have dressed Shekhinah in her ritual robes and surrounded her with rose pedals from her garden. It was exactly the way she’d always said she wanted her final moments to be.

Those same sisters are now singing over her body, and soon they will conduct the ritual washing of the body as they prepare her to go back into the arms of the Mother.

In a few hours, a cardboard coffin will be brought in and all of the sisters present here will decorate it with all the women’s symbols and her runes … and much more. However, please don’t rush over there at this time if you’re local and wanting to participate. The family has asked to be alone with her for now. I will post again, when they are ready for you. It could be tonight or it could be tomorrow.

Then sisters, it’s going to be time to celebrate this wonderful woman’s life together.

Thank you for all your love and kind words, and for allowing me the honor of sharing her final days with you.

In the goddess light,

Cerridwen Sidhewolf

August 11, 2007

Priestess Shekhinah is passing. We were part of the mutual admiration society. She was a musician, I was a writer, we respected each other. Many of our students studied with both of us. In circles we sang her songs, she was often at events where I was invited as well. We were like points of strength on the same web, holding up the Goddess Movement. We both were called to this work, bring back the Goddess in the Consciousness of women all over the world. We both knew that if society elevated the status of women it would elevate humanity.

It was a couple of years ago I heard she was sick. Then I heard she has recovered. Then I heard she was stricken with cancer, and that she was very thin, under a hundred pounds. This lady was a big woman, I have never seen her when she weighed any less then 300 pounds. But I had dreamed of her sitting in a chair, in a waiting room kind of place, her hands folded in her lap. Calm. I said to her in the dream “I am coming Shekhinah! I’ll administer your last rites.” She suddenly looked up. A faint smile.

It wasn’t easy to get to her. On Monday I drove down alone, my legs were killing me (I drive a stick shift 1988 Honda, hard to drive with this leg pain). But I had the wrong address. I called the caretaker. She never picked up her cell phone. Frustrated I stayed in Santa Cruz three hours calling seven times until I ran out of coins.

The caretakers around this dying woman were imperialists. They had no idea about how Shekhinah wanted to see me, and that it was important for this priestess to get permission from a colleague to pass over in great style. When it’s my time I also want a peer to come and say to me, “The work was done. It was done well. It’s time to pass through the veil.”

Thursday I went down with Leilani, who was driving. The coastline was covered with thick cold fog. It’s August and we were in sweaters.

Santa Cruz had summer- it was warm there. We climbed up the stairs, a beautiful altar was burning candles, roses everywhere.

The Imperialist caretaker confronted me with her attitude, and as I was preparing to meet Shekhinah, she told me to go in there first and just talk to her. Imperialist lady is ignorant how one doesn’t want to blow the energy for a ritual with chit chat beforehand. When I refused she almost yelled at me, to stop my preparations and do as I was told.

At this point I had enough.

Please don’t tell me what to, I am on my blessing vibe. She mocked me for the word vibe. It took all I had not to sock her in the jaw. I kept saying to myself, this priestess must be happy. Then she forbid to use the precious Bells I had from Tibet. “Too loud!” she said, never even hearing it ring once.

I entered the little room where Shekhinah was laying on a bed. Dark room, filtered lights. Roses in the vase.

She was like a child small and fragile on her bed.

All those good memories flooded me that we had experienced together. The circles, the political rituals, her appearance on my TV show years ago, big smile on her face, big hugs on her bosoms.

I opened my arms and started an improvisational song that just came in like good sacred songs always do.

“Beautiful Shekhinah! Gifted and true! Beautifully lived life! Now your chores are done! Open up to the Goddess, she has your place in her lap! Fly to her when the time comes, don’t tarry, don’t miss.”

I went on for many stanzas, now of course I don’t remember, because these songs are born for the moment and not for writing down.

Shekhinah was smiling and receiving it. Then she wanted to say something and I bent down.

She said “Be funny! You were always so funny, make me laugh.”

Not everybody gets this kind of assignment, priestess is dying of cancer, everything hurts, nothing is functioning anymore, and now you make me laugh.

I said to her, “Let’s get the sacred business out of the way, sister. Let me anoint you now with my special rose oil. Amma makes it, blessed it, and it’s the best I have ever had.”

She said, “Let me smell it.”

I opened the small vial and she put her nose over it. This is a woman who knows her occult supplies. She has created many good oils herself. She nodded.

I anointed her forehead to remove all fear, her hands in gratitude for all the good works, her breasts for strength and beauty. Her genitals somewhere under the blanket, and her feet to walk the last steps to her destination.

The room filled up with the scent of roses. Just like a wave of Goddess presence, she closed her eyes and smiled.

I sang again over her with arms opened, stroking her aura. I could tell this was making her relax.

“Beautiful Shekhinah! Now you’ll be like the rose. You open your petals, opening to the truth. She is awaiting, already holds you dear. Beautiful Shekhinah your time is now near. Let the soul say thank you to the sacred spouse, your body. They were together many years, and now they will have to part. It’s a hard parting, the soul clings to her spouse. The body is failing, she knows her time has come. Beautiful Shekhinah, you have done very well. All your works are finished now, Nothing more to do but bless.”

I realized about six sisters were in the room behind us, all witches, humming, underneath my singing.

Then I had Leilani read from the Summoning the Fates, a death ritual prayer to Kali.

“I take refuge in her, Mother of all beings

Who exists in all things in the form of power

Queen of the universe art thou and its guardian.

In the form of the universe thou art the maintainer,

by all women thou art worshiped, as thy daughters

we have great devotion to thee.

You are the Earth

Creatrix of the world

You are water and in form of Diana preserve the world

You are fire and in the form of Pele build and destroy the world,

You exist in the form of Isis,

You are the air of the world.

You are primeval and auspicious one

Mother of all men, refuge of your women

Whoever moves in the changes of the world

The supporter of all yet yourself unsupported

The only pure form form in the form of ether

O Mother Kali be gracious to me!

You are intelligence and bliss, light yourself

How then can I know you?

Oh mother Kali be gracious to me!

You are which supports and yet is not supported, you pervade the world

You are in the form of the world

That is pervaded by you

You are both negation and existence

Oh Mother Kali be gracious to me!

You are the atom, and ever pervading, You are the whole universe.

No praise is sufficient, yet your qualities prompt me

To praise you! O Mother Goddess be gracious to me.”

After this prayer I leaned down I said, “I got a funny for you! When I was a young priestess just out of New York I read the White Goddess by Robert Graves, and learned that if you chew certain laurel leaves you get divine inspiration. I tracked down the tree. I could only find it in the Botanical Gardens. I plucked a few leaves and started chewing them. It blew my sinuses out like cannons, it was so awful I could not swallow it at all.”

Shekhinah was laughing. A big smile and her body was shaking a little. It was a laugh.

“We were so much stronger then,” she whispered.

I visited with her a little more.

The imperial highness of the caregiver returned and wanted me out.

We left the room, promised her I come back one more time to say goodbye.

They had administered her meds, creams of morphine on her ankles, just before she drifted off to sleep I came back in her room.

“Good bye dear friend!”

“I love you Z!” she whispered. “Don’t forget me.”

And then I made a promise.

“I will never forget you and your work will be not forgotten, I shall preserve your legacy, and pass it on as you wanted to.”

“Don’t forget about me!” She said again.

“NO, I will not forget you, and the world will not either, I’ll see to it.”

Then I left the room.

Posted by Z Budapest in at 9:59 AM

I’ve received a phone call regarding Shekhinah, … and the news is sad, but also happy.

Shekhinah has slipped into a state of constant sleep now. Her breathing labored, and heavier on the out breaths. It’s clear she’s near her crossing time.

The happy news is that her daughter is with her now. Though they can’t talk, I’ve no doubt that Shekhinah hears every word and is most likely out-of-body hugging her beloved daughter. It’s good they have this time together now.

The other happy news, and what I think I’ll chose to hold dear, is that Shekhinah was awake and had more energy most of the night. She talked and talked about the beautiful ritual that Z lead. She knew what the ritual was for and as I understand it, she was very happy and smiling as she spoke. She had a lot to say last night which to me means that all of the beautiful energies you sisters sent her … energized her and filled her with your love.

So, that is where our dear sister is at now. Don’t be surprised if you glimpse her or dream of her over the next few days. The veil has thinned and now, those who have gone before her are waiting to welcome her home.

From her flow and ebb,

Cerridwen Sidhewolf

WE ARE THE FLOW
by Shekhinah Mountainwater

We are the flow,
we are the ebb
We are the weavers,
we are the web.

We are the weave,
we are the web,
We are the spiders,
we are the thread.

We are the spiders,
we are the thread,
We are the witches
back from the dead.

I always knew that when the day came that my lovely Kinah was to begin her cross-over journey, that I would be one of several priestesses to hold space for her, sing to her during her rite of passage blessing and love her for the extraordinary friendship I had with her.

Today we crones that were so much a part of each other’s lives gathered to share yet another level of the love and caring that has graced our dance of life through the years. Today we were the death crones, come to bless our sister, to help guide her and let her know just how deeply you, us, myself … how much we all loved her.

Z had arrived.

That silver haired Amazon walked into the room with her two walking sticks and you had no doubt that something powerful was about to get going.

When they told Shekhinah that Z was there, Shekhinah made one request … she asked for humor.

Well of course, that made all us crones cackle because asking Z to be funny is never something you need ask. It’s a given. I’m pretty sure Z cackled the loudest too. And honestly, I’ve no doubt that Shekhinah Mountainwater had just pulled a prank in her subtle way.

Z made it very clear to all she had work to do there, and with mischief in her eyes and a little smirk, off she went muttering something about being funny.

We all waited for a little bit of time to give these two old friends some space to speak in private. When it was time for us to join them, there was our Shekhinah with a smile on her face. Clearly her wish had been granted.

Z reminded Shekhinah of their adventures together and comforted Shekhinah, and eventually explained to Shekhinah that it was time to get down to business. Shekhinah understood and gave permission to be anointed with a beautiful rose oil that Z had brought her.

Shekhinah was very receptive, but also wasn’t shy about voicing her needs or concerns. At one point, Shekhinah was worried that she was going to soil herself. In typical Z fashion, she leaned over Shekhinah and whispered like a naughty little girl, “It’s ok honey, you just go ahead and have a good pee.”

Shekhinah got a little smile from that one.

Then Z began to sing, and the words flowed and flowed from her while the rest of us droned in the background. Shekhinah’s eyes were open wide and she was listening so intently to every word of Z’s song. A song that I didn’t realize until later was being inspired right at that moment. It was beautiful, and at times sad … at others, very funny.

And when it was over, Z gifted Shekhinah with bay tree clippings. Shekhinah liked the song, but she made it clear the bay could go.

I wasn’t expecting to smile and laugh so much with these women and our Shekhinah today, but seeing the amount of pure joy it gave to Shekhinah was her gift to us. There wasn’t any wailing, and not much crying. But what there was a lot of, was the real love that sisters grace each other’s journey with.

So sisters, the blessings have been sung and the rite of passage has been gifted to Shekhinah by her community of sisters. It is now up to her as to when will be the time she will release her foothold on this earth and go home.

It’s been a very long time since I’ve posted to Shekhinah’s list, but after reading the postings so many of you have made and knowing how heavy your hearts are … I thought I’d write to you about Shekhinah, then and now.

I’ve known Shekhinah for some 17 years plus. We’ve moved in and out of each other’s lives over the years, but always we held love for each other. Shekhinah is like that. She waxes and wanes like the living goddess she is.

I remember when I first showed her Yahoo groups and she set up this list. She was so scared she’d mess something up, and in almost no time at all she was clicking buttons and posting like pro.

We watched this list grow slowly, and we’d cheer together at every milestone. First there were 10 members, then 50, then 100, etc. Now look at the beautiful place she created!

Shekhinah spent hours and hours answering every question. Sometimes I couldn’t go visit her until after she’d finished a writing project she was doing for you sisters. She gave so much love to every word that she shared here … and so much love to each of you.

I recall times when we’d chat about what to do if there was discord here, and each time Shekhinah put her focus into being the peacekeeper. That’s been her life’s gift, to be the peacekeeper and visionary.

So, while it saddens me that your hearts are heavy, it also brings a smile to my face because I know that Shekhinah achieved her visionary goals through each of you and what you will now carry forward to share with other sisters … and it’s clear you love her.

I sat with Shekhinah for a few hours tonight, and I wanted to share with you how absolutely radiant she looked. Not to deliver any false hopes, but to say that there’s a change come over her.

She is painfully thin now, and will be leaving us physically soon. But as someone who’s known this woman for a good number of years, I have to tell you I have absolutely no doubt that the goddess is now embracing Shekhinah. She has a glow about her that’s never been there before, not like this.

Shekhinah and I said our goodbyes tonight. We said our I love you’s. And what you should know about Shekhinah is that if you were there too, you would have heard those same words with just as much meaning whether she’d known you for years or days. It goes without saying that if she had the strength left to write to you all, she would.

Her thoughts are with you and certainly the love you’re sending her can be no less than the beautiful glow that is surrounding her now.

I’m sorry I haven’t taken the time to get to know most of you lovely sisters, but maybe that will change too. After things have settled, I will come back and see if any of you want to help me document her life and teachings.

Shekhinah always said to me, “I’m a radical feminist witch who’s on the top of the wave’s curl.” She got that right!

All your love, energies, prayers and magick are helping her to make this journey … it’s very clear how much that means to her. She knows she is loved, and best of all she’s loved by amazons.

Blessings to all,
Cerridwen Sidhewolf