Spiritual Elderhood — With Sword, Staff, and Drum

Yesterday, I turned 80.

Today, I sat with Bakri — my beloved shamanic drum — and listened deeply. What came through wasn’t a teaching to hold onto, but a transmission on how to enter this next stage of life:

Enter Spiritual Elderhood without flinching —
with the eyes of an eagle,
the patience of the turtle,
and the contentment of Balu the Bear,
who reminds us: the necessities of life will always come to you.

For me, Spiritual Elderhood is not about accumulation.
Not about striving.
But about softening.
And letting go — with grace and with love.

I now walk with my Staff, my Sophia Sword, and my Drum.
Symbols of sacred authority — not to fight, but to stand rooted in peace, mercy, and presence.

Behind me, always, is Quan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy.
She is in the background of every circle I hold, every silence I honour, every story I bear witness to.

As I offer more storytelling and deep listening circles, and prepare to release my book A Listening Grandmother, I do so with an open heart and a clear prayer: