Tag: empowered women

The Women of the Andromeda

On By Roger B. BurtIn Characters, Mythology, Women Rising, WritingLeave a comment

 

What do you think is happening to women?

Numerous Roles for Women

From the beginning, in writing the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy, I was clear that the women had to be extraordinary.  Related is the fact that I have always been captivated and intrigued by the movement to empower women. There is a battle and clearly there was untapped potential. And in that battle women are showing how tenacious they can be.

But I felt I could not begin from pure fantasy. Of course part of what intrigued me was my love of mythology and how it speaks to us. Mermaids keep appearing in myth and I chose them to join us for the adventure. But there were other elements in history that were intriguing. In Adrienne Major’s book The Amazons I learned about some of the real warrior women in history.

Presenting Themsleves

And so the women of the Andromeda came into being. Many Tethyan women were reserved in the sea against the day when the mission for the salvation of our beloved blue planet and humankind would be called. But especially on land there was presently to be a confrontation and warrior women were needed to help.

In the Beginning

But in opening the series it did not seem right to simply have the women rush into battle. Two realities collided. One was that major human conflicts often begin in a low key fashion. One thing with which I collided was myself. I wanted a “normal” beginning related to how people are. So I chose innocent Avery as the lead character who thought she had lost her family and felt abandoned. Little did she know she had an unknown and extraordinary family.

But her family wasn’t merely hiding in the sea. It had an organization and women had been chosen and chose themselves to be defenders in the movement to come. And there were certainly enough issues to be combatted in the real world as we understand it today.

Among the People

The Tethyan people fell generally into three groups. The people who lived in cities in the sea called the Primals, the women who came to the land to form families and the defense force of women called the Andromeda. The women in the sea cities searched history and precious documents for the meaning and substance related to their future. The families on land positioned themselves for future dedicated possibilities. And the Andromeda women took on real world missions. These women could be dangerous and violent if needed.

Dedicated Women

The roles women assume are often complicated and in what they feel they must do they often have to resist restraints imposed by the larger society. And such was the case for the Andromeda women. Certainly they could embed themselves in government and corporations, but they could also engage in other forms of intrusion which might be useful. And so some of them became consorts with the powerful, greedy men called the Overlords. From that position they gained valuable insights and information.

I’m sure there are those who will criticize me for putting these women in such positions which are often frowned upon and they may be unfairly criticized for what they dedicated themselves to do. But that was a component of the real world and it needed inclusion.

These women took terrible risks, gave valiant service and, in the writing, addressed a reality which exists now and will in the future. I took delight in them. Brigid was most prominent and strong. She came to her position through tragedy which, of course, is often what leads to dedication. And darling Luisa was irresistible. She was so engaging and clever and seemed innocent. Except she was not innocent but dedicated.

And so fantasy and reality meld and talk truths about our world as it is whether realized or not and the future as it may be. Such dedication often leads to transformation of many kinds.

And I think in the future I may just write detailed stories focused on these amazing women. In the near term there will be posts on each of them.

Do you admire such women?

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 Coming Soon

Gaia’s Majesty-Transformation: Life Forces Revealed

(Book 3 of the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy)

The child of prophesy is coming of age.

Earth has descended into almost biblical chaos.

        Then comes an opening to a future never anticipated.

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Gaia’s Majesty-Mission Called: Women in Power – Book 1   (Click to See)

Avery’s life of dedication is enhanced when she meets the love of her life. They could not know that they shared a destiny and that a mission set long ago by our Earth Goddess was ordained.

      Available Now in Kindle and Paperback on Amazon

Gaia’s Majesty-Challenge: The Chosen Rise – Book 2   (Click to See)

The Tethyan people of the sea have been joined by the Andromeda warrior women. They fight for the future of humankind. Then will come the Child of Prophesy.

Available now in Kindle and Paperback on Amazon.

The Coming of Gaia’s Majesty-Challenge: The Chosen Rise

On By Roger B. BurtIn Cusp of Reality, Origins of Gaia's Majesty, vision, Women RisingLeave a comment

On April 29th. the second book of the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy will be launched on Amazon.

 

Little Did I Know

Two primary elements fed the creation of the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy. In college I took classes from Leslie White, the father of cultural anthropology. That elderly man took the stage and completely enraptured a large room full of college students. I was mesmerized as he linked our view of the world, creative understanding and cultural flow together. 

His view led me to be particularly intrigued by such things as mermaids. Do they really exist and, if not, why do we create the images and seem to believe in them? Something is stirring in us and the images are open for our projection of their meaning.

Years later I felt the need to bring mermaids to life.

The other element, which is central, is about empowered women. When I graduated from Duke University with my doctorate I took a job in the dawning community mental health movement. Suddenly there I was in the impoverished inner city of Baltimore. The man who hired me was Japanese-American and our multiracial staff served both black and white people in desperate lives of poverty. 

What was also different in my life was the women working in the program. It was the opening era of the Women’s Liberation Movement and they were definitely on board. The setting and the people opened my life in ways I could not have expected.

Effects That Would Not Be Stilled

The experience in Baltimore reframed my life and stayed with me. And for a reason or reasons I could not define, I found decades later a story was stirring. And so came strong dedicated mermaids. But they didn’t just show up to swim around in the sea. They had a purpose and that purpose had to do with a beautiful planet and the future of that planet and its inhabitants.

A World of Growing Crisis

I think part of what happened was that one age was ending and another opening. For a time threat appeared to have declined and the new age seemed more peaceful and promising. But that was not to endure. 

I thought I was writing a book but soon it became apparent that there was more than one book. Now there is a trilogy and perhaps more.

Gaia’s Majesty-Mission Called: Women in Power – Book 1

The first book proved to be a place to introduce a larger cast of characters than I had expected and set the scene. At the center was an innocent woman who had a heritage she knew nothing about. And also what was opening was the revelation of an Earth Goddess (Gaia) who was determined that her planet would not be decimated. 

The people Gaia reserved to save the future were called Tethyans and serving with them were a dedicated class of warrior women called the Andromeda. The most immediate threat was the men called the Overlords who were devoted to self aggrandizement and greed. Does that sound familiar? But I created them in the books before our most recent events.

The Dawning

The second book leads us into the depths of conflict. The deception of central greedy characters is clear and what is being revealed goes beyond a simple response to crisis. Something fundamental is happening and there is a totally unexpected future becoming apparent. Come join in. It’s an intriguing ride of both reality and myth. I refer to the books as works of Magical Realism.

Gaia’s Majesty-Mission Called: Women in Power by Roger B. Burt

Roger B. Burt’s Amazon home page

Creating Characters and Plots by Roger B. Burt

Stepfamilies: Professionals and Stepcouples in Partnership

Whatever Happened to Community Mental Health by Roger B. Burt

The Promise of the Women’s March

On By Roger B. BurtIn Stewardship, StruggleLeave a comment

 

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(Sorry about the picture. Something about peace would have been better but I couldn’t help myself given the theme of empowerment.)

What possibilities would you welcome?

At the risk of seeming political I have to comment on the events of this past weekend. What we have seen were events which were not actually partisan, but display two conflicting realities in our country at this time.

Alternative Realities

The events of this weekend underscored one of the basic themes of this blog. Reality is ephemeral and will depend upon what defines your viewpoint. One view is that inauguration day was dark and unpromising in so many ways. The turnout was stunted, enthusiasm low and Trump’s speech dark and uninspiring. It looked like a disheartening display of our future.

Then dawned Saturday. It should be apparent in my posts that I am a strong supporter of the empowerment of women and it is an essential part of my Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy. I spent much of the day fascinated and often choked up with the unexpected outpouring not just in the United States but in so much of the world.

A Building Wave Disrupted?

It has been one of my perceptions that this time looks very much like the time of world crisis just before World War I and we had reason to fear for the future of the world. It seemed possible that the growing array of crises might lead to a much larger conflagration.

It is my belief that the rise of women to power could well be what will save us. The outpouring on the streets of our cities is a welcome sight and brings not just hope for our future, but the indication of action in the service of all the people of our country. The focus or foci there will be may not be clear yet but a multigenerational surge of activism (of the most positive kind) is strongly suggested.

Resistance and Activism
Certainly there will be profound resistance, but the campaign for our future in the election of 2018 starts today. But activism need not begin or end at the ballot box. Reform, the engagement of vision, and committed endeavors for all our people can be at hand at many levels.

At the end of World War II America, as the only major power standing, led the world and we have worked for stability for decades now. Sustainability and smart energy policies are developing nicely. We have a growing elderly population, but also a strong and vibrant population of immigrants who will be essential for our future when we fully engage and support them.

I could go on at length but I think I have made my point. The movement of women to power and partnership is flowering and requires our welcome and wholehearted support.

What projects would you like to support?

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Birth of a Lead Character

On By Roger B. BurtIn Characters, Mythology, WritingLeave a comment

 

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Is there a leading character in your life? (Other than yourself, naturally.)

In life we tend to know where our lead characters came from. But, did you ever wonder where the lead character of a novel comes from? I still wonder and it may be that there is no one answer or it may also be that the author often doesn’t know.

Avery Moved In

The lead character in the first book of the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy is a woman by the name of Avery. I have a strong attachment to her but do not know anyone exactly like her. On the other hand, I don’t know anyone who is from a mermaid family and has extraordinary intimate contact with a world in crisis. Now, granted, we have multiple levels of attachment to people but, as to Avery, I have to guess. There has been no revelation from on high.

As it turns out, Avery is not on a gentle life cruise. She thought she had her life’s direction, but had no idea that someone else (a goddess) had plans for her. Question one. Do I believe that people have ordained or fully formed life plans? Only “kind of”—“sometimes” is my answer.

In my youth the climate at the time suggested that we each would have a life plan. A guy would get that really nice job with a stable company and might well retire from its graces with a decent pension. Along the way he would find this lovely woman, they would have delightful children and live happily ever after. Of course, life is not like that.

Certain Characteristics Were Essential

So how did Avery develop? I knew enough of the story at the beginning to know that she had to be a dedicated person. So, I arranged a job doing good works. And, of course, she had to meet Mr. Right. That’s not complicated. Often, in a novel, finding the love of the character’s life has to happen after a long struggle. In this case he arrives early and is a partner with her for the adventure. I thought that was a nice variation since I’m a strong believer in partnership.

The core of the story built because my brain had something in mind. I happen to love mythology and was a dedicated follower of Carl Jung. So in came a mythological construct. The first part of my choice seems to have been logical, but when it comes to mythology, it is emotion that often takes over after a time. Additionally, of course, there is my fascination with the ongoing movement to empower women. I was fascinated by the myth of mermaids and wedded that to empowered women.

Guidance From a Personality Type

At one point I had to ask myself why Avery was the way she was and I discovered that she had a well defined personality described by Jung’s personality typology. She is an extraverted intuitive feeling type. I’ll tell you what that means.

In this case an extravert being out in the world could display her conflicts and joys better than someone who was centered deep inside – an introvert. And, she couldn’t be clueless in this strange environment. She had to be able to look inside what was happening and see meaning which means an intuitive type. As it happens Tethyans, as a people, are also highly intuitive. It helps if you are trying to communicate under water. And then what filled her out was she had to be a person with strong feelings and that she would serve our purposes better if she wanted harmony which means her auxiliary personality type is feeling. Those elements constitute the framework of this personality type. I didn’t construct her logically, I constructed her intuitively. So, she came together without a preexisting plan.

And Then There is the Reader

Of course one of the interesting things about fiction is that one form of fiction does not fit all people. And often I suspect that is a matter of the degree to which the personality and characteristics of the characters fits with the personalities and dreams of the readers. Of course, there are many other issues, but the fit seems important which is why different characters appeal to different people.

I could probably go on at considerable length on the issues involved. But, I’ll leave it there.

What gets you involved with fictional characters?

Gaia’s Majesty: Discovery Amazon page

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The New World With Women

On By Roger B. BurtIn Women RisingLeave a comment

 

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My plan was to hold new posts until the first of the year, but tonight on the Stephen Colbert Show, I saw an affirmation of something important that is happening. Tonight Samantha Power was on with Stephen. In case you don’t know, she is our ambassador to the United Nations.

She came out in a dress that what I would call split skirt. That meant in places it was quite short (but I have to say tasteful). She had long hair and was wearing boots. Her presentation was anything but severe. She then engaged in a serious discussion which was humorous at times.

What’s the point?

We should not miss what is happening. Women can display their femininity and still be credible as intelligent and powerful beings. We cannot dismiss them and we can view our diversity. I think commonly we are failing to see the many ways in which women are being empowered and can be classically feminine at the same time. I see very little recognition of what is happening. The wave is rising and, unless we watch it carefully, we miss the point. As they are empowered, women move to true partnership along with diversity and therein lies our future and, I believe, salvation for a world in crisis.

And it is this theme which is the underlying theme in my Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy.