Planet Waves’ contributor and godmother of research Carol Van Strum reminded us Thursday that Sunday’s Mother’s Day holiday in the U.S. was originally started after the Civil War, as a protest to the carnage of that war, by women who had lost their sons. Julia Ward Howe in Boston crafted a Mother’s Day Proclamation in 1870 that’s just as urgent and timely now as it was then. If the up-swelling of the Divine Feminine is truly upon us, perhaps we will finally heed Howe’s call:
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Julia Ward Howe.
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Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of fears!
Say firmly: “We will not have great questions decided by
irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says “Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.”
Blood does not wipe our dishonor nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.
In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.
Women in my community organized such a gathering today. I could not attend as I was in ceremony on my land for a similar purpose. Thank you, Planet Waves family, for bringing this words forward for us to remember.
This should be posted on Facebook, yes? It’s important. Thank you, Amanda.
Hi Deborah — I did post it to Planet Waves’ two Facebook pages, as well as to Eric’s personal page. You (and others) are more than welcome to share it far and wide on social media. Thank you!
Beautiful! Thanks for posting.