Activities for International Women’s Day: Arthurian Edition

Happy International Women’s Day! Arthurian Legend has a good deal of phenomenal women in it, does it not? I thought about this last night and compiled a list of fun activities to do in honor of Women’s Day (and all month!) inspired by some of the women of the Legend. ❤ Let’s get to celebrating!

Guinevere: Celebrate Women

As High Queen of Britain, Guinevere would have a vast and detailed knowledge of the queens that came before her. She would also make it her business to stay up to date on the struggles and successes of the women around her; in the castle, in town, in the markets of Camelot’s lesser known villages. So I think, if Guinevere were to celebrate Women’s Day, she would host a large gathering for the women of Camelot; for the noblewomen, perhaps for women of the kingdoms in alliance with Camelot, and probably provide something for all the working women of the kingdom.

Seeing as it’s already Women’s Day, it might be a bit late to put together an event for today (LOL, oops) but the whole month of March is International Women’s Month! So in honor of Guinevere, host your own women’s tea or dinner party this March! A few quick ideas:

• Host a high tea: You can easily make little finger sandwiches (cucumber and cream cheese is all you need, unless you want to make some tuna or chicken), put out some cookies or biscuits (you can even buy them at the store if you don’t have the time to bake) and ready a pot of your favorite tea! Done and done. 🙂
• Host a dinner party: It doesn’t have to be extravagant. (Of course, if you’re extra as hell, like me, go all the way, girl!) You can make your favorite dish– a meatloaf, pasta, a crockpot recipe, whatever floats your boat– set your table with some pretty napkins and maybe some fun-colored silverware (you can buy utensils at a Dollar Tree for $1.50 in any color imaginable), set up some candles and music for ambiance (Guinevere would approve), and invite some of your favorite women to dinner! You can also try inviting women you don’t necessarily know that well. A co-worker that you don’t exactly hang out with outside of work, a friend from church, etc. Getting acquainted with women outside of your “inner circle” can be refreshing and often educational. It expands our horizons a bit– and unites womankind just a little more, which is always important. ❤

Nimue: Take Action for Women

The Lady of the Lake, herself, is a symbol of action. She gifts Arthur Excalibur and bids him use it; to protect his people, to take up arms, to rise and fight. So for Women’s Day, I think she would want us to take action and play a more active role for women, even if in small ways.

• Donate to women’s shelters: Find a shelter or resource center near you and ask what they may need.
• Volunteer: See if any women-owned societies, any homeless shelters or resource centers are looking for volunteers. Nothing humbles one more than helping those in need. ❤
• Promote other women: Promote women in your field, and those around you! Even promote women who make certain products you use. There’s a woman who makes amazing candles that I buy from often, and another who makes beautiful female-centered art, and I try to promote them as often as possible. Women should be lifting up other women. 🙂

Morgan: Empower Yourself

Morgan le Fey knows her worth, honey, and she won’t let you forget it. As a priestess of the Old Ways, she’s also very aware of the strong female energy around her, both earthly and spiritually. If you can, take today to resonate with that and empower yourself through spiritual centeredness. Do some things that make you happy, and that make you feel like the badass woman you are. 🙂

• Workout/exercise: As we know, exercise is so important for our physical and mental health. If you’re actually good about working out, more power to ya. Pop your earphones in with a badass female artist playlist and make your body feel as strong and invincible as it is. 🙂 If you’re more like me and aren’t quite the gym-type, go for a run/walk outside in the fresh air. (Morgan would approve.) Enjoy Mother Nature and get yourself feeling healthy and motivated.
• Meditate: Center yourself amidst any chaos happening in your life and carve out some time to meditate. It can be a guided one or something as simple as sitting outside in the grass. A lot of people think they’re not experienced in meditation, or aren’t good at it. But meditation can literally be as simple as lighting a candle in your room and just chilling for a minute. Put on some relaxing music, put on your comfy clothes and just vibe, baby. 🙂 Let your mind relax, let your muscles ease and your shoulders drop, and your jaw relax. That’s all you need. ❤ If you’re more experienced, take this time to center yourself and calm your spirit. Remind yourself that you are protected, you are safe, and that you are part of divine feminine energy, itself.
• Honor the Sacred Feminine: This is more for pagans and people interested in deity work. Morgan would’ve been big on deity worship and honoring the Goddess. Fellow pagans and/or witches, take today to do a ritual for your favorite goddess. Light a candle for the female ancestors that have guided your path. Anoint your altar with some oil to honor the goddesses that have walked with you in your life. If you wanna go crazy, light a fire and dance around it like it’s Beltane, as you embrace the Sacred Feminine within. ❤ There are certainly plenty of Celtic goddesses who blend into Arthurian legend that you can call upon for various reasons; Brighid for healing and artistry, the Morrígan for ancestor guidance, Rhiannon for health and self-confidence, Blodeuwedd for love, Ceridwen for magickal arts and decision-making. Decorate your altar and give offerings to a divine feminine energy that has helped you move through the world. ❤

Elaine: Love Yourself

Elaine, or the Lady of Shalott, remains a symbol of love in the Legend (regarding her love for Lancelot, of course.) But we, as women, need to keep that same energy up for loving ourselves, as well as others. Take today (and all this month!) to take the time to pamper yourself. Carve some time out of your schedule to do the things your body and soul would love you for.

• Take a bath: Not a shower. A bath. A lot of people don’t realize how important baths are! It’s so good for your body to actually sit in a tub of water and decompress for a minute. Drop some oil or bath gel in there to create an aromatic experience. Light a candle or two and let the warm water heal your muscles and calm your mind. ❤
• Do a facial mask: Do your favorite face mask and enjoy a cup of tea (or a glass of wine) while the nutrients replenish your skin. If you don’t do face masks often, you can probably just buy one at a local grocery store in the beauty section. Target has some really nice ones, too, for a fairly cheap price!
• Eat good food: Eat food that makes you feel good. If that means healthy eating, with good protein and vegetables and nutrients, do it. If that means pizza and a milkshake, do it. Treat yourself.
• Do some spring cleaning: Clearing the area where you spend a lot of time makes our subconscious mind relax and feel refreshed. Even though it can be a pain to do, it’s so worth it in the long-run, when everything is tidy and spacious and clean. 🙂 Whether it’s your work space, your living room, your bedroom, your bathroom– clear your area of clutter and your subconscious brain will thank you for it!

Here’s a few more Arthurian women from my version of the Legend, that may hopefully give you some Women’s Day inspiration, too!

Lily: Educate Yourself on Women

Blanchefleur (or Lily, as she’s nicknamed in my stories) was kept in her father’s manor most of her life, forbidden to leave for her safety. Even guests were very few. So her main form of access to the outside world was through books and stories. She would ask her father, and even the servants, to tell her stories of the world away from home. When she could get her hands on a book, whether romances or poetry or simple maps of Britain, she devoured them all. It was her way of educating herself about the world. If Lily could provide an activity for Women’s Day, I think she would advise us to educate ourselves about other women. Trail-blazers who have helped pave the way for women to have the rights we do today. Use today to learn about some of the amazing women who have helped shape our world!

• Watch documentaries: There are so many documentaries out there about everything imaginable. Find some good ones on women who have helped make a difference!
• Read books on women’s history: Just as there are tons of documentaries, there are so many cool books on brave, powerful women who have done such amazing things.
• Watch female-centric movies/shows: There tons of cool movies and series now with badass female leads! From drama series, to the Sex and the City reboot, to Marvel films, to Disney movies, there are so many to choose from!
• Read female-lead books: For all my fellow YA fantasy lovers out there, we’ve finally got a LOT of books out there about women, written by women! Just look at all the Arthurian books out right now! (I’m currently halfway through The Lost Queen by Signe Pike. It’s basically Merida (from Disney’s Brave) meets Arthurian legend. I’m pretty into it. I can’t wait to read all the others out there! The list keeps piling up!

Lunete: Inspire Yourself

Lunete, apprentice under Morgan in the mystic arts, learns a lesson I wish all girls would learn at a young age: that magic comes from within. There’s physical magic that a sorceress like Lunete, or Morgan, might be gifted with. But there is a magic within, that lives inside every woman, that we all eventually learn to tap into. It’s in manifestation, it’s in confidence, it’s in knowing our worth. It’s in setting boundaries, in releasing limitations, in loving ourselves first. Lunete discovers that sometimes, this sort of magic is a little harder to use. It feels lost sometimes, and we have to do a lot of self-healing to find it again. But when we do, we are unstoppable. Invincible. Untouchable. Powerful.

Lunete uses manifestation as part of this magic in her everyday life, and I think she would inspire other women to do the same during Women’s Day. These are just small forms of manifestation you can do as you go about your day. 🙂

• When you wake up: Do some affirmations as you brush your hair, as you brush your teeth and look at yourself in the mirror. Today is going to be a great day. Even if it sounds silly saying it out loud (or even thinking it.) It works. 🙂
• When you make food: This one is especially important. Everything has energy, including food, and as you prepare a meal, your energy becomes intertwined with the ingredients you’re using. Take advantage of it and manifest positivity. This food is going to nourish and fuel me, and help me accomplish what I need to today. Or, This food is going to heal my body and help me relax today. Manifest those affirmations as you prepare your meal. (I do it with tea every day.) Whether you’re cooking on the stove, or popping something into the microwave for a few seconds, it has the same effect.
• When you go to work: Most people listen to music on their way to work. Play something that promotes positive energy. I’m going to have a successful, pleasant shift today. Manifest it to yourself as the music plays. Promise it to yourself. It works every single time. (For me, even if it’s not always pleasant, it usually always turns out to be successful. 🙂 And usually pleasant, too!)
• When you go to sleep: Centering and calming yourself before you fall asleep is always so helpful. Whether it’s lighting a candle, dimming the lights, praying, reading, etc; finding a time for peace and quiet is so needed after a long day. When you’re getting in bed, manifest peaceful, replenishing energy: I’m going to have a peaceful nights’ sleep. Or even something as simple as, My mind is going to rest now. You’ll more than likely have peaceful dreams, or no dreams at all, and your subconscious will get some rest you didn’t even know it needed.
• Gratitude: The most important thing of all. There can be no manifestation without gratitude. Part of manifesting is knowing that there is a roof over your head, food in your belly, and there are people somewhere that love you. You live the life you live now because of the women that have paved the way for you to do so. Remaining grateful in the back of your mind, always, is part of what helps the manifestation take flight. ❤

There are so many other affirmations and things to come that you can manifest into existence. But these are a few simple ones. Manifestation is for everyone, of course, but I feel women really can start to tap into their own “magic” through manifestation. It’s powerful. Like we are. ❤

Thanks for reading. I hope you can take some inspiration from some of these activities and use them to celebrate your divine feminine power. Have a wonderful International Women’s Day, and an even better Women’s Month!