Reflections from Bone:Dying into Life by Marion Woodman
I am posting this post in its original form as it was published in a Facebook post to the group BodySoul Rhythms – Continuing the Legacy of Marion Woodman.
Final reflection on the book and this experience:
I am very grateful for the experience of embarking on this study of Marion Woodman’s book BONE (2000). I am grateful for the administrators of this FaceBook page for allowing it to take up residence here.
BONE would not have been my choice of books to start with (I tend to like to do things in chronological order!) However, when the discussion about a book project began, this was the book that was suggested and so I went with it. As often happens when psyche is involved, it turned out to be just the right choice for me.
I have been reading and listening to Marion for years and in BONE it was as if I could hear her very voice speaking the words. At times I was moved to tears by her experiences around the cancer therapies and other times I wanted to applaud her tenacity in carrying on. As someone over 60, I took heart of her lessons about learning to let some things go as we age. Mostly I was touched by the rawness of her voice in her writing. I never met Marion, but I have a sense she did not “pull any punches”, as the saying goes. (Goodness, just exactly what does the phrase mean?)
I think at the bottom of it all this is what I take away from this experience with Marion and this book of hers – to write from my own voice. And so that is what I have done in my reflections. At the outset, I was probably thinking in terms of a more analytical approach – as in the days when I, myself, taught literature. Over the course of this book project, however, it seemed more appropriate to give my own voice free reign in response to the rawness of Marion’s writing. All my reflections here were written mostly as a stream of consciousness. Therefore, please excuse any factual errors they may contain and if at any time I have drifted of into a direction that does not suit you, you are invited to just let it drift away into nothingness.
I do have one disappointment in this experience. At the outset I had hoped for more interaction but that turned out not to be. I am OK with that, I understand that this is mostly what happens these days in the world of social media where people simply drop postings with no expectation of any sort of interaction beyond someone leaving a “reaction” icon — usually of something being “liked” or “loved”. And to be sure, I am deeply appreciative to all who have done just that. I am also deeply grateful for those who did take a moment to leave a comment. Each and every one of those were held dear to me. I did try to acknowledge or respond to each one.
So – this was a bit of an experiment to see if something like this could be interactive in this format. My take away is – not so much.
Finally – I have learned much and have found value in doing this. I do go forward disappointed, a bit, that my continued work with Marion’s body of published work will go back to being a solo endeavor – but that is OK … because I feel I have at least put some effort into doing it differently. Perhaps in another time there will be another way. What will be, will be.
Peace and all good to all.
Deb
Woodman, M. (2000). Bone: Dying into Life. Penguin Books.
*This reflection was first published in a Facebook Group entitled BodySoul Rhythms – Continuing the Legacy of Marion Woodman
Soul Tending 