The Heart and Warrior of the Mother

There are big questions we never really get the answers to.
We sit with them, evolve with them, embody them in a process of ask, receive, implement, ask again.

One of those for me is: Who am I as a mother?

The Call to Mother in Our Times

Our world needs mothering right now.
Whether you are a mother of human children or not, we are ALL being called to emanate and embody the qualities of the Mother.

There are many facets of Mother; the heart of Mother and the warrior of Mother are both nourishing me right now.

When does the heart of Mother go quiet within me, allowing the warrior to step forward with precision and protection?
Am I setting down the shield and spear of the Mother when the medicine that's needed is to offer holding or to soothe or to connect?

Are we allowing in the heart and the warrior we need to mother with awareness and clarity in these times?
Are we opening to the heart and warrior to mother ourselves, when we haven’t been mothered in the ways we needed?

Seeing Our Mothers More Clearly

When we look at our own mothers, it might be clear to see the heart and the warrior without judgement.
Our mothers are people too; they have defenses and blindspots; they have a heart part and a warrior part—and often, just like us, one part could use more cultivation, growth, and “mothering.”

For some of us, our mother was more warrior than heart.
Perhaps she worked hard to pursue her career or personal needs.
Perhaps she was unhealed and used her warrior to protect herself at the cost of connection with you.
Or she was a badass, taking no BS from anyone, but missed some of the joy of giving and receiving.

Or maybe your mother had a strong connection to her heart—available to you and always serving others—but deep down not feeling confident or capable on her own.
Perhaps she was longing for connection and emotional nourishment and turned to you as a source, rather than using her warrior part to go out and take risks to find that connection with another adult.

There are so many faces of Mother.

Integrating the Heart and Warrior Within

When I focus on bringing in both the heart of the Mother and the warrior of the Mother, I find more solid ground beneath my feet.
I am able to connect to my whole self, have a clearer view of the circumstances around me—both personal and global—and actually feel more like a mother:

Able to hold it all,
Comfort those who are hurting,
Protect those who cannot protect themselves,
Give and receive with love,
Listen from wisdom without overreacting,
And trust.

Bringing these two energies into balance feels like an act of healing. The heart without the warrior can become overextended, depleted, or fearful of saying no. The warrior without the heart can become rigid, defensive, or disconnected from tenderness. But together, they form a kind of rooted strength—a capacity to love fiercely and act wisely.

This integration isn’t a final state; it’s a living, breathing relationship within us. Some moments we lead with the heart. Other times, the warrior takes the front. The deeper work is learning to trust—to know which part is being called forward in any given moment, and to trust that both are necessary expressions of our wholeness.

Holding Us All

I am holding us all in my heart today—us who are feeling deeply in these times, rocked by grief and anger, desiring more connection and also needing boundaries.

Us who see what’s possible and long for a world of humans working together toward love, respect, joy, freedom, and integrity.

We are mothering a new world into being—through the way we listen, the way we speak, the way we hold ourselves and each other. It’s not easy work. It asks for courage, compassion, and a willingness to stay open when it would be easier to close and protect.

To mother well, whether ourselves or others, is to stand at the threshold between tenderness and truth. It’s to believe that healing is possible even when things feel broken. It’s to trust that love—steady, imperfect, human love—can still be the force that carries us forward.

It’s a beautiful, mysterious, and deep life.
If we learn to listen with wisdom and open to truth, we find trust within the chaos.

Explore the Heart and Warrior in Yourself

If you’re interested in learning more about Heart and Warrior, here is my free quiz (you can take it more than once):
👉 Heart and Warrior Free Quiz