I was eighteen and was staying with my sister and her girlfriend. One day, while they were at work, I invited over a man I had met at a party at a friend's house. I had been washing the dishes and excused myself to go to the bedroom for hand lotion, where he cornered me. His intention was to have sex with me, of course. He pushed me onto the bed, and at first I tried wresting with him, but I was a slight thing...maybe 100 pounds, and he a large man of over six feet. There was no way I was going to win, but I wasn't willing. As we were wresting, I cried out in my mind to God for help. Then the man raised his fist to strike me, and I stopped. I did not want to be beaten and then raped. I completely surrendered. I begged him not to hurt me. I got up from the bed, took off my clothes and got back in the bed. I was terrified the whole time, but saw no way out but to surrender to this man's will. He could not, for the life of him, get an erection. I even offered to suck on him, thinking, if I but satiated his desire, he would leave. He could not get an erection. He seemed baffled, and embarrassed and said this had never happened to him before. Finally, he gave it up, and we got dressed. By now, I was playing along, and just waiting for him to leave. I pretended to be okay. We went into the kitchen. There he asked me to be his "lady." He asked me what I wanted, furs, jewelry. He was obviously really sick, but I played along. Finally, he offered to go out for beer and sandwiches. He said he'd be back ...but once he was out of the apartment, I locked the door. I was saved from the rape of my body by deeply surrendering, but the mental "rape" that occurred haunted me for years.

It is important for men to realize that even the threat of rape can be intensely psychologically damaging to a woman. And yet this still happens to women every day.

It is my hope that one day men fully awaken to their own true power....the power to love. Then the Goddess will show her face in fullness.