The mothers of Ukraine need you
Every Ukrainian mom today is a part of a great wall holding off Russian aggression against the world.
By Olena Zelenska
May 11, 2024
Olena Zelenska is the first lady of Ukraine.
Six-year-old Renat and 10-year-old Varvara were living in Mariupol — the city wiped from the face of the Earth by Russian bombing — when they were sent to an orphanage in Russia. They were torn from their mother, who had been taken prisoner.
Desperate, Renat and Varvara’s grandmother knocked on every door, searched every inch of land to find her missing loved ones. While their mother was eventually brought back to Ukraine via a prisoner swap, it took nine months and the assistance of the Ukrainian authorities for the grandmother to bring back her grandchildren. She even crossed enemy lines to rescue them.
What did their mom feel during those months? What did the children feel, as the grandmother persevered to reunite the family?
This is the story of women of Ukraine right now. More than 19,000 of our children are being held captive in Russia. Their families are tormented by uncertainty.
Since the beginning of Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion, the mothers of Ukraine have — as caregivers, first responders, medics, soldiers and breadwinners — fought for the survival of their families and their country. They are part of a fight for the survival of the democratic world order.
It is a fitting story to tell on Mother’s Day, when there is an important message I am ready to scream out loud: We need the help of the whole world to set these children free. One Ukrainian mother may be powerless, but thousands and millions of us standing together can succeed.
Some mothers in Ukraine have turned their pain into action. When Natalya Makovetska’s son was killed on the front line, she joined the army herself. There are more than 60,000 women in the Ukrainian army, even though enlisting is voluntary for women.
Other mothers are widening their families to protect children who have lost their own parents and homes. Tetiana Yurychko has fostered 10 children, including 3-year-old Bohdan. It is not easy being a foster mother during a time of war. It’s not easy to take so many children to the bomb shelter every time the air-raid sirens wail.
But as Tetiana told me, “Every child should have a family.” That’s why the Olena Zelenska Foundation is building homes for such large foster families. So that all children can have a home, a family, a mother.
Another story that comes to mind as I write to you from Kyiv is about another side of this war for mothers but ends less happily.
Two months ago, the bodies of two neighbors — friends — were recovered by rescuers in the aftermath of a Russian strike on their home in the strategic port city of Odessa.
The first responders found Anna Gaidarzhy and Tetiana Kravets cradling their newborns in their arms. They had tried to use their bodies to shield 7-month-old Liza and 4-month-old Timofey from the deadly blow of a Russian missile. Their older, surviving children are orphaned now.
One of the most difficult challenges for parents in Ukraine today is the feeling of being powerless. Of not being able to protect your children physically or emotionally.
Now in Ukraine, every mother must steel themselves against the question, “Mom, are we going to die today?” when the air-raid alarm sounds in their city, sometimes multiple times a day. What can a mom do when she can do nothing? When she scared herself? How can you talk to your child about the threat so that they grow up without trauma?
We are trying to fight this growing mental health crisis. The program “Are you okay?” was created to enable a future where, hopefully, both parents and children can one day honestly answer that question with: “I'm okay.” It's aimed at preventing children from remaining “children of war” for the rest of their lives.
Just like most moms in Ukraine, I have an air-raid app on my phone that makes haunting sounds when the alarm goes off. And like all moms, I am worried that only a part of Ukraine’s children go to schools because of the attacks, and even those children at school frequently must study in underground bomb shelters.
Talking about myself is the hardest thing to do. But my only recipe for being a mom during the war is to be sincere and an example of love and care. It is to teach my children the need to care for others because that is why we are all holding on to through the war. It is about hoping that the war will remain just an episode in the lives of our children. That they will enjoy normal lives after it to erase that trauma.
And so my request today is that you remember these stories. Share them. Demand our children be returned to Ukraine.
Every Ukrainian mom today is a part of a great wall holding off Russian aggression against the world.
There are missile fragments and bullets in their hearts, and there are children behind their backs — and not just their own children.
That’s because, in a civilized world, there are no other people’s children.
Hi Rad,
Thank you for posting this. I think it is easy for those of us who don't live in this environment to go on with our daily lives and to not stop and think about how on the other side of the world Evil is at full force destroying the lives of innocent children and families.
Thank you for this reminder.
May God Bless All,
Jordyn
It is worth remembering that this kind of evil as seen in the Ukraine is only evidence of its existence within us - collectively. And lately it seams that aligning with "social causes", has become a means to sanction and channel unresolved hatred, rage and aggression. Above all other means of support, let us be more mindful of our own inner devices (our fears, anger. motives).
God bless,
(in acknowledgment of unsolicited potential bummer, I offer my apologies)
Polina
It is sad that Zelensky was not brave enought to negotiated with his neighboor and cousin coountry Russia and instead entered this outsourced war that only interests the Arm Industry
Oh Dear Goddess...
It was only a matter of time until this sort of stuff came openly here (which is a good thing, and preferable to covert existence). Since this is a forum on teachings of JWG i just wish to leave a reminder that Evolutionary Astrology is and always will be about truth, and the search of the soul for the thruth. The truth is very easy to grasp with the heart, very few words are needed to explain or justify anything, but reality and facts always help when in doubt.
Rad, thank for honouring the Mothers of Ukraine and may their pain never be in vain. As far as i can tell i/we can do very little, but praying that the good will prevail will never hurt, that is what i do everyday, and i'm sure many more do all over the world.
May the Goddess Bless,
Helena
Hi Helena,
I am not quite understanding what you were meaning to say. Could you please clarify?
While the previous dialogue has not focused on the mother archetype directly, it seems to pose contemplation upon the causes and dynamics associated with the conflict that has generated the conditions necessitating so many Ukrainian women to step forward to keep the heart of Ukrainian culture alive (survival: Uranus in Taurus) specifically with respect to preserving the existence of a family unit for all these children of war who have lost their families. They don’t want to see their countrie’s children fully and permenantly defined by the trauma of war and political/nationalistic evil. To me, this social grouping (woman) are demonstrating the application of the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”. Necessary because of the dynamics Jordyn and Polina were discussing.
Blessings!
Stacie
Hi again Helena,
Thanks and I respect your wish to leave it at a gentle reminder to link our comments to the principles and analytical methodolies of the EA system. I personally had some confusion about the comments you were referring to because you had said that none of the comments had anything to do with the article, which I saw differently. There is only one comment that I perceived where the application of EA core principles was missing, but the rest I perceived to include the effort to correlate empirical phenomena to astrological symbols and their relationships by aspect and transit, along with the nature of lessons and evolutionary process within the conflict of war and it’s effect on the people.
It is true that current subjects as intense and collectively divisive as the present wars that are underway on the planet require a lot of discernment while discussing, to avoid tangles and clashes of opinion so that learning is constructive and in alignment with the forum guidelines. Personally I value discussion of such sensitive subjects when done appropriately because one of the greatest tools that EA offers is the tool of objectification, This is something we can use to understand any issue in our life experience. Wars and political issues are extremely important areas where objectivity needs to increase in the world, and sometimes these topics become avoided because of the prevalence of passionate opinions and how easy it is to slip into argument rooted in “I’m right, you’re wrong”. I understand preferences of avoidance, because it takes a lot of energy to maintain objectivity among dialogueing participants, and each person has to be committed to that essential goal. However, these are also the areas where we need the most practice if we are to learn as a collective how to constructively communicate and exchange ideas, because as a human collective one of our major sticking points/limitations is ‘interpretation’. We don’t grow if we don’t try. The growing pains are worth the effort because the reward will be greater efficiency in our social discourse, which will allow us to reach solutions and progress quicker together over time. Distortion will always remain dominant to clarity of what is natural until we learn how to apply objectivity to our interpretations and communicate through that lens. A long road of evolutionary development for sure. It feels daunting from where we stand now!
🙏Stacie
PS: I hope the evolving nature of this thread is ok. Evolving discussion is natural because one thing can naturally bring up another thing, but later it can become a headache to search.
Rad, as our primary teacher here and originator of this thread, is the evolution of our discussion here constructive in it’s flow, or would it have been better to start new topics?
Personally my learning in this forum is not just focused on archetypes, techniques and spiritual questions, but also how to be and conduct myself in the context of natural law. I know others take that same kind of learning as well, so I wanted to ask for your feedback if you have any to give.
Thank you,
Stacie