Sacred Feminine Rising

2010-08-20T19:40:00.001-07:00

Now Cynthia King, PhD talks on Feminine Face of Power: moving beyond stories that hold us back. Practice & application exercises to follow.

2010-08-20T19:39:00.001-07:00

We explored what we've carried from original sin concept, burning times, & harem mentality. What in human history has led us as women to play small?

2010-08-20T19:33:00.001-07:00

Back from dinner after Sharon Riegie Maynard facilitating Healing our Roots to Free the Sacred Feminine: a discussion on what is lingering from the past in the feminine psyche, the invisible barriers that hold us back from being our full, expansive, powerful selves.

2010-08-20T13:12:00.001-07:00

Now returning from sunny outdoor lunch here at Mercy Center. Karie Hillery is singing "Gather the Women Now," which she composed specifically for all women gathering women.

2010-08-20T13:10:00.001-07:00

Amazing, powerful, heart-centered women gathered to be in circle for 3 days! Opened circle with song by Karie Hillery. Honored 4 directions & Indra's net of connection. Each woman added her voice to circle by introducing herself and her passions.

2010-08-20T13:04:00.001-07:00

Started this morning at 7 with lively laughter yoga with Beth Boeck of Wisconsin.

2010-08-20T13:01:00.001-07:00

Hello from GTW Journey into Deepening event! Most women arrived last night to share dinner & informal conversation.

2009-10-01T11:33:00.001-07:00

Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth. Shihab Nye

2009-08-26T12:28:00.001-07:00

…what the world needs now is an infusion of the kind of wisdom women have & the form of the circle itself is an embodiment of that wisdom - J S Bolen

Smudging to Rid Negative Energy

2009-05-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was asked for this info so I thought I'd post it.

Sage has been used for ages by indigenous peoples to cleanse and raise the frequency of vibration in a place or person. Also, visualizing a bubble of Divine White Light surrounding, filling, and protecting a space (or you) cleanses and protects it. Long instructions follow, but it's a simple process...

Spirits dwell on the Earth plane for only a few reasons: they want to communicate a message, they are watching over & protecting a person, they can't let go of their earthly life and want to continue it through a living person, or they want to avenge a perceived wrong. You can easily rid a place of a negative spirit by invoking the Divine and directing the spirit to the Light. You can raise the frequency of vibration in a space so that it is incompatible with the energy of the spirit and so the spirit leaves.

First, create a sacred space by invoking whatever aspect of the Divine has meaning for you: the Goddess, Holy Spirit, Christ, Angels, Archangels, The Great Spirit, Buddha, All That Is, Higher Power, Spirit Guides, etc. Affirm that only the highest and best of the Divine is present. Affirm that you know only Good can be in this place and only Good can come to you. Add whatever else you like. Ask the Divine to bless the smudge stick and give thanks.

Holding the smudge stick over something to catch ashes (I like to use a big seashell), light the fat end until it flames. Blow it out so a stream of smoke rises from it. Relight and blow out as often as needed to keep the smoke going.

First smudge yourself by moving the smoking stick around the outline of your body. Lift each foot, smudging under it too. Then, walk the perimeter of the room gently waving the stick back and forth to spread the smoke--not thickly, just a light "dosing." As you do this, ask the element(s) of the Divine you have invoked to bless and protect the space. If you like to sing or chant, this will greatly add to raising the frequency and consecrating the space for Good.

If you feel a specific spirit with negative intention is present, emphatically tell him or her aloud that he or she is not welcome in this place. Tell the spirit he will find the true peace & love he seeks by going to the Light, even if he may not believe it. Tell him to look around and "see" the Divine (the Angels, Jesus, Buddha, Goddess, etc.), welcoming him. Tell him to "find" the Divine Light (imagine the Light at the end of a tunnel that appears when we make our transition) and move into it. Direct him emphatically to go to the Light. Repeat it all several times--not welcome, go to Light, will find what he seeks in the Light. Affirm that only the Divine--Light and Good--can be present.

Move from room to room repeating the procedure, then return to where you started. Conclude with thanking the Divine for its presence, love, and aid. Extinguish the smudge stick by pressing it into the shell until all glowing embers are out.

You will feel when the negative energy has left. You may need to repeat the smudging several days in a row or once a week for awhile.

I also like to ask the Divine to bless some small white stones/pebbles at the same time I ask for the smudge stick to be blessed. The stones "anchor" the Divine energy in the place. I place them unobtrusively in the four corners of the room or the building before I conclude the ritual.

Black Panther Equinox

2009-03-31T01:14:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by explaining that in a visioning at the last winter solstice, I met my power animal—-the black panther. As the visioning began, we were instructed to enter the unseen realms through an opening in a tree trunk. So I did. Once there, a black panther with an owl riding on his back came strolling down a path toward me. The owl and I gazed at each other for a few moments in deep acknowledgment and then the owl flew off. The panther stayed, his golden eyes focused unflinchingly on mine. I received some knowledge, some awareness, from him, but I couldn’t name what it was. He then turned and continued along the path he had arrived on. Although somewhat frightened of him, I knew I was to follow and did. As the visioning was drawn to a close, the guide instructed us to say goodbye to our power animal and return through the same opening in the tree. As I stepped into the opening, however, the panther squeezed past my legs and leapt through it before me! It was clear he was not staying behind, but coming along into my world.

I had not attempted to meet a power animal before. I intended as soon as I got home to research the symbolism of a black panther, find photos of one on the Internet, and delve into the meaning of this gift. Well, I didn’t do any of that and, in fact, promptly forgot about the experience for some reason.

So then, three months later, arrives the morning after the recent vernal equinox. I awoke from a dream realizing I had just experienced another visit from the panther! His first since the solstice. The dream was a bit odd, as dreams can be, but bear with me. In the dream, I was a teenager with a teenage sister and brother. My family owned a gym and we were having some kind of open house. My sister and I had a huge argument in the middle of it. She yelled in front of everyone that I should just get out of the gym; she didn’t want to be around me, she didn’t like me, and she didn’t want to be my sister anymore! Each word a knife slicing deeply into my teenage heart.

Our mother, who had been in close proximity without us realizing it, heard what my sister had yelled. She informed my sister that her behavior was unacceptable and she was the one to leave the gym, not me. My mother marched her out to drive her home. Then (victim that I am) I began wondering why Mother went with my sister instead of staying to comfort me!

A flood wild of wild thoughts raced through my mind and I burst into tears. I was going to leave my family! None of them loved me. I was going to go away—they’d find just how much they missed me! I suddenly remembered that a friend was leaving for a year’s exchange program in Europe, and I decided that was the answer! I would apply and go as well. I wheeled around to run to the gym’s computer, which would have had the desired dramatic effect save for the large, born-again Christian youth group and its leaders sitting on the floor, smack in the way. Weeding my way less-than-hoped-for way through them, I learned that they had overheard the exchange with my sister. They expressed a little sympathy, but were caught up in a discussion of admiration of a church woman they knew who was so very determined that she could accomplish anything.

Once at the computer, I found that I couldn’t see through my streaming tears and realized that applying for the program was a rather rash act. So I left the gym and drove to my favorite hill to think. I climbed the hill and sat alone, surrounded by grasses and trees, sun and breeze. I shed more tears and tried to sort things out. Before long, drained by the afternoon’s hormonal torrent, I dozed off. When I eventually awoke, it was already dark, and cold. I shivered in my short sleeves and shorts. It was so dark, I realized, I wouldn’t be able to find my way back down the hill. And I began to be afraid, knowing that the hill wasn’t particularly safe at night. So, like any respectable teenager, I whipped out my cell phone and called my parents. Their relief was evident. They had been trying to find me and very worried. They assured me they would immediately drive over with flashlights, and lanterns (?), to get me.

I hung up to wait with my knees drawn up in my arms for warmth. I could see a few lights from town in the distance and focused my attention on them. All of a sudden, a large, hardly visible black panther sat down right beside me! He had approached from behind, out of the woods, so stealthily that I hadn’t been aware of him until I caught a movement out of my left eye. A wave of fear jolted through me. I was going to be eaten for sure! As the cat began sniffing in my direction, I knew he had caught the scent of my fear. I knew I had to immediately quell the fear and tried to do so by reasoning that the cat had simply sat down by me rather than attack me outright. I managed to calm down a bit. The cat just calmly looked at me and then looked ahead. For a time we sat side by side in what for me was tense silence.

Suddenly, the cat growled, and then I heard the sounds of a stray dog running up the hill toward us. The panther growled again, and the sound of the running stopped and then receded as the dog turned and ran back down the hill. I realized then that the panther had come to protect me! I looked at the cat with wonder and gratitude. He simply looked ahead. After a bit, I spotted two swinging lanterns heading up the hill accompanied by the muffled conversation of men with ill intent. (Don’t ask me how I knew this, but I did.) They, of course, hadn’t noticed us yet in the dark. The panther growled loudly in warning. The talking stopped. Then, suddenly, rising up off of his haunches, the cat screamed a piercing, horrifyingly human scream, sending me a foot in the air and the men fleeing down the hill. With ringing ears, I glanced appreciatively at the cat, meeting the ancient wisdom and care in his golden eyes.

As the panther settled, he moved even closer to me to lay down, his bulk bumping my side and throwing me a bit off balance—a grand version of a domestic cat’s nudging when she wants to be petted. It was thrilling to be touching the panther, and I was grateful for the heat of his body, but I was somewhat afraid to reach over and pet him. Yet the fear quickly yielded to a knowing of our boundaries. I clearly understood that I was not to pet him. I was simply to accept what he offered and relax in his company, warmth, and protection. His touch was enough. I was safe.

Dream of White Buffalo Calf Woman

2009-03-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

Last night I dreamt that as a female elder of an indigenous North American tribe, White Buffalo Calf Woman appeared to me and presented several sacred, material gifts for the tribe--these in addition to her previous, ancient gifts of spiritual and practical teachings. The gifts were a beautiful, room-size rug woven in earth tones and blues that told a story to the tribe, a small, exquisite, intricately woven rug, a three-foot painted, carved wooden likeness of herself, and a plain black metal (iron?) ladle.

I then presented the gifts to the tribe and we placed them in the longhouse with a consecration ceremony. The large rug was laid near the meeting space, the small rug was hung on the wall in a prominent location, the statue was set in a Northeast corner, and the ladle was put to use for soups and broths made over the main cooking fire. My people loved the gifts and were constantly turning to them, offering gratitude, acknowledging their sacredness, and receiving their comfort and great blessings.

The ladle was used daily with great appreciation, eventually showing normal signs of wear.

After a time, though, the people started losing site of the sacredness of these gifts. They no longer cared for the large rug, trampling into it ashes and fire-black, wood debris, dust, and dry leaves and grasses. So I quietly took on the care of the rug, sweeping and shaking it alone. I began to feel concern for my people and reminded them of the sacredness of the rug. I hoped and prayed that with patience they would truly remember.

Then I discovered that the sacred statue had become oily, dented, and worn, and its paint flecked, from repeatedly being handled in a rough, playful manner, rather than with the respect it was due. My patience began dissolving into irritation and sorrow. I realized there was nothing I could do to restore the statue. I prayed daily to White Buffalo Calf Woman and the ancestors for guidance, but none came.

When the day came that I spotted a group of young women giggling while trying to pull down the intricate wall hanging, I erupted. Boiling rage, frustration, and despair rose up simultaneously in me, overtaking any familiar sense of self. I rushed over to the women waving my arms, so enraged that I could not speak. My commotion caught their attention and stopped their actions. I tried to shout at them to make them realize their disrespect and foolishness, but only faint squeaking noises escaped from my rage-constricted throat. My furious squeaking served only to spark another spasm of their giggling and they returned to their intent.

Through the rage that seemed to explode my being, the thought arose What will become of us?

Choosing Happiness

2009-03-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite points in personal growth is the moment when I realize I have a choice in how I react to any particular situation. It often feels like there is no choice: an event happens and my feelings arise instantaneously. If someone insults me, what else could I feel but hurt and ticked off? However, there is a nanosecond before my feelings arise in which I can make a choice. I can choose to judge the event differently and thereby react differently. That moment--when I see a choice--is my favorite one. Even if I can't actually make a better choice right then, simply seeing there is a choice opens the door to emotional freedom and more happiness. I no longer feel at the mercy of my emotions.

For example, my grown daughter and I have developed a pattern over the years. She occasionally comes to me for advice when she has a problem. And I, of course, offer the perfect solution. She then tells me why that solution won't work. So I come up with perfect solution number two, and she tells me why that one won't work either. So, I think a moment and come up with solution number three. (I'm pretty good at this.) Then I hear how that won't work either. And so on. We both come away from the conversation feeling frustrated and irritated. I vow never again to give my unappreciative daughter advice--a vow that lasts until the next time she asks. It's a cycle that doesn't create happiness for either of us.

However, suddenly in the middle of yet another of these frustrating conversations I got it! I saw a choice! So, I immediately shut up. I rested a couple of beats, took a deep breath, and said, "You know Sweetie, I don't have an answer. That's really a challenging situation, but I know you're a capable, intelligent young woman and you'll be able to figure out a solution soon. I love you." After a stunned silence she replied, "Thanks, Mom. I needed to hear that. I love you too." End of conversation. Wow. What finally reached through my somewhat thick skull was that she really didn't want advice! She simply wanted to be reminded that she is loved and capable of developing her own solution. And she wanted this reassurance from someone she knows dearly loves her--Mom.

I must confess that to stick by this understanding each time my daughter asks for advice is a challenge for me, the fixer of the world. But when I do, it continues to transform these types of conversations into an exchange of love and happiness.

Goddess Moon

2009-03-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Yippee! Evening daylight is back! I so love this time change. Have we just ended daylight savings time and started standard time, or is it the other way around?
Going for a walk around 6 p.m., I found the almost-full goddess moon rising low over Sonoma Mountain, grand and bright in a still-blue sky. She called to my chattering monkey mind to rest in her grace. And reminded me that I really should invest in a good camera and some photography lessons. Asking my beloved iPhone to capture the majesty of this moment was simply asking too much--a moon ready to leap out of the sky reduced to a mere pinpoint. Hello Sister Moon! Larabee, did you do her justice?

Dream of Green Water

2009-03-05T18:13:00.000-08:00

I had a sweet dream of grace, faith, and the feminine the other night. In the dream, I was swimming in the warm, almost opaque, deep green waters of Jamaica. It was a freshwater lake rather than the ocean. I was swimming with a friend while holding a book up above the water with one hand in order to protect it—a bit awkward. The swimming was still delicious and relaxed—the warm, silky water caressing my body. And simply moving my body was a delight. I was filled with contentment and well-being. The thought crossed my mind that I couldn’t see what was below me in the opaque water, but I easily dismissed it. I then decided to dive. I could have laid the book on a nearby rock wall, but I chose to clutch it to my breast, my heart, and dive with it! I remember a moment of hesitation about damaging the book, but I knew that closed, the book would survive with only minor wrinkling at page edge. I dove deep in the warm caress of the water and rose buoyantly back to the surface filled with joy. I woke with a smile on my face (unusual for this night owl).

Gather the Women Interview

2009-02-27T16:38:00.000-08:00

Interview about Gather the Women and the power of women's circles on local TV show "Women's Spaces." For more info visit www.gatherthewomen.org.

End of the Rainbow

2009-02-19T13:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was literally at the end of the rainbow! It was a pretty magical day all in all.

I earn my living as a freelance tech writer and in this economy my business has done dried up! With tech writers being laid off left and right (always among the first), I have little hope of finding a job. No work, no income. On top of it, yesterday I received an email from my local chapter of our field’s professional association saying that the entire profession is basically going down the tubes! Oy! It’s bit of a scary time and I’m not doing well with the fear.

So, I’m re-evaluating. My passion in life is, as you may have gathered, connecting women and serving the Sacred Feminine. I love to facilitate circles (circle discussions)! But I keep telling myself that I can’t make money doing it. However, yesterday morning while making a cup of tea, I had one of those realizations of the obvious: I just need to claim that I can make money doing it. Metaphysics, positive thinking, Law of Attraction, all that business. So I claimed it. I declared aloud “I want to make money facilitating circles! I can make money facilitating circles! I am making money facilitating circles!” This is my mantra from now on. And, as we know of the Law of Attraction, I don’t have to know how it will happen; just that it will. I need to vibrate at the frequency of joy and faith that attracts it. As Mike Dooley from The Secret humorously puts it, I don’t have to know the cursed “hows!” I finally understood it at a heart level. Magical happening #1.

After this epiphany and thoughts on the Law of Attraction, I went to the used bookstore to trade some books and ran across the Abraham-Hicks book The Law of Attraction, for 6 bucks no less! Magical happening #2. I also found at the same lovely low price four other spiritual books I had read but didn’t own and wanted—even a Real Love book with my friend Star’s name in it! (I hold a Real Love group in my home.) Magical happening #3. It gets even better--at the register, all the books rang up not at $6, but at either $1.99 or $2.99! Magical happening #4.

When I left the store, the sun was shining for the first time all day and a light, soft sprinkle of rain was falling in the sunlight. An unusual but lovely thing to see. As I started to get in my car, suddenly the most perfect, full semi-circle, vividly colored rainbow appeared in the sky over the book store. It was magnificence across the sky! As my eyes traveled the rainbow to its closest end, I realized it was descending right there in the parking lot! The rainbow was actually landing between the store and where I stood, about 30 feet from me! When I looked back at the store, I saw it through transparent colors—the colors of the rainbow! I was literally at the end of the rainbow! I’ve never seen the end of a rainbow before. I was awed, dumbstruck! And imagine, this was happening immediately after buying The Law of Attraction, and after having made my declaration of abundance that morning. Wow! My next thought was the cosmos heard me! Thank you Spirit! Thank you for this magical, beautiful gift of confirmation! Magical happening #5.

I eventually got back in the car but did not leave until the rainbow dissipated. (Today I’m wondering why I didn’t walk over and stand in the rainbow, duh!) Once in the car, I called my friend Cheryl to share the magic. She didn't seem impressed. Her usual enthusiasm seemed lacking; in fact, she sounded distressed. It turns out she had just closed the door on a very upsetting exchange with a handyman. She told me my timing couldn’t have been better—she needed to hear a friend’s voice. Magical happening #6.

Do you know what the number six symbolizes in numerology? Balance, peace, beauty, and harmony. Loving family and where you are. It means being protective, conscientious, compassionate, and wanting to help family, community, the world at large. Six can also represent a flowing and cycles. Very appropriate and auspicious, don’t you think?

What a magical day! I am so blessed! I now can release my fear and hold faith. I know that love, prosperity, and all good things have already arrived in my life—and in yours. Thank you Spirit! I offer my gratitude to All That Is!

Too bad I didn’t think to take a photo of the rainbow or bring Larabee and her magic-capturing camera along!
~~~~~~~~

Note:
Magic Happening #7. Two days after posting this, astonishingly, I received an email from the executive director of the Society for Technical Communication. Somehow my little blog had come to her attention! (And not in a positive way, I should add.) She warmly requested a copy of the email I mention in the first paragraph above, as she had no record of STC sending an email claiming the profession is going down the tubes. I clarified that the email came from the local chapter and forwarded the requested copy. And, as you can see, I reworded said paragraph to more accurately reflect this. Who would have guessed? Now I'm truly convinced the Internet is making the world a smaller place!

Chaos and Birth

2008-11-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

At the coast, sitting on a boulder along the beach I was watching the waves crash into the rocks and roll ashore across the sand, each wave pounding and foaming, rolling forth and retreating. I felt the salty mist spray my face and the sunny wind dry it away. I took in the great explosions of energy and re-energizing ions where these two great bodies—earth and sea—meet and felt calmed by them.

And then I noticed that while the sun glistened through the lovely translucent green, white-capped peaks of the waves, at the base they were dark and murky with churning sand and seaweed, bits of shell and who knows what else. I thought "chaos." Here I am at the conjunction of the vast Pacific Ocean and the North American continent, and it is chaos. Beautiful chaos. Great explosions of sound and energy and churning and turning, water rolling and retreating in constant motion. And it is murky and chaotic. It isn’t clear or orderly or well-defined where the land ends and the sea begins.

Doesn't chaos always give birth to something? Isn't chaos a medium of creation? Whether it is life itself, life-affirming, or life threatening, something is always birthed from chaos. Think of human birth. Now that’s a chaotic experience! The body seems completely beyond one’s control. Stars and planets are birthed from chaos. And from the chaos of a collapsing or overthrown government arises a new government. From any failure arises new ideas, attitudes, or efforts. Out of floods, fires, and hurricanes arise new structures and a new sense of connection and helping one another. Art arises from chaos; it doesn’t come into being in a neat, orderly fashion, does it?

And here at the shoreline, the buried, bubbling clams feed on the chaos. And where there are pockets of calm, tide pools and puddles cradle new life. So this chaos thing, the murky times with which we are so uncomfortable, just what might they give birth to? Granted, no one wants to live in a constant state of chaos, but if we are always running from it, will we ever allow ourselves the chance to find out what wants to be birthed?

Constellations of Hope--I was there!

2008-11-14T17:40:00.000-08:00

I attended remarkable three-day conference this past weekend called Constellations of Hope. It brought together 60+ women who lead organizations that support women. I was delighted to help with the administrative end of it and designed this logo for the printed materials. The purpose of the conference was to explore organizational collaboration. From the website www.constellationsofhope.com:

How do we Begin?
There are thousands of organizations large and small working on behalf of women and women's issues around the world today. Each one represents a source of valuable insights, experience and wisdom; each one could benefit from a thoughtful exchange of resources, information and ideas with the others. Millions of women in countries around the globe would benefit from the resulting synergy... and the world would be moved closer to a model of healthy balanced leadership that incorporates feminine principles.

Shared Intentions and Assumptions
The co-creators of this event have come together around the following shared intentions and assumptions:
* We have witnessed a spirit-filled activism that is calling women to a new way of thinking and being.
* We have witnessed a growing desire among organizations to collaborate, recognizing that they are ready to effectively create something together that they cannot do alone.
* We have witnessed that inspiration for tangible new projects and initiatives emerges organically when women come together to dialogue around a shared intention.

At the conference, we sat in circle much of the time—the most diverse, and challenging, circle in which I have ever participated. Women of all colors sat in circle comparing, contrasting, sharing, and protecting individual and cultural belief systems and practices. What we discovered was that we could not move much beyond exploring our differences and attempting to find a common ground. The fire of these interactions was hot--it was no work for sissies! That heat was reflected in a major conversation near the end of the conference called “Into the fire, deepening the conversation.”

We stepped into the fire, burning away assumptions and obstacles to understanding and collaboration. Perhaps that was all that could happen in such a condensed time. Although we were barely able to step into exploring collaboration on an organizational level, some did happen. Healings took place, heart connections happened, disillusionment and anger was experienced, but most certainly, a web of connection was established among all of us. I know that I came away a changed woman.

Love--The New Religion

2008-10-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

The following piece sent by my friend Lynda Terry so wonderfully describes the "work" we do in these transforming times, from the Sacred Masculine perspective.

The New Religion of the 21st Century

On the surface of the world right now there is war and violence

and things seem dark

But calmly and quietly, at the same time, something

else is happening underground

An inner revolution is taking place and certain individuals

are being called to a higher light

It is a silent revolution

From the inside out

From the ground up

It is time for me to reveal myself

I am an embedded agent of a secret, undercover

Clandestine Global operation

A spiritual conspiracy

We have sleeper cells in every nation on the planet

You won't see us on the T.V.

You won't read about us in the newspaper

You won't hear about us on the radio

We don't seek any glory

We don't wear any uniform

We come in all shapes and sizes

Colors and styles

Most of us work anonymously

We are quietly working behind the scenes in every country

and culture of the world

Cities big and small, mountains and valleys, in farms and villages,

tribes and remote islands

You could pass by one of us on the street and not even notice

We go undercover

We remain behind the scenes

It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit

But simply that the work gets done

Occasionally we spot each other in the street

We give a quiet nod and continue on our way so no one will notice

During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs

But behind the false storefront, at night is where the real work takes place

Some call us the 'Conscious Army'

We are slowly creating a new world with the power of our minds and hearts

We follow, with passion and joy

Our orders from the Central Command

The Spiritual Intelligence Agency

We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking

Poems

Hugs

Music

Photography

Movies

Kind words

Smiles

Meditation and prayer

Dance

Social activism

Websites

Blogs

Random acts of kindness

We each express ourselves in our own unique ways

with our own unique gifts and talents

'Be the change you want to see in the world'

That is the motto that fills our hearts

We know it is the only way real transformation takes place

We know that quietly and humbly we have the power

of all the oceans combined

Our work is slow and meticulous

Like the formation of mountains

It is not even visible at first glance

And yet with it entire tectonic plates shall be moved in the centuries to come

Love is the new religion of the 21st century

You don't have to be a highly educated person

Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it

It comes from the intelligence of the heart

Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings

Be the change you want to see in the world

Nobody else can do it for you

We are now recruiting

Perhaps you will join us

Or already have....

All are welcome...

The door is open

-Brian Piergrossi
(From the book The Big Glow)

Radiant Vessel

2008-09-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

The following vision occurred on 4/21/07 during a workshop called “Revealing the Goddess Within” led by Rev. Terry zumMallen.

Rev Terry led us into meditation describing a scene of earlier ages where women of desert areas came to the community well to get water for their families. She asked us to picture a stone well and the women coming to it, only this well contained the water of life, the water that quenches the deep longing, the holy thirst in our soul. She asked us to visualize whom among our female ancestors we would want to see waiting at the well for us, whom among the females of our families gave us the unconditional love and nourished us with the water of life.

In my vision, I saw the old, round stone well. And rather than an ancestor appearing at the well, I saw a curvaceous, clear-glass vase, or vessel, rise from the well and hover just above the stone rim. The vase was comfortably two-thirds full of pure, cool, life-giving water from the Source. The edges of the water shone with the crisp white of sunlight passing through it. Suddenly the water began to glow, the illumination coming from within it and radiating everywhere (as with the Vessels of Peace, a radiant container). I could feel the warmth of the rays on my face and body where I faced the vase.

Then from the vase a tender green bush rose up, rapidly branching out and attaining a surprising height. At the ends of its gracefully curved branches sprung small, lacy, light-green fruits. All at once the fruits started dropping from the branches into the open, upturned mouths of human beings standing below them, like baby-bird beaks opening for food from the mother. As the human beings swallowed the fruit, it began to illumine their bellies and a glow to radiate from them. But each being did not realize what was happening until he or she noticed that another’s belly was glowing and quickly checked to discover that his or her own belly was as well. Each began to quietly chuckle and watch with amazement as the glow brightened into radiant beams of light, which crossed and merged with those from another person, then another, and then another. And the light grew in strength with each fruit consumed and each merging, until bright, radiant beams spread all across the flat, parched land. And where the beams fell over the land, precious green fruit bushes sprung up out of the barren land.

Symbiosis

2008-09-26T20:48:00.001-07:00

The following vision arose in a meditation on 4/3/07.
In an ancient desert landscape, a vessel of water is set before me. I do not see the person who sets it down. The vessel is stunning in its detail. It is an unusually shaped, ancient water carrier—tall and cylindrically slim, elegant. It is perhaps two feet tall and six inches in diameter. It is formed of dark brown, treated leather that has been hardened and made waterproof. Around the sides of the vessel, a golden woven-grass fabric has been fused to the leather. A decorative border of the thick brown leather encircles the top and makes a vertical strip up the side. A shoulder strap is attached at each end of the vessel. The opening of the vessel sits on the top, covered by a snug, circular leather plug with a small pull tab attached. The plug is connected to the vessel by a thin strip of leather so that when the vessel is open, the plug hangs down its side. There is no pour spout. To obtain water, one inserts a long, slender dipper. The detail and quality of the workmanship is captivating.

I am handed the dipper that now holds a small, upright green plant with bulbous roots or rhizomes. There is no water in the dipper, simply the plant with its clean, bulbous roots. I am puzzled how such fat roots appear to fit in the small bowl of the dipper. I am instructed that the plant can survive because it is able to sustain itself through the ability of its roots to hold water for long periods of time. However, it must have water eventually. In fact, it flourishes when it has a regular supply of water. The two must work “symbiotically;” The plant needs the water and the water needs to nourish the plant.

The dipper and plant are then lowered together into the vessel and when gently pulled out again, clear water covers the roots in the bowl. Now that the plant has been dipped, the water in the vessel is poured out in a stream that flows into other containers, and a crowd of women suddenly appears, eager and jostling each other for the water.

A man appears. He wants very much to participate in this water pouring and gathering, but he cannot do it. He doesn't have the patience and he quickly erupts into frustration, anger, and panic. Inwardly his heart is crying out to be a part of it, and he is ashamed that he cannot control his behavior or remain peaceful. He doesn't know what to do with the agony rising within him. Suddenly, he turns to face one of the women, and with a large paint brush begins painting furiously on her dress over her heart area. The paint on the brush is thick, but not thick enough for him. He tries sticking chewed chewing gum all over the area to plaster it up. As he does this, the woman stands still and centered. She looks directly at him, sorrowfully, trying to make eye contact. He will not allow the connection, and therefore, cannot receive her compassion.

At this point, only a few women remain and many children appear. They all appear to be developmentally disabled, and agitated. They cannot use language for some reason. They wave their arms wildly at the women and make angry shouting noises and grunts. They gnash their teeth and drool. I am puzzled by this scene; has the development of all children been obstructed, I wonder. The women make no move to comfort the children or defend themselves. They simply stand quietly, holding peace and radiating love.

Meeting with Ascended Masters

2008-09-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

from 5/21/06 meditation

Tonight I am introduced to a council of ascended masters. I am surprised that they are all male. They tell me it is of no concern; it is only appearance. The setting is an ethereal Greek temple with pillars, and the cosmos for a ceiling. The masters all wear long, white robes and sit at a semi-circular table. I stand in front of the table. They introduce themselves as the Great White Brotherhood and then come from around the table to stand with me. One pours a small amount of oil on the top of my head and dots my third eye with it also. They tell me I am now anointed, initiated. I am to begin working with them and go forth with confidence. I am to use my gifts to serve the I Am presence. One of the masters in particular will work with me. He steps forth and tells me his name. I somehow did not see him when they originally introduced themselves. The others tell me that he is younger than they are, but he is just as evolved.

I join them at their table, which has now become circular. We sit in stillness and I experience their love, auniversal love, and a feeling of confident peacefulness. Sitting with them, I feel ancient. I see a review of all the work I have done in this lifetime to reach this point. I am certain that from this point forward I can walk with confidence and the knowing of my connection with All That Is.

I Am with You

2008-09-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

from 3/6/07 meditation

This evening's meditation was difficult. I couldn't quiet my mind. However, toward the end, a strong feminine presence arrived and announced, “I am the Magdalene. I am with you. I am here to bring breath to life, to give breath to the story, my story.”

More about the Visions

2008-08-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 2007, I had a series of visions of women creating peace. The visions came during individual and group meditation. They unfolded before my eyes as if I were watching a movie, yet present in them somehow. They were stunningly beautiful, very moving, and sometimes puzzling. In the descriptions and illustrations here, I have attempted to convey the beauty and the power of the scenes that unfolded.

I believe these visions are meant to be shared. They are important for all of us to experience, and each in our own way, so I share them without interpretation (or little interpretation, anyway). I suggest you read a vision, and then sit quietly with it for a few minutes to see what arises for you. I welcome your comments and questions!

May these visions might bring you a sense of peace, hope, happiness, and connection with the Sacred Feminine.

Beth

Informative links on women creating peace and the Sacred Feminine:

www.gatherthewomen.org
www.millionthcircle.org
www.vesselsofpeace.com
www.grandmothersspeak.com
http://workingwithoneness.org
www.5wwc.org
www.sophiawwc.org
www.peacexpeace.org

If you know of others to add to this list, please post the URL in a comment.

Standing Alone

2008-07-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 2007, I received a series of visions of women creating peace. The following occurred during a group meditation.

At night, in a trim suburban neighborhood, in each front yard along a street, a woman stands alone. Each woman stiffly faces the street, her house behind her. On both sides of the street, for blocks, woman after woman after woman, one stands in each yard. The women could see each other if they looked, but they don’t; they stand silently, staring straight ahead or with heads bent, lost in a great, devastating grief.

All of a sudden, lively columns of light—bright, colorful, igniting, shimmering, a cross between fireworks and the northern lights—begin to descend from the night sky. One by one, each column finds its way to one of the women and slips over her. The women look up and around with wonder at these fantastic columns, extending their hands to touch it, watching the light dance off their skin. Slow smiles come to their faces as each woman discovers her neighbor, encased in her own enchanting column of light. Their eyes meet and their smiles widen. Each woman in her column begins to joyfully twirl and spin. Once all of the women are spinning, the columns gravitate toward each other and merge into one great column, one great gathering. The beauty of the light is astounding, the brilliance of the smiles astonishing! The women are no longer alone and in pain but merged as collective joy.

There will be a global cleansing of tears, I was told. As each woman hears the message of her part in the global transformation and understands the implications of leaving the old ways behind—what can appear as “sacrifice”—she will cry. Masses of women will begin crying when they face this understanding. And these tears, this mass crying, will cleanse the Mother Earth and perform a restorative, healing function. This in turn, will bring back the remembrance of a joy that has long been forgotten. A joy stored so deeply in the heart that it was as lost—the sacred joy of the Great Mother.

Our Collective Work Begins

2008-07-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

In a group meditation, I asked how I may serve the Sacred Feminine. The following was shown to me.

I saw two women on a tandem bicycle. They were wearing simple white robes belted at the waist--the daily, working garb of a priestess or guardian. The women pedaled along until they arrived at their destination, which was a vortex of two great spiraling, intertwining columns of white light ascending into the heavens. They got off their bicycle and parked it neatly. Then, with a certain and purposeful stride, they walked directly into the center of the vortexes. Each stood still and expectant, surrounded by the spiraling beams of light, and simply allowed herself to float up within the column into the night heavens. There they hovered, watching over the Earth.

The scene was suddenly interrupted, and I saw myself going through a fast-food drive-thru. When I ordered, pictures in cartoon dialog bubbles appeared rather than spoken words. First a bubble with one soft drink appeared, then a bubble with a hamburger, and lastly, a bubble with a book! Although it seemed a strange combination, I comprehended the meaning of the pictures immediately. I understood that I would never again order only one of each item. From this point on, I, or we (you and I), will always order two or more because we will be "feeding" more than ourselves. In other words, what we do, we do for the world. We are to work in pairs and groups now. Being concerned with individual needs and concerns is the old way; the cosmic shift that is bringing about the return of the Sacred Feminine is propelling us into the collective heart and mind. We are ushering in the age of the collective—a collaborative model of peace, harmony, and balance. It is time for this that is written in the cosmic records to manifest.

Then I suddenly returned to the scene of the two women, seeing them still hovering in the heavens above the Earth. I heard the word “over-soul” and began to receive instructions from them. The first was that we are now to work with the “over-souls.” (I had heard of this word, but wasn’t sure of its exact meaning at the time--see note below.) From now on, we will be much more aware of the separation between our soul and our body; we will be working directly on the soul level rather than at the physical or even psychic level. Communication will be coming in directly through our crown chakras, not as much through our third eye or solar plexus or any other of our “filters” (eyes, ears, mind, etc.) anymore. It is time for us to give up these filters into the cosmos. To do this, we can meditate, lying flat on our backs with our legs spread slightly apart and our arms at 30 to 40 degree angles from our bodies. During the meditation, we must willingly release these filters, or senses, to the One. We will feel a drawing out and tingling sensation when this happens. (I was instructed to lay down after the meditation and experience it.)

They confirmed my understanding that group meditations are becoming more powerful and individual meditations less. I was told that it is important to meditate as a collective; however, it is no longer always necessary to be together physically or even connected by phone. We can agree on a specific time to meditate and at that time, as we sit individually, we can speak each woman’s name aloud, which will create a connection with each other. We have reached the point where we have the ability to do this and will feel a palpable connection with the others when we do so.

Then I saw the two women riding their tandem bike down a road and others joining them as they traveled along. The instructions came that we are to "go on the road" spreading the message of the great transformation time of the Mother Earth, the re-emergence of the Sacred Feminine. Our work has accelerated the transformative energies faster than anticipated. Because of our commitment, love, and power, we have created a portal of opportunity to bring an even greater than expected smoothing or gentling of the global shift, the rebirthing. However, we must jump now at this opportunity and commit even more deeply. Our time of preparation as vessels of peace has finished sooner than expected. Practice is over; the work begins!

******************
Note from Wikipedia: "...The term "Over-soul" is understood as the collective indivisible Soul, of which all individual souls or identities are included. The experience of this underlying reality of the indivisible "I am" state of the Over-soul is said to be veiled from the human mind by sanskaras, or impressions, acquired over the course of evolution and reincarnation....Thus the world, as apperceived through the impressions of the past appears plural, while reality experienced in the present, unencumbered by past impressions (the unconditioned or liberated mind), perceives itself as the One indivisible totality."

White Buffalo Woman Speaks 4

2008-07-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

I received the following message from White Buffalo Calf Woman on December 21, 2006. It was dire and very startling in contrast to her previous messages. This may explain why the two Marys--Mother Mary and the Magdalene--appeared to me first, infusing my being with their great, flowing love. They reminded me that I had chosen to come into the world at this time to help show the way to reawakening--for women especially. Then WBCW appeared and spoke:

“Great changes are coming. It is time to awaken. You are the ones to make a difference. With each thought, you create peace. With each breath, you birth peace. Start now. Be conscious of your thoughts and feelings and direct them to peace. You are the ones who can heal the Great Mother and all beings upon her. The Mother Earth is a spirit; she is an energy, a being. She has been alternately abused and neglected and is dying.You can change that. You must. You can change the dynamics of the government, the leadership.

Great upheaval is coming: floods, drought, famine, and much time without electricity. Computers will be useless much of the time. People will lose their homes. There will be widespread hunger and starvation. More people will cultivate gardens to grow their own food. This area (Sonoma County, CA) will suffer damage, but not as much as other areas of North America. There will be fighting in this country. You, daughter, will be helping women through this time--giving them shelter in your home, feeding and healing them.”

WBCW then explained that the recent double rainbow and sun dogs visible over Washington DC and the lightening-strike death of the new white buffalo calf (Miracle's Second Chance, d. 11/2006) were dramatic ways of drawing humankind’s attention. The Spirit world is trying to wake us up with a foreshadowing of what’s to come in this time of great transition.

White Buffalo Woman Speaks 3

2008-07-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

I am as a corn bloom in the sun
Rooted in the Earth
Atop a strong and upright stalk
I bend softly in the breeze
I turn to the sun, I bask
I turn again to the world,
I radiate

White Buffalo Woman Speaks 2

2008-07-02T20:19:00.001-07:00

White Buffalo Calf Woman presented this second message in May 2006 as I was sitting in circle with others:

"This is a sacred circle. The work you do is sacred and blessed by the Great Mother and the Great Father. In this time of new sun, you are planting seeds of peace across the Great Mother. For it is time. You plant a seed of peace with every step you take, with every word, with every encounter of the day. Ingest peace as you do food. You know that the food you eat becomes a part of each and every cell of your body; it is transformed. Do this with peace--let it become a part of your every cell. And from this day forward, you will be known as 'She Who Carries Peace.' Thank you for your service. Blessings."

White Buffalo Calf Woman Speaks 1

2008-07-02T18:11:00.000-07:00

White Buffalo Calf Woman first appeared to me in 2006 with a series of messages that she instructed me to send out to my sisters--all women of the world. This is the first one; it is intended for your eyes.

"I am the one of the one of the One. You are the daughter of the daughter of the One. You are the one to bring forth the light. Tell this to all your sisters, for you are the ones to bring it forth.

"My energy is returning to this world. Together we will return the Sacred Feminine energy to its fullness. This fullness will be joy, compassion, love, gentleness, wise use of power, and at times, severity (the moons pass quickly now, and you must journey with the fearlessness of mother bear). Be in your power. Be not afraid to be who you are. Speak with others with knowing.

"I am as the buffalo—once strong and covering the plains of the Mother Earth, then weakened and taken, dying away. But now it is time to return to fullness. As the buffalo multiply, so shall my power. As awareness returns to the people, so shall the Sacred Feminine cover the Earth, the Great Mother Earth!"

In this first message White Buffalo Calf Woman tells us that her energy, the Sacred Feminine, is returning to the Earth. She reminds all women that we are the ones who will create peace and balance on the Earth--through gathering together and through living in the Feminine Principle. (To learn more about WBCW, see my previous post titled "White Buffalo Calf Woman.")

White Buffalo Calf Woman

2008-07-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

In March 2006, White Buffalo Calf Woman unexpectedly appeared to me, beginning a series of messages that she instructed me to send out to my sisters--all women of the world. I was astounded and honored to be a vehicle for them. Having been vaguely aware of her legend, I made it my business to learn more after my first encounter with her powerful, fearless energy! A summary and links to more detail follow.

White Buffalo Calf Woman (PtesanWi) is a legendary holy woman who appeared to the Lakota people 2,000 years ago as a white buffalo calf who turned into a beautiful maiden. She taught them many foundational sacred rituals, such as the sweat lodge, the sun dance, the naming ceremony, and especially the peace pipe ceremony. Seen above is a popular image by ©Rogue Guirey Simpson.

White Buffalo Calf Woman stayed only a short time with the Lakota and told them she would return at the beginning of an age of great peace and harmony. She prophesied that her return would be signaled by the birth of a white buffalo calf that would turn three additional colors in its lifetime—brown, red, and yellow—to signify harmony among the races. Such a calf was born in 1994 in Wisconsin and lived for a decade, turning all four colors. This calf named Miracle (see photo), who lived from 1994 to 2004, was recognized by the Lakota as fulfilling the prophecy.

Since this time, more white buffaloes are being born and people of all walks of life have been receiving signs and messages from White Buffalo Calf Woman of a coming age of peace and harmony. So I was honored when she first appeared to me with the message posted as "White Buffalo Calf Woman Speaks 1"; may it bless you and inspire you to go forth in the truth of who you are during this time of great transition on our beloved Mother Earth.

See these websites for more information about White Buffalo Calf Woman:
www.kstrom.net/isk/arvol/buffpipe.html
www.merceronline.com/Native/native05.htm
http://whitebuffalomiracle.homestead.com

Music of the Heart

2008-06-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 2007, I received a series of visions of women creating peace. This was one of the most unusual.

A drop of water falls from the heavens into the ocean, creating a radiating ripple. The ripple turns into a spiral, which gently travels downward into my surprised heart. My heart is then transported from my body to the bottom of the ocean where its roots are planted shallowly in the sand; it is still beating. My heart slowly opens wide and from it arises a green, trumpet-shaped blossom with pointed, iris-like leaves. From my heart, then, another divides and moves perhaps ten feet across the ocean floor, where it shallowly takes root. And from it arises a second green trumpet blossom. Then another heart does the same; the process repeating itself until the line of hearts extends beyond my line of sight. This endless row of beating hearts attracts many small, shiny fish who weave in and out of them. They swim on and on, in and around.

Suddenly, as if planned in advance, sounds burst forth from each trumpet in succession and billow up through the water to the surface, each leaping into the sunny, blue air as wonderful musical notes I have never heard before. They are notes that sound like music of the heavens— so pleasing it instantly creates ecstasy in the soul of the ear upon which it lands. As the notes ring out, little drops fall from them into the water, spiraling down to land around the hearts as pearls. More and more sea creatures feel the call of the hearts. They arrive in brilliant colors, swimming and dancing around the hearts. Fish rush to the surface and leap joyfully from the water to catch the sun’s shimmer on their scales. They dip back down, only to vault to the surface once more.

Next, an ochre-colored cloth appears between the sun and the ocean, floating and billowing in the sky. It casts a wonderful golden-red tone over everything under it. The water turns golden, even the sea creatures look golden—the hearts and trumpet blossoms also. Families come walking along piers that stretch out over the ocean and look at their golden-red arms and laugh. They look up searching for the source of this wonderful color, and spying the cloth, are enchanted. They can see the blue sky peeking around the borders of the cloth and are not afraid. Quickly, another cloth attaches itself to the first, then another attaches to the second, and so on, until the expanse of cloth forms a belt around the globe. It turns around the earth as a Ferris wheel turns on its axis. Everyone is delighted, laughing and motioning to each other as they slip off the edge of the pier in to the water. The sea creatures welcome the people, and the people, especially the children, greet them with delight in return in this scene of playfulness and golden harmony.

Mother Mountain

2008-06-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 2007, I received a series of visions of women creating peace and my role in it. I had this vision while meditating at the foot of Hood Mountain, Sonoma County, California. In the photo you can see the sun shining on the Mother's face. She's lying horizontally with eyes open and her mouth a vertical line. She appears to have a rather sad expression.

As I sat in stillness, the mountain began singing to me:

I am Mother, I am the One
I am Mother, I am the One
I am Mother, I am the One
I am Mother, I am the One
I am ancient, I am grand, I am earth
I am grounding, I am renewal, I am song
I am love, I am serenity, I am power
I lift your cares and concerns to a vibration of creation
I am guardian of this sacred place; I hold the place of peace
I feel your presence; I know you are here
I am here for you

The mother mountain enfolded me and held me in the crook of her arm, like a child. She stroked my hair and brushed it away from my face so she could kiss my cheek as a mother would. She gazed deeply into my eyes with her ancient love. Then she tenderly pulled me into her mountain-womb so that I melded with her, with the mountain. I became as her—ancient, huge, grounded, gentle, and powerful. She then transmitted a darshan of ancient mountain love. She said, “I give you my love so that you may give it to others. You are a beautiful child and you are here to serve.” Then I gently transfused back out of the mountain into my own being.

The mother mountain told me next, “The needs of the world are uncomplicated. People need love; they need to be hugged, as I have just hugged you. It's that simple. No matter what form it seems to take, all that people truly desire is love and touch. The world feels to you as if it is speeding up. It is not so much speeding up as intensifying. People are sensing that a great .awakening, a grand change is to come. And they are terrified. They seek any form of frenzied distraction from this knowing—more and more, bigger and bigger, louder and louder, faster and faster.

"You are here to love them through this change. Offer them love; offer them hugs. Simply this. I ask you to follow the example of the Free Hugs Campaign. Join with friends, go to a public place, and offer hugs to anyone who wants one. They need them. For some it may be the only touch, the only love they receive that day. And when you hug, pass on the darshan of love that I have transmitted to you. Send this love throughout your area and it will flow around the world. Be a blessing in this time of great transition.”

I then saw a vision of a grand master with flowing hair, beard, robe, and staff standing on a large boulder on a beach by the sea—a Moses-like figure. He pounded his staff on the boulder three times and water began issuing from it. It poured from the rock, streamed across the sand and flowed into the sea. The scene seemed familiar, like a biblical story. He said, “This water flows as the shadow of the sea. The mother mountain then interjected, “Hearts will break open like this rock and love will pour forth until it joins with the All, with the One, and love will be the guiding force of the world once again.”

I felt immediate resistance. I thought, How can I do that? How can I just stand in public and offer free hugs? There’s too much chance of feeling a fool, of being rejected. But, perhaps, with a group... I must email the young man who started the Free Hugs Campaign (www.freehugscampaign.org).

Resting in the Heart

2008-06-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 2007, I had a series of visions of women creating peace. I share them here so that they might bring you a sense of peace, hope, happiness, and connection with the Sacred Feminine. The following is one of joy.

A large, deep bell begins to ring in an open tower above an old, spacious stone-paved plaza in a European city. Several streets radiate from the plaza, like the spokes of a wheel. The ringing of the bell startles a flock of white doves, which take flight, fluttering up around the ringing bell. They don't leave, but descend into the plaza where a lone woman stands. She laughs familiarly as they come to her. She reaches out her hands to welcome them and they alight on her arms, shoulders, and one simply perches on her head! Some land at her feet, bobbing and cooing around her. She giggles like a child overcome with delight. As if on cue, giggling children begin spilling into the plaza from the radiating streets and surround the woman and the doves. The woman smiles at them. She takes a dove in her hands, kisses it on the back of its head, and releases it into flight. As she does this, a luminous wave of joy bursts forth from the dove and washes over her and the children. As it passes through each child, joy and delight bubble up within them as musical laughter. Giggling, they each lovingly pick up one of the doves and cradle it as they run into the streets from which they came.

They each return to their own neighborhoods where they stand in the middle of the narrow streets, still giggling and laughing with utter joy. The neighborhood women lean out windows and doors, drawn by the laughter. The child looks up at them, then kisses the dove he or she holds on the back of the head, as they have seen the woman do, and releases it. As before, a clear wave of joy bursts forth from the dove and washes over everyone. Now the whole neighborhood erupts in joyful laughter! It ripples through the city as each woman in each neighborhood experiences the depth of joy that bubbles up from her being.

As the laughter settles down into a deep sense of peace and contentment, they each nod to the child in gratitude as the child skips home. The smiling women withdraw into their homes to sit with this new experience, this new sense of joy and deep peace. They are awed at the profundity of it and want assurance that it will endure, not pass away as quickly as it arrived. As they look within themselves, each one is surprised to discover a dove resting in her heart. After a moment, each realizes that, yes, this dove will indeed stay. It is now part of her, and the joy and peace with which it imbues her are hers to pass on to her family, to her friends, and to the world.

Peace Blooms in the Desert

2008-06-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 2007, I had a series of visions of women creating peace. I share them here so that they might bring you a sense of peace, hope, happiness, and connection with the Sacred Feminine. I received the following one on the vernal equinox.

I am among hundreds of women in a large tent whose loose flaps are rustled by a gentle breeze. There are several more tents with just as many women in each of them. There are a handful of men present inside, along the perimeter of each tent. We are in a desert area. The land is barren, dry, and hard packed. A narrow stream trickles a short distance from the tents. The sun is bright but not sweltering; coming through the tan tent, it casts a golden glow on everything. We are clothed in light, flowing garments, and some wear mantles. We sit upon lush carpets on the ground. We are holding a lively discussion of ideas. We have spent the day meditating, praying, singing, chanting, discussing, and listening to various speakers. We are many, but we are one. The illusion of separation is amazingly absent. It is merely a memory; we are intimately and sacredly part of the All That Is. There is much mental and heart energy swirling in this centered space.

All at once, the groups in each tent are spontaneously drawn to the sides of the tent. We lift the f1aps and gaze out at the barren land and the ribbon of stream forcing a way through it. Suddenly, white cactus flowers begin popping up along each side of the stream! They appear one by one, springing up from the hard-packed earth where there had been nothing and continue to spread out from the stream. We are amazed! Then bushes every shade of green start sprouting up between the flowers. Everywhere—pop, pop, pop—one after another! We can hardly believe our eyes as, next, slim tree trunks shoot straight up through the soil with branches leafing out into full maturity, bearing fruit, creating a canopy that filters the bright light of the sun into gentle rays.

We are in awe! What begins as a giggle grows into outright laughter. We know that we have created this with our thoughts and feelings and activities of the day, of many days. It is a manifestation of our love and delight! We rush out of the tent into the shaded grove laughing, dancing, and falling into the arms of the women from the other tents. We are ecstatic! The grove extends everywhere. The shade feels wonderful. New life has begun!

Children come from nowhere and begin running delightedly through the grove. Their laughter thrills us! They jump to pull fruit from the trees, but they cannot reach it. Then the men come. They slowly enter the grove, looking around in amazement at what has been created. We come to welcome them, but stand together to block their way. We lovingly but firmly establish the law before we will let them pass. We tell them, "There is peace and harmony and abundance in this place. Anyone who lives here will honor and serve this creation. There will be no competition, only loving collaboration. There will be no building of permanent structures, no divisions of property." They seem stunned by it all. Some men readily agree and come forward. Others immediately turn their backs and leave the grove. They do not want this life. On other men's faces we see the struggle of the decision. Most of them come forward; some do not. Those who leave are blessed on their way. Those who come forward are embraced in welcome and laughter. They are joined with us. These men then reach for the enchanted children weaving among us, joyfully hoisting them onto their shoulders so that they may pick the fruit of the trees of creation.

Sacred Circle-Net of Light

2008-06-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 2007, I had a series of visions of women creating peace. The visions came during individual and group meditation. They unfolded as if I were watching a movie, yet present in them somehow. They were stunningly beautiful, very moving, and sometimes puzzling. In the descriptions and illustrations here, I have attempted to convey the beauty and the power of the scenes that unfolded before my eyes.

I believe these visions are important for all of us to experience, and each in our own way, so I share them without interpretation. I suggest you read a vision, and then sit quietly with it for a few minutes to see what arises for you. I welcome your comments and questions!
************

The following was one of the first and most powerful for me.

In a Vessels of Peace meditation (www.vesselsofpeace.com), the facilitator asked us to meditate on the VoP Vessel (see image ©Vessels of Peace) and on areas of the world to which we were drawn where women needed support. During the silent meditation that followed, I experienced a vividly detailed, moving vision of peace.

I saw that we were a great, sacred circle of women holding hands in numbers that encircled the entire globe. It was a joining of many sacred circles. The Vessel of Peace stood at the center of the great circle, rising above us and glowing golden white. In unison, all the women in the great circle began walking toward the Vessel, still holding hands. As each woman reached the Vessel, she walked effortlessly through its filigree shell into its core of light. One by one all merged with it and became the Vessel. We rested in that Oneness, deliciously soaking up the light—the peace, love, and joy contained within it.

In time, we emerged from the Vessel and encircled it once again. We reverently raised our hands to the Heavens in recognition of Divine Oneness and the Sacred Feminine. When we lowered our hands, we found that the edge of a great, weightless net had been placed in them. We already knew what it was and what to do with it. We began walking, walking, spreading out, pulling this great net of peace and healing over the globe. As we pulled the net, some sections of the circle stopped in specific places that needed more intense peace work, and where women were not yet able to join the sacred circle.

Eventually, we all came back together at the opposite side of the globe, having completely encircled Mother Earth with the great net. However, rather than stopping, we continued on back to the Vessel, overlapping our journey and creating a double layer of netting. Again, as we each reached the Vessel, we merged into it. As the last woman merged with the Vessel, however, it shattered! Only golden white light in the shape of the Vessel remained. And this light was us; we were the light.

At once, all of us, as light, leapt into the net! The light began shooting along the cords of the net, streaming through every fiber until the net virtually pulsed with light. Where the cords intersected, the pulsing and the brightness were amplified. And the light was pulsing peace. It was healing Mother Earth.

Slowly I became aware of the same pulsing filling my body. At first my whole body pulsed, then the pulsing became my heartbeat. And I knew in that moment that my heart was beating in exact unison with each woman in the meditation circle, with every woman in the vision, and with everyone in the world. I remembered that we are truly One.

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After I received the vision, it seemed everywhere I turned I found more information about a great web/net of light we're creating around the globe. For a lovely illustration of the net, visit www.grandmothersspeak.com. Sai Maa also speaks of it in a guided meditation. In his book Working with Oneness, Sufi mystic Llewellyn Vaughn-Lee goes so far as to say the Internet, or the World Wide Web, is a physical manifestation of it (http://workingwithoneness.org).

Introduction

2008-06-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce myself and the purpose of this blog. My name is Beth and my life purpose is to be an agent of the return of the Sacred Feminine. So, here you'll find perspectives on the Sacred Feminine--also called the Feminine Principle, Lunar Principle, or Goddess Tradition--what it is, its role on this planet and everyday life in creating peace, why is it returning, and when was it ever here to begin with!

The Sacred Feminine and Sacred Masculine is in all of us. These terms refer to the highest and most loving form of feminine and masculine attributes. The forms of these attributes that come from the Divine within us. Some refer to them as Solar and Lunar Principles, in an effort to remove any charged gender issues. Typically, with the Sacred Masculine or Solar Principal, we associate linear thinking, physical strength, competition, and aggression (think fight or flight). With the Sacred Feminine, we typically associate relational thinking, intuition, compassion, and collaboration (think tend and befriend). No matter what gender we are, we each have aspects of all of these attributes.

For the past 5,000 years the Masculine Principle, or androcratic culture, has governed this planet. Prior to this time, it is widely-accepted that the Feminine Principle, or goddess-centered culture, governed most of civilization. This matristic civilization valued collaboration, art, beauty, peace, and economic equality. (Minoan Crete is one of the last known examples.) As a result, they developed few weapons. So, as archeologist Marija Gimbutas first theorized, this European civilization was obliterated in a series of violent invasions by the Kurgans, a warrior culture who had developed superior weapons. As social scientist Riane Eisler puts it, the blade-worshipers conquered the chalice-worshipers.

And what I see is that our current androcratic culture is not working. We've watched the Masculine Principle drift further and further from its sacred attributes. Yes, we've developed advanced industry and technology; amazing mobility; improved health, hygiene, and medical technology; powerful weaponry; economic prosperity for a limited number; and wonderful creature comforts. But we've done this at a great cost--the cost of peace, the loss of connection with each other and the meaning of life, the disintegration of families, record levels of depression, despair, divorce, and violence, we're irreparably damaging the Earth. I see so many people that just feel lost and empty.

So, short and simple: Guys, you've had 5,000 years to do things your way and it ain't workin'! Enough is enough. It's time for the Sacred Feminine to bring back peace and help us remember that we all belong to each other. We must respect and heal the Earth or we'll all be annihilated. Don't think that Mother Earth is going to let herself be destroyed--she'll get rid of us before letting that happen! We're already experiencing the alarming, large-scale adjustments she's making to survive!

The return of the Sacred Feminine at this time has been prophesied in many spiritual traditions since the beginning of this current 5,000 year period. And women are awakening to it. Don't you feel the longing to return to a peaceful, collaborative society in which the everyday is imbued with sacredness? Women are gathering together, expressing this longing and exploring new ways of being and doing, new forms of leadership and collaboration. We've been gathering under the radar, getting ready to rise. Getting ready to rise in love, in a whole new alchemy of the Sacred Feminine and the Sacred Masculine principles. It doesn't have to be one or the other, we can create a divine new powerful combination.

You see, it's not about men vs. women, it's about being governed by Lunar or Sacred Feminine Principles--peace, collaboration, love, compassion, balance, and harmony. It's about awakening who we truly are are as spiritual beings and remembering that we're all part of a grand web of connection. What each of us does affects everyone else, affects our children and grand children, affects the balance of the Earth.

In the book The Feminine Face of God, Sherry Anderson recounts a dream about the Shekhinah in which she goes to a sacred temple and a Torah magically absorbs into her body. Then, suddenly, the room fills with long-bearded patriarchs (Moses, King David, King Solomon, Abraham, etc.) laughing dancing. She asks what it's all about.

Melchizedek answers her, "We are celebrating because you, a woman have consented to accept full spiritual responsibility in your life. This is your initiation as one who will serve the planet...And you are not the only one. Many, many women are coming forward now to lead the way."
"But who will be our teachers?" I protest.
"You will be teachers for each other. You will come together in circles and speak your truth to each other. The time has come for women to accept their spiritual responsibility for our planet."
"Will you help us?" I ask the assembled patriarchs.
"We are your brothers," they answer, and with that the entire room is flooded with an energy of indescribable kindness. I am absolutely confident in this moment that they are our brothers. I feel their love with any question. They say then, "We have initiated you and we give you our wholehearted blessings. But we no longer know the way. Our ways do not work anymore. You women must find a new way."
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Are you one of the many called? Are you ready for a journey into the Sacred Feminine?