I recently had a very humbling experience.  I was in Peru, where we'd gone to celebrate the dawn of 2012 with a bunch of friends.  We were slated to visit the ancient site of Machu Pichu and other mythic sites in the Sacred Valley and around Lake Titicaca. And we had also set-up some time to work with a few shamans from the area, who host an amazing 3-day healing journey that includes sound healing sessions for each participant.  Given that I run so many groups myself have a background in sound healing, I imagined that I'd be able to really help create the needed energetic container for the circle and even aid in the healing sessions.  But I was in for a big surprise!  Read more »

So the holiday season is upon us. And for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, nature is going into its dormant phase. Many of the trees are dropping their leaves and plants are pulling their energy inward and underground. When I walk out in my garden, it's still. And it feels really good to have this space where quietude is the natural way of things.
 
Contrast that scene with our human norms during this time of year. For most people, it's CRAZY BUSY. Stores are blaring holiday music and telling you there's just a few shopping days left 'till Xmas. Companies are cranking away to make their end-of year financial goals. Families and friends are making plans to visit and celebrate. Social calendars are booking up.
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I was hosting a conversation with Lynne Twist, author of The Soul of Money, who has been a friend and mentor to me. One of the simple things she said really stuck. She said "what we appreciate, appreciates."

In saying this, she meant that wherever we put our energy and attention, it will grow.  For example, if we focus on the people and situations in our life for which we are grateful, we will experience more of those situations.  On the other hand, if we focus on the negative, that too will expand.

It's a simple concept, yet its so relevant for this time of year.  Read more »

Here is a very simple Halloween Ritual that I suggest for this time of year. I encourage everyone to take advantage of this holiday and go a bit deeper with it, beyond the carnival party that we know as Halloween. This ritual rooted in my divine feminine tradition, but please amend this in whatever way feels appropriate for your own lineage.

1) Quiet space at night
2) Light a candle
3) (Writing it or speaking out loud) Honor anyone who has transitioned in this past year or ancestor that’s important to you…. What contribution did they make to your life?
4) Ask yourself what is ready to be released, or how can I move into a space of more trust?
5) Act on the information you receive

Embodying the Divine Feminine:
13 Tips for Juicing Up Your Daily Life
 
The Divine Feminine has many faces and shows up in many different ways in each of our lives—whether we are embodied as women or an men.  I have found it helpful to explore these aspects through 13 different faces of the divine feminine—or archetypes—as laid out in the work of Ariel Spilsbury, author of the 13 Moon Oracle and co-author of the Mayan Oracle.  Below is everyday wisdom that I have gleaned from working with these 13 archetypes over the past years. Read more »


It was a warm summer evening in June. I was a senior in high school, and everyone in our class had been invited to offer a performance piece as our "Senior Farewell Event" for friends and family. I decided that I'd sing Oh Very Young by Cat Stephens. It's a song that is a bit challenging rhythmically, and I'd had very little time to practice. But, throwing caution to the wind (my typical style), I decided to just GO FOR IT! I'd never gotten much beyond a chorus role in our school's annual musical, so this was my big chance to prove myself as a singer!
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The energy of the Creator/Destroyer is a very fierce face of the feminine, and one that is disowned for many women today.  Yet her energy is celebrated in a number of cultures across the world.  Kali and Durga from the Hindu tradition are great examples, as is Pele the volcano goddess for Hawaiians.

In my women’s wisdom circle this month, we dove straight into the arms of Kali.  With a necklace of skulls and hair that is matted and wild, she asks us “what stuck pattern have you continued to perpetuate for lifetimes?”  And with her dagger raised, eyes glowing, she continues “Are you ready to release it NOW?”  Read more »

For many of us, we often put a big focus on romantic love with another person. But our whole world is in need of a deeper love that comes from the center of our intuitive and spiritual heart. When we fully activate our heart centers, we're able to see through the eyes of love, touch with the hands of love, walk lovingly on the Earth, and extend deep compassion to ourselves and those around us. We live in deeper connection with all beings. We become a true blessing force on the planet. We live AS an embodiment of love itself. Sounds good. But how do we actually shift into this frequency of love? Read more »

I had a very powerful experience this week. I was flying home from Maria Shriver's Women's Conference, and the woman next to me was in tears. She had just received news that her 28-year old nephew had been found dead in his bed that morning. It did not appear to be suicide. They had no idea what happened. All of a sudden, he was just gone.

I am no stranger to death myself. And you probably aren't either. I lost my Dad to lung cancer a few years ago when he was 57. He was not ready to go, and we were not ready either. We like to think we have time, but we never know when death will call us-or someone else we love. And we are never prepared when it comes. Read more »

When we experience something truly beautiful, it can open-up the universe and allow grace to bathe us in Her sweet embrace.  Whether it be an incredibly gorgeous landscape, the smell of a rose in full bloom, an exquisite piece of music, or a delicious mouth-watering bite, when the senses are titillated and deeply experienced, we create a portal to commune with our true essence.  That essence is pure, radiant and divine. Read more »