Late night ramblings of a new-world goddess

What a night!

I've had one of those evenings with my best friend, where we sat down and poured our souls out to each other. You know those times, often fuelled by a bit too much alcohol, where you lay it all down ... your hopes, your fears, everything.

We talked about our journeys since we had first met nine years ago.

She told me that she sees me as a contradiction, a fragile soul that is strong. And I guess she's right. J after all has been a passenger on my roller-coast ride which I call my life. She's seen the good, and the bad. She knows my deepest secrets.

However, as a butterfly emerges from a cocoon transformed, I feel as if I have come alive in the past two years.

I read her this quote from Isha Lerner:

Morning Glory,

The Goddess anew,

A flowering vine,

In radiant blue.

I speak my truth,

I live my dreams,

I am vibrant, alive,

and fully seen.

I'm not sure she quite got it. But it certainly got me thinking about my journey.

Who have I become? Who am I becoming?

I have awakened to the spirit, attuning to my own shimmering brilliance and vitality -- I am comfortable in who I am. A 'new-world' goddess who believes spiritual beauty is the ultimate truth which permeates and enchants the world.

An ardent prayer of gratitude rises in my heart, for I am again, and always have been, one with Anima Mundi, the soul of the world.

I have recognised the call of my own unique destiny. The time has come for me to truly embrace the New World Goddess - the sacred, feminine center which brings the beauty of perfection to all actions, deeds, and creations.

I seek resolution and let my old world die away, as I listen to the new voice emerging within my mind and heart. There can be no more lies, curses, or harmful conduct.

This New World Woman now at last reemerges from the sleeping womb of the last five thousand years. I awaken with Her - alive, vibrant, and renewed.

How to create your own Goddess Party

If you feel you're only functioning from the eyebrows up, get thee to a Goddess Playshop," says goddess.com.au creatrix, Anita Ryan-Revel.

Whether it's a goddess workshop, sacred retreat or women's circle, any event that connects women in a safe space is invaluable for a healthy state of being," she says. "This is by far the most beautiful way to awaken the heart, body and soul."

In fact, such activities are vital to the mental wellbeing of women, according to Leonie Young, CEO of beyondblue: the national depression initiative.

With the erosion of the traditional family structures and the surge in single women and working mothers, such gatherings can replace the traditional support systems a partner and family would normally have provided.

"Women who remain isolated are at greater risk of developing depression," says Leonie. "Meeting other women for fun and enjoyable activities not only boosts motivation, it provides a social environment for them to communicate and problem-solve. Ultimately this leads to an increased sense of belonging, reduced isolation and empowers them to deal with whatever life throws at them."

A survivor of depression herself, Anita developed her Goddess Playshops as one such enjoyable and empowering activity.

"Self-empowerment doesn't have to come through self-help books and dreary seminars. I use lots of easy and fun methods to help women connect with their ultimate source of power - their inner goddess."

Such gatherings allow women of all backgrounds to explore their weaknesses, strengths, psyche and soul.

"Women are enabled to reach spiritual depths and new levels of enlightenment they may not realise exist otherwise. In my Playshops, women remember that they are beautiful and powerful beings capable of achieving great things."

Lyn Volare is a New York-based facilitator of goddess workshops and events that celebrate the Divine Feminine.

"We all have the right to live a happy, empowered, spiritually fulfilling life, so I created events which bring magic back into women's lives. They encourage women to visit that peaceful inner sanctum where they can find the source of their strength and wisdom," she says.

Any woman is eligible to attend a gathering, says Anita. "It doesn't matter what your race, religion or culture is - the energy created by a group of strong, creative and compassionate women creates a new, all-powerful set of guidelines to live by."

Lyn concurs. "I have had all sorts of women attending my events - pouting priestesses, boardroom babes, earth mothers, Amazon women. Every woman should have the opportunity to connect with self and others to create a magical and fulfilling existence for herself."

A gathering doesn't have to focus on spirituality alone, however.

"I have conducted Playshops that are about nail polish, silk, chocolate and glitter," says Anita. "There are hundreds of activities that women can do in a gathering to help them connect with their higher consciousness and inner selves. Whatever they do, it all helps save them from being the Serial Soloist in the workplace or the Alone Ranger at home, and that's a good thing for everyone."

Below are some suggested activities women can do in a group together to celebrate the feminine divine.

Setting Up

Lyn sets the mood of her workshops by creating a lavish space using fabrics in rich vibrant colours, candles, flowers and essential oils.

"When women walk into this space, their jaws drop," she says. "It's like they're entering their very own 'Red Tent'. One woman likened it to re-entering the womb, which I suppose is quite appropriate."

If sumptuous fabrics don't fit the budget, Anita suggests setting the scene with crystal chips, candles and comfortable chairs.

"Aim to transform your ordinary lounge room into a magical space. The coffee table, for example, could be made into an altar using crystals, feathers, wooden statues, flowers, floating candles and a wand - these are all things that can come from nature at little expense. Choose an item from each of the elements to make it significant and special."

Prepare the Space

Even though every woman has gathered for the same purpose, it is important to decide on a set of behavioural ground rules and ensure the group agrees on them.

"I remind participants that they are in a nurturing and safe space. Crying is allowed, as is laughter, but judgemental attitudes are to be left at the door," says Anita. "Guidelines let everyone know what is expected from them, thereby adding to their security."

Once the space has been prepared, Lyn calls in the energies of the goddess with a short prayer and the lighting of altar candles. Sage or rose water is also used to cleanse the space and to uplift the participants.

"I then declare the circle opened," says Lyn, "and the real fun begins."

Meet a Goddess Patron

"As modern life focuses on 'doing' rather than 'being', I like to start off with a guided meditation to settle everyone into their bodies," recommends Anita. "This way the outside world can be left behind while we look inwards for a goddess patron to guide us through the next stage."

To find a goddess patron during a guided meditation (the visualisation in Anita's book, The Goddess Guide to Chakra Vitality is ideal), the hostess should introduce the group to several goddess archetypes and ask the women to listen for a message from each of them.

"Whichever message comes through the strongest should be taken as the goddess patron," says Anita.

"Music or gentle drumming or rattling can be used to deepen the meditative experience," suggest Lyn, "but pace them so they are no longer than 20 minutes."

Affirmation Quest

Once the meditation is finished and people are back in the 'now', Anita suggests developing affirmations to promote a longer-term positive state of mind. Affirmations are precise statements that describe what you want to happen in your life.

"I get my workshop participants to build their affirmations based on the message they heard from their patron goddess. I also do it during a pampering exercise - it becomes a more free-flowing right-brain activity when the mind is being distracted by massaging hands, painting toe-nails or applying henna tattoos."

"Affirmations are powerful tools for changing your traditional attitudes to problems and outlook on life," says Lyn. "They can also be spoken as blessings for others which can be very transformative. But like motivational speaker, Anthony Robbins, warns, a repeated affirmation becomes embedded in the subconscious mind and eventually becomes your reality, so be careful what you wish for!"

Dancing Diva

Since ancient time our ancestors used dance as an expression of God and nature. By dancing they could become the spirit of the sun, moon, animals and plants and be empowered with their attributes.

"Movement is a primal language that doesn't need words or specific rules," says Anita. "It helps clear out the cobwebs, get the blood flowing and tones the body. It can be skilled like ballet, or free-form like rolling in grass or jumping around a lounge-room table. As long as the dancer allows instinct to drive her limbs she is transmitting a message from nature and thereby allowing a connection."

Recent years have seen a resurgence of belly dance in mainstream culture. Lyn introduces belly-dancing in some of her events, but takes it one step further and uses a blindfold.

"A blindfold shuts down the source of distractions and outer stimulation to the brain," she explains. "It gets people back into their bodies without being embarrassed about being watched or judged. It also lets the dancer see inner visions and find hidden meanings to their burning questions."

Mask-Making

To get an ever-lasting reminder of the special energy gained, organise a day-long gathering and create a mask.

"Masks have the power to make things larger than life and transport you into the realm of the archetypes," says Lyn. "The wearer can expand her consciousness and explore new possibilities, taking her out of the square in imagining a new life map."

Masks can be made in papier-mâché, plaster, leather, metal or wood. "Plaster is good because it can be used to fit the face, torso, or even a pregnant belly for posterity!" says Lyn.

"If time is short, decorate a standard plastic mould that you can buy from any craft store," suggests Anita. "Go wild with feathers, sequins, shells, glitter, beads and paint - this way you can feel exquisite when you put it on and travel to amazing places within yourself."


More information:
Anita Ryan-Revel Goddess.com.au

Beyondblue For more information on depression, available treatments and where to get help: beyondblue.org.au

Goddess meditation

For Sacred Suzie

I pulled a card from Isha Lerner's Triple Goddess Tarot for you. I hope it means something to you.

Your card is No. 15 Karmic Imprints.

"You darkness, that I come from, I love you more than all the fires that fence in the world – for the fire makes a circle of light for everyone, and then no one outside learns of you. But the darkness pulls in everything: shapes, and fires, animals, and myself, how easily it gathers them! --powers and people. And it is possible a great energy is moving near me. I have faith in nights."

Rainer Maria Rilke

Soul Message:

Life is a quarry, out of which we are to mold and chisel and complete a character. –Goethe

To go in the dark with a light is to know light. To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight, and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings, and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings. –Wendell Berry

Alchemy and Transformation:

At this stage of initiation, the ego meets the daunting task of unraveling and unmasking itself in surrender to the Divine. The price of pursuing true freedom can be very high, at least from the vantage point of the ego; to the extent one is unable to let go of the trappings of the false self, a deep, spiritual form of suffering may result. We must enter the path of awakening through love.

Awakening to the Archetype – Kali:

The Hindu Goddess Kali appears at this time to help you along the path. She stands guard, sword in hand, seeking to clear the demons of the unconscious that may obstruct your progress toward liberation. Perhaps the most ruthlessly compassionate of the Dark Goddesses, Kali will do whatever it takes to wake you up from the dream of your life. Do not fear. Love heals all.

Everyday Encounters:

In accepting our weaknesses, we find our greater strengths. When we discover the root of our suffering, we can weed out the debris of our past and bring our fears to the light. At this point on the path, body work, hands on healing, and soul retrieval work can be very effective, for karmic imprints are stored deep within the body. Having your astrological chart done can also be helpful, especially if the astrologer is able to read the karmic imprints within the chart pattern. Vibrational remedies, such as flower essences and homeopathy can also be very helpful in releasing subliminal forces of negativity held within the soul.

Dancing with my muse

Catching up on my Rainbow Dreams homework tonight.

Isha Lerner's gorgeous Inner Child Cards remind us to honour the precious gift ofthe memory of the muse in our hearts. To open to the joy of artistic expression.

The music of the universe is constant and flowing. The keynote here is the potential of joy -- your joy and the joy of life.

So, how do I satisfy the muse in my heart?

Well that's easy. I write, and have three blogs to prove it. But the writing which makes my heart soar is our virtual circle, Rainbow Dreams. I love the fact that it has created a community of like-minded souls, who walk beside me on my journey, and I beside them on theirs.

I have found Chakradance, which unites three of my passions, my love of dance, my spirtual journey, and my calling as a facilitator of spirit.

My Goddess Workshops also indulge my inner-muse.

Oh what a blessed life I lead!

Basking in the moonlight

This week's Rainbow Dreams task evokes the mother archetype in us all. And as I sit here curled up on my lounge with my laptop, a heated wheat bag on my feet and a throw rug wrapped around me, I am to answer the following questions:

1. Are you safe?
   
   Yes. I believe I am. Although there are times when I feel a little nervous, like I'm being watched or followed, I invoke the pink ray of love and silver goddess energy to protect me.
   
   
2. Do you help to create a safe environment in which others may thrive?
   
   I like to think so. I am a nurturer and I like everyone to be comfortable. I also like to think I have a talent for bringing out the best in people, or rather, helping them to discover their true talents!
   
   
3. Are you comfortable in the darkness of your own soul?
   
   This is something I've struggled with for a long time. It scared me - really scared me. But over the last year its something I've confronted. And I've learnt a lot. I guess one of the best things about acknowledging and learning to love your darkness is that you find true self acceptance - you also find out who your real friends are!
   
   
4. Are you protective of those who are especially vulnerable among us?
   
   Yes. I'm like a mother hen.
   
   
5. Do you take good care of yourself?
   
   No. Not enough, although I am learning to. Recently I've started taking care of my skin again, and have now committed to regular monthly massages. Now I have to start eating healthy again and exercising (Trin will love that too).

This week I am working with the Moon Goddess.

Moon Goddesses are always protector deities who lovingly watch over all living beings on Earth. They teach us, by example, to extend ourselves well beyond the boundaries of the individual self into the realm of service to the world. The path of the Moon allows each of us to explore the vast region of the collective unconscious and to solve the deep mystery of the soul.

This is a good week to focus on the first or base chakra. The base chakra is located at the base of the spine and the quality of its energy is represented by the element of earth - solid, dense, secure. It is associated with our physical health, survival issues (eg work, money, housing), family relationships and instinctual energy.

The Dalai Lama says, "The belief that there is a substantially real self, and the cherishing of one's own interest at the expense of others, are the two main thoughts and emotions we have nurtured within us through our many lives. But what is the result of this? We are continually suffering and experiencing negative thoughts and emotions, so our self-cherishing hasn't really got us very far. Also, if we shift our focus from ourselves to others and to the wider world, and if we turn our attention to all the crises in the world, all the difficulties and the sufferings and so on, we will see that many of these problems are direct or indirect consequences of undisciplined negative states of mind."

This is the Full Moon to honor freedom, idealism, humanitarianism, egalitarianism, and the revolutionary impulse toward reform, without causing harm to anyone.

This is the Full Moon to wake up, and get politically/spiritually active (two of the most powerful expressions of Uranus/Aquarius!)

Now more than ever, the world needs our attention and care.

This is, after all, a Full Moon; a time of gathering in groups to celebrate, teach, share, and most of all enlighten.

I'm loving my journey!

Goddess & Angel Wand of Light

I have a new assistant.

A new friend ~ Leane ~ made me a Goddess & Angel Wand of Light! I met Leane through Lisa, the owner of Inner Harmony who is fast becoming a great friend.

My wand is made from a 75 year old Elm tree, and is adorned with a magical quartz crystal containing a crystal deva. Leane's daughter Erynn does Deva readings and has given me the following information:

You should feel all the beautiful energy emanating from Lady Demetria! My female earth deva is magnificent! Wrapped in silver ribbons she channels all Goddesses, Archangels, angels, moon energies, star energies and earth energies.

Here she is ...

Lady Demetria is going to be assisting me with the Goddess Playshops.

Mermaid's and fuchsia's

I'm having a day off today ... light rain is falling outside, the trees are whipping around in the wind, and mini-waves are rippling over the top of the lake.

But I'm inside sitting on my sofa watching Mother Nature's symphony wrapped in a soft furry throw rug, with a hot mug of chai tea.

With Isha Lerner's Power of Flowers cards at my fingter-tips, I can't resist pulling a card ...

Glory to Fuchsia,

For my suffering and pain,

And childhood past,

Are cleansed and soothed,

And healed at last.

Latin: Fuchsia hybridaColor(s): Red, Pink and Purple

Archetype: Mermaid. Known as the “Virgin of the Sea,” the mermaid inhabits two worlds simultaneously: water (the emotions) and air ( the intellect). Her ability to descend to the depths of the sea gives her access to the hidden treasure of her Real Self. Her ability to ascend beyond the surface of the ocean waves, toward the sun and starts above, awakens her to higher levels of consciousness. Around her neck are pearls of wisdom, salvaged from buried treasure of her past.

Signature: A thick shrub with smooth green leaves and buds that form in clusters, pointing toward the earth. Upon flowering, its petals open upwards, crowning toward the heavens.

Healing Properties: Fuchsia assists one in accepting long-repressed emotions, whether from this or other lifetimes, and embracing one’s long-submerged and neglected grief, pain, and suffering. Often, through this process, the Divine Child within is revealed.

Healing: You must now learn to move freely between the watery realm of emotions and the arid world of the intellect. You are asked to courageously embrace life in all its dimensions, including pain and suffering, for in so doing, you strengthen yourself, allowing the spirit to travel beyond the confused emotions and perceptions of your personal history into the world of enchantment and true insight. Ultimately, like the fish-tailed Goddess, you emerge into wholeness; that which was once only known in the dark, womb-like places, is now fully integrated in the light of day.

When the Fuchsia mermaid visits you she invokes your long awaited transformation. The cherub angel pictured above her head represents your Divine Child, freed from the confines of the past and now heralding your glorious rebirth. Joyously, the hummingbird overlights you, for you have found many treasures buried in the darkness of your suffering and now know yourself to be whole in the midst of all that life has to offer. Rise up and receive the many blessings of your New World.

Angelic wisdom and rainbow dreams

Every blade of grass has its Angel

that bends over it and whispers,

"Grow, grow."

Talmud

This week's Rainbow Dreams invites me to explore the essence of life within the realm of birth and death and beyond, for the soul does not confine its adventures to the spiritual plane alone, but involves itself in the great laboratory of experience here on planet Earth.

Our task here on Earth is to fully interweave the spiritual dimension with the material; to mix the gold of spirit with the silver of embodied existence.

When the soul is thirsty, it becomes a vessel, ready to be filled and then poured out into new life circumstances.

To seal the cracks in my own cosmic vessel so that I may soothe my soul and revitalise my life force, I am asked, what do I fill my cup with each day? Now is the time to explore this esoteric question.

• My cup overflows with gratitude, I keep a daily gratitude journal
• Daily meditation
• Regular ChakraDance practice
• Constant study ~ I'm currently immersed in Anodea Judith's Chakra Balancing
• Life coaching with the amazing Gayla Maxwell
• Blogging and connecting with an amazing circle of incredible women
• Connecting with the Goddess

Blessed be!

Raptuous beauty

Fill my heart with Love, that my every teardrop may become a star.

–Hazrat Inayat Khan

I love that quote. It is so whimsical and romantic, and reflects so strongly what true love means to me.

True love is one of the exercises from Rainbow Dreams. Another difficult one for me, as I've always protected my heart.

The card was drawn from Inner Child Cards was the Ace of Hearts, and it said:

The essence of true love is, above all, faith-in the ineffable reverence that grows out of the union with a beloved. This beloved can be your inner self or another human soul.

The root meaning of love is to acknowledge absolute concern for another being. In order to express this empathy for another, one must secure self-love in one's own heart.

In this card, two mermaids joyously push a Winged Heart up from the sea. It is offered as an inspired sunrise, touching the golden light of the sky. This heart reveals the acceptance of love at the highest level, for the heart is the vessel of life, adorned with wings of spiritual freedom.

An ace in any suit is always positive. This card affirms that a new opportunity in the realm of love is rising out of the depths of the past, symbolised by the ocean. This new love may be a person, an idea, the realisation of a dream, or a new creative endeavor.

Sounds easy to respond to doesn't it. But no, it isn't easy at all.

In order to be able to love, I need to first love myself. That means I have to trust myself to pull down the walls I have built around my heart, and open myself to the risk of finding love.

I ask myself the following question: What am I more afraid of, the risk of being hurt, or the risk of finding true love?

This stage of my spiritual journey entails dedication and commitment, for the tasks involved are some of the most difficult to comprehend for my soul. I must seek to embrace the essence of love within and avoid the temptation to seek it elsewhere. The beloved with whom I will choose to share my intimate life is but a reflection of my own loving nature. Till now, the extent I have sought love outside myself, has met me with disillusionment and disappointment.

I have written before that it is a very good practice to stand up with arms reaching toward the heavens in the shape of a chalice.

Imagining I am being filled with the elixir of divine love, I allow the radiant light of Aphrodite pour into my heart.

I light a candle in my home symbolising the purity of love I wish to share with the world.

I dare to be the rapturous beauty that lives within my heart.

I open my heart to forgivness ~ of myself and others.

I open my heart to love myself.

I open my heart to love.

I am the raptuous beauty that lives within my heart.

Winter Solstice

As I prepare to celebrate the Winter Solstice in Australia, my friends in the northern hemisphere will be celebrating the Summer Solstice; perfect opposites, our worlds turning beautifully back-to-back, like two sides of a coin.

As their days begin to close to darkness, ours begin to open to light and visa-versa.

Darkness is, of course, merely the other side of light; without darkness there would be no light as without light there would be no darkness; and our world is balanced really splendidly right between.

It is incredible to feel the beauty and balance of this dance.

Gaia is one fantastic choreographer!

Manifesting your divine potential

Beneath the surface of our daily lives, we are always asking the question, “Who am I, really, and where is my true home?”

The answer to this question is so utterly obvious, so beautiful, so ordinary, and yet so profound, that like the nose on our face, we have a hard time seeing it.

Because of our own self-imposed limitations, the answer to this mystery can only be revealed little by little, as if a great veil were being lifted inch by inch, until the truth is completely exposed.

Yet, we are destined to receive this knowledge.

The alchemical movement toward purity and perfection which is our birthright as spiritual/material being ushers us ever closer to the truth of who we really are and where we belong.

Ancient alchemists believed that the natural world taught that in order to relate properly to nature, one must follow the “truth of imagination.”

From the word, imagination, we find the word “image” which is the manifestation of our physical form and body identity.

The image we carry of our self within our mind and heart carries the power to bridge our highest ideals into our everyday practical life.

On the other hand, attachment to a poor image of self-condemnation and suffering carries the potential to destroy our right to joy and abundance.

Which do we choose?

Practicing the laws of “visualisation” is not unlike the practice of meditation, where the seeker opens oneself to channels of higher guidance and inspiration.

Ideally, we are given the opportunity to walk through the gardens and forests of the earth with astute concentration and attunement, opening our opportunity to the light of healing and service, each and every day.

As the veil is lifted, the truth is revealed: we are each of us the High Priestess; our bodies are her temple.

We were present at the birth of this universe and, beyond that, at the death of the one that came before.

We heard the first sound vibration and the first spoken words.

We birthed chaos into form and became known as the Empress, Sophia, Mother of the World, whose love and wisdom opened the gates to the heart of wholeness. We are Anima Christi, the feminine face of God. We are the Black Madonna, unafraid of the dark, watery womblike spaces. We are Tara, the first fully enlightened female Buddha, and Goddess of the Lotus, also known, in the Chinese context, as Quan Yin. We are Isis who holds alchemical secrets concerning the evolution and destiny of the human race.

We learn through the alchemy and, in our quest for wholeness, that knowledge has the potential to lead us toward our own perfection rather than away from it.

The choice is always ours to make. What we do with our spiritual knowledge and wisdom is up to us.

We are all made in the image of The Divine.

Likewise, nature is the Divine Mother, the vessel of life which contains our origins.

Our bodies are but temporal imprints of this splendor, cast into form by the design of infinite possibilities and magnificence.

It is your birthright to be a part of the grand plan of mastery and personal fulfillment.

Dare to open your mind and heart to the deep ocean of love that pours forth on all beings from the Loving Mother of the World’s “cup of golden light.”

All aboard!

I found this clip when visiting Anita, the Chakra Goddess' blog ...

Doesn't this clip (in support of a campaign for an international human rights organisation that promotes values of dignity, equality and justice) make you want to take life by the short-n-curlies, climb aboard a bus full of goddess sisters, and DANCE?!



Enjoy!

Bliss

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
bliss /blɪs/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[blis] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. supreme happiness; utter joy or contentment: wedded bliss.
2. Theology. the joy of heaven.
3. heaven; paradise: the road to eternal bliss.
4. Archaic. a cause of great joy or happiness. —Idiom
5. Slang. bliss out,
a. to experience bliss or euphoria: Just give them some bean sprouts and a little tofu and they bliss out.
b. to cause to become blissful or euphoric: a recording guaranteed to bliss out every Mozart fan.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

It was my first day back at work today, and I feel blessed. Not because I love my job and that I was glad to be back. Rather it was just the opposite. Within 10 minutes of walking in I heard myself saying, "I just don't want to be here anymore."

Then I cried.

I finally let go of a job that no longer serves me, it was a moment of mourning. For years, this job has been my identity -- an integral part of who I was.

No longer.

Tonight during my meditation, I invoked the goddesses: Kali for grounding; Pele for empowerment; Kwan Yin for love; and Athena for communication.

Through Kwan Yin I sent love and light to those who have wronged me, and I forgave them.
I asked Kali to keep me grounded during this time of turmoil, and invoked Pele to keep my self-esteem strong and true. And of course Athena to help me speak my truth with integrity and love.

During my ChakraDance practice tonight, I experienced a sense of bliss whilst dancing the heart and crown chakras. I felt a smile creep across my face as I danced with the goddess.

Through regular prayer, meditation, and visualisation—the human body begins to transform into a being of Infinite Bliss. The organs are strengthened and new levels of perception are awakened. The preconditions necessary to attain true peace and freedom have been fulfilled.

Remember you encounter the Great Bliss Queen in your life when you are fully present and alive in the world of form, while fully immersed in your flaming wisdom bliss. Once you have awakened to your own blissful nature, you encounter the Great Bliss Queen everywhere. There is no place She is not. She is All. All is Bliss.

Love

Rumi said: "We are the mirror, as well as the face in it. We are tasting the taste of eternity this minute. We are pain and what cures pain. We are the sweet cold water and the jar that pours. Soul of the world, no life, nor world remain, no beautiful women and men longing. Only this ancient love circling the holy black stone of nothing. Where the lover is the loved, the horizon and everything within it."

The adept knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the schooling of life is found within, and that each of us has the freedom to become fully awake through our own efforts and will.

New levels of spiritual insight and contentment flood in on a regular basis and are readily assimilated.

Wells of creativity and vitality are unearthed.

My power to serve the world with great compassion and skill comes to the fore. I am no longer hiding my light under a bushel, for there is nowhere left to hide.

The path into Aphrodite’s embrace entails constant discernment, for She embodies the truth of real love.

No longer does She confuse mere seduction, which is fear-based, with love, which knows no fear. Loving and kind to all women and men, She refuses to perpetuate the competitive and jealous ways of others. She is at home in Her physical body and grateful for the gift of life. She shares this joy with all around Her. She attracts many things to herself, yet knows the path of discrimination.

I will take time for myself: sleep when I need to; vacation and play when it is appropriate. I will not overwork or bury myself in competitive work habits. Awakened Aphrodite accepts life. And I choose to live life fully.

Above all else, I am not be afraid to love completely and honestly.

Honor thyself and love will return one thousand times over.

My personal journey with the goddess

Many years ago I posed the question to myself, "What would life look like if I lived each day as if I were a Goddess?" with an intent to seek Unconditional Love within.

Eager to understand the core potential of the Goddess archetype in everyday life, I observed my behavior and response to life with a sincere wish to rise above fear and self-denial.

As I met the crossroads of everyday challenges I committed to an awakened path, one that would ruthlessly and lovingly guide me toward an honest life.

I pondered, "if I AM the Goddess, each situation I face is a Divine Mirror of my own destiny, and, consequently, not one particle of my experience is outside the ring of my own choice and consciousness."

The concept "It is never about the other person" became more and more real.

Each opportunity for growth that greeted me would be met with the question, "What would the Goddess do right now?"

I listened with all my heart to the voice of My High Self with earnest clarity and fearlessness discovering that the commitment to live a conscious life is not without the maladies of human emotion and suffering.

I learned that the hardships in life are part of Her boundless effort to empower our identity with strength and goodwill.

Each woman has her own archetypal mirror that assists her to actualise fullness of Self.

I asked myself the above question time and time again, each time searching for a real answer.

What remained constant, however, was my earnest attempt to undo the shackles of my own self-defeating patterns that governed an unconscious stream of emotion.

Like many other energetic and creative women in our modern society, I willed my heart and soul to courageous tasks. When the going got really rough I didn't stop. I couldn't. I didn't want to fail at the task of offering the world a woman of strength and stamina. One that could never fail.

I later learned the trappings of that engrained paradigm, and saw how truly sad it is when we rob ourselves the opportunity to greet the natural rhythms of light and dark in our daily life.

I wanted to manifest the magnificence of life and remain open to my aspirations and dreams.

Budding like a jewel embraced by the caress of green mother stemming, I began to feel whole and radiant within.

I circled toward the question of years past "What would life really be like if I were a Goddess? Would I believe I am loved at all times, would I adorn my body with approving glances, splendor more in the movement of my hips, and would I never doubt my worthiness again?"

Not entirely.

As I embraced The Divine Feminine in my everyday life I began to embody the various archetypal stages that encompass the wholeness of Her Mystery. I came to know Her as the Divine Feminine; a source of Love existing in dark, light, and rainbow hues.

She is our mother, your sister, a daughter, a favorite aunt, or a best friend. She is The Triple Goddess representing the renewal of life and the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. She lives in both women and men. She resides in the fanciful imagination of our heart and in the earthen caverns of our deepest longings.

She is our every breath.

Her imagery can be as glorious as a papaya sunset or a fading blossom within a withering flower. She embodies the tension and strife of hunger and the gaunt look of a lost and lonely soul.

She is everywhere, in every aspect of life, each day. She moves in and out, like the tides of the ocean, appearing when she is needed, pulling back when we dare to stand on our own. She observes our mistakes and forgives. She heralds our triumphs and blesses our gain.

Protecting each human soul with her watchful eye her ecology, biology, psychology, and religion overlights us with Universal Truth and Never Ending Love.

Attempting to live my life as the Goddess might; seeking to resolve my angst and my pain within the context of Her inspired Vision I came face to face with the mystery of the Goddess in everyday life.

As a maturing woman in my early forties I reached a pinnacle of insight that would change my life forever.

As I engaged with Her essence in my daily life the answer to my previous question became marbled and chiseled with new meaning.

Essentially, the various garments, or archetypal potentials that She drapes over my life at various stages of evolution have remained the stepping stones toward a gradual acceptance of my True Self.

I learned that fear, anger, strife and suffering are as integral aspects of Her garment as joy, abundance, forgiveness, and love.

My ceaseless search for the ideal life, partner, body, financial security, etc., was an unbalanced attempt to embody Her essence void of earth bound mistakes and imperfections.

I learned that my body is the treasure that holds her Divine Truth, and, therefore, to negate the bounty of the human form is to deny Her right to live within me. Embodying this truth, I could hold my ground when it quivered with sadness, I could stand among others with head held high when feeling weak and afraid, and I could shine in all Her glory with each passing triumph that blessed my life.

SOME GOOD SITES TO HELP YOU START YOUR JOURNEY:

Chakra sites: www.chakradance.com : www.sacredcenters.com

Goddess sites: www.goddess.com.au : www.goddess-art.com.au

The field of red poppies

I start my journey through the chakras at the base chakra. And the Hindu goddess Kali appears to me to help me along the path.

This ancient goddess of destruction represents strength and unwavering will power. She helps me purge the elements of destruction in my life and reclaim my independent spirit by directing my life onto a new path - my true path where I can discover health, prosperity, security and a dynamic presence.

Kali leads me to a field of red poppies. Beautiful red blossoms surround me as she leads me to a clearing in the middle.

I take my shoes off, and feel the rich, velvety earth beneath my feet.

Turning around I see Kali stomping her feet with all her might, and I join her in this dance ... our feet pounding to a hypnotic rhythm, beating out a message.

At this stage of initiation, the ego meets the daunting task of unraveling and unmasking itself in surrender to the Divine. The price of pursuing true freedom can be very high, at least from the vantage point of the ego; to the extent one is unable to let go of the trappings of the false self, a deep, spiritual form of suffering may result. We must enter the path of awakening through love.

Kali stands guard, sword in hand, seeking to clear the demons of the unconscious that may obstruct my progress toward liberation. Perhaps the most ruthlessly compassionate of the Dark Goddesses, Kali will do whatever it takes to wake me from the dream of my life.

I do not fear - love heals all.

In accepting my weaknesses, I find my greater strengths.

Mermaid energy

I met a woman recently who approached me and told me that I exuded mermaid energy. This was a bolt out of the blue and intrigued me. So I got to researching, and what I discovered was eerily accurate ...

The Mermaid is an expression of a woman living an artful life colorful, open to possibility and yet balanced and grounded. She is a symbol of when you feel most powerful, when you are creating and teaching. Ok - so there is a synergy straight away!

The mermaid is the symbol of the old Goddess energy that represents women, particularly the mysterious, life-generating element. She lives in the element of water the element of the unconscious and dreams.

If you say that you are drawn to water and yet afraid at the same time, this could mean that you are drawn to living your authentic creative life and yet fear it at the same time. I've always loved the water - I grew up on the beach, and now I live on a lake.

Pisces energy is directed toward your inner self. - I am a leo with a pisces rising - You are meant to learn about the power of your thoughts and feelings and thereby to discover the greater degree of choices available to you. Choice is born out of opposing polarities the twin fish of Pisces.

You are drawn to fire, (I'm a leo) as if you are drawn to experience your passion this is symbolised by the color orange (one of my favourite colours, and key colour of goddessfire). A large heart/ breasts (ok - now I think I'm being spied on) symbolises your loving heart and the wish for a life filled with love and affection. Breasts are symbols of maternal nurturing. She represents that which is emotional, loving, empathetic, and giving. She understands sorrows and know how to comfort.

Her abundant, flowing hair, symbolising an abundant love potential. (check!)

The Mermaid is full of soft edged shapes representing feminine energy and she is shaped very much like a full bodied woman. (check) Her tail curves up into two spirals symbols of healing energy.

The mermaid in our culture is the most persistent and pervasive symbol of the old Goddess energy that represents women, particularly the mysterious, life-generating element.

There is an opening with a door located in between your second and third chakras. On either side of this opening are two guardians. This opening is a shrine of a sort, a place to focus energy on self and goals.

Your second chakra governs sexuality, creativity, emotions, anger, fear, instinct to nurture, spleen, perceptions concerning food, women's power and female identity. Second chakra patterns and lessons apply to relationships and power and taking charge of a situation.

Your third chakra governs confidence self-esteem, self-care, decision making, and personal honor.

SELF LOVE....is the capacity to take care of yourself and to make choices that nurture you and renew your vitality. The most important thing to remember is to give yourself the right of choice, self- expression and self-respect. When you stay in a place of self love you will draw in energies that will support and empower you and allow you to in a creative engagement with Spirit and "flow in the power of your creative fire."

Maia Day! Maia Day!

I just wanted to share with you an article Anita Ryan-Revel recently wrote for Goddess & Nature Commentaries:

It's so weird yet lovely to think that my Northern Hemisphere goddess sisters are welcoming the approach of summer. While I am snuggling under my blanket and patting my growing spare tire, Northern gals are emerging from their caves, sprightly, sparkly, shiny and new, Amaterasu-style.

I know, I know, this winter and summer thing is part of the Wheel of Life — it's an endless cycle of beginnings, endings and reruns ad nauseam. But why then, as I'm stocking up on cold-and-flu tablets and preparing for hibernation, does my mind turn to May 1 celebrations in England and the United States?

It just doesn't seem fair that millions of spruced-up guys and gals will be swanning around phallic maypoles, electing a queen of the May, creating May Day baskets, rollicking around a bonfire, or washing their face in May dew to restore beauty or, at the very least (as the single gals in the Ozark Mountains believe), help her marry the man of her choice.

But here in the Southern Hemisphere, Aussie goddesses are preparing for Hallowe'en. Also known as Samhain, Hallowe'en is celebrated from April 30 to May 1 and is the most sacred holiday in the Wheel of the Year. This is the time to celebrate the Wise Woman and make contact with those who have passed on.

We're so serious about it, we even have a public holiday to commemorate our dearly departed around this time every year. Although the origin of ANZAC Day isn't rooted in Christianity, paganism or Hallmark (as most significant public holidays seem to be), it is "a day on which the lives of all Australians lost in war time were remembered."

This energy of withdrawal and introspection is probably the reason I have been compelled to do some serious "cave time" since returning from my tour in the USA.

You know how it is. You turn off the phones (and if you're strong, the Internet too), forget the outside world and surround yourself with the comforts of home? Delicious, inspiring and wonderfully necessary ... and absolutely something my Northern sisters wouldn't associate with the onset of summer in May!

History lesson commences: The month of May was named after the Greek goddess of spring, Maia. She was the eldest daughter of Atlas and the most beautiful of her seven sisters, all of whom we can see in the night skies in the Pleiades constellation. Her day of celebration, May 1, is a day of games and feasting celebrating the end of winter, the return of the sun and fertility of the soil (and randy couples). As summer approaches, the earth is juicy, rich, productive and magic — the perfect time to empower summer wishes with some Maia inspiration.

Errrr, back up a second! What are us Southern Hemisphere gals supposed to do with Maia's yummy summertime energy when we are heading into Winter?

To answer this, let's delve deeper into Maia's history to find another aspect (as all goddesses have). It turns out she is sometimes referred to as the grandmother of magic and as the shy and gentle patroness of mothers and nurses. I sense she also enjoyed cross-stitch and bocce, but that's a whole other story.

I reckon this aspect of Maia gives us permission to spend time in May paying special attention to our own mothers, especially on Mother's Day, and every other day in May, for that matter. We can participate in a big-scale event for charity, share a fabulous breakfast, or gift a small token of appreciation — a white carnation should do the trick (as per the example of the founder of Mother's Day).

As for me, during the entire month of May I'll also be spending some time reflecting on the wonders of being a mother. I'll be stepping out of my cave for long enough each evening to star-gaze and give thanks to Maia (sitting pretty in the Pleiades, the constellation located between the hunter Orion and Taurus the Bull) for her gifts of renewal, joy, mother-love and cross stitch.

Anita Ryan-Revel is the author of "The Goddess Guide to Chakra Vitality," aimed at helping you connect with your beautiful, sassy, intuitive, lovable, sacred and authentic self. She has incorporated her journey into hundreds of articles, countless websites and numerous books, many of which can be found at her website, Goddess.com.au You can read more of her columns here. © copyright 2007 by Anita Ryan-Revel.

Birth of the moon

It was Rumi who said:

A new moon teaches gradualness and deliberation and how one gives birth to oneself slowly. Patience with small details makes perfect a large work, like the universe.

The Moon Goddess glowed as she unveiled a beautiful full moon this week. It glowed in the midnight sky like an orb of silver light.

Moon Goddesses are always protector deities who lovingly watch over all living beings on Earth.

They teach us, by example, to extend ourselves well beyond the boundaries of the individual self into the realm of service to the world.

The path of the Moon allows each of us to explore the vast region of the collective unconscious and to solve the deep mystery of the soul.

Moonbeams danced across the lake. A lone waterfowl called out, paying homage to the to her beauty.

As I communed with the moon goddess, dancing naked in the moonlight, I realised that I am the moist and vast ocean of the heavenly Womb.

The tides and waters of the earth respond to my changing reflection.

I allow the magical light of my Moon glow to illuminate my path inward to the place where my soul’s thirst is quenched.

I feel, dream, imagine, and open to the spirit of the feminine orb of light that embraces my soul in the luminous sweetness of the night.