Shadow and Light

A Tribute to a Remarkable Being

Last year, I served for the first time in the Tenebrae Service at my Unitarian Church. To someone raised an agnostic Unitarian who later found my path in Feminine Spirituality, these ancient Christian rites felt like a foreign language. Though I understood the “myth” of the sacrificial king—the darkness that descends before a resurrection—it felt distant. The stories shared to evoke the deep grief and darkness felt between death and resurrection were familiar, but not personal.

This year, the Tenebrae is no longer a story. It is a mirror.

I am sitting in the darkness of a loss that feels final. I am grieving the death of my friend, Heather Samir. I had the privilege of witnessing her resurrection once—the beautiful, holy moment where she stepped into the light of her own divine truth.

But in this world, the cowardly fear the light of others.

I see now that every transgender person in this country carries a cross they did not choose. They are beings of hope and love, seeking only to be one with their own divinity. Yet, they are met not with palm fronds or a paved path to peace, but with a “small and hateful mob” that stands on the sidelines throwing stones, as they drag the impossible weight of state-sanctioned cruelty.

The State passes laws to police the most basic human needs—where to pee, where to play, how to exist in public. They call the prey “predators” to justify the hunt. They have poured poison into the very waters of rebirth. How can a soul truly bloom when every system claiming to protect us, instead holds a knife to the throat?

We must name this process for what it is: Genocide.

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention has issued its Red Flag alerts, warning that we are witnessing a deliberate, coordinated campaign of erasure. This is the industrialization of hate. In 2025 alone, over one thousand anti-trans bills were introduced—the sixth consecutive record-breaking year of a legislative hunt. As of today, more than half of this country has enacted bans that deny these sacred beings the care they need to survive.

For a woman like Heather, these are not mere policy changes; they are the systematic removal of life-sustaining medicine. When the state legislates a person out of public life and denies them basic care, it is not ‘governing’—it is an execution in slow motion.

Heather was a woman of immense light. She was a scholar of many arts and languages, a keeper of multiple homes, a servant-leader of noble causes. Her only addictions were learning, growing, and expansive-becoming through self-awareness, while guiding others toward the same. As a man, the world gave her everything—except the truth of her being. As a woman, she joined the ranks of the oppressed, the objectified, and the “warriors of longing wholeness.” She fought for the autonomy of her own body, but the care she required and deserved was denied. How could anyone accuse a being of CHOOSING this life that ensures such hateful horrors. There is NO CHOICE beyond becoming who you truly are, when the alternative is suffering a life that is a lie.

Think of the menopausal women throughout history tossed into sanitariums for “lunacy”, when all they needed was hormonal support… such an extensive history of the divine feminine being reviled rather than revered. We must ask: what would those women, imprisoned from their own sovereignty, have done to end their suffering if they had only possessed the means?

Heather carried a firearm to protect herself from a world she knew was hunting her. But in the end, it became the only tool she had left to escape a world that had made her own skin unlivable.

I do not blame my friend for seeking an end to the unbearable. I blame the powers and principalities. I blame a government that is GUILTY of executing an extraordinary being who offered the world only goodness.

The systems erected to manifest horror for our trans siblings
are an atrocity that demands both illumination and annihilation.

It has been reported that on March 1st, 2026, my dear friend died. At the symbolic season of Tenebrae, broad shadows grow darker, but I hold to a different truth.

Heather’s heart still beats within mine,
and I will resurrect her Spirit every day of my life.

Each flame I light burns in her name. The incense smoke rises to mingle with her memory. Heather Samir Gupte: We carry your loss into the deep, and we dance your Spirit back into the Light.

IN MEMORIUM

I have not found an obituary for my friend, so I crafted one of my own. It only barely does her justice, and unlike her, is wildly imperfect. She was writing at least two books before she died, and one of them she referred to as Why Not? Whenever she considered doing anything that most of us would never dare to dream, she always responded with, “Why Not?” She lived, in her nearly 59 years, more fully than any human I’ve known. This captures some of her extraordinary life inadequately, but lovingly.

Samir Sharad Gupte was born on April 16, 1967, and grew up in Wisconsin. His loving parents immigrated from India. He spoke of his reverence for his childhood with his parents, for his brother, and especially shared adoration for his niece and nephew.

Samir was a passionate learner, as evidenced by his top five strengths from Clifton StrengthsFinder. Learner was number one, followed by Strategic, Connectedness, Responsibility, and Achiever. Discipline, Relator, and Includer also made the top ten, and all of this was clear in the person we enjoyed quality time with over the last few decades.

Many of these strengths led Samir to fill every hour of every day with action. He woke after a few hours of sleep to write in a journal about his vivid and symbolic dreams, then spend some time learning a new language (he spoke at least 7), and would go for a brisk walk, then do some yoga or stretching, then meet someone for breakfast, attend a consultation in person or online, play a game of tennis, then host a dinner party with a variety of fascinating beings from anywhere in the world, with any type of background. Then go to bed and do it all over again the next day. He always had a five-year plan, and each time it was achieved, the next five years would appear and be written down.

I once compared my friend to a line from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical, Hamilton – “Why do you write like you’re running out of time?”,
as I could not fathom the energy and effort that went into SO much living.

Samir collected degrees like some people collect tchotchkes. He achieved a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and Finance from University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master of Industrial and Labor Relations degree from Cornell University with a focus in HR Management, Org Development and Behavior. Following graduation, he was led into the restaurant industry and worked for YUM! Brands for a couple of years before the boss we shared invited him to join Darden Restaurants to lead HR for Bahama Breeze in 2002. (He would only consider the offer if his future boss promised to take StrengthsFinder and share the results with him.) He ultimately said yes, but we had to wait for him to finish Chef Training at Sullivan University Culinary Arts school. After settling in Orlando, Samir pursued a Master of Liberal Studies in Religion and Philosophy degree from Rollins College.

There was something in Samir’s spirit of curiosity and adventure that kept him from staying anywhere for very long. But when he came to Darden, he was surprised and delighted to find that he could find that fulfillment in one place. Over 11 years with Darden, Samir grew from VP of HR for Bahama Breeze to SVP Culture for Darden Restaurants.

When organizational structures shifted, Samir moved to New York to support other companies but eventually returned to what felt most like home, Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island), Florida. There, he crafted and curated a life that felt like truth and joy, growing a wildly successful consulting and coaching organization called Samiracles Consulting. As a transformation catalyst, Samir was also exploring and expanding authenticity, with a progressive path of becoming.

Over time, Samir became Heather. While her physical appearance changed, she kept learning, growing, and connecting deeply with others. Living on the beach inspired her to become a Lifeguard through the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast. She remained dedicated to many causes, as she became Regional Director for ACLU of Florida, and worked extensively on campaigns related to Amendment 4 in Florida, which sought to restore voting rights to Floridians with past felony convictions, and led efforts to educate voters on their rights and the importance of local elections.

She also volunteered valuable time for Community Empowerment as the Executive Director of Nassau Racial Equality Coalition: Beyond just policy, her work involved “training the trainers”—teaching community members how to advocate for themselves and navigate the legislative process effectively.

In the summer of 2025, Heather moved to Golden, Colorado to attend the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law as an Incoming J.D. Candidate. She wanted to gain the skills required to serve communities most affected by social injustice. As a transgender woman living in America, she felt it might be safer living in a so-called “Blue” state, as laws in Florida were tightening their grip on the freedoms of the trans community.

But the government’s insistence on dehumanizing members of this community included removing their right to and ability to find gender affirming care. If you’ve ever had a hormonal imbalance that could not be cared for, you may understand the downward spiral as one’s sense of safety and wholeness recedes with all sense of hope. When the force of the entire government is manufacturing lies and laws to erase your very existence, it must feel impossible to endure.

Heather Samir Gupte died suddenly on March 1, 2026, in her home, on the beach she loved. We will serve her memory by speaking out against the atrocity of state-sanctioned cruelty being forced on the transgender community, and also by living life fully, with reverence for the beauty of a walk in nature, a swim in the ocean, the adoring gaze of dogs, and the calming presence of cats. Wherever there is a gathering of diverse, beautiful beings engaged in conversation and laughter, enjoying culinary delights and quality beverages… Heather will be there! So be sure to raise a glass and say her name.
TO HEATHER!!!

And if you ever find yourself wondering IF you should make that change, or take steps to accomplish your passion project, ask yourself… Why Not? Then…
be like Heather Samir, and go for it!

Select images are of Heather following her transformation ritual, when she was initiated as a Priestess of Artemis and into the mysteries of womanhood; Heather in the Blue Ridge Mountains at the home of dear friends; Heather in front of her bedroom window overlooking Fernandina Beach; Heather in her “Derby” Hat; and Heather and Me at dinner with friends in College Park.

She was made of pure light, and she shines through all of us now.

Leaning In For Love

Mercury Retrograde, which began on August 4 and concludes on August 27, invites us into reflection. Yes, we can be led into misunderstanding and miscommunication during these three weeks with a 14-day shadow on each end, but it also urges us to review, reflect, revisit, and realign relationships. What I love the most is that we also have the opportunity to rewrite how a story ends.

Reflecting on this year so far, I realize how wonderfully love has resonated in my life. The greatest gift has been having the opportunity to grow more deeply into a relationship with my honorary godson. Though he is only in his mid-20s, he is highly intelligent, not just cognitively but also emotionally. Therefore, holding space for him as he goes through a difficult life transition has afforded me a deeper insight into the psyche and spirit of the embodiment of healthy or heroic masculinity (the opposite of the toxic kind). Imagine a man who chooses daily to be better, not bitter.

To identify with an apparently powerful segment of the American population this election cycle, I am a joyfully childless and happily single cat lady. The men in my life are great friends who also fit the healthy male description, however, the opportunity to connect over life events, which lead to deeply meaningful and bravely vulnerable conversations are rare. Much of the daily access I have to men, perhaps by design, comes through the news and it sadly reinforces the desire to keep my world safe and small. I’ve had far too many traumatic experiences with toxic masculinity to long for more of that in my life.

Something else I’ve witnessed this year that has been a revelation is platonic love. I am blessed to have so much of it in my life that it isn’t a foreign concept at all, but what was a real delight was to see it in the places that entertain me. During the months of May and June, that place was with Shondaland and Bridgerton. It wasn’t just the two-part reveal of season three of Bridgerton that kept me riveted, but the numerous interviews from the press tour. I’m pretty sure I watched them all while waiting for the second half of the season to be released. I loved the way that love was present everywhere, be it on set or in interviews with everyone in the cast. Many were interviewed while holding hands and speaking highly of one another with great adoration and gratitude.

The show leads for the season who depict the friends-to-lovers relationship shared in one of eight books written twenty years ago, show up throughout the junket with an extraordinary display of mutual respect, caring, and playfulness. I possibly enjoyed the exultation that the actors delivered on their world tour more than the eight episodes produced for Netflix. The energy they alchemize in each others’ company is joyfully infectious. I think a part of my obsession was a hesitation to leave that loving world behind, returning to a reality of divisive words and actions found daily in the news. We deserve better.

I recently found myself reviewing past trauma through what would have been a new trauma had it not been so familiar and easier to overcome out of habit. Even though I could intuit an expected outcome, I found myself believing in something different. Even though I was wrong, I don’t regret my ability to expect goodness.

A former service provider who had shown up in my life with kindness and generosity of spirit since before my Dad died, expressed an interest in getting to know me better. He was much younger, and since I have close friends of all ages, I felt inclined to accept the invitation, but I was also feeling triggered by the advance. In the past, when someone has expressed interest or attraction, it has ended in being psychically molested and then abandoned like a virtual rape victim. So, I was hesitant and consulted my intuitive soul daughter. We both concluded that the energy we felt was not dark and that he was possibly attracted to my light for reasons he didn’t quite understand. I told her that it made me feel uncomfortable and that I liked the simplicity in my life. I didn’t want to invite an experience that would lead to longing, expecting the eventual abandonment or disappointment that would follow should it turn out the same. She reminded me that if we are comfortable, we are not growing. So, I chose growth.

At first, it seemed there was genuine interest in friendship and I was excited about the possibility of nurturing another healing relationship with the masculine divine beyond my cherished godson. Sadly, the limit of his vulnerability was the fear of scaring me off for telling me about what he fantasized about ‘doing to me’, and then he was gone. Ghosted. No longer available to work that behavior into something that might be healing for both of us. When I shared that news with my soul daughter, she said, “Wow! That was a quick lesson! Now you get to process the totality of it.”

At first, I was mad at myself for believing it could be different, based on the way that each time we met I could sense that we both ‘lit up’ as if there was a past life or karmic connection. It was a sweetness that I certainly have never experienced with other home technicians. For that reason, I did not ghost him back. I maintained my confusion about the whole thing and decided to include him in my processing, regardless of whether he would see it or ever reply.

On my father’s 87th birthday, I sent him the blessing of a brief reading that my soul daughter discovered when entering his energy to see if it was safe after his first note of interest. And I concluded it with a blessing for his daughter, of which he had spoken from a past relationship that left him allegedly single for several years, and for him – because I prefer to lead with love.

“So this is my father’s birthday blessing to your daughter. May she never be mishandled by the harmful (intentional or otherwise) manipulation and abandonment of lesser men. May she be a magnet to all goodness and healthy behaviors from all beings who approach her. May she always be held with deep respect and great reverence. May she be eternally protected from all men who lack the character to deserve her beautiful heart. May she know that she is loved without condition. May you find the healing in your own being that brings a sense of wholeness to your soul. We all deserve that. Take care and thanks for the lesson. May it be my last.”

When I reflected on what I’ve learned about closure at the end of life, and how what we must release when we leave our bodies behind are the negative emotions of human construct, including guilt, shame, and attachment, I understood that I wanted to offer him one more gift. Forgiveness. “May you know that you are forgiven for all harm you may have said or done in this lifetime and beyond.”

After a week of silence while still carrying the burden of disappointment, I worried for his safety and wellness considering the nature of his job. What if this wasn’t a choice and something was wrong. Even though I’ve never had children, I totally know how to worry needlessly about irrational things. I discovered the deception through social media. Despite the beauty I had felt in his energy, there was a fiance and young children whom he had never mentioned. I wasn’t seeking a romantic relationship because he was born the year of my spiritual awakening – meaning I could have birthed him, but this finding turned his invasive and manipulative words to me into a horrifying assault on his family, as well. I guess I wasn’t finished with my monologue. I offer this next part as a suggestion to any man who might want to change the course of his karma.

“I realize now that I never got to tell you what I wanted. I don’t think you ever asked. Women are trained from birth to serve their fathers, brothers, and husbands (internalized patriarchy), and so we are often remiss in asking for what we need, because it is unlikely we’ve ever allowed ourselves to have needs. Women of a certain age have cultivated the capacity to both give and receive great pleasure, and frankly, we can serve ourselves with no need of a man. But what I would like from you, is an acknowledgment of your disrespect and an apology for your poor behavior. Your fiance deserves your loyalty and after offering you nothing more than friendship, mentorship, and loving kindness, I deserve your respect and to have my efforts met in some small way. I know I may not get what I want, but I might just get what I need… having spoken my complete truth after deep reflection.

Now that the veil of illusion is lifted on your personal life, I can tell myself a story of someone who works really hard to support himself and his family and how overwhelming and unsatisfying just living life can feel at times. Maybe he was looking for an escape from reality and to step into a fantasy for a moment, without accountability or recourse. Maybe he really did just want someone to talk to who could hold space for the heaviness of the responsibility that he carries, so that he might feel heard and held while life spirals in and out as it does, often feeling out of his control. But somehow, society taught him that the way to connect with a woman is through sex. He never learned about connecting deeply through honesty and vulnerability – by sharing the truth of every ache and wound, as well as the revelation of great joy. He had not seen the missed opportunity before him. He didn’t realize that innocent conversations of the heart could enable finding the truth of his own heart, which he could take safely back into his own committed relationship, without guilt or shame. I would have loved that ending. I would have cherished our friendship the way I cherish the trust my godson and I share.

Here’s how someone might begin reparation or repentance. “Dear M, thank you for the warm hand of friendship that you offered me last week. I was searching for some light, and I found it in you. I deeply regret that past traumas kept me from being able to receive your offer in a way that was safe and healing for both of us. Your trust and vulnerability were mine to earn, and I failed us both. I didn’t know what I was looking for and misunderstood the opportunity the universe had offered me. Thank you for your forgiveness already given, I offer you my sincere gratitude for helping me process the confusion we have both been experiencing in the past week.”

Okay. That’s it. I think I’ve processed all of the fog and confusion you left me with. I hope you will consider my respectful request. You have the opportunity to be a healer, dear. I know you wouldn’t want to miss that!“

There still has been no response. At times, I have considered being bitter, but thanks to my godson’s example I have chosen to be better. I feel that what I’ve managed to do here is to offer his daughter(s) a blessing from my father that was first and foremost a channeled blessing from my father to me. I have found no regret for leaning in for the possibility of more platonic love to enter my life, because it was not wrong to listen to the beauty of the sweet energy that existed between us. If I were to interpret the lesson as one that informs me I cannot trust myself and that I should remain closed to any future possibility of loving kindness when it knocks at my door, I would be limiting my life in a way that might truly feel like regret at the end. I deserve better.

I’m really sad for the loss of that sweetness because he truly felt like a blessing in my life from the first day I asked my angels to deliver an angel in the overwhelm of caring for my father at the end of his life. But I’m really glad to know that this kind of energy exists and that there is a possibility for more. Bring it on, Universe!

Thanks, Mercury Retrograde! Move along now. We’ll see you again at the end of November. And thank YOU, dear gentle reader, for walking this path with me. I love knowing you are here.

Sowing the Seeds of Love

What a remarkable thing it is to wake each day wrapped in the glow of the love that surrounds us and burns within us. My spiritual journey began in 1992 with the introduction to the feminine divine at a weekend workshop with Margot Adler. Though I had grown up in the Unitarian Church, I never met another Unitarian at school from kindergarten through senior year. Growing up in the bible belt (Central Florida), I was surrounded by many young people of varying Christian faiths, so I was often informed that my lack of faith in someone else’s belief system meant that I would burn in Hell. Of course, that didn’t scare me because I didn’t believe in that human construct either. But so much talk of a hateful God who would send good people into an eternity of suffering was a real turn-off. Frankly, I’m not into abusive relationships, so I moved on.

So, the idea of a faith or practice that included a Goddess and a God was a revelation at age 23. Admittedly, I continued to struggle with the ‘God’ relationship and decided to just ignore it for a while. There have been far too many experiences with toxic masculinity that offered objectification, disrespect, and misogyny to enable a relationship with a masculine divine. So, I focused on my relationship with the feminine divine and spent a couple of decades figuring out how to find Her within myself. I could really feel the goddess rising through the MeToo movement and the PinkPussyHat movement of recent years. What I could feel in my being is that She is kinda pissed, y’all.

In the age of constant news of white men in places of power working daily to rape and pillage the rights and bodily autonomy of women, it’s especially difficult to nurture a kind and loving relationship with the masculine divine. Though I have a good number of remarkable men in my life, I am a happily single and joyfully childless cat lady, so… I was beginning to feel that this was a relationship I wouldn’t get to explore in this lifetime. But that started to shift at the beginning of this year.

A young man in my life invited me to hold space for his suffering and vulnerability. Through his courage and emotional maturity, I got to see the beauty of a soul that lives in truth with respect for women and for himself. He strives to be a man of integrity and compassion. When he suffers a setback, he honors his grief with the support of a therapist and with the counsel of elders who love him. Instead of allowing his hurt to turn to bitterness, he chooses to go deeper within to become an even better version of himself. He has become my personal symbol of the masculine divine. My most Noble Truth. My honorary godson.

That divine nature is also visible in the deeply compassionate and sacrificial nature of our President, Joe Biden. Talk about a sacrificial king. For the sake of our democracy, he came out of retirement to use his half a century of experience and across-the-aisle capability to regain a sense of integrity and dignity for our country after four years of terror. And though he surely would have won another term to finish all he sought to accomplish on our behalf, he chose to step aside and elevate the feminine divine we find in his partner and VP, Kamala Harris.

Within a single week, the energy that surrounds this pending election season was elevated to a whole new dimension. This moment is way overdue, and we are fully engaged and ready to celebrate getting to vote again for a woman and this time to see her elected as President of the United States of America. And now, just a couple of weeks after that, we are steering by starlight. Kamala Harris has chosen a healthy father figure to join her in leading us out of the darkness of threatening fascism which already has a tight grip on our democracy. I live in Florida, so we feel it and see it every day in the toxic masculinity that runs rampant in harmful and oppressive policies pouring out of our state’s capitol.

The thing about the rise of the feminine divine is that unlike in patriarchal systems, there is more than enough room for the masculine divine. I mean, She is the Mother of us all, how could She possibly want less for Her Sacred Sons than for Her Beloved Daughters? There is archaeological evidence that women were worshipped and revered for tens of thousands of years, but for the last two thousand years of the Piscean Age, the world has been victim to the diminishment of women in society and the Earth has paid a lethal price.

The world is now getting to see how a brilliant woman leads with strength and joy, and how a heroic male counterpart who lifts her and supports her is invited to shine right along with her. Beloveds, I am so excited for all of us and the bright future that awaits. Tim Walz was completely unknown to me a week ago, and now he is among my favorite humans. I delight in knowing that girls are finally going to see themselves in the highest role within our country’s leadership and that boys, girls, and non-binary beings will benefit from the loving kindness and healing compassion to be delivered by the Harris Walz Administration. This is gonna be so good!

There is still much work to be done, for darkness still looms in the shadows despite all of this light. The age of Aquarius is upon us and we are bearing witness to the WE movement through communities that are gathering and building momentum in various groups on social media. There is so much love there, I hope you are finding it and feeling it, dear ones. People who are physically surrounded by cult members are finding comfort and solace in these spaces where we arrive for a common cause, to not go back, and to fight to win. What I especially adore is that people whose lives have been made physically and emotionally unsafe by the hateful rhetoric of the oppression party are bravely stepping into community spaces in their authenticity and are finding acceptance and celebration, as should we all. I LOVE THIS FOR ALL OF US! We deserve to live in a world where we are all accepted and celebrated for who we are.

So enjoy this beautiful chariot ride into liberation, friends. Keep showing up, keep speaking up, keep rising up, keep lifting up – not just Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as our next President and Vice President, but one another, as well! This is how we form a more perfect union. And if you’re interested in joining me and my tribe for our mindful practice of visualizing the future we deserve and command, below is our Blue Flame Spell for the Protection of Our Democracy.

When a Blue Wave moves through it leaves behind a lot of muck and debris in its wake, so we are invoking a controlled burn with this Blue Flame to burn it all away so that the light that is revealed can shine brightly upon our sacred foundation and give rise to the seeds of a loving society where we all have all we need with plenty to share. Just light a blue candle and speak these words each day between now and the election.

By this Blue Flame, we conjure zephyr winds, cleansing fire, healing waves, and stable ground to lift us, purify us, clarify us, and hold us as we witness our Nation’s joyful new beginning with the flawless election of Democratic Representation from the White House through each Statehouse. We activate and fully engage our highest selves, our devoted guides, and all unemployed angels, to awake and arise with the spirit of our sacred ancestors to deliver us from obstruction, oppression, and intended destruction. The feminine divine did rise, and will not tolerate patriarchal demise.

Blue Flame, burning brightly illumines the peaceful and respectful transition of power from the compassionate father to the fearless daughter. One saved us from drowning, providing healing respite, the next gave us wings and took us higher into flight. When women lead, the world is reborn. We celebrate the arrival of effortless flourish and flow, nurtured by truth, justice, abundance, wisdom, empathy, caring, and compassion for all beings great and small. Together, we are dancing, sharing, loving, and caring. This is the arrival of our new age as we rejoice, renew, and rekindle ancient wisdom,
progressive sage.

This Blue Flame burns away the ME and elevates the WE, aligning the earth with safety, security, equity, equality, liberty, harmony, transparency, integrity, unity, community, multi-dimensionality, and reciprocity.
Our time has come. We have overcome! It is done. It is done. It is done!

Thank you for walking this path with me. I love knowing you are here.

This quote from a longer poem spoke to me, as does this stunning artwork
by a favorite artist whose work is found on Etsy, Autumn Sky Art.

A Better World

As an Aquarius born at the end of the 1960s, I have spent my entire life looking forward to the arrival of the Age of Aquarius. It feels like it has been ‘dawning’ for a terribly long time, and surely it must be on the verge of bursting forth from the horizon. I mean… SHEESH!

When I was first introduced to astrology in the early 90s, a friend explained the transition from one age to another has a shadow period (the way that Mercury Retrograde can be felt 14 days before and after its seeming back-track in the night sky). I guess if an age can last two thousand years, the shadow might be excruciatingly drawn out. In my lifetime, we certainly have seen some darkness, but also… quite a bit of light.

Many of us could see the shadow moving in through the degradation of the GOP, as their rhetoric villanized those who struggle in the world through the patriarchal oppression of systemic racism and systemic misogyny. It is difficult to make sense of such hateful actions (far too many to name), but one can come to understand that the schoolyard bully picks on others so that no one will dare pick on them. They are basically afraid of everything and devoid of self-love.

One theory we’ve discussed is that those who have benefited most from the age of Pisces (the age of ‘ME’) marked by money, power, and patriarchal control are like rats in a toilet bowl scratching to remain on the surface before they get flushed by the age of Aquarius (the age of ‘WE’) which heralds increased harmony and deepened spirituality.

I think we really felt that proverbial dawning of goodness in recent years when we got to cast presidential ballots within the last two decades for both a black man and then a woman. I remember the shadow that descended when we heard the news from the UK about Brexit and realized that our woman would not win. It was devastating. We sobbed through the concession speech, as we could already see the future that would come to pass, women’s rights stolen along with the respectability of the judicial court systems. I have to admit it was worse than some of us predicted.

But now, there is new light reaching our eyes, with the rejection of tyranny in England and France. The good news of accomplishment from our current administration is astounding considering how close to the brink we were at the end of 2020. We’ve got the right leaders to bring us home to even greater success in the coming years as the work they’ve already done comes to light.

In just three and a half months, our country goes to the polls again to choose our leaders for the next presidential cycle. It seems like an easy choice, right? I mean, one guy is a notorious felon who cannot speak the truth and could not be hired as a server in a restaurant, while the other is actively doing his job of leading our country and working with world leaders to keep us safe and to seek safety for others while improving the lives of all citizens, every single day.

And yet, there are disappointingly vocal people in our party who are asking the very successful guy to step down, with no one lined up to take his place, nor with access to the funding to make it possible. They seem to have forgotten that earlier this year, 87% of Democrats who voted in the primaries chose the Biden/Harris ticket. We all knew the age of our incumbent leaders when we chose them. We all knew that they were leading our country in the right direction and that there was no other candidate more capable who came forward.

Furthermore, it seems the whole point of having a Vice President is to ensure consistent leadership should something happen to the President. We could choose a fifty-year-old presidential candidate tomorrow, and if they were to win (which is no guarantee according to the “Keys to the Whitehouse”), they could die of an aneurysm ten days after inauguration; and then who would lead? Oh, yeah… the Vice President!

So what I would like people to reflect on, who may be leaning toward asking a successful leader to step down when we are far too close to the edge of oblivion and Project 2025 to consider their own implicit biases. In my eyes, if our guy does not make it through another four-year term, we already have an amazing leader to fill his shoes, only she will do it in stilettos.

Professor Allan Lichtman has successfully predicted every Presidential election since 1982. Including the one none of us saw coming and the one that should have been, but was broken by the Supreme Court. Here is a podcast discussing the Thirteen Keys to the Whitehouse, and how our guy has already won. He won’t officially predict until after the DNC, but if we were to vote today – Agenda 47 would be put to rest for good. He says that the only Plan B possible would be for Kamala Harris to run as President, and yet somehow, in a time when women have lost bodily autonomy, it is hard to imagine systemic misogyny and internalized patriarchy will suddenly be resolved in our country.

I started following a few intuitive readers from all over the world several years ago when I was seeking messages of hope for our future. (It’s interesting to learn how invested in our country’s wellness citizens of other countries are.) It may seem ‘woowoo’ to many, but I’ll tell you that they were right about most things even when they seemed unlikely or impossible. As a skeptical believer, I decided I could believe in good news that soothed my soul, and allow it to manifest with gratitude. They maintain that love wins and we will be celebrating with great relief in the new year. One of my favorite messages from the future is this: “By doing this (choosing 45 and his running mate, creating a platform from Project 2025, stacking the courts with unethical judges, etc.) the GOP brought about a better world in spite of themselves.”

My glass remains half full, dear ones. Aquarius may be a slow-to-warmer, but she is certainly inching her way into our joyful new beginning. I hope you’ll consider joining our energetic experiment to secure a better world, as found in my previous post.

Now, all we have to do is VOTE BLUE IN EVERY CATEGORY and
“LET THE SUNSHINE IN!”

Bee Encouraged

Join my tribe for an experiment of light-filled intention.

The other day, I was overcome with a feeling of profound peace and happiness while walking down an aisle at the grocery store. I’ve had the experience before. It is so powerful that I know to take full notice when it arrives, this feeling of blissful reverie. I can reflect on it now and feel the muscles in my face begin to lift the corners of my smile. Next, my vision blurs as tears fill my eyes. Finally, there’s this feeling that builds in my chest between my heart chakra and solar plexus energy centers. I imagine that this area of the body houses that spark of divinity seeded in all living things which connects us with the Universal Light of Truth, of which we are all a part. When this feeling comes over me, I know that were it visible to the human eye, passersby would have to avert their eyes or drop their shades.

The thing about this extraordinary feeling is that it cannot be found in a body that is filled with fear and doubt. That’s because those emotions are not found in the Light of Truth. They are false fabrications of human construct, which of course are far beneath the vibration of that particle of divine beingness which we all carry cradled at our center. The difference between those energetic vibrations is like a kid kicking the back of your seat on an airplane vs. the healing energy of a baby sleeping or a cat purring on your chest. I’ll take the cat’s purr, please!

Maybe it’s like the feeling of falling in love. It feels like being fully present in the moment and knowing that all is right in your world. For someone like me, it would not be about falling in love with someone else. After many years of self-imposed emotional abuse and worthiness denial, it is about finally letting all falseness fall away as I fall in love with myself and the simple but perfect life I’ve created.

I can pull to mind a moment in my life where this feeling was amplified. It was January 2009. I had reached out to my Tribe, many of whom had gotten married and moved away since we started meeting weekly in my living room at the end of 1993. It was my 40th birthday. When I asked if they might come home for a reunion, they were all there. On that day, I got to stand at the center of the circle formed by their beautiful beings. Sobbing with overwhelm, I placed into each of their palms a small river rock smoothed by water and informed them of how they had each been instrumental in shaping and forming me into this liquifying mess of love-drenched gratitude. In my mind’s eye, I can hold that scene in the light, where every particle of divine light shines brightly from each of us, and washes every surface surrounding us in the radiance of pure love.

If I had just one wish that could be granted, it would be for every being in the world to find themselves surrounded by this kind of love. In fact, I am inviting you to close your eyes right now, to imagine yourself where I have described, and to know that you ARE at the glowing center of this much love.
Can you feel it?

Now that you know where to find your own divine center, I offer you… the experiment. Cash Peters is someone I started following on YouTube a few years back. He was among a short list of intuitive people whose channeled insights brought me comfort during difficult days. What I appreciate about Cash is that we share a trait of skeptical belief. The reason I consider myself a mystic is that I have had enough experience in life to understand that everything is made of energy and that if I’m willing to look for it, that energy may show up for me in ways that I can understand. When this intuitive explorer suggested an energetic experiment for his community to try, my Tribe and I decided we would circle up with intention.

I’m embedding the video presentation with instructions from Cash Peters’ The Enlightened Beings Club on YouTube, and I will also write beneath that the future as it is in this moment. The magnetic law of attraction does not work through longing, praying, or begging for something you hope may come, but from knowing that it is already here in this perfectly, glorious moment.

On YouTube – Cash Peters, The English Channel, and The Enlightened Beings Club

Now that you’ve heard Cash’s technique in detail, I’ll add a grounding and centering visualization that I use each morning and before each circle that holds space and intention. My Tribe (from 1993 and 2019) and I are already here, so feel these words and know that you are surrounded by so much love.

We inhale to expand our green heart light and exhale to expand that light and send it through our bodies and into the center of the Earth. We inhale to pull the golden lava-light energy from the core of Mother Earth into our being and exhale to expand that light while pushing out what does not belong to us. We inhale to pull from above the sparkly white light of creation, calling back our soul fragments while connecting us to our higher selves. We exhale to expand that light with the golden light from below because we are the meeting place of heaven and earth. We inhale and exhale again to expand that light in a clockwise motion beyond our reach in every direction. Encapsulated by this protective energy, our final breath brings us to where we are grounded and centered in sacred, safe, brave space.

We are grateful for the air that is our breath. We are grateful for the fire that is our spirit. We are grateful for the water that is our blood. We are grateful for the earth that is our bone. We are grateful for the light of love that flows through us and surrounds us. We are grateful for the safety, wellness, and protection of ourselves and those we love. We are grateful for our guides, our angels, and our loved ones beyond the veil who reveal themselves to us in ways that we can understand. We love knowing they are here.

Today is another gorgeous day in April 2025 and our beings are aglow! The sense of effervescent joy and deep peace is palpable as we sit in a celebratory circle in the cool grass. It is such a glorious feeling that bubbles up in giddiness, bringing tears to our eyes as every face we see is marked with a lifting smile. As others walk by, they are invited to sit with us in belonging. Some feel happy to join us while others smile and wave as we recognize each other for the divine perfection we all are. Harmony and balance permeate the mood and we raise a glass to new beginnings and the release of that which no longer serves us.

Meet us here daily while holding this intention within the light of your noble truth. Know that this energy is elevating your own vibration, as well as the energy that surrounds our country, our democracy, and the world. Together, we can change the world. In truth, we already have!

I assure you, this practice will not be a waste of time. Focusing your intention of deep peace daily can only positively affect your state of being. If you’ve got time to sit with fear about the future, you’ve got time to release that fear and hold space for the future you wish to see and share with those you love.

Thank you for walking this path with us. We love knowing you are here!

Half Full of Hope

Yesterday, a needle pierced my throat four times. I had a biopsy on my thyroid to get a better look at the discovery of a nodule that showed up in an unrelated MRI of my cervical spine. The second jab was the most uncomfortable, but it was hard to describe. We decided it may have involved hitting a nerve, and my reply was, “Well, I’m glad I have nerves.” My biopsy tech decided that I was a ‘glass half full’ patient.

He said that it likely was an unnecessary procedure since benign nodules are pretty common. I told him that I have a friend who caught covid before the vaccines were available and that a scan of her congested lungs revealed that she had an aggressive form of ductal breast cancer. I told him that I was not mad about my doctor being overly cautious. When we finished up he said that he was sure it was nothing to worry about and that he was sorry for whatever I would have to pay for the procedure. I touched his arm and said, “Oh, don’t worry. I have Obamacare!”

This was after he expressed dismay over the current climate in our country and his desire to immigrate elsewhere. I reminded him that most places in the world are going through something similarly distressing and that the best thing for us to do is to stay and work toward creating something better.

As I drove home, I was learning about the latest travesty committed by the US Supreme Court, while also reflecting on a recent conversation with my honorary godson. He and I are from different backgrounds with obvious differences in life experience and perspectives. While we frequently have deep conversations on belief, we have not previously dared to delve into politics. We each voice-recorded messages with our thoughts, and as expected, I got a little extra expressive on the ways that people can vote (or choose not to vote) which is ultimately harmful to society, and especially to women.

That poor kid, half my age, re-recorded his reply to me multiple times before sharing and declared it the last time he ever wanted to do that because it felt ‘icky’. His reply wasn’t divisive in any way. He just really wanted to know why he should vote when he felt there really wasn’t a choice he felt could represent him. Like many (his age or not), the choice of two elderly men has no appeal to him, and feeling limited to one party or another fails to reach what he longs to see in the form of our country’s direction. [This is actually a pathetic summary of a brilliant oratory, as his brain is far more capable than mine of thoughtful expression. I’m still overcoming brain fog that has blocked my writing for some time.]

What I could offer him, a young adult soon to vote in his second presidential election, is that if you want to see the country move in the direction of your dreams, the only choice at this moment is to vote for Democrats across the board. They may not be what you want for leadership, but if you want change that will serve you down the road, they will be the party to enable it. Abolishing the Electoral College will not occur under the party that most benefits from it through gerrymandering. Free and fair elections will not be possible with the current state of the Republican party, now so far from any form of ethical or civilized behavior, it boggles belief. The courts are corrupt, a direct result of proud efforts by the GOP, and that reform will not come with their majority in the halls of Congress. When a party shows you who they are, believe them. Then set a healthy boundary.

If you want to see a future with more than two parties that lead to a viable chance of representation that serves you best, your only hope is to vote Blue in every race and keep doing so until progress is allowed to transform the broken system we currently maintain. Ranked-choice voting to remove toxicity and improve choice, which is offered in some left-leaning states could grow, offering you a greater sense of inclusion in democracy. It won’t ever expand if you don’t vote Blue.

Speaking or writing on politics is not within my list of strengths, and yet it feels irresponsible for any of us to sit in silence while witnessing the rapid decline of social justice and democracy. It’s okay to be mad about the choices before you, but it is not okay to act in a way that furthers that cause.

As an Aquarius, it feels impossible to lose hope in a brighter future. I believe in the goodness of humanity and our ability to care deeply for one another. I believe that we are meant to be interdependent beings. We are not in this earthly realm to learn how to fend for ourselves, we are meant to learn and grow toward the truth of our souls. When we return to energetic form, we flow back into oneness. Our challenge in human form is to remember that we are all one.

Harming ourselves or harming another is an act of violence against us all. From this moment in history, voting for any Republican is an act of violence against humanity and the greater good. To be apathetic and not vote against your oppressors is an act of self-harm. Such negligence may mean that you never have the freedom to vote again.

When I come back to the image of my proverbial cup, despite the chaos of darkness that threatens to swallow us whole, I still find it to be half full. I know that even with what is happening in our country through the corruption of the highest court enabled by the GOP, with the loss of privacy, safety, and security in women’s healthcare, among a million other transgressions, there is hope. I believe that people who love themselves and others will rise into action between now and November to ensure we have the opportunity to continue the experiment of building a more perfect union. I believe in us! I believe in love! I believe this cup is filled with the light of love and that there is enough to nourish and illumine us all.

Thanks for walking this path with me, dear ones. Cheers!

Born Again Goddess

Goodness, it has been a year since I last wrote within this sacred space. I have felt such a yearning to reconnect to my inner creativity guide to allow love and light to flow onto page. I’m not sure where she went. I’ve missed her terribly. In my mind’s eye, she has tattoos of blue woad that flow through her fingers into a fountain pen that pours out words from a source beyond my understanding.

There should have been much to say since last June, but perhaps it was too heavy to share. For one thing, a woman for whom I was providing once-weekly care, fell in her bathroom on a Sunday and could not call for help. I normally would not have seen her again until Thursday, but my swiss-cheese memory let a monthly checklist fall through the holes, and I didn’t want her mild dementia to keep her from taking her pills or feeding her dog. So, upon arriving the day before a new month began rather than four days later, I found her bleeding from her head on the bathroom floor, where she had lain more than 24 hours. I’ve written before that this memory thing can be a blessing and a curse. This time – a blessing! I spent weeks through her recovery, however, in great remorse over not having gone over a day earlier. It was a difficult trauma from which to recover… for both of us.

She did survive the fall, thank the gods! I visited her in the hospital and rehab throughout her recovery and when she was healed enough for travel, her nieces arranged for her to live in a lovely care facility near them in another state. She is safe and well and I’ve been able to visit her twice in her new home. It’s such a relief to meet the caregivers of those we love to see that the love we feel is mirrored in their care.

Immediately following her departure, I was invited to work with another beautiful being whose family needed support with her care. After my recent experience, I was able to convince her that it would be lovely to stay in her home, but that it would be safer for her to be where she could be watched over and cared for in a way that her family could not physically or energetically handle. She, too, is now happily settled into a home that she often reports is her new happy place.

In October, I started facilitating a Caregiver Support Group with my Unitarian Church community, which enables me to utilize skills I fortified and things I learned in Heather Plett’s Holding Space Leadership course that I completed at the beginning of the pandemic. The depth of love and caring we can develop for others in the process of sharing our fears and frustrations, strengths and sorrows is immense. We offer one another an empathetic ear and a judge-free shoulder to help carry each others’ burdens. We also share tricks and tools that we’ve learned as we’ve scrambled to keep our loved ones safe and seen by a healthcare industry that frequently fails the elder population. It is a great blessing to know that none of us are walking this isolating and complicated path alone.

In loving people with dementia, my strength(finder) of ‘Input’ led to learning about many medications we take as we age causing cognitive decline, including a medication that I was taking to improve my sleep. So, I’m going to place some blame on my disconnect from writing on that, plus a little bit of trauma and maybe just too much caring for others and not enough caring for myself. Having something beautiful to write about helps, and as we reach the end of Pride Month, I would like to share something, and someone, beautiful.

In March, I heard from my friend that her surgery had gone well. This was the final chapter in her becoming. From the age of five, she knew that the body ‘parts’ that defined her identity to society did not match who she was on the inside. It would take fifty years for her to manifest a sense of wholeness in her body to match the expansiveness of her brilliantly boundless heart and mind.

I know that many people struggle with the idea of being transgender. It can be difficult to understand something that is not true for oneself. For me, it makes perfect sense. Since my mid-twenties, I have lived in a body that does not express my truth but hides it. It is not the parts I have that are wrong, but the size and shape of them. Inside, I am ‘every woman’. I am happy, optimistic, filled with a sense of love for the world and hope for the future. On the outside, I am what our society diminishes and disqualifies from the worthiness of being heard, held, and loved. I have walked in self-loathing for decades, have had 80% of my stomach removed, and have on many occasions fantasized about cutting away my belly, hips, and thighs with a butcher knife. Many people engage in changing their bodies through liposuction, tummy tucks, nose jobs, facelifts, and such. We ALL want to see in the mirror a reflection of who we are so that no one can question our authenticity.

When I imagine myself with a penis, it feels like something I would add to my list of things I might change about my body. So, you can possibly see why when my friend shared her news with me, my reply was to suggest a sacred ceremony of celebration to mark her transformation into the fullness of womanhood she has always yearned for. I was delighted when she said, “Yes” to Rebirth.

I knew that my friend had been drawn to the archetype of Artemis, which happens to be my goddess, too, so as I planned a ritual of rebirth, I also planned an initiation into the Sisterhood of Artemis. Artemis chose my Tribe in 1999, and we have mindfully walked with her these many years. When becoming Artemis, one can no longer continue drowning in the false belief of self-doubt and unworthiness. If you walk with Her long enough, you will find that it all eventually falls away, and what remains is pure, unwavering love of self and others.

Planning a sacred ceremony for any kind of transformation is my happy place. But feeling so disconnected from that mystery of what moves through me when I create reminded me of starting up a gas engine that sat too long during the pandemic. Even now, I can see the valves and pistons in my mind spitting and sputtering while seeking clarity. I had ideas for powerful symbolism and quickly placed orders for two items that should arrive the next day. Had I not known better, I would have guessed Mercury was retrograde when I was notified that one item was damaged in shipping and had been returned to sender. I was able to order it again for delivery a day later, a day before the ritual. But later that day, when the second item was reported as delivered, I found they had given me someone else’s order and there was nothing to be done to acquire my own package. I tried to duplicate the order, like the previous lost item, but the new delivery date was too late.

I am a firm believer in seeing rejection as redirection, so I simply chose to look through my own collection of items gathered over 25 years to find an even more powerful symbol than the one originally ordered, which was now a blessing to a stranger. Ultimately, everything came together in absolute perfection, much as it did for my friend whose body had been transformed. I think the best part of receiving the wrong package was the message we received from the Universe in affirmation of the task for which we prepared. It was a sheet of round stickers that read, “IT’S A GIRL!” (I really couldn’t make that up, ya’ll.)

I know that traditionalists would never share the details of such a ceremony, but my hope is that someone will read this and be inspired to take what is offered and alter it or use it word-for-word to create something special for someone they love who would rise into the glow of their true self by the acknowledgment and care of those who value them not only for who they were, but for who they’ve become. A glorious being of divine truth.

For every sacred being who walks this path to wholeness, theirs is the way of the warrior. They have surely battled many for the right to feel joyful in their own skin, including their parents, their healthcare providers, their local government, their communities, and the most difficult challenge of all, themselves through feelings of shame, fear, and loathing.

Each and all deserve welcome, initiation, and celebration. May these words be a guideline and a blessing. May they spark a revolution of inclusion and homecoming.

On the altar: I had a sprig of dried white sage, a beeswax candle, a bottle of rainwater I had collected on the eve of Summer Solstice, a dish of flaked sea salt, a dish of strawberries for the full moon by that name, a ritual blade to honor the masculine divine, and two chalices to represent the feminine divine; one of cobalt crystal that my parents gave me at the beginning of my spiritual journey, and the other of copper, a gift for my friend at the beginning of hers. I also had a cameo pendant of Artemis on a silver chain, which came from my own collection when the one I ordered failed to arrive. A far more powerful offering, I think.

TRANSFORMATION AND REBIRTHING CEREMONY

Casting the Circle
We cast this circle upon the earth, within the astral, and in the realm of the mighty ones.  This sacred circle has no beginning and is never-ending.  Within this ring of protection stands a magickal forest.  Within this forest, no harm will touch the children of Artemis.  The circle is cast.  So mote it be.

Invoking the Elements
We cast our gaze into the East, seeking the blessings of Her Sacred Bees.  We stand at the Airy gate focused on setting our silver arrows into flight.  We ask for clear knowing and seeing to direct us through this rite of rebirth, like a healing swarm of bees buzzing toward golden honey.  Bring to us your blessings of sweetness and new beginnings. Hail and Welcome elements of Air.

We cast our gaze into the South, seeking the blessings of Her Sacred Hounds.  We stand at the Firey gate with accomplished arrow, piercing passion.  We seek your gifts of right action, burning away injustice, illuminating our empowerment.  Bring to us your blessings of radiant transformation. Hail and Welcome elements of Fire.

We cast our gaze into the West, seeking the blessings of Her Sacred Stag.  We stand at the Watery gate, reflecting on lessons learned and wisdom gained.  We seek your gifts of abundant love and flowing temperance.  Bring to us your blessings of cleansing rebirth. Hail and Welcome elements of Water.

We cast our gaze into the North, seeking the blessings of Mother Bear.  We stand at the Earthly gate with our feet planted firmly to pull back our bows of intention.  We seek your gifts of mountainous strength and the protection of forest sanctuary.  Bring to us your blessings of ancient truth.  Hail and Welcome elements of Earth.

The Charge of Artemis
You come to me in sacred grove and forest glen and run with me to the beat of my beloved King Stag’s hooves.  We are illuminated, body and spirit, by the radiance of the sickle moon.  As night and moon wax, so does our power.  Together we wander the hallowed wood and rest at the soft belly of the Great Mother Black Bear beneath my sacred Cypress.

It is clear vision you seek; focus for desire.  With my arms around you, together we grasp the ancient bow of the great harvest.  Your hand in mine, we pull back the glistening string that holds the silver arrow at attention.  Precision is ours, as we become one, your desire is mine, and mine is yours… we take aim, and send our arrows flying swiftly to our goal.

Long ago, you tended my shrine, a sacred Bee, devoted to bathing my essence in honey and wine.  No longer standing are the shrines of old, yet still, you return to my altar at nature’s womb.  As you have always belonged to me, I have ever been within you.  When you were hurting, I was the strength that flooded your being.  When you could finally rise, together we set forth through the unknown mountain scape seeking the right and true path.  Once you found your yearning, I brought you clear vision and focus, bringing ambition into action, which led you promptly to fulfillment. Together we shall dance in celebration of unbridled truth.

Holy Maiden Huntress, Artemis – We bid thee Hail and Welcome!

Ritual Purpose
This ritual is a celebration of my friend’s transformation and becoming. The deeply personal journey of over a decade, in actuality a lifetime, has come full circle into new beginnings… once a longing for wholeness, now fully manifest.

She wishes to honor her journey with gratitude and to relish rebirth with reverence as she is initiated into the sisterhood of Artemis.

Honoring the Former
The Initiate enters the circle cloaked and reads a letter she has written to her former self. It reflects on the gratitude to the vessel and to the mind that enabled good health and great success.

Officiant Honors the Former
You came into my life over 20 years ago. It has always felt like a gift to know you and to bear witness to the fullness of your ability to live your life not only open to receiving but with an insistence on attainment. You grab life by the shoulders and live it. I love that about you. Thank you for inviting me to be your friend.

Honoring Her Wholeness
Initiate drops her cloak, to reveal her body transformed and reads a declaration of intention to her new self.

Officiant Honors Her Wholeness
Dear one, I always felt honored to be invited into your journey of self-discovery. For so long I witnessed your dance with finding your true expression and what must have been monumental decisions to be made about what constitutes your personal sense of wholeness. Today, I honor your truth and celebrate your glorious transformation into womanhood. Welcome to the light, beautiful being. If you would grace me with the honor, I would invite you to be my sister. Are you ready to be initiated? [Dedicant replies, “Yes!”]

ARTEMIS INITIATION INTO WOMANHOOD
The officiant stands before the dedicant and says: “Better ye fall upon this blade than to enter into this rite with fear in your heart. Who are you?” [dedicant speaks her name]

“Why have you come?” Dedicant replies,
[“I have come to be initiated into the mysteries of womanhood and to pledge my devotion to Artemis.” She shares her story of how Artemis came into her life.]

Dedicant is asperged with salt water, “By water and earth do I bless and consecrate this sacred vessel.”

Dedicant is smudged with burning sage, “By fire and air do I cleanse and purify this sacred vessel.”

Officiant washes Dedicant’s hands with rainwater, and states, “The light of Her moon illuminates your path. She brings you the gift of clear vision and deep knowing.”

Officiant annoints Dedicant’s forehead with Artemis Oil and states, “The light of Her moon illuminates your path. She brings you the gift of being authentic to the world and true to yourself.”

Officiant pours from her own chalice into the Dedicant’s chalice, a symbol of womb wisdom shared, and says, “The light of Her moon illuminates your path. She brings you the gift of healing wisdom and nurturing comfort.”

Officiant places the Artemis amulet at the Dedicant’s throat and says, “The light of Her moon illuminates your path. She brings you the gift of being grounded, centered, and one with nature.”

Both raise their chalices and recite, “Hail Maiden, full of grace, Power is with Thee. Blessed are you, Artemis of the Moon, and Blessed are those you have chosen. Holy Huntress, Protector of the Wild, be with us now and always. Blessed be.” They take a drink.

The officiant says to the newly initiated, “You have been in liminal space these many years. You have been the caterpillar inside your holy chrysalis in a state of sacred becoming. Now, you are the butterfly. Artemis is the ancient and wise midwife of souls and She has seen you reborn. Daughter of Artemis, WELCOME TO THE LIGHT! You are perfection in your wholeness and you are loved without condition. You and I, we are Sisters of Artemis. Hail and Welcome, [NAME] of Artemis!

Blessing for (Re)Birth
(slightly adapted from John O’Donohue’s To Bless the Space Between Us)
Blessed be the mind that dreamed the day the blueprint of your life would begin to glow on earth, Illuminating all the faces and voices that would arrive to invite your soul to growth.
   Praised be your father and mother, who loved you before you were, and trusted to call you here with no idea who you would be. 
  Blessed be those who have loved you into becoming who you were meant to be, Blessed be those who have crossed your life with dark gifts of hurt and loss that have helped to school your mind in the art of disappointment.
   When desolation surrounded you, Blessed be those who looked for you and found you, their kind hands urgent to open a blue window in the gray wall formed around you.
   Blessed be the gifts you never notice, your health, eyes to behold the world, thoughts to countenance the unknown, memory to harvest vanished days, your heart to feel the world’s waves, your breath to breathe the nourishment of distance made intimate by earth.
On this echoing day of your rebirth, may you open the gift of solitude in order to receive your soul; enter the generosity of silence to hear your hidden heart; know the serenity of stillness to be enfolded anew by the miracle of your being.

Farewell to Artemis
Holy Maiden, beloved goddess of moonlight and wilderness, we are grateful for your many blessings and for your presence in this sacred rite of rebirth as your devotee has been initiated into your holy company of sacred beings. May she forever be protected by your bow, may her every endeavor be pierced by your silver arrows, may she receive your messages of guidance with clarity, and may she always be grounded in the foundation of your love. With reverence and grace, we bid thee hail and farewell.

Farewell to the Elements
We are grateful to the Great Bear of the North, to the King Stag of the West, to the Wild Hounds of the South, and to the Golden Bees of the East. Thank you for your blessings of bone and blood, spirit and breath. That you surround us and become us is not lost on us. With reverence and grace, we bid thee hail and farewell.

Opening the Circle
This circle may now be open upon the earth, but it is ever cast in the home of protection within the realm of the mighty ones. There, our souls are eternally gathered in sisterhood and in togetherness. Now our minds are one. Now… we are one.

Dear ones, if you’ve been feeling disconnected from your true self and yearning to feel connected and whole, may you be blessed with coming home to yourself and the grand celebration of your beautiful truth. Be sure that among your offerings of great care that you are freely offering that goodness to yourself. And always remember that every day brings another opportunity for rebirth.

Thank you for walking this path with me. I love knowing you are here.

Compassionate Curiosity

I wonder what our world would look like if each individual could see all others with compassionate curiosity instead of brutal judgment. I grew up an agnostic Unitarian, and this religious foundation offered me the freedom to explore all religions and spiritual paths with a sense of mindful awareness. I could go to church with a friend and ‘try on’ being Lutheran, Baptist, or Catholic (that was the basic diversity of where I grew up). When all those things felt itchy and too tight, I chose to look into Wicca / Paganism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Metaphysics, and Native American beliefs.

Being curious opened doors that were previously blocked by my fears or disinterest. I glory in the freedom to choose the spiritual path that best suits the truth of my soul and in allowing that truth to evolve. I walk through the world with a view that has been crafted and curated with the courage not to settle for the dictates of others. I understand my privilege in doing so.

Being curious rather than judgmental also guides me to a deeper understanding of people and cultures who may be experiencing the world in ways that are different from my own experience.

I live in a State that has recently passed legislation that harms and brutalizes the safe existence of multitudes of its residents. I find it impossible to put myself in the shoes of those who have enacted such psychic, emotional, and horrifically, physical abuse upon others. I can imagine that they feel threatened for some reason, but I fail to understand. Maybe they see their lack of understanding for the individuality of others as a reflection of stupidity (for which they must stand and fight), instead of an opportunity to learn, love, and grow.

June is Pride Month, and also a painful anniversary for our beloved community. Seven years ago, on June 12, 49 sacred souls were taken from us by a single gunman. They were celebrating within a safe space. They should have felt safe anywhere, but right-wing rhetoric destroyed that possibility. So, they went where they felt wanted, appreciated, valued, and invited to be joyfully authentic. A single being, cloaked in self-loathing chose to massacre those who felt the freedom that he denied himself.

I am curious about what those who support this harmful legislation are denying themselves. Who would they be if they refused to be put inside a tiny box of someone else’s construction. Maybe their parents, their peers, or their church communities told them that they could not belong if they dressed in a way that made them feel more alive or spoke their truth about how they were feeling. I wonder if they imagine who they might become if they would choose to toss away the banner of hateful righteousness and find belonging in their authenticity. They might be surprised to realize that they can be loved for being real.

So much of today’s animosity is pointed at the LGBTQ+ Community. Transgender humans and Drag entertainers are being especially terrorized, and those who support them are being targeted, as well. I’d like to imagine a world where the haters could consider compassionate curiosity, rather than close-minded disrespect.

I am a middle-aged, white, cisgender, straight woman. Full disclosure: if I could choose, I would be a lesbian. I prefer the company of women, and I have deeply loved a specific woman, but my sexuality has a mind of its own, unfortunately. Regarding the middle-aged part of my self-definition, I did not grow up with access to the identity terms that our youth are claiming today, as are those who felt they never had the choice before. I understand the resistance that some people feel to allowing individuals the freedom to be recognized, acknowledged, and validated for the declaration of their own truth. It’s hard to learn to use childhood grammar lessons differently. It’s hard to imagine a child, an adolescent, or an adult who has never felt right or safe in their bodies. Or is it?

Compassionate curiosity led me to spend time getting to know the stories of people I’ve grown up with, in the popular culture setting. Chaz Bono and more recently Elliot Page, have courageously, and also necessarily, stepped into the bodies and lives that make them feel safe, authentic, and joyful. My ‘aha’ moment with Chaz was when his mother stated that she found understanding by considering how she would feel if she woke up tomorrow with a penis. She knew that it would feel wrong and that she would want to have it removed. But even more deeply, I felt the truth of something Elliot spoke to Oprah in an AppleTV interview.

Elliot shared the overwhelm he felt at the thought of simply leaving his house. If you think about it, the world expected him to always be seen in drag. But also, just sitting down in a chair, he was painfully aware and deeply self-conscious of all that felt wrong in his body. One’s first thought might be outrage… as ‘this’ body is considered by society to be enviable and perfect. Any young woman should delight in a body that is healthy, fit, and petite. Unless, of course, your soul does not resonate with being a woman.

But what I felt instead was affirming recognition. Not because my private parts don’t resonate with my soul, but because for most of my life, every time I sit down in a chair, I am painfully aware and deeply self-conscious of all that feels wrong in my body. I believed I was fat when I was a size 10, and as my body grew with metabolic disorder, there was no room for a sense of belonging, acceptance, or especially confidence in the body I was born with. I have fantasized for most of my life about having a different body. I have dwelled in the pit of despair with visions of hacking away the flesh of my hips, belly, and thighs. And I have literally had 80% of my stomach cut away for the dream of possibly transforming the body that would make me feel safe, accepted, and loved. Not to mention the truth of having a female body automatically deems one a higher likelihood of being sexually harassed or assaulted. It is rather confusing to want to be seen and loved, while also hoping to be invisible to those who would deliver harm.

Of course, my compassionate curiosity is still limited by my time and ability to get to know the stories of others, and Chaz and Elliot are just two sacred beings among many who are either longing for, seeking, or moving through transformation. What I know for sure is that they each deserve to feel safe and to be nurtured and celebrated for the exploration and work they’ve endured and the truth they’ve declared. There is nothing more beautiful than witnessing the joy of an individual who walks through the world unflinchingly as themselves.

My longing has always been to be loved and accepted for who I am, whether I am seen as flawed or perfect in the eyes of others. Though I cannot relate to an identity other than cisgender, I can imagine that every human longs to be loved and accepted for who they are… not who others expect them to be.

Until those who fight to limit the freedom of authenticity love themselves enough to love others, it is up to the rest of us to be the fierce allies and protectors of those whose lives fall under their hateful aim.

I know a lot is going on astrologically right now, and that a shift is happening. I have been feeling the evolution of my soul in big and small ways. This Pride season, I am flying an all-inclusive flag in my garden (well, it would be a garden if I didn’t have a brown thumb). I had not done so before because I felt it was not my own, it was not within my identity to claim that rainbow pride. But now, I realize that every one of us is represented in these vibrant stripes. Those who see a rainbow and feel outrage must be carrying so much self-hatred, to be unable to see and celebrate their own true colors. May they find peace and comfort in their own divine beauty and no longer feel the need to persecute those who have already found it for themselves.

I’m also feeling led to share a Unitarian tradition of non-violent defiance regarding the pink triangle. I’m attaching a link that tells the story, but I’ll simply acknowledge that flying my pride flag is more than informing others that I care, I am letting them know that I am standing with them. I am enormously proud of who they are, and of who I’ve allowed myself to become.

https://www.brazos-uu.org/post/the-pink-triangle-story

You are loved exactly as you are. You are worthy of safety, freedom, and authenticity and I celebrate your divine truth with gratitude for your presence in this world which is made more colorful and vibrant with you in it. So, please… stay!

Thank you for walking this path with me. I love knowing you are here.

HAPPY PRIDE, YA’LL!

Showing Up for Love

Untethered in Time

Four years ago, as I wheeled my friend out of rehab and to my car to take her home after recovering from a fall that broke her femur, she looked up at me and asked, “Why are you doing this?” I suspect she wondered because though we had known each other for 30 years, we hadn’t been particularly close in recent years. What had changed was my freedom to be of service once I left the corporate world. Choosing to simplify my life in order to care for my aging parents, allowed me to be present for other loved ones. My reply was simply, “Showing up is my love language, and I love you. You deserve this.”

The next four years continued to be challenging for my friend and her wife, who was beginning to show signs of what would be a diagnosis of vascular dementia. They were blessed to be active members of their Unitarian Church community for over 30 years, and their friends showed up for them in many ways during those years. The hardest part about holding space for these two sacred beings was feeling as if there was so little we could do to help when so much of the struggle was health-related. But that never stopped dear friends from showing up to do whatever was possible to ease their burden.

When my friend ended up back in the hospital last October, I showed up to take her home after discharge. There were a few things going on in her body. They fixed one issue, and left it up to her to follow up with specialists to address the other issues after discharge. I had learned from my father’s experience in his final years that it would be best to stay in the hospital until you can be seen by the specialists, but for one reason or another, that didn’t happen. She made follow up appointments with three specialists and was able to see one within a couple of weeks. The other two, however, had nothing available until mid-January.

Tragically, by January 3, she and I had returned to the hospital to learn that she had been in heart failure for the last two months. One of the tell-tale signs was that her body had been retaining fluid. Her physical therapist had been wrapping her legs for compression, and when I arrived to take her to the hospital, she had a large water blister on the top of her right foot. You could see the fluid within sloshing around as if it were a snow globe. I told her not to worry about shoes, as I would once again be her wheelchair maiden and her feet would never touch the ground. The ER was quite busy, and as we rolled her from one spot to another in the waiting room, I noticed that the blister had popped, and we were leaving little puddles everywhere.

She was admitted that night, and we learned that a valve in her heart had calcified to be described like a ‘Ritz Cracker’ by the hospitalist. There would be a pig valve replacement required, but they needed to get some of the fluid off of her heart and lungs first. She lost 20 pounds over the next few days, thanks to Lasix. (We were both delighted and fascinated by the new device that vacuumed out her urine, rather than having to be catheterized.) But that wasn’t enough. When we thought we’d reached surgery day, her doctors decided they needed her to get a little stronger in order to have a successful procedure and recovery, so they prescribed a few days of in-house physical therapy.

I had been so focused on helping set-up constant communication to their loved ones, through Caring Bridge, and securing the line-up of compassionately generous friends who would take shifts sitting with her wife, ensuring she was kept nourished, nurtured, and safe, that I hadn’t gotten to the hospital the first week. When she and I talked on the phone the day the procedure was postponed, she told me that when she woke that day, she felt the presence of her Mother. To be clear, these words came from the mouth of my friend who found all metaphysical references to the mystery of what comes next to be impossible to believe. She then asked me, “Do you think that means I’m going to die?”

I assured my friend that her mother was standing by to support her healing and to offer protection, but I did worry. I probably felt that the answer was yes, but that didn’t feel helpful in that moment. Since one of our dearest mutual friends died in 2017, we have often talked through her feelings and fears about death. I once felt as she did, that when you die, that’s it… nothing. But as a skeptical believer, over many years of exploration and mindful practices, I have found resonance with firm belief in something different.

Ten days after arrival, my friend’s nurse called to inform me that her heart had stopped pumping and that they were taking her to ICU, that a pump would be installed at her groin, and I later learned that the installation procedure had caused her kidneys to shut down. They put her on dialysis. When they realized she couldn’t swallow without choking, because she had to lie flat with the pump in place, they inserted a feeding tube. For the next couple of days, she slept often and was difficult to understand when she tried to speak. Meanwhile, I was holding Zoom Healing Circles with people who loved our friend from all areas of her life and from all over the country. Each morning that followed, as we waited for the medical team to come by, I would play the recording of the voices she adored. I asked her if she knew how loved she was, and she said, “no”. She couldn’t believe that so many people were showing up for her.

Her sister decided to come from afar, and I offered her sanctuary. Later, we would tell my friend how lucky we felt that she had brought us together… her best kept secret – after 30 years, how much her sister and I had in common. One afternoon, a doctor entered the room and asked which one of us was ‘the sister’. My new friend’s reply, “I’m her bio-sister and she’s (pointing to me) her soul-sister.”

Each morning, we would pull an oracle card for our beloved, before heading to the hospital, and we would pay attention to signs from the universe. We were of one-mind, on the same page. One morning, my new soul-sister alerted me to a white rabbit in my backyard. I have lived in this house for 25 years and this was a first! What I heard in my head was, “I’m late! I’m late, for a very important date!” My interpretation was that we should not waste any time. Our beloved would soon be departing.

She had seemingly rallied at the arrival of her sister, so her step-daughter questioned whether she should tell her son to come now or to wait. I encouraged her to get him here now. Far better to have time with her while able to speak to him. He booked a flight to arrive on Friday. Exchanging a sister for a grandson… the changing of the guard.

On Thursday, we finally heard from the cardiothoracic surgeon. He said that we were running out of options, and that the remaining ‘Hail, Mary’ possibility would be to punch a hole in the valve to see if the heart would start working on its own again, but that procedure came with great risk. On the phone, he presented it as an option that must be taken ASAP. I told him that her grandson and sister-in-law would be here soon. I asked if it could wait until next week. His concern was that waiting would allow time for more to go wrong.

When I told my friend what the doctor had indicated, she understood it to be the only chance she had to continue. She decided that she wanted to do it. I informed the nurse and left the room. I went to the bathroom and cried. Then, I called her important people to come. I asked her about her fears, and she shared that she was afraid that when death arrived it would be like turning out the light. She didn’t want to leave because she hated to miss anything. I asked her to join me in suspending disbelief, and to consider that when she left behind her broken body, she would be unlimited as she would return to the light of truth. She would then be able to be everywhere, all at once.

We were all gathered around our friend when the doctor came to see her. His language was a bit different than it had been when we spoke on the phone. He suggested that perhaps she should wait, and spend the weekend with the family who would soon arrive. He also explained what the trauma of using every means to save her life might look like, and she agreed that either now or in the middle of the postponed procedure, she did not care to have a 300 pound man climb on top of her to pound her chest. We appreciated the way he added a bit of humor to the very real information he was giving her, which was… that he was highly recommending a Do Not Resuscitate order, because she was nearing the end of life.

And just like that, we understood that we were not going to lose our beloved on an operating table that day. We were simultaneously heartbroken and relieved. Together, we sang the most stunning rendition of “Spirit of Life” by Carolyn McDade, that I’ve ever heard. I call it the Unitarian theme song. It goes like this: “Spirit of life come unto me, sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion. Blow in the wind, rise in the sea, move in the hand giving life the shape of justice. Roots hold me close, wings set me free, spirit of life come to me, come to me.” We would sing that song several times more over the next few days.

During these difficult days in the hospital, friends were holding space for her wife. We wondered how much she would retain about her wife’s condition, as her memory was challenged to retain much of anything from moment to moment. In one conversation with a friend, she had reportedly referred to her wife as being in the hospital and having a lot wrong with her, looking forward to her getting better and joining her in their future home in assisted living, not knowing if she would ‘make it’, and that she was already dead. I felt so fascinated by this recounting from our mutual sister-friend, as it reminded me of a sci-fi series that featured a quantum traveler being unstuck in time. It seemed as if dementia could possibly be described as such… being untethered from reality, while being able to visit the future, as well as the past.

Also happening during this timeframe, was the parallel hospitalizations of my life long friend’s mother. The day after I was in the ER with my friend, my favorite tomboy was in the ER with her Mom. Understanding the second half of life is certainly cemented when we find ourselves walking mindfully with our aging loved ones, wanting to ensure their safety and wellness, while holding our breath to prolong the number of days we will be blessed to share. Her mom would be in the hospital a few times that month. I visited with her, upon request, to help determine her wishes for care, as her kids worried she would choose rehab so not to be a burden to them. I advised against it, knowing that she would just be left in bed as a fall risk for all but 30 minutes a day. I knew she was better off at home.

My favorite tomboy told me that after that visit her mom said to her, “I think Missy thinks I’m dying.” I hadn’t really felt that she was, but I did realize that having walked so mindfully with death these last few years allows me to be in a constant conversation with it. It seems to me that death is always near and that it is worth our time to honor it, make peace with it, and then get on with living.

Back in the ICU, I was there each morning to greet the team of doctors and specialists who would brief each other on each patient in the unit. Each morning I would ask if we were at the point of hopelessness, and each morning they would indicate that we may be close, but not yet.

One afternoon after the decision to do the procedure had been postponed, my favorite tomboy (MFT) and our other childhood angel sat in my living room discussing the health concerns for both our mutual friend in ICU and MFT’s Mom. I looked out my front window to witness a flurry of wings, as a frenzy of birds danced at the feeder. There were Grackles and Titmice, and something else… maybe a Wren or a Warbler. I’d never seen anything like it! My logical mind considered that it might have something to do with a migratory path, but that didn’t make sense. I’m in Florida, and these birds are here all year. What I heard in my mind was that the spirit of our friend was gathering strength and preparing to fly. Looking back , I can feel the flutter in my chest and the truth that was being revealed.

On Sunday, I pulled an oracle card for my friend, and it felt ominous. Since I had a lunch date on the 22nd, I had planned to go to the hospital later that afternoon. I checked in with my friend’s family during their morning visit, and they reported she had discomfort in her belly, and an x-ray appeared to show possible constipation. During lunch, another friend who was visiting called me to report that test results had come back on her platelets that revealed her body was destroying them. That would mean any procedure would be prohibited due to her inability to clot. I set down the phone and cried into my hands. I was also told that they were taking her for a CT scan of her abdomen because her pain was increasing.

Shortly after my arrival, our medical team arrived with the results of the scan. Our beloved being had received her final blow. A perforated bowel. Of course, they could do nothing to repair it, as she would have bled out. Once again, I had to give my friend the bad news. As I explained it to her, and asked her to tell me what she was thinking, she expressed feeling baffled by how things went downhill so fast. She said to me, “So, there’s no hope?” “That’s right, my love. The doctors say we have to let you go. They will protect you from the pain of sepsis, and you will not suffer nor be alone.” I asked her if she knew how loved she was, and without hesitation, she spoke a resounding, “YES!”

Reflecting on that moment now, it feels as if, after weeks of waiting, we were suddenly on fast-forward. Things seemed to move so quickly. I called the family and closest friends to come. Paperwork was signed. I asked our beloved community to read the Phowa Practice for the transformation of our dear one’s soul into the Light of Truth. I let my mother know that I would not be home that night. Like my father before her, I would walk my soul-sister into the underworld.

The vigil was long. Twelve hours from her last words to me, “So there’s no hope?” Our beautiful being was tended by her wife of 43 years, her sister-in-love, her step-daughter, her soul-daughter, and her grandson. Her minister and her friends were there to sing her through the process of letting go. Shortly after 5am, I found myself following her breath with rapt attention. Just when I wondered if there would be another breath, it would come. I knew that her soul had already found its freedom, but that sacred vessel that had carried her light for so long was so loyal that it refused to stop doing its job.

Throughout the night, we had taken turns speaking our love into ears we’ve been told can still hear our words. One soul-sister sang to her, another joined me in reading aloud the Phowa Practice for the transformation of her soul back into the light of all that is. And I finally read to her the oracle card I had pulled the morning before everything had gone so wrong. From Alana Fairchild’s Journey of Love deck, I read, THE VOID:

“At the ending of every cycle, and the beginning of every cycle, there is a moment of transition. It may last for any amount of time – a moment of feeling, or many years of deep inner work whilst feeling displaced. The transition may require patience to endure the absence of knowing, the lack of certainty about who you are and why you are here on this planet. A void may open up between one moment of meeting with your lover and the seemingly endless stretch of time – even if it is only days that seem as though they are eternal in duration – as you wait to reconnect again.

Yet if you can accept that entry into the cosmic void as preparation for your next cycle of manifestation, if you can accept that darkness is holding you with love, not with unfeelingness, then you can relax and let the preparation be what it must be. Then you can be well equipped for the next steps forward on your glorious divine adventure this lifetime, meeting the beloved – whether divine or human lover – in a fresh new moment, excited, open and curious, always.

This oracle brings you guidance. There are parts of your own process unfolding that you simply cannot know about yet. It will not always be this way, but for now, it is most helpful for you to only deal with what is immediately before you. All else will be shown when the time is right. There is growing to be done and then the void will bring forth the next step on your path to meet you. You do not have to worry and you do not have to search. Be present. Be patient. When you can do something, do it, when you cannot, just be. Your time will soon come. If you are holding a question about relationship – surrender it into the void and let it become what it must be according to spiritual wisdom and love.

A coming together
A blending of one
Where understanding
Spans the space between
And separation disappears
To form
Anew”

As others rested their eyes, I laced my arm through the bedrail and placed her left hand over my right, then stroked her hand with my left, as I spoke aloud. “Thank you, sacred vessel, for carrying the soul of our beloved these many years. Thank you for breathing life into this remarkable woman who was a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a wife, a step-mother, a grandmother, a musician, an artist, a counselor to many grateful hearts, and most importantly to me… a true friend. I know it is hard for you to let go of the sacred responsibility you’ve carried these 78 years, but it is time now to let go. For as long as we have breath, we will sing your name to the stars. Our beloved is now one with the Light of Love, and it is time for you to finally rest.

I must have gasped as I recognized her final breath, as everyone came to the bedside to hold our sweet beloved as we tried one final round of “Spirit of Life”. But we choked on our tears and quietly witnessed the slowing heart monitor until it transitioned into stillness. As I type these words, I look at the time to see it is 9:11. It was her birthday and it is now my new angel number. When I see it, I will know she is near.

When she was gone, her wife asked me, “What do we do now?” I explained what next steps would look like, and a few minutes later, she asked again. I know that her consciousness, clouded by dementia, was really saying to me, “What will I do without her?” As the nurse was doing her final exam, I lifted the sheet to see my friend’s feet. I felt a cord at my solar plexus pull me backward in time as I saw the bandage still wrapped around the site of the water blister on her right foot. Suddenly, she and I were rolling through the ER, leaving puddles everywhere. It was now January 23, and this was not the outcome either of us expected twenty days before.

Together, we exited the hospital, an exhausted tribe of devotees. It was 6:30am and our beloved had been gone for an hour and seemingly forever. I went home and slept for a few hours. At 11am, my phone rang and I heard the voice of my friend’s widow, “I’m calling to let you know that Sharon died.” “I know, honey. I was with you all night. Do you remember?” “That’s right, I remember now. Thanks for all you’ve done for us.”

The next day, I met the family at my friends’ home. The neighbors came out to ask about our beloved, and her widow told them that she had died. I affirmed that we had just lost her yesterday, and her wife was shocked to hear it, for she felt it had happened two weeks before. I continue to be curious about this affliction. The brain that is starved of oxygen seems capable of time travel. I am hopeful that it helps with grieving, for this beautiful being lost so much more than her wife, she has also lost her home, having moved into memory care for the lack of a constant companion and the need of greater care. I cannot fathom the shock of it all.

There is still so much to write, but I will save it for another post. What I am most grateful for is that I was able to show up for my friend during the most difficult days of her life and throughout her transition into the mystery of what comes next. Further, I am so enormously pleased that I had the opportunity to be mindful with my love and gratitude for the gifts my friend had unknowingly given me. By loving her, I was given the opportunity to speak with and write to her many friends and family members over the days that followed our fated final ER visit. I have met her people and now claim them as my own. I got to thank her for it while she could consciously acknowledge my thankfulness, with a reply of, “I’m so glad.”

In a recent text exchange with her sister, she signed off with, “I love you most”, and I replied, “As your sister would reply to me, I love you best.” She told me to hold onto those words, and I assure you… they are mine for all time.

Thank you for walking this path with me. And thank you for sending your love to surround the widow of my dear friend. May she have all she needs to feel safe and cared for until she is ready to join her wife for their next grand adventure.

Crowning the Crone

In 2019, I led a series of workshops that were planted at Imbolc with ‘Seeds of Intention’. Every eight weeks a group of beautiful beings gathered for mindful connection, meditation, and personal growth as we marked the changing seasons. When the pandemic entered our lives, a number of my ‘sacred gardeners’ chose to continue meeting weekly, to stave off the sense of isolation that covid-19 threatened.

[Image created via collaboration with Dean and Delaney Delp with MidJourney]

Three years later, despite every member being vaccinated and boosted, for some reason we had not made efforts to return to meeting in person. Every Saturday we nurtured our commitment to gathering in sacred, safe, and brave ‘virtual’ space. Each gathering started and ended with an oracle card that might inspire conversation or speak to a mood that often resonated with many. In recent months, one of those cards offered a message that reminded me of how one of my sacred gardeners had inspired, supported, and nudged me into creating those workshops that gave birth to this group. It felt like a new nudge from the universe to return to a physical sacred space.

One intention I had been considering for some time was the idea of my own croning. A croning is a rite of passage in the life of a woman when she moves beyond her former roles as a maiden and mother. As I have gotten to know these women on such an intimate level over the past few years, I was aware that many of us were on similar journeys at varying stages of aging. So, the suggestion was made, it was well received, and then a date was set.

Once the focus of our first in-person gathering was decided, the synchronicities began to arrive, as they do, to affirm that we were on the right path. From oracle cards pulled in weekly gatherings to random social media posts, guidance, inspiration, and messages kept rising to help build the outline for our rite.

I knew that for a hands-on craft, we would create our own crowns. I had a very simple idea for a floral circlet, but I wondered if I could find other, less practiced ideas to share. I found a few generous designers on YouTube who demonstrated the task, shared with my group for feedback, and then called a couple of experts for a slumber party crown experiment.

If you are truly blessed in life, you will have at least two life-long, childhood friends who are always ready for adventure. They gladly embraced the task of a crafting rehearsal, to see if it felt possible to do this work as a group within a reasonable timeframe. As we measured, nipped, smoothed, and twisted aluminum wire, we discussed the concept of croning.

In the life of a woman, she moves through three stages that mirror the moon. She is the maiden throughout her youth, a glorious waxing stage of innocence and discovery. She is the mother when she has moved into her fullness, not only by giving birth (which many of us choose not to do), but by creating a path, a home, a career, a purpose. And she is the crone when she is ready to leave behind what wisdom has taught her no longer matters, as she moves into the waning phase.

Three of my gardeners argued that they were not sure they were worthy of croning. They felt unsure of their readiness to claim it when they felt there was so much more to learn, or there were still young-adult children in the house. But when I read to them the inspiration piece for the power portion of the ceremony, they each changed their minds.

I understand that some may argue with my logic, but I know this to be true. The time of croning can be when a woman’s blood has stopped flowing. Another time may be at her second Saturn Return, around age 56 (depending on her astrological natal chart). It can be when she retires from the working world, or simply when she is ready to evolve into a deeper life experience. I stopped bleeding at 48 (thank the gods!), retired from the corporate world to care for my parents, and walked my father through the end of his life (to walk with death is an undeniable crone journey).

Our youngest is 51 and our eldest is 86. We are all in varying stages of cronedom. We are either serving our parents through the end of life, or preparing for our own. We are learning that we no longer carry the burden of worrying about pleasing others with how we look or behave, and are focused on learning how to please ourselves and love who we’ve become, especially after a lifetime of trying to be something society expected of us. With the war of beating ourselves with the unrealistic expectations of others, we are done!

We spent our Saturday virtual gatherings in the weeks leading up to our big event discussing who we were as maidens and as mothers, and what from each stage of our development we would choose to leave behind.

Our lives and stories were different in many ways and similar in others. I found myself reflecting on my youth and could immediately see so much that felt unpleasant. I could see my innocence as naivete, my longing as weakness, and my moments of confidence as arrogance. On first reflection, I found mostly regret in my ignorance, while a few others saw their maiden experiences as nearly idyllic, some, quite the opposite with a lost youth having to parent a parent. It took me a while to dig through my own darkness to reveal the buried treasure of being young. That process informed me of what I was prepared to discard from my maiden phase, and what to hold onto.

Motherhood was oddly easier for me to review. I’ve never been pregnant and am very happily childless, but I did give birth to a tribe in my mid-twenties (and I guess I did it all over again in my late 40s). That has long felt like one of the most important things I’ve done. I nurtured and cared for three bosses over three decades who gave me a sense of identity and purpose, they were my sacred beings to nurture and support.

So much light came through a sense of belonging and opportunities to contribute to something larger than myself. I found my people and myself during those formative years. But I also struggled with self-love and acceptance. I fought a long battle of self-loathing for never being thin enough, attractive enough, organized enough, or loved enough. It took me so long to figure out that every little thing that could deliver true happiness was always mine to give myself. I knew that I was ready to claim my cronedom when I stopped objectifying myself and yearning for the validation of others to believe I was worthy of being loved.

[Image created via collaboration with Dean and Delaney Delp with MidJourney]

As we collaborated on crafting a communal croning ceremony, we also discussed music that spoke to us, and how we would honor the elements and archetypes of the divine that resonated with each of us, and of the wise women in our lives who had nurtured and inspired us.

Among the many synchronicities that crossed my screen was ‘The Thanksgiving Address, A gift from the Haudenosaunee to the World’, which I first discovered while reading Robin Wall Kimmerer’s remarkably beautiful book, Braiding Sweetgrass. We realized that it had everything one could seek in honoring the sacred within us and which surrounds us. It would work for casting the circle, calling the quarters, and invoking the light of truth. I would love to begin every gathering with these blessing words.

The morsel of goodness that was the foundation of our rite and the climax of our journey was a post that offered a declaration from Dr. Shefali’s book called Radical Awakening. It prompted me to purchase the book, and hear it in her own voice through Audible. It feels like an assertion of defiance to internalized patriarchy. I hope you’ll look her up for yourself. I adapted her words to meet our needs, designed to roll more easily off the tongue. I’m grateful to Poet’s Corner for posting them.

I don’t think I had imagined how it would feel to welcome 12 sacred souls, live and in-person, into the sanctuary of my home. It has been so long since more than two extra people have graced this space. Their arrival, by ones, twos, and threes felt warm and momentous. We were all helpers that day. Some helped set the perfect spaces for our togetherness, some helped prepare the food for our sustenance, some helped by driving our loved ones who are no longer driving, some helped with crafting supplies, some helped with financial donations, one drove four hours partially through rush-hour traffic to get here the day before, and absolutely everyone held space for the truth and beauty of each and every life journey that was shared, with reverence and grace. That feeling, I was reminded, was the warmth of love, the support of family, and after a very long absence, it felt like a homecoming.

In the beginning, we agreed that the beauty of becoming the crone meant that we would not be attached to outcome. If we had intentions for this gathering that were forgotten or failed to manifest due to timing, that would only mean that we would have exactly the experience we meant for us.

We passed the script of ‘Thankfulness’ until every paragraph had been spoken, until ‘Our Minds [Were] One’. We spoke of the women in our lives (or men) who offered us wisdom and nurturing, and we brought into the circle the archetypes of the goddesses who most resonated with our souls. Surrounded by images in artwork, mine were obvious. It was the young Persephone that I called into the birthing of my Tribe at Imbolc of 1994, and she in her underworldly guise, as I studied holding space at the end of life and walked my father through it. And it was Artemis, who found me in 1999 through a Drawing Down the Moon ritual with my Tribe, and never stopped revealing herself through my own independence, fierce loyalty to my Tribe, a constant sense of being protected, and a groundedness that has served this archer well.

We chose nourishment and connectedness before starting our work of crafting crowns, and then moved outside to the tables where we took our time in the act of creation. My life-long friends, having practiced the elven circlet made from aluminum wire, offered support and guidance to those who chose that style, while others took to other materials. The idea of choosing simplicity at this stage of life bears great resonance. Whatever each woman chose for herself was exactly right and a work of perfection.

[My cat, Neville – blessing the crowns]

When we returned to the center of our circle, we honored those who had long ago been croned, and affirmed that in this phase of life, we are continuing to learn and grow, to release and receive, and therefore, we may choose to claim our crowns again and again. One who was croned at her second Saturn Return has now reached her third. She would be the one who anointed us all with essential oils symbolic of rebirth.

Each of my sacred gardeners were anointed, then sat to read her words of release and declaration, and then she was crowned with her own crafted headpiece by the woman seated to her right. It meant that we were going counter clockwise in circle, which felt quite right for this phase of life and moon. The following was my offering inspired by Dr. Shefali’s work, which some altered with their own deep meaning.

From the Maiden, I maintain a sense of wonder and curiosity, as I release Her sense of insecurity and not-enoughness.

From the Mother, I maintain an ability to face every challenge with patience and compassion, as I release Her need to put the needs and comfort of others before Her own.

From the Crone, I claim healthy boundaries, confidence in my knowing, and the power of my divine authenticity to expand and call forth joyful experiences of deepening growth and grand adventure.

I am a woman living in the fullness of my truth. I have curated and crafted my sovereignty.

In this moment, I release unworthiness and fear. I part with obligatory servitude and passive acceptance. I divest what is untrue to me, along with unhealthy boundaries of my own and of those who would cross them. I refuse to pretend to be something I am not in order to please others.

In this moment, I now command that I will ascend into my highest power. I will embrace my greatest autonomy. I will celebrate my deepest worth. I will embody my fiercest courage and manifest the most authentic me.

Today, I claim my crown!

[Image created via collaboration with Dean and Delaney Delp with MidJourney]

There was such power in witnessing these words through the bodies and voices of each of my sacred gardeners, and there was deep beauty, as well. Our eldest crone is 86, and living with severe vascular dementia. We have seen rapid decline in her memory and abilities over the last year. Though this was the first time they had met in person, she allowed herself to be cared for by our dear one who had driven so far to be with us. She literally took our elder under her wing and read the words of affirmation, prompting her to add her own life experience into the words provided, and then allowed her to read the words to claim her crown. It was so tender and dear, and this is why my greatest wish for all the world is to know this blessing of heartfelt belonging.

When our circle was open, a couple of dear ones had to depart, but many stayed for homemade dessert, and a mesmerizing fire. There was meant to be music and song, but that was one of the things that fell away. I will add the words of one meaningful offering that may find voice in the future, and a link to another. Both have long been sung by members of our local Unitarian Church, where many of us have also found belonging. We feel that both resonate with the gratitude we hold for the honor of being in this latter phase.

Cup of the Moon by Carole Etzler
 Cup of the moon, filling, filling, shining in the night. Cup of the moon, spilling, spilling, spilling out her light. We dance in the light, in the silvery light when the moon is at her fill. And when the cup of the moon is empty, we wait her listening and still.
In the dark of the moon we grow more in tune with the earth and the sky and then, we watch and wait and find joy in knowing the cup will refill again.
We dance in the light, in the silvery light, when the moon is at her fill. And when the cup of the moon is empty, we wait for her to refill.

Carolyn’s Party by Ann Reed

It is now Monday, and evidence of our Saturday celebration in my home is less obvious. The circle of 13 seats has been broken, the kitchen is not quite as recovered as the living room, but what truly lingers is the love. For 26 years, I have hosted gatherings of women (and a few special men) in this home, and I believe it is the residue of all of that light, love, and magick that can be felt upon crossing my threshold. I am grateful for it, and enjoy basking in it. I know the energy of our communion will hold me close for all of my days.

May the season of light deliver all you need with plenty to share.
Thank you for walking this path with me. I love knowing you are here.

Pop’s Pilgrimage

Two big things happened in my life a year ago. My soul-sister fell in love, and my father died. That time in my life was proof that we humans can hold space for every emotion, all at once. I was simultaneously heart-filled and heartbroken.

I held space for my dear friend through her darkest depths, and was blessed to bear witness to the moment she found her person. I had never seen her so happy, and knowing that her darkness had finally found illumination brought me enormous joy and peace. Meanwhile, I was holding space for my father’s physical decline, his struggles with body betrayal, and finally… an end to that struggle. Death is always bittersweet when the ache of a loved one’s suffering is replaced by their absence.

Since my friend also cared for my father, she was painfully aware of the limits of time with those we love, and she did not hesitate to take action, once she had found the soul who brought her spirit back to life. She sold everything and moved north. So, for nearly as long as I have been missing my father’s physical presence, I have also been missing hers.

From afar, she held space for all of the ‘firsts’ without my Pop, and as the anniversary of his death and her birthday grew near, she invited me to come up for a weekend adventure. They had plans to RV over to Provincetown (MA) to see friends, and it wasn’t long before everything fell into place as magick was revealed.

This journey would allow me to be in the state where my father grew up on the anniversary of his death. Further, a stop in a place he had written about in his #MemoirsForMelissa would be easily on our path, either to or from. I knew I was being led to carry some of his cremated remains back to a place he cherished in his youth. For me, it felt like a pilgrimage.

Once again, my lifelong friends supported my journey with inspiration, enthusiasm and great care. When you find the people who are genuinely happy and supportive of your own happiness, and will do everything possible to see you through every opportunity to attain it – you know that you are truly blessed. One asked me if there would be a ceremony to honor Pop on the trip, and that’s when that seed was planted. One generously booked my flights with her buddy pass. And one was my driver to and from the airport (actually, she sent her hubby on the homebound trip, which was a nice surprise). Also, my brother came up to care for Mom, and they both delighted in having each other to themselves for a few days. And of course, my friend and her wife graciously made room for me on their previously scheduled journey. The Universe clearly conspired to make it happen.

It is not every friend who chooses a partner to whom I feel immediately connected. But finally meeting in person the love of my friend’s life, felt like a homecoming. We are family, and it was written in the stars. These two were blessed to find each other, and I feel blessed to bear witness. They carried me with them on an adventure and held space for the surprising emotions that would rise and the magick that would be revealed. I am grateful.

I flew into their hometown and we loaded up the RV (christened The Honey Pot) with provisions and two golden retrievers, then drove eastbound toward the Cape (Cod, that is). In North Truro and PTown, we met up with several of their friends, many of whom were meeting in person for the first time. Each were warm, welcoming beings who made me feel included despite this being my first introduction. They have built a caring, mindful, loving community through social media, and this technology reminds me of the harm it has caused, but also the beauty of connection it has delivered. Like we humans, the internet holds both darkness and light.

Provincetown, to me, was a mixed bag. I seem to have lost interest in shopping since having chosen to live more simply. Mostly, I was delighted by the people watching. In this beautiful place, people feel safe to be authentic. Nothing fills my soul more than seeing individuals express their true nature with confidence and acceptance. Our society’s insistence on conformity is confounding. I would rather die than be subjected to a world filled with sameness. When you find yourself surrounded by a community that has left behind the places that punished them for their truth, you cannot help but feel overwhelmed by the joy of their expressive realness.

We were in PTown for Dad’s death anniversary (July 17), and found a delightful outdoor spot for lunch. As I was looking into the eyes of my dear friend with gratitude to be sharing her birthday with her, I suddenly burst into tears. I’d been told how grief sneaks up on you when you least expect it, and there it was. As she comforted me, my friend glanced at her phone and said aloud, “It’s 2:02. Pop is here.” And we knew it was true. It was the exact moment, one year ago, that his heart stopped. My angel number. When I see it, I know he is near.

Later that afternoon, one of the kind and generous souls in their group swung by the campground to pick us up. As we drove to the beach where we would gather and bounce upon salty waves, the radio did that thing it does. The night before we let Dad go, I set up his tablet to play music he enjoyed. I had asked him to find a way to communicate with me in ways I could understand. As I questioned whether he was ready to go and if I was being true to his wishes, he played three songs for me. The first one was the same as what came over the car radio… Sailing by Christopher Cross. The line that stood out to me on that difficult night at his bedside was, “Soon I will be free.”

The next day, we packed up the RV and made our way to the place I had most anticipated. Twenty years before his death, my father showed up for me. I had asked him to write down stories from his life that I could have when he was gone. Mom had reported that he had been honoring my request, and though I knew they were out there somewhere, I waited until he was gone to find them and read them. My brother found them last Thanksgiving (our first without Pop), and I shared one story per day with my friends and family on FB.

This is the story he left, that inspired this sojourn… from Bill Baker’s Memoirs for Melissa

From the Family Archive – Bakers by the Shore

“One of Dad’s customers owed him a couple of hundred dollars during the war years and signed over the deed to a “summer cottage” in Humarock, close to Scituate near Cape Cod.  It was a little box of a place on an island between a river and the Atlantic with a bedroom, kitchen, half-bathroom, living/dining room, and a little porch.  No electricity.  No bath or shower. Icebox. Gas stove. No heat, no A/C. Loft above the bedroom and bathroom space for 2 kids to sleep. Ladder to pull down and climb up to go to bed. Comic books for color entertainment. (Dad had a customer who did PR for a bunch of Buster Brown shoe stores and he would bring Dad all the comics as he replaced them each month). We would go there when school was out (The House in East Milton, and later the big house on Elliot St would boil in the summer (No A/C remember), and stay until the weekend before Labor Day when school started in the fall.

     I remember one night at the beach, the air raid marshal knocked on the door to tell us our lights were showing through the black curtains every window had. He was afraid the light could be seen by a submarine out in the ocean. Beth and I turned out the light in our upstairs bedroom and went to sleep. The next day, I was running along the sand dunes on the ocean side, and when I jumped over the top, down into a little depression, I was surprised by a huge German shepherd and a coast guardsman watching over a big machine gun.  He was there to keep Germans from coming ashore from submarines. I stayed away from the dunes after dark for the rest of the war.”

I had reached out to one of Dad’s cousins who still lives up north, and her eldest sister reflected warmly on those years, visiting her cousins on the beach. She was able to give me a better idea of where they spent their summers. The cottage was to the right after crossing the bridge, and on the river side, rather than the ocean side.

My friends and I left the RV in a parking spot at the bridge’s edge and walked past where my Dad and his brothers fished when they were kids, and out to the oceanside beach. I read Pop’s words above and offered a cup of his ashes to the waves in which he once played. A gentle rain began to fall. Then, we walked over to the riverside. I didn’t have an address for their cottage and imagined it would have been replaced by something more modern. We turned at the fire station and walked by the first house from the bridge to a public area with access to the river. My friend and I each offered what was left of Pop’s cremains to the water, rock, and mud of another area I was sure had carried his small feet, once upon a time.

I didn’t take many pictures but captured videos to share with family. The three of us then popped into the Irish Pub on the corner, between the ocean and river for a late lunch. I met a man named Don sitting at the bar as I passed to wash my hands. I told him the story my father had shared and he assured me that my grandparents’ cottage was still there. He’d been living there for 65 years and knew that if a house had changed, it was never torn down, but added to. Maybe someday I’ll learn the address and visit once more. Don also let me know that the restaurant we were in would have been the post office and a small general store during World War II, so my father would surely have been there, as well. When I sat down at the table with my friends, I looked at my phone. It was 2:02.

After lunch, my friend wanted to stop in the gift shop across the street. To be honest, I’m not really a shopper anymore. But I was happy to pop in with my sweet friend who helped manifest this moment for me. The first row to the left offered shirts and sweatshirts branded for this beach. As I stepped around to the next aisle, I found a carousel of jewelry. There were two necklaces at the top that faced me, one was an arrow (a significant symbol in my life), and the other was a name… Melissa. You can poo-poo synchronicity all you want, but I know for sure that magick was afoot. Pop was present, as always.

My friend purchased a souvenir for each of us, and as she checked out I told my Dad’s story to the clerk. She said there was a local historian I would love to talk to, and said he had even written a book about the history of Humarock. I felt compelled to purchase a copy to take home to Mom and share with Dad’s siblings. I later handed it to Mom, and she said that Dad would have loved it. I said, “I know! He made me buy it!”

We would have loved to linger in that sacred place, but we had a long journey home and I had a flight to catch the next morning. I felt so blessed to have walked in my father’s footsteps with my darling friend and her beloved. It was a moment filled with a history, a present, and a future of the manifestation of true love. My grandparents’ love for each other brought into this world my father and his siblings who spent their summers in this place of beauty. My parents’ love for each other brought my brother and me into this world, and the love that my friend found by divine providence brought us three together on this pilgrimage. And though my father is no longer physically in this world, his love and our love will continue to resonate and grow for all time. Like the restaurant that once was a post office, it may change but it never goes away.

View from the Honey Pot (RV) – Long and Thankful Journey Home

Thanks for showing up, Pop. You know that’s my love language, and you never let me down. Keep sending me the signs. I’ll wait right here.

Thank you for walking this path with me. I love knowing you are here.

Rage to Page ~ Our Right to Light

The book I published in April was dedicated to the archetypal feminine in Her form of Goddess of the Underworld. Persephone is both goddess of death and springtime – dark and light. As women (also true of men), we carry this duality within us. We carry light and darkness, joy and sorrow, happiness and rage (just to name a few) which find expression through life experience as we learn and grow.

When my Tribe was birthed at Imbolc of 1994, we each brought into the circle the energy of a specific goddess. I remember moving around the circle to greet and honor each altar, and being astonished by the number of dark goddesses represented. I had to check my notes to see which maiden goddess I identified with at the time. Any guesses? It was Persephone, sacred daughter whose arrival delivers the beauty of blossoms. I’d forgotten that historic morsel of goodness, and it filled me with delight to realize how She has been with me and within me through a 27-year evolution of my soul’s purpose.

I remember feeling a sense of mystery around the dark goddesses. Not quite fearful, but somewhat trepidatious. It was an energy that felt unfamiliar to me at that time in my life. I was 25, and just at the precipice of my becoming – ready to dive into a spiritual journey that would make my life so full, it was beyond my imagining.

I’ve certainly come to understand the dark goddess in an intimate way in the last three decades. She is Hecate, Goddess of the Crossroads; Kali, the destroyer who clears away what no longer serves us; Cerridwen, into whose cauldron we are received and renewed. She is the Crone. She is the wise one who knows all. She is the bringer of death who initiates us all into the mystery of what comes next. I have come to love Her in ways my 25-year old self could not. I had so much to live and learn. She has been the innocent maiden who was violated, and the young mother who was fiercely protective of her young, and now she is a survivor who has seen it all and fears nothing.

Last week’s news from the Supreme Court about the horrific overturn of the ruling that has protected the reproductive rights and health safety of women for most of my life, brought that day of rebirth immediately to mind. I will share the truth of my thoughts and emotions to paint a picture of how the dark goddess archetype rises in the soul of a woman who has been betrayed and brutalized by her own countrymen.

She is rising with fierce rage for hard-won freedoms that were stolen in an instant. She is the hunter with her bow, sending arrows flying to take down her oppressors. She is riding on the back of a tiger, with scythe and spear to protect those who will surely come to harm for their careless action.

To be clear, I do not advocate violence. You could say that I am Christ-like, in the way that I believe that all beings are worthy of love and should be treated as such. The way fundamentalist Christians these days fight harder for their right to carry a gun than for the safety and protection of our school children, I wonder what kind of gun they think Jesus would carry. I’m not Christian, but it is my impression that he would rather die than bring harm to another sacred soul. That is how I feel. If it is my time to die, I will go. I will not dim my light through fear and violence.

However, when I heard that on the same day this despised court (currently at a 25% approval rating) removed the federal protection of our right to not give birth, they affirmed the right for us to carry concealed firearms, I thought… GOOD! With this news and the ludicrous ‘Stand Your Ground’ law that freed the murderer of Trayvon Martin, now, women can carry a pistol, and when a Republican man comes anywhere near her, she can shoot him in the testicles because she feels unsafe and threatened by his presence in her personal space. After all, any pregnancy has the potential to kill a woman. That is the bottom line. How dare anyone force that possible outcome on any sacred being! She must only go there by CHOICE!

As they removed our right to privacy (still confused why HIPPA laws don’t protect the privacy of patients and doctors for ALL healthcare and medical procedures), I thought, COOL! No more privacy. Now women can learn a man has issues getting it up, and decide not to swipe right! Better yet, she can choose only men who have verifiably been snipped. Vasectomies prevent abortion nearly 100% – it’s better than birth control!

When the news broke, I received a text from a friend who could not stop crying. She was angry, sad, scared, and she wondered if I also wanted to burn the patriarchy to the ground. Well… yes. Always. I do.

With the news of what we have lost, I immediately thought of the many times I have held space for the darkness of others. Were it not for Roe V Wade, someone I love would have been forced to give birth at the age of 11. So courageous was she, to survive and continue to thrive after a horrific beginning of sexual abuse… how different it might have been had there been no other option but for this child to give birth to a child. She called me, as well. She saw the news while in a meeting, and later puked up black bile. We cried together as she drove home. She gave me permission to speak her truth. It must be known what has been stolen. Republicans must know what horrors to which they have condemned our girls.

My favorite tomboy and I already had plans to meet after work. When she entered my home, we hugged each other longer than usual. We met in kindergarten, and share a similar world view. We both felt the horror of what was to come in 2016, when the US election became an abomination. Any intuitive being on the planet could see what was to come. We felt it. We marched for it. We cried about the probable future. That future is now. We are still crying. But not for long. The dark goddess is rising.

The next morning I prepared for my weekly call with my Sacred Gardeners. I pulled two oracle cards as a kind of meditation to begin our call and end it. The cards are inevitably perfect for setting the stage for deep conversation and holding space. They were exactly what we needed to hear in this moment. The first from Alana Fairchild’s Sacred Rebels Oracle and the other from her Rumi Oracle.

From Sacred Rebels we drew, RELAX THE HOLD OF DARKNESS AND BE AT CAUSE. An excerpt: “If the sacred rebel is not awakened, we will continue to live in a culture drenched in fear and distrust of nature. Those without awakened hearts don’t yet understand what nature knows – she knows timing, she knows life and death, she knows the creative process, she just knows – and can be trusted to support us, her own creations, in becoming all that we can become.”

From Rumi we drew, SACRED SOUL SISTER. An excerpt: “No matter how out of control life may seem, she’s letting you know all is proceeding just as it should and that her will shall manifest. Her will is your wholeness, your completion. Her will must manifest and shall, because her will is nature. It is growth. It is God. She is God, in you, now. Remember that and you’ll realize (f you don’t mind the ending being told before the last chapter) that everything’s going to be okay….”

As we each checked-in, after grounding and centering in sacred space, we shared in brave space how we were experiencing the heartbreaking news of the day before. Those present were no longer threatened by the possibility of unwanted pregnancy, and yet, we all carried the same weight of sorrow and rage.

I was profoundly affected by the testimony of one of my sacred gardeners, who at 86 with severe vascular dementia, has long been my personal hero. She and her wife, long before I met them, were extremely active in the National Organization for Women (NOW). She reminded us that when she was born, women had gained the right to vote, but were still living limited lives. She can’t remember what she has spoken moments ago, but she remembers growing up during World War II, and how women stepped up to fill the needs of a country at war, as men left to serve overseas. She witnessed women stepping into their power and then the expectation they should simply give it back when the war came to an end.

It took my breath away to acknowledge that she was among those who fought for my right to choose my personal autonomy over the expectations of others, and that she may not live to see that right returned to her daughter and great-granddaughters, and all other girls and women for whom she marched, and fought, and served in her lifetime.

When I served in clinic defense with other warrior women (and a few men) in the 1990s, I met a woman who had three children on three different forms of birth control. She was there to protect and serve the girls and women who were choosing a different path than the alternative outcome of unwanted pregnancy. I was reminded that I was an IUD baby. What I know for sure is that if my mother had chosen to end that pregnancy that she and my father had not planned, it would have been the right choice. Every argument against a woman’s right to choose her own autonomy is wrong. Period. The End.

The US has been on this trajectory of destroying women’s freedom since the Reagan era. If you listen to the words he used to manipulate the masses, they were filled with false rhetoric to build on the fears of those who carry a lack-mentality. They bought the lies that would take us further from caring for one another because they were certain there was not enough for them.

In recent years, I found myself stepping carefully through the field of terminology. When a former roommate became defensive when I posted a meme of gratitude for having not become more conservative, he wanted me to understand he had not voted for tRump, but that he voted against Hillary Clinton on a third party candidate. I decided I would refer to the ‘GOP’, instead of ‘Republicans’ to differentiate those who were elected and those who were supportive of enabling an admitted sexual predator, domestic bully and terrorist from those who were decidedly not liberal Democrats.

From this point forward, I no longer care to be cautious with my words. The truth, in my lifetime, has always been that the Republican party stands on a platform that is solely committed to destroying the protection of women’s reproductive healthcare, removing affordable healthcare from those who need it most, enabling domestic terrorism through unrestricted rights to carry weapons of mass violence, murder, and destruction, removing the rights and protections of LGBTQ+ American citizens, and filling their pockets while stepping over those who lack the privilege they possess and ensure.

If you are reading this and are offended by the way that others see you, I challenge you to take a good long look at the truth of the party to which you have sold your soul. If you say that you don’t agree with what I’ve written, but that you are fiscally conservative, and therefore a Republican… you are lying to yourself… and you deserve better. Every Republican administration in my lifetime has blown the national debt to oblivion, while the Democrat administrations have reduced or even completely resolved them (Clinton left us with a surplus – immediately destroyed by Bush).

Any vote for a Republican, from this point forward (as ever), is a vote for the murder of women and children (either by forced pregnancy, life-threatening despair, or gun violence). One must come to terms with the internalized patriarchy and misogyny that leads one to be able to sleep at night knowing what horrors you have enabled.

Women and girls will die from ectopic pregnancies or naturally failed pregnancies that become septic. You will say that you are protecting the souls of the unborn, but that is a lie, too. The soul arrives with the first breath, not with the dividing of cells (affirmed in your Bible, as well as by psychic mediums and channels). More children will be born into poverty, a burden, and unwanted. These will be the ones who carry their ‘God-given’ guns you protected into school rooms to murder the children who were wanted, cherished, and chosen. You will not support these burdened women and girls, nor the children they were forced to bear. You will vote against their welfare, their living wages, and their physical and mental healthcare. You will not choose to become a foster or adoptive parent. You will blame the women and girls for the rising crime rates, too. Your religious beliefs will never be valid as long as you are voting Republican, for there is nothing Christ-like about that party. Please, prove me wrong.

If you are of the mind that minorities are becoming a majority, and that feels frightening to you, I hope you have figured out that white women of privilege will have the ability to travel for the requirement of their autonomy (paid for by married politicians, no doubt). You are, therefore, celebrating at the loss of Roe, a future that ensures you will be in the minority sooner rather than later. Personally, I can’t wait. The reason you fear being a minority is that you might be treated the way you have treated others. May your karmic reward be made manifest!

Sooo…. that was an example of channeling the dark goddess. I won’t take it back. I will, however, find my own balance that mingles with light. I will honor the rage and horror while nurturing the love and light that harkens the arrival of a new age.

The eyes of the world are watching what happens next. Mid-term elections have been fortified by this SCOTUS decision. The intuitive way-showers I follow assure us that this moment in our history is a catalyst. Fundamentalism and Fascism have partnered for American destruction of democracy and fundamental freedom. This moment has revealed the shadows hidden by darkness and all is illuminated. Women in the US have been living in the illusion of equality, when it was far from reality. That is going to change! We became complacent, taking for granted the hard-won right to vote has brought us to the brink of losing it, along with others. For now, we still have a right to light.

You brought the darkness. We have lit our torches. The light is returning.
Prepare to Burn!

There is Magick All Around You

I wonder how often the dreams of others actually come true. I don’t mean the random kind, like a young girl dreams of her distant future wedding day, but the kind that was so specific that it seemed impossible. I am not referring to the kind of dream that one manifests through hard work, like saving money to take a trip or buy a car. I mean the kind of thing imagined in youth, but never even contemplating placing on a manifestation board because it seems so unlikely that you’ve decided to dream of things more feasible.

Last week, it happened to me! I’m still processing it all, and my gratitude to those involved is impossible to express.

The dream was planted in 1986. I was in my final year of high school. I discovered the second recording of a concert. The first Stevie Nicks concert I saw was in 1982 on HBO. I was 14 and immediately fell in love. The next big event was Stevie Nicks – Live at Red Rocks four years later. I can’t recall if it aired on television or if we rented it from our local Video Village on VHS (pre-Blockbuster). What I can tell you is that I eventually owned it on VHS and later on DVD. It was THAT important.

I’m really not a crazy fan girl (well… maybe I am. I’ve seen her with and without Fleetwood Mac several times). But this woman does play a significant role in the spiritual journey of my life. I had heard the rumor in high school that Stevie was a witch. When I asked my brother about it, he said that she was a witch to Wicca as a Catholic is to Christianity. At the time, the only thing I could find in the library on the subject was in an encyclopedia. I made a copy of the pages and tucked it away. What I found in those pages didn’t draw me in, but I remained curious and open. My mom was paying attention (as always).

In February 1992, my mom signed us up for a women’s workshop at the Unitarian Church for a weekend emersion in neo-paganism with Margot Adler. A few weeks later, she signed us up for a 6-month class on Wicca (mom moved on when she knew I was not getting involved with a cult). Whether or not this was indeed her spiritual path, Stevie had influenced my life in a significant way. In that workshop and in the class that followed, I found my people. My life was forever changed for the better. There’s more synchronicity to unveil, but I think I’ll keep my visions to myself. (wink)

At the end of 1993, I called together a group of new friends, and we birthed our goddess group. Each of us at the beginning of a new path, we dedicated ourselves to exploring devotion, mindfulness, meditation, and spiritual growth, and to nurturing and celebrating the rites of passage through which we would each pass. Over time, my goddesses moved away or moved on, but we have never lost the deep connection that we chose to weave with one another. There is a deep, abiding love between this Tribe of beautiful beings. The magick circles we cast in our youth remain in the ether, and when anyone is in need – we simply step in and place them at center.

On April 29, I woke up before being ready to climb out of bed. I scrolled through Facebook and was reminded of my Tribe Sister’s birthday. Moments later, the phone rang to reveal her voice. “Happy birthday, birthday girl!”, I said. She laughed, the way she does which ignites my heart. She then proceeded to tell me that her husband gave her a birthday gift that she wanted to share with me. Can you guess what it was? Here’s a hint. My Tribe Sister lives in Colorado.

Prior to this call, I had been working on a plan with my favorite tomboy (my buddy since kindergarten) to take a road trip. It was slightly complicated by the difficulty of leaving my mom on her own for several days. But everything had finally fallen into place with our plan for escape. We would drive up to Georgia for a surprise birthday party for her mother-in-law, then stay a couple of nights with the boss who raised me, spend a day in our favorite art city, Savannah, spend one night on the beach with a friend and former colleague, then head home.

The problem was that the gracious invitation I had just received fell into that timeline. Now, I have responsibility in my top five strengths, so when I make a commitment, I keep it! My favorite tomboy knows this. So, I texted her to tell her about the call I’d received, and I was working through my mind a way to do both. When I told her that I was being given the once in a lifetime, dream-come-true opportunity to see Stevie Nicks, Live at Red Rocks, her reply was… that I must go.

At this point, my heart was already overwhelmed. My immediate thought about receiving this much goodness all at once was to wonder if I had done enough to deserve it. Could this really be happening? One dear friend had offered me a gift, and another dear friend offered me forgiveness, encouragement, and support. Meanwhile, as I began to figure out how to get there, a third dear friend arrived to make it happen. She is a flight attendant who just so happened to be flying to Denver two days before the big event (only 12 days away, at this point). She booked my flights and would hold my hand (figuratively) there and back again.

Now, the reason my lifelong friend and I were planning that road trip was that her husband was too stubborn to go (one of them would need to stay home to care for their pets and he tends to feel he is the better choice). When she told him she would be going alone, he changed his mind. He didn’t want her to drive that far, so he would go instead. This, my friends, was the big arrival of another gift. We knew that the Universe had conspired to, not only make my dream come true but to do the same for one momma whose only birthday wish was to see both of her sons. Don’t you just love the way magick happens?

I don’t think I immediately realized the power of this moment. It slowly dawned on me as I was processing the overwhelming sense of being loved and held by those who were rising up to make it possible for me, that I had held onto this impossible dream for 36 years. I was afraid to share it with others, because so much could go wrong, and loved ones would be forced to witness my disappointment. But those with whom I did share, each celebrated with me. There’s nothing like that feeling of genuine joy expressed by others as they witness your own dreams coming to fruition. Even my mom, who had seemed a little hesitant about my absence for our planned road trip, was delighted by seeing me get to have time with a Tribe Sister I rarely see and for the two of us to share this experience. This time, she worried that I wasn’t going to stay longer.

I had this strange sense of what that love coming at me felt like. I pictured a door. It was open, but there was a brick – not propping it open, but keeping it from flying all the way open. You know, intending to keep too much from entering. I’ve had this sense recently that when we protect ourselves from being disappointed or betrayed, we are not only keeping harm out, but also love.

When I experienced that sense of love flowing toward me, I wondered what it might feel like if I tossed that brick away and threw the door wide open. I still don’t know what receiving that much love all at once would feel like, but I’m open to the possibility. I challenged myself and my Sacred Gardeners to experiment with that visualization – and I hope you’ll join us!

Each morning, picture a door that is pleasing to your senses. Is it a wooden garden gate, or a door similar to your own front door? Feel the skeleton key in your hand and see yourself place that key into the keyhole of that door. Then turn the key, the knob, and finally throw that door wide open. Don’t be hesitant with worry about what may be found on the other side. Just push it with all of your strength and stand with your arms wide open to say, “Here I am love! Come and get me! I am open to receive.”

This was the first time I would travel by air since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of people lined up for the TSA security check at the airport was kind of terrifying. There were so many unmasked people, I hoped that being quadruple vaxxed and double-masked would keep me safe. After all, my body looks like those who end up on ventilators. I thought about calling my brother with instructions on caring for mom, should I not make it back.

But all went well. I was reminded of the way I chose to travel overseas many years ago, not as a tourist but as a pilgrim. When on pilgrimage, it is about the journey and what magick is allowed to happen along the way. It is never about hurried timelines or holding onto rigid plans. So, when my dear one informed me the flight was oversold and I may not have a seat, I repeated my little prayer, “Thank you in advance, dear angels, for getting me there and back again with grace and ease.” When I was handed my seat assignment, I said three ‘thank yous’, to the gate attendant, to my sweet friend, and to that unseen force that always wants the very best for us.

It was so cool to witness my lifelong friend on the job and to experience a moment in the life of a flight attendant. I stayed the night in her hotel room, where my Tribe Sister fetched me the next morning. One of the things that never ceases to amaze me about these deep soul connections, is how easily we fall back into one another’s lives as if no time has passed at all. We may go years without being together in person, and yet, here we are in this moment feeling as if we have never been apart. I’m certain that is because the distance in geography is nothing compared to the closeness of the heart. When you hold a piece of someone’s soul inside of you, you are always together.

A major bonus of our three days together was getting to have a little time with her two kids, my goddess babies, now grown. As the women in my Tribe brought their children into the world, I always felt it a blessing to bear witness in one way or another. Being childless and single for most of my life with a soul-purpose of being of service, has left me feeling more like an observer in life. I have watched friends fall in love, get married, have children, and live fully committed lives while holding space from a distance. When the legacy of my loved ones seem to hold me close, I guess it makes me feel included. It surprises me every time. I will never take it for granted.

On May 11, we woke with anticipation of the day ahead. We headed through the mountains to Golden, where we had lunch and enjoyed popping in and out of shops (something I’ve not done for as long as I’ve not flown). Before we got back into the car to drive to Red Rocks, we stopped for a couple of iced beverages to keep us refreshed for the three hours we would wait in the parking lot. Being a Florida girl, I grabbed napkins for the inevitable condensation and was shocked when my Tribe Sister declined. She said that condensation doesn’t exist in Colorado. Nope! Unbelievable. I could not comprehend this idea. I kept my napkins close. I did not need them! I’m still a little WOWed by that discovery. I never imagined it to be a thing – no condensation on an icy cup! I wonder what other wonders await.

I’d been to Red Rocks Amphitheater as a tourist many years before. It was in the afternoon and there were no events happening at the time. I had imagined at that point what it might feel like to experience a musical performance while seated within this glorious lap of Mother Nature. As I ascended and descended the earthy red structure, I heard in my mind and spoke aloud the words from that well-watched video from 1986 – “Thank you, Red Rocks, Colorado!” This danced through my memories as we sat in camp chairs within the shade of the car to watch people lining up to ascend a long and winding ramp to the entry point. I sipped from my amazingly dry cup of iced chai, and enjoyed the view.

When the invitation first arrived, the weather forecast was cold and rainy. By the time my flights were reserved, things had changed and 90 degree weather was expected. On the day of the event, however, everything was perfect. It was a cool and sunny day with a delightful breeze. I carried a sweater for when the sun went down, but it was never needed. It turned out to be a perfect day.

We decided to take the shuttle up to the entry point. I would call it the top, but it was actually the stage level with 38 rows to climb, for us. That may not sound like a grand challenge, but when you live at sea level, already being a mile high means that your lungs are extra challenged by even a few steps upward. I could feel the lack of oxygen in my lungs for a while after we settled into our seats.

I recognized immediately our good fortune. The 38th row may not sound like a big win at a concert of someone you adore, but in the case of this venue, a great deal would be lost to be closer to the stage. From our center of the row location, we could see the stage clearly, but also everything that surrounds it and that which lay beyond it. As darkness fell, the lights of the city on the horizon danced above the stage like an intentional light show. It was stunning.

Stevie had asked her friend and mentee, Vanessa Carlton, to open for her. They had both been in serious lockdown throughout the pandemic, and this was the beginning of stepping back into the world they each loved after the extended exile. As Vanessa performed “A Thousand Miles” at the close of her set, we could see her facial expression change as she searched for the words of a forgotten verse. Later, as Stevie twirled into her third or fourth song, she paused. She said that the next song was a surprise… even to her… as her team sorted out the setlist. I had not previously considered the consequence of a performer’s return to the world they were forced to leave behind. It was a joy to see them find their way back to this sacred space.

When Stevie’s opening tune began, my Tribe Sister and I looked at each other through tears. We hugged one another with gratitude for all of it. That we were in this sacred space, on this perfect evening, manifesting-dreams formerly believed impossible, and most of all, that we were together. As overwhelmed as I was by the invitation, she felt the same about my willingness and ability to be there on such short notice. I think that may be one of the most beautiful things in life. To feel so deeply a sense of love and connection with a sacred soul, and to be met with reciprocity – to know without a doubt that someone else holds you in the same beautiful light. Stevie Nicks was amazing, but the light in the eyes of my beloved friend was what made this whole adventure priceless.

Getting to behold an evening of live music with my favorite, favorite of all favorite artists, while being held by the elements of earth, wind, and sky, next to one of my most sacred beings was enormously soul-filling. I hope my swiss-cheese memory never lets a single moment fall through the holes.

Stevie closed the evening with an apology to her audience that her set may not have been as long as it once was, acknowledging she is nearly 74, after all. She also wanted us to know there was nowhere else she’d rather be.

As I sit here in my living room, I imagine myself at 74. I definitely won’t be dancing on a stage in front of nearly 10,000 people. However, if I manage to live that long, I know that I will be deliriously happy to find myself sitting next to any and all of the beings in my life who either helped to make my dream come true or who loved me enough to celebrate this moment in my life as if it were their own triumphant glory. I hope you have friends like mine.

Thank you for walking this path with me. I love knowing you are here. I hope that you are considering the position of the door to your heart and are inspired to throw it wide, while opening to receive the flood of love that is coming for you. May your wildest dreams, even those previously thought impossible, be made manifest with grace, ease, and delightful surprise. What I wish for you most of all, is that you are blessed to have friends who show up for you in that moment to assure you that you deserve this.