As we live through the heart-breaking experience of breakdown, many of us are praying for the breakthroughs. As we witness shocking hatred and violence in our communities, many of us are also witnessing the love and compassion, resilience and courage rising up. As we grieve, we are more keenly aware of the beauty and wonder all around us.
In the past month, we had the opportunity to celebrate two milestone birthdays in our core circle - a 50th birthday ceremony in the redwoods of Sonoma County and an 80th birthday Sacred Blessing Circle on Zoom. Our amazing Erin Erickson crafted personalized Birthday Blessings to the 7 Directions for each of these gatherings -- and shared profound wisdom when she observed that "vulnerability and strength are not opposites but allies." In the extreme vulnerability of these in-between times, it is important to remember that our deepest sorrow and grief are actually intricately intertwined with our greatest strengths. It is only because we are so strong that we can allow ourselves to feel genuine empathy and compassion for all of Life; it is only by being more open, more authentic, more vulnerable that we develop more strength.
by Kathe Schaaf In the Northern Hemisphere, we will experience the Spring Equinox early on the morning of March 20. The Celtic people celebrated this day as a transition to adulthood, a day to re-dedicate ourselves to our true calling. Their wisdom for this day is 'We give ourselves to the path that has chosen us." The power of this Equinox is magnified because it sits parked between a lunar eclipse on March 14 and a solar eclipse on March 29. The energy of a lunar eclipse allows us to acknowledge endings and closure. We are invited to explore questions like: What is 'over' in my life? Where have I been a victim? What am I being asked to release? And the solar eclipse invites us Read More...
As we approach the Winter Solstice, many of us are feeling a profound ‘disturbance in the force’ to quote Obi-Wan Kenobi. We are watching the old structures that we have relied upon for our entire lives crumbling to dust before our eyes and, at the same time, we are rather urgently scanning the horizon for some small signs of a new world taking shape. We see more forces of hatred and violence afoot in the world and yet we also feel the frequency of love growing stronger in the hearts of hundreds of millions around the world.
A Rare Opportunity to be in Ceremony with Diane Kahontakwas Longboat Saturday July 20, 2024, 1 - 4 pm. Women of Spirit and Faith is thrilled to once again host an in-person sacred circle. At this time of great challenge and change, transformation and resistance, it is essential for women to remember how to nurture our personal and collective spiritual resilience. Together in sacred circle we practice transparency, speaking from our hearts and deep listening to access the feminine wisdom needed now. We are deeply honored to welcome Diane Kahantakwas Longboat to lead us in sacred ceremony followed by integration and deepening in sacred circles.
In the past few months, much has happened in the world that is heart-breaking and heavy. We hear from women every day who are struggling to maintain hope, to stay focused on the light, to believe that humanity will ever turn toward love. Many of us feel that the frequency of love is rising in millions of people around the world - and yet humanity seems determined to keep taking one giant step backward after another. We know of thousands, maybe millions of groups and organizations who are working in creative ways to build a better world - and yet all forms of media primarily broadcast stories of fear and suffering. We feel in our bones that there is a better way of being and doing Read More...
[Art created by Alison Fast.] by Kathe Schaaf The patriarchs are feeling confident that our spirits must surely be broken, as they have been so many times before when men came for us to burn away our power and our sacred wisdom. They came for us once again, with the authority of the highest court in the land and we did not rise up too loudly. We did not swarm the streets by the millions as we did not too long ago, rivers and seas and oceans of pink-hatted women. I am sure that was a little alarming to the old white men, especially as those images on our little phones, broadcasting that particular shared frequency of power, inspired and electrified others far beyond those Read More...
Another season is rolling around. The moon grows full and then recedes. The tides rise and fall. New life is born onto this planet as loved ones pass away. And so it has been forever. As this particular Summer Solstice approaches, these timeless rhythms of Mother Earth offer some comfort while so much in the human family seems to be falling apart. We hear from wise, intuitive women every day who are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of pain and grief afoot in this world, who are seeking solace and consolation. It is a challenging time to be an empathic human being; it remains, as it has always been, even more challenging to be a female human in this patriarchal world determined to silence the Read More...
I am watching the people in my world emerge from the isolation and trauma of our long dance with COVID. They are eating in our local restaurants and shopping along our sunny streets. They are reconnecting with old friends and taking picture of their kids all dressed up for winter formal and celebrating milestones once again. They are smiling and laughing with genuine joy. There is a feeling of relief that is palpable, a collective exhale.
As we approach the Mid-Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, we invite you to reflect upon the eternal dance between the Light and the Dark. In this liminal space, we have the opportunity to join a long lineage of ancestors who have celebrated at this same exact time each year. We can learn from the wisdom of the past, a time when humans understood more clearly our tiny part in the cosmic web of life, and the necessity of honoring the Earth and all life. Such ancient traditions feel even more important at this challenging moment in human history. We live in a world of uncertainty and confusion at a time when voices of negativity and conflict can sometimes seem to be drowning out the messages of light and love and hope; when Read More...
