Wrapping the Truth in Love
We are hearing from women who are struggling with the big truths facing humanity and our planet. We’re being asked to get comfortable with the mystery and courageously face the truth of what is.
Don’t Lose Faith in Faith
By Kathe Schaaf and Kay Lindahl Next month marks the tenth year since a conversation at the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne sparked the founding of Women of Spirit and Faith. We saw, heard and experienced the voice of the feminine rising in new ways. We found ourselves called to create a space where the spiritual and faith-informed voices of diverse women could be heard and where the power of women’s spiritual leadership could be explored, nurtured and celebrated. We trusted in that impulse and have been guided in ways we could never have imagined. Our name is a reflection of the desire to gather women of faith affiliated with a particular religious tradition and women of spirit who live their spirituality in the [...]
The Women are Coming
In her new book Dear Joan Chittister: Conversations with Women in the Church, the wise Sister Joan tells about sitting in a gathering of people sharing their serious concerns about the challenges facing our country and our world. The general consensus was that things are bad and getting worse. She goes on to relate how one of the young men declared with hope: “You’re all forgetting something. The women are coming.
The Power in the Paradox of it All
In the past five weeks, my father died and my son got married. I had the blessing to sit by Papa's side with my mom and sisters for 10 days as he made his transition at the age of 91. As he was laid to rest, I was awake to both my deep grief at losing him and profound gratitude that I felt complete with my dad, that I was able to tell and show both my parents how much I love them and how deeply I appreciate who they are. I knew my dad loved me beyond words. Each passing day I become more aware of how his love continues to be actively present in my life, how his spirit is still guiding and protecting the people he loves. I am more aware than ever of the spiritual power available in the liminal spaces, the spaces between.
Reflections after Holy Week
Hello to the wonderful women in our WSF community: The past few weeks have been a reminder that there are no quick and simple solutions to the problems that we face on this planet. The release of the redacted Mueller report brought into focus once again how deeply divided our country remains — and reminds us that it is up to us to do the hard political work of mending our broken democracy.
A Rare Opportunity for Southern California on April 4, 2019
For a decade, Women of Spirit and Faith has been following sacred streams of Divine Feminine wisdom in service of this Earth since the beginning of time. This ancient wisdom is an antidote to the toxicity of our times. We are honored to join with our sisters at The Museum of Women to bring renowned international performers Catherine Braslavsky and Joseph Rowe to Southern California. We first heard Catherine and Joseph in the south of France on a pilgrimage in search of Mary Magdalene and knew we were having a lived experience of healing feminine wisdom. Coming to us direct from a six-week concert tour in Paris, they will perform their profoundly moving narrative concert weaving ancient texts with haunting global rhythms in service of balancing the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine. The Dream [...]
Reimagining The Women’s March
By Kathe Schaaf and Kay Lindahl In three months, women will gather for the third Women’s March. On January 19, the main march will be held once again in Washington D.C. while cities around the country and the world will join the energy with marches of their own. In the first march on January 21, 2017 at least 3 million women worldwide took part, with some estimates as high as 5 million. So much has happened in the past two years, and for many women it feels like the attacks on the feminine just keep coming. This seems a really important moment to pause and reflect. What is the message that women most need to send to the world? What wisdom do women have to offer in [...]
Finding Healing in the Midst of Chaos
We have heard this all before - a woman stepping forward to tell her story of being sexually assaulted and a powerful man denying the allegations as other men question the integrity of the survivor. At a time when America seems to be wrestling with so many of its own inner demons and with its ugly history of unresolved trauma - this is a complex story for both men and women. The relentlessness with which these kinds of stories keep coming at us is exhausting — and yet it is a precious gift because we are being forced to look at something we have all colluded unconsciously to keep hidden.
An Open Letter to the Women Running in the 2018 Midterm Elections: Leading From Your Deepest Wisdom
Wow. We are awed that there are so many of you and that you are so diverse. We are excited and relieved to see that you are already doing politics differently We feel a sense of urgency now to move beyond old boundaries of political, religious or ideological identity and discover a better way forward together. Your candidacy gives you the opportunity to break out of old paradigms and breathe fresh air into our democratic process. Unfortunately, ‘politics as usual’ does not invite - or even allow - the kind of wisdom we need at this time. The old game is driven by power, money and fear. Imagine the impact if we could expect our political leaders to tell the truth, to be kind and curious and to rebuild our democracy by listening - not just to one another but also to their own inner wisdom and moral guidance.
Encountering Mary Magdalene: A Pilgrimage in Search of our Spiritual Roots
WSF Co-Founders Kathe Schaaf and Kay Lindahl share experiences from their pilgrimage walking in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene in the south of France.