Christmas Contentment

It is almost the end of the year and I could drag out all the old cliche comments about time, christmas, New Year. But I don't want to wish you any of that. If I were to wish you anything at this time of year and at any time of the year it would be contentment. I wish you the warm, lush, peaceful, deep, nurturing, joyous feeling of being content. It is such a rare gift, one that we may only experience at fleeting moments before we move onto the next thing we have to do, be, get, achieve, reach......... There is something to be said for babies and animals who don't try to be anything other than what they are meant to be. Can you pull that feeling of contentment into your being and just relish it in for awhile? That is my invitation and gift to you.

Goddess Gathering

Recently I attended a three day conference on the Gold Coast. It was three days of workshops, chanting, feasting, ceremony, celebration and learning. It was three days of being surrounded by women who honour the Goddess in many ways and who themselves are expressing the Goddess essence. There were women who work with the Divine Feminine energy for a living and many women who just wanted to be able to spend time exploring what this meant for them. It was pretty incredible to be in such a sacred and safe space with so many beautiful women. Not once did I feel an ounce of judgement or competition, comparison or resentment. The Goddess Conference may not be everyone's cup of tea but the 'fragrance' and 'taste' of the experience certainly lingers on.

Dusting off our lethargy

Well how incredible and eerie were the dust storms that hit us. From my verandah I could not see the house in the valley below us. It was suffocating in its intensity. If ever there was a reminder that we are just visitors on this earth and not masters (as we often kid ourselves we are) then the bizarre weather patterns are throwing it in our faces, literally! I guess that we cannot keep taking from Mother Earth and not expect her to give it back in some respect. She will be trying to recreate balance, to heal and we are helpless in the power of her quest to do so. I sat that day and blessed her and gave thanks that I was able to live where I do and have her beauty around me, even in the dust of the air. We become so complacent in our arrogance and in the end that could be our undoing. Time to dust off our lethargy and take a good look at how we can work in conjunction with the earth to create balance and harmony. To be more firmly in the role of custodians, to help us help ourselves!

Home birth blues

I had the pleasure and gift of having home births with both my children, one in WA the other here in Qld. My daughter was fully involved in the process listening to the heart beat, taking my blood pressure etc, listening to midwife and I discussing the progress. Both mid wives were wonderful women who guided and nurtured me before, during and after the birth. Everything about my home birth was beautiful. I was more afraid to go to the hospital even though I would have if advised. They were two of the most empowering experiences in my life. I can't imagine how I would have felt if that choice and experience was taken away from me. This was my body and my baby. I was well prepared and well informed. Both babies were born healthy and well. I know complications can happen, but they can happen in any birth with or without a hospital. I purposely and consciously chose a non medical birth. Presently the Australian government is trying to make it illegal for women to employ a midwife to have at a home birth. It is a $30,000 for the midwife or six years jail. This, to me, brings up all sorts of moral, ethical, spiritual, political questions. Just where does the freedom of choice or lack there of stop? Please support the protest against this discrimination. Go to http://www.homebirthaustralia.org/ to find out more.

Era of Grace

My daughter and I watched some dancers in a hall while waiting for laundry one day. The ladies were elegantly dressed in stockings, heels and even gloves. The men wore ties and genial smiles. The men led, the women followed but both held a strength and a contentment in their roles of the dance. I know that we have a come a long way in terms of women's liberation and the freedom to express ourselves as we need too but there is something graceful about that era. The women are ladies and the men are gentlemen in the truest sense of the world. In the passing of a divine women of 95 that I know, I realised that generation is on the brink of extinction. The days of tea in china cups and saucers, of lace handkerchiefs, of perfect manners and gentle speech, skirts, blouses and cardigans will all disappear one day. I think that the world will be a little less refined without them.

Mother Magic

May is the mother month and one in which we celebrate having and being mothers. Like alot of women, my journey with my mother has not always been fun, respectful or supportive (mainly on my behalf). Nor has my journey with my daughter. The magic of mothers is that of unconditional love and so often those transgressions are forgotten and forgiven and the bond remains. At the risk of sounding cliche, I am so grateful to my mum for who she is and what she has given in that role. I try to emulate that with my own daughter and son. On mother's day it is important to remember the gift we have been given as mothers, and to also honour ourselves for diving into the unknown in trust that our mother essence will be and is enough. To all those women out there who are not mothers or do not have such a loving relationship with their own mothers, you are of the same essence anyway, and therefore deserving of the same honouring. Thank you Mothers of the world for caring and loving, especially in those places and at those times when there is little love and caring to be found. Enjoy your day.

Happy Easter

Yes I know the holiday is fantastic and the choccies aren't too bad either, but I would like to reflect on another aspect of Easter. I do not attend church or belong to a particular religion but the symbolism of Easter is relevent to all of us, regardless. To me it is a message of hope, miracles and renewal, all of which we could do with more of. Hope is like the ember that we hold inside, that lets us know that no matter how 'cold' it may get out there, we have the power of light and warmth within us. Miracles occur everyday in everyday situations. Look at the miracle of a rainbow, the blessings of rain, the unconditional love of a child. And we all need to take the time and responsibility for renewal. Whether it is taking care of ourselves physically, reflecting on and growing from our mistakes, taking that extra care in our relationships, without renewal we whither and stagnate. So while you are kicking back and indulging, send a small thanks for the blessings and joy in life also. Happy Easter!

Goodbye Old Friend

Just recently my old dog Banjo passed away. As much as I am glad that he didn't suffer too much and that I didn't have to have him put down, I miss him terribly. He has been a part of my life for 15 years, and a very comforting part at that. The morning walks and home comings are not quite the same. Our pets become such an integral part of the family's fabric, that when they go, it creates a hole. Interestingly we got Banjo when I was eight months pregnant with my son, and he passed away on my son's birthday. So to all of you who have lost a pet, my condolences and to all of you who have pets, enjoy them. RIP my friend, thank you for the years of companionship and love.

Loss and Hope

With everything that has been happening with the bush fires, it really got me thinking about loss. People there not only lost their homes and livelihoods, but family, memories, pasts and futures. Loss is such an inevitable part of our lives. We fight and resist it. We deny and repel it. The Buddhists believe all of life is suffering, and certainly there seems to be a lot of that in the world. But it is amazing how the human spirit will pick up and move on, even if we don't want to, finding great strength in places that were not evident before, drawing the collective energies of grief to plant the seeds of hope. Once we have cried our tears, cried out in anger, cried the voice of despair we have only hope left. It is the hope of new beginnings, of finding some beauty and joy in the ashes, that causes us to wearily and warily stand and take the first tentative step toward a new future and new memories. My heart goes out to all those people in the South and the North and my fervent wish for you is HOPE.

February is the 'heart month' and I would like to say thank you with all my heart to the wonderful women in business who have joined the Spirited Women's Network business directory. I am absolutely blown away by the sheer diversity and talent of the women involved. Every time I receive a photo of one of these women I am struck by the warmth and beauty emanating from the photo. If you are requiring any of the services provided by these women then you are in for a treat. I am also heartened by the number of women who are in the business of 'personal and spiritual' development. Being a life coach myself, I am aware of the shift in many women who are seeking to better to know themselves and their place in the world. So again I state, listen to your heart's desire and express it with the help of mind's practicalities. It is so easy for women to get left behind in the many roles we take on. It is my wish that through Spirited Women's Network you can connect with those women who will support you in creating and rejoicing in a life worth living.

Sisterhood

I watched "The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants" with my daughter the other day and although it had a typical and predictable American slant, there was that core truth about the magic that occurs when women join together. The pure potentiality of sisterhood. What is it that weaves the connectedness, that strengthens the fabric and colours the tapestry of the relationships between women? Perhaps it is something as simple as our common cycle, our ability to create life or our innate desire to support and nurture. Though there is the energy that generates when we share our laughter, our tears, our experiences. The sisterhood - in its myriad of combinations and expressions - is a gift. Without it we are bereft and adrift, with it we are blessed. How many times have we survived trauma, heartache, change only because our sisters have stood beside us? In this month's feature story on Spirited Women's Network we learn about the 'Sacred Sister Retreats'. It seems that more and more we need to unite in our goals and dreams as women for ourselves and the planet. So rejoice with those women who are part of your circle and give thanks that they are there.