Generally speaking, our society is suffering from nature deficiency. Our addiction to high technology, materialism and social success are keeping us indoors and distracting us from what is real – our multidimensional and sensual natural world.  And we’ve forgotten who we are at the deepest level; a unique creation in the grand scheme of nature itself. We ceased to realize that the natural world is the real world and that our personal world exists only in our head. We think we’re ‘evolved,’ ‘sophisticated,’ and ‘civilized,’ yet so many of us feel empty, depressed and devoid of life’s meaning. 

I believe the panacea for the world’s malaise and the most vital action for human evolution is to devolve and reawaking our primal reverence for nature. By observing life with the sanctity our ancestors once had, we can advance humanity and become a species of greater joy and harmony. By devolving, we gain proper perspective of who we are and how we fit in the grand scheme of life, and thus rendering us happier, healthier, more self-loving toward ourselves and others.  Scientific studies prove that time in nature, or just observing nature, can increase positive chemicals in our brain, reduce blood pressure, and generally improve a sense of well-being.

Ancient societies honored terrestrial and celestial gifts. They connected with nature’s heartbeat, not as a practice, but as a way of life, and not only lived by the rivers and on the hillsides, but became one with them and fully experienced their own essence within the macrocosm of natural wonders. They listened for messages in the wind, found strength in the rocks, and obtained healings from etheric realms. Eons ago there was no war, but cooperation among the tribes to thrive and evolve.

Contemporary, devolved humans are appreciative spectators of nature’s phenomenon. Devolving is as easy as expanding our senses and focusing our attention on the simple beauty surrounding us. The opportunities for incremental devolution are endless. At sunrise, imagine you’re part of a Paleolithic celebration among rock monoliths as the sun passes over the pinnacle monument. Upon the sight of gardens and fields, feel the visceral joy of a festival in honor of the goddess of grain. Rather than sit inside of a church or temple on Sundays, gather under a grove of trees to merge with earth’s spirit.

Nature is elemental, energetic and spiritual. A blade of grass isn’t just grass, but a complex creation of chemistry and soul. Space is a constellation-filled sky, as well as a cloud of atoms within a molecule. When we acknowledge the crickets’ nightly orchestra, the trees’ passion to purify and the mountains’ reminders of our diminutive status in the cosmic plan, peace fills our cells and lightens our spirit. 

If you can, go outside tonight and stargaze for a moment and allow yourself to be infused with the peaceful beauty of nature’s wonders.  Let the stardust energy from the billions of sparkling spheres expand your perceptions of your life and the world. Take your place in the celestial field and know that you, too, are a star of perfection.  

Dancing with N.E.D. documents the lives of six surgeons, who by day specialize in gynecological cancers, including ovarian and uterine, and by night perform as a rock and roll band to heighten awareness of the deadliest diseases of women worldwide.  Inspired by their patients, many who struggle for their lives, and named after the three words that their patients crave the most, No Evidence of Disease, N.E.D’s original music expresses the need for public attention and funding for these under-hyped, under-researched women’s diseases.

The film’s award-winning producer, Andrea Kalin of Spark Media, is an activist for social change, whose vision for Dancing with N.E.D. is to circulate the country and the world to inspire participation in eradicating women’s diseases. Her hope, and mine, is that through awareness and partnerships with organizations promoting women’s health and well-being, funds research cures and prevention of GYN diseases will come easily, and that the incidences of the cancers are reduced, and survival rates dramatically increased.

The film will be screened to limited audiences this spring.  I’ll keep you posted.

See more about Dancing with N.E.D. at dancingwithned.com

Childishly calling Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown Law School student who was denied the right to state a case for women at the Congressional contraception hearing, a 'slut' and a 'prostitute,' Limbaugh exemplifies the very myopic way in which church-raised, conservative men perceive women's sexuality - as something that is dirty, evil and sinful.  In their patriarchal eyes, sluts and prostitutes are akin to the devil. In fact, Limbaugh's remark has little to do with a law that requires insurance companies to cover birth control pills, but is an unbridled, negative opinion of women in general. Blatantly disregarding Sandra’s education, her status in the community and an eloquent advocacy for women’s empowerment, he focused on what he believes to be an unsavory aspect of women – that they are sexual creatures who wish to control the timing of their own pregnancies. 

Limbaugh, it’s time for you and all of your misguided conservative cronies to wake up to who women really are, and get used to the idea that we women are rising into a powerful force and accepting our true natures, no matter what names you call us, and no matter how much you try to suppress us.  You may as well learn to love, respect and accept us as the sexy, creative and expressive beings that we are.  

So, I’d like to give you a history lesson, Rush, about how your opinion about women was formed in the first place.  Here we go. 

First of all, women are naturally sexual creatures.  It is women’s nature to dance, move her body, exude a vibration of love, adoration and sensuality. And before patriarchal religions infiltrated our human life and social laws, women’s sexuality was celebrated. Women were considered the vehicle to enlightenment, and men revered female sexual energy. Priestesses represented the Higher Power and through which Goddess gave her blessings, and men approached women in reverence. In some cultures, men sexually united with women in ritual as the ultimate spiritual path to connect with Goddess. 

Once patriarchal religions forced their way into our cultures, sex became sacrilege rather than sacred. Very different definitions were applied to women; sexually active women and priestesses were labeled harlots. Women who expressed sensuality were ostracized and as whores and ‘dirty.’  God-fearing men, who had no tolerance for their expressive behaviors, destroyed them.  (For centuries, Christians called Mary Magdalene, Jesus’ best friend and closest confidant, a ‘prostitute,’ when nowhere in the entire Bible is fact indicated.)  Christian and Jewish laws said that the only safe place a woman could be sexual was within marriage. If a woman was discovered to have had sex prior to or during marriage, she was stoned to death and the man left unharmed, a practice that still endures in some parts of the world. Male god religions trained their people to believe that sex was wrong, bad, shameful. Women were forced to extinguish their sexual fire, and that essential aspect of women was controled by social and religious laws. 

In ancient days, midwives, herbalists and other women managed their birth control with herbs and other practices. But during their Crusade of Witches, sponsored by the Catholic Church in the Medieval era, those women were considered consorts of the devil and were burnt at the stake. In fact, hundreds of thousands of women (some believe millions) who exhibited a broad spectrum of innately feminine talents and expressions, including artistic, intuitive, emotional and sexual, were tortured and put to death. Ancient secrets of women’s health, birth control and spirituality were obliterated.

The patriarchy forbade women to attend school or work outside of the home, let alone practice medicine. Women were to stay home and have children. Men became the doctors.  Herbs were verboten. Without the ancient, traditional birth control methods, women were at the mercy of nature, and many women gave birth to far too many children, rendering far too many mothers emotionally and physically incapacitated, and the men financially overdrawn.

I could go on and on about our history, but let’s fast forward to today.  Here are a few facts about today's contemporary world:

1)  Our culture is changing and patriarchal ways no longer works. The fire inside of women is stoked and we are taking a stand for our sexual lives. We are not going to suppress our natural instincts and our sensual nature.  Women who are able to express their true natures are healthier and happier. We are also smarter about sex. And get this - not every woman who is sexually active is promiscuous! Most women honor their bodies more than you think. 

2)  Women who use birth control are being responsible for their lives.  They know they don’t want children, and they’re intelligent enough to know birth control pills equal no pregnancy, no babies. In fact, you should be happy that women wish to use birth control!

3)  Birth control pills are expensive, at a cost of nearly $60 a month.  For women in any relationship status - married, single, monogamous or polyamorous - this is a lot of money.    So if a woman wants to avoid pregnancy but can’t afford it, shouldn’t we help? Birth control is a lot cheaper than government programs that feed and care for children. Right?   

4)  The abstinence programs in schools didn’t work, and they were expensive.  So just pretend that the funds from those programs are going into birth control programs.

5)  By the way, this law to cover birth control pills helps men, too. In many relationships, men are footing the bill to prevent pregnancy.

6)  Hey, you don’t want women to have abortions, but you don’t want birth control to be assessable, either.  This is a classic example of men wanting to control every aspect of woman’s sexuality and health.

So, Rush, get with the times.  No matter how much the patriarchal conservative posse wants to dominate society and control women, feminine power is on the rise. Calling us names won’t keep us down, and it certainly isn’t doing anything to make you guys look good. It’s time to evolve, Rush, and accept, respect and appreciate the dynamic aspects of women!

Happy New Year, beloveds!

May this be the year when the inhabitants of Earth wake up and learn the benefits of expanded consciousness.  With the absence of judgment, expectation and self-rightousness and the presence of pure love, respect and appreciatiion of all others, human kind will evolve and the planet will flourish!

Will every small step each of us takes in the cultivation of our own consciousness, the vibration of the human collective will rise.  For world peace, be peace. For universal love, be love. For cosmic joy, be joy.

Love and Blissings!!

Meloney

From the start, I became immersed in the beautifully-written adventure of a woman’s self-discovery, facilitated by two men –  her loyal boyfriend and her mystical teacher. Driven by a plethora of zesty, sexy scenes that illustrate the many dimensions of love, I found myself most excited by the exchanges between the main character and her teacher, a master of energetic exchange. Completely engrossed by words I never find in my usual book fare, I clearly envisioned the action, and felt myself enjoying the emotions, passion and magic shared between the characters.  I found myself replacing the main character with me, and as I read about their eye gazing, passionate kisses and intimate connection, I actually experienced it on a visceral level. Throughout my days of reading, I felt the same excitement and energetic boost that I feel when attracted to a living being.  

Which lead me to a great awakening; fantasy is as important as reality. Quantum physics tells us that our thoughts become things, and in my case, my mind’s-eye pictures of a sexy, energetic exchange with a romantic man stimulated a true physical and energetic reaction; my serotonin raised, libido increased, my mood heightened to a joyful level - all of the wonderful things that happen with an attraction to a living human being.

Scientific studies reveal that love and sex help us remain healthy and youthful. I believe we can achieve similar emotional, physical and spiritual benefits through a fantasy beloved as with the real thing.  So if a romantic relationship eludes you, don’t fret – the feelings of love and excitement from a beloved are but a thought away. With or without a romance novel, falling in love with a figment of your imagination will help you feel sexy, healthy and joyfully radiant! 

By the way, the novel that inspired this fantasy talk is A Wicked Awakening by Calinda B.  The ebook is available and highly recommended!!  

     We normally think of sexy as a physical display to attract a sexual partner. But authentic ‘sexy’ is a positive, energetic vibration that emanates from the body and passionately embraces the entire universe and everyone in it as the eternal beloved. Those who come into contact with a sexy person are uplifted into a state of joy and become beacons of a higher vibration themselves, their own luminosity beaming to the next person, until the entire community is infused with a loving and joyful overtone.  

     A sexy woman doesn’t worry about pushup bras and heels. She adorns herself with a smile, an open-heart, non-judgment and full-presence, and establishes a soulful connection with each person she meets. Her genuine charisma turns heads, intrigues and inspires.

     Sexy isn’t a divine gift possessed by only a few special women –  all women have it. ‘It’ is raw, sexual energy, which resides in the pelvis and vagina, which can be boosted into powerful, personal energy and a positive, interpersonal influence with a couple of simple techniques. These techniques were developed centuries ago by Tantric arts practitioners, who discovered that harnessing and guiding one’s own physical energy, particularly sexual energy, will purify the body and prepare it to unite with the divine. The resulting, energetic radiance transcends the physical and encompasses the ethereal, and envelops both the practitioner and those around her with feelings of peace and love.

     For women, techniques include pumping the muscles of the pelvis and vagina to stimulate the energy and using focused breath to distribute it through the body. The following simple exercises, based on these Tantric techniques, provide a fun way for you to fully experience your feminine body, and generate your energy, boost your sexiness and become a heavenly influence on the planet.     

 Squeeze and Release

     This easy vaginal exercise can be performed anytime and anywhere – at work, while driving or talking on the telephone.

     Inhale through the nose to fill lungs. Once full, tightly squeeze the vaginal and anal muscles and hold for 10 seconds. Exhale slowly while gently releasing the muscles until completely relaxed. Wait five seconds, then repeat.

     Perform 10 times total, several times a day.

 Dance with Hip Thrusts and Breath

     Dance to rhythmic music and fully engage the pelvis by thrusting the hips forward and tilting back, moving to the beat.

     When the hips are thrust forward, squeeze the vaginal muscles tightly and exhale saying “ooh,” the sound to stimulate sexual energy. Tilt hips back so that buttocks stick out, inhale through the nose and relax vaginal muscles. Thrust forward again. Continue the thrust and tilt, fully experiencing the movement of your hips. Verbalize “ooh” with each thrust. Rub your hands sensually over your body as you dance. Proceed until you feel sexually aroused.     

     At this time, stand still, inhale through the nose and visualize the energy moving from the vagina into the body. Hold the breath and squeeze vaginal muscles tightly. Hold for as long as is comfortable. Release the breath and relax vaginal muscles. Repeat the breath process six more times.

     Perform several times a week.   

By this time, you may know that the possible shut down of the government was due to the debate of Planned Parenthood, and ultimately the Pro-Choice issue, which continues to be hot topic in the political domaine.  See this article that explains why.

The good news is that Planned Parenthood can continue to support women’s health and women’s rights remain intact. At  the moment. The scary news is that rights of women are challenged every day, as the masculine ideal (held by both men and women), that a woman’s body and personal decisions are matters of the government, rather by the woman, prevail.   

Women have a big lesson to learn:  If we are to maintain control of our body and reproductive rights, we must be responsible for it. While government programs are important to help women, especially those of low socio-economic populations, we must not become dependent on it. We must shift our consciousness from one of dependence and  to one of giving, learning, teaching and empowering all women, of all walks of life to take charge of their own sexual lives and health. This is not an issue of politics, but of women’s empowerment.

How did the government get involved anyway?  Long ago, women ruled their own bodies, and empowered themselves with education and natural resources for birth control and healthcare. With the rise of patriarchal influences in church and politics, woman became the domain of man, who stripped them of their natural practices and traditions, and created laws to keep them in line.  

What would happen if Planned Parenthood was cut?  What if pro-choice becomes outlawed?  What would women do?  It’s time for women to wake up and realize that, while our government has been generous in funding and supporting women’s health and rights, it’s woman’s personal and collective responsibility to take care of themselves.  Modern woman has become lackadaisical and dependant on outside forces to decide for her. Now is the time to make positive changes for womankind, before the governmental makes laws to control our bodies forever.

WOMAN'S SELF-RESPONSIBILITY

Following are a few steps toward feminine self-responsibility. Let’s begin to exercise them immediately.  These are empowering practices for women, no matter what your political perspectives are. Perhaps by our next generation, women will be conscious and responsible with their bodies, and the debate on who presides over women’s reproductive health will be a thing of the past.

Educate our daughters, sisters and all young women 

We are not doing enough to educate our daughters and sisters about their bodies and their sexuality. Too many young women loath their bodies and its functions, and unconsciously engage sexually without insights about the spiritual repercussions. As responsible women, we need to change this. It us up to us, not the government or school system, to teach young women about the power, mystery and beauty of their feminine bodies,  to help them understand the body’s functions, changes, and abilities, and to train them to monitor the cycles of their body and to honor these cycles. 

It is up from us, not Planned Parenthood or any other organization, to teach our daughters not just sex education, but conscious sexuality education, in which the multi-dimensional aspects of intimate union are explained. Let’s share information about the traditions of old, when initiation rituals welcomed women to womanhood, and when men looked to women as the vehicle of enlightenment. It will give our daughters a new perspective of themselves as women, and provide them with a new framework from which to make decisions about their sexuality, which could result in more welcomed pregnancies, and fewer unwanted ones.    

Become a Positive Role Model

Our media is obsessed with misbehaving celebrities, and our televisions and magazines are filled with stories of their latest escapades of Brittany Spears and Lindsay Lohan. This distorts our daughters’ perceptions of what is acceptable behavior. With few positive, female role models in our culture, and it is up to us, as mothers, big sisters and friends, to provide a model of empowering, feminine behavior. We must subjugate the media’s focus on addiction, breaking the law, abusive relationships and unfit mothering with positive actions, such as creative expression, community service and socializing, enterprising activities, and more.  By becoming women who embrace our own natural qualities of creativity, community, nurturance and cyclical natures, we can lead the way for young women to become responsible, self-loving and positive influences on the planet.

Take birth control into our own hands, and learn alternative methods.

Unwanted pregnancy is perhaps the biggest personal and social issue for women in our culture. So with the pill and other birth control methods, why are there still so many unplanned pregnancies?  I believe the reasons vary from lack of discipline, to birth control methods that are unsafe, uncomfortable and complicated.  

As responsible and empowered women, I recommend the exploration of natural birth control to add to our arsenal of self-responsibility.  Pharmaceutical companies aren’t the only resource, herbalists and other natural practitioners broaden our options with education, techniques and natural remedies.

Herbal birth control is practically as old as humankind, and the use of herbs for any healing purpose was driven underground in the Dark Ages of Europe. Today, herbalists are emerging and answering a call for safer and more natural methods of general and sexual health, including pregnancy prevention. Herbs are powerful medicine that, when used with care and following the advice of an herbalist, can support women’s health through all ages of her life, from her fertile years to menopause.

Learning about alternative health methods is empowering, as it adds to our self-responsibility. Two resources are Susan Weed and Sister Zeus.

Rhythm Method and Cervical Mucus Method are two more birth control methods a woman can take into her own hands.  Conscious birth control, coupled with self-discipline, is empowering for women and safe.  Double emphasis on self-discipline.  A cooperative Method Of Natural Birth Control By: Margaret Nofziger  is a good book for reference.

 What if  . . . unwanted Pregnancies

Let’s face it, every day the right to abortion is on a political precipice, with powerful forces trying to take the ‘right to choose’ from all women. Truly, abortion is a much more than a political issue, but one of spiritual and personal values, and whether or not you believe in the right to choose, and whether abortion remains legal or not, women will continue to seek abortion as a method of eliminating unwanted pregnancies. Pro-choice does not mean unwanted pregnancies are to be terminated. It provides an option for unwanted pregnancies. In days of old, women who didn’t want babies terminated their pregnancies through natural means. In many cultures, infanticide – the killing of newborns, often of barbaric means – was, and still is, a common practice, illustrating a measure of desperation of families too poor or unfit for a child. By all measures, abortion, while an unpleasant choice, is a more merciful practice.

With the right to abortion, women have become reliant on abortion clinics, which provide a safe means of termination. But these clinics are not the only option. Two other more natural practices, one which was used for centuries, are available. They include herbs and menstrual extraction. Please note that these are administered by experts, and not to be used in experimentation, as they can be harmful. But they are options that the government can not control.

Menstrual extraction is a non-medical and gentle method of removing a woman’s flow with simple tools by non-medical practitioners. First introduced in the U.S. in the early 1970s, the technique can be learned in a few weeks, with hundreds of women currently performing with rare incidences of infection or complications.   

Herbs, as mentioned earlier, are an age-old remedy for birth control and even termination. See Susan Weed and Sister Zeus.  

Conclusion

Women: let’s become responsible, conscious and healthy.  Yes, we love a government that supports the advancement of women, but by becoming educated, we become empowered to take care of ourselves, no matter what the political climate may be.

  
Go with the Flow and Know When to Stop Pushing a Boulder Up Hill
Karen has been guided to where she is. “I sort of went with the flow and maybe just playing out my destiny.” She believes that if you go with the plan Goddess has for you, it works. If you don’t, you’re challenged in a way that is like rolling the boulder up-hill.  In this case, stop wasting time. “Goddess is saying, ‘this is not where to put your time.’ Often, Goddess's plan might appear as a bump in the road that takes you in a direction that is more authentically your direction.”

“We are here working with our monkey brains and we don’t always know what’s best for us. When you realize you’re not in control, you are actually liberated. Always do your best, but sometimes things go wrong, and when they do, there’s always a lesson or gift in it. Look for it, and don’t dwell on how bad it is.”

Surround Yourself with Supportive People
“When you surround yourself with people who support you, nurture you and believe in you, and who aren’t critical and jealous, you become a blossoming flower. Don’t be with people who use you or who don’t have your best interest at heart. Women, especially, need to learn from each other and support each other.”

Karen credits the support of her husband, Roy, in the completion of her books. Coming home from her day job at 5:00pm and working on her book until 2:00am, Roy helped along the way, taking care of the domestic duties while Karen wrote. “That’s why I dedicated my second book to him.”

Have Faith
Karen is often reminded that Goddess has always taken care of her. “Life is good, with enough money.” She has no pension, yet something in her core assures her everything is going to be alright.  “I’m not sure what that inner knowing is, but I don’t question it. I just keep doing what I’m doing.”

Karen used to work in corporate American, and decided that working in a cubicle or office environment wasn’t for her. And while her current day job as an apartment manager is far below her professional capabilities, it is fairly stress-free and gives her time to think about her work. “It’s a trade off. I’m trading money for experience.” 

Karen cites the work of psychologist Eric Fromm, who theorizes there are two modalities of people – one needs money and things, the other wants to ‘be’ and values experience over money in the bank. Karen is the second type, which is why traveling and doing all the she does is more important to her than money. “That’s the Goddess way – it’s about learning and sharing, not being capitalistic.”
“Once I found Goddess, I experienced personal empowerment. Now it has segued into cultural awareness and politics. Yes, Goddess has helped me, but can this also help the world?” 

To learn more about Karen and her valuable work, see www.karentate.com.

As a facilitator of the Energetic Arts, my primary objective with students is to expand their consciousness of themselves and others as energetic beings. I find that this foundational awareness automatically enhances their ability to create harmonious, loving and expansive relationships with themselves, their friends and their beloveds. Once a person is introduced to their subtle body energies and explores the energy of the self and others, relating is never the same. Similar to learning the difference between boys and girls when we were young, learning about our energy provides a new perspective of ourselves, others and life, and influences the way we approach and respond to others and life itself.  

For couples, I offer a practice called the Three Degrees of Energetic Connection, through which relating transcends the primarily psychological/emotional rapport to a multidimensional, energetic and spiritual connection.  The three degrees include: Consciousness, Allness and Oneness.  In practice, the degrees build one each other. Until we become completely aware of the first degree of Consciousness, it will be difficult to relate at the Second Degree of Allness, and so forth.

The Three Degrees of Energetic Connection include: 

First Degree

Cool:  Consciousness 

• Acknowledgement of self as divine. Knowing and loving the Self.
• Awareness of subtle energy throughout the body, including the chakras and meridians.  
• Learning to connect with and control our energy.
• Becoming fully-present and aware of our place in the earthly and cosmic realms.

 Second Degree

 Warm:  Allness    

• Acknowledging the divine in all others. Fully seeing and being with others, no matter who they are. 
• Consciousness of energy that flows between self and others, relating to another, whether they are a stranger, friend or beloved. 
• Consciously connecting with others.

 Third Degree

Hot:  Oneness     

• The bliss of fully connecting, energetically and physically, with a beloved.
• Loving, deep connection.
• Experiencing each other’s body and soul.

First and Second Degree Connections:  Acknowledge the Divine Within the Self and Others

The first essential step in creating loving relationships is to acknowledge the Self as divine. As we awaken to our vastness as divine beings, and experience others as divine, we can relate to ourselves, others and life with a greater capacity of love, forgiveness and kindness. We are much more than flesh and bones, but a container for our soul energy. We, as soul, are a divine emanation of the God/dess or Higher Power, on an earth journey to expand and express. Practice seeing yourself, not as you, but as divine, as your soul. Allow your soul to express itself, and appreciate it for all that it is. Be loving and gentle with yourself, for this is a journey and every turn offers a new experience.

Acknowledge that every human on the planet is a Divine Being on her or his own journey, and honor them for the facet of God/dess that she/he represents. Practice seeing others as divine. See beyond their flesh, and experience their soul. Feel love and patience as they maneuver through life. They, too, are experiencing newness every day.

Third Degree Connection:  Tantric Kiss

The Tantric Kiss is a simple, but powerful, gesture that you can practice with your beloved during a myriad of situations, from love-making to diffusing emotions during a fight, and the result is always the same  –  a loving and calming connection.

Stand face to face, look into each other’s eyes. Take a breath together, exhale together. Embrace. Gently place touch your foreheads together so that the area between your eyebrows, known as the Third Eye, touch.  Close your eyes and remain connected for a few moments. Feel your love well up and radiate between your hearts. Feel your psychic connection, understanding the perfection of your relationship. Remain in this position for as long as time allows. Separate physically, and feel the connection remain between you for the rest of the day or night. 

Relationships are not for the faint of heart. But with information that can assist on all levels, from communication to energetic awareness, all relationships can become a joyful experience of expansion and growth.

Blissings!