An Invitation
to the Journey
I wish to invite you on Everyday Medicine Woman’s
latest adventure to the mountains of Colorado, October
1 to 5, 2009, where we can nourish our hearts, calm
our minds, and source the wisdom and tools that will
enable us to meet the challenges of our contemporary
lives with strength, clarity and focus.
We are living in extraordinary times that ask us to
adjust to a world in crisis on a daily basis. A crisis
demands a call to action. How we respond to this call
is up to us. Although mystical spiritual teachings of
many lineages have been predicting profound shifts requiring
a reorientation of priorities—including an appreciation
of what is truly precious in our lives—no matter
how much this makes sense in theory, the reality tests
our beliefs and requires us to embrace change at a level
we never thought possible. When we see many of the resources,
services and way of life disappear before our eyes,
we have to ask ourselves: Can we walk our talk? Do we
truly believe that love is stronger than fear? Can we
influence outcome by weaving our spiritual beliefs into
conscious decision making? Can we stay healthy and prosperous
in these times of tremendous turmoil and loss?
While it is no surprise that men are having the hardest
time dealing with the dismantling of established systems
and the transfer of power, women are uniquely equipped
to navigate these shifting soils. Women are proven practical
magicians. Who doesn’t have a female relative
who kept the family together during tough times? These
courageous heart warriors understood that love is power.
Accessing this kind of strength requires a special kind
of paradoxical selfless determination that can manifest
only when we have deep confidence in our selves and
our choices. Most important, the women who walked before
us had a tribe of sisters, treasured friends who they
could share their secrets, whisper their fears, wipe
their tears and cheer each other on. Whether working
in the fields, washing clothes, sewing quilts or playing
cards, their regular communal times kept their spirits
strong.
For over a decade, the Everyday Medicine Woman community
has been pitching a luminous tent that offers this kind
of gathering for women to do their spiritual work: restoring,
claiming, activating and embodying the individual expression
of an earthly goddess among like-hearted sisters. This
year’s gathering in Colorado allows us to not
only do this work at a level deeply connected to the
earth, but it also comes at a time when we most need
transformation. In order for us to not only survive,
but also thrive as our world transforms, we must return
to the most basic truths and allow those understandings
to inform our thoughts, actions and perspective. It
for all these reasons that we were guided to have our
annual women’s gathering at the Shambhala Mountain
Center, a sacred and beautiful location that holds the
ancient wisdom teachings in the winds, mountains and
trees of this land, as well as in the spiritual energies
of this committed and serene Buddhist community.
In fact, it is the perfect setting for this year’s
theme of discovering and bringing forth the best use
of our masculine/yang forces informed by our feminine
nature. Together, we will pray, celebrate and strengthen
our personal and collective spiritual practice while
continuing dream in color. We will bless our hopes and
beliefs that these dreams have the potential to manifest
more than ever. We will focus our intentions toward
helping humanity move through this “eye of the
needle” era of purification and conservation of
life. Won’t you join us? Under the influence of
a Huntress Aries Moon, in exquisite and sacred natural
beauty, we can press the restart button—powered
and empowered by the collective energy of each woman
sourcing the pioneering warrior spirit eternally present
in our hearts.
With Love,
Susan
Susan Lipshutz
Founder, Everyday Medicine Woman
|
