Enchanted Mountain Goddess Conference

New blog on our website

nobody@vox.com(Enchanted Mountain Goddess) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:16:42 -0700

We'll still be updating major happenings here on our Vox blog, but for daily updates, check out our blog at our website by clicking here.
You can also get to our blog by going to www.enchantedgoddesscon.com and clicking on "Blog" for the latest updates.

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EMGC Now open for registration!

nobody@vox.com(Enchanted Mountain Goddess) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:12:20 -0700

The Enchanted Mountain Goddess Conference
The Spiral Within
Featuring Kellianna and the Dragon Ritual Drummers
November 7-10, 2008
Camp Allegany, Allegany State Park
Salamanca, NY 14779
www.enchantedgoddesscon.com

We're proud to announce that the Enchanted Mountain Goddess Conference is open for registration.

The Goddess Conference is a weekend event in Allegany State Park (Southwest NY) that focuses on the Reawakening of the Divine Feminine within us all. Through soul-deepening workshops, connection with pristine landscape, and performances by truly amazing Goddess-honoring Earth-centered artists, we begin to reclaim the surrounding Enchanted Mountains as Sacred Space.

Featured Performances:

*Candlelight concert with Kellianna and special guests the Dragon Ritual Drummers*
Date: Saturday November 8th, 2008
Time: 8-10pm
Location: Allegany State Park- Administration Building, Salamanca, NY 14779
Concert tickets: This performance is free to registered conference participants
If you're not registering for the conference: $20 for the pre-purchased concert tickets, $25 at the door. You may purchase concert tickets by going to www.enchantedgoddesscon.com and clicking on REGISTER

*GoddessStory: Pre-Patriarchal Stories in the Cave of Elders*
Date: Sunday November 9th, 2008
Location: Conference Campus (Camp Allegany)- Allegany State Park, Salamanca, NY 14779
Tickets: this performance is only open to registered conference participants

Featured Workshops:

The Triple Goddess: The Spirit of the Spiral with Lady Annabelle
Reveling in Our Authentic Self with Margo Wolfe
Nourishing the Body Sustainably: Body as Goddess with MaryJo Graham
Spirit Mapping with Jil St. Ledger-Roty
Meeting Jaguar for Weighing of the Heart with HPS Donata Ahern
Pagan Prayer Beads with Rev. Rachael Wright
Goddess Bread Making with Green Owl Mother
Embark on a Vision Quest with Sunnie Willow
Womandala with Colleen Daly-Perry
Working With Your Shadow with C. Davis Sprague
Dance meditation Journey with M E Carges
A Guided Astral Journey to the Mystical Lair of the Historic Niagara Dragon Behind Niagara Falls with the Dragon Ritual Drummers
SpiritSong: Freeing the Voice, Sounding the Spirit with Kellianna
Drumming the Heartbeat of Mother Earth with Rev. Rebekah Benner
Pagan Landscape Design with Kris Gilbert

Conference registration is now online at www.enchantedgoddesscon.com

About the conference venue:

Camp Allegany is the primary location of the conference with events being held throughout the park including Thunder Rocks, the Stone Tower and the Administration Building.
Camp Allegany is a private dormitory-style compound featuring 4 workshop rooms, a dining hall and 2 large dormitories. The dorms sleep 5 people each, are heated, have electrical outlets, bathroom and hot shower facilities. It's more like a nice hostel than camping.
Accommodations are shared- there are no single rooms available. If you choose to stay off-campus, you can stay in the park by registering for a cabin at www.reserveamerica.com. Go to www.enchantedgoddesscon.com for more information about the accommodations and registering.

Vendors and Sponsors:

Vendors are encouraged to apply for a Full Conference Vendors Pass. The cost is $200 and includes accommodation, your vending fee, entrance to all workshops and events.
Sponsors of the conference may contact Stephanie Hamberger, Conference Director at soulpilgrim@gmail.com to submit an advertisement in our conference program. Ad rates and information can be found at www.enchantedgoddesscon.com under the Vendors section.

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Registration opening August 15th!!

nobody@vox.com(Enchanted Mountain Goddess) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:41:54 -0700

Tell you friends, tell your neighbors, the Enchanted Mountain Goddess Conference will be announcing its 2008 jam-packed and amazing schedule and opening for registration on August 15th! To get on the mailing announcement list, click here.

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Workshop Submission now closed

nobody@vox.com(Enchanted Mountain Goddess) — Thu, 01 May 2008 04:56:52 -0700

Thanks to all who submitted workshop proposals for the 2008 conference. We have a wonderful selection to choose from and it will be a very hard decision indeed. I look forward to making the announcement on June 1st about the final program and the opening of registration. Remember, if you want to be notified of the upcoming registration for 2008, please make sure to get on our mailing list. Just click here or go to www.enchantedgoddesscon.com and click on the CONTACT page.

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Call For Presenters!

nobody@vox.com(Enchanted Mountain Goddess) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:19:24 -0800

We're looking for a few great folks who have something the want to share with a larger audience at the next conference. If you have a groundbreaking lecture, a profound ritual, a mindblowing workshop (all God/dess-honoring, of course!), click here to learn more about the Presenters Work Exchange.

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Next conference date...

nobody@vox.com(Enchanted Mountain Goddess) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:11:06 -0800

We're happy to announce that the next Enchanted Mountain Goddess Conference is in the planning stages as we speak. The one thing we know for sure is that it will happen Veterans' Day weekend:

November 7th-10th, 2008
at
Camp Allegany, Allegany State Park NY

Mark your calendars, folks!
If you'd like to be added to our mailing list for updates, click here.

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2007 photos!

nobody@vox.com(Enchanted Mountain Goddess) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 13:49:01 -0800

Tritych1

Photos from the 2007 conference are now up and ready! Check them out at photos.enchantedgoddesscon.com
If you have photos you'd like to share, please email stephanie@enchantedgoddesscon.com with your JPEG attachments!

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Workshop Descriptions

nobody@vox.com(Enchanted Mountain Goddess) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:25:46 -0700

Saturday Workshop Descriptions

Reclaiming the Crone 9/1 9-10:30
Oh, how we fear old age, most especially because the world teaches us that the image of the old woman is ugly, less-than-human, and even witchlike (in the Disney sense.)
But time has reversed the ancient reverence for the aged woman. Crone (now a put-down term) means “crown,” the crown of silver hair which indicates wisdom. In this third stage of life, the elder woman had great responsibilities, was archivist for her people, knew the healing arts, and birthed people both into earth-life and the life-hereafter.
- No participant limit, Children Welcome
Joan Goldberg has been a professional storyteller for nearly thirty years. Her work is centered on the feminine, the goddess, the crone, and other such archetypes. She has taught widely, from convents to prisons, and enjoys being a subversive with her ideas. Much research has taught her the exciting ideas she tries to pass on.

Old Country Faerie Magick 9/1 11-1
This workshop is about Country Faerie Magik, briefly touching on the Faerie Tradition that Victor Andersonhelped to construct. It will cover what Faerie majik is and is not, and on how to connect with and come under the protection of the Fae from a family aspect. Green Owl Mother will illustrate who the Fae are, how they should be called upon, honored, and respected. She will demonstrate how to bring the Fae into our life by creating a fairie garden, a Fae altar for an infant, a young child, a teenager, and an adult, and discusses how to honor the Fae during the holy days. She will show how you can recognize the movements of Fae in your environment no matter where you are.
Honoring the Fae through eco-responsibility, protecting those who cannot protect themselves, and keeping a promise to yourself by caring for your physical and emotional needs and not allowing yourself to be open to spiritual sickness will also be covered.
She will show photos of fairie circles, children's altars, and fairie gardens and provide information on the largest gathering of Fae worshipers here in North America, on protecting oneself from and welcoming in fairies, as well as the history of Fae worship. This is not about the modern warped view of the Fae (aka Disneyfied)- it focuses on the complexities of fairiedom.
Wonderful for introducing very young children to the Fae as well as for people of all ages to help them apprectiate Earth Majik in a different way.
- No participant limit, Children welcome

Green Owl Mother has practiced Faerie Majik and Picta for about twelve years or so and Moon Majik for aboutthe past six. She's been a member of the Pagan Community in Buffalo for seven years, and for the last three she's been mostly involved with Serpents Vine Family Pagans; a community made up of Buffalo and WNY area Pagans that get involved with family oriented activities. For three years she ran International Night Dinners out of her home, each dinner celebrating a different culture every month! She held an annual Thanksgiving Dinner, feeding not only the thirty people that came but also collecting food for local food pantries. She runs Craft Nights, a chance for adults to work on their hobbies while talking about the Craft. She was a regularly contributing writer for Pagan WNY's Pagan Press and also created the WNY Pagan Library, which can be found at http://www.wnypaganlibrary.faithweb.com/ .

More infomation about Green Owl Mother and her work can be found at http://www.geocities.com/akplatz/

SpiritDance: Shamanic Dance 9/1 11-12:30
Join us for this amazing opportunity to reconnect with your source through the timeless healing practice of shamanic dance. During this practice, participants are encouraged to use a blindfold while using movement to express and explore their inner experience. The blindfold helps ease feelings of self-consciousness and promotes a sense of disorientation. Disorientation helps dancers explore life from a fresh perspective. It is an opportunity to be truly present to what is and to connect with your true essence. Workshop facilitators help ensure a safe space for participants to move freely during this process.
- Limit 15 participants

Rythms of the Goddess aka Djembe 101: Simple African Polyrhythms 9/1 2-3
First-timers, beginners and intermediate drummers; handplacement and proper techniques; building a rhythm. Learning to smile and laugh and sing while drumming!
Let your spirit soar through your drum! Learn new ways to enrich your
drumming experience by the use of 3 or 4 part African and Cuban rhythms to interject new life, and spirit into your drum circle. You should have some type of djembe, ashiko or other tall drum for this workshop. Some drums will be provided.
- There is no limit to the number of participants, Children welcome, bring a drum if you are able

Rev. Rebekah Benner is an ordained Pagan minister affilated through love and trust with the Unitarian Universalist Churches, lives in Akron, Ohio, and travels to the UU churches of the U.S. and Canada as a guest minister for Sunday services, to lead drumming workshops and rituals. She also presents classes for other churches, schools and universities in Witchcraft, Demystifying Paganism and facilitates community drum circles.
A Certified Professional Grief Recovery Specialist, she is an on-call Pagan Chaplain for the Akron hospital systems. She has been a ritualist/priestess for 30+ years and specializes in "ritual theatre". A drummer for over 15 years, she concentrates in teaching basic djembe, song and chant, and empowering women to DRUM!!!
Her teachers include Michael Markus of NYC, Sally Childs-Helton (founder of the Midwest Drum and Dance Festival in Indiana), Ubaka Hill, Layne Redmond, and many African Master Drummers, mostly from West Guinea. Rebekah is founder of WomenDrum! Retreat held at Brushwood Folklore Center every June.
Through her company, Terra Amma Grove ~ The Healing Journey, she employs diverse interfaith and cultural techniques ~ voice, drum, gemstones, singing bowls, guided meditation ~ to facilitate healing, find inner peace and bring joy and laughter to the world and creates organic art with "leather, feathers, stones and bones".
http://groups.msn.com/TerraAmmaGrove

HUICHOL SHAMANIC JOURNEY & FIRE CEREMONY OF RELEASE 9/1 4-5:30
-With HPS Donata Ahern
Travel in a shaman journey to an ancient ruin in the Mayan jungle where you will participate in a Huichol Fire Ceremony of Release. In this ceremony, you choose what you wish to release in your life- an emotion, situation, or pattern of behavior, and symbolically burn a bundle you collect. As part of the Fire Ceremony you will have the option to release past life promises and vows that may be holding you back or limiting your choices in this lifetime. The Huichol Animal Guardians will be your guides and helpers. You will need a small bundle of twigs, (or paper if indoors), to burn in the ceremony.
- No participant limit

Sunday Workshop Descriptions

Make Your Own Medicine Bag 9/2 10:30-12:30
-a magickal crafting workshop, with Sunnie Willow
Need a place to carry your most sacred objects? . A medicine bag is like your spiritual power pack. It is a place to carry your most sacred power objects. And just think of just how special this bag will be when you make it yourself. In this workshop, each person will make their own small buckskin pouch with drawstring, feathers and beads that is just the right size to wear around your neck and hang about your heart chakra. In this workshop you will also learn a little bit about the history and use of medicine bags. Not only will you learn to make your own genuine buckskin medicine bag, but also cleanse and consecrate them for your own spiritual use. All buckskin, beads and feathers are included in this workshop.
- $5 materials fee Limit 15 participants, Children Welcome

SpiritSong Workshop
Freeing the Voice, Sounding the Spirit with Kellianna 9/2 11am-12:30pm
Music, song and sound have been used by countless cultures as extraordinarily effective vehicles for healing, communal bonding, and spiritual awakening. Author, composer, singer and sound-healer Shawna Carol has emerged as a leading figure in the contemporary revitalization of the art of sacred song as a transformative tool. She has developed “SpiritSong,” a unique approach to singing and toning based on a method of “singing without words;” a powerful technique that permits us to reconnect to the most primal form of singing. SpiritSong uses the voice to sound what you are feeling in the moment and this unlocks your power and unique beauty.
The Way of Song is based on the premise that singing has two primary purposes: first, to release any disease we are carrying, and second to connect us with the Creative Source. In a sacred song circle we will create a community in song as we practice loving witness of ourselves and one another.
The act of being witness to someone’s song is s a great honor. It is a sacred trust. It is a practice of a very special kind of loving, to empower someone to be freely themselves in the moment. As we witness one another a communion of healing and unity is created. Our hearts truly open to each other as we embrace each other’s song
Kellianna uses guided meditation, chanting and toning exercises to create a warm, safe space that allows participants to discover their own unique “essence song.” Find out why Julia Cameron say’s “This is an extremely powerful technique.” (—Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way)
Shawna Carol's book about this technique, “The Way of Song: A Guide to Freeing the Voice and Sounding the Spirit” is available from St. Martin’s Press.
Kellianna is a singer/songwriter performing Goddess inspired Folk Music at venues such as The 2003, 2004 & 2005 Goddess Conference in Glastonbury, England and the 2004 & 2005 Women of Wisdom Conference in Seattle, Washington. Kellianna is experienced in the art of chant and songleading in a group setting.
- No participant limit, Children Welcome

The LifeWheel Process: From The Visioning Workshops by Lisa Margaret 9/2 2-4
The Life Wheel Process is a tool for life assessment.
As part of the journey toward awakening our true soul-being, we need to clean the cobwebs-the emotional and physical blocks that stand in our way blocking our path. As the clutter of life piles up it creates blocks in our ability to hear true divine guidance. In order to awaken the light parts of our divine selves, we need to let go of what is not serving us for our highest good.
For those of us who are healers and light workers clearing ourselves regularly opens the path of our authentic soul life purpose.
We are at the beginning of the new feminine century, because of this, there is resistance. Not only does the feminine spirit carry the crimes and abuse from our past lives into this life, but we also carry the fear and dominant male consciousness of the planet. When the feminine once again can open up and take her stand among the male energies of this planet, side by side in compete unison, we will see peace.
In order to do this we must face the fact, that women hold the key for the world to be able to heal. It is our power that we need to embrace. In order to do this fully, we need to heal the past, we need to unleash what binds us and keeps us hiding.
Like many women, I was burned at the stake for being a spiritual healer-a witch, in one of my past lives. This and other past life fears have stood in my way and kept me from shining my light. Knowing how much we are needed to heal the planet, I have made the choice today to heal my life completely. With this decision, I have not only been healing from my past but I have awakened the goddess divine within me.
With The Life Wheel Assessment, we will look at every area of our lives to praise what is working, and to discover what is off balance. We will then journal to find solutions on how to change or heal the parts or our life needs our attention. To complete this process we will then design a Spirit Stick with beads, yarn, feathers that will symbolize our new life. This is a native ritual that inspires change and help from our spiritual helpers. When we are finished we will hold a ceremonial prayer, place our spirit sticks in a place that will catch the morning sun. It is said that the morning sun will then take your prayers to the creator.
You are more then welcome to bring spiral notebooks-journals, beads, yarns, whatever you have to decorate your spirit stick and/or to share with others.
I will provide the materials I have with some loose paper for journaling.
- Limit 20 participants, Children Welcome

Spirit Mapping 9/2 2-4
SPIRIT MAPPING is a divination tool. We use the labryinth to slow down and become receptive to what the spirits of the land, the ancestors and mysterious ones have to tell us. We use pictograhs and I'll go over some of the more common ones before we start. Typically we draw with colored chalk ; this time however we are going to use natural materials as our means of drawing. This has its own time frame. At the end we gater together and scribe.

ON LABYRINTHS (from Avant-Gardening.com):
A labyrinth is an archetype (from the Latin: archetyp, meaning an original pattern) with which we can have a direct experience. It is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness, combining the imagery of the circle and the spiral, into a purposeful path.
We walk it. It is a metaphor of life's journey, a pattern that creates a symbolic space. Concentrating on the path is an 'action-meditation' allowing us to focus on the moment. At the center one reaches a place for reflection. It is also a mandala - a schematized representation of the cosmos characterized by a concentric organization of geometric shapes.
Labyrinths can be used to heighten awareness, encourage meditative states, and promote psychological and spiritual growth. To build a labyrinth is to create a meaningful space. To walk a labyrinth is to imbue it with value and meaning.
The more a labyrinth is used the more helpful it becomes as a tool for personal transformation. Labyrinths can be used as a tool to balance the right and left-brain hemispheres - the intuitive and rational. Going in one way activates one side of the brain, and going back out activates the other.
No participant limit.

BELLYDANCE & BLOOD STORIES 9/2 4-5:30
-With Kassia and Eileen Stewart, CNM
Reawaken the womb through sacred story and movement. Moon-Blood and its undulating ebb and flow connect us in every cycle of life to the Goddess, but we have been taught otherwise. As Maidens we were taught to fear and loathe our bodies and that blood is dangerous. As Mothers we restrict our flows through chemicals and learn to hide our MoonTimes from the world. As Crones we become the DryedUpHag, our wombs sometimes removed from us because they are no longer of use… where is the respect and honor of this most sacred of spaces? In this workshop we will awaken the sacred blood that gave life to us. We will heal from our wounds and reclaim our sacred wombspace.
- No participant limit, Womon-only workshop, Children welcome

TainoTi Medicine Wheel 9/2 4-5:30pm
Spider will share the Taino Medicine Wheel which includes the teachings of the Food Mothers who carry the baskets of sacred foods and healing ways to honor our connection with MotherEarth.
Spider has devoted the past twenty five years to working with Elders of many traditions to keep Earth honoring traditions alive. She is a ceremony leader and spiritual counselor with the Taino tradition of the Caney Indian Spiritual Circle, a national organization dedicated to preserving Taino spiritual traditions and offering monthly ceremonies that honor the cycles of MotherEarth.
Spider has is the author of Songs of Bleeding, a book about the Taino Women's Ceremonies, Grandmother Spider And The Web Of Life, The Taino Glyphs of The Caney Circle (with cards for readings), and Vortex Energy; Creating A Doorway For Transformation And Evolution. For Children, Spider has written All Our Relations and yet unpublished Animal Teachers Cards For Kids.
- No participant limit, Children Welcome

Elemental Journey Workshops
(taking place on both Saturday & Sunday)

The elements suround us from the moment we are conceived until the moment we pass onto our next life. The affect our lives in ways seen and unseen, and each carries a different yet similar coexistent meaning to cultures around the world. To honor the Earth is to honor the Elements. Water's fluid dreamlike transcendancy, fire's transformative power, earth's silent stillness and air's soft and light caress all carry our prayers back to the Source- the Mother Goddess, the Earth.

In honor of the Elements, the Conference will examine our relationship with each of them in very different ways. Only after connecting deeply with the Elements in their natural wild home can we begin to understand the integral part they play on our Earthwalk.

FIREMAKING AND OFFERINGS TO GIVE THE FIRE 9/1 2-4
- with Denise Ashman of Heartwood Wilderness Skills School
Denise will lead us into a journey of deep ecology and respect for our Ancestor's ancient skills with this primitive firemaking class. Using bow and drill, we will learn how to create fire.
Once our fire is created we will give ceremonial offerings.
- Limit 15 participants, Children Welcome

AIR: BREATHWORK AND PRAYER FLAGS 9/2 9-10:15
Beginning by listening to what our own breathing is telling us, we will trance into creating personal prayer flags. This is a workshop that can last all day- come back to the art room if you feel inspred! We will be donating one prayer flag to the NineWoodsForest Roundhouse ritual space!
- Limit 25 participants, $3 materials fee, Children welcome

EARTH: ALTAR STONES AND MOONWATER LEAVES 9/1 9-10:30
Using ancient symbols and personal icons that we hold sacred we will create altar or stepping stones and leaf-shaped moonwater holders, or as some like to call them, bird baths! These objects will be made using simple natural materials. It takes 24 hours for these to set up enough to move. Bring small objects that inspire you, all materials provided otherwise.
-$5 materials fee, Limit 20 participants, Children Welcome

WATER: HEALING WATERFALL JOURNEY 9/2 9-10:30
-with HPS Donata Ahern
Travel in a shamanic journey to a waterfall deep in the Mayan jungles of Guatemala. This waterfall, with its three healing pools, offers you transformational healing and integration. You often demand perfection of yourself, which results in denial and suppression of the parts of yourself you consider unacceptable. This leaves you feeling unworthy, inadequate, and in pain. In the healing pools you will learn to recognize and accept the mental, emotional, and spiritual parts you deny, and discover the gift each part offers you. The animal Guardians will aid you in your healing.
- No participant limit

DONATA AHERN M.S.W., C.H.T., is a Wiccan HPS in the Alexandrian and Gardnerian Traditions, HPS of the Maya Temple of the Deer, and a Druid Companion of OBOD. She trained in the Huichol and Inka shamanic lineages of Alberto Villoldo, Don Juan, Don Jose Matsua, and Dona Josefa. She is a member of the Native American Council of the Monarch Bear Foundation. She has developed a personal interpretation of the Maya Child’s Count of the Medicine Wheel, with application for problem solving on both the spiritual and practical levels. Donata has presented workshops since 1990 at Pagan Festivals in U.S. and Canada, and was the key note speaker at Druidcon ’05 in Glasgow.

Conference Experiences
(no need to register)

HennaHand

Henna Party, Rune Readings and Mini-Tarot Sessions
As part of the conference we are offering free henna tattoos, Rune Readings and Mini-Tarot sessions. Sign up in the Dining Hall to get an appointment!

Stories of the Goddess 9/1 & 9/2 Around the Fire Circle
With folktales and goddess stories, filled with a sneaky humor and great depth, we will learn how history has undone her and eliminated her from view, and learn how we might reclaim this powerful image of the Wise Woman for ourselves and our daughters.
Demeter and Corn Mother will arrive at our hearth. Not the classical Greek Demeter, but the more ancient one. This might called Demeter: the Real Story. Plus, we will tell stories and talk about how the Goddess is alive in us, as Maiden, Mother, and Crone, as she manifests herself through our lives today. We'll especially talk about the Crone, both to allay the fears of younger women, and to reinforce the wisdom of those who are finally Crones. Many stories, some funny, all deep, with the sneaky wisdom which occurs in all the old tales.
-You do not need to register for this workshop, Children welcome

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Coming August 25th- Online Workshop Registration!

nobody@vox.com(Enchanted Mountain Goddess) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:01:41 -0700

Watch in your inbox on Saturday August 25th for the Welcome packet we are sending each one of you who have pre-registered. It will feature a link to an ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM for those of you who want to make sure you get a space in the limited-space workshops. You will have an opportunity to register online for those workshops so you've got first dibs! THATS the benefit of early registration!
Also included with your welcome packet will be a packing list, driving directions and a list of grocery stores and restaurants in the area.
Keep those eyes peeled!
~Brightest Blessings~
Stephanie

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Divine Feminine Force- Daily OM article

nobody@vox.com(Enchanted Mountain Goddess) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:18:16 -0700

This came in my "Daily OM" message today- how appropriate! check out Daily OM at www.dailyom.com

August 22, 2007
Divine Feminine Force
Shakti

The divine feminine goes by many names in many spiritual traditions, but at the heart of nearly all of these, Shakti can found. Hinduism specifically recognized the dynamic and potent feminine power that exists in all beings and deified it in the form of a goddess. Shakti, however, is not merely a single deity, playing a single role in the lives of humankind. Rather, she represents the fundamental creative force that is the root of all creation in the universe. In art, Shakti has taken on the outward appearance of many goddesses, but her anthropomorphized form is far less significant than the essential form she takes within each of us. Shakti's presence in our lives can be experienced in a deep and personal way, but we must first reach out to her so that we can draw upon the vital animating energy that is her gift to us.

There is no one motive that drives all beings to expend effort in the act of creation, which is precisely why Shakti can be the embodiment of power that is both constructive and destructive. Giving substance to inspiration helps to restore balance—sometimes by breaking matter or ideas down into their base components and sometimes by building them up into an object never before seen in the world. Shakti energy is intense yet multifaceted. It is simultaneously subtly illuminating and darkly fierce. There is a temptation among those touching the Shakti within themselves to ignore those elements of this powerful force that do not suit them. But to disregard this energy is to reject the fact that the elements of existence that are the most transformative and life-affirming are often those that are intensely challenging. If our aim is to become consciously balanced, we must accept the Shakti within as a unified whole rather than an amalgamation of isolated qualities.

You have likely felt Shakti's touch in your soul, even if you could not give the resultant feeling a name. When the goddess turns her gaze toward you, she recognizes the potential you embody, and her gift to you is the inspiration that allows you to realize that potential. Shakti exists in all thought, feeling, and matter, which means that you need only act upon your creative impulses to connect with the feminine power that has been a part of you since the universe's conception.

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