Red Tent Memoir, December 2010, Going Inward

Going Inward: The darkness of Winter as Passage to Self



Sunday. Red Tent. Artist Bazaar. The looming solstice and the longest night of the year. Christmas on the horizon. Expectations. Family. Community. Drawing inward…..being pulled outward….the dichotomy. So many things became woven together in the circle at this Red Tent meeting. The morning started as it usually does, a few early arrivals working diligently to set up a cozy, sacred and alluring haven for the group to play and laugh and be silent, and share and dig deep and speak openly. More women trickle in, each bringing something sumptuous and nourishing to share with the rest of the goddesses present. Soups of all kinds, chocolate, teas, fruit, nuts, kombucha. Books are laid out, candles lit, pillows arranged around the periphery of the circle that was promising to be large and full.

The mood of anticipation of the holiday season was made even sweeter by the fact that many women brought handmade creations to sell, barter or gift. It was a delight for the eyes and for the senses, wandering from table to table voyeuristically observing the fruits of so many fellow journeyers. From paintings to cards, jewelry to clothing, honey and jam, and a delicious array of herbal remedies and tinctures, the displayed treasures were honored, respected, and enjoyed by all. As women stretched, talked, ate, shared stories, read tarot cards and just accepted each others gift of presence, it became clear that another beautiful gathering of special talented souls was being created and that it was touched by the hand of the seasons and what that means to each and every woman attending.

The storytellers chair was put to use, with the reading of a poem.

Persephone's Decent by Charleen Johnston

It began it began it began
The spin of things misunderstood
The underpinning of the disturbed mood
Mistaking music
As the magic food
To take us there
The take us there where
The river runs and hides
Its floods beyond our eyes
Where the beginning grin
Wakes our minds to the
Saltwater seas we left behind

Does the we make me less of a me?

My memory takes my hand
And leads me to the other land
Where seasons sing
And singers see
All the reasons that learn to flee
From the proud forlorn dance
Of the echo of the trance
Where-in I lie, awake
Waiting to take the terror away
Away from the thoughts that pester me
Deepening into desperate dream
And I cannot fly
I cannot fly
My wonders amaze my wandering eyes
And I am taught to seize the skies
And gather them in
Gather them up into a system
A method to cope
Amazing the size and the sight and
The scope of the demon in dream
The demon in me
The little black devil spilling the seed
Bruising the smooth white satin
Sheen of a world uncovered
But never seen

And all this all this all this
Still made me free

I tell you now in poetry
The song that was sung to me
Thought I asked not for the
Bludgeoning the bruising
The bastardly using
Of a silver shining thing to cut
Me raw to carve me out
To risk the shiver and shame the
Shout and all about me
The monotony whispers
‘do you see, can you see, will you see’
But the beckoning just mesmerized me
And I collapsed
Futile attempt to read the maps
That covered me
Beautiful white flakes snowdrops
And dreamcakes and outside
I hear I hear the chorus repeat
Just sleep just sleep just sleep

Down down to the desperate deep
Layer I stumble I crumble
I forget the player I was meant to be
I forgot the flower that was forbade me
As the earth shakes
And caves in upon me, caves in
And crushes me, till I am reformed
Into a darkened thing
With melancholy whisperings
Escaping my lips
No light visible no silver ships
Slipping silently over the clouds
No weaving of life down here
In the ground
Where the master of puppets
Takes my hand cuts my strings
And makes this land
My home for eternity
He offers me the fruit, the
Red dripping juice the blood

Ripping loose from the
Pomegranate the seeds
Bleeding wet as I lay within it
Tasting of the underneath
Testing shadows with my teeth
But never satiated never full
My heart still hungers as
The fiery heat cools

I am offered as the bride
I am offered as the mistress
I am offered as the scapegoat
For the pain and the misery
And I accept this tale
I make it mine I wait to weave
Myself alive
Again
In time
Again
And the thunder breaks and
Hades stakes are
Turning white with innocence
The lightening bolt from Zeus
Is sent the ground is cleaved
And the underworld bent
Into a refraction just an abstraction
As I am lifted with him
Gathered in by the glorious glow
That speaks from his fingers
In a violent blow
A vicious attach on my torment
A godhead laying dormant
Waiting under the mud
Hands tied drinking blood
Bleeding life into my soul
Giving me back the right to life
Of which was stole cut with knife
From my lips from my thighs
From my heart and from my eyes
Giving me back the sight to fight
Against these fleas
These parasites that torture me
From underneath the realm

Of the dead
The home I have fled in the
Arms of Zeus
Delivered to the mother
Who set me loose with passion
Aflame with integrity to
Learn the game
And as a child I descended down
To return again to the ground
Where form would claim me once again
And then I rose to ascend
Taking with me the knowledge of sin
The knowledge that fear
Is the only sin within which
We are called to grow in light
To sew the life into faces and names
Into dreams and games
Into darkness and pain and laughter
Again
Knowing its all part of the plan
Part of the wheel that turns
Itself over again

I am turned over made braver
Opened like a sieve but no
Longer enslaved
To the masks that haunt my
Childhood grave
I rise awake aware alive
Molding the map from the inside
And the song it ends
The melody descends into my skin
Into my veins into my past
Of shadows and pain
And it remakes me it shakes me
Up and forces me to see
That I am a dream
Waiting to bleed.

After the poetry reading, the women took turns wafting each other inside the room with pine fronds and the like, passing on blessings and intentions for wholeness. The typical routine of smudging with sage outside in the fresh air was passed up in favor of remaining warm inside the circle, so the change in ritual was appreciated by all!

The structured circle saw the exit of four beautiful young girls who were taking part in the day by enjoying the energy and light of the many older goddesses of various ages and generations. To revel in their spirit of youth and potential is always a delight!!!!!! There were so many women present that the bowl was passed around the circle only once, with the theme of the darkness of Winter and how it affects each woman.

There was a mixed reaction among the women in regard to the way Winter manifests for them. After hearing from most that this season is fraught with depression and anxiety, it was gradually agreed upon that the main reason for this is the expectations that come with the holidays and the antithetical relationship with our own cycles that is set up because of the desire to meet outer obligations and yet the need to draw into oneself and ‘hibernate’ thru the winter season, assimilating all the outward growth of the previous 9 months.
Each woman released necessary feelings associated with the theme, and when the structured circle ended with an intention for the new cycle, more food and conversation followed as well as dismantling of the sacred space that had been created for the day.


I have drawn a tarot card to read with the Intention of: What will the Return of Light and the Sun mean for us collectively in this new year, this new cycle.

The deck is ‘ The Tantric Dakini oracle’.

CARD: 12 Slay the Ego -associated with the Hanged Man card of the traditional tarot deck

-fruition, breaking thru bonds of the Ego, the breaking of habits, self-surrendering



Interpretation:

Slay the ego bears the number 12

Way out in limitless space the goddess Kali is depicted wearing a milky nebula, her dark body reminding us of the vastness of outer space. She is known as Kalaratri, the “Night Of Destruction” the event which will happen at the end of the world, and which is necessary before a new world can be created.
Forsake the particularization of self for participation in the universal dance of life. Dissolve the veil which separates the self from the one divine unity. With courage and insight cut thru the bondage of the ego. Renounce all that impedes progress, break with habits and habit-forming thoughts. Self-surrender, leading to personality transformation.



May each find a way to flow with the cycles.

Rewriting our Stories…November in the Red Tent

Rewriting our Stories…November in the Red Tent

It’s still autumn in New England on this November day and the trees proudly wear their deepening shades of russet, umber, burnt sienna, and darkening golden amber. The women arrive at the Red Tent wearing heavier clothing than just a month before, wrapped in sweaters and thick socks, and smiles. The harvest is in, winter nears, and we are all ready for abundance and our gathering.

We relish our free time; such a treat it is for each of us. We chat, share food, write, create art, ponder, rest, and feel the spirit of our shared reverie in the nurturing, healing power of the tent, for it is we, held in the arms of the Divine, who create it for ourselves and each other.
As free time comes to an end, we smudge each other and bless ourselves in preparation for our sacred circle and then we begin.

Ananda served as our Priestess this day and began by asking us to introduce ourselves in “the daughter’s way” choosing an element of the Earth or other natural element to claim as our ancestor. The power of those introductions was a wonderful way to open this circle.

Our theme was “The Stories We Tell Ourselves” and each woman, in turn, offered up a story of her choosing and, after the telling, allowed us to comment and suggest ways in which she might rewrite the story to create healing for herself. It is amazing to watch the changes that take place, the gifts we exchange, when we put ourselves in the hands of our sisters. The circle ended with much gratitude, joy, and love and, once again, we found ourselves sad that the day had ended.

Before we left, we talked about next month’s tent which is the day of our Sacred Artisans’ Bazaar – a time of sharing our creative energies and the resulting beautiful and wonderful gifts we make, the products of the soul-deep gift of creation. When we let Spirit shine through us, the results are truly beautiful. And this is how the simple offering of our creations becomes a sacrament as we relish our Divine gifts and rejoice once again in the Divine in each of us.

Thank you to every woman who contributed to the beauty of the November Red Tent Temple.

Please join us next month on Sunday, December 5th, and help us to assure that the wonder and magic continues. In addition to the Bazaar, we will also have a raffle to raise money for the Red Tent. Please bring an item you are willing to contribute for this purpose. We look forward to seeing you at our last tent of 2010 and as we look forward to the gifts of 2011.

So it is. So it will be.

~ Diana Powers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In addition, please allow me to publicize an incredible documentary in the works! .......

Red Tent Memoir, August 2010

The Red Tent and Initiation by Fire

by Charleen Johnston

Walking into the room early in the morning, ready to set up the room for Red Tent, I feel like once again Ive come ‘home’. The sense of being in a space that is imbibed with so much sacredness, hope, surrender, power, and beauty is almost overwhelming. As the day proceeds, the kitchen becomes the altar of offering from the Women who come to rejuvenate their spirits in a circle of sister souls. Soups, breads, crackers, teas, fresh fruit and always some form of chocolate or other delicacy to stir the appetites and provide grounding for the space where so much energy is released and raised in frequency. Altars are set up, candles lit, books placed so that all who come may partake of their gifts of knowing. The color Red permeates everything and everyone, the palpable sense of mystery and blood and power, and feminine wisdom. Throughout the day more women arrive, some new, some returning after having been absent in previous circles, and many who are consistent devotees of the Circle…..all gathering and accepted and nurtured within the matrix of maidens, mothers, and crones who make the Tent the special and magical space that it is.

Tarot readings, collage making, journaling, and storytelling flow through the day and through the women in a woven fabric of Love and Trust that has become an important part of life for those involved. As the day progresses, poetry is read aloud from the storytellers chair, and a discussion takes place about how each and every sister in the circle can contribute in different ways to help make the Red Tent gathering as flowing and smoothly operated as possible. Ideas are put forth on many issues and suggestions given that will lead to an ever expanding sense of community and a continued undertaking of sacred sisterhood.

As the structured circle begins, again with no designated Priestess, the air outside is rumbling and the electricity is building, with a storm threatening to attend our circle. Sage smudging and silence and reverence leads to another magical web of personal stories, fears, hopes, blessings, and intentions. As one magical woman aligns her intention with the spirit of Fire and the initiation through it, its becomes clear that the theme resonates with everyone in the circle, and suddenly we know that the days undercurrent is touched by fire and by lightening. We are blessed with a magical message directly from the hands of Zeus, through a sister Shamaness, and once again we are all raised from our mundane experience of ourselves, into something cosmic and all-supporting. The Great Fire as Initiation seems to express directly what the circle experienced and focused on.

As the circle came to a close and those gathered begin to disperse and say goodbyes for another cycle of the moon, the energy became more grounded and we prepared to walk into daily life, with a larger heart and a more open consciousness………which is always bound to happen…..when you are blessed enough to spend time in a sacred environment with your Sisters of Spirit.

The conjunction of the planets Mars(masculine force, fire, energy, drive, action) with Venus(feminine force, air, balance, relationship, beauty)for the past month and on into the next, is offering us a collective boost for harmonizing our internal yin and yang, so that the purifying fire of Kundalini can move through us smoothly and pleasantly. Use this time to integrate both aspects within yourself so you can become a clear channel for diving inspiration.

Tarot Card drawn to represent and reflect the theme of the Red Tent Gathering for August 2010

(drawn at random from the Thoth Tarot Deck, with passages from ‘Tarot of the Spirit’ by Pamela Eakins)

ACE OF WANDS (The universe must agree on the theme of Fire…hehe)

*Force*
Divinitory meaning : You feel a sense of transformative high energy; inner blocks are falling away, freeing you to move into newness; you have the will to change and you feel the great energy of new beginnings; you have a newly discovered source of power; you are excited, you feel exhilarated ; if there is an undercurrent of depression, it is only because the future remains unknown at this time; if you feel like you are burning up with no channel or outlet for your emotions, do not worry, the way will very soon become clarified, you wills soon find someone or something to connect with.

Meditation

Cancer, Leo, Virgo
Raw Spirit, Raw Power, Raw Force
Breath in the Void,
All Possibility;
The Essence, the Soul, the Intent, the Potential
Holy, Cosmic, Sacred, Inspired;
Breathing Spirals Whirling
Galactic Coils: Spirit of Will; Will of Spirit;
Sprouts Spikes Stalks Towers
A Sexual, Erotic and
Phallic Burst of Courage, Vigor
Essence of the Search for Real Meaning
True Intent.


Interpretation

At the one of fire, your spirit grows restless. It is time for a change, time to engage in new activities, new relationships, new interests, a new treatment of the body. Your internal Fire, the driving force of change and movement, is burning. You must do something. You desire newness, you desire meaning. At this point, however, you are experiencing only a blind will to change. You need direction.


You are experiencing the raw and undirected force of the first stage of creation. Here, the force of your own will to act, produce, or create becomes a focused point in the realm of all the unfocused and infinite possibilities of the Universe. This is the force of Ether on the Tree of Life, the first sphere-the creative force-that emerges from the void of possibility.


While burning desire is the essence of focus and creativity, and you ought to be feeling very creative at this time, it is possible that you feel neither creative nor focused. In reaction to the surging fire within, you may feel a variety of emotions ranging from exhilaration to depression. You may feel like you are burning up with no outlet or channel for the endless yearning and energy. You may feel frustrated. Do not be tempted, however, to suppress the burning. Be advised that the Fire within is the source of all your movement and all your wisdom. It is the source of all growth and change, whether such change is spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical. This burning energy is the force that will propel you toward realizing or maximizing your potential in all of these areas. Focus on the excitement.


At the One of Fire, you have tapped the central and elemental point at which your deep internal spirit-the force behind all change-begins and ends. When this burning flame flares, your energy level increases. You experience raw and infinite energy, unleashed, unabashed and undirected. Understand that you are about to undertake a new project, love, adventure or spiritual quest. You cannot yet envision where you are headed, but you know you are headed somewhere. You feel the Wheel of Fortune beginning to turn.


At this time, your internal Will is powerful and driving,. It can take you to heights you never fathomed. The force you experience at the One of Fire is not only the spirit of your own will-the source of all action and movement- but the will of your spirit. The will of spirit seeks to focus ideas and bring them into manifestation. The challenge of the One of Fire is to understand how to achieve the best focus.


At the One of Fire you are meeting the yang energy pattern within yourself. You are dealing with Fire in its most uncontained form. Fire is the primal Male element: the universal yang force. Yang, in Chinese philosophy, is the active, positive, masculine force or principle. It is the universal emitting force: the source of all light and heat. The yang part of you is now rising up, challenging you, and moving you to peaks of growth and awareness.


Through proper attunement, the creative surge of the One of Fire will soon become directed and rewarding. The only way you will find what you are looking for, and thereby direct your vast and potent inner force, is by exploring the cosmic sea: your own inner depths.


Turn within. It is time for introspection. It is as if you are a blind and empty pupil in the center of an eye. Although your visionary owers for the new stage are forming, you are not yet able to see the path with clarity. Stated another way, in order to learn to See, you must become a student in the center of the I. This means it is time for a deep penetration of Self. You must open yoru deep, inner Self in order to understand the depth and power of your own will as well as the direction in which you are now moving.


At the One of Fire, to open your deep Self, you need to access your feminine, or yin, side. Your feminine side, which is fluid and free-flowing, will give you the permission, space, and freedom to open to new possibility. Using your feminine aspects will end the uncontrolled burning or yearning for change. A balance of male and female energies within will allow you to expand and grow with flexibility, creativity, and clarity.
May your days be bright with Smiles and Laughter,

Charleen Johnston

A Priestess in Every Chair…July in the Red Tent

~A Priestess in Every Chair~

July in the Red Tent

On a juicy, sultry summer’s day, the earth rich with fertility and the sky ripe with moisture not yet released, the women came from the four directions. They came with their friends. They came with their sisters. Mothers and daughters, they came. Some came alone and knew they would not be alone for long. The light on the land was mystical. And so it should be on this day of a powerful solar eclipse which, though not seen by the naked eye in our hemisphere, was certainly seen and felt by the eyes of the spirit.

Every tent is different, unique, and special, and so we come in openness, ready for the gifts that will be given. This was the day of the Sacred Artisans’ Bazaar – a time of sharing our creative energies and the resulting beautiful and wonderful gifts we make, the products of the soul-deep gift of creation. When we let Spirit shine through us, the results are truly beautiful. And this is how the simple offering of our creations becomes a sacrament as we relish our Divine gifts and rejoice once again in the Divine in each of us.

So our free time was filled to the brim with the many ways that we nurture and rejuvenate ourselves and each other. Along with the joy and downright fun of sharing our creations, we continued with our many ways of experiencing the community of the divine feminine: conversation and quiet; music and laughter; stories and card readings; rest and movement; and nourishment that defies description at this fecund time of year. The berries and other fresh produce were exquisite. And what would the tent be without our soups, this month both hot and cold and all wonderful. Much gratitude goes to all the women who contribute their diverse gifts to the tent, each as she can.

We began our circle without a predetermined Priestess. This does not concern us for we have learned that there is truly a Priestess in every chair. All forms of priestessing have their value. When the leadership is shared by all, the energy flows differently and the gifts are as many and as beautiful as they are when one woman leads the way. This lesson is not lost on us. And so, as in everything, we remain open to the gifts Spirit has in store for us at any given moment and savor every one for exactly what it is. This is the way of Love and we know it and are profoundly grateful.

Here is a message from Spirit to the women of our beautiful Red Tent Temple. It comes to us through The Fifth Tarot, by Martien & Teressena Bakens:

The Elementor of Stones (excerpts)

The Elementor of Stones is the epitome of the Earth Mother. She is the fullness of the Pacha Mama, the embodiment of all creation. She holds the world in her loving embrace. Life flows from her life blood and the waters of her womb. At her heart is the tree of life, its roots forming her breasts that nurture and sustain all life. At her navel, the golden mean, the spiral of life, becomes the umbilical cord that give’s life to all earth’s creatures. The snow-capped mountains offer support to those who lay their head in her bosom. The cliffs form her hair, which creates a cloak of protection around all who reside in its folds. She opens her home to the pine trees, who climb on her back, in order to be close to her. We feel her strength in her legs that form the foundation on which the world rests. She is Mater familias, the mother of all Earth’s family; watching over her children day and night…

Symbolically, women are the carriers of life in their wombs. Men are the tenders of the garden of life after they have planted the seeds. All is honored and sacred when we hold it so. What comes forth from this union is miraculous new life. The Elementor symbolizes this sacred union of the divine masculine and the divine feminine and new life within the self.

The Earth Mother calls us to feel her heartbeat and allow her love and grace to pulse in our veins. The Elementor now understands that duality ceases to exist when we choose oneness with all our relations. We are the creators of our own reality here on this earth plane. In shifting the paradigm, we carry the light, not the weight, of the world on our shoulders.

Pacha Mama laughs a full-bellied laugh, delighting in the joy of life, encouraging all her children to find their joy as well. The ability to create is the power of the Earth Mother. Her capacity to love is her strength. The Elementor of Stones is the fullest expression of the beauty and abundance gifted in the suit of earth.

~~~~~~

Thank you to every woman who contributed to the magic of the July Red Tent Temple. Please join us next month on Sunday, August 8th, and help us to assure that the wonder and magic continues.

So it is. So it will be.

~ Diana Powers

04-11-10 Planting Abundance

Planting Abundance…April in the Red Tent

On a stunningly beautiful Spring day that only Gaia could create, the women made their way to the tent. From the four directions and so many walks, for this one day their paths converged and they followed each other into their special, light-filled, sacred space, not knowing what the day would bring, but knowing they wanted to be a part of it.

It occurred to me as we set up and adorned our space as only we can, that we are wonderfully unique, each from the other, and that we relish that diversity in a way that we need to bring back out into the world. Poems were shared, soups and other divine foods were offered and gratefully received, creativity honored, stories told, and, just before the circle began, the mood was beautifully set by Jessie Mayer who came for the tent, but generously shared her music and her heart as well.

Lucy was our Priestess and it was she who had called for the theme of “Planting Abundance” for this circle. At her suggestion, we brought items that symbolized abundance for us and created a beautiful Abundance Altar with these symbols and totems. When the circle began, Lucy led us on a journey to meet Lakshmi and to plant abundance for ourselves. When the journey was complete, each of us shared a bit of our experience on the powerful path to abundance and all that it offers.

It occurs to me as I write this summary each month, that it is a challenge to adequately express the beauty and wonder that we experience at every Red Tent and especially the power we all feel even as we create it. Every circle is delightfully different and an equally precious gift to each of us.

When I decided I would write this today, I asked Spirit for a special message to share with our Red Tent community. I did this while I was doing my morning devotions and this is the message I received for all of us. It comes from the “Healing Earth Tarot,” by Jyothi and David McKie:

Ten of Shields:

The Ten of Shields represents the Earth’s nurturing and sharing qualities within a group of supporting people. In this case, the group is all women from various parts of the world with the figure of the green goddess at their head. In the center of the circle are the ten shields from the women’s tribes or families of people.

In this sharing of strengths, much can grow and prosper. The women know that their combined abilities bring a wealth of understanding and experience to the entire group, which could not be achieved singly. This female circle reflects what is possible when we bring our uniqueness as individuals together, not to compete or compare, but to encourage or enjoy.

In a reading, the Ten of Shields is wealth which will nurture your growth to the fullest extent possible at this particular time. Look for opportunities to share your experiences with others of like mind or interest, for these are your family or community who can aid you in your forward movement.

~

I’d say that pretty well describes our amazing group and what we are to each other. In closing, I would also offer this: The very best way any of us can aid anyone else is by nurturing and loving ourselves to the best of our abilities. Each of us is a part of the Red Tent for what it gives to us and, in turn, because it gives so much, it then enables us to give to others.

Thank you for being an important part of this wonderful community and please join us on May 16^th for the next Red Tent Temple.

So it is. So it will be.

Spring Ahead…March in the Red Tent

Spring Ahead…March in the Red Tent

On the day the women turned their clocks ahead it was also the eve of the New Moon; a powerful day, filled with the promise of growth and change and new life. Mother Earth was saturated from much, much rain and Her rivers and streams were swollen and pulsing, flowing swift and full toward the sea much the same as the women made their way to the farm and their beloved Red Tent Temple.

On arriving, we were pleased to see the results of the completed renovations of our space that now has a beautiful window wall so that we may look out on the trees and the trees may watch us while we are bathed in healing natural light.

During our free time, we rested and rejuvenated and reveled in each other. There was a special energy in this day. Was it the power of New Moon, the perfect time for starting over, making good changes, creating something new? Or was it the energy of Spring, felt weeks before we actually see it, as the Mother births Her beautiful changes to our Earth home? Or, was it the women luxuriating in the easy comfort and joyful gratitude of being together once again? Clearly it was all of these and more.

The call for one priestess had resulted in two and Jaz and Lezley formed our Priestess Team for the day and the Circle was called. Lezley Two Bears told the story of why bunnies lay eggs. Any circle that begins with such delightful storytelling is bound to be specially blessed and it was, for when we open ourselves to story, magic happens.

Jaz shared that the current moon is known as “Geese Returning Moon” and we passed the talking bowl and gave the moon our own names, connecting powerfully with our personal Moon.

We divided into three groups and created phrases of deep meaning to us and, with the talented Jaz composing the accompanying songlines, we created a song together and sang it in a round:

~ loving dancing children laughing

~ we are planting love

~ we are opening to the wisdom of life

Lezley then offered a ‘spring planting’ exercise in which we were able to identify the crops we wish to grow this year as well as those that no longer work for us. The talking bowl was passed again and we shared our hopes for this planting season in our lives. We all look forward to our harvests.

Our deep thanks goes out to Lezley and Jaz for a job well done. Also, thanks to Ananda for the amazing owl calls.

And then our time was almost done. It was lovely to have a bit of daylight left in which to clean up and pack up and the work is gladly undertaken by everyone as it is another way to extend our time together.

Then finally, the cars are packed, the lights turned out and the women must leave each other again and so we do. But as we go out into our worlds and back into our lives, we are lightened and encouraged by the joy and support and the love that we have shared. And we know that we are blessed.

Please join us on April 11^th for the next Red Tent Temple.

~ Diana Powers

Living Wide Open: Landscapes of the Mind

by Dawna Markova

I will not die an unlived life,

I will not live in fear

of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days,

to allow my living to open me,

to make me less afraid,

more accessible,

To loosen my heart

until it becomes a Wing,

a Torch, a Promise.

I choose to risk my significance,

to live so that which came to me as seed

goes to the next as blossom,

and that which comes to me as blossom,

goes on as fruit.

~

02-21-10 Out With the Old

Out With the Old…February in the Red Tent

On a February day so beautiful it seemed to promise that Spring is not far behind, the women came from the Four Directions. Women of the Elements they are - Earth and Air and Fire and Water – and they carry those elemental gifts within and without. On this day they brought their diverse and unique spirits to the farm to join their sisters in the Red Tent Temple. As if some tribal drums had broadcast the message, they continued to come until hearts and spirits and the tent itself was thrumming with the energy of good women.

For several hours, we relaxed. Some wrote in journals, did artwork, or rested. Others shared stories, sought counsel, offered counsel, bore witness, and welcomed newcomers. There were tears and laughter and learning and love. We all nourished ourselves on wonderful soups – I think I counted six different pots – teas, fruit, salads, and finally, one amazing woman’s amazing fudge. Our special thanks to the Soup Artists and all the cooks as well.

Jaz brought an art project for us and we each made a heart card for ourselves and then wrote wonderful, magical messages in each other’s cards. It was good, loving fun and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one who sniffed the construction paper to be delightfully brought back to a childhood where making cards was a frequent, joyfully uninhibited, and creative activity.

When it was time, Jaz, a princess of light and laughter, also our Priestess for the day, called the circle together. We began by naming into the circle our ancestor-women and any others we chose to place and hold within the rim of our sacred space. Jaz then led a meditation in which we identified, honored, and then released anything we had been holding within us that happened in the last year, in order to make space and new energy for the fresh life experiences to come in the current year. It was a moving and healing journey, and a powerful privilege to be a part of that circle. It was clear, as we then passed the talking bowl, that the women had felt the magic and gained much insight and gratitude from our circle that day. We ended in song and couldn’t help but notice that, unlike last month, it was still light outside, and just like last month, there was much light inside of each one of us.

After a bit more soup, much more laughter, always, much more laughter, and finally, cleaning up, the women said their goodbyes with hugs all around, and headed back out into the Four Directions to return home until the next Red Tent. Please join us there on Sunday, March 14^th at 11:00 a.m.

Special Request: We ask each woman to bring one red column candle in a glass container to help us replenish our supply. A fun prize will be given to the woman who finds the lowest price. Grocery stores often carry these candles for relatively low prices. Thanks. If you haven’t got time to pick up a candle, do not fret.... come anyway! See you on the 14^th.

The Red Tent

by Diana Powers

Today we came together in a specially blessed place,

for laughter and for wisdom, for sisterhood and grace.

Some came with long-felt longing, some, curiosity;

but each was drawn to be there in sacred trinity.

Our trinity, the Feminine, of Maiden, Mother, Crone;

so powerful, it helps us know that we are not alone.

We shared in conversation, and caring company,

and filled again our well of love with sweet community.

We drew the sacred circle and filled it from the heart;

the bold, the shy, the in-between, we came to do our part

to send the power up and out while healing from within,

and this bright ring of healing is where we all begin.

We bless each other with our trust, respect our right to be,

because we understand the gift that’s given when we see

that every path is sacred and every walk is true,

and so we honor our own paths and all those others too.

~

Maidens, Mothers, and Crones – Januar...

Maidens, Mothers, and Crones – January in the Red Tent

It was a silver gray day, clouds pregnant with something, Mother Earth at rest in the winter deep. The naked limbs of the trees seemed to beckon the women, “Come in, come in, and we will watch over and bless you.”

And come in they did, to the first Red Tent Temple of the new year and the special occasion planned for the day. The women were looking forward to this tent even more than they usually do as it would be a day that we would honor one of our daughters whose Moons have carried her into her Maidenhood.

Joy and anticipation informed the creation of the tent. Many hands made light work of draping fabric, lighting candles, creating altars, heating soups and water for tea. Every woman looked forward to providing McKenzie and Mia, friends and goddesses-in-training with the honoring that few of us were blessed with when we began our Moon times.

Once the tent was ready, we relaxed into our soothing communal energy and shared with the girls what the Red Tent is and what it means to each of us. Some drew, some told stories, others read cards or wrote. Throughout this time of peace and laughter, warm, winter food, and sharing, the girls and the women – maidens, mothers, and crones alike – received the gifts of the Red Tent community, creating an easy comfort and a soft, gentle magic away from the cares of the world and our daily lives.

As we gathered in circle, we passed the talking bowl and offered our gifts: gifts of advice, of elder-wisdom, of gratitude, and of prayers. The women also shared some of their stories and feelings that are always spoken among us into the safe container of the circle. The girls listened carefully and we know they will remember what they heard that day. Their shy, simple “thank you” was enough for us to know.

As our time together came to a close – how does a whole day go by so quickly – the rains came. The cleansing, healing waters were the closing sacrament as the Earth Mother took part in all the blessings of our very special day.

Please join us at the Red Tent Temple on Sunday, February 21^st, and help us to rest and rejuvenate, explore, and create yet another very special day for women. The trees wish it to be so and have promised to continue to be our welcoming guardians.

~

To My Daughters

by Corey Alicks

I’ll tell you about power:

We are born with the potential

for every daughter we will ever have

embedded like pearls in the dark flesh of our ovaries.

You were already there, in me,

while I was yet curled within my mother, as she was,

inside my great-grandmother;

each mother birthing her grandchildren, through her pelvis,

ivory cradles protecting secret worlds within our own seas,

worlds of fierce hearts and minds beyond knowing.

Is there a greater power than holding the entire

universe in your belly?

All of Creation? What about our own galaxies pouring forth?

The summoning of all that is love

and alive into our very breasts, our marrow,

our coursing blood, a luminous milky way

so bright it blinds, with all the power and force of life,

heaven meeting earth, giving to those worlds we hold,

that we see in the irises of our daughters’ eyes.

~