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Reclaiming Our Voices

3/31/2025

My teacher was stunned when she heard me blabbering away with my best friend on the school bus. I was an extremely shy child who hardly spoke, so to her, this was completely out of character. At home, no one ever asked how I felt about anything, so I grew up believing my words didn’t matter. No one seemed to care what I had to say—except for my two closest friends. Talking with them felt like a revelation. It felt good to be heard, to have someone take an interest in me.

I remembered one of my grandmothers being very quiet, too. I hardly knew her because she barely spoke. The women in my family who did talk mostly filled the air with judgment—always criticizing others. It felt toxic.

Meanwhile, I resented how easily men seemed to speak their minds. Why was it so painful for me to speak mine? Why were so many women’s conversations centered on tearing each other down?

The answers became clear when I took a Women’s Studies course in college and learned about the patriarchal system we’ve been living under for millennia. In order to maintain power, men have ensured that women’s voices don’t matter. We’ve been conditioned to obsess over how others perceive us, while our culture pits us against each other—keeping us distrustful of each other, divided, and ultimately weaker.

My journey to finding my voice—and becoming brave enough to use it—has been long and transformative. A big part of this growth has come from our Red Tents. These sacred gatherings are where we focus on empowerment, confidence, and self-worth. It’s where we share tools for growth, supporting each other in stepping into our divine feminine power. And most importantly, it’s a space where our voices are truly heard.

Now, more than ever, we need to use those voices. Under this current federal administration, we are witnessing a resurgence of patriarchal oppression. This is a moment that demands we speak up—not just for ourselves, but for our daughters and for Mother Earth.
Our next Red Tent is this Saturday night, and we will be focusing on clearing and activating our throat chakras. Some of us will also be marching that afternoon, raising our voices in protest. It will be a powerful day of truth-speaking, and I invite you to be part of it.
Register here.

How confident are you in expressing yourself the way you’d like? Let me know in the comments.

Broken Hearts

1/23/2025

On November 6th, at 2:30 a.m., while at my Eco-retreat in Colombia, I broke down in tears. The news that the orange felon would again take office hit me like a tidal wave of despair. I felt gutted.

My heart aches for those in Los Angeles who have lost everything in the recent wildfires—the people, the animals, the entire ecosystems.

I am consumed with sadness and anger over the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and the endless suffering they bring.

If you’re a living, breathing, even slightly sensitive human being, your heart is probably breaking too. These are heavy times. The climate crisis, relentless conflicts, and political turmoil weigh on all of us.

Our resilience is being tested. Showing up for life every day feels like a monumental task.

But in these dark times, we have each other. And we have tools to help us navigate this storm.

For many, it’s a time to grieve. And we need to honor that. It’s okay to feel the sadness, the anger, the fear.

For some, stepping away from the news is necessary for their peace of mind. I understand that too.

The energy of the divine feminine—with its flow and path of least resistance—is essential.

It teaches us to rest, to soften, to nurture.

But there’s also a time to embrace the divine masculine—to be assertive, to act, to rise.

After all, the yin-yang symbol reminds us that balance is key; a drop of yang resides within the yin.

Bishop Budde demonstrated this beautifully. She was grounded, kind, and compassionate, but also firm and forthright when she stood up to the Orange Menace. She spoke from her heart with grace and courage.

Now, it’s our turn.

We need to grieve, to process, and then to reignite the fire within.

Let’s channel our heartbreak into action—to defend our Mother Earth and her inhabitants, to fight for a better future.

But first, let’s heal our hearts.

We can’t pour from an empty cup.

That’s why at our next Red Tent, we will focus on healing and activating our heart chakras.

When we live from this place, we become centered and powerful.

Love becomes our North Star, and the journey forward becomes bearable.

Together, we can find strength. Together, we can move forward.

Hang in there. We can do this!

Ayahuasca and Tonic Masculinity

12/7/2024

Last month, I had a transformative experience at La Wayra, an Ayahuasca retreat in Colombia. Among many profound teachings I received, during one of my ceremonies, Grandmother Ayahuasca informed me that it would be deeply beneficial to introduce plant medicine to the women of Moondays. Sometimes, during our Red Tent gatherings, I feel frustrated that we can’t always dive as deeply as I know we’re capable of. I feel a yearning for something more expansive. Plant medicine offers a pathway to that depth with relative speed and clarity. Sam, who runs the retreat, suggested I consider bringing my group there to experience the medicine firsthand. As wonderful as that sounds, I realize not all of you would be able to take a trip like that. Fortunately, we’re in Oregon, where psilocybin is now legal in therapeutic settings, making this type of deepening more accessible than ever. Stay tuned for more details on how and when we’ll embark on these adventures together!

On another note, have you heard of the term tonic masculinity? I just learned about it recently, and it resonated deeply. It’s the perfect antidote to toxic masculinity. I first learned about it from Bev, one of my Ayahuasca retreat sisters. She shared a fascinating perspective: initially, she believed that for her own plant medicine journey she should experience them exclusively with women. But after spending 18 days at the retreat, she recognized the immense value of healing alongside men.The kind of men who show up to plant medicine retreats are often deeply committed to their own healing and growth—they are tonic men. Their energy supports the divine feminine, amplifying the healing process for everyone. Bev shared how she felt more empowered and made significant progress by sharing the space with them. Watch her whole testimony here.
Here’s a wonderful article about tonic masculinity if you’d like to dive deeper into the concept.

Who’s ready to heal and grow? Feeling hopeless or helpless about the state of the world is valid—these are very real and legitimate emotions. But instead of staying stuck in those feelings, let’s transmute them. Let’s channel that energy into something more sustainable—a fuel that powers us to become the best versions of ourselves. Imagine using that fuel to serve others, to create beauty and joy in our lives, even in the midst of life’s shadows.

Together, we can rise above and transform. Let’s continue this journey toward healing, growth, and balance.

Ten Year Anniversary

10/20/2024

I never imagined I’d be leading women’s circles, let alone for ten years!

As I reflected on how I got here, something clicked. When I was a teenager, I belonged to a Jewish youth group. There were different roles for each member. My role was social organizer. I was in charge of calling the different boys’ chapters to set up parties between their group and ours, the Embers.. Even though I was shy, I loved it. It gave me a reason to reach out, to connect with people — especially boys, who I happened to be a fan of. I was always more comfortable hanging out with guys. Why? Looking back, I think it was because of the patriarchy which pits women against each other, encouraging us to be catty, judgmental, and competitive. Most of my early experiences with other girls and women felt like that. Maybe that’s why I was later drawn to organizing spaces for women to come together, to transform that old paradigm.

That’s not to say I didn’t have meaningful female friendships. I did. As a kid, I had two best girlfriends, and instead of being catty, they were supportive, interesting, and fun. I always craved more of that energy. It wasn’t until I read The Red Tent in my 40s that I figured out how I could truly create it. The book inspired me to create spaces like the Red Tent — cozy, inviting, womb-like spaces where women could gather and truly connect. The book touched a deep pain point for me: I was sorely missing that kind of female energy in my life. Not just casual get-togethers with random girlfriends, but intentional spaces to dive deep — with each other, with Spirit, and through the cycles of life, integrating personal, societal, and planetary evolution into our journeys.

It’s been an amazing 10 years of bringing women together and elevating the divine feminine. Woot, woot! Over these years, I have met and connected with many, many amazing, beautiful sisters, and watched them connect with each other. I feel the growth and support from all the work we’ve done together. I’m grateful for the abundance of yin energy in my life now, and for these meaningful connections with my sisters. Together we have radiated out into the world a wealth of divine feminine energy, helping to shift it toward a more balanced, harmonious planet.

Angry Men

8/17/2024

My father never had to punish me because he instilled in me a fear of his intense anger. I did everything possible to avoid his rage, hence, I was a “good girl.” He was a typical man in this way, exhibiting a quality of his socialized gender -- male rage. It is, unfortunately, a gender norm. Men have so much anger, so much hostility. No wonder there is beaucoup tension, violence and war in this world. I have often wondered why this is. I found some answers in Bell Hooks’ book, The Will To Change: Men, Masculinity, And Love. She writes it basically comes from two things:

1. The social identity of a male in our patriarchal society is to be dominant, an aggressor. They are conditioned to be “strong,” to fight, to use their force and might physically and energetically. If you can’t live up to these expectations and you're male, you’re considered a wuss, weak, not a “man.”

2. The other quality men are socialized to be is stoic and repress their feelings. Men are not supposed to show their feelings, let alone have the difficult ones that need to be processed, like sadness, hurt, vulnerability, trauma, etc. The adage “big boys don’t cry” has taught men to repress and suppress these thorny feelings. But, as another great book’s title says, “Feelings Buried Alive Never Die.” Instead, they boil beneath the service until they finally explode to let off steam, resulting in hostility and violence.

When your spouse or significant other is a man, there’s a good chance you have had to deal with your partner’s anger. And if not your partner’s, perhaps some other man in your life. I used to take my husband's anger really personally. Now I realize, I’m not alone. It’s a societal problem. Not only do we have to deal with it in our personal lives, we have been the brunt of male hostility since the beginning of patriarchy, from domestic abuse, femicide, rape, war, etc. for thousands of years. This conditioning reinforces toxic masculinity and hinders emotional growth.

What can we do about it?

Recognize it for what it is. Stop taking it personally.
Talk to the men in your life about it so that they can become more self-aware. Encourage emotional expression and empathy in men.
Teach our children about it and ask your baby’s daddy to model better behavior for your children.
Be there for women who want to get out of an abusive relationship.
If you are in an abusive relationship, please do whatever it takes to get out. There is a national hotline you can text and/or call: Text BEGIN to 88788, call 800-799-7233

Here is a great article about male anger including the 12 signs a man has an anger problem, how it impacts relationships, how to cope with a man who has anger issues and how to treat it. https://www.choosingtherapy.com/signs-a-man-has-anger-issues/

Have you experienced male anger in your life? Please share in the comments.

Goals, Intentions and New Moons

7/30/2024

I hate setting goals. They never did anything for me. I would set goals for my business, like increase sales by 20% in 6 months, and nothing would ever come of it. Then I would feel deflated and not want to set any more goals. For a retail store, once you have your location, customer service, marketing and products in place, sales are mostly dictated by things like cycles of the year, the economy, the weather and various other external factors that are beyond our control. Losing weight is another goal I seldom realize unless there is a specific notable event on the horizon like my own wedding. I gave up goals years ago. But there’s something different about setting intentions.

Intentions are softer. Goals are rigid. Setting intentions seem to be more about self-care and personal growth. They’re something to try earnestly for, not something I will be really bummed about if I don’t reach. When I don’t reach a “goal,” I feel disappointed. When I don’t follow through on an intention, it feels easier to say, well, I’ll try again next time or maybe I need to adjust my intentions. It may sound like just a case of semantics, but it makes a difference to me.

Doing the work of setting intentions is lonely unless you have a group to work with. The other benefit of working in a group is that the energy of a group gives you momentum and accountability. Not that anyone will give you a hard time for not fulfilling your intentions, but that they are there to answer to. It gives us that much more impetus to follow through. And when you see other people manifesting their dreams, that energy rubs off on you. It brings to mind a challenging hike I was on recently with a big group of women. This hike was a 4.9 mile loop with 1,500 feet of elevation gain. I really dislike going uphill for a long time. But these women just boogied up that hill and I wanted to keep up with them so it motivated me and gave me the energy I needed to make it happen.

This is why I love working together in a group to set and manifest intentions like at our Virtual Dark Moon Gatherings. The New Moon (or Dark Moon) is the perfect time to plant your seeds because it symbolizes new beginnings and fresh starts. During the new moon, the moon is not visible in the sky, representing a blank slate and the potential for growth. This phase is associated with introspection and making plans for the future. By aligning your intentions with the natural cycle of the moon, you can harness its energy to support your personal growth and manifest your desires. The gradual increase in light following the new moon mirrors the development and realization of your intentions, making it an ideal time for starting new projects and setting your intentions.

Sex Goddess

6/24/2024

I yearned to feel like I was sexually desirable at the age of 12. I would coyly lean against the back of my dad’s car in the driveway to get the attention of guys passing by in their cars. If they hooted at me and catcalled, I enjoyed it because in my mind, it was validation. It was feeding my ego, but it was also feeding something else in me -- my eros.

I had been obese as a child, and learned that being overweight was undesirable, so getting that validation as a preteen was a victory for me. Once I actually grew into my body, catcalling felt like men exerting their power over women with their judgment. As a young adult, I still felt self conscious of my body while making love, not confident in my desirability. Luckily, my partner at the time taught me that it’s all about energy, that it didn’t matter what I looked like. If I could just believe I felt desirable and sexy, I could get out of my head and into my body, allowing the sexual energy to percolate and rise up ( down ;-)), embodying a sexual goddess. It was an invaluable lesson and I was so grateful for it. When I took one of the ‘Which Goddess Are You?’ tests online, it told me that I was most aligned with Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, lust, beauty, pleasure and passion. I completely identify with her because one of the great joys in my life is sensuality and sexuality.

Once I was finally able to enjoy sex and feel good about my sexuality, I still felt the societal pressure of having to check myself. In our patriarchal culture, it’s not acceptable for a woman to be overtly sexual. Of course, we all know that’s completely unfair. Women have a lot of sexual energy, too. What would it look like if we were able to unleash all of this energy without judgment, hindrance or fear of being raped? It would be such a magnificent juicy world! I think the men would love it, too.

Spring Equinox: Creativity

3/12/2024

I fell in love with fine art photography in high school and college. I learned I was good at it and created pieces I was proud of. In my early twenties, I made beaded jewelry and lived the van life. It was fun creating wearable art. It paid for my lifestyle traveling around the country and having wild adventures. In my late 20s, I created a company selling crystals, fossils and jewelry. A few years later, I created another retail business selling beads. These businesses provided an income for me where I could be independent and eventually support a family. My greatest work of “art” was “creating” two new lives with my husband. In my 50s, I started an organization to help empower women through Red Tent gatherings, which fills up my soul. These are some of the ways I’ve used my creativity.
My life’s motto has been to follow my passion and it’s served me well. Passion is the fuel of creativity. We also need a certain amount of discipline, focus, commitment and belief in magic to have our imagination manifest into something real. Creating is “magical” because things can often be created out of “nothing” but an idea. How that idea manifests is not only up to you, it’s also up to Spirit. Being in the right place at the right time, things just coming to you, things “lining up,” people showing up, miracles happening, etc. signify there is more at work than just the physical. I believe “real life” is actually “magical realism.”

We do not create in a vacuum. Perhaps mothers know this best. Yes, it took another human to make a baby. Yes, there’s all the science stuff happening on the physical level, but the process is also metaphysical. A life is growing inside you, taking over your body?! This life is another human and it already has its own personality! Plus it seems mostly up to Spirit how the pregnancy plays out since there are so many variables. Because we are co-creators with the divine, I think it’s helpful to acknowledge Spirit and ask Spirit for support to ensure positive outcomes in all our endeavors. Equally important is then “giving it back to God,” letting go of the outcome. My teachers have taught me that this is one of the keys behind the Law of Attraction.

At our next Red Tent for the Spring Equinox, we will clear away any cobwebs left over from winter and prepare our seeds of creativity for rebirth in spring. Come join us!

Here are some thoughts to ponder in preparation of our upcoming Red Tent:

We all use our creativity in so many different ways. We are all creators, whether it’s art, music, business, writing, or just plain life. What are the many ways you have used creativity in your life? What are you most interested in creating right now?

Connection and Growth

2/18/2024

Connection and Growth

In my early 20s, a boyfriend and I went to a psychic medium for a reading because we were concerned about our livelihood. Jerry Prim was fairly famous at the time for channeling an entity named Jubal based out of Portland, Ore. Jubal’s message was that it was all about exchange with others. Everyone has value and we give and receive that value. That’s how it works, basically how the world operates, kind of like the song, “Money (value) Makes The World Go Around.” It was such a simple concept and seemed rather vague, but it hit a nerve. I was so shy, such an introvert back then, I would rather not have to “exchange” anything with anyone.

This connection, with a human being named Jerry and spirit entity named Jubal, inspired me to realize something extremely valuable for a young adult. Because of this newfound insight, I shifted my attention to what my value is and could be and stepped out of my comfort zone to connect with others. It helped me grow up and become an adult!

Not too long after that, I was sitting in the downtown Portland Public Library reading a Glamour magazine. I came across an article about how rough gemstones and crystals were going to become very popular in jewelry. A couple of years before that, I had become enamored with crystals after I was brought on a date to visit the gem and mineral show in Quartzsite, Arizona and bought some Veracruz amethyst crystals. I was amazed at these magical purple treasures from the Earth! I had an intuition that the Glamour article was accurate. On top of that, according to one of my teachers at the University of Delaware, I had a gift for prognosticating trends. With the jewelry I had already been making, I switched to incorporating more stones than glass into the designs. And when the opportunity arrived to open a gem and mineral store, I jumped on it. Whoever wrote that Glamour article had a profound effect on my life, as it helped me use my “value” to exchange with others. Again, it helped me grow, in this case grow my prosperity and career. All because of my connection with the article, that was written by a person, and was itself an exchange of value.

We are all connected. I was born from 2 people, I gave birth to 2 people, I started my business with my ex, I learned from teachers, was healed by doctors, inspired by artists, uplifted by musicians, consoled by friends, etc. My counselor always says, we grow in relationship to others. Our mental health depends on connection with others. This acknowledgement and appreciation of connection is soothing. It makes us realize, we are all one. We are completely in this together. If you’re in a relationship that’s not healthy, use it as leverage to grow, learn about yourself and what the next steps would be to change the situation. Cherish and give thanks for all of the wonderful connections in your life. May they continue to multiply and may your journey of growth be exponential!

The Gift Of Intuition

6/5/2023

The Gift of Intuition was the theme for our May Red Tent. We are so fortunate as women to have this gift in our tool box. Sometimes it comes on strong and sometimes it’s weak. How can we increase this gift when it’s weak, to fully leverage it? Let’s take a look at what we learned at our Red Tent.

One of the biggest blocks that prevents us from accessing our intuition is trust. How can we be sure it’s our intuition or just some anxiety we’re experiencing? Past traumas may be informing us and playing a part. In order to decipher which is which, the two main things we can do are: de-stressing (whether that’s meditation, exercise, a bubble bath, etc.) and becoming more mindful. Do a little self reflection to decipher if anxiety may be playing a part (meditation and journaling can help with that as well.)

Here are some other ways to increase our intuition or clear the way to access it more readily:

Change your routine. Doing this will help free up the daily chatter in your head to allow for more openness to hear what your intuition is saying.
Dream interpretation. Our subconscious speaks to us in our dreams. Becoming aware of this dimension will connect us to the same plane where our intuition resides.
Play with and read divination cards. This is a good way to self reflect and tap into your spirit guides which also help with your intuition.
Listen to and be in nature. Nature has a way of reminding us that everything is connected and that there is much more out there than our little lives. When we exist in this dimension, we are connected to the Greater Universal mind, which in turn connects us to our deeper selves and intuition.
Practice affirmations. Affirmations have been proven to be very effective. You can try ones like: “I trust and am guided by my intuition.” “My intuition is strong and easily accessible.”
Practice tuning into future events. Do you have an appointment coming up or an event? Try to feel into how it will go. Or you can ask yourself in the morning how your day will play out.
Notice symbols. Often, the Universe is sending us messages through symbols.
Awareness of people. Learn to read people. Try and sense what a person is all about when you first meet them. Then when you get to know them, see how you did.
Set the mood for your practice. When you’re meditating, journaling or playing with divinatory tools, be in a quiet, comfortable, private space, burn some sage, light some incense, a candle, play some soft music, etc. When you set the stage to get into a contemplative state, it’s easier to access your deeper self.
Build on your successes. Make a mental note or jot down every time your intuition is correct to build trust in it.
Make it fun. Play with it like it’s a game. The more fun it is, the more you will want to tune in.

It’s fascinating that there is a physical reason for our intuition! There are actually three reasons!

The vagus nerve. Visceral feelings and gut instincts are literally emotional intuitions transferred up to your brain via the vagus nerve.
Each and every one of our cells has a membrane or a mem”brain.” Each membrane has a receptor and an effector protein. The receptor protein acts like antennae, putting out feelers and gathering information. The effector protein processes that information and sends it to the brain. From the book Spontaneous Evolution by Bruce Liption and Steve Bhaerman.
The right brain. “According to Dr. Orloff, scientists believe intuition operates through the entire right side of our brain, the brain’s hippocampus and through our gut (digestive system has neurons as well). And this is where it gets interesting for us ladies. Women’s corpus callosum, the connective white matter that connects our left and right brain hemispheres together, is thicker than men’s. This more substantial brain super highway gives us women better and faster abilities to access each hemisphere, further integrating our emotion and gut feelings with the more logical left hemisphere into our decision making process. Basically women’s brains have superpowers and are actually optimized for rapid intuitive decision making. “Women are also psychologically more in touch with their emotions (perhaps because they’ve been given more cultural permission to be this way) and are more likely to integrate hunches, emotional ‘hits’ about people and logic. Because men have a thinner corpus callosum they are more compartmentalized in their thinking and less about to move back and forth from intuition to logic.” Forbes, The Science Behind Intuition

Increasing access to our intuition or strengthening it elevates the divine feminine. The more we respect and honor our feminine gifts, the more we will see reflections of it out in the world.