June is bringing a lot of wonderful energies in support of discovering new ways to think, communicate and view the shifts we experienced throughout the tumultuous spring season. We are currently in the heart of the summer eclipse cycle! The solar eclipse on June 1st offered a strong Gemini influence to open up and share our emerging points of view with our community. These eclipse energies tend to intensify cosmic aspects so whatever seeds you plant on the new moon are sure to grow into super crops for a long period of time. June 4th starts the beginning of a year of expansive Jupiter taking residence in Taurus, helping us be productive, hearty and abundant in the heart of our lives. On June 11th, Saturn is ending a six-month retrograde period with more insights in support of strengthening relationships. Next week on June 15th, the full moon lunar eclipse in Sagittarius asks us to take the information we have gathered and expand it into a bigger context. It urges us to connect the dots from a local to a global message to offer what we know and receive what we need - as one world. This eclipse triad finishes with a very strong new moon in Cancer on July 1st that pushes us to break out of old patterns in the hope of liberation and regenerative growth.

Earlier this month, the comic winds carried me to Vermont to be in the presence of seven of the Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers for a Council Gathering on the June new moon. As with anything in life, it is the synergy of opportunity, resources and timing that give us the courage to say yes when the invitation to grow shows up in the divine mail box. I had been wanting to commune with the medicine of this auspicious collective of elder wisdom keepers for a long time, yet I chose to be present with no expectation. I was really grateful that I allowed my mind to take a back seat to my heart and was able to lean into the sacred pacing of this generation of women who truly walk in beauty.

Each morning, three Grandmothers opened their altars and invoked the spirit of the four directions from their lineage, language and the relationship they hold as a gate-keeper connecting heaven and earth. As each Grandmother shared the story of how she came to be a part of this auspicious council of elder medicine women and tribal leaders; I could hear how they were the voice of the voiceless. The Grandmothers had many messages and teachings all informed by humility, reverence and love for all life. They demonstrated a level of grace, courage and faith that was beyond inspiring; it came to us as a challenge: Do you have the courage to become a wisdom keeper, to be an activist, an agent of change on behalf of all life? I have come to recognize that this kind of call to action that gives me the "goose bump" effect is a real initiatory energy, so they got my attention!

The aspect of this experience that touched me the most was their relationship with one another. They whispered, joked, cried and supported each other with such regard. It reminded me of our sisterhood. No matter if we are in a meadow in Michigan, a sacred site in the Yucatan, a Colorado mountain top or in a yoga studio in Chicago, our moon tent goes up when we are together. This is one of the most precious treasures of the sacred feminine bond; the ability to form and cultivate deep, meaningful, intimate relationships held by the bonds of knowing that we can face our lives with more ease when we do it together.

With the warm summer breezes upon us, is it easier to slow down to a pace that allows us to experience more of the small pleasures in life. Please join the Grandmothers by taking a moment to really notice the elders and children in your homes and neighborhoods. Notice their gifts, beauty and sweetness. These generations bookend our experience, holding the stories of our past and possibilities of our future. We can honor their journey by being aware of how our choices are connected by a continuum of life. Tell a story honoring a grandparent to someone in a way that allows the learning of their life to be seen and shared. May we all walk in beauty.