Connecting Women, Shaping the World
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Issue No. 3  ~ International Women's Day Special Edition ~
March  2010
The sky and its stars make music to you. 
The sun and the moon praise you. 
The gods exalt you. 
The goddess sings to you.   

Inscription on a wall on the temple of Hathor, Dendera, Egypt

Welcome! 
 
Today we celebrate International Women's Day with the theme of "Women, Ancestry and Self-fulfillment"
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In this edition, we share some of your stories and art from around the globe.  We hope that this is only the beginning of a larger flow of you all sharing your ancestry stories, art, and poetry with us.  We are living at a time where we see the richness that lies in the integration of all the women that came before us, those that are with us, and those that are to come ... 
 
With blessings of peace to you and your familes,
The SpiralMuse Team 
Women's stories from around the globe

 
Nonhlanha Dube butterfly
(Zimbabwe, currently living in Holland)
When I was younger, like every child I looked forward to growing older and there was a specific list of things I was sure I never wanted to do that I had seen my mother do.
 

Cecilia.W.Yu 余詠詩
(Hong Kong Chinese-Australian)
It is probably unusual even by general chinese standards to know the names of my female ancestors going back to about 35 generations. butterfly
Read More
 
Karin Von Daler
(Denmark)
 
It was a chance meeting. I had read online that a few women would be gathered in an old industrial building in a remote part of Copenhagen. When I arrived at the old factory building after a long, tedious bus ride, all was dark, but subtly decorated with lights, branches, cow horns, rocks and fabric.
Read More
 

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Marni Pitt
(United States)
This is a conversation I had with my daughter, who is the living spirit of so many generations.

Last week we visited San Francisco and while we walked through Noe Valley my 6 year old said:
"I have three uncles....and two cousins.  I have lots of family, even my aunt's sisters."
I replied "Yes, you do have a lot of aunts."
"Noooo, Mom!  I have ancestors!"
"Ohhh, it's true, you do have a lot of ancestors."
Then she said confidently, "I have alot of ancestors and that makes me have a BIG family."


Ancestry In Art

Mireya Alejo
 (Mexican, currently living in the SF Bay Area)  

Mireya_tothewomenTo the Women
of my Lineage
 
Soy nieta de Dolores y Carmen Alba

I am the Grandaughter of Dolores and Carmen Alba

 

La Hija de Armonia 

The Daughter of Armonia

 

Hermana de Jimena

Sister of Jimena

 

Mujer mundo, Mujer tierra

World woman, Earth woman

 
 
  
Karin Von Daler
(Denmark) 

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Deirdre Candelaria
(New Zealand, currently living in SF Bay Area)

This photo was taken SM Logoat the SpiralMuse Waking Women's Weekend.  It is a picture of our sacred fire , community drum and our group altar.  The fire was kept alive for 3 days (thanks to Asher, Julie, & others) and during that time people rotated keeping the heartbeat on the drum.  

We first witnessed this tradition during the International Women's Council in 2004 in Guatemala. At the Council, all the delegates shared in service to watch and feed the sacred fire and keep the heartbeat on the drum all night and all day for 5 days.  It is through these teachings and other indiginous traditions, I have woven my spiritual foundation as a woman
 


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Cecilia Yu 余詠詩
(Hong Kong Chinese-Australian) 

"Chinese Women -
 A Poem Not By Mao."

Mao took it upon himself to tell the women of china that we should prefer military combat greens to the red robes of celebration!
35 generations of women in my Chinese family disagrees! 
 
 
  
  
Jenny Treanor
Penny
(United States) 

I create my art using found objects, items from thrift stores, antique stores, junkyards, roadside litter, etc.  In this way,
I carry on the tradition.  I have, however, veered from the conventional religious precepts into broader horizon. More>>
 
 
Mireya Alejo 
 Mireya_FarewelltoLegacy
 I created this painting as part of an exploration on inter-generational collective trauma. 
I discovered there is a place inside of us where the personal and the collective stories meet.  A rich integration occurs when we create a space for both of these voices to speak, learn and feed from each other.  This particular piece represented part of a process in releasing the pain carried by my fami
ly, from Franco's dictatorship in Spain and having left their home to live in exile in Mexico.  

 

Goddess of the Month:
Chalchiuhtlicue
.  "She of the Jade Skirt".
Lady of the Waters (Mexico)
 
She presides over rivers and lakes.  Her jade skirt represents the waters of the earth.  She brings restoration of balance and flow to our life.  She knows that change is life and nothing stays the same.

ChalchiuhtlcueWill you dare to pause and surrender to the constant pulsing of change, while feeling your changeless essence?

For further exploration of the sacred feminine in history, we recommend the visually beautiful book by Elinor Gadon, "The Once & Future Goddess".  

Image from the Codex Borbonicus.

The energy of a circle can create a space
that
can allow for the unorthodox to
enter and the unexpected to happen.

SEDONIA CAHILL AND JOSHUA HALPERN
THE CEREMONIAL CIRCLE



 
About Us

We are a nonprofit 501C3 corporation. Our mission is toSM Logo connect women and shape the world.  We host women's circles, events and a website dedicated to creativity, growth and self-expression.  We have been involved in global, multicultural events honoring  global women's wisdom. We have big plans and are asking for funding to support our expanding vision. 
 

We appreciate all donations to support our efforts!

 
You can find Muses around the world and mark your very own place on our map so that other Muses can find you. Visit www.spiralmuse.org and add your flower. To contribute to our international audience via our newsletter, please email Penny - magicpennyx@yahoo.com

Join us on Facebook 
Monthly Musings
Women's Stories From Around The Globe
Women's Ancestry Through Art
Goddess of the Month
Atoussa Parsey - poem and art
Upcoming Events
International Women's Day videos
Lunar Currents
Nourish Yourself!
Aoussa
Lucidez- Mapacho Woman
by Atoussa Parsey
(Iran currently living in France )

I hold nothing fit for your Light, Grace, except for me--

A woman, in all my truth,
beauty and magic,


Standing naked with my perfect imperfections.


I come back to your Temple as your Creation.


Your perfect return.
Upcoming Events
Spiral Muse
Ne
w Moon Circle

Friday, March 12th
7:30-10pm
Casa Ambrosia
2931 Barrett Ave.
Richmond, CA.
510 289 3282
 
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On March 8th

Strengthening our cultural bridges.  Delegates from the
International
Women's Council
hosted by the
Great Confederation of Main
Councils "Ajq'ijab" from the
Mayan community of Guatemala,
co-sponsored by
SpiralMuse and Tinamit Junan Uleu-Earth Peoples United will share their powerful experience of sitting in circle with the indigenous Maya. 

The"Ajq'ijab" are the Mayan Spiritual Leaders and Guides
who have preserved and maintained their cultural traditions, cosmovision and traditional way of

life for thousands of years. Circle location:
 
Los Angeles, Ca: 
Marcella Eversole,
marcellaeversole@yahoo.com 
 
Cobden, Il:  
 Marsha Forrest,
forrestmarsh@gmail.com
 
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March 29th


WOMEN EXPLORING LEGACY
-A  9 week women's circle-
 San Francisco, CA

Starting date has been
changed to begin on the Full Moon 
March 29th
 
 Contact Mireya at: mireyaam@gmail.com


Video Corner
Lunar Currents


 

Authenticity-- Being Yourself Fulfills Your Destiny

NEW MOON -MARCH 15TH AT 12:01 PM PDT IN 25.10 PISCES AND FULL MOON IN 9:17 LIBRA ON MARCH 30TH AT 5:25 PM PDT.

This New Moon, we come to know that we can be ourselves. 

We have to get buried by mass consciousness, absorbing the all of it in order to find our lost parts. 

Then, the full moon shows us where we've developed false personas so we can finally get beyond all the images and be free to live our destiny at last.  The game of pretending we're anything other than we are is over.

Herstory of IWD
United Nations Website



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In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women's Day on 8 March. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day 
 
Photo by Penny Fellbrich
Help Women Survivors Of War Rebuild Their Lives
womenforwomen.org
 
Honour the resilience of millions of women survivors of war, and join Women For Women International in their campaign - Join Me On The Bridge.
 
Nourish Yourself!

Remember to nourish, nurture and take care of YOU
as you serve the world
in all the ways you do!


A delicious recipe from
Mia Perachiotti, CHHC:

Pizza Quinoa with Kale

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa, rinsed

4 cups water

1 yellow onion

1 bunch Kale

1 large tomato

1/2 cup black olives

1 small sweet pepper, any color

6-8 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked

Handful chopped mint leaves

Handful chopped parsley

Olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and Italian spices to taste

Directions:

Boil water and then add quinoa,  Turn heat down to simmer, cover quinoa and leave alone until all water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Do not stir!  Once water has been absorbed and quinoa is soft and ready, fork fluff and let sit.  While quinoa is cooking, saute chopped onion and pepper in pan with ghee or olive oil.  Wash Kale, remove stems, roll like newspaper, and chop into small 1/4 inch pieces.  Place Kale in large bowl with chopped tomato, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and herbs.  Pour hot onions, peppers, and quinoa over raw ingredients and stir well. Hot ingredients will lightly steam raw ingredients.  Add olive oil, sea salt and pepper to taste.  Any other toppings you enjoy on pizza will also taste great in this dish.  This dish also tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to assimilate, which is why I recommend making a large batch.


For more goodness, check out
Mia's website:
http://www.seedwellness.com/