About
Queen Mama Donna
Donna Henes is an internationally renowned urban shaman, award-winning author, popular speaker and workshop leader whose joyful celebrations of celestial events have introduced ancient traditional rituals and contemporary ceremonies to millions of people in more than 100 cities since 1972. She has published four books, a CD, an acclaimed quarterly journal and currently writes for the Huffington Post and UPI (United Press International) Religion and Spirituality Forum. Mama Donna, as she is affectionately called, maintains a ceremonial center, spirit shop, ritual practice and consultancy in Exotic Brooklyn, NY where she offers intuitive tarot readings and spiritual counseling and works with individuals, groups, institutions, municipalities and corporations to create meaningful ceremonies for every imaginable occasion. |
Good News!
The
Queen of My Self is
celebrating its 5th Anniversary and also its 2nd printing.
To mark
this milestone and as a measure of my appreciation, I am offering a
complimentary Great Women Rulers of the World ruler for every book ordered
through the website.
This offer is good through Women's History Month,
March 2010.
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Quick Links...
I tell you, I was reading
your book and thinking, "that sly Mama Donna knew. She just knew the power of
her words." They are powerful.
- Alison, MI
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Calling All Queens!
The Queen's Chronicles
Offers
upbeat, practical and ceremonial inspiration for all women who want to
enjoy the fruits of an influential, passionate, and powerful maturity.
I would appreciate it if you would please forward The Queen's Chronicles to people who might value it.
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SUBSCRIBE HERE!
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DONATE!
 To The Queen's Chronicles
My dear sister Queens,
Writing The Queen's Chronicles is a joy and an honor - a labor of true love - but, the fact remains
that it takes a great deal of time and effort and requires the services of a
techno-cyber Queen to be able to offer it each month. Consequently, after two
years of publishing, the royal coffers are sadly diminished and in desperate
need of replenishing.
Your donations will allow me to continue to provide you with
a monthly offering of information and inspiration for
an influential, passionate and powerful maturity.
I thank you so much for your royal support. With your help, The
Queen's Chronicles can maintain its mission
to promote meaning, moxie, magic and majesty to women in midlife.
With regal blessings,
xxQueen Mama Donna
CLICK HERE TO MAKE A TAX DEDUCTABLE DONATION
THANK YOU!
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Thank you so much for your
advice! Its like I knew it all along I just needed to hear it from someone
else. Again, thank you! Love and light.
- Rebecca, MA
Are you looking for meaning, moxie, magic and
majesty in midlife?
Consult the
Midlife Midwife
The transition from Maiden and Mother to Queen can be a difficult one, fraught with hard lessons and lots of loss. It takes great determination and courage to confront and embrace the changes brought about by the midlife passage.
It can be really helpful during this confusing time to have the inspiration, advice and encouragement of a counselor/coach/mentor - someone who has been there and done that and is ready to help you do the same.
Queen Mama Donna offers upbeat, practical and ceremonial guidance for individual women and groups who want to enjoy the fruits of an enriching, influential, purposeful, passionate, and powerful maturity.
xxQMD
TURN YOUR MIDLIFE CRISIS INTO YOUR CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT!
Further information: www.thequeenofmyself.com
Click on Individual Consultations.
Sessions are available in person and by phone. To make an appointment, call 718-857-1343 or email the Queen at TheQueenOfMySelf@aol.com
Everyone
has inside of him (sic) a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't
know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And
what your potential is!
- Anne Frank
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A Queen Event
Near You
North Carolina Unitarian Universalist
Conference Queens
FEBRUARY
GLOBAL
FEBRUARY
1-28
MAMA DONNA'S HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TAROT CLUB
1/3 off
reading for February Birthdays. In person or by phone.
For
info: 718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
MARCH
GLOBAL
MARCH 1-31
MAMA DONNA'S HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAROT CLUB
1/3 off reading for March Birthdays. In person or by phone.
For info: 718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
MARCH
2
TUESDAY,
7PM EST
Interview
with Keleah Laroche on Dispelling the Myths with
Kaleah Radio.
www.sedonatalkradio.com/dispelling-the-myths-with-kaleah
MARCH 3
WEDNESDAY, 8:00 PM EST
**TELESEMINAR:
PSYCHIC PROTECTION FROM ENERGY VAMPIRES: Spirit-Depleting People, Places and
Predicaments
A Spirit Support Skills Workshop
Learn
how to protect yourself against the predators and parasites who steal away your
personal power and resolve.
$25 per seminar.
Or register for all 3 teleclasses in the
series (the first Wednesday each month)** Only $60.
(April 7 - Spiritual
Spring Cleaning: Detoxing Body, Mind, Spirit, and Home
May 5 - Staying
Centered in Stress, Storm, and Chaos: Holding the Spirit in Hard Times)
For info or to register:
www.donnahenes.net/pages/teleseminars.shtml
718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
NEW YORK
MARCH
20
SATURDAY
1:00
PM EDT Event starts
1:32
PM EDT Equinox moment
35TH
ANNUAL WORLD FAMOUS EQUINOX CELEBRATION:
Eggs
on End: Standing on Ceremony
A
family friendly event. Bring kids, drums, percussion instruments and plenty of
spirit. Call to volunteer.
Call
for venue
For
info: 718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
FREE
APRIL
GLOBAL
APRIL 1-30
MAMA DONNA'S HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TAROT CLUB
1/3 off
reading for April Birthdays. In person or by phone.
For
info: 718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
APRIL 7
WEDNESDAY, 8:00 PM EDT
**TELESEMINAR: SPIRITUAL SPRING CLEANING: Detoxing Body, Mind,
Spirit, and Home
A Spirit Support Skills Workshop
Learn how to detox and declutter in order to sweep
away the detritus that clogs your body, fogs your brain, and bogs you down.
Purify and sanctify your body, mind, spirit, and living/working space.
$25 per seminar.
$60 if you register for all 3 teleclasses in the
series**
For info or to register:
www.donnahenes.net/pages/teleseminars.shtml
718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
APRIL 13, 2010
TUESDAY, 1PM EDT
Radio interview with Maryanne Comaroto
on Maryanne Live!
www.healthylife.net
APRIL 14, 2010
WEDNESDAY, 12PM EDT
Radio interview with Raven Blair Davis
on Woman Power Talk Radio
www.womenpower-radio.com
CONNECTICUT
APRIL 29 - MAY 2
THURSDAY EVENING - SUNDAY BELTAINE FESTIVAL: A PAGAN ODYSSEY
Mama Donna is a guest workshop leader and ritualist. Hosted by the Panthean Temple.
For information: 203-660-1369
PaganOdyssey@aol.com
www.paganodyssey.com
MAY
GLOBAL
MAY 1-31
MAMA DONNA'S HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TAROT CLUB
1/3 off
reading for April Birthdays. In person or by phone.
For
info: 718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
MAY 5
WEDNESDAY, 8:00 PM EST
**TELESEMINAR:
STAYING CENTERED IN STRESS, STORM AND CHAOS: Holding
the Spirit in Hard Times
A Spirit Support Skills Workshop
Learn simple body/mind/spirit techniques to help you keep
your perspective, sanity, clarity, equilibrium, good cheer and positive
attitude intact during the toughest of times.
$25 per seminar.
$60 if you register for all 3 teleclasses in the
series**
For info or to register:
www.donnahenes.net/pages/teleseminars.shtml
718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
JUNE
GLOBAL
JUNE 1-30
MAMA DONNA'S HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAROT CLUB
1/3 off reading for June Birthdays. In person or by phone.
For info: 718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
PENNSYLVANIA
JUNE
2 - 6
THURSDAY
- SUNDAY
SPIRIT
OF WOMONGATHERING
Mama
Donna will be hosting an entire Queen Weekend! Including several workshops and
rituals at this annual gathering. She will also have her Spirit Shop there and
be available for Tarot readings.
Information
and registration:
856-694-2037
www.womongathering.com
NEW YORK
JUNE
21
MONDAY
morning,
7;15
AM event starts
7:28
AM Solstice moment
34th
ANNUAL SUMMER SOULSTICE CELEBRATION
A
sizzling Celebration of Summer. Drum up the sun!
Pier 16 South Street
Seaport
Manhattan
For
info: 718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
FREE
JUNE 21
MONDAY,
8:00 PM
SUNSET
SOLSTICE CELEBRATION
A
sizzling Celebration of Summer. A family friendly event. Bring kids, dogs,
drums and lots of spirit.
Socrates Sculpture Park
32-01
Vernon Blvd., Long Island City, Queens
For
info: 718-956-1819
www.socratessculpturepark.org
FREE
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Have Crown,
Will Travel!
To discuss booking Queen Mama Donna for a reading, presentation, ritual, workshop or a keynote address in your area, call her at 718-857-1343 or e-mail her at TheQueenOfMySelf@aol.com
A weekend with Donna Henes
opens the door to the magic of sisterhood and fills the room with inspiration,
laughter, hugs, and tears. The power and wonder of womanhood prevails as everyone
tells their stories and shares their dreams. The space becomes safe enough to
express the deepest fears and most tragic experiences and we all realize that
none of us live ordinary lives. Donna offers the participants the tools to hold
their lives together, and celebrate the years they have lived and those to
come. Each woman left as the Queen she was destined to be.
- Pat Worth, Director
Someday Farm Spiritual Center
Killingworth, CT
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The Queen's Emporium
Make sure to visit The Queen's Emporium, which specializes in all manner of elegant, practical, and frivolous goods to fulfill all the royal needs and fantasies of The Queen of Your Self. Therein you will find a choice collection of goods to augment and accessorize your royal prerogative.
Anoint, Adorn, Enjoy!
The
Queen's Oil of Empowerment is a dandy little ritual. Every morning I bless my
Self before going out into the world. It helps me stay in a place of personal
sovereignty.
-
Charlene, UT
My
women's group starts every meeting by blessing each other with power.
- Faye, ME
THE QUEEN'S OIL OF
EMPOWERMENT
A ritual in a bottle. Use this oil to bless
your Self with the sovereignty that you seek. Made by Queen Mama Donna,
herself.
2 oz. bottle in gauze
bag
$35
(Includes shipping in the USA)
ORDER YOURS TODAY!
The Queen's Emporium
|
Imagine Your Ad Here!
Welcome
back to our loyal advertisers. Thank you
for your support and your desire to network with our fabulous royal readers
around the globe.
May you be successful in your endeavors and
blessed with spiritual and material abundance.
YOUR
ad in
The Queen's Chronicles!
Would you like to reach the
5000+ Queens in our royal network across the country and around the world with information about your business?
Advertising listings in the Queen's Chronicles are available for $50/per issue with significant discounts for ongoing listings.
For more information and to place your order contact: thequeenofmyself@aol.com or call 718-857-1343.
|
Royal Resources
for Queenly Women
Our extended circle of Queens includes some mightily talented women. Please support them by availing yourself of their superior services and by buying their excellent products.
Dr. Susan Corso
Omnifaith spiritual insights for
seekers and finders
Eve's Garden
Celebrating the sacred power of women's sexual energy
Feldenkrais Associates
Discover
the Feldenkrais Method with Amber Barbara Grumet, director of Feldenkrais
Associates. Become aware of how you move in order to improve your overall
functioning. Through group lessons or individual hands-on sessions you learn to
expand your potential in all areas.
For info: 212
242-2309 or amber@feldenkraisassociates.com
Maguire Pubic Relations
Expertise in journalism and marketing qualifies us to position and deliver the news of our clients.
Menopause Support Group
A community of patients, family members and
friends dedicated to dealing with Menopause, together. Register for free.
MLA Editorial Services
Whether you're
looking to publish with a top trade house, a prestigious academic press, or are
considering self-publishing your work, we can help you shape and polish your
manuscript to the highest professional standards. We specialize in serious
nonfiction. More than 20-years experience.
Licensed Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist.Focusing on women's health and other chronic issues
Spruce Shore Cottage
Restore yourself on the Maine coast. Lovely cabin for rent. Minutes from Acadia National Park. Ocean, sky, full kitchen. Contact
Weslea Sidon via email
or call 207-244-9897
Talking to the Goddess
An
anthology of blessings, prayers, invocations, chants, oriki and other sacred
writings by 72 women (including Queen Mama Donna) from 25 different spiritual
traditions. 10% of profits go towards funding the education of a female student
at the University of Venda, South Africa.
ToMePeaceIs.com
An omnifaith site
designed as a collaborative effort where users create the content by posting
what equals peace to them on that day. ToMePeaceIs.com is about forming the
habit of creating inner peace. There is no fee.
Your Advertisement Here!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE QUEEN!
In honor of the 5th Anniversary of the publication of The Queen of My Self,
I have established virtual branches of The Queen's
Court on Facebook and Twitter so that we can maintain communication between
issues of The Queen's Chronicles. Feel free to join us! Leave your questions
and comments, share your proud accomplishments and request spiritual support.
Become a Fan of The Queen of My Self on Facebook.
Follow The Queen of My Self on Twitter.
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 Mirror, Mirror
Hail Queens!
I can't help but
notice the parts of
myself that have slumped and sagged as I've aged. The bags under my eyes now
have over-night valises of their own. The veins in my legs and on the backs of
my hands are starting to show through in blue. And forget my figure. Everything
not tied down has long since fallen: my breasts, my belly, my once taut neck. I
can easily commiserate with the South African writer Nadine Gordimer, who once
commented, "I'm forty-nine but I could be twenty-five except for my face and
legs."
But do I mind? Not really.
I love the fact that we lose our
vision and our  youthful beauty at the same time. What we can't see can't hurt
us. It is a brilliant kindness to our vanity that reinforces in me the belief
that God is surely a Goddess. Who wears her reading glasses when gazing
into a mirror? As I squint at myself while trying to keep my lipstick confined
to the general vicinity of my lips, I think "Well, hey, I don't look so bad!"
If beauty is all in the eyes of the beholder, the blinder to flaws the better.
The simple and irrefutable truth is that as we age, we
change. The Queen knows about change and embraces it with magnanimous grace and
good humor, as part and parcel of the ongoing mythic adventure of Her life.
When someone told Gloria Steinem that she didn't look forty, she famously
replied, "This is how forty looks." And that goes double now that she is nearly
80.
The Queen
refuses to condescend or conform to the adolescent and exploitative standard of
beauty promulgated by popular culture. She does not deign to compare herself
with teenage models or
emaciated-lifted-stitched-tucked-injected-Hollywood-uber-beauties.
I've had so much plastic surgery, when I die they will donate my body
to Tupperware.
- Joan Rivers
Tens of
millions strong, we women in midlife are busily engaged in the process of
rewriting the rules of beauty, style and sexiness as we explore, express and
celebrate the diverse parameters of our own individual appeal.
 Queens that
we are,
we understand that
there is a difference
between looking
young and
looking
attractive - between,
for that matter, looking attractive and being attractive. A truly mature, secure
woman accepts the inevitable physical changes that come with the passing of
time and incorporates them into the way she presents herself to the world.
The
striking results of a recent poll of midlife women showed that almost 48% of
the respondents were "completely" satisfied and another 44% were "somewhat" satisfied
by the way they looked." That is an astonishing 92% in all! Nearly nine out of
ten women - 88% - indicated that
they were pleased with their appearance, period, age not being a factor. But
even while these women were generally so accepting of their appearance, the
study revealed that the highest priorities of these women as they aged were
internal. Ninety-five percent of them said that feeling good about themselves
was "essential."
It matters more what's in a woman's face than what's on
it.
- Claudette
Colbert
 Self-aware, Self-
assured, the Queen
transforms Her Self
as She goes. She
glows as She grows
into Her full
potential, and
becomes ever more
becoming. Her
reinvigorated attractiveness
stems from Self-knowledge and enfranchisement, Her magnetic sensuality is
centered in the fulfillment and satisfaction of Her Self-worth. She exudes the
intoxicating appeal of a woman who is at heart, pleased with Her Self.
I received this wonderfully
refreshing letter recently from a sister Queen who is definitely pleased with
her Self:
"...Despite
the anticipation and the promise of something potentially special, he was not
attractive to me. And I think that's important - that although I have had my
misgivings about meeting someone as I am - overweight and older - I felt
attractive and lively and lovely and charming and desirable in many ways. My
inner womanly, Queenly core, was quite strong - it never dawned on me to feel
less than attractive. And I thank you all for helping me to feel that. Our
circle of love and faith in one another has just added to the pool, the large
pond, the lake, the sea of deep-rooted sense of Good Self that stays, no matter
what..."
Brava!
It
gets easier as you get older. You accept yourself for who you are - your flaws
and your attributes. It's easier to live in your own skin.
- Barbra Streisand
With best
blessings for a positive Self image,
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In 1998
Angela Baker of Yorkshire Dales, England, lost her husband to non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma. As a tribute to the memory of John Baker, she and ten of her
colleagues from the Women's Institute decided to raise money for leukemia and
lymphoma research. But how?
Someone had
the bold and brazen idea to put out a nude calendar of themselves - normally
conventional, sedate ladies in their middle years. The youngest was 47 and the
oldest, 65. Wearing little more than a smile and a trademark set of pearls,
they were photographed in typical scenes, their modesty protected only by a
baby-grand piano, a teapot and sprouting broccoli on a vegetable patch.
The
self-published calendar was released officially on April 12, 1999. It was an
instant sensation with the first printing selling out in a week. 10,000 more
copies were made during a massive second printing and that was gone after just
three more weeks. Word spread quickly about the calendar, and the international
press soon jumped on the story.
By
December of 1999, just nine months after its launch, the calendar had sold
88,000 copies, and raised some $550,000 for leukemia research. That number has
grown significantly since then, especially after Workman Publishing released an
American version of the calendar.
In
an interview John Baker's wife, Calendar Girl Angela Baker, said the following,
"We are constantly amazed at the response we had, and still get, to our
Calendar. I cannot believe that we were able to raise so much money and I am
delighted that it is being spent on such worthwhile research. I know that John
would be tremendously honored to know that we have achieved so much..."
Over
the next decade, they found themselves traveling the world, being portrayed in
a West End play and by Dame Helen Mirren in a film, and have now raised around
£2 million for Leukemia Research. Meanwhile,
almost every fire brigade and sports team in the United Kingdom have followed
their lead.
Actress
Glenda Jackson was one of the calendar's sponsors, which likely helped to
ignite interest. Jackson is a member of the British Parliament where she serves
as Labor MP for Hamstead and Highgate. She is the only British Parliament
Member to have won an Oscar.
Six
members of the Yorkshire-based Women's Institute with a combined age of
379-years old have been reunited for a new 2010 calendar in living color. Now
"we definitely have to have bigger props," joked Queen Baker, 63, who can be
seen playing the piano in February. She continued, "I was a bit
apprehensive about color, because older women can look a bit funny in color,
and we wanted it to be just as good as the first one. Then, when I did see it
in color, I thought 'Well, maybe, why not?"'
Taking joy in living is a woman's best
cosmetic.
- Rosalind Russell
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Audrey Hepburn's
Beauty Tips
For
attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For
lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For
a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For
beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For
poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.
People,
even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed,
and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.
Remember,
If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.
As
you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping
yourself, the other for helping others.
The
beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she
carries, or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman must be seen from
in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love
resides.
The
beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is
reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion
that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!
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On Beauty
and Age
By Anne Lamott
 I was at a
wedding Saturday
with a lot of women in their
20s and 30s in sexy dresses,
their youthful skin aglow.
And even though I was 20 or
30 years older, a little
worse
for wear, a little tired and
overwhelmed by the loud
music, I was
smiling.
I smiled
with a secret Cheshire-cat smile of pleasure and relief in being older-49 and
change, which even I would have to admit is no longer extremely late youth. But
I would not give you back a year of life lived.
Age has given
me what I was looking for my entire life - it gave me me. It provided the time
and experience and failures and triumphs and friends who helped me step into
the shape that had been waiting for me all my life. I fit into me now-mostly. I
have an organic life finally, not the one people imagined for me or tried to
get me to have or the life someone else might celebrate as a successful one - I
have the life I dreamed of. I have become the woman I hardly dared imagine I
could be. There are parts I don't love-until a few years ago, I had no idea
that you could get cellulite on your stomach - but I not only get along with me
most of the time now, I am militantly and maternally on my own side.
Left to my
own devices, would I trade this for firm thighs, fewer wrinkles, a better
memory?
On some
days. That's why it's such a blessing I'm not left to my own devices. Because
the truth is I have amazing friends and a deep faith in God, to whom I can
turn. I have a cool kid, a sweet boyfriend, darling pets. I've learned to pay
attention to life, and to listen. I'd give up all this for a flatter belly? Are
you crazy?
I still
have terrible moments when I despair about my body. But they are just moments -
I used to have years when I believed I would be more beautiful if I jiggled
less; if all parts of my body stopped moving when I did. But I believe two
things now that I didn't at 30. When we get to heaven, we will discover that
the appearance of our butts and skin was 127th on the list of what mattered on
this earth. And I know the truth that l am not going to live forever, and this
has set me free. Eleven years ago, when my friend Pammy was dying at the age of
37 we went shopping at Macy's. She was in a wheelchair, with a wig and three
weeks to live. I tried on a short dress and came out to model it for Pammy. I
asked if she thought it made me look big in the thighs, and she said, so
kindly, "Annie? You just don't have that kind of time."
I live by
this story.
I am
thrilled-thrilled-ish - for every gray hair and achy muscle, because of all the
friends who didn't make it, who died too young of AIDS and breast cancer. And
much of the stuff I used to worry about has subsided - what other people think
of me and of how l am living my life. I give these things the big shrug.
Mostly. Or at least, eventually. It's a huge relief.
I became
more successful in my mid-40s, but this pales compared to the other gifts of
this decade - how kind to myself I have become, what a wonderful, tender wife I
am to myself, what a loving companion. I get myself tubs of hot salty water at
the end of the day in which to soak my tired feet. I run interference for
myself when I am working, like the wife of a great artist would: "No, I'm
sorry, she can't come. She's working hard these days and needs a lot of
downtime." I live by the truth that No is a complete sentence. I rest as a
spiritual act.
 I have
grown up enough to develop radical acceptance. I insist on the right to swim in
warm water at every opportunity, no matter how cold, no matter how young and
gorgeous the other people on the beach are. I don't think that if I live to be
80 I'll wish I'd spent more hours in the gym or kept my house a lot cleaner. I
think I'm going to wish I had swum more unashamedly, made more mistakes, spaced
out more, rested. On the day I die, I want to have had dessert. So this informs
how l live now.
I have
survived so much loss, as all of us have by our 40th - my parents,
dear friends, my pets. Rubble is the ground on which our deepest friendships
are built. If you haven't already, you will lose someone you can't live
without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you
never completely get over the loss of a beloved person. But this is also the
good news. They live forever, in your broken heart that doesn't seal back up.
And you come through. It's like having a leg that never heals perfectly - that
still hurts when the weather is cold-but you learn to dance with the limp. You
dance to the absurdities of life; you dance to the minuet of old friendships.
 I danced
alone
for a couple of
years, and came
to believe I
might not ever
have a
passionate
romantic
relationship -
might end up
alone! I'd been so terrified of
this my whole life. But I'd rather never be in a couple or never get laid again
than to be in a toxic relationship. I spent a few years celibate. It was
lovely, and it was sometimes lonely. I had surrendered; I'd run out of bullets.
But I learned to be the person I wished I'd meet - at which point I found a
kind, artistic, handsome man. We have been together 20 months now, when we get
out of bed, we hold our lower backs, like Walter Brennan, and we smile.
Younger
women worry that their memories will begin to go. And you know what? They will.
Menopause has not increased my focus and retention as much as I'd been hoping.
But a lot is better off missed. A lot is better not gotten around to.
I know many
of the women at the wedding fear getting older, and I wish I could gather them
together again and give them my word of honor that every one of my friends
loves being older, loves being in her 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s. My Aunt Gertrud is 85
and leaves us behind in the dust when we hike. Look, my feet hurt some
mornings, and my body is less forgiving when I exercise more than I'm used to.
But I love my life more, and me more. I'm so much juicier. And, like that old
saying goes, it's not that I think less of myself, but that I think of myself
less often. And that feels like heaven to me.
There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.
- Sophia Loren
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Litany of Elegance
Blessed is the woman who affirms herself each day.
Blessed is the woman who believes that beauty comes from
within.
Blessed is the woman who challenges media stereotypes of
aging.
Blessed is the woman who dares to try something new after
fifty.
Blessed is the woman who envisions change as an
opportunity.
Blessed is the woman who focuses on the "bigger picture" -
not just herself.
Blessed is the woman who grants herself permission to make
mistakes.
Blessed is the woman who handles adversity with dignity and
grace.
Blessed is the woman who initiates dialogue with her
younger counterparts.
Blessed is the woman who joins a group trying to make a
difference.
Blessed
is the woman who knows the difference between aggression and assertiveness.
Blessed is the woman who learns the difference between sex
and love.
Blessed is the woman who manages her money wisely.
Blessed is the woman who nurtures the young with her wisdom
and experience.
Blessed is the woman who opens her heart to the less
fortunate.
Blessed is the woman who prioritizes her needs with
integrity.
Blessed is the woman who questions The Establishment when
she sees immorality.
Blessed is the woman who relishes her role as mentor and
legacy leader.
Blessed is the woman who speaks with quiet authority.
Blessed is the woman who trusts her instincts on when to
act.
Blessed is the woman who understands that aging gracefully
is something to be proud of.
Blessed is the woman who values her own worth.
Blessed is the woman who wears her silver hair and wrinkles
like a badge of honor.
Blessed is the woman who opts to X out negative thinking.
Blessed is the woman who yearns for that which is
substantial and not superficial.
Blessed is the woman who zeroes in on the qualities that
will help her become...
A Woman of Elegance
- Chloe Jon Paul, MD
From her book, Entering The Age of Elegance
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The Queen's Court
 The
Queen's Court is a
gathering of sovereign
women of a certain
age - our dear
peers - who
graciously offer information,
guidance, inspiration and
encouragement to each
other.
We
Queens know what we
know. And we know a great
deal. Our experience has
made us
wise. So, feel free to consult with our cyber council/counsel when you are need of sage advice or wish to explore a particular topic of interest.
I have
recently received a flurry of letters from women offering
definitions and descriptions of Queendom. Here are a few. I hope that they will
spark some response from you, the loyal, royal sisterhood who comprise The
Queen's Court. Please keep your missives coming.
Definitions
and Declarations of Queendom:
As a little girl I wondered
what it would be like to be a Queen, after reading The Queen's Chronicles I have a much deeper and broader understanding of
just how good it is to be the Queen. Being a Queen is knowing yourself and
loving yourself, so that you can move through your life with confidence and a
sense of purpose. Not by any means a perfect state, it requires a willingness
to learn, a willingness to dialog and more important to listen, to change when
needs be. To value others and their ideas, but to know which ones are true for
herself. To carry with you, in your heart, what time has shown and taught you.
To love and live tolerance. And to understand that timeworn is not careworn.
Being loyal and true to yourself, loving yourself is the root of selflessness,
not selfishness.
- Lois, PA
Being a Queen is having enough
life experience to truly know what I want, coupled with the motivation and
ability to make it happen. Valuing myself enough to allow myself to expend time
and resources on my own development. Realizing that doing these things will
provide a role model for my 17-year old daughter as she enters adulthood.
- Cyndi, TX
A Queen is one who has the
ability to show no mercy but decides on mercy and giving of blessings even
though I have the ability to curse and hold back on those blessings. A Queen
must not look at things from only one point of view. She must be able to make
judgment calls without malice. She must not think she is the most important. As
a Queen I realize that those who look up to me are far more important than they
think they are.
- Karen, IN
A Queen rules her court with
love, never fear.
- Anne Marie, NM
A Queen believes in what she is
doing without any doubt or fear.
- Sanaz, Malaysia
I will be 47 this year. I have
considered myself a Queen for many years. Queens know themselves completely,
even the bad stuff. Queens are fully confident in their powers, boundaries,
intuition, strengths, talents and feelings. However, I am also a mother to my
six-year old daughter so I feel very much like a mother. So, I consider myself
a Queen Mother, actually. I once read about a Polynesian culture whose ruler
was a Queen Mother Who Sits on Her Golden Throne. That's me! Yeah!
- Sheryll, CA
I sent this letter out to my friends on
February 16:
In connection with being asked by my friend
Beth, who is approaching her fiftieth birthday, to help her do a ceremony, I
discovered all over again the wonderful book, The Queen of My Self, by Donna Henes, the
Urban Shaman. Among other ingredients, it has one of my poems,
"Penelope" in it. If you don't like to think of yourself as a crone,
this is IT - think of yourself as a Queen, and here is how to do it. I can't
recommend it strongly enough! You'll want a copy, and I'm not letting my copy
out of my sight again.
- Karen, NJ
I would love to further this discussion.
Do send in your definitions, descriptions and declarations of Queendom.
Please
send your questions or responses to thequeenofmyself@aol.com. Your
letters will be printed in the next Queen's Chronicles.
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The Queen's Correspondence
Thanks so much for taking
the time to respond to
The Queen's Chronicles.
Please keep your
comments coming. And
do feel free to make
suggestions about
content you would like to
see. Or anything else, for that matter. It is a joy to connect with you.
Letters In Response To The January 2010 Issue:
- Susan, NY
Thank you for recognizing the
women of Haiti who are not always remembered, especially now when the country
needs to honor its proudest achievements as a source of hope. Blessings and love,
-
Linda, SC
Thank
you for this incredible newsletter and for highlighting the achievements of the
Haitian women. I am proud to know you. Thank you, again. Warmly,
- Alicia, NY
THANK YOU for this beautiful
and inspiring newsletter. I especially appreciated hearing about the Queens of
Haiti. Thanks for your words and work in the world!
- Mary, WA
Thank you for the tribute to
Haitian women activists.
- Patricia, NY
Thank you for sending your
newsletter (late is always better than never!). It's a joy to read!
- Queen Melissa, OH
I always enjoy your Chronicles so much -
excellent research, insight and clarity. Blessings,
- Jo, TX
As always your scholarship and
poetry combine to produce incredible results. Continued Success! Very Best
Wishes,
- c., NY
Ideas and Suggestions from
Readers:
I love your Queen's
Chronicles and wonder whether your
missive exists as a web page that I can click on and read more easily. The way
this displays is in a rather small email window, it is very difficult to read
and I end up missing a great deal of it. Just a thought.
-
Shelley, NY
A
good thought! Thanks for the idea. I put my cyber Queen on the case and she solved your problem. At the top of The Chronicles there is now a link to view the ezine as a web page. Just click on it!
-
QMD
I see you're teaching Tarot classes in Exotic Brooklyn, but
what about those of us who live in your ex-homeland? Would you ever consider teaching an online class? Or video
taping lessons and selling the DVD?
I'd love to learn more about Tarot, and learning from you would be
really nice! Just a thought.
- Melissa, OH
Another great thought. You
gals sure have me stretching my limits - pushing me ever further into the
techno universe! I will pursue this idea, too. But in the meantime, you can
take my series of Spirit Support Skills Teleseminars.
Are you by any chance planning
on teaching web courses or offering teleclasses? I would really like to study
with you, but I live in Canada. Thanks for your consideration.
- Meg, BC, Canada
Your
wish is my command! The first teleseminar is on March 3. There will be another
Spirit Support Skills topic offered on the first Wednesday of every month. There
are already women signed up from across the United States, Canada and Europe. Here is
the info:
http://donnahenes.net/pages/teleseminars.shtml
xxQMD
Please send your responses to thequeenofmyself@aol.com.
Your letters will be printed in the next Queen's Chronicles.
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Kudos to the Queens!
 My
mother drew a distinction
between achievement and
success. She said that
achievement is the knowledge
that you have studied and
worked hard and done
the
best that is in you. Success
is being praised by others. That is nice but not
as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about
success.
- Helen
Hayes
Janet
Goldner, NY; Annie Lanzilotto, NY; Linda Montano, NY; Lorraine O'Grady, NY;
Suzanne Lacy, CA; Susan Plum, Mexico; Carolee Schneeman, NY; Nina Sobell, NY;
Deborah Wanner, NY and Martha Wilson, NY; on the exhibitions of their work.
Jo Carson, TX, Dancing with Gaia (Film); Teri Degler, Canada, The
Divine Feminine Fire: Creativity and Your Yearning to Express Your Self (Book); Imogene
Drummond, NY, Divine Sparks
(Film); Hallie Austen Iglehart, CA, The Heart of
the Goddess: Art, Myth and Meditations of the World's Sacred Feminine (Book);
Suzann Panek Robins, NJ, Exploring
Intimacy: Cultivating Healthy Relationships through Insight and Intuition (Book); on their new publications.
Deborah Grenn, CA, editor of Talking to
Goddess
(An anthology that includes work by QMD) on receiving the annual Enheduanna Book
Award.
Nicki Scully, OR, on the birth of her
grandson.
Mary Sanger, TX, on her retirement and Sage and Feral,
WI, co-editors of Matrifocus,
on their retirement and the closure of their well-regarded ezine.
Kay
Turner, NY, on her new home.
Call
for Submissions:
Dear
Queens:
I'm
editing a new anthology called Tales from the Velvet Chamber. This will be a collection of stories by
writers who subvert and invert "bad girls" from classical myths,
fairy-tales and stories from the Bible: Lilith, Eve, Medea, Medusa. A fresh and
unexpected take on old archetypes; the whore, the bitch, the crone, the muses,
the fates, she-devils, gorgons. The idea: make these powerful women admired,
not reviled. A gallery of women who are erotic, transgressive, comic and
charming.
Here
is a link to the website that explains the project in more detail, plus
submission guidelines. Thank you,
- Lillian
Slugocki, NY
Send
your good news, achievements, accomplishments, successes and celebrations so that our international circle of sovereign sisters can
send you blessings and accolades.
And we are glad to so. It is
a joy and a privilege to share in the fortune of another woman. I
recently heard Oprah say the saddest thing ever - "The hardest thing
about being successful is having someone to be glad for you."
It
takes a centered and confident Queen to break that pattern. There are
60 million thrones out there. One for each of us. There is plenty of
purpose, passion and power for us all. May we use it well!
It
is important that you recognize your progress and take pride in your
accomplishments. Share your achievements with others. Brag a little.
The recognition and support of those around you is nurturing.
- Rosemarie Rossetti
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Circle of Concern
Please Offer Your
Purest Thoughts,
Your Heart-Felt
Prayers, Your Great
Good
Feelings, And
Your Very Best
Blessings For Healing
and Peace of Mind To:
Alice,
NY; Amy, NY; Annie, MA; Betty, AL; Carol, NY; Cat, NY; Chrissie, NY; Deirdre, NY;
Devidam NY; Edie, PA; Ellen, NY; Erica, England; Gail, OH; Geraldine, ID;
Glenys, Australia; Jane, NY; Jeanmarie, HI; Jill, PA; Jo, AZ; Kathy, RI; Kimi,
NJ; Letitia, VA; Linda, NY; Lisa, PA; Lucia, TX; Lynne, NY; Marcia, WA; Matild
Cathy, NY; Naomi, DC; Pili, NY; Reid, DE; Shari, NY; Shirley, IN; Smriti, CA;
Susan, NY; Terry, NY; Wai, NY; and Yvette, NY who are in the process of healing themselves from illness,
accident, injury or surgery.
Amy, NY; Daile,
NY; Kayla, NY; Lee, NJ; Lois, NY; Meryl, NY, Nancy, NC; and Roslyn, NJ,the caregivers who
are in weary need of care themselves.
May Their Spirits Rest in Peace:
Susan Rae
Crispin, MT
Faux, TX
H. Rusty
Gordon, FL
Gloria
Hoerath, KS
Linda
Hummer, OR
Helen
Keller, TX
Suzanne Lawley, PA
Leslie Rado, WA
Joanne Retke, MI
Martha Rosenfield, NY
Melanie Shouse, MO
Lydia Walz, MI
With Sincere Condolences:
Margo
Adler, NY
Lizzie Brown, MA
Frances Crewes, PA
Carol Henning, NY
Hromovy, TX
Marge Ives, MI
Randi Levin, MT
Sue Newton, SC
Davilyn Whims, FL
Paula Zaninovich,
OR
In your next issue of this
marvelous Chronicle, please honor
the memory of my aunt, Helen Keller, the last of the Rothaus girls. She was a
dear, sweet, caring, very special woman and will be dearly missed. She died on
January 28th.
- Saundra, CA
My friend, Pili Peralta, is
suffering from a nameless condition in which her red blood cells are not
replicating and are, instead, destroying one another. She is currently on heavy
steroid medication and periodic blood transfusions, but the condition is dire.
Five years ago her parents went back to Nicaragua, their country of origin, for
their retirement. Friday Pili leaves for three weeks there, during which she will be saying goodbye. I have
asked her permission to encourage your prayers and healing energy, which she
said she gratefully accepts. She is a vibrant person who has a son in his late
teens who still lives with her, but she says she will be putting her house on
the market as soon as she returns because she feels she will need the money. She
is not currently able to work. I know I can depend on your help.
- Beverly, NY
Please send your requests for physical and spiritual healing
and positive energy so that the powerful women of The Queen's Court might send
their prayers and blessings to you in your time of need.
Our sense of
community and compassionate intelligence must be extended to all life forms,
plants, animals, rocks, rivers, and human beings. This is the story of our past
and it will be the story of our future.
- Terry Tempest Williams
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Where the Queens Are
NORTH
CAROLINA
 Our New Bern Queens Group had a
luncheon last Friday. We swapped books, shared stories both of hardship and joy
about midlife and being Queens and of course we shared food. We seem to be a
dedicated core of about eight women. The group is very diverse. We have all
denominations of faith and political leanings. It's wonderful to see this
integration, acceptance and true camaraderie. It speaks loudly for the
possibility of creating harmony among all people. It's interesting to watch the
group evolve. Thank you so much for being the catalyst.
- Nancy, NC
 
Please Submit Your Royal Reports
Tell
us about your Self and/or your Queen Group: who, what, where, when, why?
What
Queenly topics do you explore?
What
projects do you engage in?
Describe
some golden moments.
Send pictures!
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It is my hope that as more and
more women rise to reign in the fullest potential of our supremacy, we
will harness our purpose, passion, and power and direct it toward
creating a more balanced and peaceful world. This is the legacy of Her
majesty.
- QMD
Turn Your
Midlife Crisis
into Your Crowning Achievement!
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