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!
Henes
has a new land for us ladies who want more from life and it's called
'Sovereignty in Midlife.' If you haven't become Queen of yourself yet, this is
a must read book."
-
BookPleasures.com
The
Queen of My Self is
celebrating its 5th Anniversary and its 2nd printing.
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Quick Links...
I'm in the middle of reading The Queen of My Self. I am now
starting menopause at 47-years old/young. I was fired from job in October for
suing my company for discrimination. (Big sigh.) Your words and many quotes
keep ringing true. Thanks for all of your work!
- Anna, MO
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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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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I can't
thank you enough for holding my hand and guiding me across the big divide
between my old confused and depressed self to the Queen of my own life who I
have become.
-Denise,
OR
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
As you begin
to understand the immense power and love you hold inside, you will find an
unending surge of joy, light and love that will nourish and support you all the days of your life.
- Susan Jeffers
|
A Queen Event
Near You
North Carolina Unitarian Universalist
Conference Queens
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
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 more info, click.
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
NEW YORK
APRIL 22
THURSDAY,
7PM
TAROT
101
A Spirit Support Skills Workshop
Learn
the basics about the tarot. This beginners workshop will be required for future
tarot classes.
Mama
Donna's Tea Garden
Park
Slope, Exotic Brooklyn, NY
For
info: 718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
$50.
If prepaid 3 days in advance
$60. At the door.
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 May 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 more info, click.
718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
NEW YORK
MAY 13
THURSDAY,
7PM
TAROT
101
A Spirit Support Skills Workshop
Learn
the basics about the tarot. This beginners workshop will be required for
future
tarot classes.
Mama
Donna's Tea Garden
Park
Slope, Exotic Brooklyn, NY
For
info: 718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
$50.
If prepaid 3 days in advance
$60. At the door.
MAY 22
SATURDAY,
4:30 PM
(rain date: May 23, Sunday)
BLESSING
OF THE WATERS
Mama
Donna will conduct a participatory Hudson River cleansing ceremony as the grand
finale of the Hudson River Pageant (1-5PM). Calling all blessers - send an
email to join Mama Donna's Blessing Band.
Gansevoort Street at the
river,
Manhattan
For
info: 718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
FREE
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
GLOBAL
JUNE
9
WEDNESDAY, 8:00 PM EDT
++TELESEMINAR:
DREAM WISDOM: Deciphering the Messages From Your Soul
A Spirit Support Skills Workshop
Learn how to access and make sense of the symbolic language
of your dreams and visions, and how to recognize the truths and lessons that
they offer.
$25
$60. if you
register for all 3 teleclasses in the second series++
(June 9,
July 7 and August 4)
For more info, click.
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
JULY
GLOBAL
JULY 1-31
MAMA DONNA'S HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAROT CLUB
1/3 off reading for July Birthdays. In person or by phone.
For info: 718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
JULY
7
WEDNESDAY, 8:00 PM EDT
++TELESEMINAR:
SETTING IT WRITE: Journal Keeping for Healing, Sanity, Clarity & Wisdom
A Spirit Support Skills Workshop
Learn how to track your innermost feelings, ideas, plans,
goals, ambitions, aspirations and experiences, and turn them into your own
psychic support system.
$25
$60. if you
register for all 3 teleclasses in the second series++
(June 9,
July 7 and August 4)
For more info, click.
AUGUST
GLOBAL
AUGUST 1-31
MAMA DONNA'S HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAROT CLUB
1/3 off reading for August Birthdays. In person or by phone.
For info: 718-857-1343
cityshaman@aol.com
AUGUST
4
WEDNESDAY, 8:00 PM EDT
++TELESEMINAR:
NOTING THE PROCESS OF THE NOTING THE PROCESS: Keeping Track of Your Transformation
A Spirit Support Skills Workshop
Learn how to organize and make sense of the patterns
created by the signs, symbols, impulses, omens and instinctual messages from
your personal inner guidance so that they can help you create a more
meaningful, effective and satisfactory life.
$25
$60. if you
register for all 3 teleclasses in the second series++
(June 9,
July 7 and August 4)
For more info, click.
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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
 "Mama Donna Henes is the
embodiment of earth mother and brings comfort to people from all different
walks of life. She has been a speaker at the NYC Chapter of the Women's
Wellness Society on two occasions and we've enjoyed some of our best attendance
for the events she's headlined. Her practical, grounded approach to spiritual
issues makes them accessible to all types of people, whether they have been
exposed to her brand of work or not. For example, there is one woman from a
professional medical practice who asks eagerly each month whether Mama Donna
will be speaking. Mama Donna has a wise, dry wit, an insouciant twinkle in her
eye and an easy way with her audience that they resonate with and enjoy. I will
continue to invite her to events and recommend her with the highest regard."
- Jennifer Jackson, President
Women's Wellness Society
New York Chapter
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
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The Queen
on the Record
Read and listen to Queen Mama Donna's words of information and inspiration.
Regular Columns:
Always in Season
The Huffington Post
Ask Your Mama
Pagan Pages
The Oracle
Catalyst
New Age Journal
UPI Religion and Spirituality
Recent Articles about QMD:
National Public Radio
Columbia Daily Tribune
The Daily Beast
Recent Articles by QMD:
USA Today
Recent Radio Interviews:
Weaving the Web of the World Radio
Dispelling the Myths Radio
Amazon Author Page:
Amazon
Wikipedia listings:
Donna Henes
The Queen of My Self
YouTube Channel:
Mama Donna Henes
Social Networks:
Follow Queen Mama Donna on
Facebook/DonnaHenes
Facebook/TheQueenOfMySelf
LinkedIn
Myspace
Twitter/DonnaHenes
Twitter/TheQueenOfMySelf
Awards:
Mama Donna's
website www.DonnaHenes.net received a
Best Spiritual Site Award!
Queen Mama Donna was named Baby Boom Woman Blogger to watch out for in 2008 for The Queen's Chronicles by Virtual Woman's Day!
Rewards:
You!
|
Thank you
so much for running my ad for Seasoned to Perfection necklaces! My website had
a market increase in hits on the days following your promotion.
- Kate
Stockman. NC
www.TheCre8tiveFlow.com
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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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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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.
The Queen of My Self on Wikipedia.
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Hail Queens!
Grandmother
died at 80. This
was pretty old
in her day. My mother died just
short of her 80th birthday, which pains me to this day. She was not old. She
did not look or act old. But she felt old. She lost interest in what had always
pleased and sustained her, and thought that she was too old to pursue other
interests. Really, she just gave up. I shouldn't say, "just." She did have
cancer. But she gave up caring.
The Great
Depression had robbed her of the college education that she craved. Once she
became a mother and then a divorced woman with two kids to raise and no child
support, she was too busy to think about developing her own passions. And by
the time my brother and I were off on our own, she had gotten out of the habit of
aspiring for inner growth. She did take a painting class once and when she had
finished decorating her apartment, she quit.
And that is
how she died. She quit. She simply quit in her spirit. She was tired and she
gave in. However on her deathbed, she felt her regrets. How incredibly sad to hear a
really smart, successful, independent, dynamic woman bemoan the fact that she
had not done this, that or the other thing that she had wanted to do.
My mother
was a great role model for me in many ways, both positive and negative.
Her midlife reinvention for herself was an inspiration to me that contributed
to the formulation of the Queen archetype for mature women. She was an
extraordinary Queen in her middle age. Exemplary!
My Mother, Adelaide Trugman
But I think
that she thought that she had to give up her crown in old age. She saw nothing
appealing about being a Crone. She hated her aging body and considered it a
traitor. Nothing seemed to peak her enthusiasm. She worried about being
debilitated and dependent. She did not seek, recognize or value the gifts, the
huge benefits of enhanced self-awareness and esteem presented to us during the
aging process.
This is one
debilitating attitude that I do not wish to emulate. My resistance to
identifying myself as a Crone, while still in my middle years is not born of a
fear of aging - especially considering the alternative. I am not afraid of
aging. I am afraid of not aging! As Woody Allen put it, "I don't want to be immortal through my
work. I want to be immortal through not dying."
I have
absolutely every intention of being a very, very old woman. hopefully, the
oldest woman who ever lived! My goal is to reach 100 years of wise age - with
the caveat that I want to know that I am 100! I absolutely want to be a Crone. Just not yet.
Actually,
I look forward to my tenure as a delightfully outrageous, brazenly courageous
Crone, living her golden years to the hilt. And believe me, I practice daily to
achieve that romantic and ambitious end.
When I
grow up to be a Crone, I want to be a Grandma Moses, a Louise Nevelson, a
Georgia O'Keefe, a Martha Graham, a Mother Teresa, a Maria Sabina or a Delaney
sister - a truly stellar elder whose visionary influence extends far into the
future. A wise and wooly sage who is wholly engaged.
But for
now and the foreseeable future, I glory in my Queendom. I do plan to move on
someday, probably in my 70s, to the august domain of the Empress Crone. And you
better believe that I will be taking my crown with me.
With best
blessings for a long and well-lived life,
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|
 Doris
"Granny D" Haddock died at the age of 100 on March 9, 2010, one day after
International Women's Day.
A former housewife and office assistant in a shoe factory, Haddock had been happily retired
for over twenty years until her husband died, leaving her in need of a good
reason to live after having devoted herself to nursing him through Alzheimer's Disease for ten
years.
She had once been a community activist and she still felt passionate
about the importance of struggling for one's ideals. So after some soul
searching, at the age of 90, she laced up her sneakers and walked across
America to rally against the influence of big money in elections.
She
walked 3,200-miles from Los Angeles to Washington, DC - ten miles each
day for fourteen months - to demonstrate her concern for the safety of our
democracy in a corporate-run world.
Chasing my hat again through cacti, the idea of walking across the
United States at my age seemed a less than perfect idea. I was being foolish:
The country is too big for an old New Hampshire woman with a bad back and
arthritis and emphysema and parched lips and a splintered hat ... So many
people, even in my own family, had said I wouldn't get fifty miles. I would
just think of that and let myself get a little angry. That would give me a boost.
As
another American shero, Peace Pilgrim, had done 35 years before her, Queen Doris
traveled as a pilgrim, walking until given shelter, fasting until given food.
Her faith in the generosity of the strangers she met along the way was
well-founded and she never went without a meal or a bed.
She
trekked through over 1,000 miles of desert, climbed the Appalachian Range in
blizzard conditions and even skied 100 miles after a historic snowfall made
roadside walking impossible. When she arrived in Washington D.C., Granny D was
met by 2,200 supporters representing a wide variety of reform groups. Several
dozen members of Congress walked the final miles with her.
Her epic
journey galvanized popular attention to a political system gone awry, but for
Granny D the walk was only a warm up.
After
the defeat of Senator McCain and Senator Feingold's first attempt to remove
unregulated "soft" money from campaigns in 1995, Doris became
interested in campaign reform and led a petition movement. It took two more
years to gain passage of the McCain/Feingold bill, during which time Doris
engaged in walking fasts around the Capitol, organized rallies in many states,
and held demonstrations that twice landed her in DC jails.
In 2003, Doris had her eyes on the upcoming election, and so she drove
around the country on a 22,000-mile voter registration effort targeting working
women and minorities. This trek was cut short in June 2004, when Doris heard
that the presumed Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire had dropped out of
the race days before the filing deadline.
At 94 and still fed up with politics as usual, she leapt into the race
"raise a little hell" with just four months until Election Day.
 Her insurgent, grassroots campaign defied all expectations. Queen Granny
D and her motley crew of political aces and amateurs worked against all odds
and crafted a feisty campaign that personified her democratic ideals of a
government of, by and for the people. She won 34% of the votes.
Politicians and pundits alike have lauded the work of this indefatigable
great-grandmother of sixteen:
I believe she represents all that is good in America. She has taken up
this struggle to clean up American politics. Granny D, you exceed any small,
modest contributions those of us who have labored in the vineyards of reform
have made to this Earth. We are grateful for you.
- Senator John McCain
Doris Haddock is a true patriot, and our nation has been blessed by her
remarkable life.
-Jimmy Carter
The problem with Granny D is that she makes the rest of us look like such
schlumps.
- Molly Ivins
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A Senior (I Should
Be So Brilliant) Moment
This
is the Letter of the Year from The Times of London:
A elderly
lady actually wrote this letter to her bank. The bank manager
thought it amusing enough and sent if off to the Times to be published. This
newspaper thanks him most sincerely.
Dear Sir,
I am
writing to thank you for bouncing my cheque with which I endeavoured
to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three 'nanoseconds'
must have elapsed between his presenting the cheque and the arrival in my
account of the funds needed to honour it. I refer, of course, to the automatic
monthly deposit of my Pension, an arrangement.
which, I admit, has been in place for only thirty-eight years.
You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of
opportunity
and also for debiting my account £30 by way of penalty for the
inconvenience caused to your bank.
My
thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me
to rethink my errant financial ways.
I noticed
that whereas I personally attend to your telephone calls and letters,
when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, over-charging,
re-recorded, faceless entity. which your bank has become.
From now
on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person.
My mortgage and loan payments will therefore and hereafter no longer be
automatic, but will arrive at your bank by cheque, addressed personally and
confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate.
Be aware
that it is an offence under the Postal Act for any other person to
open such an envelope.
Please
find attached an Application Contact Status, which I require your
chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in
order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there
is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her
medical history must be countersigned by a Solicitor, and the mandatory details
of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be
accompanied by documented proof.
In due
course, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she
must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter
than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number of button
presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone
bank service.
As they
say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Let me
level the playing field even further. When you call me, press buttons
as follows:
1- To
make an appointment to see me.
2- To
query a missing payment.
3- To
transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
4- To
transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
5- To
transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.
6- To
transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.
7- To
leave a message on my computer (a password to access my computer
is required. A password will be communicated to you at a later date to the
Authorised Contact.)
8- To
return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 8
9- To
make a general complaint or inquiry, the contact will then be put on
hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service. While
this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play
for the duration of the call.
Regrettably,
but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment
fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.
May I
wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous, New Year.
Your
Humble Client
Addendum
from The Editor:
IMPORTANT
to REMEMBER that this letter was written by a 98 year old woman.
DOESN'T SHE MAKE YOU PROUD!!!
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I Am Luminous With Age
By Sister Joan Chittister
Meridel Le Sueur  | "I am luminous with age," Meridel
Le Sueur wrote. Her words
give
us pause, make us think, call us
to the bar of judgment.
The truth is that older people
tend to come in two flavors -
the sour ones and the serene
ones. The sour ones
are angry at the world for dismissing them from the rank and file of those who
run it and control it and own it and are not old in it. They demand that the
rest of the world seek them out, pity them, take their orders, stay captive to
their scowls.
The serene ones live with soft
smiles on their aging faces, a welcome sign to the world of what it means to
grow old gracefully. To have the grace of old age. They require us to go on
growing more and more into ourselves as we age. It is of these that Meridel Le
Sueur, an American author who lived to be 96, wrote, "I am luminous with age."
Luminous. Not painted. Not masked. Luminous!
There is an important part of
the aging process that lies in simply getting accustomed to being older. Part
of being a vigorous older person demands, first of all, that we learn to accept
it for what it is, a new and wonderful - but different - stage of life. We must
admit, even in our own minds, to being older in a culture that is so
youth-oriented that age is something to be hidden rather than celebrated.
The process of maturing is an art to be learned, an
effort to be sustained. By the age of fifty you have made yourself what
you are, and if it is good, it is better than your youth.
~Marya Mannes
"Me?" we say. "Sixty?
Impossible." One can almost hear the tone of shame that goes with it. It
burrows into the center of us and an alarm sounds in the heart. How could life
be almost over, we worry, when were just beginning to understand it, to enjoy
it, to love it. And with the fear of age, if we succumb to the notion that
being older is some kind of obstacle to life, comes the loss of one of life's
most profound periods.
The problem is that preparation
for aging in our modern world seems to be concentrated almost entirely on
buying anti-wrinkle creams and joining a health club - when the truth is that
what must be transformed now is not so much the way we look to other people, as
it is the way we look at life. Age is the moment we come to terms with
ourselves. We begin to find more strength in the spirit than in the flesh.
The way we view ourselves
changes from period to period in life. It is not a steady-state experience, and
its most impacting definition comes in middle age. Then, we all get some kind
of power, however limited it may be, just by virtue of seniority, if nothing
else. We find ourselves in charge somewhere: in charge of our children, in a
position of control on the job, in a position of preferment in the family, at a
higher social level in the group. We have arrived.
But all of a sudden it seems,
as Joan Chittister  | quietly as I arrived, I am now just
as quietly dismissed. Power and control
cannot be my definition of self anymore. I must now find in myself whatever it
is that gives me a personal place in the world around me: I'm fun to be with; I
care about other people; I have begun to live for deeper, richer, more
important things than I have ever done before. I am caretaker, public watchdog,
social advocate, companion now. Then, I begin to see myself differently. I
begin to discover that, in many ways, I am far more important now than I have
been all my previous life.
From The Gift of Years: Growing
Older Gracefully
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AAADD: Know The Symptoms
Recently, I was diagnosed with
A.A.A.D.D. or
Age Activated Attention Deficit
Disorder.
Thank goodness there's a name
for this disorder.
Somehow I feel better even
though I have it!
This is how it manifests:
I decide to water my garden.
As I turn on the hose in the
driveway,
I look over at my car and
decide it needs washing.
As I start toward the garage,
I notice mail on the porch
table that
I brought up from the mailbox
earlier.
I decide to go through the mail
before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys on the table,
Put the junk mail in the
garbage can under the table,
And notice that the can is
full.
So, I decide to put the bills
back
On the table and take out the
garbage first.
But then I think,
Since I'm going to be near the
mailbox
When I take out the garbage
anyway,
I may as well pay the bills
first.
I take my check book off the
table,
And see that there is only one
check left.
My extra checks are in my desk
in the study,
So I go inside the house to my
desk where
I find the can of Pepsi I'd
been drinking
I'm going to look for my
checks,
But first I need to push the
Pepsi aside
So that I don't accidentally
knock it over.
The Pepsi is getting warm,
And I decide to put it in the
refrigerator to keep it cold.
As I head toward the kitchen
with the Pepsi,
A vase of flowers on the
counter
Catches my eye - they need
water.
I put the Pepsi on the counter
and
Discover my reading glasses
that
I've been searching for all
morning.
I decide I better put them back
on my desk,
But first I'm going to water
the flowers.
I set the glasses back down on
the counter,
Fill a container with water and
suddenly spot the TV remote.
Someone left it on the kitchen
table.
I realize that tonight when we
go to watch TV,
I'll be looking for the remote,
But I won't remember that it's
on the kitchen table,
So I decide to put it back in
the den where it belongs,
But first I'll water the
flowers.
I pour some water in the
flowers,
But quite a bit of it spills on
the floor.
So, I set the remote back on the
table,
Get some towels and wipe up the
spill.
Then, I head down the hall
trying to
Remember what I was planning to
do.
 Multitasking Queen by Beverly Naidus
At the end of the day:
The car isn't washed
The bills aren't paid
There is a warm can of Pepsi
sitting on the counter
The flowers don't have enough
water,
There is still only 1 check in
my check book,
I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
And I don't remember what I did
with the car keys.
Then, when I try to figure out
why nothing got done today,
I'm really baffled because I
know I was busy all damn day,
And I'm really tired.
I realize this is a serious
problem,
And I'll try to get some help
for it,
But first I'll check my
e-mail...
Do me a favor.
Forward this message to
everyone you know,
Because I don't remember who
the hell I've sent it to.
- Sent in by the Queens from
the New Bern, NC Queen Group
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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 taken our ongoing discussion about the definitions and descriptions of
Queendom to The Queen of My Self Fan Page on Facebook.
This
royal court of ours is off to a great start. What an amazing gathering of wise,
wonderful sovereigns. The daily posts are enlightening and inspiring. Our
exchange has proven the worth of our sovereignty. The participating members are mighty Queens, steadfast in adversity and generous in compassion. What
an honor they bestow on all women everywhere!
If
you are in need of inspiration and encouragement, the comments offered by our
sister Queens offer an enormous wealth of both. Do join us and add your wisdom
to The Queen's Court.
Q.
As a
follow up to the February Beauty Issue, I would like to know your thoughts
about Age and Beauty. What are your experiences? Your personal-best
breakthroughs? Are you, as I expect, better now than ever?
- QMD
A: No, I'm
not. I still look ten years younger than I am, but for the first time I can
actually see age in my face! Yikes! I'm 53, and I do know how lucky I am, but
it still freaks me out. I need to go to one of your workshops!
- Jessie,
NY
A: Feeling
the most confident and beautiful now that the hateful relationship with the ex
is over. Yay!
-Donna, NY
A: Oh my!
I think we need to circle round with cups of hot tea and ring the Tibetan
bells, and then delve into the depths of this fertile ground. Right now,
heading off to an appointment and just stopping by to give you all a big hug!
-Jacqueline,
CA
A: Age has
its own beauty. It's not easy to accept or feel good about youthful looks
fading away, even if you are lucky to age gracefully, or luckier still to be
able to hide your age. I keep thinking it would be nice to look the age I feel,
and I relish being reminded that there are many ways to define beauty and many
ways to feel beautiful. Learning to be comfortable with the way you look, and
with your inner self is pretty damned important, at least to me. The older I
get the more outrageous I become.
- L.a., PA
A: My
mother is one of the most beautiful women. i'm biased, of course, but when she
allowed the grey in her hair to slowly percolate through her dark brown/black
hair starting in her late twenties, she provided a wonderful example of aging
gracefully and accepting the gifts that gravity and age bestow upon us. My
mother turns sixty-five this year. She has a full head of beautiful silver
hair; i've just turned forty-seven and have lovely silver at my temples, a
chin/neck that is beginning to wattle and a gift around my middle that had
never been there before. I am loving and learning from what I call
"gravities angels" about how to reign as a young Queen in my own
domain. Throughout my twenties and thirties, I bridled when people said i was
lucky to look younger than my age. I felt they overlooked my intelligence and
point of view to focus on my appearance. I am feeling more satisfied these days
to actually look my age! Don't get me wrong, i have my challenges with the
wattle thing, but still try to find the gifts in it sent from gravities angels.
- Dawn, CA
A: The
fact is, that I'm so grateful to have my body, a temple for my soul. I take
very good care of it: Yoga, good food, meditations, cleansing out. I love life
and I love my body.
- Zabrina,
Germany
A: I
really think that if we want to have less sexism in our society we ought to
give ourselves a break and quit spending so much money. time and energy on
trying to "hide" our age. We get older, that's a fact. If we're lucky, that is.
Age shows, and that is a fact. The only thing I hate worse than male strangers
who I don't know in the street or on the bus not showing any respect for me
anymore, because yes, I show age in my face, is when women do that to me.
Please stop! Consider all the money you will be saving, not to mention time and
energy. You just might end up being more youthful by spending that time, money
and energy on something other than your looks.
- Aimee, CA
A: There
is a saying that age has its compensations. It does, experience being one, and
a little wisdom, hopefully, too. When you think that not a century ago women of
50 more often looked 75+ if they managed to survive that long.
- Gerri,
England
A: Here,
here, lovely ladies! I agree with your thoughts on aging. The wisdom, patience
and polish that comes with age cannot be replaced with the beauty of our outer
bodies of younger years.
- Bea, IA
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 February 2010 Issue:
- Kate, NC
Congratulations!
Your writing flows with a rhythm that transcends the page (or computer screen),
and I believe you have created a tunnel through which spiritual energy may
enter, this in addition to literally waking up hearts and minds. Well not a
tunnel, more like a wormhole, helping to advance humanity's course through
space and time, thereby speeding up our evolution. I suppose this is what all
writers, all good writers, do.
- Lisa,
NY
Thank you for continuing to offer inspiration and uplifting
articles! I am really enjoying connecting with your Huffington Post
articles as well as The Queen's Chronicles! With all good wishes and grateful
thanks!
- Margaret, England
I enjoyed
the last issue thoroughly! So much encouragement and positive energy!
Cyndi, TX
I LOVED IT!
- Alison,
MI
Good job,
Donna!
- Miriam,
NY
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!
Creativity
comes from trust.
Trust your instincts. And never
hope more than you work.
- Rita Mae Brown
Helene
Aylon, NY; c. bangs, NY; Stephanie Brody-Lederman, NY; Susan Corso, MA; Ilona
Granet, NY; Annie Lanzilotto, NY; Susan Mogul, CA; Lorraine O'Grady, NY; Rachel
Rosenthal, CA; Annie Sprinkle, CA; Sheriden Thomas, MA; Diane Torr, Scotland and Martha Wilson, NY
on the exhibitions of their work.
Jane
Meredith, Australia, Aphrodite's Magic: Celebrate and Heal Your Sexuality (Book); Mary Sharratt, England, Daughters of the Witching Hill (Book); Smoky Trudeau, CA, Observations of an Earth Mage (Book); Terry Wolverton, CA, Breath and other Stories (eBook) on their new publications.
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; Leslie, NY; Letitia, VA; Linda, NY; 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:
Margaret Ann Case,
NY
With Sincere Condolences:
Nancy Azara, NY
Darla Bjork, NY
Linda Marchisotto, NY
Weslea Sidon, ME
Nancy
Passmore, MA,
writes that the new offices of her acclaimed Luna Press Lunar Calendar is now
under water thanks to the New England Flood of 2010. She has lost everything
except one computer. Any assistance - financial, or moral -you can offer her
will help to keep her afloat (as it were). She wrote:
Greetings!
I am writing to you from my neighbor Opal's computer, she
is being so kind! Deadline for art and poetry will be extended. With help, we
will get through this! The webmistress, Jan, will post pictures tonight or
tomorrow at www.thelunapress.com.
Phone messages can still be left at (617) 327-8000; I can
retrieve them remotely. The PO Box is above water!
Luna Press
PO Box 15511 Kenmore Station
Boston, MA 02215-0009 USA
Gratefully,
- Nancy, MA
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.
People
will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will
never forget how you made them feel.
- Maya Angelou
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Where the Queens Are
NEW YORK
On Sunday March 14th I held a ritual event to mark my 50th
Birthday and movement into being the Queen of Myself. (My actual birth date is
March 10th). However, I did not simply place a shiny crown upon my head and
proceed down a manicured path toward my throne.
No. There were weeks of searching and scratching,
contemplating and crying. Asking, How do I do this? What is this? I sought guidance from two
established Queens. And though I hoped they might show me what to do, I also
understood that this process was mine alone to discover and to create.
In the end, their greatest gift to me was their belief that
I would and could do this. So, without a direct path to follow, I began gathering: Objects that
felt right, people's writings, my own writing, being with the trees in the
park, drawing and inviting an amazing group of women come to participate and
celebrate with me.
I began to feel/know that I wanted this ceremony to take
place in two locations, inside and outside. The intention became clear: To
inhabit powerfully the space of myself. Seventeen women gathered in my small
cozy living room.
The second part of the ceremony was in the park amidst a
circle of 9 trees, where I wanted it. This felt to me to be a sacred Druid circle.
Even the weather cooperated, mostly. The light rain enabled us to have the area
in the park to ourselves.
Beforehand, I made a number of requests. I really needed
help in order to prepare and organize the ritual and my dear friends and family
showed up gracefully. Once it began I found myself open hearted and in the flow
of power.
We chanted Kali Durga in alignment with my intentions - To
give up self-imposed torture and to clear the space for being present and
living joyfully in my living room. Kali is the goddess who destroys anything
which interferes with our perception of the truth. Each woman made an offering
of what she wanted to let go of, and then I burned them.
A few women made my crown  for me that evening using the
stems of live yellow/red roses woven together to which we affixed some tiny
brown and turquoise "gems."
As Queen Lauree Joy Wise I declared, "WE ARE GOOD! Each one of us no matter what."
This was the real deal! I do feel a shift and recognize the active role I must assume in blessing, accepting and loving myself.
- Queen Lauree Joy Wise, NY
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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