At the end of his life, the Indian mystic, Aurobindo, is said to have said, “If there is to be a future, it will wear the crown of feminine design.”

I don’t know about you, but I can’t seem to stare into the present, let alone the future, without the help of Divine Mother these days?!! For me and my work, accessing the gift of the inner feminine has been a necessity for awhile (and not just because a great, old, Indian mystic said so).

Keep in mind, feminine power is not just exclusive to women.
Mother Divine is rooted in each living heart where intuition, compassion and cooperation are prolific.

In Andrew Harvey’s book, The Return of the Mother, he suggests;
“Unless we come to know what the sacred feminine really is–its subtlety and flexibility, but also its extraordinarily ruthless, radical power of dissolving all structures and dogmas…all prisons in which we have sought so passionately to imprison ourselves…”

What structures or rigid ideas are being asked to be dissolved in your life?

Are you passionately clinging on to them?

Do they have claw marks all over them?

Let go, my friend.
What you truly need, will never leave you.
And what you really need, you already have it.

Let go. Sail on!

Acting classes? Who would have thought I’d be experiencing the leading edge of my humanity in North Hollywood. During class we work on being truthful in the present moment (with or without partners) on stage or in front of the camera. This is called experiencing the raw moments. In the words of the late Sandy Meisner (actor/teacher) acting is the ability to live truthfully under imaginary circumstances.

It seems we’ve all been cast in this epic production titled; This Precious Life and our Lives Together. Are we standing around scratching our body parts still trying to learn our lines? Or do we know enough and we’re ready to respond /roar from this authentic place?

For many years, my own character has been intrigued with the craft of cultivating meaningful relationships. In my work, I’ve found that women are natural masters of this nurturing and sometimes butt-kicking relational art form.

True self-healing does not occur in a vacuum. Rather, our feminine nature evolves when we witness and share our shifts, gifts and strengths with each other.

Planet Earth is our epic scene location. Mother Divine is begging us to work together in these raw moments of truth or consequences… let’s start with the 17,000 children who will die today from hunger and the BP oil tycoons who need to be held accountable.
Your attitudes and actions count!

If this speaks to you, please share this blog with a friend or family member.

Just like my youngest grandnephew, I’ve taken up wrestling. I’m the one on the ground, repeatedly, trying to wrestle another layer of my own feelings of insufficiency! Back in the 80’s as a budding therapist, I flash on my Pepperdine psychology professors warning me of “the dangers of giving self-disclosure to our clients”. The truth is, I’m amazed what I’m learning from experiencing a richer range of feelings these days. Emotion City is filled with the good ones, the bad and the ugly.

We’re ripe to wrestle with and move beyond our feelings of insufficiency. I’ve seen my own attachment in wearing these badges of ‘not good enough’ or ‘please rescue me’. Yet, how does one learn to consistently trust oneself? Practice…lots of practice. This does not mean going it alone, isolated away in one’s office or seeking to sit under a bodhi tree to emulate Buddha. In fact, it means the opposite. It may mean venturing into new territories, getting fresh input of others and to find the best teachers who clearly ‘see us’. I say, let’s get busy being ourselves! For what purpose? So this mission can be filled with more Self Acceptance, Happiness, Health, Healing, Growth, Fun and Service.

It’s time to realize how much power we have in our lives–the power to step forward and take responsibility for the quality of our lives, for extending our gifts to others and restoring reverence for our Mother Earth. Playfully and seriously, I call this making a Holy Shift! If this calls to you, let’s make it so.

The sweet smell of orange and lemon blossoms waft though the Spring air as I sit and write. Our Earth is waking up from it’s colder, wet and winter slumber. Yet, there’s more than just Mother Earth that’s waking up here!

If you’ve just joined my Blog or you’ve been with me from the start, “welcome to WAKE UP CENTRAL”. The healing power of the Divine Feminine is a core theme to my life, work and current writings. She is the supportive structure underlying the HUGE SHIFT WE ARE ALL UNDERGOING. On the heels of writing last month’s introduction to Sister Giant, this month I’ll provide a fascinating appetizer of our inner and outer Patriarchal elements; unplugging from the dark elements of fear, greed, dominance and control.

Today, the word POWER has a negative connotation because we associate it with the abuse of power. However, power is neither good or bad, it is simply energy. Over the past 5000 years we’ve been participating in the experiment of the patriarchal based system. In the past 2500 years, the shadow side of masculine traits (fear, greed & control) have dominated the experiment that went bad. The negative aspects of patriarchy are now crumbling as evidenced by the banking industry, government debts, corporate greed, prisons & military profit machines, media propaganda, fundamentalist religious attacks and additional royal-elite systems; all scrambling to hold together this EGOic way of existence. Many have predicted this time in current history, known as the Kali Yuga (the age of darkness). The good news? There are many other light-workers on the ground like Lucia Rene’. Thankfully, her book Unplugging the Patriarchy: A Mystical Journey into the Heart of a New Age, is a must read manual for unplugging our own blind spots. Heart-based living is no longer a fad, it’s a necessity! Stay tuned for more feminine based healing classes and supportive, vital resources coming your way.

For those of you who aren’t on my e-newsletter list (yet), here’s some recent news. If you like what you read and want to stay in touch, on the left side of this page (or website home page) is my e-newsletter sign-up box.

I just returned from Sister Giant, the most informative and powerful women’s gathering I’ve ever attended! This is the brain-heart child of Marianne Williamson. Five hundred women and a few special men gathered from across the US, Canada and other parts of the globe for three transformational days. Even if you’re not a woman, you won’t want to miss what Sister Giant is about.

What do you get when your cross 500 wise women healers with Marianne Williamson? Sister Giants on hormones heading for social activism. Sister Giant is not a resurgence of the 60’s. Thankfully, these current times allow women to be wise, sensual, funny, serious and hot!
In the words of Martin Luther King We are here to claim the rights we have already been given.

History lessons can be empowering.
Marianne brought in experts to help us understand our roots and connect us to the stories of our female ancestors. Most of us American women are clueless about the historical origins of our sex. We watched insightful documentary and movie clips, like The Burning Times, Iron-Jawed Angels and Pray the Devil Back to Hell.

Together, we wailed for our own sister ancestors who went through witch burnings and for those who were incarcerated and tortured during the suffragette movement. The room exploded with cheers as we witnessed the power of Liberian women who removed the warlords from their home country of Liberia and elected their first women president! (hmmm)

Sister Giant is a collaborative effort of both sexes with a variety of political affiliations. People of all colors and faiths are honored. Sister Giants are stepping forward with focus, kindness and our knowing how to infiltrate the soul-core of this nation with political advocacy. We will have it no other way.

Consider these facts from Results.org and Care.org:
1 out of every 6 people in the world live on less than a dollar a day.
75% of these people are women. Women produce 50% of the world’s food, yet own only 1 % of it’s land.
Of the 876 million illiterate adults in the developing world, two-thirds are women.
Every year more than half a million women die from pregnancy-related causes.
At least 17,000 children die from hunger every day.
And on the home front?
1 in 4 children in the Unites States of America are ‘food insecure’ (that is they go to bed hungry).

Let’s just say I think we have some work to do.
Interested? Contact me for local Sister Giant initiatives and/or Sister Giant educational classes now forming.
Marcia Newman, M.A., L.M.F.T.
www.MarciaNewman.com

Larry and Carol entered my office with signs of marriage fatigue. As their story unraveled, their marriage of 29 years was more than just fatigued; it was comatose in the sexual department. Well, they were both having sex, just not with each other. You’d think after all these years of working in the relational trenches, I wouldn’t be surprised anymore. Yet, I’m still amazed how many people are willing to experiment sexually outside of their committed relationships and yet, are so puritanically constrained at home with their partners.

In American culture, there’s an accepted muting of erotic imagination if/when couples turn into parents. In the movie Before Sunset, Jessie forlornly summed it up with “I feel like I’m running a day care center with someone I used to date.” On the extensive list of what children need, according to the parents, why isn’t there listed; parents having satisfying sex with each other?

Is there no room for the lusciousness of lust within coupleship, marriage and families?

Unleashing passion within long-term relationships is a fascinating, challenging and rewarding part of my vocation. Couples and families prosper in an environment of comfort and consistency. The paradox is that eroticism sprouts from the moment filled with spontaneity, unpredictability and risk. Is it any wonder we can feel a bit tenuous maneuvering through relationship-land or shut down and avoid it all together?

First, let me say there are many limitations to using just ‘talk therapy’ to teach couples about intimacy. In my field as a licensed couples and family therapist (in three states, no less), that’s speaking heresy.

Our bodies are the most pure, primal tool we have for communicating. Our bodies do remember what our minds may have chosen to forget. Our entire emotional and energetic history plays itself out in the physiology of sex. What ‘talk-it-out intimacy’ tries to accomplish or conceal will eventually come through the body. Or as I once heard, “my body is a stubborn child; my language is a very civilized adult”. In recent times past, we use to live in our bodies more hours of the day. We no longer plow the fields together, today we text and tweet.

As a breath of fresh air, Esther Perel describes in her playful book (Mating in Captivity) “the body must become a conduit for emotional intimacy. The body is our original mother tongue and for many men it remains the only language for closeness that hasn’t been spoiled. Through sex, men can recapture the pure pleasure of connection without having to compress their hard-to-articulate needs into the prison of words.” I think this is true for many women as well.

Sexual desire does not obey the laws that govern peace and contentment between partners. Or as Perel puts it “desire operates along its own trajectory”. Eros does revolt at becoming domesticated! A recent case example in my own home, my partner of 10 years mistakenly called me a ‘homebody’ the other day. Needless to say, my own Scorpio Eros took alert to any inference of him seeing me as becoming more domesticated, heaven forbid.

Sometimes there are traumas from the past. In adult love, we seek to recapture that sense of oneness we felt or needed to feel with our mothers/caretakers. If you can tell me how you were loved, then I can tell you how you make love. The smaller we feel in this world the more we will feel compelled to shine in the eyes of our partner and others. Yet, the erotic imagination when body-based is ingenious in undoing and transforming traumas. Jack Morin, sex therapist and author (The Erotic Mind) states, “The experiences that caused us the most pain in childhood sometimes become the greatest sources of pleasure and excitement later on.”

Our deepest fears and our most persistent longings will emerge within intimate sex. Erotic intimacy is a blend of mutuality, merging, total self absorption and selfishness. It’s where hedonism and God collide. The erotic encounter is a mirror of our own level of pure consciousness and our comfort zone with vulnerable human pleasure.

The complexity of sustaining desire within the walls of long-term domesticity is no small feat. I decided to throw my pebble into this vast pond by writing and sharing this article. My fantasy is that one small ripple can quite possibly help transform the way we live and love with passion.

If this post speaks to you in some way, let us hear from you. Post your comments or questions by clicking here to access Marcia’s Blog. Or email: Marcia@MarciaNewman.com or Tel. 805-750-3759.

Every creative act requires a leap in awareness. In one moment a creative idea doesn’t exist and then inspiration flows. Voilà! and that creative act is now part of our conscious world. As we enter Twenty Ten, given the chaos of last year, doesn’t it feel like a new palette of colors or a fresh perspective is required? Fortunately, we have the opportunity to tap into a powerful, fresh stream of vital, creative energy pouring upon our planet and through each one of us. This stream of light and consciousness is freely available for your own creative response, whether you’re want to create better health, more business prosperity, or start a global project. This month I’m sharing 5 simple steps to cradle your creative leaps that I’ve found invaluable in my own life.

Step 1. Get Clear & Current.
Take the time in stillness to discover your creative desires. What is it that’s calling you in this new year? Get clear on your current vision and write it down. If you really do these steps what you’re saying is “Okay, it’s time. I might not be perfect, the vision may not be perfect, but I’m good enough and so is the vision. And I’m ready,”

Step 2. Flush out your Naysayer.
We each have creative dreams and we each have an inner critic. Make conscious, as possible, the limiting beliefs that arise as you contemplate your creative outcomes. Write out your doubts, face them fully, decide if you’re now willing to transform your thinking. Get outside help, when necessary.

Step 3. Cradle your creative seedlings.
Creativity requires incubation time and a nursery full of compassionate care. Feed your heart and your desires with positive Affirmations, Prayer & Meditation. At times, it’s best to keep your cradling private. Your creative visions will grow and evolve like any healthy forms of life. Be patient and diligent with your process.

Step 4. Inspiration then Perspiration.
Formulate a timeline for implementing your creative vision based first from inspiration then perspiration. Listen within to your bodymind as you put your creative goals to paper. Are you feeling energized or drained? If the latter, go back to steps 1, 2 & 3. Inspiration is energizing. . Do your best to keep yourself inspired daily and in touch with your creative goals.

Step 5. Creative Leaping and finding Solid Ground.
My experience tells me if you do the footwork the openings will come for you to step into. Remember, you have the support of the Universe backing you up. Please don’t downplay yourself and play invisible. The Creator of all has blessed us with our ability to co-create. It’s supposed to be fun as we share our creative responses with others. In 1962 Decca Records turned down the Beatles after an audition, declaring, “We don’t like their sound and guitar groups are on their way out.” If your creative genius is not being appreciated by another, move along by applying one of my favorite words—‘NEXT’! Only then will you find that all your leaping has landed you on solid ground.

Your blog comments about CREATIVE LEAPS and this post are welcomed.
Marcia Newman, Get Current! Consulting
Tel 805-750-3759
Email: Marcia@MarciaNewman.com

1. Envision the holidays as YOU would like them to be.

This exercise begins with identifying your own preferences this season. This one is a challenge for most people pleasers. Identify your own desires that are not based on what you think others would like or what others think that you should like. Remember, put on your own oxygen mask before you assist others!

You can play the victim to current circumstances or get current by designing your life experiences during this holiday season. After all, when you are true to you, ultimately, it will benefit others. Take a moment to think about how you would like to feel over the next month. Wouldn’t it be amazing to feel energized, healthier, stronger and more positive as you enter the New Year? Think about how and whom you would spend your time with. Does that plan feel like it will help you to thrive through the holidays and beyond?

2. Create a Holiday Spending/Energy Plan.

Write down all the people you would like to acknowledge (with a gift or otherwise) during this holiday season. Now get realistic about your time, money and energy resources.

Write out your Spending/Energy plan for how you plan to acknowledge these loved ones with a gift of your presence and/or an actual gift. If in doing your Spending/Energy Plan you begin to feel tired, start over and simplify it some more. Go to holiday gatherings that you WANT to attend and eliminate those feel like you SHOULD attend. Life gets better when we let go of guilt.

3. Tend to your Inner Life.

Being a good little introvert, this one is my favorite.
Take daily quality time for meditation, prayer and inspirational resources to feed your heart. Don’t wait until you’re falling into bed, exhausted from trying to feed everyone or everything else in this world. An excellent resource for daily tending of your heart is Prem Rawat at www.wopg.org

Who and what feels juicy to you? And less juice? Writing (journaling) on the answers to these questions is an excellent way to flush out your current state of being. If you recognize some repeating negative patterns in your thoughts, behaviors, physical body and relationships, get help!

4. We like to Move it, Move it.

Ok, I admit, I’m a Madagascar movie buff. Who can resist moving to those little dancing lemurs? Take a break. Breathe! Spend a few less hours in the stores, in front of the TV, your computer. And take that cell phone out of your hand! Give yourself a gift of more walks with Mother Nature. Yes, that includes leaving your cell behind or shutting it off!

Movement/exercise will help you to live a more present centered life and curb your holiday emotional eating.

5. Make Peace with you Past

Are you holding on to resentment to a past employer, family member, former friend or ex-lover? You can’t fully appreciate your life if you’re still holding onto a negative story. Resentment blocks your precious life energy from moving forward. Bitterness disintegrates your cellular structure. Anger is usually a cover-up to feeling the more vulnerable emotions such as fear, shame and hurt. Make a commitment to making peace with your past. Talk to a trusted friend or professional who can assist you to drain the pain of resentment.

Join me in an experiment. As you gaze across the holiday table, see at least one positive aspect about every person or situation that you encounter. Feed your own level of well-being and uplift those around you with your appreciation.

What do you think about these BodyMind Tips?
Please post you own ‘Holiday Healing’ thoughts.
Warmest Wishes to You & Yours from Marcia Newman.