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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/fashion/weddings/leaving-a-spouse-behind-for-good.html

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My New Fashion Statement!

I woke up yesterday and could not walk on my left foot. Ok, I know! Doing too much-need to slow down-not nurturing myself enough. With all the advice I give to others, it’s clear that I need to stop and pay attention to myself for a change!

This started me thinking about how other cultures deal with healing. What types of things do they do ? The irony that I am taping a video tomorrow on healing rituals did not escape me. So, I took a few deep breathes, centered in my heart and opened to the “Healing Presence”- that source of healing that we all have within us to bring healing to ourselves and others. My teacher Brugh Joy once said that “the heart center is the only trans-personal chakra – the place where real change happens”.

The first thing that cultures around the world have in common is a connection to a source of healing.  Once that connection is made it can then alter their own physiology and decrease fear and anxiety. As we lower our threshold of fear, our body chemicals and inner healing resources work to aid our recovery rather than impede our healing.

Another key is the power of imagery. Cross cultural studies of shamanic and other rituals show that imagery is a fundamental part of healing evoked through ritual as a container. Although the outer can change, the consistent key is the mind  (the power of someone’s beliefs) and the power of imagination.

Healing rituals also reduce feelings of powerlessness. When you take an active part in your own healing, you immediately boost your immune system.

One of my favorite stories about healing  took place in Alaska. The wife of a gold prospector was left alone on an island during an avalanche. Pregnant and wounded she wandered back to her cabin- alone and scared. To help herself feel more empowered she started a journal to her baby, made an otter skin into a wrap for the unborn child and then actually delivered her own child. Once the child was born, she created a special ritual Baptism calling in the local deer & animals to witness it.

Tori Quisling and I have been running a special SPIRITUALITY AND THE CITY series , where we have discovered amazing healing statues and artifacts in museums, temples and other “sacred sites”. We have brought people to stand in front of them and each person received a healing (emotional, physical or spiritual). The other day as we were in the Museum of The American Indian scouting out “juicy” artifacts for our May 5th trip, we discovered 3 ritual healing objects as well as a bench used in divination rituals. If you want to experience some in depth healing for yourself ,come join us on one of our spiritual pilgrimages in NYC in the coming month. Click HERE for more information!

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Today is the Holiday Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej- celebrated by Hindus and Jains. It is an auspicious day for setting intention, starting a new venture, buying valuables and doing charity. It is a popular day to buy and wear gold jewelry- signifying good fortune and wealth…the original glitz day. The Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh are both honored today.

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Since my passion is sharing cross-cultural rituals with the world, I thought it would be appropriate to share some of my family traditions with all of you.

Lighting the Candles: to bring light into areas where we are in darkness and denial

Drinking 4 cups of wine: dedicating each cup to our ancestors and gratitude for life

Releasing with water: as we ritualistically wash each others’  hands (Rachel welcomed strangers by her well), we look at what we want to release emotionally, physically and mentally. And we dip hard boiled eggs in salt water (representing the tears shed when we were slaves in Egypt). Yet for me water is purification and the ability to change states of consciousness. Even in the midst of chaos, sadness and despair, we can transform into joy and compassion.

Connecting to the Ancestors- In my women’s rituals, we introduce ourselves by our mother’s lineage: here we introduce ourselves by both our mother’s and father’s lineage. It is a way to remember our connection to our  ancestors. For example, I say “I am Barbara, daughter of Diana and Julie, granddaughter of Rachel and Samuel and Abraham and Rachel.” It always saddens me when people do not know the names of their ancestors. This ritual helps us remember where we came from.

Making a commitment to make the world a better place: each person gets a chance to share how they will contribute (even the children) —by volunteering, becoming better listeners, having more compassion, sharing resources and an active Tikkun olam, or taking action in the world.

Remembering: In the traditional seder we remember the plagues that God sent to the ancient Egyptians- in our seder we acknowledge these and the plagues that still ravage our world: pollution of the earth, greed, violence, war, anger, fundamentalism, injustice.

And of course there is the food: my brother Mark grows and makes the horseradish (the bitter herbs),  I am known for my matzot ball soup and horoset (nuts, apples and dates) other friends cook, bake and contribute with wine and fruit. One of the newer rituals I love is to have an orange on the table to represent the feminine. However, in today’s world, it now stands for anyone who has been marginalized. Each person eats a segment and then spits out the seeds as a gesture of the harshness of some fundamentalist views, including racism, misogyny and homophobia (Haggadah for Jews and Buddhists)

But it all comes down to friendship, generosity of spirit and hope for a future filled with freedom, peace and justice for all.

May we all be grateful for the opportunities we have to grow and learn

May we be grateful for the bounty of the Earth

May we be grateful for a time of new beginnings

May we honor our family and friends as the precious gifts they are

May we all learn from each other and become more compassionate and conscious

Have a beautiful holiday!

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The story goes that the prime minister Haman, angry at Queen Esther’s Uncle Mordecai for refusing to bow to anyone but God, decided to have all the Jews killed. But Esther appealed to her husband , King Ahasuerus, to save her people. Haman was executed on the very gallows that were build to kill Mordecai.

Imagine what it was like to actually stand up to the King and admit that you were Jewish, when the Prime Minister wanted to kill  all Jews ? Would you have had the  courage  to stand up for your beliefs even in the face of death? It is certainly something to ponder.

As we celebrate Purim and International Women’s Day ,we are reminded of the contributions of the women in our lives and around the globe.  Women now hold public office, run multinational organizations and juggle family and work. Let us celebrate them and at the same time, be aware of the gender discrimination that still exists in 2012. Our work is not finished yet.

And, most of all: may we each have the courage of Queen Esther,and the ability to effect change in our own unique way as we speak up for what we believe in.

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Another fascinating aspect of the leap year folklore is that in the 5th Century women actually had to wait for a proposal; they were not allowed to pop the question themselves.  So many rules!!!  But wait! Here comes St. Bridget (as the story goes) to the rescue. She complains to St. Patrick about this serious problem. Finally, after much probing from Bridget, he gives in and set aside February 29th as the day when women could ask for a man’s hand in marriage. Rumor has it that she proposed to St. Patrick and he turned her down.

This tradition continued and Queen Margaret of Scotland declared in 1288 that on February 29th a woman had the right to propose marriage to any man she fancied. The men who refused had to pay a fine in the form of a kiss, dress , or a pair of gloves given to the rejected women. What a concept! If a guy rejects you he has to buy you a present. Hmmm!

The American cartoon Li’l Abner added another twist to the folklore with Sadie Hawkins Day.  In the famous story line, Sadie and every other woman in town were allowed on that day to pursue and catch the most eligible bachelors in Dogpatch. Although the comic strip placed Sadie Hawkins Day in November, today it has become almost synonymous with February 29.

Let’s all take a leap today and go for something out of the box that we don’t normally do, as these women did in past times. Take a risk, like the radical courage these women had to go against customs & propose to the man of their dreams. Be real. Share your feelings. If you don’t , you may have to wait until 2016, and that would be quite a shame.

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Photo by Jourdan Biziou

Every month I love to celebrate the New Moon as a time to stop and reflect on where I am and where I want to go. I hold a Women’s New Moon Circle and encourage the women to share dreams and intentions for the coming months.  We meditate, create powerful rituals and build community. After the New Year energy of Aquarius ( air sign), the New Moon in Pisces ( water sign) always encourages us to dive into the flow of the Universe to explore the world of feelings and intuition.

As my late friend  and amazing astrologer Elizabeth Rose Campbell shares in her book Intuitive Astrology, “Pisces encourages letting  go of who you think you are, so that you can remember who you are. As Pisces peels away the masks of identity, it reveals the face of compassion;it accesses the strength of benevolence. ” As we look beyond the masks that we wear, we can  make extraordinary discoveries.. When we can also see others for who they really are, we catch a glimpse of the spark of Divinity that connects us all.

This is a time to seek inspiration from your dreams, from Nature and from Spirit. Inspiration may come when we least expect it. Live your life as if it were a waking dream and know the Universe is always sending us messages. Stay open  to receiving the gifts that life has to offer .

Some helpers to open your intuition:

Psychic awareness: cedar, cinnamon, iris, lemongrass, mugwort, nutmeg, yarrow,bay

Dream Pillow: herkimer diamond, mugwort,  clary sage, calendula, jasmine, mimosa,

Focus Exercise:   Focus your attention on the center of your forehead. Tap this area while smiling ( tip from Tori Quisling-http://www.clairvoyantmeditation.com). This will activate your third eye. See this eye as beautiful and radiant. The more you can visualize this eye, the more your will awaken your intuition.

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