Flashes of Insight

The Politics of Spirituality

Some people think that these two concepts at best are unrelated and at worst are like Siamese twins in an unholy embrace that had best be separated before their collusion can do some serious damage.
I suggest that there is a very deep relationship between one’s spirituality which ideally upholds the Golden Rule, and how these rules manifest in the secular world.
I hear the term, “Good Christians” and I do know that they exist and make some fine efforts towards peace and helping the needy. That being said, when I saw Christian missionaries using the devastation in Haiti as an excuse to demand conversion for food and most recently in Uganda calling for the death and demise of gays, I think that Jesus himself would be inclined to come down and give these purveyors of hatred a solid thrashing. (read on…)

Wise Woman Billie Luisi Potts Herbal Workshops

Herbal Healing in the Second Half of Our Lives

This herbal medicine workshop is focused on using healing plants over the long haul: for cardiovascular health, cancer prevention and treatment, coping with digestive system disorders, respiratory concerns, and maintaining musculo-skeletal system well-being.
Emphasis will be on the uses of non-disruptive, regionally accessible Florida herbs that can be grown, bartered, prepared, and utilized safely by newcomers to herbs and experienced plant-healing participants

Back to Basics in Herbal Healing

Weather permitting - a plant walk and/or preparations workshop demonstrating easy and effective ways to use what is in your back and front yard, garden and kitchen to strengthen and heal our bodies

Ananga-manjari Bauer

Ananga-manjari has been practicing hatha and bhakti-yoga for 15 years under the instruction of her spiritual teacher Swami Krishnapada, who initiated her into the Vaisnava lineage as a priestess. She is a graduate of Cultural Anthropology, certified Integral Yoga Teacher, Doula & Childbirth Educator, Breastfeeding Counselor, Reiki master/teacher and Ayurvedic Thai Bodywork Practitioner. Her specialty is in teaching prenatal, postpartum and women’s yoga. She has created a style of yoga she calls Purnasya, meaning “Whole Being”. It incorporates aspects of Integral yoga, Vinyasa, Kundalini, Ecstatic movement and Belly dance. (read on…)

Omitowade Salewa Ajamu Teaching African Dance

Omitowade Salewa Ajamu is a lifetime priestess of Yemoja, raised in the Aftican ancestral spirutual tradition of the Yoruba. Along with the ordinary demands for drumming and chanting which are part of her priesthood Omito has especially developed her skill as an African dancer and fine arts painter, to further reveal the depth of her cultural heritage. Pieces by her are hanging in several institutions from South Florida to South Carolina. She has long given workshops in these arts all over the US and Jamaica. When not teaching or doing spiritual work, Omito spends time with her 12-year-old daughter Duni and 2 yr old daughter Dara who teach her refinements of dance guided by a spirit source beyond this world.

African Dance

Dancing us into awareness, Omito will illustrate in movement some of the differences between secular African dance and dances done specifically to honor each of three goddesses or “orisha” of the Yoruba tradition: Oya, Yemoja and Osun. She will then demostrate traditional movements and costumes and share with us the symbolic meaning involved in these steps, gestures and African outfits. At the end she will model and make available a few traditional dance head wraps (gele) and hip wraps (lapa) for those who might like to buy a set.

Omi Aladora Ajamu Priest of Yemonja

Omi Aladora Ajamu is a woman of great magic, music and power. She is a Yoruba Priest of Yemanja and founding mother of the African Connection an African Cultural performance group.

She and her family are part of the First Wave of Yoruba Priests that brought the Yoruba,[West African] Culture to the U.S. creating the Oyotungi African Village in Sheldon S.C.We are very fortunate that Omi and her family have resettled in Gainesville, Fl.

She worked in the early days with Martin Luther King as part of the Poor People’s March and was a lead in the Broadway production of Hair.

In addition she is a gifted Psychic and divines with the African Shells. She will be offering readings here at her booth.Omi is also part of the Blues Sisters as well as her own jazz band The Omi Aladora Ajamu Trio.

Workshop Goddesses of the Orisha

This workshop will introduce you to the magic and mystery of the Orisha, the Yoruba Goddesses… Yemanja, Oshun, Oya and others. Learn some of the chants and rituals of this ancient and very ALIVE culture.

Creating Sacred Relationships With Animals
Flash Silvermoon’s Workshop for the Wise Woman’s Festival

Learn to communicate on a deep and healing level with your animal friends. Get helpful tips on care, feeding and many useful alternative remedies.

Be a better friend to your animal companions by first acknowledging that we are all enlightened beings. After that, all things are possible without it , you will never gain the depth of understanding and connection that you both desire.

Topics include:

• How do we communicate?
• How animals function as our first line of defense and how to really protect them
• Surviving the loss of a pet
• Reincarnation and your critters
• Exercise using photo of pets that are alive as well as those that have passed on
• How to facilitate the return of the spirit of a favorite pet from the past
• Care/feeding and alternative tips using homeopathy, flower essences, gem elixirs, herbs
• How to create a healing grid for you and your furry friends

Jasmine, Jazzy Jaz Flying Free with the Angels

How do you say goodbye to such a special friend who has traveled with you for some 18 years. Oh the miles that we have shared in and out of the body!
On so many occasions, Jasmine had gone missingUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUIUI I am leaving these letters here because I got up to feed my horse after the last sentence and came back to these letters no doubt from beyond, I swear !!
Jaz has had me worried sick on many occasions when she would disappear into her Ms Independent, my prerogative to wander thing and had by this time easily used up 9 lives.
Since my pup Happy came to live with us, Jaz has fallen under the spell of “Love on Legs”, Happy, as does everyone who meets my profoundly sweet dog. Somehow Happy’s love and new energy brought Jaz back into the fold of the Moonhaven family and even more shocking, into the house regularly.
Before this time, she might drop in for a meal on occasion and more often, I would have to feed her outdoors.
To my amazement and delight, Jasmine even started sleeping with me every night for the last 3-4 months which she never did since she was a baby, and at 18 she was no baby.
She and Happy would cuddle up together on the bed with and without me and even Star would lay nearby. (read on…)

FOR THE FIRST TIME ANYWHERE WWFEST 7
Rebuilding Spiritual Confidence: The Dianic Tarot
w/ Billie Luisi Potts and Flash Silvermoon

Tarot Creators, Billie Luisi Potts and Flash Silvermoon discuss the herstory, evolution, and pathways of the women’s tarot revival including The Amazon Tarot I, II,[1980, 1984] and Flash’s Wise Woman’s tarot and others: their influence, impact, and usage in every day life.
THIS IS A RARE AND SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY

Billie Potts, nationally known women’s spirituality pioneer, artist, herbalist and educator, author of A New Women’s Tarot, editor/ coordinator/artist contributor to Amazon Tarot decks I, II, author of Small Scaled Goat-keeping, Witches Heal: Lesbian Herbal Self-Sufficiency, Uncounted Daughters: Jewish Women Healers in the West, Ergonomics: A Problem-solver’s Handbook, the forthcoming Simpler’s Joy, and Daughters of Agamede, and numerous articles on natural foods nutrition, herbal healing, and the intersections of the early women’s rights and anti-slavery movements. She has been facilitating herbal healing and tarot workshops across the US since 1976.

A studio potter and ceramic sculptor for 25 years, dairy goat farmer and organic grower for close to 40 years, she coordinated alternative healing facilities for major women’s music festivals, Michigan, NEWMR, East and West Coast Lesbian fests for fifteen years.

She holds a BA in history and classics, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Hunter College, NY and an MA in medieval history from Fordham University where she was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow. She retired as the longest serving Executive Director of the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY, and turns 70 this spring.

PRIESTESS CHERIE LYON BIO and WORKSHOP for WWFest 7

Cherie Lyon is an Alchemical High Priestess and Facilitator. She has a private practice as a Shamanic Reiki Master where she integrates body-centered techniques with vibrational healing, acupressure, and mindfulness. She also conducts monthly empowerment circles, rituals, and ceremonies.

Through her devotion to the survival of the ancient mystery knowledge, Cherie’s mission is to promote the education and support of a holistic mind, body, and spirit. Her soul intention as she honors the tribal practice and Shamanic art of healing is to help others align with nature and shift their personal vibration. As each person’s vibrational field shifts, Cherie believes, so does the vibration of the world.

Cherie is from Chicago and makes her home in the greater Atlanta, GA area. She is available to facilitate anywhere in the country. Cherie is certified to facilitate the Natural Rhythms™ and Practical Priest~ess™ programs. She also functions as assistant to the director of Natural Rhythms.

Connecting with our Ancestry Lineage for Clearing and Empowerment (read on…)

WISEWOMAN ROBIN G WHITE WKSHP AND BIO FOR THE FESTIVAL

I WROTE IT! Now What Do I Do?
Publishing strategies for published and self-published authors.

It is estimated that there are a staggering 190,000 books published in the US each year. There are hundreds of thousands more that are written and never make it to print. And then there is yours. You wrote it for hours each week, between arguing with your boss, feeding the kids and cajoling your overwhelmed partner, who by the way thinks it’s brilliant and Simon and Schuster is going to give you a mint just to publish it! So, you mail it off to an address you found on that crafty Internet tool called GOOGLE, and you wait, and wait, and wait. And finally the letter comes…

And then you woke up. That germ of a great story idea you had that is now a five hundred page novel sitting on your desk needs some help getting to the market, but you have no idea how to do it. Award-winning publisher and best-selling author, Robin G. White presents this workshop for writers of all ages who want to get the work out into the world. She will offer insight into publishing and promoting that next great novel and help writers to think outside of the industry box to become their own public relations champions. Her marketing strategies have succeeded in propeling authors to best-sellers lists on Amazon.com and Booksense as well as in independent book stores throughout the US and the UK.

Chicago Literary Award Winner and Georgia Author of the Year Award finalist, Robin G. White is the author of two poetry books, Resurrection: A Collection of Work, (Kings Crossing Publishing) and the forthcoming, Reflections on a Life Well Spent, (Sunset Pointe Press), First Breath, a collection of short stories due in April 2010, two series of childrens books, the award-winning play, PantyLiners and the Urban Media Makers award-winning screenplay, The Naptime Adventures of Princess Cynaya. She is the cofounder and co-owner of the Lambda Literary Award-winning company, Kings Crossing Publishing and the owner of Sunset Pointe Press and Fairy Godmommies Ink, which are both imprints of The Winnmark Publishing Group. She provides coaching, book development, marketing strategies and workshops for writers throughout the US. In addition, Robin is the founder of OneDayOneDollar.org which works with the arts community to provide microgrants to organizations and individuals working to end extreme poverty among children.
WHEN YOU HEAR HER POETRY FRI AND SAT NITES YOU WILL KNOW WHAT AN AWESOME PERFORMANCE ARTIST SHE IS TOO

* The Wise Woman’s Tarot - http://flashsilvermoon.com *

-

INSPIRATION FOR THE SEVENTH ANNUAL WISE WOMAN’S FESTIVAL
APRIL 9-11 By Flash Silvermoon

Since 2003, we women have yet to change the world into a place of Peace, Justice, and Healing. We will take the opportunity of the Wise Woman’s Festival to gather again to put our wisest and best efforts towards that end. If anything, the need for peace and healing is more dire than ever before in our lives. Through spirited work and play, we will join together once more to restore our energies which have been so depleted by the ravages of war, the patriarchy,and the no-fundamentalists who are fundamentally ruining the world for the rest of us. By renewing our strength and coming together in the spirit of love, empowerment and healing, we can elevate the vibration of the planet, our sweet Mother Earth, for the good of the animals, the children, the ancestors and all the people… ALL OUR RELATIONS!!
YES THERE HAS BEEN CHANGE BUT WE STILL NEED TO CHANGE THE PARADIGM
LET US JOIN TOGETHER TO DREAM THE DREAM OF PEACE ALIVE!

Why have a Wise Woman Festival?
by Flash Silvermoon

As the 7th Wise Woman’s Festival approaches its April 9th Re- Birth, I hear the question from some folks..why?

There are many answers to this question, some more obvious than others. Let’s face it, anytime the tribes of Wise Women from near and far can gather to make music and magic, its a good thing we all know this. This is an invitation to Change The World, not such an ambitious feat for a Circle of Wisewomen!

Communing in nature with your women friends, attending fascinating workshops/hearing some of the finest women musicians around and sharing deep spaces of intuition and inspiration is always inviting.

With all that being said, I offer yet another factor as well. The concept of Homeopathy is among other things a way to treat the whole by treating a part. It is no secret that this world is in turmoil and on the edge of major trouble on many fronts. Interestingly, if you look at Florida as the place where the fabulous Bush Boys gained their foothold on the world via those lovely non ballots, it is not a bizarre concept to see this state as a place to begin to unwind the web of betrayals of the real evildoers.

Let Peace and an end to the Power over Patriarchal Paradigm begin here and now with we women. Let us bring the seeds of peace and global cooperation into reality by breathing life into this dream; to let it be more than just a dream ; something that we co create and manifest amongst ourselves. We can create a ripple effect, a 100th monkey idea if you will that can spread like a Tidal Wave of love, trust, and healing.

By being the change we want to see in this world for one weekend, we can effect the world by being that acupuncture needle in the state of Florida to unblock the stagnant chi and create a flow of new ideas for peace, freedom and justice not for just us but for all.

This is a most unique Gathering of the Tribes where Dianic Wiccans share ritual and magic with Native Medicine Women, Shamans with Yoruba, Pagans with New Age Women and many exquisite blends in our Rainbow Cosmic Gumbo! We wild, wise women will teach and learn the ways to heal ourselves and our Mother as we all cope and roll with the shifts and changes that these times demand.

This is not so much a crisis in economics as it is in Spirit. We have been poisoned by toxic doses of fear by a prevailing culture that knows that this will freeze and paralyze us all into hopelessness which is an easy way to control us.

OK, WHO IS READY TO COME OUT OF THE DEEP FREEZE AND INTO THE LIGHT OF THE SUN AND THE MOON? Sounds like a lot more fun to me!

As the Producer Priestess, I do my best to keep the price within reason for most women who want to come and offer a few work scholarships as well. Only $60 advance registration!

We know prayers, thoughts and intentions especially focused with others of a like mind and spirit can effect change in a profound and miraculous way. I am inviting you Wise Women to come help us effect this change. I believe this is a window of opportunity for a major Shift in Consciousness lets SEIZE THIS MOMENT IN HERSTORY!! We can turn the tides of war/poverty/bigotry/and violence! Are you willing to commit to this step with us?

“The moment one definitely commits oneself,then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred…..Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it. Boldness has genius,power,and magic in it. Begin it now.”…Goethe

Begin with us at www.flashsilvermoon.com for all Wise Woman’s Festival Info APRIL 9 -11 please post to all the women that you love. Please also join the Wise Woman’s Festival E list there for all updates

Blessings,
Flash Silvermoon

SEVENTH ANNUAL WISE WOMAN’S FESTIVAL APRIL 9-11
@ Florida Coalition For peace and Justice Camp, Hampton,N. Central Fl, near Gainesville
One of the Nation’s only Multi Traditional Goddess Festivals for Women
only $60 in advance for 3 days of music, magic,Lakota sweatlodge, workshops, camping, poetry, healing and drumming circles, and an incredible Healing Ritual for the Planet led by Priestesses from 4 traditions to RAISE THE VIBE FOR THE TRIBE
Presenters, Billie Luisi Potts,”Witches Heal”, Flash Silvermoon, “The Wise Woman’s Tarot”, The Blues Sisters, Robin G White, Cherie Lyon, Omi Aladora Ajamu, Butterfly Circle Woman, Lylly Rodriguez, Ann Harmon, Mariel Masque, Aurora Whitebird and many more awesome women and YOU!
CONTACT FLASH SILVERMOON 352 4752432 @
www.flashsilvermoon.com

A Favorite Solstice Ritual By Flash Silvermoon @ Moonhaven
Flash Silvermoon shares her thoughts for the Winter Solstice.

Along with jumping over the fire to affirm one’s new path, which is a wonderful tried and true ritual, I have created a fun and third eye opening ritual for Yule.

Tell all who come to your circle to bring a wrapped gift of something that they want to pass on. It needn’t be new but it can be and not too expensive… just something you want to pass on.
These gifts are placed in a box or sack in the center of the group.
The woman who begins has the Priestess or group member place a lovely blindfold over her eyes and then she reaches into the sack and lets the gift pick her. At this point she uses psychometry (a form of object reading where the diviner tunes into the object and gets impressions re the gift or giver) to divine the message from the gift etc. (read on…)

For Heaven’s Sake, Don’t Drink the Kozmic Kool Aid !
by Flash Silvermoon The Remix! please share

Interesting synchronicity today as I contemplate the needless tragic deaths in the “Sweatlodge” of last week. I have been furious ever since I heard the News commentator release the sad report about James Arthur Ray’s “Spiritual Warrior Retreat in Sedona, Ariz.
At $9,000 + a pop to sit at the feet of this Guru wannabe, we are seeing the Corporatization of Spirituality, Enlightenment to those who can afford it, God /Goddess sold to the highest bidder!
I had initially been pleased that “The Secret” had opened some people to positive thinking but as I saw it take on a Cultish twist where people started essentially blaming the downtrodden for not having a fat bank account and casting condescending glances as if they alone had the ANSWER.
Then I actually saw the film which begins with of all things, a man in a loin cloth, running away from persecutors because HE HAS THE SECRET! Talk about re-writing History and giving it a radical mastectomy to boot! Everyone should know that it was the Wise Women of old who had the secret and that it was no secret, no big deal just simply understanding that what one believes can indeed create and give shape to one’s reality. (read on…)