Divine Feminine Institute

What is tantra ?

2010-06-21T04:43:00.001-07:00

Lately there has been a lot of discussion in the media about Tantra. On the Jay Leno show, Sting admitted to practicing Tantra. Now more movie stars are coming out and admitting to taking part in this ancient form of Yoga, which uses sexual energy to awaken those who practice it. Any time the word “sex” is used in our culture, eyebrows rise and attention is given. Ever since the Puritans landed at Plymouth, we have been troubled by sex. For most Americans, it is the great embarrassment. It is rarely talked about with any real intelligence. Most of us learned about sex as a matter of trial and error and have been trying to get it right ever since.

True Shaivic Tantra is part of an ancient spiritual practice that elevated sexuality to a sublime meditative state. The sexual aspect was only part of a bigger experience. Some sources set the Indian Tantric origin at 3,000 or more years ago. It generally is not practiced openly and has been underground for hundreds of years. It was Goddess-based, and the Feminine reigned supreme. Some scholars and spiritual teachers express resentment at the adulteration that has occurred in the West’s interpretation of a complex spiritual practice that our culture cannot fully understand. However, Western modes of Tantra have emerged that help us refocus our sexuality as a way to connect to the Divine in each other and ourselves. As a society we are still repressed and are attempting to free ourselves from Puritan influences that made sex dirty, secretive, and dis empowering to women. Tantra is a mode of liberation and release from this guilt. It integrates our sexuality into a matrix of worshipful, prayer-like awareness. It can be a virtual conduit to the Divine, which transports the participants into a state of ecstatic bliss. A true Tantric practitioner accepts every touch and glance reverently, as a Divine gift.

Tantra is rapidly becoming a catch-phrase for an elevated sexual experience. It is now mainstream, and getting more so. Though many “gradients” of quality seem to exist, any activity that brings more reverence and respect to the world is good. Indeed, seeing our sexuality as sacred is the best antidote we know for things like pornography, perversion, and sexual abuse. Supporting a spiritual awareness that makes us whole and integrated can be a form of awakening. There are a handful of men and women who have been trained in “sexual healing”, a very real experience needed by people who have been damaged in this regard. Some Tantric practitioners integrate this activity into their sessions.

Tantric practitioners are everything from “the real deal” to people with little or not training cashing in on the term. Nonetheless, there is generally compassion and caring which can be refreshingly healing for those who are open to exploration. We have within us aspects and powers undiscovered in our de-sensitized world of indifference to the sacred. Any practice that can transform us into more loving, caring, and joyous humans is worthwhile, and bringing an honoring attitude into the bedroom can alleviate many sexual problems.

Kalu Rinpoche, the Dalai Lama’s teacher, says there are three paths to enlightenment. The fastest is sacred sexuality (Tantra). The second fastest is sacred music. The slowest but surest is meditation. Because of all the lack of clarity and wounding associated with our sexuality, the danger of misuse of our sexual selves is quite real. When the higher aspects are in control of our sexuality, movement into the heavenly realms is assured.

The fact that you have a good sex life already, and that your husband wants to explore this dimension with you could mean a quantum leap in your lovemaking and in your life. Aligning your sexual energy center with God brings that energy into your life. Imagine seeing the Divine in each other all or most of the time, and treating each other with that reverence, respect, honor, and love. The quality of energy this brings into your life is sweet, blissful, and immensely powerful.

Many see Tantra as the Yoga of Everything. People who live their life as an art form have more freedom to express themselves in refreshing and powerful ways. Our society both worships and shuns people who have learned to live this way. To take control of the way you want to live your life takes real courage. The first step begins when you say to yourself that there must be more to life than this! Some say love is only waiting for us to show up. Indeed, love is possible in every moment. On a quantum level the Universe does appear to be making love to itself.

To participate consciously in this “dance” takes it to a whole new level. The fuel for enlightenment is seen as Kundalini, or sexual fire. It rises from the base chakra in a spiraling pattern. There is much written on the effects of too much energy moving up the spine too fast. The effects on the mental/emotional aspects can indeed be stressful and sometimes more than you are ready for. Controlling the burn of passion and dedicating it to higher purposes can produce rapid transformation. From an alchemical view, transforming base instincts into spiritual essence takes significant commitment and is certainly a worthwhile goal to aspire to.

If life is a dance and we are learning the steps, Tantra could be seen as hot, smoking Salsa. High-level practitioners of Tantra see God or The Beloved dancing in the eyes of everyone. True enlivenment or enlightenment comes when the dance seeps from the bedroom into every interaction.

Overcoming Underearning®: A Five-Step Plan to a Richer Life - Barbara Stanny

2010-06-11T04:37:00.000-07:00

Barbara Stanny is an exceptional woman. When Caroline, Tomas and I met her at Kripalu two years ago, we knew it immediately. But it wasn't until she was in our training this spring that we really got to know just why she is so exceptional. You see, she was born into money, so she never had to learn to earn it herself. Practically overnight, the cushion she thought she would have all her life was gone . From never having to worry about making money, she suddenly realized, she now had to. This nightmare turned into a true blessing in her life. She set out to learn for herself how to master the art of making money. Once she did it for herself, she decided to teach other women how to, as well. Caroline, Tomas and I have all had the good fortune of being mentored by Barbara and we have benefited greatly.

On Monday, June 21st, 2010, in NYC, Barbara Stanny will be teaching Overcoming Underearning for the LAST TIME EVER!* (click here for all the details)

If you desire to earn more, but can’t, despite efforts to do otherwise…I urge you to attend.

For over 10 years, Barbara has taught thousands of women to unleash the power and potential within to achieve their financial goals in her powerful workshop: Overcoming Underearning®: A Five-Step Plan to a Richer Life, based on her books: Secrets of Six Figure Women and Overcoming Underearning®.

This life altering seminar, based on the Inner Work of Wealth, the Outer Work of Wealth and the Higher Work of Wealth, will help you learn how to:
· Identify the five simple steps to increasing your income
· Think bigger about what's possible for your life
· Understand the signs of underearning
· Uncover the Big Lie you've been telling yourself
· Understand the signs of resistance and how to deal with them
· Tailor a specific action plan to your individual situation

This is more than a workshop on finances. You will also leave with the deep knowledge that you have the capacity to realize your potential, live your dreams, become more of who you are meant to be, and make an impact on the world.

“Since this is my last OU workshop- or I guess you could call it my graduation!- I desire for it to be the largest and most powerful one yet- not only for me but for every woman who desires it!”—Barbara Stanny

Registration fee for this life-changing day is only $475.

Register Now

I look forward to working with you!

Warmly,
Barbara Stanny

With all our hearts, we recommend this brilliant, determined, and very caring woman.

- Joan

Our interview on futureprimitive.org

2010-06-09T23:50:00.000-07:00

2010-06-01T03:58:00.000-07:00

"Taking responsibility" is not about being "to blame". Blame creates guilt, resentment, and diminishes self-worth. It's also destructive. No one wants to feel guilt, so we try to place it elsewhere and therefore blame each other. Taking responsibility means becoming aware of how your actions, energy, attitudes, and choices affect everyone with whom you interact. Your feelings such as fear, anger, sadness, or joy will affect all of your interactions, from your sweetheart to the bank clerk! Your self-acceptance, or lack of it; your feelings of self-worth, or lack of them; your feelings of guilt, shame, respect, or tolerance will all affect how you interact with your world.

When you "take responsibility", you realize you are responsible for how you act or react to situations in your life. You may be so angry, you feel like hurting someone. You are responsible for controlling yourself so that you don't. In your anger you may want to lash out and call names. You are responsible for waiting until you are calm and centered so you can talk about things rationally, in a way that doesn't add more fuel to the fire or emotionally hurt those you love. The bottom line is that you are responsible for being aware of how you affect your environment, and for finding a place of inner peace so that you can meet life's challenges with equanimity. This state is generally referred to as being “awake.” When we are awake, we see the effects of blame and judgment, and start to move away from non-productive interactions. We then free up enormous amounts of energy for activities which are much more pleasant.

There are many ways to do this including prayer, meditation, deep relaxation, visualization, yoga, breathing exercises, time in nature... to name a few. The focus is on coming to a place of stillness and peace within yourself. When you do this, you can perceive more clearly, how your thoughts, words and actions affect those around you. When you are calm inside you also receive inner guidance, make better choices and communicate more effectively.

Take responsibility for your inner peace first, and your life will improve.

Gabrielle's Wings

2010-03-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

Gabrielle's Wings

Dear Friends,

This is for those of you who knew and loved Gabrielle, and it is also to share with you my own journey with this great being.

I just completed a huge passage in my own life. Gabrielle, my archangel and friend of 20 years died Sat night. It was fully expected. She had been having challenges with her breathing for a couple of years, and finally they discovered it was lymphoma. At 75, she elected not to do chemo, but realized it was her time to go. Gabrielle, for those that may not know her, took care of me in many ways, one of the most important being the keeper of the sacred financial books and that of the Divine Feminine-Awakened Masculine Institute as well. She also interacted with the students around tuition and housing and all that stuff that takes time and patience. She helped set up our on-line store, and sent the products to all those who ordered them. She could answer almost any question, or find the answer. She did everything with excellence, and our financial records always came out to the penny.

It was a bittersweet few months of being with her, as she slowly became weaker and weaker, but during that time we shared so many memories and so much love. I brought her fresh coconut water from the coconuts on our land that Caroline had planted. It was one of the few things she really enjoyed. I also brought her lilikoi tapioca made with coconut milk that she also loved.

We traced our time since she we had known each other, when she came to me for counseling after being in a couple of car accidents. At that time, she was wrapped very tightly from holding in a great deal of pain and anger for many years. During the time I counseled her, and then beyond that as we evolved into a friendship, I watched her claim her life. I watched her grow, along with her hair, from a woman that almost looked like a man, (she had extremely short hair and wore only jeans and t-shirts), into a beautiful woman with long, black, thick, curly hair. She had a milky pink complexion and, in her metamorphosis, she began to dress in long dresses, with sparkly combs and a bindi. She began to look like the pictures of Radha I had seen; Krishna's consort.

Gabrielle taught me things about living life. At 70 she took up the ukulele and hula. She looked for ways to help those around her. She wanted everything to be perfect, which caused her great distress at times, since life is everything, including 'not perfect'. But she would continue on, even after painful experiences, determined to get over it and do what she could for those she loved.

To name all the things that Gabrielle did for me would take a long time, and you may not want to read such a lengthy letter. Just know she went above and beyond in her care of me, and then Tomas and me and our business, and then DFAMI. In many ways she was like a mother or older sister, but archangel sums it up.

What was beyond wonderful, was that, in the few months after she decided to go consciously into her dying process, she let go of all of the remaining upsets she had with everyone and came to complete peace. Her only regret, which we shared, was that she could not do it sooner, but the fact is, that she could not have. And that she did finally did find this peace was monumental. We wept many happy tears over this fact, and promised one another that when we meet in our next life, we will start from this new elevation. Next time, we promised, we'll have a lot more fun together.

I was awakened Sunday morning by the call that Gabrielle had died peacefully at 11 pm Sat night. Sandrina, her daughter had been with her solidly for days, barely leaving the room, except for times when others, like myself, would visit. I had been there for an hour or so Saturday. Gabrielle was in that state that let us know she would be leaving very soon. Just before 11, Sandrina hurried downstairs to get some juice. She came back up and Gabrielle had just slipped away. As Sandrina said, Gabrielle was probably waiting for the moment when no one was looking to make her exit.

Sunday was a beautiful day. We had been in a rainy, windy pattern, which I thought would continue for some time. But Sunday was gorgeous. The sun was out and the clouds were morphing from one amazing shape to another. Lots of angels and Krishna-like headdresses. So the angels and Krisha himself came to collect her. It was all there in the clouds that day. Later, I heard from Amrita, that a huge, very bright rainbow was right over Gabrielle's house, as she drove there for the gathering.

I had the honor of helping prepare her body Sunday morning, along with 4 other angel friends who also loved her. It was a real initiation. We lovingly bathed her, rubbed scented oil on her body, and anointed her chakras. We dressed her in a beautiful long dress with a lovely lace shawl and put a haku lei and puakinikini flowers in her hair, since she loved to dance hula and puakinikini was her favorite flower. We sprinkled rose petals and other flowers from her yard around her body. We put on the music she had asked to listen to as she was making her exit. It was a compilation of Hallelujah, Kyrie, Hara Hara and Om Namah Shivaya by Robert Gass. Then we cleaned her room and created altars everywhere with candles, flowers, crystals and pictures of angels. She will lay in state for three days, while her friends come and pay their final respects.

I came home to get ready to go back for the memorial we were going to have. My emotions were all over the place, waves of feelings, my own personal sadness of missing this great friend, gratitude for all I had with her, thankfulness that her passing had been so peaceful. I was about to take my dog, Pono, for a walk when this little voice came in telling me to take a swim. I didn't have much time, but I grabbed my towel and walked down to Hale Akua and jumped in their salt-water swimming pool and did 20 laps. I swam on my back a lot, and watched legions of angel clouds sweep by. Gabrielle knew how much I loved to swim. I was sure that was her voice urging me to do what was most healing for me. She made sure I took care of myself that day. That is just like her!

Sunday afternoon Tomas, Amrita and I came together with other of her friends. Bodhi, who was presiding over the gathering with Leila, his wife, reminded us that we are all going to end up where Gabrielle is some day, and celebrated that it was in her own bed with a beautiful view of meadows and pastures, and surrounded by the love of her daughter and all her friends. Thanks to hospice, she was pain free and well cared for up until the end. He added, "May we all be so fortunate."

I was deeply touched to see how a community of loving friends can care for one who is dying with such love and devotion. I pray that everyone has a community of conscious souls, willing to watch over those who are getting ready to make their journey to the other side, so it can be as ease-full and peace-full as possible.

Having seen now a few of my friends make their end play, I see how differently we each choose to exit. Bodhi, who has seen more than I, says, that everyone he's been with, in their last days, there are two things people have to come to terms with. One is coming to peace with anyone you've not been at peace with. The other is feeling that you have lived your life fully. He suggests you do this before you get to this place in your life. Do what you love, now. And find peace with everyone, in person or in your heart.

Gabrielle made her peace. She also came to see that she had lived a wonderful life. For this I am eternally thankful.

Eternal Blessings and Love, Joan

The Big Island calls!

2009-10-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

OMG! It's already October. November is right around the corner--time for us to go the the Big Island and enjoy the beauty of Kalani Honua.

We'll be there Nov 14-21 for our Body Temple Module, doing yoga, practicing NAH (nurturing, awakening and healing), teaching our Divine Feminine massage techniques, sharing our latest cool understanding of Compassionate Communication, sacred time with the women and the men together in their own gender pods, eating ono-delicious organic cuisine, swimming in their olympic size pool, and potentially swimming with the dolphins that come into the clothing optional black sand beach nearby.

Caroline Muir, our founder, my husband Tomas and I invite you to join us for this warm, connective and educational time together. You might like to become a certified Spiritual Sexual Educator, or a Divine Feminine-Awakened Masculine Educator--or you may simply wish to take a vacation and learn more about sacred sexuality and how to honor your feelings and needs on an ever deeper level.

We can take ten more people, and then we are full!!! So let us know if you would like to join us!

Love and Blessings,

Joan Heartfield, Ph.D.
Director, 877-731-7500

An Inspired Sharing

2009-06-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Beloveds,

In the midst of continued media bombardment designed to scare the wits out of us, I look around and see life getting better. I see more creative possibilities, loving acts of kindness and inspiring messages than ever in my life. Via internet, I see this happening all over the globe. Individuals, communities and organizations are rising up to take a stance for environmental, health and interpersonal issues. Personally, those around me in my immediate community are caring, supportive and loving.

Out of this world chaos I am seeing fundamental issues being addressed as never before--the quality of our food, our water, our soil. I'm seeing more information and action regarding animal rights, human rights, community rights. I'm also seeing people taking more personal responsibility in looking closely at what they are saying, doing--even buying--that either supports life or diminishes it.

This time is the most exciting time yet. More of us are not only awake but pro-actively taking responsibility in living our purpose and giving our gifts.

Wow! Let's celebrate by sharing what is working in our lives and how we are making a difference--whether it's home schooling our children or planting a garden or sharing with our friends and community how to love each other as perfectly as we can. We are each doing something that is making a difference--that I am sure.

Something I found inspiring today.

"Spirit would never bring you to this place of high vibration, Lightworker, just to plough you under like so much dirt. You are actively involved in creating an energy on this planet that will eventually create healing and peace that you have never seen before. Two generations from now, you will not recognize this place, for there will be talk of "putting things together" instead of tearing them apart. The old energy leaders will be gone and a new generation of conceptual thinkers will be in place." - Kryon

I felt compelled to share what is in my heart. I'd love to hear what's in yours. And if you find this message helpful, please pass it on.

Love,

Joan

Intuition Vision Dec 08

2008-12-29T17:07:00.000-08:00

According to our students who have been to at least 4 of our modules, this was the best one yet. What made it so great? The people for sure. We attract men and women who want the most balanced spiritual sexual education on the planet--and those who have been around the block and sampled many different schools say what they particularly enjoy is the leadership, integrity, diversity, rich information, meaning, beauty, professionalism, information, safety and joy-filled experiences that allows them to learn, grow and transform.

Daniel Giamario added his potent Shamanic Astrology to our core teaching staff of Caroline Muir, Joan Heartfield, Ph.D., Tomas Heartfield, C.T.E., and Saida Desilets, Ph.D.

We had six Awakened Indigo young people this time--and they added their intelligence, youth and inquisitiveness to the mix. We are happy we can offer our young people a low tuition so they can join us for these trainings. They are the hope of a future with more spiritual sexual awareness and consciousness.

Thank you to all our students, teachers and support staff who made this training one to remember!!!

Dr. Christiane Northrup recommends Attracting A Beloved

2008-09-20T18:38:00.000-07:00

Joan Heartfield, Christiane Northrup, Tomas Heartfield and Caroline Muir

What a wonderful surprise to open up Dr Christiane Northrup's new online newsletter and find this as one of her suggestions. Thank you Christiane! We similarly recommend her in depth monthly newsletter. You can find out about it here. http://www.drnorthrup.com

In July, I went to a workshop at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, a place I’ve known about for years but never visited. The reason I went was to experience the work of Caroline Muir (author of Tantra: A Guide to Conscious Loving) and her partners Joan and Tomas Heartfield. All of these fabulous people are the founders of the Divine Feminine Institute in Hawaii. I actually did two workshops over the course of a week. The Divine Feminine course for women on the weekend (men did the Awakened Masculine) and Romancing the Beloved from Monday through Thursday. This was presented for couples and singles, and the course is for anyone—married, single, engaged, you name it.

I was very fortunate to have attended the workshop with three women who were friends from Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts. The whole experience was heart-opening, illuminating, and greatly fun! So fun, in fact, that I’ve become friends with Tomas and Joan, as well as the magnificent Caroline Muir. (Interestingly enough, I’ve had Caroline’s book, Tantra: The Art of Conscious Loving, in my library since the late 1980’s. But guess what? I’d never opened the book until I signed up for the workshop. And when I started to read it, I thought “Where have I been?”) Caroline brings profound consciousness and joy to the topic of sexuality and the female body, including the production of “amrita,” female ejaculate. Obviously I had not been ready for this kind of information before. Now I certainly am!

To keep my learning going, I’m doing Joan and Tomas’s online course called “Attracting a Beloved.” And I’m loving it. I’m on lesson 4, which is all about creating “temple consciousness” in your surroundings. That means keeping things organized and clean—one’s outer environment is a reflection of the inner environment. (Basic feng shui—and something that I work on continually). So I started with a clean relationship altar in my bedroom—and a vision board for what I want in relationships (another part of the course).

Here’s the bottom line: the beloved I am most interested in connecting with more fully is the one within myself! And it’s working really well. I’ve never been happier or more fulfilled. Check it out Attracting A Beloved

Calling All Women

2008-09-03T00:43:00.000-07:00

Caroline Muir and I love women. Don't get me wrong, we are both happily connected with beloved men we sleep with every night and adore. But we are passionate about helping our sisters connect with their power and embody their ecstasy. That's partly because we know how we felt before we had done this ourselves. We were not nearly as happy, satisfied, cheerful, joyful and content. Once we felt the difference from the nurturing, awakening and healing we received from one another and other women, we could step into our power in a whole new way. But hey, the best way I know to share this is to share with you what others have written to us about their experiences. So here goes.

By the way, we are doing two weekends for women in October. The Invitation is Oct. 10-12 at Esalen and the Initiation Oct 17-19 in Mill Valley (early price by Sept 17). We hope you can join us. Love, Joan

“I never before felt love and acceptance for my body, or an understanding of the sacred spaces of my body! I feel and hold myself in new respect and love, and I feel this way about other women whether I know them or not. It is an incredible experience!” Marge

“You are brilliant leaders full of compassion and understanding, and you have an honest desire to help other women as much as you can. The integrity of your healing work for women transcends any other healing workshop that I have experienced. Thanks to your support, I am now gladly willing to come face-to-face with my demons, and with anything that hinders my growth and freedom.” Anna

“The weekend was billed as the divine feminine and I expected to address the sometimes duality of my sexuality and spirituality. While the energy was stored in and released from my second charka, and the energy/love itself was feminine, there was nothing sexy about the experience. This weekend was to slip out of (or spiral up out of) the whole prison of superiority and insecurity--to step outside of it all, where giving and receiving were one and the same, and just have the pure beingness of love--to be me looking back at me by this physical connection. It pushed me right over the edge (not that I needed that much of a shove). You were very very good at creating the space, nurturing and directing the group discussion and guiding during the initiation. I leaned more about mothering from this weekend from the two of you than I did from my own mother.” Viv

“The healing I received during the weekend was profound and I've been riding that wave ever since. As a side note, I've been letting men come to me vs. chasing them. I've also noticed how irresistible I can be when I simply run my shakti through myself. Wow!! So, I have been on a few dates since the weekend and I haven't even kissed any of the men because of the strong imprint I received from both you and Caroline. I'm fully committed to keeping my temple sacred and 'interviewing' men to make sure that they will treat me with as much if not more tenderness than you wise women showed me over the initiation weekend." Miwa Linehan, Boulder CO

“Since our weekend together - many of my closest and dearest friends are telling me that they see such a "Resolve" in my eyes. I would have never guessed in a million years that participating in this would heal some very traumatic emotional/physical and sexual abuse I survived as a child and teenager, let alone what I did to myself as a woman for years after that. I feel as though I went from a scared little girl (for the most part) to becoming a beautiful, loving, strong and worthy 38 year old woman.” Kristen

“I experienced this work first hand a couple of years ago & underwent a huge shift in how I saw myself, and the women in my life. If you are needing healing with the sister/mother dynamic this seminar will give you the results you have been longing for. If you have been searching for a sisterhood to call your own & deeply bond with the feminine, Caroline & Joan will welcome you home! It's time for us to find our voice, love our bodies, & nourish one another.” Leah Alchin, Certified Tantra Educator

“I recognize you as forerunners in dedicating your lives for change in uniting the sexual and spiritual energies while envisioning this to be the "norm" once again in this world where we can let go of needing to be such an isolated "club" of studies for safety and support. I love you all for your courage and want to do you proud in opening to this in my own life more fully. You are that part of me in the Great Dream.” Susan Lash

“Throughout the years I have attended a number of healing and transformational immersives, but have never experienced one where the faculty so purely embodied the teachings and held the space in such a non-hierarchal way. MAHALO!” Gretl

“Thank you for the extra dosage of Divinity, a sweet nudge, push, and leap towards a deeper embodiment of the Goddess!” Sarah Irani

“Thank you for your courage and your dedication to love and support every woman who chooses to open and meet her true self.” Ann

Enjoy Life

2008-08-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

I feel so deeply grateful to live on Maui. I stepped off the plane in Honolulu in 1966 and my first memory of Hawaii was the intoxicating fragrance of plumeria blossoms that wafted to my nose on the gentle breeze; and the bright blue sky full of puffy white clouds. I had been accepted as the first graduate assistant in the new dance/theatre masters program at the University of Hawaii, and my initial hit of Hawaii was "this must be heaven".

As heavenly as Hawaii is, there are still life challenges that beset us wherever we live--and as I have seen from extensively travel, little pieces of Heaven are found everywhere, if that is what we are looking for.

After 3 years on Oahu, I moved to Maui, which has been my home ever since (except for a few months in San Francisco and a year in Byron Bay Australia.) As long as I've lived here, I never take it for granted. Each day I express gratitude for the earth, sky, wind, sun, rain, plants, birds and people who make life here so rich and meaningful.

I especially express gratitude for my beloved Tomas. With him I get to create, play and give the gift of bringing more love into the world. Our prayer is always the same: "May our love bless the world."

One thing we continue to do is take special time to do special things that nourish us deeply--and along with lovemaking, time in nature is at the top of our list. Taking time to fill our tanks means we have the quality of energy we want in our lives on a daily basis.

Here we are at our favorite waterfall. It is a fairly rigorous hike to get here--so it isn't something we do every day. But we do take the time to enjoy life so we have genuine loving energy to give those with whom we interact--be they friends, clients, students or the check out clerk at Costco.

We encourage you to enjoy life. Do those things that genuinely nourish you and give you the energy you wish to have for yourself and for all your endeavors.

Summer is coming to and end--enjoy every moment!

Love, Joan

Our Daniel's Meet at Last!

2008-08-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

Daniel and Daniel show up Friday morning--and we have a great day. Daniel Skiles (hereafter DS) has created our myspace (www.myspace.com/embodyyourecstasy). Daniel Trotman (heratfer DT) has created all our facebooks--check out Joan Heartfield and our Divine Feminine page and become my friend and a DF fan. Tomas says, "Hey--become my friend too!"

DS is giving DT a crash course in Tantra--DS having completed all our modules and at 18, beginning to teach. He is on fire with the information and the wisdom he has already gained. DT is listening--soaking it up--and appreciating having a peer share this deeply with him.

DS is coming over today to clarify what we will be offering our "Indigo-Y generation" at our next training Dec 1-10. We are so excited to see what we can offer this population. We can only imagine what life would have been like having a complete spiritual sexual education at an early age. We see the results looking at the young people who have come through our doors. The genuine self confidence, communication skills, self-esteem, respect and honoring of others and joy are evident in meeting these beautiful beings.

Next blog will talk about some of the things we know we want to offer our "kids". And it you are an "Indigo-Y generation" --tell us what you want!

Our other divine Daniel

2008-07-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine going to a foreign country and learning how to do viral marketing in another language? That's what we asked Daniel Trotman to do for us. He is an intern in business from France and has been with us for the past 2 months helping get the word out about Divine Feminine Institute and Talking Hearts. He's created a Facebook for us--type in my name, Joan Heartfield, and become my friend and a fan of the Divine Feminine page. Daniel is cute, sweet and more knowledgeable about computers than either Tomas or me--so we ask him questions every day. He's found places we can post articles and has helped us get hip to facebook.

Daniel Skiles--who created our myspace (www.myspace.com/embodyyourecstasy) will be meeting Daniel T Friday for the first time when DT picks up DS from the airport. Our two Daniels will have just one day together--because DT is completing his internship with us Friday. I'll take pictures!

Stay tuned as the two Daniels meet for the first time!

Beauty in the Berkshires-asked back!

2008-07-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

“I had the pleasure of experiencing the work of Joan and Tomas Heartfield as well as Caroline Muir at a recent workshop at Kripalu. Their profound and delightful teachings are, without a doubt, the next step for healing humanity on this planet." Christiane Northrup. M.D. author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom

We love it when those who take our workshops get value--that's why we do what we do! "The proof is in the pudding," my mama used to say, and the fact that we were asked back means our students said they got what they came for. Actually, most said they got way more than they came for--and that's just fine with us.

Caroline, Tomas and Joan enjoyed the magnificence of the East Coast at Kripalu Institute, a retreat center in Western Massachusetts. Caroline and Joan gave a Divine Feminine Invitation weekend for women; Tomas gave an Awakened Masculine weekend for men; and all three gave a Romancing the Beloved week-long.

Caroline and Joan saw a black bear--right outside the kitchen window of the lovely teachers quarters. It was like living together again--getting up early and giggling in the kitchen before going off to eat the gorgeous breakfast in the spacious dining room. Kripalu is know for it's delicious organic spreads. It lived up to it's reputation in spades.

Joan and Tomas had a stellar time at the annual James Taylor concert (his 60th belated birthday party) at Tanglewood with Denise, the head of programs for Kripalu who treated us to this concert that also featured Yo-Yo Ma, Carole King, John Travolta. Several veteran concert goers said is was the best concert they'd even been to.

We were hosted flawlessly before and after Kripalu by Carol Emmanuel. We met and worked with many of her wonderful friends; picked fresh peas from her garden; swam in her crystal clear stream; and spend quality time together.

Thank you beloveds of the Berkshires for your warm and loving reception--we'll be back!

Our Two Daniel's

2008-06-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

Daniel Skiles creating Facebook www.myspace.com/embodyyourecstasy

We are using the term "Indigos" to describe our 18-28 population. "Young people" doesn't really do it. Yes, they've lived less years on the planet this time around in their particle body, but who they are and what they are capable of is off the charts.

Take for instance our two Daniel's.

Our first Daniel was Daniel Skiles. He came to us at 17 wanting to come to our Intuition and Vision module for our 10-day training. “I want to become a Spiritual Sexual Educator,” he says to me.

I feel excited. Wanting to reach the 18-28 (Y Generation- Indigo Youth), we at Divine Feminine Institute set in place a lowered tuition for people in this age group. Here was a young man eager to learn about sacred sexuality, communication skills, Taoist, Tantra—and everything we were teaching—so he could pass it on. Since there is explicit education around our sexual energy, I say to him, “We will need a note from your Mom giving you permission to be with us.” I call his mom and explain this to her. “You must be an amazing woman to have steered your son in this direction.” She says, “I had nothing to do with it—this is all his thing.”

Who is this young man I wonder to myself that finds the Divine Feminine Institute on the web and calls us and signs up—just like that? I was soon to find out here was an exceptional soul in a young body. After taking all 4 of our module, he says to me, "Divine Feminine Institute needs a myspace." "Sure," I say, only having heard about myspace but never having been there, "Let's do it." The next thing I know I'm sitting at a computer with Daniel figuring our passwords for all our staff. He puts up a page for each of us--then does one for DFI. Over the next few days he works feverishly day and night, creating the most beautiful myspace I've ever seen--and writing a foreword that blew my mind.

You've got to see it. Go to www.myspace.com/embodyyourecstasy. Let me know what you think!

Tomorrow I'll tell you about the other Daniel--our intern from France.

Love, Joan

Embody Your Ecstasy

2008-06-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Embody Your Ecstasy

by Caroline Muir and Joan Heartfield, Ph.D.

Sounds great, but what exactly does it mean? Working for a living and the demands of life hardly seem to leave time or energy for ecstatic states of being, and in this culture, people don’t seem to be naturally good at being happy. It’s almost more in style to complain or focus on what isn’t working in our life rather than what is a source of joy.

How many conversations do you have in one day in which you ask someone how they are, and then you are a sounding board for all of their problems? Where does this tendency to complain come from? It appears to be culturally inherited. We hear it all around us. Fortunately, it’s in our ‘software’ rather than our ‘hardware’.

Ecstasy, or joy, is in our ‘hardware’—it is our birthright. As babies, we smile and laugh at apparently nothing. Joy bubbles up from a well within our own hearts. Have you ever caught yourself walking down the street or into the market being aware of a smile on your face for no particular reason from an authentic place inside yourself? We all have the capacity to tap into this place of “happy for no reason”.

Each moment of ‘right now’ can be thoroughly claimed-- with the intention to do so. It requires us to notice when we find ourselves in unconscious patterns of worry, complaining, or anxiety. We must bring our attention into our bodies, connect to our breath, and have in mind what it is we wish to affirm in the now.

Caroline says, “I have a volume control inside of my heart just like the one on your stereo. When I notice that I am getting too serious or too rushed or too intense, I drop into an image of that volume control and turn it up! The smile returns to my face, my pace slows into an easy glide from a hurried push, and the moment is all there is.”

Joan suggests, “I’ve noticed the difference between what I call “real feelings” which help me discover what I need in this moment, and “static patterns” such as anxiety or worry. When I notice I’ve dropped into the latter, I use an affirmation to replace the “static pattern”. Currently I’m using, ‘I am radiantly healthy, happy, and peaceful.’ That simple sentence brings me back to the present and I feel my natural joy once again.”

We are the only ones who can truly make ourselves happy. Our attitude is the secret behind our thoughts. Fear and worry are like jealous lovers, always competing for our attention. The news and newspapers will immediately give us something to worry about. Other people’s mental diarrhea is so easy to hook into and make it our own. There truly are countless things every minute that can steal us away from our joy and ecstasy. With so much coming at us in each moment—from the radio, the news, and the constant stream of media now on our computers, we are the only ones in charge of how we deal with this ever-growing wave of information.

It boils down to where I put my attention—internally and externally. I am the one who can change the channel (unless I hand over that control to someone else). Even if I have to listen, at times, to information that I’d rather not—I am still the only one in charge of what I think, say, and do.

The choice to embody our ecstasy is life affirming—and we may need to discover how we can be this joyful. We may wish to look at unwanted habit patterns of thinking that do not serve us and train our mind to think positively. We may want to discover our feelings and needs and find ways to communicate them more effectively. We may decide to put time into caring for our bodies in order to embody anything. We may wish to put more time into nurturing our spiritual sexual self so we amp up our pleasure potential.

We want to discover what brings us joy—and move toward that. It could include the simple joy of walking or stretching or breathing deeply. It might be catching the light in another’s eyes and smiling --or buying coffee for the next person in line as a random act of kindness. It may be planning a sensual session for our lover or mate.

There are many things that can put a smile on our face. Caroline reminisces, “I remember a moment twenty-five years ago when I was leaving a little-known Caribbean island after a week of blissful vacation. Climbing the steps of a small plane I turned one last time to look at the sky and palm trees that were the background for a shanty they called a bar at this miniature airport. The hand-painted sign over the entrance to the bar read, Love your enemies… it will drive them crazy. That message caused my natural ecstasy to rise as I laughed my way onto the little plane. My whole body grinned from ear to ear if you can imagine how that feels. I felt as though I were hovering above the masses, drinking in the heavenly love that was mine for the asking. I could have found ten reasons to not be ecstatic at that moment as others around me were grumbling about one thing or the other.”

Joan notices that the more time she spends appreciating the people around her, the happier they are—and the more joyful she is. “This is my spiritual practice,” says Joan. “I especially notice this with Tomas, my husband, since he is the person I spend the most time with. The more I focus on all the things I appreciate about him, the more loving he is and the more fun we have together. I have learned to tell him what I want, rather than what I don’t want—and it has made a huge difference in the quantity and quality of our enjoyment of life.”

If you have not yet done so, make a choice to replace the habit of complaining and worry with a choice to move toward what you want in life—toward your joy. Claim ecstasy right now for yourself. It is the pleasure of being alive… the delight we can have in the moment… the enjoyment of co-creating with life.

We at Divine Feminine Institute are deeply grateful we have discovered how we can embody our ecstasy. Our joy now is teaching others how to give themselves this gift of aliveness. When the Divine Feminine team bantered about slogans, we knew when we heard “Embody Your Ecstasy” that this was the ultimate gift we could bring to those who study with us. It is the fuel for aliveness into an awakened state. We believe it is the ultimate choice for life.

Upcoming opportunities to Embody Your Ecstasy

Kripalu Institute, Western Massachusetts
June 27-29
Divine Feminine, The Invitation (women) with Caroline Muir and Joan Heartfield, Ph.D.
Awakened Masculine, Embodied Presence (men) with Tomas Heartfield
June 29-July 3
Romancing The Beloved (singles and couples) with Joan and Tomas: special guest Caroline Muir co-author of-Tantra, The Art of Conscious Loving

Maui, Hawaii
Dimensions of Divine Relationship --for more info visit http://amritagrace.com/templeevents.html)
August 9
Romancing the Beloved with Shamanic Astrology (singles and couples) with Joan, Tomas and Daniel Giamario
August 15-17
Empower Your Life with Passionate Presence (singles and couples) with Amrita Grace and Baba Dez Nichols
August 23
The Masculine Journey to Awakening (men) with Tomas and Baba Dez
The Feminine Journey to Becoming (women) with Joan and Amrita
Opening to Love Ceremony (singles and couples) with Tomas, Joan, Amrita and Baba Dez

Kalani Honua, Hawaii
December 1-10
Divine Feminine Training-Intuition Vision Module- toward becoming a Spiritual Sexual Educator and/or Divine Feminine Educator

Caroline, Tomas and Joan at Kripalu

2008-06-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

I used this blog for a long time--posting various things on it--and then I let it go for the past year. I couldn't understand the value of the blog--and there needs to be value if I'm putting my time into it--but here I go again as we gear up for more blog postings.

Caroline, Tomas and I are doing workshops at Kripalu in Western Massachusetts. We're teaching back to back classes--Divine Feminine Invitation for women and Awakened Masculine for men, June 26-29. On the heels of that will be Romancing the Beloved for men and women, June 29-July 3.

Come play with us!

Tim Freke and core faculty at Divine Feminine Training

2007-06-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Caroline, Timothy Freke, Tomas and Joan at our Divine Feminine Institute Spiritual Practical training April 07. Tim was our guest faculty. He is brilliant, witty, and delightful both personally and professionally.

Paul Nelson--Divine Feminine marketing magician

2007-06-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

Caroline, Paul Nelson (our marketing genius), Joan and Saida in Sedona

2007-06-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

Saida representing Divine Feminine Institute in France at the Divine Feminine Conference summer 2006

Saida in Europe--she teaches there every year.

Past and Future

2007-06-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

Aloha! I am back from a 3 week trip with Caroline. We presented at the Harmony Festival in Sonoma; did a weekend Initiation in Boulder; gave some great interviews in NY for a TV show; presented at Sexy Spirits in NY; participated in a symposium with other Tantra teachers there; and taught a weekend at Kripalu Institute called "Awakened Aliveness". Kripalu wants us back--and they would like to be our East Coast training facility---we are booking workshops for next summer already including Awakened Masculine. It was a great tour and i am now happy to be back in Maui with my beloved.

Tomas and I are catching up on a few things, and then we will use the month of July to complete our book. It's the first window of time we've had since last summer--whew!

I wanted to give you the info for our RTB weekend we are presenting in Portland--also some info on our Divine Feminine and Awakened Masculine upcoming events fin case it might be possible for you to join us.

Love and Blessings,

Joan

Event: Divine Feminine Initiation for Women with Caroline Muir and Joan Heartfield, Ph.D.
Dates/Time: August 17-19
Location: Still Meadows Retreat Center
Cost: See www.divine-feminine.com to register

Event: Awakened Masculine for Men with Tomas Heartfield
Dates/Time: August 17-19
Location: Amora Dance Studio 4515 SW Corbett
Cost: Fri August 17, 7:30-9:30 Introductory Talk $20
Sat August 18 10 am - 5 pm Daylong $175
Sun Aug 19 Daylong $175
Complete weekend all events $325--contact Richard Haynes rhay@ayurvedaplus.com or (503) 248-4670

Romancing the Beloved for Singles and Couples with Tomas and Joan Heartfield, Ph.D.
Dates/Time: August 24-27
Location: Amora Dance Studio 4515 SW Corbett
Cost: Fri August 24, 7:30-9:30 Introductory Talk $20
Sat August 25, 10 am - 5 pm Daylong $175
Sun Aug 26 Daylong $175
Sat August 25, 7:30-10 pm “Opening to Love Ceremony” $25
Complete weekend all events $325---contact Richard Haynes rhay@ayurvedaplus.com or (503) 248-4670

Saida and Tomas--they teach the Awakened Masculine Fusion see www.awakened-masculine.com

New Divine Feminine Educator Track

2007-02-06T17:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

The Divine Feminine Institute is very excited to announce a new track for our trainings. In addition to the Certified Spiritual Sexual Educator track you may now take the Certified Divine Feminine Educator track. Both tracks are open to men and women.

Even through we have described the following as two tracks, each student will learn everything described in both tracks to one degree or another. The main difference is that the Spiritual Sexual Educator is more of a hands on track that potentially leads to sessions with clients and/or workshops involving teaching and practicing NAH (Nurturing, Awakening,Healing ritual) while the Divine Feminine Educator track has more to do with research and writing around ceremony, personal transmissions and the various aspects of the Sacred Feminine.

Please let us know what you think! Also please notice our date changes for 2008.

Divine Feminine Educator Track

“Imagine that you are invited back in time, to the ancient goddess temples, and allowed to witness/partake in the ancient healing rites of the goddess. Imagine then, as a sacred scribe, writing about all that you witness. How would you feel?”

The Divine Feminine Educator Certification track is both experiential and research based to study and synthesize the historical and existing feminine information and wisdom. We see this track as acting as a liaison to mainstream through educating people about the value of the Divine Feminine.

A Divine Feminine Educator taps into the ancient wisdom, ceremonies, practices, meditations and lifestyle of temple priestesses and priests, and brings that forward in order to share the value of these ancient rites in our modern day lives. We are bridging the wisdom of the ancient goddess cultures that were peaceful, nurturing, honoring of the natural rhythms and cycles (seasons, celestial bodies, rhythms of our own bodies), had natural erotic consciousness, and community and earth-based ways of life. Thus, we are bringing the feminine wisdom back into our culture.

A Divine Feminine Educator takes the role of an active observer much as an anthropologist does. This approach encourages the Divine Feminine Educator to weave in a non-judgmental observation of what is with their own personal experience. They are present to their own feelings as well as the emotions of others in the room; can track their own thoughts and beliefs; are aware of the messages from their body as well as observing the body language of others; and takes notice of the shifts and changes that result from the experiential aspect of the Divine Feminine Curriculum.

A Divine Feminine Educator is encouraged to participate in giving and receiving NAH sessions as experience speaks louder than speculation. When not in a session, they use their time to either do self-NAH and/or to write about their experiences in the context of the Divine Feminine Curriculum. This includes internal visions, dreams, and insights.

What is different about our approach is that we acknowledge and honor the wisdom and contributions of the guardians of the earth, the men. Thus, when conducting research or inner visioning, the Divine Feminine Educators are aware of how the feminine and masculine wisdom and energies are now in a place of reaching a synergistic relationship that heightens and enhances the gifts they both offer to humanity.

The Divine Feminine Educator Certification is ideal for those individuals who are drawn to express the wisdom of the feminine through both spoken and written word, and for individuals who prefer to facilitate through non-physical transmission.

Spiritual Sexual Educator Track

“Imagine that you are invited back in time, to the ancient goddess temples, and that you are to be trained and initiated into the ancient healing rites of the goddess. Imagine that you now become one of the Priests or Priestesses, initiating others through nurturing, awakening and healing rites. How would you feel?”

The Spiritual Sexual Educator Track is focused on experiential mastery of the NAH so that graduates can both practice and teach this unique spiritual sexual education. The NAH includes but is not limited to sexual healing.

The Spiritual Sexual Educator studies and practices both ancient and modern body and spirit based therapeutic tools to support the emotional waves and mental constructs that may emerge during the healing sessions or workshops. We endeavor to give our Spiritual Sexual Educators a range of therapeutic and awakening tools that address every Chakra so they can weave a holistic session that is unique to the individual or workshop need in the present moment. Thus through healing, nurturing and awakening the power within each of the Chakras, we are re-activating humanity’s erotic innocence.

The Spiritual Sexual Educator takes the role of the High Priest or Priestess and embodies a transpersonal awareness of the spiritual sexual nature inherent in each client or workshop participant. This approach encourages the Spiritual Sexual Educator to anchor sacred space and to bring a positive sacred regard for each person through radical acceptance, compassionate communication and compete authenticity. They endeavor to bring out the full expression of the Divine Feminine and/or Awakened Masculine within each individual through the experiential aspect of the Divine Feminine Curriculum.

The Spiritual Sexual Educator Certification is ideal for individuals who have a strong connection with hands on healing, are comfortable with physical touch and are drawn to facilitate transformation that includes sacred sexuality.

Spiritual Practical at Shangri-la April 07

2007-01-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

The Divine Feminine Institute presents Spiritual Practical, a retreat for Men and Women April 26-May 5 at Shangri-la www.haleakua.com in Maui Hawaii www.divine-feminine.com and toll free 877 731-7500.

This 10 day retreat can be taken as part of our Certification Training to become a Spiritual Sexual Educator or for your personal enjoyment. Embody Your Ecstasy with Caroline Muir, Joan Heartfield, Ph.D., Tomas Heartfield, Saida Désilets and guest teacher Timothy Freke, author of Jesus and The Lost Goddess and Lucid Living: www.timothyfreke.com.
A synergy of Tantra, Tao & Spiritual Psychology , The Divine Feminine Mystery School returns us to our erotic innocence in a weaving of sacred sexual knowledge. Spiritual Practical addresses our need to contribute to the enrichment of life in practical and effective ways as we learn to use powerful, ancient, spiritual teachings and translate them into practical, modern day applications. The prime energy inherent within us shows us our genuine potential and expresses itself individually through us. Success in life means fully utilizing our unique gifts through offering them to our community.

The Divine Feminine Modern Mystery School is a unique and holistic approach to exploring and understanding the Dynamics of the Feminine essence, and how it interplays with the Masculine. This restores us to the divinity and harmony of our erotic nature. This sacred feminine consciousness teaches us the more refined arts of sensual love and nurturing, and the healing and wholeness that awaits as we reclaim our passion and inner authority as evolved women and men.

Divine Feminine at Sacred Sexuality Conference

2006-12-12T20:28:00.000-08:00

Caroline Muir will be a keynote speaker and Caroline and Joan will present a workshop at The Sixth International Conference on Sacred Sexuality held January 19-23, 2007 in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico. This conference offers a wonderful opportunity to learn how to integrate sex and spirit, to lift your relationships to new levels of intimacy and pleasure and turn love-making into a spiritual and devotional practice.

Open the door to sexual healing and mindful lovemaking with Raphael Cushnir, Caroline and Charles Muir, Margot Anand, Andrew Harvey, Deborah Sundahl, Joan Heartfield, Brigitte Mars, Juliana Dahl and many other cutting-edge presenters.

This conference examines the major cultural split in our collective psyche in regard to sexuality, love and relationship. We are indoctrinated early in our lives by religious and cultural taboos that make us feel ashamed of our sexual nature, yet the media constantly bombards us with sexual imagery. With conscious intention, we can return to a natural sensuality free from cultural inhibitions. It is our birthright as functional and healthy human beings to experience the ecstasy of sexual union with another, which can be one of the most exquisite of experiences.

Go to our home page and click the conference link to sign up
http://www.divine-feminine.com/home.html

Registration for this event also entitles you to attend
The International Conference on Shamanism held concurrently with The International Conference on Sacred Sexuality at no extra charge.

Let us know if you plan to attend and come and say hello!

Love and Blessings,

Caroline and Joan

Awakened Masculine

2006-10-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

We have a new brother website---www.awakened-masculine.com. It's a whole new program with Tomas Heartfield and Saida Desilets. These two dynamos give men a new look at how to be with each other in nourishing ways while learning and growing in their power and sensitivity.

It is a unique and radically authentic program guaranteed to delight and surprise!

Check it out---www.awakened-masculine.com

Intuition Vision Training

2006-10-18T23:41:00.000-07:00

We can hardly believe it is almost time for our Intuition Vision Module of our Divine Feminine Mystery School. Daniel Giamario, founder of Shamanic Astrology will be joining our faculty with Caroline Muir, Joan Heartfield, Ph.D., Tomas Heartfield and Saida Desilets. The start date is Nov10 and ends the 19th. Gourmet Five Element Taoist cuisine will be propared by our Divine Feminine Chef Katrina. Our boutique will feature Grif's "EarthArt" travel clothes with beautiful pants, skirts, tops, and jackets in aqua, coral, mauve and bronze. We have gift bags with goodies donated from vendors on Maui for our students. We have people coming from all over the states plus France, Belgiam and New Zealand.

We are almost full--room for 5 more--and then we'll have 40 fabulous students!

Blessings to All!
Joan
www.divine-feminine.com

Last 2006 Initiation in Portland

2006-08-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

“THE INITIATION” for Women
Presented by Caroline Muir and the DIVINE FEMININE INSTITUTE
“The reemergence of women will bring about the healing of the world” Marianne Williamson

Our right of initiation into the feminine mystery has never been offered to us! Learning directly from the sacred feminine mysteries, we have created a very unique, powerful and transformative experience. Through receiving the long hidden education regarding full sexual awakening and power, we return to our source with the loving heart of sisterhood. Nurturing, awakening and healing are the vehicles for reclaiming our birthright. When we join together to transform both our own and each other’s fears, our consciousness awakens.

The “INITIATION” weekend is remembering the heart and soul of women, which is the playful/sensual/spiritual essence of the Divine Feminine.

Intelligence of Shakti (sexual, spiritual creative energy)
Sacred Spot massage-- a thorough investigation
Releasing fear, embracing love--a weaving of the sisterhood

Contact Karyn Armstrong at 503 525-2521 for information and registration or register online at http://www.divine-feminine.com/events-initiation_Aug18-20-2006.html

Maya's message from Gaia

2006-08-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

Dearest Sisters and Brothers,
We are in an exciting time of change and transformation. According the to Mayan calendar, we are moving toward a new era by 2012. The changes happening with our Mother Earth/Gaia are becoming more intense. From the shift in the magnetic poles of the planet, to global warming, to changes in weather patterns, we are experiencing massive, impactful change. From a meta-physical perspective, this is what needs to happen to align the planet and all people to the new energetics that will contain the potential for peace and harmony.

As we all are, I am in the midst of my changes and transitions from high tech in Silicon Valley to off-grid on the Big Island of Hawaii. It seems I have been preparing for this move for the past five years, guided to study Chinese Energetic Attunements and other forms of energy adjusting modalities. I have also been guided to develop a fantastic 5-acre property on a 400 year-old lava flow on the Big Island, close to the Goddess Pele energy, Kilauea volcano. Here is where I live and meditate and create.

While pulling weeds along the landscaped drive-way, I felt a vibration (similar to low voltage electricity) go up both my arms. It seemed to connect in the center of my chest and continue to vibrate slightly. A shudder flowed through my body and I suddenly felt light-headed. I sat down and I felt like a knowing of something or someone trying to communicate with me. I felt thoughts, ideas and information flowing into me. I felt the urge to grab a pen and paper to begin writing down what was coming to me, fast as I could without thinking about what I was writing. I felt like I was in a trance state yet lucid and surrendering to an energy coming through me. I have named this energy Pele, although the energy could be any earth goddess energy including Mother Gaia. I have made minor adjustments to the message for the purpose of clarity. I would appreciate your comments and to have you share any similar experiences or messages you are receiving.

The Message
Loving Daughters know that you are loved and you are protected. This is the time you have come back for; this is the time you have waited for. You are in your full power as the goddess, teacher, healer, high priestess and leader. It is up to you to make the changes you have been praying for. Did you know you were praying to yourself?

I am part of you and connected to you and you to me. We are one. Because we are one, your thoughts, your words, your emotions, your passions, your physical health affects our entire physical being (earth) and its inhabitants. Do you doubt that this is true? Believe it; take responsibility for it.

Although we are making progress in moving into the expansion of realizing our other dimensions, there is still much to shift. All of you who are in the assignment of teacher, facilitator, healer and leader, are being called to action. Are you ready?

You are the connection between heaven and earth. You have the power to channel the Source energy of all the enlightened beings who have walked this planet and also those entities who have supported the planet from other dimensions. You have the power to channel this energy into our living body, the earth. When this pure loving energy enters our earth body, it gets transmitted to every atom with such a beautiful vibration. Can you accept this as your power?

The first step is simple, and maybe not too easy. Gather with others like you in circle. Stand upon and touch the earth skin with your skin. Be as one breath, be as one mind, be as one body, be as one spirit. Be one in loving thoughts for EVERYONE living in this beautiful earth body. See the vision of peace and harmony. In every cell of your body, feel love for those you would call enemy. Feel love for those you would call friend. Feel the forgiveness in your heart for EVERYONE as you would feel it for your own dearest son or daughter. Feel a deep sense of gratitude for life and all that you have experienced in this life. From this state of being, declare that peace is here, peace is now, present in this precious moment. Send that energetic declaration through your body into our earth body. Dearest Daughters, your vibration will change the world. Your vibration will create peace. Know it.
End of Message

This message came to me on December 17, 2005. Since then I have received two more messages. I hesitated to share the message (for lots of silly reasons) but the urge inside me is so strong and overwhelming that I must share it now.

Aloha,
Maya on the Big Island of Hawaii

Certification Requirements for Spiritual Sexual Educator

2006-07-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

Q. What are the certification requirements and benefits for becoming a Certified Spiritual Sexual Educator in the Divine Feminine Institute's™ Modern Mystery School? How do you become a Certified Associate Educator?

A. To become a Certified Associate Educator you must
• Submit a statement of understanding and committment
• complete any two modules
• complete the assignments for those two modules
• complete 20 Nah (Nurturing, Awakening, Healing) sessions (with questionnaires)

To become a Certified Spiritual Sexual Educator and a Nurturing Awakening Healing (NAH) Practitioner, you must complete the following requirements:

All four modules:
• Body Temple
• Communication Empowerment
• Intuition Vision
• Spiritual Practical
The following assignments:
• 40 NAH sessions (hand in questionnaires)
• Module assignments
• 4 Mentoring experiences (6 months each)

Completion of Practicum Teaching:
Organizing weekend retreat with 2 to 3 DF colleagues, this includes:
_ Bringing in a minimum of 5 students each
_ Marketing the workshop
_ Workshop content and schedule
_ Actual presentation
_ Must be completed within 6 months to 1 year from completion of your 4th module
The Benefits of Full Certification are:
1. An in-depth, practical mastery of facilitating The NAH process

_ Confident and comfortable with accessing and awakening all energy centers
_ Know how to create an atmosphere of safety and acceptance (sacred space)
_ Be recognized as a practitioner of high integrity
_ Know how to give a professional loving interview process
_ Communicate effectively and recognize clients immediate and long term needs
_ Knowledge of all Chakras-energy centers
_ Ability to create unique, individualized sessions
_ Educate clients with techniques to support their return to wholeness
_ Assist in anchoring and integrating clients experience into everyday life
_ Be confident in communicating the value of the NAH

2. Wholistic understanding of:

• Art of self pleasuring
• Anchoring positive body image
• Opening To Love (pujas)
• Qi gong formulas – micro-orbit, inner smile, 6 healing sounds
• Heart qi gong
• Partner Yoga
• Divine Feminine Meditations
• Holotropic Breath work
• Sexual Alchemy – Ovarian/Sperm cultivation/circulation
• Sexual anatomy and reflexology
• Non-violent communication
• Voice dialogue
• Chakra activation through voice & music
• Advanced qi gong – iron shirt 1, 6 directions, empty force, elixir,
• Shamanic Astrology
• Shamanic Journeying
• Taiji qi gong 1
• Taoist Dual Cultivation
• Swimming Dragon form
• Chi self-massage
• Bone Marrow Nei Gung
• Mudras
• Power of ceremony
• Archetypes
• Successful organization & marketing

3. Part of our professional web directory
4. A network of professional colleagues
5. Qualify for our Divine Feminine Ambassador program
6.

Q. What is your Divine Feminine Ambassador Program? Who can apply? What are the benefits?

A. A DF Ambassador is certified to facilitate workshops and events under the Divine Feminine name and represents and works in harmony with the Divine Feminine Institute.
Those who wish to become a Divine Feminine Ambassador have competed the Spiritual Sexual Educator Certification and can apply through writing a letter of request to the Divine Feminine Institute. Please tell us why you wish to become a DF Ambassador and how you qualify yourself to represent our organization.

Divine Feminine Ambassadors:
• Represent the Divine Feminine Institute
• Educate both the public and private sector on the principles of the Divine Feminine, Spiritual Sexual Education & the NAH
• Works in conjunction with the DF Institute, fulfilling the guidelines for presenting seminars
• Exudes a quality of professionalism and integrity that DF Institute is renowned for
• Inspires participants/clients to the benefits of the DF trainings

Requirements for Certification as a DF Ambassador
_Work as a Certified Spiritual Sexual Educator for a period of 2 years.
_Attend the ‘Invitation Only” seminar on workshop creation, facilitation, and marketing
_Work as an Assistant to the Divine Feminine for both a weekend and a 10 day training
_Be evaluated by DF core staff

The Benefits of Certification as a DF Ambassador are:
• Be recognized as an active presenter in the field of conscious sexuality
• Access in working directly with the Divine Feminine Core staff
• Have access to specific DF workshop guidelines & materials
• Be able to grow your own practice as a Spiritual Sexual Educator
• Bring greater educational benefit to communities
• Being associated with a recognized leader in the field of conscious sexuality.

Find out more at www.divine-feminine.com

Romancing The Beloved in Medford

2006-07-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

The Divine Feminine Institute presents Romancing The Beloved and an Opening To Love Ceremony for couples and singles with Tomas and Joan Heartfield, Ph.D. in Medford Oregon Aug 11-12. Here's a bit about who they are and what they do.
Tomas and Joan are masters of the Art of Relationship. They assist couples and singles in finding their highest options and creating fulfilling relationships.

Tomas and Joan guide people to a high level of joy, passion, intimacy, health, compassionate communication and to a deeply fulfilling sex life. Their work supports spiritual integration while maintaining a down-to-earth approach to life. They are adept in many healing modalities including voice dialogue, Holotropic Breathwork, hypnosis,Tantra, and Heartfelt Communication.

Tomas writes "Love is stalking you with every breath you take. Your relationship with love is at the core of everything you experience. It is there waiting for you in each unique moment. We see relationship as a spiritual practice. The art of love aligns us with our ability to access a type of spiritual fire that incinerates everything but that which is essential. It is the very force that connects us to all that is."

Romancing The Beloved is a guided journey showing you how to cultivate a high quality of intimacy, joy and Divine play in yourself and your relationship. Be with each other and with yourself in a way that brings deep healing to body, mind and spirit and creates an enriched life. Experience what your heart longs for. That direction is toward the Beloved within, which when contacted creates the experience of deep peace and joy.

Drawing on the power of breath, sound, music, movement and deep inner journeying, we create the space for natural magic to happen. As we learn to connect in new and refreshing ways, our perceived notions of separation gently melt away as the divine recognition of our oneness becomes clear. At this point we touch the richness of our humanity with deep respect and awe at the gift we are to each other. By recognizing what is truly Divine in each other, we can then bring this Transformative power into our everyday lives.

Opening To Love Ceremonies are modern rituals designed to dissolve blocks to deeper intimacy and open us to seeing and experiencing the Divine in each other and in ourselves. This ceremony is fashioned on traditional Puja ceremonies from ancient Hindu and Tantric traditions. The literal meaning of Puja is worship, honor, adoration, respect and homage. It is an ecstatic soiree of archetypal proportions!

This process is designed to look past the personality and into the depth of another, recognizing the Truth of who we are. It is a place where we take off our masks, recognize the archetypes and meet each other in the fullness of our sacred selves. In these ceremonies we enter the realm of the transpersonal and touch the matrix of Divine Love. Physical contact during the ceremony, such as holding hands while looking into your partners' eyes, is by direction and totally safe within the context of the circle.

Participants usually experience a feeling of euphoria as they are transported beyond the mundane, worldly aspects of life and into a sacred space. This ceremony encourages people to move beyond their judgments. Opening To Love Ceremonies evoke and unfolds dimensions in awareness. It freshens our spirits and allows us to be in a position to inject the noblest thoughts into the subconscious mind. It gives us a feeling of connectedness to the Divine.

See www.divine-feminine.com and www.talkinghearts.com.

Contact Janice at 541-840-3634 for specifics and registration.

Divine Feminine November Training

2006-07-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

Divine Feminine November Training

The Divine Feminine Institute™ announces the next module in their training program. It is called Intuition Vision and will be held in Maui November 10-19, 2006. We accept women and men, singles and couples. You may take the training for certification toward becoming a Spiritual Sexual Educator or for your personal growth. We have some partial scholarships available, e-mail joan@divine-feminine.com.

Tuition includes our four-core faculty, Caroline Muir, Joan Heartfield, Ph.D., Tomas Heartfield and Saida Desilets. It also includes exciting guest faculty such as Kutira and Raphael, founders of Oceanic Tantra and performers of sacred ceremonies and new age music (www.oceanictantra.com); Daniel Giamario, founder of Shamanic Astrology (www.shamanicastrology.com); and Timothy Freke, author of Lucid Living and inspiration for Dan Brown's DaVinci Code (www.timothyfreke.com).

Tuition also includes organic, gourmet meals based on the Taoist 5 Element theory. Food is chosen and prepared according to the seasons so that the diet fully supports the health and harmony of our body and cultivates sexual energy that supports our full aliveness.

These modules are held in a breathtakingly beautiful, clothing optional, private resort with a large salt water swimming pool, a sacred private waterfall on 20 acres of Hawaiian Nature Preserve, a large hot tub overlooking the sweeping coastline, a sauna, a workout room and a yoga room. Massage therapists and exceptional body workers are available during breaks and in the evenings. Divine Feminine leases the entire resort during the workshop to ensure total privacy. No other outside guests will be on the premises.

There is a personal relationship and attention given to each students emotional growth and spiritual evolution. For those involved in the certification procedure, mentoring by the faculty and senior students in the months between the modules is part of the program. Those certified by us will be represented on our website and be eligible to continue in their education as Ambassadors of the Divine Feminine, certified to facilitate workshops and events under the Divine Feminine name and work in harmony with the Divine Feminine Institute.

All work done with us can be applied toward a B. A., M.A. or Ph.D. Joan is a mentor for The International University for Professional Studies: www.iups.edu Contact Irv Katz at university@iups.edu if you wish to explore this.

Divine Feminine Institute is dedicated to the education of our young people. Students 18- 24 years of age may receive our trainings for cost only.=

For those paying the full amount, 50% of the fourth module goes to our scholarship fund and you will receive a $1,475 tax donation credit.

Accommodations vary and for your fullest choice of options, book your reservation with us as soon as possible. For complete information see www.divine-feminine.com.

Divine Feminine Initiation in Portland

2006-07-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

Divine Feminine Initiation in Portland

The Divine Feminine Institute™ announces the next Initiation Weekend Retreat for women August 18-20 at the Still Meadow Retreat. This retreat is taught by Caroline Muir and Joan Heartfield, Ph.D. You are invited to embody your ecstasy, remember your divinity and reclaim your birthright as the sweet, compassionate, succulent powerful Divine Feminine woman you are. Create a life filled with passion, love and reverence for the feminine. See www.divine-feminine.com for more information and registration.

Divine Feminine April Certification Training 2006 Successful

2006-07-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

Divine Feminine April Certification Training Successful

Communication and Empowerment was the module taught April 25-May4 as a part of the Certification Training for those wishing to become Certified Spiritual Sexual Educators through the Divine Feminine Institute’s™ Mystery School for men and women. Guest teachers Kutira and Raphael joined the core faculty of Caroline Muir, Joan Heartfield, Ph.D., Tomas Heartfield and Saida Désilets . Forty students completed the ten-day training. Here are quotes from two participants.

Caroline,Tomas,Joan,, Saida, et al—you created true "sacredspace" in your Divine Feminine Training for deep clearings. That's The Work. Professionally accomplished. Sorely needed on our Planet at this juncture in human evolution. Part of the accelerating expansion of Consciousness that so many of us are currently experiencing as we go more 'Translucent' daily. The grounding exercises and breathing rituals bring us within. Where all is known and perfect>somehow; in spite of our unexpected farts.:) Thanx for the permission to 'celebrate' them and our combined humanity. We are soooooo fragile. This Life is soooooo precious. When we all meet again, it's like nanoseconds. Thanx again for helping to facilitate TrueFamily.

Peace~Light~Love
DrPablo ;-)

I wanted to express my deepest gratitude for everything you gifted me/ us at this magnificent Divine Feminine training. it was really a celebration of life . Thank you for all the knowledge, thank you for all the inspiration, fun and joy, it was such happy music to hear such beautiful laughter so often around in between classes. Thank you for being such Models of loving interaction. Thank you for sharing you truth. i absolutely love the NAH—the Nurturing, Awakening and Healing work. It changed a lot in my sessions and people are so happy and love it and I feel more authentic and connected to myself and my work.

with warmth and deep appreciation.
Marina

The next module in the Divine Feminine Training is called Intuition Vision and will be held in Maui November 10-19, 2006. The Divine Feminine Institute™ is now taking applications for those wishing to attend. See www.divine-feminine.com for more information.

Divine Feminine becomes an Institute

2006-07-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

Name Addition for Divine Feminine Mystery School

Divine Feminine Mystery School for Men and Women will now come under the umbrella of Divine Feminine Institute™. Caroline Muir, Founder and Joan Heartfield, Ph.D., Director, have added a number of offerings to their menu of cutting edge events and realized they needed a larger context for these professional classes and seminars that were not part of the Certification Program offered by the Mystery School. See www.divine-feminine.com for their new look and expanded offerings.

Beyond The Lens by Saida Desilets

2006-06-26T01:09:00.000-07:00

What lies beyond the systems of belief?

Who are we when we let go of all belief systems? What
sort of thinking/feeling exists when there are no
preceived perceptions of the human relationship to
life? All gurus, masters, teachers, institutions of
education follow a system of beliefs to get where they
are... once they are there, they teach this system to
others, yet what lies BEYOND all systems?

Who are we beyond limitations?

I have observed that all human experience, past and
present, are a result of seeing the world through a
particular lens. The lens can be anything: scientific,
legal, health, religious, sport, business, apathy, etc
yet, what happens when we view the world as it is,
without any lens? There is thus far, no written maps
to this place, if there was, would it also then become
a LENS in itself?

The challenge therefore, is to view the world through
many lens so we can then perceive all the facets of
creation. In a way, lens are a key to "shapeshifting",
we must become the TONE or VIBRATION of the lens in
order to SEE through it... for example:
perceiving/witnessing orgasmic states through the lens
of a doctor vs. a layperson vs. a christian vs. a
pagan vs. an animal will result in many different
VERSIONS of what is orgasmic energy.

The truth is the UNIVERSE simply IS... the human
creates the TONE or LENS of perception ... another
challenge therefore, lies in NOT IDENTIFYING with the
LENS of perception. This is what, I sense, is the
teaching of DETACHMENT... not in lack of caring or
lack of participation, but lack of BECOMING IDENTIFIED
with each TONE.

I sense this leads to ultimate freedom, unconditional
love and supreme inner peace. Thus, my current desire
is to become conscious of my navigation through the
mulitude of TONES of perception... and sit in the seat
of the one who is able to see all, thus know all, and
BE all.

Is there a UNIVERSE beyond all
perceptions/beliefs/lens? Or does the Universe come to
exist through our very process of PERCEPTION?

For a real peek into the Yoniverse see http://www.divine-feminine.com

NAH-Nurturing, Awakening and Healing

2006-06-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

The NAH—Nurturing, Awakening, Healing

The NAH is the Nurturing, Awakening and Healing of the totality of our being. It is considered by the Divine Feminine Institute (DFI) to be the missing link in harmonizing modern emotional and cultural imbalances. The NAH is truly an integrated system, honoring all our Chakras and recognizing that they need nurturing, awakening and healing attention for the wholeness of our Being to emerge. The NAH is a core teaching in DFI's spiritual sexual education. Those completing this curriculum become certified Spiritual Sexual Educators (SSE).

In order to fully address the nurturing, awakening and healing that is need by the individual, we need to understand the Chakras, or energy centers. Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel or vortex and it refers to each of the seven energy centers, of which our consciousness, our energy system is composed. These energy centers function as pumps or valves regulating the flow of energy through our energy system. The functioning of these valves reflects decisions we make concerning how we choose to respond to conditions in our life. The chakras, per se, are not physical. They are aspects of consciousness that interact with the physical body though the endocrine system and the nervous system. Each of the seven chakras is associated with one of the seven endocrine glands and also with a group of nerves called a plexus. Thus, each chakra can be associated with particular parts of the body and particular functions within the body controlled by that plexus or that endocrine gland associated with that chakra.

When you feel tension in your consciousness, you feel it in the chakra associated with that part of your consciousness experiencing stress, and in the parts of the physical body associated with that chakra. Where you feel the stress depends upon why you feel the stress. Understanding the chakras allows you to understand the relationship between your consciousness and your body, and to thus see your body as a map of your consciousness.

The Chakra areas are:
Base Chakra: also known as Security Center, Muladhara
Location: perineum-the point between the anus and sex organs
Color: Red
Element : Earth
Endocrine gland: Adrenal glands
Sense: Smell
Consciousness: Security, survival, trust, relationship with money, home, job. Your ability to be grounded and present. How you feel about being here on the earth. Your connection with your body

Sexual Chakra: also known as Sensation Center, Svadhisthana
Location: in and around the genitals and pubic region
Color: Orange
Element: Water
Endocrine gland: Gonads
Sense: Sense of taste, appetite
Consciousness: Sex, food, ability or desire to have children. What your body wants and needs and finds pleasurable. A willingness to feel your emotions.

Solar Plexus Chakra: also known as Power Center, Manupura
Location: solar plexus
Color: Yellow
Element: Fire, the sun
Endocrine gland: The pancreas
Sense: Eyesight
Consciousness: Our perception of power, control, freedom. The ease with which we can be ourselves. Mental activity and the mental body. Our personality (ego).

Heart Chakra: also known as Living Love Center, Anahata.
Location: center of chest between the nipples
Color: Green
Element: Air
Endocrine gland: Thymus gland, immune system
Sense: Sense of touch (in its aspect of relating to another) such as hugging where we feel ourselves and the other at the same time.
Consciousness: Our perceptions of love, relationships with people close to our heart.

Throat Chakra: Also known as Cornucopia Center, Visuddha
Location: Front and back of the throat and neck
Color: Blue
Element: Ether
Endocrine gland: Thyroid gland
Sense: Hearing
Consciousness: Expressing who we are both in words and forms of artistic expression. Asking for what we need and want so we can receive it. Listening to our intuition which guides us to our optimal flow in which we see our goals manifest without “efforting.” Abundance is therefore associated with this chakra as is the aspect of unconditional receiving necessary to accept the abundance of the Universe.

Brow Chakra: also known as Third Eye, Consciousness Awareness Center, Ajna.
Location: Between the eye-brows and mid-forehead area
Color: Indigo
Element: Inner Sound
Endocrine gland: Pituitary Gland
Sense: Extra Sensory Perception considered spirit-to-spirit communication such as clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, etc.
Consciousness: Our connection to Spirit and how we see Spirit operating in our life. Our spiritual perspective. It is the place where our true motivations are found and is the level of consciousness that directs our actions. Our ability to see how we manifest—where we take responsibility.

Crown Chakra: also known as Cosmic
Location: Top and back of head and energy field extending up and back from the brain
Color: Violet / Brilliant White
Element: Inner Light-also called White Light
Endocrine gland: Pineal Gland
Sense: Empathy, Unity, experiencing another person’s experience as it you were inside them, being they.
Consciousness: Our perceptions of unity or separation. Our relationship with God, Goddess, Great Spirit, Source. The recognition of our Self as the single consciousness creating all, and paradoxically, thus connected to all. Lucid Living.

Divine Feminine Institute is unique because of the range of teachings provided by the core and guest faculty. The heart of our work is the practice of the NAH. It includes but is not limited to sexual healing. Those who have studied Tantra and sexual healing at other schools may consider their study foundational to the practice of the NAH. Often an individual coming to a sexual healer needs more therapeutic work than sexual healers are trained to provide. Therefore we have included transpersonal psychology in our curriculum in order for our students to have more tools to support the emotional waves and mental constructs that may emerge during the healing sessions. We endeavor to give our Spiritual Sexual Educators a range of therapeutic and awakening tools that address every Chakra so they can weave a holistic session that is unique to the individuals needs in the present moment. Frequently it is assumed that sexual healing requires entry into the body. The SSE learns to practice NAH without the requirement of physical entry.

These practices can be done fully clothed. It is often preferable to do sessions with the client fully clothed before moving into practices which are clothes free, such as a sacred spot healing session. The SSE spends time asking questions and carefully determining what the client needs. The most important energy for the SSE to radiate is one of positive regard with no agenda. The client knows best what s/he needs and the SSE supports that direction with full integrity.

We recognize that the SSE does not do the healing but rather provides a space and skills for healing to occur. The SSE is versed in all aspects of nurturing, awakening and healing and thus provides the client with tools and inspiration so that wholeness can emerge.

The SSE offers nurturing to the client by including all the centers of energy through loving touch and gaze, visualization, affirmation and clear intention. This may include:
Creating a safe and sacred space
Positive regard for the client
Anointing the Chakras with special oils and affirmations
Massage and other hands-on energy work
Mudras-- gestures or positions (usually of the hands) that locks and guides the energy flow to the brain
Sounding or singing
Nurturing embrace
Compassionate communication and reflection
Gentle breath work
Movement such as partner yoga, qi gong or dance
Gentle inquiry to bring deeper understanding

The SSE offers Awakening to the client by observing which energy centers may be closed or not as activated as others. Awakening often comes about through a more focused and intentional experience. This may include all of the above and:
Powerful sounding or chanting
Powerful breath work
Energy orgasm fire breath
Powerful movement such as ecstatic dance, belly dance, tantric partner yoga-dance
Awakening energy through transmission of Shakti (shakitpat)
Hands on genital contact with activation of the sacred spot (inside the yoni and anus) Emotional catharsis, which may include laughter, tears and the release of strong emotions

NOTE: The physical tissue of the yoni and anus contain memory. This tissue, when therapeutically massaged, can release imprints of past trauma, both physical and emotional. What may seem pleasurable can easily become emotionally charged, and discomfort, burning or numbness ensues. All skills of the SSE will be needed at these times, especially staying totally present and connected to your feelings of unconditional positive regard and trust in the innate healing ability within your client.

The SSE offers Healing to the client by listening compassionately and noticing where the client expresses pain. These centers may not only be closed but quite protected. In addition to the Nurturing and Awakening techniques healing can be supported by:
Providing a space of deep respect and compassion
Working energetically with the energy centers where pain is held
Helping the client relax and trust by showing patience and understanding
Holding the client while s/he cries or expresses fear
Letting the client know that whatever occurred was in the past, and that they are now safe
Helping the client discover what might be healing for that energy center
Finding out what brings the client joy
Cultivating laughter and a playful interaction with life
Supporting the client in taking risks and opening to more love

Q: Who might benefit from THE NAH?

A: Anyone who seeks the healing of past experiences that has left a negative imprint and/or who seeks refinement of his or her physical, spiritual, emotional or mental centers or Chakras.

Q: How does the practice of THE NAH bring balance to the whole person?

A: The SSE strives to see what the client needs in the areas of Nurturing, Awakening and Healing and uses the tools that will best support those needs. Every chakra must be open and in balance to release its' inherent consciousness. An individual in balance is able to run clear light energy from the base of their spine up through the chakras and out the crown of their head, thereby fully uniting the earth and the heavens (or God/Goddess) through them. The SSE also seeks to help the client balance and integrate the yin/yang or masculine/feminine qualities so wholeness can be experienced.

Q. What skills do Spiritual Sexual Educators have that can help me be a healthier, happier person?

A. SSE's are professionals with a wide range of experience. Most come to us with degrees and certifications in other healing arts. In addition to the four 10 day modules and the practicum teaching, our certified practitioners have practiced THE NAH with a minimum of 40 clients who have handed in evaluations.

In our Divine Feminine Institute they are given the following teachings and practices:

• Ancient /and Modern Taoist and Tantric Arts
• Instruction and demonstrations in healing our sexual history
• Awakening our Shakti/Chi (Life Force)
• Qi Gong and Partner Yoga
• Ecstatic and sensual dance
• Opening To Love Ceremonies (puja cultivation)
• Heartfelt (Compassionate) Communication
• Holotropic Tantric Breathwork
• Acknowledgment of your body as your sacred temple
• Specific Value of the various body centered modalities including yoga, dance, Qi Gong and sexual healing
• Restoring Erotic Pleasure and Innocence
• Surrendering fully to the feminine principal
• Self-Pleasuring as an art form
• Foundational Practices of Partner Yoga and Qi Gong (tan tien breathing, development of tan tien power, microcosmic orbit, inner smile and bone breathing and laughing Qi Gong)
• Introduction to the jade egg practice for women and sexual practices for men
• Tantric Practices for creating intimacy and empowering each other
• Qi Gong practices vital for ejaculation control and staying grounded and centered as a teacher/facilitator including Iron Shirt; empty force; elixir qi gong; tan tien development; 6 directions qi gong;
• Taoist sexual practices: inner formulas for refining orgasmic energy including jade egg practices and tongue fu for men.
• Taoist meditations for sexual intimacy and ecstasy
• Sexual reflexology for men and women
• Radical authenticity with love
• Voice Dialogue, a dynamic clearing practice
• Creative Voice Play
• Opening To Love Ceremonies
• Tantric Visualizations
• Tai Ji Qi Gong form to open more pathways in the body
• Qi Gong Fusion inner alchemy; using any energy to energize and heal the self
• Running sexual energy into your Vision Center to awaken intuition.
• Breathing techniques to extend the length and breadth of your orgasmic experience
• Qi Gong dual cultivation practices
• Taoist meditations to open intuition
• Dream work
• Psychosynthesis
• Shamanic Astrology
• Shamanic Journeying
• Tantric meditations and chanting
• Swimming Dragon Qi Gong
• Chi self massage
• Bone marrow nei gong – immortality practice of storing orgasmic chi
• Use of Mudras
• Meditations from HeartMath
• Understanding the power of Ceremony
• Using Archetypes as our guides
• Successful Marketing and networking

We have a high standard of excellence and we can thereby stand behind our Spiritual Sexual Educators knowing they are practicing THE NAH with integrity and skill. For more information see http://www.divine-feminine.com .

Conscious Movie

2006-05-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

I like this movie we are making--it feels like the best spiritual romantic adventure "hero's journey" wide screen epic with just the right amount of light-heartedness and comedy--set in a time where what we have to offer is desperately needed (thus giving us the impetus to take it seriously). I so see how each of our gifts can be woven perfectly into this screen "play" and what we each bring to the table is exactly what is needed. It helps me see the perfection of the "grand design" and helps me hold strong when the winds of life buffet me. Love, Joan

Who Wants/Needs Divine Feminine? Joan Heartfield, Ph.D.

2006-03-26T10:59:00.000-08:00

Dear Paul,

As I look at the beauty of the unfolding of the Divine Feminine, A Modern Mystery School for Men and Women, I see just how perfectly on cue we, as some of the major characters in this particular funny--heartwarming--powerful- creative--romantic- adventure- saga-- have each shown up. I also see the value and the beauty of knowing exactly what we need and saying it aloud--writing it down--getting clear about it!

You are a perfect example-- a direct manifestation of the need we have to know how to market this sweet vehicle for bringing The NAH-- Nurturing, Awakening and Healing to every chakra.

As I reflect on who would want this--I think of the many people (like myself) who for years studied yoga, meditation--many spiritual paths--but paid no attention to those "lower chakras", thinking that the "higher chakras" were THE WAY TO GOD. I was numb and shut down in my sexual center and I thought that was just fine. In meeting Caroline, I was awakened, literally, to the truth of the importance of my FOUNDATIONAL CHAKRAS and in awakening my sexual center my passion ignited my awakening into life on a whole new level!

I also think of people who have "made it" on many other levels, but who are missing intimacy, love, connectedness.

I also think of those who love sex, but something now is missing--the excitement is not there in the same way--and there is a longing for "something more".

I also think of couples who love each other but are getting bored with the "same old, same old" way of making love.

I really think of women who are beginning to realize they cannot just "give in" to "keep their husbands happy". Women who may have started out with good sex, but are now often angry in the experience because they do not feel "met, seen, truly touched" in the sexual experience.

I think of women and men who want something more--something powerfully real and dynamically enlivening that can propel them out of their pattern-trap-habit----that they are not yet even aware that is there!

I think of girls and boys that are finding out about sex earlier and earlier, and have no good models for moving into this powerful energy consciously.

I think of women and men who DO KNOW and have tasted the MORE that there is, who are eager to share this richness and depth with others, and need a way to do this with integrity.

I know that the experience of being truly MET, SEEN, FELT, CONNECTED, HONORED, LOVED, on all chakras is simply THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE EXPERIENCES.

We can have wonderful meditations and in our spirit, journey to many realms. However, if we take the time to notice, WE ARE IN A BODY! Why not HAVE A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE OF BEING A HAPPY BODY ENJOYING LIFE WHILE FEELING CONNECTED AND APPRECIATING BEING IN A BODY AS LONG AS WE ARE IN ONE.

It's fun to write to you. As you see your question evoked something. Please ask more questions!

Calling forth the brothers--Tom La Rotonda

2006-03-22T14:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Tomas,

My sincerest apology for the untimely response. Late Friday I left early and my schedule over the weekend was totally out of balance.

Your comments are very kind and I am delighted to have been introduced to you, Joan, and Carol. This has been quite an unexpected reward for ‘channeling’ a divine message. I’m grateful to Donna for her facilitation of these new connections.

You write so beautifully and with grace Tomas. Just like a poet who roams with the goddesses. How fortunate for you to have both an embodied and divine partnership with one. That is a desire I seek to bring into my life as well. I’ve always had a vision of a divine relationship that would blow the socks off the old paradigm of Hollywood romance and illusions. I sense you and Joan are living that vision.

Not only am I noticing the phenomenon, a giant tsunami wave that has swept me up in it. I’ve was born with a rare blend of masculine awareness/guile and feminine tenderness/openness. It has served me extremely well in my life journey and deep down, I’ve always known that facilitating the return of the divine feminine, especially within men, would end up as my calling. Similar to you, I’ve resisted the concept and process of men/women groups…once again fueled by a vision planted in my soul eons ago that has no need for any separation…just complete oneness.

I agree that the concept of ‘translucent’ put forth by Ardagh is the most accurate label for our time. I’m familiar with his work and did write a message a few months ago about it. I’d be happy to share it if you so desire.

I was never involved in the men’s movement so I cannot say much there. Yet, I strongly believe that men like ourselves will be called forth to lead our brothers as the divine feminine integrates the consciousness of the world. I’ve not read much of Saniel Bonder but his work was introduced to me by a friend who has been very involved in the men’s movement. As our connection grows you will find that most of my inspiration and guidance just comes to me. I’m acting on pure intuition and instinct. In the old days of baseball I’m what they would refer to a prospect as having ‘raw, undisciplined, unrefined’ country talent. I sometimes feel very ‘odd’ on this path as I’m quite inexperienced with the work of many of the ‘gurus’ and ‘teachers’ – yet when I hear their message it resonates like a tuning fork. Most of my ‘spiritual knowledge’ comes from listening to great communicators like you, Donna, etc.

I look forward to the expansion of our new connection. My love to you…your inner God…and your Goddesses.

Espavo,
Tom

Tom LaRotonda

Snow in Sedona

2006-03-19T23:57:00.000-08:00

A Hotbed of Goddess Manifestation-Tomas Heartfield

2006-03-18T12:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Tom,

Thank you for participating in the "Grand Re-awakening" of the Divine Feminine. I celebrate your awareness of a co-created relationship that honors an embodied relationship to the Divine Feminine through her form. For those of us fortunate enough to witness the ignition of this sacred fire it is indeed the stuff miracles are made of.

As a partner of an embodied goddess (Joan) of unlimited expression of this magnificent energy, I welcome your capacity to live in this extraordinary environment with your own cadre of grace feminine wisdom. I notice all too many powerful and awake goddesses who are vibrating at such a high rate of manifestation who are challenged to find a partner who can meet them.

I have also landed in the middle of a hotbed of goddess expression and know that my association with these most compassionate, wise and powerful beings has given me an inside view of how fast and efficient the Divine Feminine is in bringing this energy back to earth. I am sure that you (being a quantum kind of guy) are also noticing this phenomenon. Annnd, it is just beginning to surface.

I appreciate your reference to Ray's cultural creative viewpoint. For myself I find Ardagh's Translucent Revolution and the word "translucents" as more appropriate and updated as to where the conscious community is vibrating. As a top twenty best seller at Amazon it is bound to have a strong effect (for a book) as a map to understanding the role of consciousness in our culture. It embraces the concepts of non-dualism and its contemporary expression as a more current explanation of where we may be headed. see: http://www.livingessence.com/whatsnew.html

In my meeting with Robert Gass http://www.hollyhockleadership.org/images/rgass/image_view at our home last year, he commented that he felt the men's movement was dead. Having been a veteran of this experience, I concurred and noticed a real lack of vitality within its expression. Nevertheless after about forty requests to start a deep masculine group, I acquiesced and am three months into it and use it as an incubation chamber for divine explorations and inspiration. Although I still prefer the company of powerful women, I found myself unable to resist the connection to my own chosen gender. I find my compassionate side expanding and something like "knowledge that can be embodied" surfacing. In this group we certainly explore our feminine side, but the essence of the masculine and its divine potential is expressed as well. As Saniel Bonder pointed out, it is really the "hyper masculine" that holds us in limitation. I hold it all with an open hand and know we are all being being guided to move toward what is alive inside us. For me the key has been to become alive enough to feel it.

I feel connected to the expression of your vision and the way you hold it. May the fires of our consciousness be permeated with this healing presence that nurtures, awakens and heals us of all guilt and shame.

Toward the One,

Tomas Heartfield

Return of the Divine Feminine-Tom LaRotonda

2006-03-18T12:56:00.000-08:00

Core Reflections
Inspirational Messages to Empower Your Life

March 13, 2006 Topic – The Return of the Divine Feminine-Tom LaRotonda

“The denial of the feminine as partner and friend has robbed us of ecstasy. The wounded male, seeks his lost ecstasy in all the wrong places - violence, power, materialism.” - Margaret Starbird

Something is emerging that gives me great hope for humanity. I’m seeing a quantum leap of feminine consciousness heralding the return of the divine feminine energy to earth.

This emergence is not happening the way I thought it would. I always believed I would see my male brethren adopting more and more feminine energy and qualities. While there has been some shift occurring among men, to my pleasant surprise the unquestionable evidence of this transformation is appearing in women.

I’ve always been a man who’s been attracted to very strong, confident and independent women…as friends, colleagues, lovers, and partners. I was called to a passion and vocation that is dominated by women…the spiritual, personal growth, and holistic healing field. I spend my life around many incredibly gifted and talented women who have been highly successful and powerful in their lives, in large part due to a unique blend of feminine and masculine energy.

Many of these women came into the world with a harmonic mixture of masculine and feminine energy, fulfilling soul contracts to be the leaders that usher in the divine feminine energy. Others believe that their assimilation of the masculine energy was motivated by a path of being thrust into self sufficiency caused by divorce epidemic of the baby boomer generation. As these women were forced to build careers to survive, they had little choice but to adopt the masculine energy demanded in a male-dominated work force. Unconsciously their divine feminine nature fell ever so gently and silently into a deep abyss.

Men did not face the same pressure to assimilate the feminine energy. Some shift did occur for men as women inspired them with their natural feminine gifts and talents they brought to the workplace, but the assimilation process for men moved at a snails pace. One might even argue that the rise of the masculine energy in women may have caused a detour for the emergence of the feminine energy in men. Instead of embracing the feminine energy, the threat of the women’s rise in power may have triggered a primal fight or flight response…which created a huge polarity between men and women that never existed before.

I’ve always been a man who has embraced the beauty, power, and grace of the divine feminine energy and is what I deeply admire about a woman. To be around a woman who is compassionate, nurturing, caring, creative, open, and vulnerable IS the face of God expressing as Goddess energy. The feminine energy epitomizes the spiritual nature and potential of life. I believe the Goddess energy is the feminine-yin expression of God and stands in equality with the masculine-yang expression of God. As a man, I’ve found that the divine feminine energy is what empowers and calls forth my divine masculine energy. We know too well the destructive side of the masculine shadow energy which has dominated the world scene for thousands of years. Unfortunately, that which has been forgotten on this dark side of the journey is the positive masculine energy…which I believe epitomizes the human nature of life…those gifts that expand the will and substance of our human existence.

For decades many of us have been trying to find the right balance of inner yin-yang energy as separate, individualized human beings. What if we’ve been going down the wrong path? What if the more direct path to God is for men and women to fully self actualize by embracing the effortless dance of the natural core divine natures inside them? What if the way we best facilitate the return of the healing yin-yang balance into the world is through union, partnership, and collaboration? Instead of men becoming more feminine and women becoming more masculine, what if we reclaimed our true divine natures and embraced the power of pure divine union between fully divined men and women? What if a fully divined human being is simply the combination of the masculine and feminine energy that God placed in each of us when we were born?

I recently had coffee with one of those very powerful and successful women. It turned out to be a conversation that touched my soul and rattled some of my core beliefs. This is a woman who has been on a very enlightened spiritual path for many years. A woman I respect and admire…as well as a woman who I feel carries a strong balance of masculine and feminine energy inside her. The conversation we had was truly a divine intervention in my relationship path.

In essence, she told me she is moving beyond the spiritual-centered path that has been the focus of her adult life. She told the universe that she is ready to receive pleasure and love…and to experience it in form…not just in spirit. She’s tired of the struggle and now believes that God is most easily recognized by fostering deeper, loving relationships in her life. She has more and more moments when she just wants to be held…to be the ultimate receiver of God’s love through a partner…to ‘be’ a divine woman. She also said that in order to receive her request she knows she has to be willing to let the universe break down every corner of her ego identity…and for the first time in her life she is willing to allow that. Up until now, she admits she was playing a game of power and control, especially in relationships with men. She feels the breaking down process has already begun. I agree…I saw a softness and tenderness in her that I’ve never seen before and it reached down and touched my soul.

The most profound thing she said that stopped me in my tracks was, and I paraphrase…“What makes us think we can have a close intimate relationship with God if we can’t even do that with one another.” She believed up till now that the ultimate relationship with God could be found individually and therefore she had for the most part bypassed the relationship stuff in search of that relationship with God. In that moment I realized I’ve been doing the same thing. Suddenly it hit me…God is as close to me as the next person I meet. God was sitting right there across the table from me drinking an iced coffee!

Almost word for word what my Goddess friend spoke that night I’m hearing from many other strong and powerful women these past few weeks. There is something HUGE looming…and what I believe it is…is the divine feminine energy circling the world, enveloping it, penetrating it, and now is beginning to break down the masculine energy…not just in men…but also the masculine energy that is equally as strong in women. Practically every deeply spiritual woman I know…very strong and independent women…are asking to be held and loved….that at times nothing else matters…not even their mission in life…not because that connection is bigger than their life mission…but because it is part of their lifetime mission…it is part of a woman’s soul purpose for being in human form. I’m being told that what matters the most is love…and the simple pleasures of life that love inspires.

The power of vulnerability that the divine feminine energy is unleashing is pure beauty in my eyes. It’s one thing to see a man’s vulnerability. But to see a woman’s vulnerability, from a masculine perspective…IS the face of God. The divine feminine energy is asking both men and women to let go and allow everything to break down…to let go of everything we steadfastly hold onto that is old. The old ways will no longer work no matter how hard we try to force it. That is why so many of us remain in pain and struggle in our lives. We continue to force old ways into a new energy. The old is never going to work again. We must find new ways of living and being. We must embrace the entry of a new type of love into the world…or maybe it’s the resurrection of the Goddess love that once existed.

It is my belief that as the divine feminine energy reawakens in women it will activate the divine masculine energy in men. I also believe it will activate the sleeping divine feminine energy in other women. As this activation occurs, divine union will reclaim its sacred role of cleansing the earth of the patriarchal beliefs that have dominated for thousands of years. This doesn’t signal the return to dominance of a matriarchal society. I believe there will be a new society born of a ‘uni-archal’ energy symbolized by the yin-yang image of two separate pieces forming a perfect circle. There is no question in my heart that the divine feminine energy is returning in full force to the world.

My inspiration today is for both men and women of the world. Embrace the return of the divine feminine energy with all your heart and soul. Women, bring the power of your pure feminine energy to the men or other women in your life that recognize and appreciate it, for they will be the ones whose heart and soul will be activated. Men, encourage women and other men to step into the divine feminine power that is inside them. Do not force it on those who reject it. Their path must take a different course. Let go of them and leave them to their path. Embrace the Goddess energy that will transform the world and bring it back into divine balance. This is one man’s request…a cry for help…to all my brothers and sisters.

Till Next Time – May You Empower Your Life!
Tom

Tom LaRotonda works with collaborative partners across the world through his organization, Core Matters, to help transform people, organizations, and communities. He is a speaker, transformation mentor, writer, facilitator, visionary and a former internationally known internet radio talk show host..

I encourage you to share these messages with your friends and family.

You also have my permission to reprint any message in your newsletters, websites and message boards providing you include full authorship, copyright, and subscription information.

I also welcome your comments and feedback.

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©2005 Tom LaRotonda All Rights Reserved

The Sacrd Spiral

2006-03-17T17:04:00.000-08:00

On Mar 15, 2006, at 11:36 AM, diana dubrow wrote:

The sacred spiral is the symbol related to the mysteries that only a woman can contain, corresponding to the umbilical cord of birth and re-birth, The path begins with being, knowing and becoming. This is seen in the walking of the labrynith as we return to our original and continuous state of conciousness. No beginning and no ending. This symbol has been etched in every Goddess culture since the beginning of time. As you look at this symbol as was recently done by Go Gratitude, their web site, www.themasterkey, circulated it around the world as a means of raising conciousness through offering gratitude. You will see this symbol is everywhere. I saw it in the airplane propeller as I was boarding and leaving Malta.
It has also be used to denote the triple goddess maiden, mother, and crone wisdom. The trinity was stolen from the goddess culture by the patriarchal religions, eliminating all traces of its origins and its association with female power.
With that said I think it's proper placement for your logo would be in the genital area.
Hope this can be of service to you,

all my love,
Diana

Paul's Proposal

2006-03-16T16:07:00.000-08:00

PROPOSAL

Rationale:
At this early phase of development for Divine Feminine Mystery School, it is critical that the organization have the expertise required to position, promote and manage it’s marketing/outreach function in a strategic, economic and timely manner. The immediate presence of a marketing manager would make an important contribution to the overall direction of the organization and long-term prospects for financial success. This proposal presents a case for raising funds to hire an experienced marketing manager for a one-year period to fill this role. It also presents a qualified candidate who has extensive experience helping educational organizations similar to Divine Feminine Mystery School.

Financial Goal:
The goal is to raise $80,000, either through a tax-deductible donation from a single donor or through a group of ‘gold circle members’ who believe in the importance of the work offered by the Divine Feminine Mystery School. These funds will be used to hire a marketing manager for one-year and meet travel expenses.

Purpose:
A marketing manager for Divine Feminine Mystery School would serve the following purpose:

1. Research and craft a Strategic Marketing Plan to guide the organization for the next two years. The Strategic Marketing Plan would include:
—SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,
Threats)
—Analysis of Target Audiences
—Competitive Analysis
—Positioning Statement
—Pricing Analysis
—Analysis of Growth Opportunities, including recommendations
on best markets to locate weekend workshops for higher visibility
and maximum return-on-investment
—Analysis of Merchandising Opportunities
—Two-Year Promotional/Advertising Plan with Objectives, Budget
and Schedule
—Revenue Projections
2. Subsequent to completing the Strategic Marketing Plan, lead a fundraising effort among investors/high-end donors to raise additional funds for growing the organization
3. Introduce a sophisticated market-driven approach into organization early-on, with an emphasis on building a strong customer base/membership and brand loyalty in order to drive long-term growth
4. Provide immediate assistance in designing brand identity and establishing this identity across all promotional platforms (this is especially important in this early phase of the organization’s development)
5. Provide immediate assistance in managing overall marketing/ communications effort, including promotion of planned events in ’06 and ’07, with a focus on reaching targeted audiences through cost-effective direct marketing techniques; manage and direct resources for multi-tiered promotional campaigns designed to increase traffic and direct sales
6. Fill an important function that is currently distributed across other staff positions or not being adequately addressed at all; shift marketing/promotional activities away from current professional staff allowing “teachers to teach”

Benefits:
The major benefits to the organization of adding a marketing manager to the management team at this time are:

• Increase revenue, in both the near- and long-term
• Improve profitability by ensuring cost-efficiencies on current and long-term spending
• Ensure adequate cash-flow for meeting payroll, operational and marketing expenses
• Secure further investments/donations by investors/high-end donors to fuel immediate and long-term growth
• Continue to assess needs, interests, motivations, satisfaction-levels, etc. of targeted audiences, as well as maintain reliable demographic and psychographic profiles, for effectively positioning the organization, ensuring quality-of-services, and attaining long-term brand loyalty
• Design and integrate critical ‘brand identity’ features early in growth phase, avoiding costly changes and loss of momentum later
• Ensure strong promotional support for current and planned workshop/retreat initiatives

Candidate:
Paul Nelson, M.Ed. has more than twenty five years of experience in strategic planning, branding, marketing, advertising, fundraising, and events management, working principally in the service sector with hospitals, schools, arts organizations and non-profit groups. He served as a senior marketing consultant with National Medical Enterprises, as corporate director of marketing communications for a national provider of brain injury rehab services, and as director of marketing for the highly successful start-up of an 80-bed psychiatric hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas.

On the agency side, Paul has more than six years of experience as a Creative Director working with the Millard Group and Brick Mill Studios where he held responsibility for designing direct mail fundraising campaigns for some of America’s most respected membership organizations, including Defenders of Wildlife, Guideposts Ministries, Girl Scouts USA, World Wildlife Fund, Boston Museum of Science, Phoenix Zoo and Dexter College.

In 2000, Paul started his own consulting firm called emoticom. Through emoticom, Paul and his partners have offered ‘emotionally intelligent marketing communications’ to dozens of organizations where “relationships matter most”—especially in healthcare, education, human services and wherever organizations dependent on the acquisition and retention of members and donors. To learn more or to view a list of clients and a portfolio, visit www.emoticom.net.

In addition to his background as a marketing and fundraising professional, Paul founded and served for seven years as Executive Director for a non-profit educational organization called Keepers of the Lore, which sponsored an annual conference (featuring such people as Matthew Fox, Jean Houston, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Thomas Moore, and Jean Shinoda Bolen) and the annual Joseph Campbell Festival of Myth, Folklore & Story—a popular cross-cultural performing arts festival featuring storytellers, poets, puppeteers, and other bearers of the oral tradition from around the world.

Paul is currently serving on a consulting basis as Executive Director for the Circle of Atonement, a non-profit educational organization and publishing house in Sedona, AZ dedicated to A Course in Miracles.

Paul holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts and a masters degree in Counseling and Consulting Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He also holds diplomas from the Montserrat College of Art and the U.S. Naval School of Photography.

On a personal note, Paul is a long-term practitioner of vipassana meditation. He is also the father of three beautiful daughters.

Our Time in Sedona

2006-03-16T15:57:00.001-08:00

What a sweet time we had in Sedona. Caroline, Joan and Saida visited Paul Nelson, (www.emoticom.net) to talk about how we can move forward to get the word out about Divine Feminine. He wrote us a beautiful proposal (which I will post after this). We had a fabulous and powerful time visioning together and came up with our next evolution of who we are. "Divine Feminine, the embodiment of ecstasy". From there we went to "Divine Feminine--Embody your Ecstasy!"

We know that is our mission--to embody that ecstatic energy that is our brithright and help as many others do it as well.

We loved our time in Sedona and loved seeing the dusting of snow on the red rocks that surround that beautiful town. We loved Paul too. He's the real deal.

Here is what Paul wrote to us:

"Here’s a poem I wrote this week, inspired by your visit, by the way Sedona kept her secrets cloaked in mist, by your divine presence, by our playfulness together…"

In the Wild
Entering this dark and luscious place
I sense your strength around me.
Your power. Your passion.
But like an elusive panther
rarely do I catch sight of you.

Your exotic flowers and
Intoxicating scent
Flood my mind with desire.
But the ecstatic taste
eludes me.

Honoring your prowess
I leave precious gifts at your altar.
But it is not enough.
Your secrets remain forbidden.
Protected from my reach.

I seek the wild in you.
Your fire.
Your intense gaze.
Your pounding heart.
Your wild abandon.
Your serpent uncoiled.
Your shrieks of delight.

Surrender to the hunt.
Release yourself to the one
who seeks your animal-nature.
Allow your lover to take you in the wild
So you can both open to
the sheer presence of life
that waits behind the world
anticipating your return.

--Paul Nelson

Awakening to truth

2006-02-25T11:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Bruce,
Got it! I went in and posted our conversation this am. As I reread it, I again felt such a warmth and gratitude for the way you express your appreciation.

I am reading the most potent book I've ever read. It's called The Laughing Jesus--Religious Lies and Gnostic Wisdom by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy. They also wrote Jesus and the Lost Goddess, which totally opened my eyes, and The jesus Mysteries which I have yet to read.

This book is the book I've been waiting for all my life. It reveals truths which I have felt but had no way of proving (these men are scholars to the max, and brilliant writers). It is the heart of the Tantric understanding but in Western terminology.

Love, Joan

Dear Joan,
That’s wonderful!!! About the blog, and the book. I’m going to find that book too. I am feeling that there’s something lurking out there for me to read to help bring me to the next level that I’m VERY keenly aware of.

I remember many years ago, I read a book called “Three Magic Words” by U.S. Anderson. When I re-read it years later, it seemed a little juvenile after I made such a long spiritual journey. But at the time, it was the biggest transition I’d ever made in my life. Each page put into words feelings that I’d had my whole life. I’d always felt there was a truth missing...that what was being taught in most churches was a “skin” that hid the real truth...sort of a lesser consciousness. I turned page after page and it was just amazing the difference it made in my life. I began to live a life of miracles, manifestation, and comprehension. It was just beautiful. I feel I’m on the verge of another such awakening of truth.

Deep love,
Bruce

Great Conversation!

2006-02-23T00:22:00.000-08:00

Hi Lovely One! What a great conversation, and it’s exciting to be able to go to the next step so quickly. This is going to be a good week.

Love,
B

Dear Bruce,

Yes, That was a great conversation--and it is a good week, gratitude to the power of 10!

I apologize for not calling back when we said we would. The afternoon had a mind of its own. I was so happy we were able to have the conversation with you and Ranjana and the "paper clicks"--it's still a total mystery to me--and that's fine. I realize I will take in as much information as I need in any given area. I don't have to do it myself--or even understand the process--all I need to do is observe what is coming toward me and share my experience of it. I really am not doing it!!! I am focused on this vision--and it is realizing itself!

I so appreciate how grounded and easy you are. I could feel Ranjana's eagerness to "make it happen now" and your grounded perspective that we are not ready quite yet--and we're getting there very quickly. We are still putting together the fulfillment house as well as getting the financial thing so it works by itself. We also want to go ahead and get good pictures of the necklaces--we need to set up the photographer again. I really do believe, as do you, that having these key pieces in place are very important before we zoom into a potentially very big place at warp speed. I suddenly got it--we really could get very big very quickly--and are we ready? I want to be as effectively prepared as we can be, (that seems intelligent), and then trust how it shows up. I don't know on one level if I'd ever be ready--but I think I'm as ready as I can be in each moment--and that's all that's ever needed, isn't it?

After Comet arrived, we had Goddess Speaks times four. We went into the core truth of each of our lives and it was so rich. Comet has always been such an inspiration to me. She's an intuitive and a mystic and she is very tuned in to the elements -- spirit--energy. Anyway, she has come into a deeper place of truth in herself. Wow! That's such an important piece of being on the path. We want to continually examine the deepest truth in our being--and tell it to someone, somewhere.

One of my teachers angeles arrien wrote a book called The Fourfold Path. You saw it in the letter we sent to participants. Angeles wrote there are only 4 things we need to do in life. 1. Show up. 2. Be aware of what has heart and meaning. 3. Tell the truth without blame and judgement. 4. Be open to, but not attached to outcome.

Tomas joined us late in the day, and started asking Comet about her clothing line. She has been creating this for the past 2 years and it is the most beautiful, functional, comfortable easy to wear line I've ever seen It's basic black and you can dress it up any way you want. She wanted to call her line eARTh--or eARTh girl, We will see her entire line tomorrow and take pictures to send you. So that part is in motion, and the rest will unfold.

Some other ideas came out re: jewelry--earrings and charm braclets with small goddess figures in silver and ankle bracelets with one small DF hanging.

We felt so grateful for all that had been revealed today--and leading up to it--that we opened a bottle of Dom Perigon that our friend William had brought over for my birthday in january. We had been saving it for a celebration--and today was the day.

There was more. but that's a pretty good taste. And I got an hour of astanga yoga in too!

I think I'll post this to our blog!

Love, Joan

Oh Bruce Love.... I just read this journal entry of Joans..... and leapt for the perverbial joy of seeing your body arrive in our midst so we can
actually touch (virtually, of course) and hug and cuddle and be brilliant together! I too, thank you for your patience with Ronjana yesterday,
and all us girls hovering about the phone. When I ran the new idea (for me) of "paper clicks" by my honey, Will, he gave me a much more
thorough and grounded account of all that (his business spends approx. $1-2,000 per month on these things, and often times there is not
much return, so I am assuming it is an art form in and of itself!

At any rate, you thrill me with your words that our website will be SO MUCH BETTER in a few weeks..... and I am in complete agreement with
Joan and with you that we are not ready to BLAST into the world on a grand scale with DIVINE FEMININE..... no woman wants to walk down
the winding staircase to be "presented" until every hair is in place.... now would she, darlin'? ::"smile"::

Ya'll touch my heart .... smooches and love,

Caroline

Conversations That Matter

2006-02-19T10:08:00.000-08:00

Our team of Divine men and women have conversations that we realize could be valuable for others to see. Joan here, and I am posting one that occured yesterday and touched me deeply.

Bruce, our most divine webmaster wrote to me:

You do something so marvelous...if more people would do this, we’d all be feeling wonderful. You give thanks a lot. And you also include gratitude in your requests. It’s amazing the power of such simple words. It makes me feel very “real.” I realized some time ago that what I really wanted out of my relationships was to feel that I was KNOWN. And the way you are so thoughtful about expressing thanks and being aware of what is taking place, is simply beautiful. THANK YOU!

Love,
B

I wrote back:

Dear Bruce,
Your acknowledgment brings tears to my eyes. I am so happy that such simple and genuine expressions of the very deep and real appreciation I have of who you are-- and for your support--also supports you! I know it is our real love and gratitude that we all feel in this Divine Feminine experience that keeps me fully inspired and generates the seemingly endless creativity and eagerness to bring this energy to as many as we can.

Thank you for being such a sweet and yummy reflection for me--and I know for Caroline and Tomas and Carla as well!!! At dinner last night Carla, Tomas and I were raving on about you. You are so totally ion the energy with us. Carla said--"we have to bring Bruce out here so we can SHOW him just how grateful we are to have him. We all agreed--and so it shall be!

Once the goddess speaks (and Carla is a powerful goddess!) I always just know it shall manifest.

This is the kind of thing I think we can post on the blog--the very real and heartfelt communication we all have. What do you think?

Love and a hug that goes on forever!
Joan

Bruce writes back:

That’s so wonderful!!!! I can’t wait to see all of you. I’ve felt Carla’s love and power SO with such strength in the few emails we’ve had. Wow.... all this is just so fantastic!

I love the idea of posting this sort of thing on the blog...that’s what people want to see. There are so many that are searching for the sort of love that all of us live our lives by.

Love, B

First Posting

2006-02-18T13:05:00.000-08:00

I love my sisters. They are all divine femmes, whether they know it or not.

My passion is to restore the Divine Feminine to her natural place in the world, and to help her relax there. It's really about relaxing and trusting our deepest self. And how do we find that? Ask questions. Who are you and what do you feel and why do you feel that and what do you believe and why do you believe that and are the beliefs you have the ones that produce the most energy or do they take our energy?

I believe the Yoniverse is a friendly place. i believe that we are all doing the best we can. i believe we make everything up. I belive we can change our beliefs so that they produce energy for us rather than deplete us. I believe that at the heart of every person there is love.