Six Questions to Ask Yourself When You're Feeling Depressed

 

I recently opened up my calendar to connect 1:1 with women considering joining me this year in my program, The Way of the Priestess I was talking with one beautiful woman the other week who shared, “Every day is feeling the same. Day after day. The same monotonous routine...” 


I get it. I’ve been there. When every day is a repeat of the last, and life is starting to feel like a never-ending cycle of cleaning dishes, answering emails, and getting stuck in traffic. Many, many times the monotony of life (especially as a new parent) has made me wonder, “What’s the point of all of this…?” 

Especially when I think of impending effects of climate change. The killings in the Middle East. The vast amount of mental illness, homelessness and suffering in our own country. How are we not all depressed? 

But I also know my soul came here for a reason, and I want to best utilize my time here on Earth.

I thought about what has pulled me out of those harder life moments. For example, sometimes depression lingers when we don’t fully feel our grief. Or take a step outside of our comfort zone. Or begin to really listen to our intuition and I began to write…

Here are 6 questions I think would be helpful to ask yourself if you’re feeling depressed:

What truly nourishes me?

Ask yourself - how am I really using my time? How often am I being sucked in to mindless scrolling, social media, advertisements, the news…things that were often designed to make us feel worse than we did before.  What could you replace that time with?


For me right now, it’s riding my bike. We recently got a bike seat for our daughter, and we’ve been riding on the bike trails near our house to watch the sunset. It puts me in a state of awe every time. The other day we even saw an owl at dusk. It swooped on a tree right in front of us, the closest I had ever seen one before. 

Getting into my body, and experiencing beauty never fail to pull me out of a difficult mood. Maybe this is your reminder that at the end of the day we can put down our phone and come back to the body. Yin yoga, a walk, your spiritual practices, that which helps you feel alive, connected, and in flow 

What scares me? 

I think the happiest people are the ones willing to step outside their comfort zone, again and again.  There’s nothing like a little adrenaline to make you feel ALIVE. And it doesn’t have to be sky diving.  What about making a new friend - you can invite that person you’ve been seeing at the coffee shop to an event, or to go on a walk. You could ask someone on a date. You could go to an event by yourself.  You could raise your hand and say something in a group of strangers. Or jump in the ocean in winter.  I think a lot of times the things that scare us are showing us where we have room to grow. 

What is my intuition telling me? 

Sometimes we feel depressed when we are consistently going against our intuition.  When we have a desire, a calling from somewhere and we say no to it, or make excuses to avoid it, something in our soul feels sad. It’s almost like we have a certain destiny to have certain experiences and if we keep saying no to those soul callings - we’re going to start to feel depressed.  So get quiet. Listen to the soft voice of your heart (I always here it after a good yoga class)... See what unfolds.

How can I ritualize and feel my grief?

I don’t know anyone who is not holding grief about something. The thing is in our culture, it has not been accepted to feel it, especially publicly. And sometimes all grief needs is to be witnessed. Could you make a ritual around it? Maybe there’s something you could read out loud, maybe there is something that wants to be buried, maybe we just need someone else to hold the space to witness what has been lost, before we feel ready to move forward. 

How can I be a student again?

Some of the happiest times in my life have been when I am learning something new. I remember my days of yoga teacher trainings, and learning to play the guitar and the ukulele were so invigorating. Being a student puts us in a beginners mind. It opens us to knowledge we didn’t have before. It expands us and allows our brain to be more open and malleable. So think about ways you can learn just for fun - maybe there’s a knitting group you can join, or maybe it’s this year’s Way of the Priestess program.

Where can I volunteer? 

The times I have been living at an ashram I remember hearing “the happiest people are the ones doing the most seva, or selfless service.” Volunteering and helping where we can bring meaning to others truly enriches our lives. Maybe you can bring some soup to a sick friend, or a new mom. Maybe you can find a local garden to help. Volunteering has also been such a wonderful place to find community and feeds us in more ways than one 

I hope you find these thoughts helpful. Find the new dates for my latest women's initiation program below…


 

134 | Mindful Men: Vedic Astrology with Richard Powell

 

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Announcement: Enrollment is now open for the next cohort of the Way of the Priestess. and Richard will be one of our guest teachers

When I first discovered that when everyone is talking about “Full moon in Leo,” and the actual moon in the sky is most often in the constellation of Cancer, my mouth dropped! How could this be?

This episode has been a long time coming! I’ve been referencing what I’ve learned in Vedic astrology more and more in the episodes, so I wanted to sit down with guest expert, Vedic Astrologer Richard Powell.

Richard explains the difference between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs, and how the tropical zodiac is actually a snapshot of what the sky looked like from about 1800 years ago. There has been a 24 degree shift of the sky since then, due to the Earth's wobble on it's axis, and Vedic astrology has taken this into account.

Ever since I was a kid I loved looking at the stars and astronomy was one of my favorite subjects in school. I’ve always asked questions like, “Why are we here? Where did we come from, and what’s the point of all of this?” So many of these questions have begun to be answered through my study of Vedic Astrology, the ancient form of astrology from India.

In Vedic astrology, our chart is a printout of our karma, the lessons our soul came to experience in this life. We bring with us our beneficial and challenging karmas to be lived out and worked through. Our soul has different reasons for incarnating - for example maybe it is for Dharma (Purpose and Right Action), Artha (Money, and how we earn it), Kama (Passion and desire) or Moksha (liberation). I’ve also been wowed again and again by the accuracy of Vedic Astrology, to predict dates and beneficial phases.

For example... Richard has helped me choose dates to buy a car, beneficial times to plan a wedding, has predicted certain moves I’ve had, and so much more.

In this episode we discussed:

  • The differences between Western and Eastern or “Vedic” astrology

  • The “Four Aims of Life” (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha) and why our souls choose to incarnate

  • The 12 constellations, what planets they are ruled by and what are their unique energies

  • Each of the planets and their energies

  • Phases of life ruled by the planets and how to find out what phase of life you are in

  • The nodes of the moon: Ketu and Rahu: And our experiences from these life phases

Links in this Episode:

  • View your unique chart: https://deva.guru/ - exact birth time does make a difference so be sure to check your birth certificate

  • Your “sign” in vedic astrology will be the number in the top center diamond (1-12) in the chart

  • Your “phase of life” will be the planet listed in the “Viṁśottarī Daśā” section underneath the chart

Stay in Touch with Richard:

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Richard is a NAMA-certified Doctor of Āyurveda. He is a graduate of the Āyurvedic Institute and has studied extensively under Dr. Vasant Lad in the US and India. He furthered his Ayurveda and Vedic philosophy studies under Dr. Ashwin Shastry of Arogya Niketana in Karnataka, India. Upon returning to the United States, Richard pursued advanced classical Ayurvedic studies in a clinical setting at the Arogya Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, under Kashyapa Fisher for an additional four years. Since 2018, he has been employed at the Ayurvedic Center of Vermont where he gives consultations, teaches, and gives treatments. Complimenting his extensive education in Āyurveda, Richard has been studying and teaching yoga for over 20 years and is an ERYT-500. He is an avid student of Sanskrit, Jyotisha (Vedic Astrology), and Vedic philosophy. After a chance meeting with Hart DeFouw he decided to study in that lineage, most prominently under Penny Farrow, with whom he still studies.

In addition to his studies in the Vedic sciences, Richard is a Reiki Master and is an avid practitioner of Aikido, the Japanese martial art. His passion for earth healing meets his devoted studies in physical, mental, and spiritual health as he was formerly a permaculture designer and educator and founded the nonprofit Orlando Permaculture in Orlando, Florida. Richard believes that by aligning with nature and the Divine we will find not only our own optimal health but also greater peace and balance in the world. He brings his comprehensive experiences and education into his consultations with his clients to empower them to find fulfillment, peace, and healing.

 

Should We Even Have Goals? Seven Lessons Learned From Achieving My Biggest Dreams

 

January 2024 marks ten years that I’ve been in business. It was in Spring 2014 that I finished my coaching certification, launched my first group coaching program for women, expanded my yoga teaching business and began seeing clients one on one.

In my coaching school we were asked to identify our five “Big Rocks” that we would want to accomplish in this life. Big rocks are the things we know we want to experience before we die, those big meaningful life moments that we’d like to call in. 

The idea was, if we could prioritize our “Big Rocks” and put them in a jar, symbolizing our life - then all the “to-do’s” or little pebbles and sand of life would be able to fit in around the edges of those big rocks.  If instead we never clarify what our big rocks are, life will probably be filled up by the little sand and pebbles (doing the laundry, answering emails and doing the dishes) and we may never be able to fit in those big rocks into our jar of life.  

So I sat down, reflected and meditated on what my 5 big rocks would be in this life.  

Here’s what I wrote: 

  1. Write and publish a book 

  2. Lead an international retreat

  3. Marry my beloved and plan a beautiful ceremony 

  4. Experience giving birth and having a child 

  5. Experience owning a home 

I do feel proud to say that on the exact same month, ten years after writing this list, those goals were all fulfilled. 

I prioritized writing and publishing my book first and foremost as I had already started writing it, and the serendipity of meeting a woman on a retreat who was about to publish her first book - connected me to the editor and publisher, She Writes Press, that I went on to work with. Just Be was published in August 2017.

I led my first international retreat in Bali in 2016, and my second in Italy in 2018. 

My beloved and I planned our wedding and were married in September of 2018. 

I gave birth to my daughter at home in Boulder, CO in Spring of 2022.

My family and I moved to the first home we now own just two weeks ago. (!)

It took ten years almost to the day for all of these goals to come to fruition. Which reminds of a quote I once heard Tony Robbins speak, “People usually overestimate what we can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten.”

But I must add: NONE of these goals turned out the way I thought they would look.

What I’ve discovered is that being in the mission of achieving these goals, most definitely brought me quite challenging life lessons I needed to learn in order to grow. 

Sometimes that’s the only point of having a goal - to grow. 

Because so often when a goal is achieved, it usually feels good for a little while, until we realize it’s like everything else in life - both good and difficult in different ways. 

It got me thinking about goals in general, as right now I don’t have any desire to write new goals or resolutions like so many are doing at the start of the year. I simply want some time to live in the moment, breathe, spend time with my daughter, be in appreciation, focus on improving my health, and helping others as much as I can.

So here’s what I’m learning about goals after achieving some of my biggest dreams over the last ten years: 

  1. Achieving a goal does not equal happiness

Like I mentioned before, there’s often a fleeting happiness that comes when we achieve a goal, followed by a slump, remembering we still are who we are. Sometimes we think achieving a goal will lead to happiness “If only I was married I’d be happy, if only I had a bigger house, or lived in a different place, then I’d be happy” but it’s often not true. Happiness is more of a state of being, an attitude about life that I find comes much more from spiritual progress, being able to face challenge and hardship with equanimity, and finding something to live for, a deeper meaning to why we have incarnated at this time, and how we want to show up to be of service to others. 

2. Achieving a goal is often uncomfortable and invites us to step way outside of our comfort zone 

There was an incredible amount of vulnerability I navigated sharing the stories of my book with so many people. There was even more vulnerability launching a kickstarter campaign that raised $10,000 and got the word out to share this dream with the world. I also felt super vulnerable after having a big wedding, leading a retreat, giving birth and buying a house… Fear is going to be present anytime we are stepping outside of our comfort zone, and setting a goal is a pretty sure way to invite that. Now, navigating vulnerability and fear is not a bad thing, it’s a wonderful opportunity to grow, but it can be unsettling for our nervous systems and if we were expecting a goal to make us feel amazing, it might actually do the opposite, at least in the short term.  Being realistic about this and finding ways to come back to balance after a big expansion is a good idea!

3. A goal leads us to our growth, whether or not we achieve that goal 

There were so many lessons I learned by setting these goals. I became a better writer, I grew exponentially and expanded my compassion through my relationship, and becoming a mother. I learned so much about financial accounting, taxes, interest rates, and loans through the journey of buying a house, and the same goes for leading a retreat. I believe our desires and goals are often "soul callings" - a direction for us to head in to lead us to our highest growth, whether or not we end up achieving the goal. Often the lessons learned are much more valuable than whether or not we made the outcome we were wanting.

4. Achieving a goal is not always going to look the way we thought it would 

None of the goals I achieved turned out the way I thought they would! I had a completely different title and cover for my book when I set out to publish it. Leading an international retreat was a ton of work, many months of marketing and so many details to tend to, as well as a lot to hold by myself in a country that was unfamiliar to me, I left feeling depleted! Early motherhood and living through the reality of sleep deprivation, having zero time and the high costs of childcare were also pretty unexpected. The city and neighborhood where we chose to buy a house as well as the look and feel of the home were completely different than what I imagined when I first set this goal. If we can be flexible with our goals, and not become attached to the outcome, and what it needs to look like, we will be much better off and be able to enjoy the journey.

5. There will be times in life where we have goals and times in life where we don’t

Sometimes having a goal is just what I need to call upon my inner strength and motivation, and sometimes what I need is to let go of having goals altogether and just be in the present moment.

Neither is better than the other, they are just different phases of life, times when we need a different energy to grow. Something I love about the Priestess program I lead is that so much of the program is about embodiment, surrender, and being, rather than making life look any certain way or have any certain outcome. And on the other hand, sometimes I work with clients who have a very specific goal (maybe it’s to get out of debt, or publish a book, or heal their relationship to a specific person). I trust that those are just as important for what their soul is needing to grow.

6. Timelines are always shifting, and our goals may change before we achieve them

Our interests, desires, and passions may change as well, so we don’t have to be “married” to our goals. It’s good to be loose and open around them and allow room for change if we realize we want to go in a different direction. I believe every choice we make in life opens a multitude of new possibilities for the direction of our life, and there may be something we are not able to see right now, until we take the next step that is in front of us.

7. Patience and letting go is often key in achieving a goal 

It was a huge and necessary part of becoming a mother for me (My husband was not sure he wanted children, even when we decided to marry). We decided to marry after being together for five years, and there was a lot of growth and letting go needed before the potential of a wedding became a reality.  I also tried and let go for many years to buy a house until we reached a level of maturity and "ripeness" when we finally knew where we wanted to be and it felt like there was wind at our back to make it all happen.

So where are you at in your life? Is it a time of setting goals and growing to reach them? Or is it a time of letting it all go and loving your life just the way it is? 

Feel free to leave a comment below!

With love, 

Meredith

P.S. If you feel called to work with a coach this year, to have a loving guide, witness & mentor to work with as you explore your deepest growth and soul callings, I am opening two spaces for 1:1 clients this year in my 6 month 1-1 feminine leadership coaching program. Right now I’m offering programs that range in price from $350-500 per month. 

Sign up for a free call to connect and learn more

 

Holiday Gift + Solstice Blessings

 

Blessed holidays ~ 

I recently opened up the memoir I began writing 12 years ago and re-read the introduction. I was amazed to see the wisdom I had gained as a 22 year old millennial was still so valuable and relatable to my current life. 

I realized I've gained many new subscribers since the publishing of my book in 2017 so wanted to let you know it exists and is available on Amazon for holiday reading or gifts.  

Order the book on Amazon

I'm including a preview of the introduction below. Maybe you'll find you can relate to it too...

With love, 

Meredith

~~

We all have access to an infinite source of wisdom that lies in our bodies.

The first time I set foot on a yoga mat and began to really let myself feel the intensity of sensations and emotions that were lying beneath the surface, I wanted to run away. At first I avoided going back to yoga class, hoping that distractions like sugar or prescription pills from my doctor would take away my suffering instead. 

Fortunately, I soon realized that repressing or distracting myself from my emotions and sensations caused just as much and often even more suffering. It was then I knew running away was no longer an option. 

Through allowing myself to just be with my sensations and my breath, my journey began, and this book emerged. When I found that space of stillness, of silence, a space of no desires, no attachments, of pure witnessing presence without any need to change myself or my life, I formed a connection with the one place I can always rely on: my body, my breath, and my own innate wisdom. 

From that place, I began to listen deeply and to take action. I found the courage to take bigger leaps, follow my callings, and love myself through my challenges. It was then that the magic of life—a realization that the universe was conspiring in my favor to give me the exact experiences I needed to heal—helped me discover a deep, pervasive connectedness to everything and everyone around me, and a trust in a force greater than myself. 

My hope for you is to connect to a place of stillness and love within. A place where there is nothing you need to change. A place where you can love yourself no matter what thoughts, challenges, or situations arise. And from that place, to take steps forward, to follow your own inner callings, and to know that whatever happens in life, you’ll be able to come back to this stillness and self-love. 

Sometimes, life gets hard. It’s inevitable. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned through the years, it’s that if I can sit with the intensity of any emotion, any difficult sensation, and remain equanimous, calm, and composed, everything will be okay. The nature of these sensations—indeed all challenges of life—is to be impermanent, arising and passing away. 

This insight was confirmed during a conversation with my friend Karen at the end of our ten-day silent meditation retreat taught by S. N. Goenka. She had asked one of the teachers a question about the pain she was experiencing in her body, hoping that through feeling her pain, she would find relief, and that one day, just maybe, her pain would go away and never come back. The teacher looked her right in the eye and said, “Billions and billions of times better than your pain suddenly going away would be you continuing to have pain for the rest of your life and no longer suffering through your reaction to it.” 

The point is not to push away our pain but rather allow ourselves to just be through whatever arises. 

I chose to retain the real names of the saints and sages in this book. If you decide to further study their teachings, I ask that you do so with the purest intentions and utmost respect. In a similar vein, if you visit places that are mentioned in this book, know that every experience is unique, and your own journey will unfold, most likely, very differently from my own. We are each on a distinct and remarkable path to liberation, and no one person’s journey can ever be recreated, and that is part of the beauty of it. 

I write of my time in India not to speak on behalf of an organization or teacher, or to encourage others to follow my footsteps, but rather to authentically share the magical events and synchronicities I experienced when I tuned into my body’s wisdom and listened to the guidance I found there. Most of the names in this book have been changed out of respect for the privacy of the people I met on my path, except for Shankara, who gave his blessing and now travels the world under one of his many other names. 

Each chapter begins with a mantra, a short phrase with a sacred vibration that you can repeat in your mind to bring yourself back to the present moment. I discovered these mantras through my travels, and you’ll learn their meanings throughout the stories. The chapter titles are written in Sanskrit, except for the last chapter title, which is written in Pali, the language spoken during the time Buddha walked the earth. I invite you to use these mantras in your life as little seeds of wisdom, leading you to your own discoveries. 

P.S. You can also download a designed version of the introduction right here.

Winter Solstice Blessings

The darkest day of the year is upon us. The veils are getting thinner. The 21st marks the Winter Solstice, and the day after Christmas marks a full moon in Cancer (western astrology) and Gemini (Vedic/sidereal astrology).

On this darkest day of the year may we all receive the nourishment, love, and safety inherent in the darkness. And as we reclaim the feminine in our culture, may we welcome the sweetness of the light and the days getting longer without bypassing the gifts the darkness holds for us - the gifts inherent in our challenges, in our deepest feelings, in the unknown and within the darkness of our womb. 

May your Solstice be blessed. May we remember the power in the darkness. May we welcome the light.

 

133 | We're Back! Womb Wisdom, Pregnancy & Living in the Mystery with Jane Mayer

 

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I’m back to podcasting! I know it’s been about 8 months since my last episode and I have missed you all. I have just been navigating the reality of being ia new mother, having more limited time now, amidst navigating the identity shifts and transformations.

I’m so excited to share my conversation with Jane, a true voice and channel for the heart of the Holy One. You may remember Jane from earlier episodes: episode 118 - Navigating Change and the Power of Listening, and episode 128 where I shared the story of my daughter’s birth.

Jane and I have also had these parallel paths, like the passing of birds in the sky, she moved to kauai the month I was getting ready to leave, being pregnant and desiring to be closer to family. And now, Jane being halfway through her pregnancy is deciding the same.

In this episode we discussed:

  • Trusting our intuition

  • Being open to the twists and turns and mystery of life 

  • Gender reveals and navigating surprise and difficult emotions

  • Jane’s unsuccessful journey with IVF in a previous marriage and the journey of natural conception and pregnancy years later

  • Jane’s decision to leave Kauai 

  • Our stories of miscarriage from this past year

  • Vedic astrology insights and life transitions

Stay in Touch with Jane:

Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders:


jane-mayer2.jpg

Jane Mayer is a medicine woman, creative, doula, and guide to the unseen realms, who delights in supporting humans and Earth in coming fully alive. Alongside supporting private clients, she writes, records and performs music, and guides a school for creativity and awakening.

A keeper of song and a lover of mythos, her practice is borne of the weaving of indigenous medicine from Peru, Hawaii and Ireland, the Christian mysticism of her home in the deep South, and a depth of knowledge in the nervous system, subtle body, womb healing, and the somatic experience of awakening.

She holds deep trust in the wild intelligence of nature to guide all of Creation, and orients others to their deeper nature and innate gifts with sound, myth, dreams, plant, energy medicine and somatic integration.

She is devoted to the heart of all  things, sacred union, and the  liberation of all beings. To learn more, visit  iamjanemayer.com.

 

The High Priestess: Tarot Mystic Guide

 

The Tarot, with its enigmatic symbols and archetypal imagery, serves as a profound tool for self-discovery and guidance. Among the traditional tarot deck's powerful cards, the High Priestess stands as a mystic guide, inviting us to delve into the realms of intuition, mystery, and the unconscious. In this exploration, we unravel the secrets behind the High Priestess tarot card and discover how its wisdom can be applied to enhance our lives.

The High Priestess Card: A Symbolic Journey

Represented by card number II in the Tarot's Major Arcana, the High Priestess is a symbol of deep intuition, spiritual insight, and the mysteries that lie beneath the surface. In most decks, she is depicted as a serene figure seated between two pillars, holding a scroll in her lap, adorned with the lunar crescent at her feet.

Key Symbolism:

  1. Dual Pillars: The pillars behind the High Priestess represent duality - light and darkness, masculine and feminine, conscious and unconscious. She stands as the bridge between these opposing forces, guiding us to find balance in our lives.

  2. Scroll: The scroll she holds signifies esoteric knowledge and hidden wisdom. It emphasizes the importance of turning inward and trusting our inner guidance, relying on the wisdom we carry within.

  3. Lunar Crescent: Positioned at her feet, the crescent moon symbolizes the cyclical nature of life, intuition, and the ever-changing aspects of the unconscious mind. The High Priestess is closely aligned with the lunar energy, emphasizing the power of receptivity and intuition.

Applying the High Priestess Wisdom to Our Lives:

Trust Your Intuition

The High Priestess encourages us to listen to our inner voice and trust our instincts. In a world filled with external noise, tapping into our intuition becomes a powerful tool for making authentic decisions aligned with our true selves.

Embrace the Unknown

Much like the mysteries shrouded in the High Priestess's scroll, life is filled with uncertainties. Embrace the unknown with a sense of curiosity and openness. The High Priestess teaches us that, within the mystery, there is potential for growth, transformation, and deeper self-awareness.

Cultivate Balance

The dual pillars behind the High Priestess symbolize the importance of finding balance in our lives. Whether it's balancing work and personal life or navigating the realms of light and shadow within ourselves, the High Priestess guides us to seek equilibrium.

Explore Your Spiritual Path

The High Priestess is a symbol of spiritual wisdom and connection. This card encourages us to explore our spiritual path, connect with our inner selves, and dive into the depths of our subconscious. It's a reminder that our spiritual journey is unique and deeply personal.

Honor Your Feminine Energy

In many tarot decks, the High Priestess embodies the feminine divine. Embrace and honor your feminine energy, recognizing its power, intuition, and nurturing qualities. The High Priestess encourages us to connect with the receptive, intuitive aspects of ourselves.

The High Priestess in tarot beckons us to embark on a journey of self-discovery, intuition, and spiritual growth. As we integrate the wisdom of this powerful card into our lives, we find a compass pointing us toward balance, trust, and a deeper connection with the mysteries that shape our existence. Embrace the guidance of the High Priestess and unlock the hidden realms within, for in the stillness of intuition, we discover the profound truths that guide us on our unique life path.

FEELING THE CALL OF THE PRIESTESS?

Join us for the Rising Women Leaders Way of the Priestess Program

 

Embracing the Sacred Darkness: Winter Solstice Ritual for Priestess Healing and Divine Feminine Wisdom

 

As the Winter Solstice graces the Northern Hemisphere, we stand at the threshold of the longest night, a time of deep introspection and reverence for the sacred darkness. In the ancient tapestry of traditions, Winter Solstice (around December 20-23) is not just a celestial event but a spiritual journey, inviting us to slow down, turn within, and embrace the wisdom held in the quiet depths of the season.

Honoring the Seasonal Shift:

In ancestral times, people gathered around the Yule log, lighting ritual fires to beckon the return of the sun. It's a season of patience, akin to an expectant mother awaiting to confirm the presence of life within.

“The holiday of Winter Solstice celebrates the presence of spirit and the power of faith that our visions of the future will come into manifestation. All we can do in the middle of winter is pray and hope the light will return. Winter Solstice is not about having the light. It is about carrying hope and trust while moving toward a vision that we will work to make a reality.

This time invites us to slow down, even when our culture tells us to speed up, go shopping and get everything ready for the holidays. It is a time to turn within to the wise old self present in every woman. She lives on the edge of spirit, able to access this world and the next. She is the one who is already holding the future. Dreaming is Her power and she patiently waits in the dark with wisdom and guidance.

This is a time of trust - that the flowers will eventually return, and a time to celebrate the dark, where the inner life is honored and nurtured.” ~ Ruth Barrett

Reclaiming the Feminine and the Dark:

As we reclaim the feminine in our culture we are also re-patterning our relationship to the dark. On this darkest day of the year may we all receive the nourishment, love, and safety inherent in the darkness. May we honor the coming of the light without bypassing the gifts the darkness holds for us - the gifts inherent in our challenges, in our deepest feelings, in the unknown and within the darkness of our womb. 

On this Solstice, may we remember the power in the darkness. May we welcome the light. Let us take this time to go inwards.

Questions for Journaling:

  • What am I visioning and hoping for?

  • What dreams do I carry for the year ahead?

  • How can I step into greater trust with life?

  • Who is my wise old self, and what wisdom does she have for me?

Winter Solstice Ritual:

  1. Gather 8 candles and your favorite tarot decks.

  2. Clear a safe space to create a circle of candles around you.

  3. Invoke your guides, angels, and protectors to be present.

  4. Light each candle, one by one, in honor of the 8 high holy days of the year.

  5. Extinguish each candle, starting with Imbolc, reflecting on the past year at each high holy day.

  6. Pause in the darkness. Reflect on your present moment at the Winter Solstice. What gifts and wisdom does the darkness hold?

  7. Light a candle, one at a time for the year ahead, pulling a tarot card for each. Allow the experience to be intuitive and reflective.

  8. Invoke the return of light, speaking prayers or intentions.

  9. Close the ceremony in a way that feels right for you, perhaps with "By the power of three, a holy trinity, it is done," or singing three oms.

As we stand in the embrace of the Winter Solstice, may we find solace in the sacred darkness and wisdom in the introspective journey it offers. By slowing down, turning within, and embracing the gifts of the unknown, we can navigate the coming year with grace and intuition.

Let this Winter Solstice be a celebration of the divine feminine, a time of healing, and a reminder that in the sacred darkness, we find the seeds of our deepest wisdom and growth.

 

Managing PCOS: How to Care For and Love Your Body

 

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects many women worldwide. Around 8–13% of reproductive-aged women have this condition, and many more may be undiagnosed. PCOS can cause hormonal imbalances, ovarian cysts, and high androgen levels. These impacts can lead to symptoms like acne, weight gain, irregular menstrual periods, excess body and facial hair, and more. As such, dealing with PCOS can be a traumatic experience. If you’ve been diagnosed with it, you might struggle with obesity, body image issues, infertility, or social stigma.

However, it’s not impossible to manage your condition. There are many ways to care for your body and foster love for yourself, even with PCOS. Here are a few ways you can care for and love your body to help manage PCOS:

Pay attention to your diet

Insulin resistance and obesity are common struggles for women with PCOS, so paying attention to what you eat can help manage weight, blood sugar, and even acne and hair growth. There’s no perfect diet, but the ideal PCOS diet for weight loss is a nutrient-rich diet you can follow long-term without feeling deprived. This can make it easier to stick to and keeps you fulfilled.

Fiber-rich foods like whole grains, non-starchy vegetables, legumes, fruits, and more have a stabilizing effect on blood sugar and insulin levels. Eating protein like chicken, fish, lean meats, tofu, and eggs at every meal and snack helps you feel fuller and promotes weight loss. Limiting your intake of sugary foods and processed carbohydrates can help manage your weight and blood sugar. You don’t need to cut anything out of your diet or restrict yourself, but it’s important to find the correct balance to keep your weight and hormones in check. Eating nutritious foods that you love is a great way to make your dietary changes more sustainable.

Get moving
Physical activity has many benefits for your overall well-being and is especially good for women with PCOS. PCOS makes women more susceptible to obesity and diabetes due to insulin resistance. Exercise can help boost physical health, promote weight loss, and aid in stress management—allowing you to manage the condition. It can even improve reproductive functions and reduce the chances of infertility for women with PCOS. Finding an exercise that makes you feel good and suits your lifestyle will motivate you to get moving.

You can try exercises like yoga, pilates, and tai chi, which can help you burn calories while lowering stress levels. Stress can exacerbate PCOS symptoms, so addressing it through exercise can help you target both your body and mind. Cardio is a great way to get your heart pumping; swimming, running, and cycling are great examples, and you can lower or increase the intensity as needed. Walking is also a simple yet effective way to exercise. A 30 to 45-minute walk per day can boost your mood, burn calories, and lower your blood sugar.

Address your stress
Dealing with PCOS is a stressful experience, and constantly worrying about it and other lifestyle factors can put an even bigger strain on your body. Stress can contribute to the increased levels of androgens in your body, worsening your symptoms and increasing your risk of other chronic conditions like diabetes.

You can start managing stress by figuring out the root cause, whether it’s work, home life, your condition, or other factors. You integrate things like meditation, enjoying a hobby, or spending time in nature into your schedule, which can increase your happy hormones. As mentioned, exercise is also a great stress-buster and allows you to manage other PCOS symptoms and decrease stress. Above all, it’s important to be easy on yourself when dealing with PCOS. It’s not an easy journey, but accepting the setbacks, taking breaks, and allowing yourself to mess up sometimes can help you view yourself and your body in a better light. A loving mindset can take even more pressure off you when you aren’t hard on yourself for not being perfect, making it easier to manage your condition.

 

Embracing the Seasonal Shift: A Priestess's Guide to Autumn Equinox and Feminine Spirituality

 

As the Autumn Equinox graces the Northern Hemisphere, we find ourselves at a pivotal point in the wheel of the year. This sacred time, (around September 19-22) marked by the balance of light and dark, invites us to immerse ourselves in the wisdom of the season, honoring the cycles of rest, reflection, and celebration. In this article, we delve into the richness of Autumn Equinox, exploring its significance for priestesses, women, and the essence of feminine spirituality.

The Dance of Light and Dark:

As day and night stand in harmonious equilibrium, the Autumn Equinox signals a period of rest after the labor and harvest of the summer months. Nature, in its divine rhythm, begins to shed its vibrant foliage, mirroring the transition from the time of ripeness to the descent of the Crone. It's a time to turn inward, to let go, and to prepare for the introspective season of winter.

Honoring the Earth's Abundance:

During the Equinox, we extend our gratitude for the abundance of the Earth and the bountiful harvest it has provided. This is also a poignant moment to honor women entering menopause and embracing their Crone years, typically occurring around the ages of 57 to 60. Additionally, the myth of Persephone embarks on her descent to become the Queen of the Underworld, symbolizing the transformative journey into the deeper realms of wisdom.

Contemplative Questions:

To deepen our connection with the Autumn Equinox, consider contemplating the following questions:

  • What is my personal harvest?

  • What have I brought into manifestation this year?

  • How can I honor the generosity of the Earth?

  • What can I acknowledge myself for? What can I celebrate?

  • How can I slow down, preparing for the introspective winter ahead?

Rituals to Embrace the Equinox:

At sunset, engage in a ritual of gratitude for the sun's warmth and light that nurtured the crops during the summer. Reflect on the Spring Equinox, appreciating the growth and nurturing experiences. Pray to the setting sun, expressing gratitude for all that has been harvested. Celebrate your achievements with song, dance, and feasts, indulging in the abundance of the season. Consider ways to give back for all that has been received.

Journaling Prompts for Introspection:

  1. What wisdom am I bringing with me from the dark of winter?

  2. What am I leaving behind?

  3. Who am I becoming?

  4. What is awakening in me now?

  5. What seeds am I planting?

  6. What am I transforming?

  7. What is my intention for this new season?

Earth Mandala Ritual:

Image courtesy of Wild Roots Studio

Create an Earth Mandala using twigs, leaves, flowers, and grasses. Let your creative intuition guide you as you offer a prayer to Mother Earth. Bless her with your intentions, express gratitude, and offer love and devotion to welcome the new season.

As the Autumn Equinox unfolds its magic, let us, as priestesses, women, and seekers of spiritual wisdom, embrace the profound teachings of this season. Through ritual, reflection, and creative expression, we can align ourselves with the natural cycles, honoring the gifts of the Earth and our own bountiful harvests. May this time of balance and transition usher in a season of inner growth, wisdom, and deep connection with the divine feminine spirit.

 

In Honor of Mary Magdalene

 

Have you ever felt judged by someone? Can you remember that pain of feeling misunderstood? Cast out? And separate?

Usually the people in judgement don’t know the whole story. They don’t know the truth of who we are or what we’ve been through. And usually the people who judge, are themselves in some kind of pain.

I imagine you can relate to that truly awful feeling, especially if you identify as highly sensitive. It’s enough to make one want to attack back, or worse, go into hiding or shame.

I’ve been thinking of Mary Magdalene this week, as her Feast day approaches this Saturday, July 22. (Also the day Venus goes retrograde! But I’ll share more about Venus in my newsletter next week).

Seven years ago Pope Francis declared July 22 as a Feast Day for Mary Magdalene, honoring her role in Jesus’ life as “The Apostle of the Apostles.”

Many of you may know of her as she was named by the Catholic Church long ago - as a prostitute or whore. She was judged, and as what happened to many powerful women, her name was dragged through the mud.

But the truth is she was an absolute equal to Jesus in his ministry.

There came a time, in the first few centuries that the Bible was changed, and stories of powerful women were taken out of it.

And the Church didn’t want people to think that Jesus was human - that he had a beloved, instead they wanted to portray him as this divine being that could only be accessed through the Church.

That way they could keep the power. So any stories depicting Jesus as a partner, a beloved, a lover and husband to Mary, were removed.

Powerful women were seen as a threat in her time. Women were mysterious - they carried the gifts of new life inside their bodies, it was something men were not capable of, or even fully understood.

When women joined together the men felt even more threatened (what is more powerful than a coven of women woven together by the same beliefs?)

So whether it was conscious/intentional or not, the women were systematically shamed.

First they shut down their power center - their womb - by shaming their sexuality.

Then their menstrual cycle was seen as dirty, a burden or a curse.

Bearing children, and giving birth was seen as a punishment.

The women were deemed inferior. A woman was confined to the home.

And sadly, when a woman shuts down in her womb center, she often shuts down her voice.

I believe Mary knew one day though that her name would be restored, that one day thousands of women would awaken and carry on her legacy, of being powerful and embracing that power, as teachers, guides, healers and claiming their place as part of a larger movement.

I believe she knew one day these women would reclaim the power of their menstrual cycle…

The holiness of conception, pregnancy and birth…

And through healing, would find their voice.

But not only that, I believe that she also holds the codes of forgiveness.

She reminds us to feel all the pain of the past, and to release judgement of others, even when we feel judged.

To remember that those who are causing pain are also in deep pain themselves.

I believe she had compassion for those who shamed her, dragged her name through the mud, even for those who wanted to persecute and kill her.

There’s so much we can learn from Mary, and her embodiment.

I wanted to share one of the audio lessons in my program, The Way of the Priestess about her. This weekend, let’s honor Mary, her sacred teachings and all she embodied.

Listen to this recording to learn more about the practice of feeling our pain, a forgiveness process, seeing sexuality as sacred, our bodies as temples and how to embody a consciousness of abundance.

Find it here:

 

Learn more about these practices in Mercedes Kirkel's channeled book, Mary Magdalene Beckons.

Below I’m including some of the podcasts we devoted to spreading her truth and message as well as information regarding the 2023-2024 Way of the Priestess Initiation Program.

With love, 
Meredith

016 | Mysteries of Mary Magdalene with Faye Wylder

Listen here

046 | Channeling Mary Magdalene with Mercedes Kirkel

Listen here

059 | In Honor of Mary Magdalene with Meredith Rom

Listen here

056 | Angel Guides, Motherhood and the Modern Magdalene with Lisa Devine

Listen here

---

You’re invited to…

The Rising Women Leaders 2023-2024 Way of the Priestess Initiation Program

Begins September 21, 2023 (September 2023 - June 2024)

10 MONTH MYSTERY SCHOOL + WOMEN’S CIRCLE FACILITATION TRAINING

Online Program for Women Rising on the Priestess Path

Calling all Healers, Wisdom-Keepers, Teachers, Earth Protectors, and Highly Sensitive Women Ready to Live and Serve at their Highest Potential 

JOIN US ON A PATH OF Devotion, Beauty, and Service

...The Lineage of the Rose...

Join us as we explore Core Values of: Femininity, Devotion, Wildness, Compassion, Boundaries, Prosperity, Service, Love, Leadership & Vision

Each month in the program includes:

+ an initiation gateway
+ priestess practices
+ facilitation skills
+ goddess guides recording
+ new and full moon rituals

Plus throughout the program you will also receive:
+ 7 guest mentor videos
+ 17 live sisterhood video calls
+ a virtual closing retreat + vows ceremony
+ access to our priestess curriculum
+ private whatsapp group
+ accountability sister (optional)
+ private 1:1 healing sessions (optional)

To Learn More about the Program Curriculum, Call Dates, and Payment Options View the Program Guide

Step into your Embodiment as Priestess

We will join together to reveal a deeper meaning of existence, and anchor into our living as an embodiment of love to serve our planet and future generations.

If you feel a resonance in your heart I invite you to book a free 30 minute call with me...

This is an opportunity to gain clarity on your intentions for the next year, identify where you feel held back on your path of service, and I'll be able to share resources + support for your next steps. We'll also have the chance to explore if this program could be a good fit for you to join us this year.

Claim your Power and Voice

“Speaking to strangers has been one of my greatest fears that would often shut off my ability to be fully present and prevent me from making new connections with people. I dedicated a good portion of my life trying to overcome this fear by intentionally seeking out experiences that triggered this fear and this process was extremely difficult and the progress felt extremely slow.

After a few sessions with Meredith on healing my voice and the fears associated with that, I now find myself effortlessly interacting with strangers, making new connections and to my greatest surprise I am starting to enjoy mingling in large corporate settings, which would previously terrify me.”

~Alina Daunyte

Book a 1:1 Call with Meredith

Blessed Be!

 

An Intimate Conversation with Elayne Kalila on the Red Podcast

 

It was an honor to be invited to speak with Elayne Kalila Doughty of Priestess Presence and the Red Podcast.

In this conversation we explored what it means to walk as a priestess leader … and how the Magdalene is guiding many of us to reclaim our authentic, feminine power—especially as mothers and in our businesses.

Together, we discussed the priestess wound; at this time, many women are being called to create spaces (guided by our spiritual connection to the Magdalene) in support of other women finding their voice and power.

I shared about my fears of being seen, of speaking in public, and how I stepped into the healing journey of finding my voice.

We discussed:

  • The fear of being seen and the fear of being a powerful leader

  • Redefining leadership as a conscious decision

  • The connection between Mary Magdalene & women's leadership

  • The experience of trauma on a spiritual level and how to work with it

  • Love as a multifaceted experience

Tune in above… we hope you enjoy it


Way of the Priestess Enrollment is Now Open…

10 Month Initiation Program ~ Mystery School ~ Women’s Circle Facilitation

Do you feel deeply impacted by the state of the world?

As a sisterhood, we will support you to rise in courage and share your gifts and talents. You will be invited to step into service in the ways that align most with your heart callings….

This program is an invitation to step into your greatness AND honor the sacred feminine within yourself.

Download the Program Guide

Sign up for a Free Call to Explore the Possibility of Joining us this September

 

Embracing the Fire Within: Women's Wisdom and Priestess Magic at the Summer Solstice

 

As the sun reaches its zenith and the day stretches into the longest embrace of warmth, we stand at the threshold of the Summer Solstice – a celestial event that marks the beginning of summer (around June 19-22) in the Northern Hemisphere.

Beyond its astronomical significance, the Summer Solstice is a powerful time for women to tap into their wisdom, celebrate their creative energies, and honor the transition from Maiden to Mother Goddess.

Inspired by the rich traditions and insights from Ruth Barrett's "Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries," this article explores the magic of the Summer Solstice, the fire element, and the profound connection between women, creativity, and fertility.

The Season of Action:

Summer, often associated with the Full Moon, beckons us to step into the world with purpose and vitality. It's a season of action, where the dreams conceived in the quietude of winter start to blossom. The Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, symbolizes the peak of this vibrant energy. As the earth becomes fertile, the Goddess pours forth her creations – fields, trees, flowers, and animals – in a magnificent display of life.

From Maiden to Mother:

The Summer Solstice marks a sacred transition from Maiden to Mother Goddess, a reflection of the lifecycle that all women embody. Regardless of physical motherhood, every woman becomes a "mother" as she nurtures, sustains, and protects life through her endeavors, be it for the human species or other beings. This symbolic shift is a celebration of the diverse ways women manifest their creativity and fertility in the world.

Harnessing the Fire Element:

At the Summer Solstice, women work with the fire element, symbolically strengthening and forging their will in the world. The communal fires, a tradition in some cultures, bring communities together for music, dance, fire jumping, and ceremonies. The power of fire cleanses negative body images and ignites the creative spark within. Journaling becomes a tool for self-reflection, asking questions about life force energy, creative fire, and the transformative journey into the new season.

Journaling Reflections:

  • Where is the fiery life force energy in my life? How is it manifesting?

  • How will I feed my creative fire? What is its fuel?

  • How am I a mother? How do I nurture, sustain, and protect my creations?

  • What wisdom am I bringing from the spring?

  • What am I leaving behind?

  • Who am I becoming?

  • What is awakening in me now?

  • What seeds am I planting?

  • What am I transforming?

  • What is my intention for this new season?

Ways to Honor the Summer Solstice:

  1. Jump a literal or symbolic bonfire, symbolizing the leap into a new phase.

  2. Create an altar to honor Mother Goddesses worldwide, expressing creativity through hands, writing, or voice.

  3. Acknowledge and celebrate women who choose not to be mothers, channeling their creativity into other impactful works.

  4. Explore passion, creativity, and growth in alignment with the fire element, daring to live life according to one's values.

  5. Celebrate fertility in all its forms, acknowledging the abundance and vitality of life.

  6. Make love and dedicate the energy to a specific creative focus.

  7. Light candles or bonfires to infuse energy and abundance into desires and aspirations.

As the sun lingers in the sky, casting its warm glow over the world, let us embrace the fire within.

The Summer Solstice invites us as women to call upon our inner Priestess, to stand in our power, celebrate our creative energies, and honor the cycles of life. By harnessing the fire element and reflecting on the profound journaling questions, this sacred time becomes an opportunity for self-discovery, transformation, and a joyous celebration of the divine feminine.

 

132 | Creating a Nourished Postpartum with Kerry Ingram

 

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This Fall I participated in a weekly new parent-baby group in Sebastopol, CA with Kerry Ingram. I met Kerry years ago when she found one of my self-care guide downloads and invited me to be a wise woman to visit her mom and baby groups. I remember thinking I would love to join something like that to meet other mothers and babies if I ever had a child one day… and about six years later it happened!

Kerry has been supporting new mothers, babies and families for the past decade in CA and now is sharing her curriculum to create a ripple effect of sharing more of these nourishing postpartum groups around the world.

Care for the next generation really does start with the mother, and the more we can surround families with support in early postpartum the easier it will be to interrupt harmful narratives and create networks of love, care and support when we need it most.

In this episode we discussed:

  • Kerry’s experience postpartum: the surprises, challenges and ways she found the support she needed

  • How community support impacts early parenting and is culture-making by creating space to see and interrupt harmful narratives

  • How to be a village tender and step into leadership for new parents in your community

  • The “Early Parenting Villains” and how these systems, for example, ‘consumerism’ ‘diet culture’ or ‘patriarchy’ come up so often in new motherhood, how to identify them and ways to shift our relationship with them

  • Self-care in postpartum, asking for help and building community

Links in this episode: 

Stay in Touch with Kerry:

Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders:


Kerry Ingram is the founder of Community Supported Postpartum whose mission is to build ecosystems of care one community at a time.  She contributes to this vision by teaching folks all over the world how to step into the role of Village Tender by creating local parent and baby groups that get parents out of isolation and into a web of support and care.

Kerry is a parent (both biological and foster), an early childhood educator (20 years), a postpartum doula, with additional education in women and gender studies (SUNY Oswego), and maternal mental health care (PSI). She has been facilitating local parent and baby groups for over 10 years and teaches others around the world to step into leadership with her Village Tenders Postpartum Community Care course, curriculum and business framework.

 

Embracing the Divine Feminine: Spring Equinox Sisterhood Event Ideas for Rebirth and Renewal

 

As the vibrant energy of the Spring Equinox sweeps in (around March 19-21 each year in the Northern Hemisphere), we honor the balance of day and night and find ourselves standing on the threshold of renewal and rebirth.

This time of year, also called Ostara, is when the air is charged with the promise of new beginnings, making it the perfect time to gather with sisters and celebrate the divine feminine. I wanted to bring together some of my favorite sisterhood event ideas inspired by the wisdom of Ruth Barrett, author of Women’s Rites, Women’s Rituals: Intuitive Ritual Creation. This is a time where we will focus on the themes of balance, empowerment, and the awakening of the maiden goddess within.

Prepare your spirit for the wild dance about to begin with the rise of the mating season and the call of your dreams. All of life is bursting with fertile energy: birds singing, eggs hatching, spring flowers blossoming and Spirit ready to run free again after the contractions of the colder months. Consider how you are cracking open out of your shell and ready to spread your wings into new territory. Be ready for a bold leap and actively co-create with the Universe to bring your dreams manifest. Unite the opposites, especially Fire & Water, which is the fusion of Spirit & Fertility. Ostara initiates a time of empowerment where you are encouraged to take more risks, be more wild, believe in your dreams, and make things happen with your wild freedom and full abandon. ~ Ruth Barrett

Journaling Questions for Self-Exploration:

  • What wisdom am I bringing from the dark of winter?

  • What am I leaving behind?

  • Who am I becoming?

  • What is awakening in me now?

  • What seeds am I planting?

  • What am I transforming?

  • What is my intention for this new season?

    Meditation and Ritual Ideas for the Season of Emergence

  1. Make flower crowns. All you’ll need is some wire and lots of flowers

  2. Create an “Angel Wash” where women stand on either side of a “birth canal” and sing as each woman steps through the threshold to be witnessed, caressed, and celebrated

  3. Cover yourselves with a dark cloth, then emerge into colorful, open spaces symbolizing the transition from winter's darkness to spring's vibrancy

  4. Dance and sing, celebrate the interconnectedness of sisterhood

  5. Paint and decorate eggs as symbols of fertility and new beginnings

  6. Share garden ideas, or start planting a garden together to honor the Earth's cycles of growth and transformation

  7. Honor the connection between mothers and daughters, acknowledging the generational ties of strength and resilience, invite mothers and daughters into the center of a circle to be sung to

  8. Create a symbolic hatching ritual, simulating the breaking through a seed's shell casing under the weight of the earth

  9. Bake a birthday cake to celebrate the birth of spring and the renewal of life

  10. Share or read stories about courageous young girls, inspiring empowerment and resilience

  11. Dance and move in a circle formation to honor the cycle of rebirth and return, fostering a sense of unity and connection

  12. Find creative ways to remember and honor the young girl within yourself and others. Host a sharing circle where women can share about their first menstrual cycle, or how they felt becoming a woman. Listen and honor each others stories of youth

  13. Spend time with a young girl or group of girls, nurturing the seeds of strength and wisdom, especially sharing education about women’s cycles and fertility

As the wheel of the year turns and the Spring Equinox ushers in a season of growth and renewal, may more and more women gather in sisterhood to honor the Priestess within. Through reflection, meditation, and shared rituals, we can honor the divine feminine within and around us, embracing the empowerment and balance this season offers. May our celebrations be filled with joy, connection, and the sweet promise of new beginnings.

 

131 | Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage with Becca Piastrelli

 

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It’s an honor to have Becca Piastrelli back on Rising Women Leaders. It’s been a few years (and a lot of transformation) since our last conversation (episode 10!).

We’ve both transitioned from maiden to mother, and our lives and businesses have transformed along with us. In this conversation we share the real, the raw, and the beautiful of being initiated into this new phase of life.

Becca shares of her journey of the last 2.5 years after birthing her daughter, her journey with delayed postpartum depression (and rage) at 18 months, how she has done her best to recreate the village we all long for, what it looks like to untangle from patriarchy and let go the need to always do more…

Listen to today’s show to learn more about how we can honor and ritualize this powerful rite of passage of shifting from maiden to mother.

In this episode we discussed:

  • The first two years postpartum 

  • Letting go and surrender 

  • Postpartum depression / anxiety 

  • Loneliness in new motherhood 

  • Longing for community - where to start with how to create deep & authentic connection with other women

  • Untangling patriarchy and “doing” mentality & how to slow down in such a fast paced world

  • Ritual in new motherhood 

Links in this episode: 

Stay in Touch with Becca:

Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders:

Current Offerings with Meredith:


Becca Piastrelli is the author of Root & Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community & the Self and is the host of the Belonging podcast. She teaches and speaks on the nature of belonging and runs retreats to help women reconnect with their rooted sense of self. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area (soon to be Hudson Valley, NY) with her husband, child, two cats, and five chickens, where she gardens, cooks, mothers, and gathers with the ebb and flow of the seasons. 

 

Venus Rebirths as the Evening Star December 14, 2022

 

Did you know Venus has been hidden from Earth's view since September 3, 2022?

Venus is the planet of relationships, beauty, elegance, embodiment, harmony, feeling, desire, sensuality, love, material enjoyment, receptivity, gratitude, balance, and is often related to art, dance and music.

She is the second closest planet to the sun in our solar system. Her orbit around the sun creates a 5 petaled rose from the perspective of Earth. Her cycle takes 8 years to complete, during which there are periods where she is retrograde and direct, as well as periods where she is visible and non-visible. 

These phases have a direct impact on us here on Earth...

Venus began a new 8-year cycle in June 2020. It takes 19 months for Venus to complete a full cycle, and this happens 5 times over an 8 year period to create a five-petaled rose in the sky from Earth's perspective. What magic!

 

Venus Rose Path

 

We are at the end of a phase of inner transformation. After Venus was the morning star for 8 months (Jan - Sept) she was hidden from view, journeying through the underworld like the Sumerian goddess Inanna, the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, war, and wisdom.

The past three months have been a powerful time of initiation, a time to create a more solid foundation within ourselves, to come back to our practices and allow all that is not serving our highest alignment to be shed.

On Wednesday, Dec. 14 Venus will rebirth as the evening star and we will have our first glimpse of her after sunset. My feeling is this will be a time of abundance and grace, receiving the gifts of wisdom and power, the way we all do after moving through a transformation.

She’ll be visible as the evening star, shining in her brightness all the way until August, when she transitions again to the underworld on August 6, 2023 to be birthed as the morning star August 19, 2023,

This is a powerful time to reflect: 

What initiations have I gone through since September? 

What is transitioning in my life now?

How have I changed and grown? 

What am I taking with me?

What am I leaving behind?

If you're interested in diving more into astrological wisdom, goddess archetypes, ritual and ceremony, I invite you to consider joining us in this year's Way of the Priestess program

Our next cohort begins the day after the birth of Venus as the evening star, December 15th... there are still a few spaces to join us.

I've also opened my calendar to speak 1:1 with anyone considering the opportunity.

Book a free 30-min call and have the space to share about your dreams and visions and we can explore if it could be a good fit for you to join us on a path of beauty, devotion and service.

With love, 

Meredith


What does it mean to embody the Priestess in our everyday life?

It is to live a life connected to the divine in each moment. To bring devotion to our daily actions (cooking, cleaning, walking, writing, praying, meditating, talking) in remembrance of God/Goddess/all that is. It is to live in a state connected to breath and intuition, honoring the essence of the sacred feminine within. It is to allow what is, to forgive ourselves and others, and to see everyone around us as a soul, a higher consciousness living in a body.

To live as the Priestess is to see life happening for us, not to us. It is co-creating with life, and surrendering when God has a bigger plan.

It is becoming the vessel, emptying out in order to receive. It is communing with nature and the divine as one. It is becoming quiet enough inside to listen to the voice of intuition. It is to listen to others with compassion and hold space for letting go and new beginnings.

It is to express, feel, release, and honor the shadow that exists within and around us. It is to gaze at the stars, to write down our dreams, and honor the cycles of our body and the seasons of the year. It is to leave this world more beautiful than we found it. It is to midwife a shift in consciousness, to welcome a Golden Age, and emanate a frequency of love to all those around us on our path...

Lately for me it’s been waking up in the middle of the night to soothe my daughter. Playing with and caring for her in the early morning hours. Taking time each day to tune in and receive messages from the divine, to listen and strengthen that channel. Bringing food to new mothers. Holding space for clients to release deep rooted core beliefs from childhood trauma. Holding and speaking prayers for my friends. For this planet. For humanity. Singing to the bees.

Feeling my emotions and expressing them out in nature, letting my wild be expressed. Getting my hands in the earth. Tending to the roses. To the land I call home. Planting seeds and trees. Watering the gardens and witnessing new life.

Helping women heal the past life wounds they carry around being seen and sharing their voice. Showing up for my yoga practice, even when it feels hard. Even when some days it can only happen at 4 am. Feeling my pain.

Creating ritual with other women. Holding space for rites of passage. Resting when I bleed. Being by myself. Becoming more comfortable with my aloneness. Feeling my guides with me. Believing in their presence. Listening to the land. Taking action based on those messages. Communing with, singing to and blessing the waters. 

The role of the priestess is going to look different for each of us. For some, it’s simply about holding a frequency, a grid on our planet, an embodiment of divine love. For others it may be stepping into the role of healer, teacher, leader or guide. Either way, our presence is to become a vessel, and to be of service. What does the role of the priestess look like for you?

Enrollment is now open for the next cohort of the Way of the Priestess program.

I know so many of you sisters are already living this path... and if you long for support, community, sisterhood, and guidance along the way, I invite you to join us.

 

130 | Reigniting a Passion for Life with Renee Linnell

 

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It’s an honor to have Renee Linnell back on Rising Women Leaders!

In Renee’s latest book, Still on Fire, she shares stories of magic, miracles, travel and romance… from traveling over 50 countries, love affairs with men half her age, being rescued by angels, getting stranded at 22,000 feet in the Himalayas, Renee takes us on a wild adventure in her book, sharing soul-soothing wisdom she gained along the way.

Where her first book, The Burn Zone was an exploration of what happens when we don't listen to our Inner Guidance, Still on Fire is an exposition of what happens when we do.

May this conversation support you to remember who you truly are and reignite a passion for being alive on Earth at this time.

“Freedom, I have discovered, is letting go and jumping into the stream of life. Being willing to be uncomfortable and trusting that divine choreography will aways lead us to the next right unfolding. It is looking for the good in everything we gaze upon or stumble upon… finding the miracles in each moment instead of the grievances.”

In this episode we discussed:

  • How Renee shifted her mindset from victim to warrior

  • What is soul sickness? and how to realign with your soul’s truth

  • How to survive as a sensitive being on this planet

  • Renee’s wild and powerful stories of magic, travel, romance and miracles

  • Why we need to shine our light and how to navigate losing people in our life who can’t resonate at the same frequency

  • How to let go of people pleasing and caring so much of what others think of us

  • What finding our power really means

  • Listening to our intuition - and tips to realign with love and freedom when fear or self-doubt appears

Links in this episode: 

Stay in Touch with Renee:

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Renee Linnell is a serial entrepreneur who has founded or cofounded five companies and has an MBA from New York University; before that she was a model and professional dancer. Having an unorthodox childhood and being surrounded by death at a young age led her on a spiritual quest that took her all over the world, culminating in her ordination as a Buddhist monk (by a bi-polar guru with delusions of grandeur so she’s not 100% sure the ordination counts.) What began as writing for catharsis in 2013—as she struggled to regain her sanity after being brainwashed in a Buddhist cult—turned into her first memoir, The Burn Zone: A Memoir (She Writes Press, 2018). Still on Fire is the sequel. Her mission is to remind people Who They Truly Are and to reignite their passion for being alive. For more information, please visit https://reneelinnell.com 

 

The Power of Circle (plus More Reflections on New Motherhood)

 

This has been my first month with a few days a week of childcare since my baby was born, and I’ve now had the breathing room to really recognize the huge life transformation I just went through.

I think what I’m learning is that I couldn’t really prepare for or know what I would need until I was in it.

One of the things I learned was that I actually needed a lot more support than I was giving to myself.

There were really hard days, especially in that 3-6 month age where I experienced exhaustion.

The meal train had ended, the postpartum doula visits I had scheduled and paid for while still pregnant were now complete.

But the physical exhaustion, both from carrying this new being all day, and from sleep deprivation, now cumulative, was still very present.

I had days with anxiety, days with new tests and challenges on my relationship, and days where I struggled to cook and feed this new and ravenous appetite from nursing, all the while still figuring out everything for the first time in how to care for this amazing new being.

On most days, I struggled knowing how to ask for help.

Other days, I wasn’t really sure what I needed (a shower probably), and a lot of the time I didn’t even know I was struggling (until I’ve had this time to look back in hindsight).

I knew I longed for a circle of women, a witnessing circle, to simply be and share about this huge transformation, what I was discovering through this time in my life…

But I struggled finding the time or mental clarity to text people to call a circle together and make it happen, let alone stay awake past my daughter’s bed time to participate in it.

Then grief arose about how many women go through big life transitions like this with no marker, no rite of passage, no ritual space or witnessing circle to be seen, no opportunity to really be met and recognized as changed in their community.

It breaks my heart when I think about it.

But some time between the diaper changes and feedings, and around the time I started sleeping more and my daughter turned six months old, I decided the next six months were going to look completely different. They needed to.

I started praying.

I faced old money monsters.

I decided to start receiving A LOT more support.

I asked my husband for some time to myself on the weekends.

We interviewed nannies and found a great fit for someone to care for our daughter three days a week.

I joined a postpartum group and am meeting seasoned moms who have been through all of this before.

And I finally got the circle I was wanting, to be witnessed in sharing about this transformation, especially the hard moments, to be able to let go and begin anew.

In that space my tears were able to flow, what had been lost, how I had been changed, what I was letting go of and what my intentions were moving forward.

It was just 15-20 min of sharing, and I left that circle completely changed, and newly nourished.

I was able to release the grief, to be seen as this new person I am becoming, and feel excited about how I was going to do things differently moving forward.

And I knew in my heart it was exactly perfect to face every single one of those challenges, because it is already informing how I show up in my community, and how I dedicate my life to creating these kinds of nourishing communities for others.

Here are just a few reasons I love being in and creating these kinds of circles…

We are able to show up and be seen and accepted just as we are

We open to deep healing

We become more adept at sharing our truth and using our voice

We witness each other's celebrations and big wins

We witness and love each other through our challenges and setbacks

We feel safe and comfortable - there is space to bring all of ourselves

We are able to step into the feminine aspects of ALLOWING, BEING, and DEEP TRUST

We enter into a universe together where anything is possible

We see the beauty in each other and let it be known

We have the opportunity to better know and step into life as our highest selves

We give space to our deep dreams and visions

There is honestly something so magical about entering into a container with a group of women, especially when that circle continues over an extended period of time.

I’m excited to be bringing together a new constellation of women this winter in circle, after passing through one of the most incredible rites of passage myself, I am stepping up to hold an initiation container for an intimate group of women this year in the 2022-2023 Way of the Priestess program.

I feel deeply dedicated to this work, and to the incredible power of safe space to be witnessed, loved, supported and encouraged just as you are. And it is an honor to know so many of the women I have held space for have now gone on to hold this space for others in circle in their communities.

To join together in beauty, devotion, and service. To say yes to the power of the feminine, to slow down, receive support and be seen and celebrated for all we are….

Priestess: a space-holder, leader, one of highest service to collective awakening, a vessel for the divine, a living embodiment of love

Initiation: a series of ceremonies or rituals marking entrance into a new way of being

If you feel called to an intimate sisterhood like this, I invite you to join us right here.

With love,


Meredith

 

My Mantra Lately (How to Move Beyond Good and Bad)

 

My family and I recently went on a trip to the Hawaiian islands. There were amazing moments, like meditating in a sacred Banyan tree at a Hindu temple and dipping in the ocean with my daughter for the first time…

But there were also the harder moments, like needing to start our day at 3 or 4 am with a baby who never got used to the time difference… or changing a very poopy diaper with a squawking baby right at the most sacred moment of sunset when the sun dips beneath the ocean horizon…


It got me thinking about good and bad, and how so often there is challenge within life’s beautiful moments, and silver linings wrapped up in our challenges.

We’ve been conditioned to see the world this way. To avoid and run away from the “bad” and chase and work towards the “good,”

But what really is good and bad? 

I’m reminded of a dharma story of a farmer and his horse.

"One day the farmer’s horse runs away. And his neighbor comes over and says, to commiserate, “I’m so sorry about your horse.” And the farmer says “Who Knows What’s Good or Bad?” The neighbor is confused because this is clearly terrible. The horse is the most valuable thing he owns.

But the horse comes back the next day and he brings with him 12 feral horses. The neighbor comes back over to celebrate, “Congratulations on your great fortune!” And the farmer replies again: “Who Knows What’s Good or Bad?”

And the next day the farmer’s son is taming one of the wild horses and he’s thrown and breaks his leg. The neighbor comes back over, “I’m so sorry about your son.” The farmer repeats: “Who Knows What’s Good or Bad?”

Sure enough, the next day the army comes through their village and is conscripting able-bodied young men to go and fight in war, but the son is spared because of his broken leg.

And this story can go on and on like that. Good. Bad. Who knows?"  ~ Old Zen story as told by David Allan

After living in three different places in the last two years, I can say that there is good and bad in each of them. 

After accomplishing so many of my big life dreams, like writing and publishing a book, leading an international retreat, planning a wedding, becoming a mother… there was a lot of good and bad wrapped up in each of them! 

I’ve been reflecting that with any decision or life circumstance we meet, there is pretty much guaranteed good and bad. 

It is undeniable that life is both positive and negative.

So I’m choosing to have a new goal - rather than creating the perfect external circumstances, I’ve been asking, "What would it be like to be OK with both the good and the bad?”

To find a state of equanimity, of peace within amidst it all.

I’ve learned by now that the root of suffering is the desire for pleasure and the fear of pain.

We suffer when we are in a constant state of craving for the good and feeling aversion to the bad. 

I was recently reading my friend’s book and really stopped to take in these words:

“Life in a human body is messy. We live in a land of dichotomy. So we will always feel and experience the opposites. We are supposed to. And we need to if we want to have the fullest, richest experience here on Earth. In order to experience the highs, we have to know the lows. In order to understand pleasure, we have to live through pain… I have discovered that true joy is feeling gratitude for being alive even while stuck in a darker state of mind. In this way, happiness may be fleeting, but joy stays.“ ~ Renee Linnell's new book, "Still on Fire"

A mantra arose for me in that moment of reading, that I’ve now been saying every day:

Life is Full with Good and Bad, I’m Choosing to be Grateful for What I Have.

It especially helps in the harder moments. The middle of the night wake ups. Jaw tension and headaches. Physical tiredness, anxiety or overwhelm...

It brings me back to the present. It reminds me I don’t need to be riding the up and down roller coaster of life, but that I can take the seat of a witness. The seat of non attachment, of compassion, and of remembering it is all good, bad, fleeting and impermanent. 

When I say it now, I feel myself soften. I remember the good in my life. I don’t need to run away from it all.

So I wanted to pass it along, in case it may bring some solace to you as well.

With love, 


Meredith

 

129 | Spirituality & Love at the Center of Anti-racism with Porsha Beed

 

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It was an honor to sit down for this heart opening conversation with a personal mentor and friend of mine, Porsha Beed.

It was just before the pandemic when I first met Porsha in a song circle in Sebastopol, CA. I was touched by the songs her and co-founder Aaron Johnson shared with our group and how effortlessly they brought us into our hearts.

I attended their daylong anti-racism workshop and went on to work privately with Porsha over several months to move through my own grief around racism, look at my blind spots as a white woman with privilege and come into deeper alignment with how I show up for my work, friends and larger community.

I think a lot of white people do end up (sadly) avoiding relationships with people of other races because of the shame and guilt that often arises.

When we focus on the fear and guilt, we take the focus away from truly getting to know and caring for another human being.

Porsha is here and reaching for us to heal this divide.

May this conversation open a door for us all to look within, to heal, and to create deeper relationships and a better future for all the generations to come.

In this episode we discussed:

  • Approaching anti-racism work through song and building relationships

  • Healing and tending to grief

  • Letting go of perfectionism and embracing willingness

  • Spirituality and love at the center of anti-racism and social justice movements

  • Healing shame to let down barriers and form true relationships

  • Stories of healing from Porsha’s work

  • The importance of self-forgiveness

  • All about Porsha’s upcoming deep dive series, “Can You Hear Me?” (Links below)

  • How Porsha overcomes fear and doubt and anchors back into her roots and reasons behind this work

  • A beautiful song to remember our connection to spirit

Links in this episode: 

Join Porsha for one of her upcoming deep dives:

Stay in Touch with Rising Women Leaders:


Porsha Beed (she/her) is a co-founder of Holistic Resistance and Grief to Action. Porsha is a practitioner of love, grief work, and deep heart/soul work. She is a mentor, love prophet, poet, spiritual healer and facilitator who pulls from a spiritual ancestral lineage and the earth as guides to support and hold her as she works towards a vision of healing work that aids in the dismantling of racism and oppression. She weaves her African heritage and queer experiences into seeds that she sows in her authentic creative expressions through facilitation, ritual practices, poetry, and song.