The 12 books that rocked my 2012

So I've had a few comments and emails asking for another post on books. Seems you know I love 'em, and want to know what I've been reading and what I recommend.

My problem is I read so much, both for my writing work, reviewing for JUNO magazine and for pleasure. I love to talk about books. But having to sit down and write pithy little reviews that convey my true feelings about them, I find... ummm..... dull. And obviously I can't reproduce my JUNO reviews here before they're in the magazine

Which is sad really, because I fully intended to do a monthly book slot on here. It might yet happen.

So, books that rocked my 2012. They were a funny old mix. Some new releases. Some older. All non-fiction, but of course! Here they are!

I Thought it Was Just Me (But It Isn't) - Brene Brown 
This is an incredible book. A must read for all women (Mummy, I'm getting you a copy for your birthday!) Brown has been an academic researcher into the subject of shame, especially in women, for a number of years. Her book is deep, totally readable and will make a lot of lightbulbs go off in your brain. I am eagerly anticipating her latest book Daring Greatly when it comes out in paperback in the UK.

Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts 
This came out a few years ago now. I avoided it like the plague - pink boas and womanly arts were not for me then. I was aware that there had been a major disagreement between editors at JUNO over this one, so I steered clear. But actually I really enjoyed it. It's all about how to get your feminine mojo going - I wouldn't agree with everything in it, quite a bit comes from the "women should use their feminine wiles to manipulate men" school of thought. But when she's not on that track, I'm totally with her.

Aphrodite's Daughters: Women's Sexual Stories and the Journey of the Soul - Jalaja Bonheim
OK, I've noticed that more than half the list has to do with sex. La-la! I read a lot of books on sex, birth, creativity and the soul - really it's all the same thing. This is a book I've re read a couple of times over the past two years. It's like Women who Run with the Wolves meets The Vagina Monologues. I like!

Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache - Harry Eastwood
My favourite cookery book of the year. It's a cake book. But with a twist. Gluten-free, butter-free, gooey, yummy cakes and divine pictures. See my baking blog for a long review.

Sacred Economics - Charles Eisenstein.
I reviewed this for a feature for JUNO on 'books to change the world' in the forthcoming Spring issue. It is high brow, but very clearly written and superbly researched. A fascinating read on how we can make money sacred again. It's changed my perspective totally.

I Sit Listening to the Wind - Judith Duerk
The second in the Circle of Stones series. This didn't make much of an impact on me the first time I read it, but this time round it was rich and full. It's all about the impact of a woman's overdeveloped masculine side and how it impacts her. Highly recommended.

Vagina: A New Biography - Naomi Wolf. OK this is a contentious one. It has created a feminist fire storm. It's a little bitty, perhaps a little flaky. But it's got lots of great stuff in it which gave me many "aha" moments. It was a real page turner. And opened my eyes. Like did you know that there are men, and women who get paid serious money to do "sacred yoni massage!? They look you in the eyes, say, "welcome goddess", they give you a toe tingling orgasm, you pay them £150, and it's nothing to do with sex, really?!?!?!

Manhood - Steve Biddulph. My husband borrowed this from a friend, and he loved it so much he's getting his own copy. Which I'm delighted by, because I started reading it in the car on the way to their house and got totally hooked - admittedly it was on the bit on men and sex. I lvoe Steve Biddulph - he strikes me as a very honest, caring, compassionate man, parent and teaccher, and has a lot of insight into masculinity in the modern age.

The Mandala Book - I love this book. It's a visual sourcebook for me. As is Celtic Art - George Bain - which I teaching myself to draw Celtic knots and designs from. These are a great form of meditation. I have tried reading a couple of books of Celtic history and culture which were dreadfully written, am looking for recommendations.

Moods of Motherhood - Lucy Pearce
You know when you make yourself cry, and laugh out loud, and it's your life that you're reading, your words, then it must be pretty good really! haven't promoted this book that much. But if you like the blog, then do get the book. It's got the best bits of the blog, my JUNO columns, a number of JUNO articles and chapters that I've contributed to other books, and lots of original pieces too.

And still.... You Can Heal Your Life -Louise L Hay.
I come back to it every few weeks. I've copied out a number of the long affirmations and am considering learning them to recite, like prayers. This is as close to a bible as I get.

What have been your favourite books of 2012? Are there any coming out in 2013 that you're eagerly anticipating? Do share!

Hairy guacamole, Batman!

So there I was, sitting in a bath of vegetable blobs when I thought, maybe this is not such a good idea.

If I had a penis I would have just poured myself a tequila half an hour ago. Because a man, if he sees a bowl of guacamole, would never in a million years consider putting it on his hair, just like if he sees oatmeal and honey, he thinks "breakfast" not "cheap tonifying face mask."

But here I was. Penis free. Hair down to my boobs, which is fecking long when your boobs are down to your knees. Having not been to a hairdresser in 8 years. And having spent the past two days and nights sleeping with it up to minimise the chundered carrot chunks in it, (I had the vomitting bug), something needed to be done. And so I decided two things.

My poor dear body needs some real TLC. I'm worth it. A truly good decision, I was on the money here.

The next one: I'll start with my hair - not so good!

I went to the internet for an answer. We had an avocado on the turn in the fruit bowl, and my addled thrifty mama brain remembered seeing on Pinterest (the mama fantasy world) that one can use such things for DIY hair deep conditioning treatments.

I bundled the kids off with a blender full of freshly made hummous (its alright, there's no need to hate me, its the only thing they all eat other than their subsistence diet of chocolate spread sandwiches) with dear Mr DA to see the in-laws and ran myself a bath.

Then I set to work on the hair mask. Ah, blender with kids, I realised. No worries, reassures the glossy website, just mash well, and mix in the olive oil.

Well I did, really well. And that's where I shoulda stopped and cracked open the tequila and tortilla chips.

But no, I stepped on the scales, celebrated the lost chundered pounds, lit some candles, said prayers and lowered myself into the bath. Shampooed, rinsed, applied mask. Rinsed. And rinsed. And rinsed again. And then spent the next ten minutes picking out lumps of guacamole from my dry yet oily, tangled, shitty-looking, weird-smelling hair.

So if you see me, and it looks like I have puke in my hair, I just might, or I might have just been on Pinterest again.

Now there's a man back home, and a freshly-bathed wife in a dressing gown, and no kids....though I doubt I'll get lucky, with all these smelly green lumps in my hair!

So pass the guacamole. And the tortilla chips. And the scissors!

Tell me dear reader, in the spirit of Blog delurking week, what's the weirdest thing you've ever put on your hair... Or skin? And did it work. If you've never left a message before, I'd be extra stoked to hear from you! I know you're there!

Kitchen Alchemy of a Yummy Mummy

When I'm feeling sad and blue.
Or just don't know what to do. 

I step up to the hob, my pans a-gleaming

Setting them going bubbling and steaming

Roasts and risolles, soups and stew

Frying, grinding, braising too

Spices and herbs to heal my woes

Garlic on fingers, chilli in my nose.

As I stir and pans a-simmer

I feel so hope begin to glimmer

The kitchen alchemy, with its rising steam

Stifles out my shouts and screams.

Onions are chopped, eggs beating, 

Straining, boiling, whisking, heating.

Cake or curry, pizza or jam

Elegant quiches from leftover ham.

What I cook matters less than the meaning it brings - 

Its warmth and its love to make my soul sing.

I let off my steam,  and feed my tummy

And I'm back to being a yummy mummy.

Grab your FREE Kindle copy of my new book - TODAY ONLY!

The lights are flashing on and off here, so this is a super quick post before the next powercut to let you know that you can grab a free Kindle version of my latest book, Moods of Motherhood, today only, from Amazon.

UK readers can get theirs here
US and rest of world can get theirs here 

If you don't have a Kindle, you can download an app for your iphone, i pad, laptop or desktop, so no excuses!!! Grab it, snuggle up and laugh and cry as you see the moods of motherhood writ large.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it...

If you have a blog, perhaps you'd give it a mention or write a reflection on it

I'd love it if you'd take a few minutes to write a review on Amazon! (And if you've read my first book Moon Time and have yet to review it, please take a moment and do, every review helps support books and authors you love!

And then you might like to buy a copy for your sister or friend, or even yourself, to have beside your bed.

Big love mamas, this can be a tough old road, as I've seen the past few months - but you're not in it together - we're all here, on different bits of the path. You are not alone. You can do it!
x

Getting real about your needs

Mummy is in love with daddy

These words fill my heart with joy. This is all I wanted to know, to feel, as a little girl. We want to give our children what we never had. And now I have. This is normal for my daughter. Never,ever has she, would she doubt it. How truly wonderful, that security of love.

When getting mindful about money, honesty is where it's at.

Honesty can be hard. It can make you feel sick to your stomach. Like hyperventilating. Like running as fast as you can.

But boy does it work in clearing space for ease, growth and possibility. Because, I have found, living less than the truth eats away at our energy.

I have been practicing it this year - with mixed "results". I find that honesty is best received by those who are willing and able to be honest themselves. The greater their disconnection from themselves, from their feelings, their truth, the harder it is to have mutual honesty.

But we can ALWAYS start, right now, with being more honest with ourselves. In a way that's all that really matters. Because when we are honest with ourselves we know what's what, there's nothing filed away in a scary box labelled "denial", which haunts our dreams with its shape shifting tendencies.

This is what we did before we shifted into our new work-balance and Mr Dreaming Aloud left the security of his old job.

We did the sums. And we figured out there were all sorts of things we would need to cut for the year. But we could cover all the biggies. And hoped that in future years we would be able to expand our earning capacity to allow a little more breathing space.

So let's turn the lights on your money. There are whole books devoted to this. If that's what you want, great.  But I suggest you spend 20 mins just making notes now. 

If you don't have a clear idea already - now's your time to get clear with yourself. Don't put yourself off by being anal and having to find every last receipt, but make a note of all your big financial commitments:

What do you owe: in loans, mortgages, insurance, car payments?
What do you need to pay for: power, fuel, school fees, taxes, food, basic transport, to keep shoes on everyone's feet and clothes on their backs. etc.
Now you have a baseline of what you NEED.

Now make a list of what you WANT - these are basic wants for your general happiness - say a family meal out once a month, swimming, £20 on your cell phone a month...

And finally luxuries - a foreign holiday, massages, pedicures, expensive clothes etc

Now one person's needs are another persons luxuries. It is personal. But it's good to know this about yourself - what do YOU consider a basic need rather than a luxury.

As I said, we did this, I shaved every single "luxury" I could off our needs - off went going to friend's weddings and wedding presents, my book habit, paying extra off our mortgage, the chiropractor and acupuncture, and eventually health insurance, dinners out, fewer bottles of wine...

We entered this experiment, of choosing work we love and shared childcare over a better paying job that made us all miserable. We chose abundance over wealth. So each time we know we can't afford something, I remind myself of what we have chosen instead.

On paper we would be in one of the lowest income brackets. But oh my the abundance we have. And that is why we're not poor. We have a strong community of friends, family and acquaintances and a culture of non-monetary interactions within that. We are blessed with a vibrant life in a beautiful location.

And you know what? We do have luxuries. New jobs find us. We find other ways - I top up my reading habit with requesting all the new releases I want to read for free as a book reviewer. I got our family a festival ticket via my work. We are using supermarket points in exchange for our ferry tickets...
There is abundance, possiblity, everywhere. We have to see it. To open our eyes for other ways to meet our needs. Other luxuries to enjoy. And then open ourselves to receiving them.

PS

I am excited to see this interview series Teaching What we Need to Learn which starts on 15th May - it is all about truth telling. It is big names being real - telling the truth behind their lives -Ram Dass, Don Miguel Ruiz, Byron Katie and many more. All for free.

Finding Our Centres - Tried and Tested Techniques for Family Sanity

Leading on from my popular post, earlier this week on the Sacred Art of Being a Parent, I want to explore in more practical detail the two parts:

Finding your Centre and Holding the Space 

over the course of a couple of posts, to bring them down from airy fairy concepts into practical, doable actions. When we have clear acts that we feel are within our grasp we no longer feel powerless, react badly and then suck up the guilt afterwards. 

What is "finding your centre"? I mean being rooted in a place of calm balance, where we stand in our own power, able to clearly give our yes and no. Where we feel unshaken, energised and respons-able, rather than reactive.When we find our centre, we are aware of our inner voice, as clearly as the outer voices around us. We can be guided by both. We honour ourselves, and the other, allowing a deeply nourishing relationship which does not place another's needs above our own, or vice versa.

Finding your centre, means, in its simplest form, coming back to relaxed (that means slow, from your deep chest/ belly) breathing, your heart rate is lowered, the stress hormones are not being released, your muscles are relaxed and your brainwaves are in their slower alpha rate rather than the faster, everyday beta brain waves.

How often are the words "finding your centre", or "centre yourself", accompanied by "meditate" or "do yoga"? Which is great if:

a) these are your thing

b) you have an established practice - which

c) you can sustain when you have children.

But I have found that neither works for me with lots of little people around. And if I try and get interrupted I feel double frustrated. So, I need acts that promote the same state of relaxation and flow, that change my brain waves, like meditation, but that can be done with children or when they are in the other room. (I go into the concept of flow and finding your centre in great detail in my book, The Rainbow Way)

So, ways that we have found, and regained our centres this week are...

Colouring mandalas ( I do this with my 4 year old a lot)

Drawing celtic knotwork (which I do by myself in my journal)

Lighting fires (which my husband and son particularly love)

Drawing (which my two girls love)

Making pots (which we all love, that's me making one there! It literally requires you to find your centre, as you stop the clay flying round the wheel and bring it under control).

Doodling

Listening to music

Visualisation

Watching candles flicker

Slow, relaxing, soothing cooking

Walking slowly, meditatively in nature

A talking circle

Reading stories

How do you find YOUR centre? By yourself, or as a family? Do share your practices with us all, in the comments below.

Bliss....

The outline for this hid behind the filing cabinet for a long time.

I finished it today.

Loved painting it.

Bliss...

The Sacred Role of a Parent

A lot of the time I worry "am I doing enough with our children"? In the bigger picture sense, things like: are they turning into good people? How much should they know about sex? Are they getting enough life experience?  What if they don't have any spiritual practices. You know, small fry stuff like that which swirls round most parents' heads most days.

But even more frequently I think: "now what are we going to do?"

Like. We've got 3 hours till Mr DA gets home. They're bored. I don't have the energy to do anything creative or practical with them. It's raining. WTF are we going to DO to survive the next three hours without mass slaughter?!!!

When, as I was preparing to lead our women's group on Sunday, a lightning bolt struck that I just have to share with you.

That there are only, truly two things I need to do as a mother.

To find my own centre. 

And to hold the space.

End of!

Truly!

(Now this is the embarrassing bit where having bigged it up, you're like "durgh! of course, Lucy!") But I've started so I'll finish!

Sure, we all know, on one level that being a "good" parent is nothing about the amount of playdough or painting or nature walks we do with them. We know it in theory, but many of us don't know it on a gut level, in a way that informs our every day decisions.

That is why this revelation was nothing short of a bolt of lightning from the blue. It united a number of previous observations I have made in the science lab of extreme parenting - otherwise known as in my daily life.

So, I notice that when I am below par, tired or ill, that the children go all jangly - as though they can no longer feel their energy being held by me, and so they are pushing the boundaries on every side to try and find where they are, to feel safe. This is the unseen work of parenting, but that which really counts. We can't really SEE when it's being done, but it is really obvious in its effects when it's not.

The equations go something like this...
Mama sick = mad kids. Mama tired = evil kids. Mama happy = happy families.

This is why self care is so important. It's not just feelgood twentieth century mumbo jumbo. It directly contributes to the wellbeing of the entire family.

Holding space takes energy. Concentrated energy, for those of us who are not, this year at least, fully enlightened beings.

Sometimes holding our centre in the midst of the mundane is a lot trickier than in crisis, when the choice is more stark: hold your centre or freak out.

There are times when I know that holding my centre was all I can do. With Aisling's fall. In birth. With other of the children's injuries and illnesses. With many tantrums. Finding my centre. Allowing myself to remain there as everything goes on. As fear and sadness and anger and despair, and not knowing what to do swirl around me.

By holding the space I mean being really, deeply present, emotionally there. Not adding any emotional stuff to the party. Being as pure and transparent and there in the moment as is humanly possible. Being totally there for them. Being responsive, flexible, breath by breath.

Holding the space often means physically holding too. Just holding, not fixing, not clinging. Just body to body, heart to heart, offering the comfort of your presence.

And when I can keep my centre, I can hold the space, breath by breath - hold it so that everyone else feels safe to be the way that life is making them at that moment - then I am doing my sacred job as mother. I am being their womb space, their soft place to fall, their mothersoul, their advocate.  I am there, completely, for them. 

But when I am off centre, I cannot do this. When I am tired, overwhelmed, anxious then I react. I am pulled into the emotional storm. Or I am trying to escape - mentally physically.

Life has been hard with tantrums and sick kiddies these past weeks.

Sometimes I find my centre, and hold the space, and fulfill my sacred role in a way that I am proud to call myself their mother.

And often I don't. And I feel shame and regret.

But now I know, in really simple terms, what it is I am aiming at, it makes it seem more doable.

And perhaps it will for you too!

Big love and rainbows coming at you!

Lucy
x

Joy Pockets

Little pockets of gratitude in the midst of mundanity...

Birthing a dream- The Creative Rainbow Mama's Soul Book

***

A tantrum free day

***

Walking home on a crisp, clear, starry winter night

***

So many women friends who touch my soul daily

***

Wondering if she's pregnant

***

A baby giraffe, only a couple of weeks old, beholding us with eyes of innocence

***

Fondant fancies - the taste of childhood treats

***

The revelationary moment of divine blessing when underlying blueprint for The Rainbow Way appeared as if by magic - it had been right there under my nose all the time - durgh!!!

***

What are you grateful for this week -  do share your joy pockets below!

I've got a little something for you!!

Happy New Year dearest readers!

We are 9 days into the new year and already I have made five dreams come true! Wowsers! What a way to start the year.

They were:

• attend a women's retreat
• bellydance with other women
• make new work-soul connections with local like-minded women
• build my mailing list and
• create a beautiful e-book

That e-book has filled my heart with joy in the making of it. Created from some of my favourite bits from my next book, The Rainbow Way, combined it with my artwork, it came together over the course of a weekend.

Have you got your copy yet? 

Sign up to the mailing list and you will get your very own rainbow coloured copy as if by magic!

It was only when I had created this little book of colourful love for creative mamas, that I realised WHAT a big dream come true it was.

Let me take you back in time to May 2011....

I had just joined Leonie Dawson's Goddess Circle and read her Business Goddess e-book, having found her after Googling "Creative Rainbow Mothers".

Her e-book allowed the seed of an idea to form. I would write an e-book. About Creative Rainbow Mothers. The dream was that it would be a colourful book for the soul. Two moths later I realised it was bigger than an e-book. I started sending it off to publishers. And whilst I waited, sat down to write another e-book. Moon Time. Which also became a real book.

The book about Creative Rainbow Mothers is so much bigger than my original vision. It has taken on a life of its own, and features the words and experiences of pretty much ALL my creative mama heroines.

Today, I received the Forward to the book, written by Leonie herself! I love how it has all come full circle!

AS I was reflecting on the book, before I launched into the rather tedious work of the final writing and editing,  the e-book idea called me again.

So I made it.

I rode my wild donkey, as Leonie would say.

And it's now winging its magic around the world. It's been read by more than 50 women in three days. In Switzerland, Ireland, The US, India, UK, Australia...

My inbox has been bombarded with beautiful messages of thanks from women who've read it. Oh how they made my toes tingle with delight. Let me share a couple...

So. On Saturday I went for lunch with my friend and came away feeling really low. I felt like my life had become so... small since having the boys, and almost like I had to apologise for my lack of dynamism. I realised that I can't keep up with my old life, but I do have to open myself up to new creative outlets. So... Long story short, last night I sent out a prayer for something to jump out at me and make my heart sing, and two pages in and I know this book is it! Long way of saying thank you xxx

         C.M

And this one

I just had to email you and tell you how fantastic, wonderful, beautiful, inspiring, amazing, bright and delicious I think it is!! You are brilliant and you inspire me!

          L.S-P


And this one 

It's beautiful, the art work, the words... I'm only halfway, baby woke up but can't wait to get back to it later. You are so talented and so generous to share your talent and spirit so openly!!! Thank you! 

          D.H. 

So be sure to grab your copy. And do let me know what you think. 

My transformational teachers of 2013

It may be a little early in the year to write this. But what the hell. I'm buzzing about who I'm working with this year and so I wanted to share it with you like, NOW!!!!

It seems to have become a sort of tradition for me to scout out my teachers and then organise my learning for the year ahead. (To see last year's teachers see here... and then come right back here so you can meet my line up for this year!)

I think of it as my very own University of Life where I get to choose my professors and my topics. Topics I never learnt about at school, that set my world on fire, from women around the world who I wouldn't otherwise get to meet. All glory and thanks to the wonders of the Interweb, guardian of women's sanity!

I usually have one module for creativity, one for business/ money, a couple for spirit and one for teaching/ facilitation. But often they tick a couple of boxes. Basically I make sure that I up-skill each of my work life areas each year. Taking on new ideas, soaking in the wisdom and experience and general juju of mentors I admire.  So if you're looking for inspiration, new mentors and general wonder, look no further!

As an aside, there are always two big demons to fight: the "no-time" and "no money" demons. Being a mama of three with a low income, I know both, intimately, but I also know that when I live magically, fully and creatively, every area of my life is enhanced. This is a totally worthwhile investment in me as a woman and a creative entrepreneur. I don't take on courses that require me to show up at certain times. Nor ones which cost over the £150 bracket. What I am after is nuggets of transformational wonder and delight offered by women who walk their talk.

All the time I am learning I also have my business and teacher's hat on watching for useful tips and tricks, teaching material I can re-use, their marketing strategy and furthermore making great networks with fellow alumni of my sort of people who may well become customers, and networking with the leaders themselves scouting out opportunities to collaborate. I wait for special offers and discounts and become an affiliate as well for extra cha-ching. So really it doesn't cost me too much. And it makes me way happy, knowing that I can tap into some wonderful wisdom at any moment, from home, without trying to get out in the evenings.

So this years faculty in my University of Life are:

 Shiloh Sophia. I am taking her course, The Red Key, at the Cosmic Cowgirls University (yeeha!). They have very kindly offered me a generous scholarship to extend my studies in creativity, the divine feminine, painting and women's creative process with her for the rest of the year. You'll see her influence in my more recent paintings and many more to come.

Do take some time to listen to her powerful talk on the Red Thread . The winter session of Marked by the Muse has just begun: packed full of poetry, painting and creative connection. It's powerful stuff and I'm loving it. (Check out what she says about women and business here!)


Megan Auman. My business modules this year are Megan's Business by Design and Marketing for Makers to help me up my game in term of reaching new customers and shaping my exciting new offerings. She's a jeweler and metal worker by trade with a great way of talking about business to creative types. I've been signed up to her mailing list for the past year (this and reading someone's blog is a really good way to get a sense of someone's work for free before committing a penny). She had an incredible deal, of 70% off these two courses until Jan 6th - |I bought them together for $80 (normal price $269).



Leonie Dawson - OK, sometimes I worry I go on about how great she is and you all just tune out, like la-la here's Lucy's fan-girl-crush again. Truth is I'm an affiliate because this woman rocks my world. (And this is the only affiliate link here!) And so I've been really excited to see on Facebook how many regular readers of Dreaming Aloud have taken my advice and either joined the circle or bought her Business and Life planners and are now totally in love with her too! She rocks!!!

 If you want transformation fast, that's deep, but also fun, caring and sparkly, then Leonie's your woman. Go right now and buy a planner, it's less that £6. That's no risk at all. Plan your 2013. Start making your dreams come true! Oh, and did I tell you she's writing the forward for The Rainbow Way? Wahooooo!

Mary Beth Bonfiglio. She's a recently new discovery, thanks to my superbly well connected friend Erin Darcy. I want to write like this woman. And so I've signed up to do her writing course, Own The Edge. It's magic! I love her coinages: wordgasm anyone? Do check out her blog and prepare to be blown away by words! (I have a contribution from her in The Rainbow Way too, yippee!!!)


Beth Wallace. A fellow woman's circle leader and Irish based, hurray! 
A kindred spirit a few steps ahead on the spiral path. She teaches tantra, Jade egg practice and so much more (seeher site for details). We are already talking possible collaborations and I'm looking forward to attending more of her events, like her next Full Moon Circle in April and her Bliss event in West Cork in July.

And then my wish list - faculty opportunities waiting to be filled!

Mara Friedman. Divine feminine artist based in the US, whose work touches women to the core. Not sure how I'm going to get to work with her but am learning from her art. I sell her cards at fairs, and each of my Happy Womb Gift sets comes with one of them.

ALisa Starkweather - I am hoping to connect more with this amazing wise woman, founder of the Red Tent Movement in 2013 and perhaps meet in person.

I'm looking for a really strong mandala tutor on line course, artist or book. I've been sniffing around for over a year now and not come up with anything. And also a dance practice of some sort, I'd love some sacred feminine dance, tribal bellydancing to be precise! Preferably local. Any suggestions appreciated!

And for those of you who were inspired to see my painting blooming into life last year, Flora Bowley's Bloom True course, the one that started it all off, is running again in February.

I have my own exciting courses, on line and in person brewing in 2013. So maybe I'll get to be one of your transformational teachers of 2013 online or in person. I'm so excited!

Who are your transformational teachers for 2013?