Purging darkness

As many of you may know we have been so hopeful about the promise of a new second level school in our local area, and active in our personal involvement in the campaign to make it an Educate Together school. It has been a strong flame of hope for us. Regular readers will know just how big a deal school is for me, for us as a family. And so I feel sick, angry and shocked at the announcement today that the new school will be the only one of nine in the country, awarded to a Catholic patronage.

I don’t want to defend or attack any individual Catholics or to cause hurt. It is not about you or me. Catholicism is not my path. Nor my family’s nor that of so many families in the local area. And every school in this area, bar one private school is already Catholic. And so I feel frustrated that at the time when our children, the next generation of this new world, start moving into their adult consciousness, the only places on offer to them are all not of the consciousness we choose to impart to them. The place they learn day in day out about their feelings of love, arousal, sexuality, spirituality, their paradigm and sense of self and self-worth… will all be in a place which is so dissonant with our own values.

I feel angry, angry, angry. Because we were promised that these new schools would bring diversity, would reflect parents’ and children’s needs which were not already being served by existing schools.

I am angry because of reasons that I do not want to go into here, and I am a writer who could be sued for libel, not an impervious religious body that still holds vast power. But I do not feel that they have, through numerous past actions in the local area, only recently admitted, proven themselves to be a body to which I would trust my children’s bodies or souls.

And so we are left reeling, as are hundreds of parents in the local area, wondering what we do next, where we turn, what our options are: to move 40 miles to be close to the new Educate Together school which has been approved? To commute that distance every day? To home educate? To start a home-ed co-operative or private school, to move to the UK or further afield…. None of the options hold any desire for me… And nor do the schools on offer here. And there are SO many parents that I know personally who are in the same situation.

So here I am, in the dark time of my cycle, the moon darkening in the sky and I feel full of frustration, full of anger and darkness. I am taking part at the moment in a very powerful women's e-course, and we are purging shame and guilt and darkness there too. It runs deep. So deep. It is pervasive. And it gets rooted young.

So much of it is not individual, but collective, built up generation by generation, and now, those of us that are wanting to shift it, to get to somewhere fresh, somewhere creative and vibrant and life-affirming in our own psyches, in our collective culture, we are purging the darkness, speaking shame, shining light on it, sharing, and moving beyond.

But some days it really feels like I don’t have the energy to keep purging, to keep pushing and shaking and resisting the old ways. Trying to knock down old walls, and campaign for new ways. Trying to persuade and convince, and apologise and not offend the old-wayers. How much simpler it would be just to bow my head and accept, as so many have done for generations. To be grateful for what I have. To make the best of it. To stop being so demanding, so entitled.

Or to be happy to lay down my own life, my own career and soul-work to home-ed if it’s so important to me.

Fuck it, fuck it, fuck it.

I am angry. But I know I am not alone in it. There's a lot of us. Angry. Frustrated. And finding our voices... watch out world!

PS So me being me I have gone into overdrive and in the past couple of hours have:

• Set up a petition - you can sign here 
• Contacted the regional newspapers with a press release.
• Written emails to the Minister for Education and our local Representatives
• Spread the word via social media so others can share their voices.

I don't know what can be achieved. But I know I won't go down silent or without a fight.

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!

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?

Thank fuck for school

Its Monday morning. The house is quiet. Our two older kids are at school.

And I think: thank fuck!

I bitch and whine and whinge and moan about school. About the amount of colouring in, religious dogma, early mornings, lack of creativity and imagination...

But here's what I love about it. Last week I was sick all week. And someone else had my kids all day. Took care of them and even taught them some stuff. For free. And I didn't have to feel guilty about asking favours or plonking them in front of the TV.

Do you remember my annual back to school jitters, which this year found us a hair's breadth from quitting and home schooling? Ironically, the thing that perhaps confirmed our need to continue with school was a post written by a home schooling friend about ten reasons you shouldn't home school. We fit 8 of them.

So in the spirit of joy pockets, I want to honour the good in our current educational choices.

1) My children can read, write, spell and add really well. In this world where even a basic education is still a luxury that so many children do not have access to, the fact that we get this for free is nothing to sniff at.
2) It gives us structure to our days, which I know would be lovely not to have some days. But being the structure setter every day is tiring. And if we don't have a plan my kids don't get dressed and we don't do anything. Which is not OK with me on a daily basis.
3) Someone else has responsibility for if my kid can read, count, recognise the flag of Namibia and speak pidgin Irish. And do cross country races. And algebra. Cos all these things are important, right?
4) The parents. What a wonderful, caring, supportive bunch they are at our school. Love 'em.
5)The garden - a strange one, but true. Gotta love a school with a veg garden, kid made scarecrows, hens and a compost heap. And fields to play in.
6) A school where big and little kids play together. Where everyone knows everyone else. Where the principal knows my daughter's name in the first two weeks. Where we all feel safe.
7) My children get to learn about and from other adults who have different strengths, skills, characters and knowledge to me.
8) The range of activities is so much larger than I can offer at home.
9) Very importantly for me and my cautious kiddies: they, and we, are stretched out of our comfort zones. We do stuff that we might not try at home, or that we might not persist with if we were following our own whims. This actually is a good thing.
10) School's so close. Less than five minutes walk. No car journeys, we walk thru the seasons. And I can pop in to see them at break time, just because I love them and they're mine. And that's OK.
11) They don't have to put up with me all day. And when we get together again in the afternoon we have more time, love and enthusiasm for each other.
12) I get my work days. I cannot tell you how important they are to me.
13) And I get lovely quiet one to one mornings with my little Ash. Which is especially important as she's the third child. So we get to do play group, play dough and nursery rhymes.

So I am grateful. Very grateful.

Damn Compulsory Education - Part 2

So I keep being asked how it goes. With the whole school thing. (For Part 1 see here)

The short answer is... it goes.

The long answer is it's been a pretty shit week in my world. I have felt in conflict with my husband over the whole education thing. This was really, really hard. I felt sick, shaken, yuck - I hate that feeling of discord. I felt, if truth be told, like I was in the wrong - in his eyes, in the teacher's eyes - and all I was trying to do was the best for our daughter. As of course was he. I was ready for her to quit - for the rest of the term, the year, for ever. He was not, he felt we needed to give it time... And so we took his path. And I felt like my vote was not being counted. I felt like I was abandoning my sacred mother contract to protect my daughter from trauma.

Monday we got her to line up in the school yard. She freaked, bit me hard on the wrist. Went in with the assistant teacher, crying. Me promising to follow on once I'd collected her little sister from the other side of the yard. I didn't, because the crying subsided. I felt shit.

Monday night she wet the bed (her third time in a week.) Tuesday morning she wakes covered in big fly bites. She stays home. She plays so well with her sister all day. We really need to home school I think, this could work.

Wednesday she has an hour melt down in the morning. She goes in at break time, we settle her in the classroom whilst the other kids are out playing. Cries for five minutes. The sun is shining, it's a friend's birthday party, I take my son out early - all he misses is "power walking" - this is a valid sports choice for 6-7 year olds apparently - WTF?!

Thursday she's fine going in for her dad.  I have a heart to heart with my dad. I go and talk to the teacher, ready to warn her that we're going to pull her out. I ask the teacher how she has been, "Oh great, wonderful, the only problem was the first day until you had gone..." ("that's right, pile it on woman, the whole clingy mother making it all worse shite", I think) "I would have told you if we were having problems..." So I begin to tell her about the melt downs, the wet beds... but to her it doesn't matter, it's not on her watch so it doesn't count.

Friday she goes in at the start of school, we settle her in the classroom before the other kids come in. She's fine.

I have really enjoyed my days at work. Really enjoyed having just little Ash home with me in the mornings. Enjoyed having more energy to enjoy and focus on them all in the afternoon. Felt sad that the sun was shining and my kids were shut in a classroom. Felt cross at forcing our son to do piles of pointless homework on sunny evenings. Delighted at how enthusiastic our daughter is about her homework, doing it a day in advance, with great care. How quickly she is learning her letters. She loves her uniform, you can see that she feels more grown up. I hate making packed lunches. Grind my teeth over filling in school forms.

It's a mixed bag. Truly.

I have been torn between the two competing camps of home ed and schoolers, comforted by the few who find themselves in my position - who crawled out of the work on Facebook, by email, at the playground and the school gate to say - you are us, we know your pain, we're there too. Families who are taking the home ed route - and feeling ill at ease. Families who are taking the school route and feeling deeply conflicted. I know that I am not alone in this.

Here's the truth - there is a lot of feeling going on - mamas and kiddies and papas, yearning, resisting, mourning, regretting, hurting, being scared, feeling overwhelmed.... and school doesn't do feelings. And our class teacher doesn't do feelings. And that's what I struggle with. You go from the home environment where we judge by feelings, intuition, careful watching - to a school environment where the only thing that really matters is on the page, not in the heart, on the page, not in the brain, on the page, not in the soul. Where the currency is stickers and ticks and smiley faces.

Oh that I wish there were clear answers, here where we live. But instead we live in a muddle of compromises. And it's alright. And whilst it's alright we'll stick.

But I reserve the right to twist at any point.

Damn Compulsory Education

We are struggling at the moment.

Really struggling. To send our two children to school. It is compulsory education. For them, for us.

This does not feel good. 

For two mornings in a row we have spent 1 1/2 hours cajoling and forcing them into uniforms. Cajoling and forcing them to walk the 100 metres to school. Cajoling and forcing them into their classrooms. And then, after another hour of endlessly prising the younger one's hands from my neck/ skirt/ arms/ hands, walking away from my child who was screaming for me- albeit left one to one with the very lovely classroom assistant.

I know she is safe. But she does not.

I know that she will be OK, but she does not.

She looks like a rabbit in the headlights. A trapped tiger. Her need to escape, to be with me, to feel safe is primal. She wet herself.

The teacher wanted me to up and leave her straight away. She tried to bribe away her tears with stickers. I could sense her desperation as more and more toys and books were pushed her way and questions asked. "Don't feel your feelings" was the lesson she was teaching her. Shut down. Shut up.

She snapped at me for waiting outside the door and "starting her off again." And so I sat with her as the list of rules and controls was explained to the other children. Don't speak, don't swing, don't wriggle. Don't use the toilet unless you ask...

This is compulsory education.

26 little bodies dressed the same, sat in rows, bribed with stickers to sit still and shut up and colour inane shite.

"School is boring" - my 7 year old informs me. "I know, my love, I know. This is not my vision of education." I think.

I wish we could run free in the woods, with the river as our guide, the seasons as your teachers. I wish we could paint all day, and get up when we want. I wish I didn't have to force and cajole your precious bodies and spirits to satisfy the powers that be.

But I have learnt too, since becoming a mama - I am not the patient, all loving, full of energy mama I thought I would be - I get tired, and over whelmed. I long for peace, to do my work. I am a good one-to-one mama. But there is not one. there are three. Three different characters, different needs - each I want to serve and honour - but the cacophony of competing desires overwhelms me. I begin to sink.

I need to honour you. And I need to honour myself.

We have agonised over school for many years - see here and here.

We have agonised over school for her all year - she is young for her year - but academically and developmentally well above the older kids. She is too young for this year, too old for next. She was getting bored at playschool. Her free pre school childcare year had been used.

She is her - she is highly sensitive, with suspected Sensory Processing Disorder - which is not a "thing" here in Ireland, just in the US.

If we "give in", then what do we do? Do we allow them both to home school. Do we try to find the money for playschool - which we do not have. Do we teach her that when she tantrums she gets her way?

If we don't then we are complicit in forcing and traumatising our daughter. We are not honouring her fears and needs. But will home schooling really be that different - then all the responsibility for their learning will be on my shoulders.

We are trying a gentler approach, of quarter days, to ease her in.

But oh, how I wish there were an easy answer. For her, for him, for us all. One where we all won. One where our days were full of learning, joy and excitement at the world - not fighting and forcing.

Damn you compulsory education!

My top transformational teachers of 2012

When the student is ready, the teacher comes along.

So goes the saying.

This has been a year of profound transformation for me - in terms of work, money, creativity and self-image. And I really wanted to share with you some of the teachers who have helped me along my path.

Each one has earned their place in my heart by providing a nugget of life changing wisdom, but many have given me a bucket load of tools.

1) Leonie Dawson - Joining her Goddess circle exactly a year ago is the number one thing that has changed my life. Her business course. Her free flowing creativity. Her liberal use of turquoise, sparkles and zany Ozzie English. Her piece "You have permission" - you can read it here and also download her free MP3 -it made me laugh out loud and cry into my Cornflakes - almost simultaneously!

You have permission to say no whenever you like, however you like, in whatever kind of voice you like, without feeling like only Mean Girls Say No and Nice Girls Say Yes. That’s bull. Yes and No have equal weighting – what’s important is if you use them when they are the best thing for you, not out of fear, obligation or guilt. 

You have permission to know that Yes is powerful, and so is No. The power comes from you using either from your highest spirit and truest integrity.

You have permission to suck at a wide variety of activities. It’s okay. You make up for it with your million other brilliance particles. 

2) Chameli Ardargh of Awakening Women. A soft spoken Scandinavian yogini. She is the embodiment of gentle, empowered femininity. I adore her way of thinking about meditation:

Meditation not about forcing the mind to be empty but simply becoming receptive to life force.  Feel yourself melting into receptivity like warm honey entering you. I like to think of it as taking Shiva as lover. 

Usually we reach and grasp outside for what we want. Instead follow the yearning back inside, find the feeling that it emerges from, feel that and it will connect you to Source. 

As women we have learned to take power on male terms in a male dominated world. We have had to build up armour to survive. We believe WE must do it, that we are alone. We become opaque not translucent. This blocks love and receptivity to receiving. Learning to receive puts us back into contact with the source and our own power.

3) Mark Silver transformed my view of making money. I came across him in Molly Gordon's free telesummit for self-employed people and he changed my world...

If you're charging your right price it means you can sustain your family, and keep doing the work you want to offer the world. Charging the right price keeps you sustained in your creativity. 

If your business is sustainable you are helping to sustain your community - small businesses are crucial for local economies. 

If your heart centred business is part of the economy, the more it gets visible, then that's money that's not getting spent somewhere else – healing our economy – we are the tiny seeds of change in our economy – helping to shift it towards something more life affirming.

4) Indigo Bacal, founder of the wonderful Wilde Tribe - her effervescence, her gentle wisdom, ability to ask profound questions, the collection of women and depth of interviews on the Wilde Tribe really touched me - I sent her a copy of my book in gratitude!

5) Sage Lavine, I am currently doing Sage's Purpose 2 Prosperity course, having got a great discount via Wilde Tribe. She gets at our underlying assumptions and beliefs about both purpose and prosperity and guides us through the creation of our own vision.

We are our grandmothers prayers answered. 

When we each say yes to doing our own unique piece of the purpose puzzle, our part, it un burdens us from our felt responsibility to save the planet, then we can join together and do it together.

6) Flora Bowley - for getting me back to painting using her brave intuitive painting technique on the Bloom True e course - which is also a wonderful life process. I did her e-course back in February and she's running it again in June. She has just launched her first book: Brave Intuitive Painting which adds to my love and understanding of her paintings and technique.

It is quite possible that a great breakthrough is waiting patiently for you just beyond your fear.

7) Jen Louden  I loved Jen from her books The Women's Retreat Book and The Pregnant Woman's Comfort Book. I chose her teaching course, Teach Now, to get me back in the saddle, and have not been disappointed. For me the greatest resource is the number of teacher interviews with master teachers like Parker Palmer,  Flora Bowley, Christina Baldwin and many more. She speaks to the different soul levels of teaching which is what had been missing from all my previous teacher training.

Try on the possibility that you are more a teacher than you have known, and it is more profitable and sustainable than you have previously imagined. 

 Imagine your lineage of teachers behind you – the teachers, books, courses, family – supporting and creating you as you are now – embrace their encouragement to you and the wealth of knowledge they have.

8) Peruquois I came across the deep feminine wisdom of Peruquois in her Truly Woman video series, via the wonders of Facebook and You Tube - a singer and teacher of immense power, her spiritual understanding of women's bodies and sexuality is unsurpassed.

9) Claire Zamitt - whose Feminine Power e-course materialised at exactly the time I was planning my own! I didn't do her course but have gained so much from hearing her talk in various free telesummits.

One of the core principals of feminine power: we cannot become ourselves by ourselves, we need to grow together 

We feel ourselves 10 months pregnant with something huge – transformation for ourselves, our world, our creativity.  

We feel the gap between the potential for who we are and our ability to realise it –we believe that power is outside of us – we believe that we are too busy, not educated enough, too trapped, but the real reason that we haven’t been able to bridge the gap is that we can’t access the sort of power and support that we need to achieve what we really want as women. Because we have been using masculine power.

10) Susannah Conway I came across via the incredible Only 72 deal (which is just about finished). She has single handedly reinvigorated my passion for blogging with her e-book/ course Blogging from the Heart and has helped me to see how to move forward, where before I felt stuck and despondent.

 A blog is a magazine of you, a place where you can curate your interests and visual inspiration.

11) Dreaming Aloud and YOU dear readers - the act of writing, creating and reflecting on this blog, the input from my readers and the friendships I have made along the way - thank YOU for all your wisdom.

I hope one, or many of these snippets of wisdom has been a light bulb moment for you. And that the offerings of one of these teachers might help you on your path too. Please do share it with all who might benefit from it.

Tell me, who have been YOUR teachers of 2011/12. Which of their words changed your life? Please do share them with us below!


Disclaimer: Lets talk money and credibility for a moment. I have found all of these people's work increbily powerful in practice in my own life. To me that gives them credibilty enough. They are experts at what they do. It is up to you to judge them and their work for yourself. I cannot be held responsible for your decisions.

They are all, it seems to me, honest people doing their work in service to the greater good of humanity. Some value this service quite highly in financial terms. I am personally working through many feelings about money and charging. I find some of their work costs more than I would be prepared to pay. I have bought courses with some, others I have just enjoyed via freebies on their sites, newsletters or on free teleclasses.  I am an affiliate of the Goddess Circle. I receive no benefit in kind from any of the others mentioned. All made it onto this list through merit alone. 

All paintings by me!


This is part of the Mindful Money series at Dreaming Aloud. Take some time to check out the other posts on...

Naming Your Price

Our Matriarchal Inheritance
The Blessing of Money
Guilt
Finding your inner entrepreneur
Transformational Teachers
Beyond Money