Cyprus, Priestesses, and Mystery School Teachings

At the end of October, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Cyprus for a retreat with Mary Magdalene’s Mystery School. It was by far the best retreat I’ve experienced for so many reasons.

First, why attend a spiritual retreat? Personally, I seek out retreat opportunities that provide an immersion in the high frequency energies of the location. That’s why you hear of so many people wanting to visit Sedona and Mt. Shasta in the U.S., Machu Pichu in Peru, Glastonbury in the UK, the pyramids in Egypt, and Uluru in Australia. These sites are energy vortexes where the veils between this world and the higher realms are thinner. As a result, one is more likely to experience openings or awakenings that they might not otherwise have.

So why Cyprus? Through channeled messages Anna & Petra, founders of Mary Magdalene’s School, learned that Mary Magdalene held yearly gatherings on Cyprus at Joseph of Arimathea’s estate. It was there that she could express her authentic voice to her Family of Love. Through her pure transmissions in these annual gatherings, she brought Wisdom to the earthly realm. This was where her secret teachings on Oneness & Peace were preserved within the Hearts of the Soul Family and in the very Soul of Cyprus. During the final gathering on Cyprus, around year 38 CE, Mary Magdalene expressed a pivotal message on Love and Oneness. This is an excerpt from her final words:

“When we all meet again, perhaps in other lives with other faces, we will recognize this golden energy and know that we have connected again with the great Family of Love.”

Which leads to the second reason I love to attend spiritual retreats – the opportunity to connect and reconnect with Soul Family. I spend so much of my time at home interacting with friends and colleagues around the world via Zoom. In the deep work we’re doing together, we develop very close bonds. But it’s just not the same as being together in person to embrace each other and connect in an even deeper way. Many of us, in fact, believe we have been together in previous lifetimes and have been called back together for a sacred purpose.

We are being asked now to support Mother Earth and all her Creation. As Mother Earth purifies herself with the help of her children, and humanity remembers Oneness Consciousness, we will all together move into the anticipated Age of Light. As we remember our divine heritage, and we move out of personality-based creation, which creates karma, we remember soul co-creation. Perhaps most importantly, we start to remember the place inside of ourselves where we are One with Source.

But there’s more. If you’ve been following my blog posts, you might recall that I’ve been very drawn to the Priestess Path. After learning of the Rise of the Divine Feminine and it’s potential to impact the lives of women and men in an extraordinary way, I felt drawn to learn more about the Priestesses and Temples of Ancient Egypt. Could they, and Mary Magdalene, hold a key to the “re-powerment” of women on the planet today? The answer I discovered is most assuredly, YES! Through some personal healing work, I saw that part of my sacred mission is to restore what was lost in ancient times when the patriarchy dishonored the feminine and desecrated all they held sacred.

While in Cyprus, I co-officiated a ceremony at the Hathor Temple, which was a profound experience for all of our retreat family. Much healing occurred at many levels as we remembered and reconnected with our ancient lineage. This experience, and all of the rich experiences of the retreat, solidified the belief that we must come together regularly to be nourished, supported, and then sent out to do the work for which we’ve come.

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So how does one spend 10 days in this sacred container and then land back in Greenville, South Carolina? Back to life as usual? Well, it’s not life as usual. For one cannot possibly engage in this type of work without being completely transformed.

What is clear to me is that Restoring the Temple is an invitation to each of us to Restore the Sacredness of our Body Temple. To remember our Divinity. That we are so much more than flesh and bones. We are Divinity in a body having a 3-D experience. And the Rising Consciousness on the planet is our opportunity to draw back the veil of what we have come to believe separates us from our True Self and Source. To realize that separation is and always has been an illusion.

Moreover, Restoring the Priestesses (and Priests) has nothing to do with formalized religion. This, too, is an opportunity to remember our sacred heritage and mission.

We need Priestesses now more than ever who…

• Lead from the Heart and the Soul
• Rise above the Chaos & Insanity
• See past the Illusions
• Maintain a Higher Perspective
• Are masters of the “Middle Way”
• Alchemize 3-D Lead to 5-D Gold
• Stand as Pillars of Love & Light
• Bring Heaven to Earth

We need Priestesses in our homes. Priestesses in our schools. Priestesses as healers and caregivers. Priestesses as bankers, lawyers, and entrepreneurs. Priestesses in our boardrooms and government institutions. Priestesses caring for Mother Earth, the animal kingdom, and the air we breathe, water we drink, food we consume.

Priestesses as Leaders in all walks of life Co-Creating the way forward to a New Earth!

Is this resonating with you? Are you feeling the call to go deeper on your Spiritual Journey and step more fully into your own Sacred Mission? As a Priestess or Priest? Lightworker, Starseed, or Wayshower?

If so, I invite you to explore a new online course offering from Mary Magdalene’s Mystery School that I will be leading beginning in January. It’s for anyone who hears the call to be a leader of Sacred Co-Creation.

If you’d like to learn more, please join us for a free webinar on Sunday, November 17, at 2:00 pm EST. We’ll share more about the course and answer all of your questions. And if you can’t attend live, we’ll send a recording.

Don’t wait any longer to step onto your path of Awakening to your True Self and bringing forth your Sacred Mission!

Be bold. Be Daring.

Be AWE-dacious!

Sending so much love! Bliss​

Holy Yes or Hell No!

It seems like no matter how hard I try to simplify my life and manage my commitments, my to-do list never seems to get any shorter. There are just so many AWE-mazing people, organizations, and missions dedicated to co-creating a better way forward. And I want to be part of that! Don’t you?

The reality, however, is that we can’t do it all. Continual distractions, obligations, and responsibilities keep us from staying focused on our Sacred Mission.

And I don’t believe we incarnated on the planet to experience the daily grind. If we want to maintain balance in our life, we must carve out time to just relax and have fun.

So how do we enjoy a life that is rich in creativity and adventure while overcoming overwhelm?

Recently, a few suggestions have crossed my path…

The first comes from Rachel Botsman, a Trust Fellow from Oxford University, who is credited for coming up with the concept of “to-don’t” lists – a way to eliminate overburdening and non-essential activities.

This a clever way to start reconfiguring our daily living, don’t you think? Here are a couple of things on my “to-don’t” list…

• Don’t schedule morning meetings so I can have plenty of time to enjoy my Spiritual practices
• Don’t spend time with people who drain my energy
• Don’t believe that just because someone sends me an email I have to read it – be choosy
• Don’t watch the fear-inducing news streams or waste time scrolling through social media feeds
• Don’t sign up for too many online summits/workshops/courses – even though the content is appealing my brain can become saturated and leave very little space for my own genius to shine through

The next suggestion came from Dr. Paul Corona, a personal coach for achievement-oriented leaders who he believes tend to say “yes” too often and as a result have too much going on. He suggests the following experiment…

“In your head and heart, start saying “no” to every single new thing that comes your way. In other words, change your default response to no. Then stop and ask yourself, “Do I really, truly have to say yes to this one?” If so…by all means say yes, do the thing, and do it well. Otherwise, respond no. Try this for a month. And also take a good, hard look at your current calendar commitments and change every “maybe” and “weak yes” to a no. When the month is up, evaluate the quality of your professional and personal life.”

Corona says that in 20+ years of coaching leaders, he has never had anyone report a problem or significant disruption after completing this experiment. In fact, the stuff they never needed to do just goes away somehow or they delegate and let it go.

This falls right in line with a quote I once heard that says…

“Successful people say no to almost everything!”

Over time, I’ve discovered two approaches in my own life that when practiced keep me focused and happier. The first is to examine my life using three containers…

• Have To
• Should
• Want To

The “Have To” container consists of those things that you maybe don’t love to do but you have to like laundry, cleaning house, and paying bills. The key here is to get them done as quickly and efficiently as possible.

This leaves more time for the “Want To” container which should be filled to the brim with high-vibrational, life-affirming people, things, and activities. Ideally, your sacred mission falls into this category as well.

The “Should” container is the place of untapped potential because here you find all those things that you think you’re supposed to do or feel obligated to do but really don’t want to. When you take time to examine this container and have the courage to remove these people, things, and activities from your life – the clouds part, the sun shines through, and you might even hear the sound of angels singing a hallelujah chorus.

Life becomes magical!

I know it can be challenging to eliminate people and things from your life that have been there for a long time. So I have another method I use that helps make the process a bit more clear.

In my favorite Divine Feminine oracle deck from Meggan Watterson, she introduces us to “Freyja”, the Goddess of Discernment, and one of the most powerful and important deities in Norse mythology. Here’s what Meggan writes…

“You get to choose the life you want to live. And this happens by being fierce and warrior-like about what you say yes to. Use discernment so that you are only saying yes to what will actually nourish and renew you, inspire or expand you. It’s not your business to worry about those you might disappoint. You were not made to meet everyone’s expectations of you. You were made to express the truth of who you are and to use the brief time you have here to live out your potential…Your only true obligation is to the voice of your own soul.”

I suggest that as you step more fully into your magnificence and design the life of your dreams, begin asking yourself with each new invitation or opportunity…

“Is this a Holy Yes or a Hell No?”

And then experience the Mystery, Magic, and Miracles of your Destiny!

Be bold. Be Daring.

Be AWE-DACIOUS!

P.S. We can sometimes feel guilty for exercising our right to say, “Hell No.” If you find yourself here remember this…your “Hell No” opens up the opportunity for someone else to say her “Holy Yes”.

We can’t do it all. That’s why we’re in this together!

The Blueprint of your Destiny

I’m sure many of you would agree that our unique Destiny path is rarely a straight line, and oftentimes we don’t see the patterns until we look back and reflect on the twists and turns. In my own life, I continue to be surprised at where life is leading me and the adventures I’m being invited to embark upon.

I founded my social enterprise, AWE Partners, in 2016 and have been sharing my journey with you since then in hopes of inspiring you to shine your light more fully. The mission of AWE was to educate women on how to make their AWE-thentic Impact in the world, particularly around social issues about which they were passionate. I encouraged them to do the inner work first and then take their true self out into the world and share their magnificence!

My personal passion was focused on the empowerment of women and girls. As I got deeper into the work, I coined the term “Re-powerment” as I realized that we’re not empowering women and girls – we’re reminding them of the inherent power they hold within. I then went on to design the 7 Pillars of Women’s Re-powerment which are:

· Re-connecting to Mother Earth

· Health & Well-Being

· Education

· Economic Empowerment

· Equality & Leadership

· Freedom from Violence

· Re-storing the Sacred

By focusing on these 7 pillars simultaneously we support women and girls with the resources they need to flourish. But I believe the most important pillars are #1 Reconnecting to Mother Earth and #7 Restoring the Sacred.

I don’t remember when I first heard the term “Divine Feminine”. All I know is it resonated deeply. In my personal journey I was trying to find a way to reconcile my own spirituality with the religion I had grown up with and all but abandoned as I began to see how its messages had been corrupted.

The concept of the Divine Feminine provided an avenue to explore the feminine side of spirituality which had been left out of any stories or doctrine I had been taught. Intentionally left out and now resurrecting in a powerful way to balance the masculine energies that have dominated our history. I was all in!

I learned more about Divine Mother Mary who played an even greater role in history than simply birthing her son, Yeshua. I also learned about Mary Magdalene, a key figure in the Christian narrative who was not only a female disciple of Yeshua’s (and there were many more) but also his beloved companion. This and more was revealed in the findings of significant archaeological recoveries – the Nag Hammadi Library in 1945 and the Dead Sea Scrolls between 1947 and 1960. Who knew there was a Gospel of Mary Magdalene?

At the core of Yeshua’s mission, and the Essene community which supported him, was an anchoring of the Cosmic Energy of Unconditional Love on the planet. Yeshua didn’t come to save us from our sins, for he knew of our inherent goodness. He came to show us how to live on this planet as both human and Divine. A message that was so threatening to the powers that be, they had him crucified.

However, despite how the events unfolded or perhaps because of them, a shift in consciousness did occur 2,000 years ago which set the stage for what is happening on the planet right now. We no longer have to live in a narrative of victimhood and powerlessness.

By raising our consciousness to a higher frequency, each and everyone of us is invited to wake up, remember our Divinity, and claim our Sovereignty!

This truth is nothing less than the ultimate “Re-Powerment” tool. And a message that must be shared with the world!

For if we are to co-create a New Earth – one that thrives not on fear, dis-ease, scarcity, greed, competition, and power over – we must shift the consciousness on the planet to Love, Light, Truth, Harmony, Cooperation, Oneness, Abundance, and Peace. And it starts with each of us. It’s both an invitation and a responsibility. You don’t have to look far to see that the time is now for a renewed Unity Consciousness!

Through all of my research, reading and participation in spiritual programming, I have come to the conclusion that there’s nothing more important for me to focus my energies on at this time than playing my part in raising the consciousness on the planet and thereby “Re-powering” not only women and girls – everyone!

But how?

That’s where Mary Magdalene’s School (MMS) comes in. A modern-day Mystery School just like the ones that Yeshua, Divine Mother, Mary Magdalene and members of the Essene community to which they belonged, participated in to open their minds and hearts to the great mysteries. In fact, many of the greatest minds in the ancient world were initiates of the Mystery Schools which spread throughout the ancient Mediterranean.

Mary Magdalene’s School, located in Vezelay, France, was created by two dear soul sisters, Anna Vanickova and Petra van der Linden-Brussen, and is open to all regardless of gender, race, religion, or culture. Its mission is to assist in the awakening of all humanity into Sophia Christ Consciousness and seed the New Civilization on Gaia Earth through the mystery school tradition.

I’ll delve deeper into some of these topics over time and share more about the school and my role in its growth strategy. But for now, I wanted to provide a brief overview of how I landed in this new position on the MMS team and why I believe it’s perhaps the most important work we can be doing individually and collectively to support humanity, make an impact and participate in the Sacred Co-creation of New Earth.

As I reflect on the path I’ve walked, none of this was in my plan. But the Divine Blueprint was there all along guiding and supporting me – calling me home. I just had to follow the breadcrumbs, trust, and surrender. Easier said than done, would you agree?

So, what about you? What’s the Blueprint for your Destiny? Are you in the process of waking up, becoming aware, rising out of lower frequencies and into the higher frequencies of Love and Light?

Not sure? Spend some time reflecting back over your life and see if you can see the patterns emerging. Trust that you’ve always been guided and supported. And if you feel stuck ask your guides for help. They’re just waiting to hear from you to assist you on the journey.

Be bold. Be Daring.

Be AWE-DACIOUS!

P.S. To learn more about Mary Magdalene’s School follow this link…https://marymagdaleneschool.com.

We’d love to welcome you to the community!

Rebirth – Renewal – REGENESIS

REGENESIS.  I love that word!

It has such potency – such energy.

It means rebirth or renewal.  Something I believe many of us are craving. Why?

Because everything is changing, shifting.  Our foundations are crumbling. What we thought we knew no longer makes sense.  It seems nothing can be counted on.  And we’re not sure where to turn.

It’s as if all of a sudden the world is cloaked in darkness.  Where did this come from?

Here’s the thing, Sisters.  The darkness didn’t just emerge.  The darkness has been here and so have the signs.  

We’ve just chosen to ignore them or turn the other way.  Hoping someone else will fix it.

We’ve been coping in a profoundly unhealthy world.  Learning to become well-adjusted to a neurotic existence. 

And now here we are.  At the tipping point.

It is believed that there are have been five mass extinctions on the planet to date.  And as we are poised for yet another we, for the first time, are aware of this potentiality and have the choice to stop it.

So where do we begin?  Within!  We begin by Rebirthing ourselves into health and wholeness.  For we cannot be for others unless we are first nurturing ourselves.

The last couple of years have taken a toll on all of us.  How are you caring for yourself?  Are you eating well, taking supplements, exercising, and getting a good night’s sleep?  Limiting your exposure to the news and social media?  Doing things that bring you joy?  Taking time to nurture your soul through meditation, journaling, spending time in nature?

What about your relationships? Could they use some Renewal?

Yesterday, I was speaking with my integrative physician who said he is seeing many patients with physical symptoms caused by their strained relationships with partners, family members, friends, and colleagues.

Additionally, since the lockdowns many people have been slow to re-engage in the social life they previously enjoyed. But we are social creatures.  We need each other to thrive.  A robust social life is one of the primary indicators of health and strong immunity.  So we must get back out there and play again!

Another key factor in flourishing is altruism – going beyond yourself to help others.  It’s AWE-mazing the effect of getting the focus off ourselves and sharing our gifts with the world.

This is the Re-Genesis we are being invited to.  An opportunity to move beyond the darkness to co-create a whole new way of being.

  A whole new future for ourselves and generations to come!

What would it take for you step up and into your leadership potential?  To become part of this new unfolding?

We can’t do it without you because there’s something only you can do.  A calling that is uniquely yours. A destiny waiting to be revealed.

In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, God creates our beautiful planet and all its inhabitants. And it is good.

Now, in this time of  Regenesis, we are being invited to co-create with Source a New Earth.  A return to Eden perhaps.  To bring Heaven to Earth.

When you envision this New Earth, this New Future, what do you see? How big can you dream? And what steps will you take to bring it forth?

Ready or not…here it comes!!

Be bold. Be Daring. Be AWE-dacious!

Energy & Intention

What Do You Hold Sacred?

Just when we think we’re emerging from one global crisis –  we’re thrust into another.  As little boys disguised as men play a dangerous game of “Mine’s Bigger”.

The result is many of us are questioning – Everything!  How did this happen? When does it end? What can I do?

Last month I introduced you to the “7 Pillars of Re-Powerment”.  An approach to addressing our social challenges by lifting up women and girls around the globe. Re-balancing the feminine and masculine energies on the planet.  Re-connecting to Mother Earth.  Re-storing the Sacred.

If I had to choose just one pillar to focus on – one that is infused into all the others.  If there is one that is absolutely critical to addressing the chaos and insanity we are witnessing – it is without a doubt …

Restoring the Sacred

Why? What does that mean?

It means silencing the noise of the outside world and turning within.  Asking ourselves and deeply listening.  What do I hold Sacred?

For me first and foremost it’s the connection with my Soul – my Essence – the deepest, truest sense of who I am and why I’m here.

This connection to Soul inevitably leads to my connection with Source – the Breath of Life – the Creatrix of All.

As I reconnect with my Soul and Source I am reminded of my own Sacredness.  My worth, my dignity, my purpose.

And as I re-member this for myself I can remember that this is true for my Sisters as well.  That each of us is a shining star of uniqueness and perfection.  That we are intimately connected to each other and powerful beyond measure.

I am then reminded that the atrocities committed by the hierarchical, patriarchal society we have lived in for thousands of years is in fact the result of the “wounds” of the masculine.  For they have long forgotten what is Sacred.  They have long forgotten the truth of who they are.  And so the answer is not to condemn them, but rather to offer healing – deep healing so that they, too, might remember.

I have been blessed to be surrounded by strong, yet loving, men in my life who have encouraged me as I step more fully into my calling.  Let’s remember to hold Sacred the men who support the rise of women into co-equal partnership. And those who have the courage to speak out against the madness, the cruelty, the harm. 

I hold Sacred family, friendships, and the Soul Sisterhood I have developed with women from around the world.

Women who have the AWE-dacity to take back their power, speak their truth, and step into the role of Lightworker, Wayshower, Starseed at a time when their gifts are so needed.

As I Re-connect with Mother Earth I am reminded of the Sacredness of all creatures – the four-legged, the winged, the swimmers, the crawlers.  Of the trees, the plants, the flowers.  Of the mountains, the oceans, rivers, and streams.  All is Sacred and we are meant to be caretakers.

Could it be that the forgetting of what is Sacred, the collective amnesia of our role on the planet –  has permitted the darkness to overtake the light?

Could it be that the Soul-ution is to incite a Global Awakening – a Planetary Re-membering?  A Rising Consciousness to snap people out of the slumber of apathy. Burst their bubbles of indifference.

Invite them into a New Future built on love, compassion, cooperation, harmony, and abundance for all!

This is the way of the Divine Feminine. This, Sistars, is what is needed so desperately at this time.

You are so needed!

So I ask you…What do you hold Sacred?  And what are you going to do about it?

The Great Awakening

If you missed my blog last month explaining where I disappeared to last year you can see it here…https://awepartners.com/freedom-flow/

When we left off, I had spent about six months learning to “just be” and enjoying every minute of it.  But last fall, I started getting a nudge from my Soul. She had more planned for me and was ready to embark on another adventure.

As we can all have different understandings about the “Soul”, let me clarify what I mean when I use that term.  I’m speaking of my Essence, my Truest and Highest Self.  She is the part of me that is Divine and has incarnated into this body to experience growth and transformation on the Earth plane.

To be clear, I believe this is true for everyone of us.  We each have a Soul which is Divine, and we have each chosen to come to Earth in human form at this time for a unique purpose.

I said in my last post that I didn’t always recognize the guidance I was receiving as coming from a Higher Source.  I also didn’t always recognize that my Soul was providing guidance as well.  What I learned is that she wants me to experience Freedom and Flow. And she wants me to fulfill the purpose I came here for – my destiny. But I had to learn to trust her enough to follow where she was leading.

In addition to “just being” last year, I had plenty of time to question and research what is happening in the world. Although the pandemic has upended our lives in so many ways, this is about so much more than just a pandemic.

The leaders we thought had our best interests at heart are suspect.  The sources we’ve turned to for information are following a prescribed narrative. The systems we’ve relied on are failing.

And we are doing our best to keep it together.  Congrats to you SiStar for hanging in there!!

So, is this it?  Is this what we’re left with?  A world that’s in constant chaos?  Powerless to do anything about it? At the mercies of the medical establishment, politicians, and corporations?  With nowhere to turn?

NO! NO! And NO!

Spending time “just being” allowed me to get out of my head and into my heart more often. Through meditation, reflection, and observation, I became aware of what I believe is happening to us collectively on the planet.

An event that has been prophesied for centuries if not millennia.  A Great Awakening!

A rising consciousness inviting us to remember the truth of who we are.  An opportunity to release what no longer serves and begin to birth anew. A co-creation so extraordinary we can only begin to imagine it. 

This is our collective “once in a lifetime” moment!

And I sure didn’t want to miss it by staying in my bubble of comfort.  No, I wanted to be full in!

After all, we’ve been preparing for this our entire lives (and some would say for many lives). All the learning, and struggling, and striving, it can’t be for naught. Surely, our life to this point has had meaning beyond measure.

Now each and everyone of us is being invited to play our part in bringing forth a New Earth!

Hot diggity dog!!  I hope you’re as excited as I am.

But what do we do? Where do we begin? I have an idea…and I’ll share it with you next time.

Until then…Be bold.  Be Daring.  Be AWE-DACIOUS!

Why Didn’t I Jump?

I had an interesting dream last night.

Since Covid started, I’ve been remembering my dreams and I’ve heard that from others, too.  How about you?

Anyway, last night I dreamt I was at a resort and I was trying to find my way outside to the pool area.  I asked an employee and he pointed to a door but said we’re not allowed to use it.  Then he showed me a small window.  A man and then a woman jumped out through the window.  But when I went to look out, the window seemed too small for me to get through.  Then, magically, it became larger.  However, when I looked out I saw my husband already in the water warning me not to jump.  There was a large boulder and he was afraid I would get hurt.  So I chose not to jump and instead went back inside to look for a door.

Ouch!  Why didn’t I jump?  Why did I listen to my husband?  My logical side?  The one that doesn’t take risks?

That’s really not like me. I’ve been taking risks for the last decade.  I’m constantly pushing myself outside my comfort zone.  Constantly doing things I’ve never done before.

Why?  For a lot of reasons…

• Life is more interesting when we’re stretching ourselves

• We need more women leaders and it’s my mission to do everything I can to inspire women to step up and into their magnificence

• Women don’t sit by while women and children suffer so I want to encourage more women to become involved in social impact so together we can effect real and lasting change

• I believe my calling, my purpose in life is to use everything I’ve been given – every gift, talent, skill, experience, bit of wisdom to co-create the better world we imagine

• My soul came here for growth and transformation and I want to honor her

But my biggest reason for living outside my comfort zone is because I didn’t want to get to the end of my life and ask myself, “Why didn’t you jump?”

That’s my why.  What’s yours?  I want to hear!

Next week you have the opportunity to come together in a circle of courageous women to explore together our why.

What are you Passionate about?

What’s your Purpose?

How do you tap into Passion & Purpose to Invite Abundance into your life?

We’re circling up and there’s nothing more powerful on the planet than a circle of women on a mission.

I hope you’ll join us!

On November 10-12 from 12-1 pm CT, I’ve created a FREE Facebook Challenge called:

Grow Your Business – Grow Your Impact…
For More Passion, Purpose & Profit

Be Bold.  Be Daring.  Be AWE-dacious!

Why Aren’t We Investing More in Women and Girls??

Women and girls are half of the world’s population and yet in 2020 they are not considered equals in most parts of the world.

And despite attempts in the social impact space to direct funding to organizations that serve women and girls, support is surprisingly deficient when compared with philanthropic giving as a whole.

In 2019, The Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University published the first Women & Girls Index, which measures giving to more than 45,000 U.S. organizations dedicated to women and girls.  The findings show that only 1.6% of all philanthropic support went to these causes.  And through studies of foundation giving in both the U.S. and Europe, researchers estimate that only about 7% of all foundation grants specifically benefit women and girls.

How can this be?  We know that female-led households are more likely to give to charity than male-led households and, at nearly every income level, women donate almost twice as much as men.  Additionally, women are both more likely to give to women’s and girls’ causes and give larger amounts to these causes.

And despite the current challenges we’re facing, the financial status of women in the U.S. continues to improve.  Women already own more than half of investable assets and control decision-making for $11 trillion.  They are expected to inherit 70% of the $41 trillion in intergenerational wealth transfer over the next 35 years.  More women obtain college degrees than men and more women are in the workforce than ever before.

So with the knowledge that making investments in women and girls promotes a ripple effect of change throughout families, communities, and even entire countries – why aren’t more women supporting causes that lift up women and girls?  And what can we do to change that?

Perhaps the answer lies in the confusion over how we can effectively support women and girls around the globe.  Of the philanthropic giving directed toward women and girls, 90 cents of each dollar are focused on reproductive health, leaving inadequate funding for the range of other issues affecting them.  The factors that will lead to women rising into co-equal partnership with men are varied and go beyond reproduction.

Intersectionality emerged in the late 1980’s as a way to understand the complexities of women’s lives and to develop solutions that take these complexities into account. Coined by Kimberle Crenshaw the essence of intersectionality is that gender alone does not determine women’s experiences.  According to Crenshaw, intersectionality is a way to see “multiple forms of exclusion”, as well as to advocate for women of all backgrounds and identities.

So what does that mean for those of us who desire to lift women and girls out of oppression?  It means we need to focus on multiple issues at the same time.  We can’t devote resources in one area and expect it to be enough.

But it can be a daunting task to sift through data and information and identify those efforts that have the greatest potential for social impact.  There are many existing frameworks used by different organizations, but no single framework that is commonly used across the field.  For example, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are not specific to women, do not organize the topics that improve women’s lives holistically in one place, and can be overwhelming given there are a total of 19 goals.

But what can feel overwhelming doesn’t have to be.  In an effort to simplify the approach to better focus our efforts in the places where we are likely to have the greatest impact, I’ve created the:

7 Pillars of Women’s Empowerment and the Divine Feminine Rising

Using research from the Center for High Impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania, we begin with the five core areas where the most promising solutions lead to the greatest impact on the lives of women and girls globally.  These five dimensions are inextricably linked and provide a holistic view of how to create the greatest impact:

• Access to Healthcare
• Education
• Economic Empowerment
• Freedom from Violence
• Equality

There is terrific work being done on the ground to address the issues that keep women and children disempowered.  But is it enough?  Are we moving women from a life of suppression and oppression quickly enough and at scale?  What might we be missing?

Can we really make an impact on the empowerment of women and children if we’re living under the old constructs and beliefs of a patriarchal, hierarchical society?  Constructs and beliefs around culture, religion, politics, business, education, healthcare that we have in many ways accepted for ourselves as truth.  Until now.

The rise of the Divine Feminine on the planet is shifting the way we look at women and men, the roles we play, the privileges we have, where the power is held, and ultimately the imbalance that is prevalent in all sectors.  And it’s time to incorporate two long forgotten pillars into the women’s empowerment movement and all sectors of society:

• Re-connecting to Mother Earth
• Restoring the Sacred Feminine

I believe these two anchor pillars merged with the five core pillars are the missing link to ending oppression and restoring equality for all.  It’s time sisters to shift the paradigm that has allowed the “-isms” of sexism, racism, classism, etc…to fester and infect the health of our planet and humanity.  Over the next couple of months I’ll share more about how we do this together. 

Let’s get started!

Be Bold.  Be Daring.  Be AWE-dacious!