How could a group of six strong women wielding paint-laden brushes in Cambridge, MA, actually paint together onto one canvas? Perhaps because Lillian, one of several professional artists among us, taught us the value of underpainting. It was as if Sophia, our Divine Feminine presence, said, “Paint away! It’s like life. You can’t make a mistake and nothing ever totally disappears.” We swallowed our egos and valued the next lines, the next colors, the next manifestation.  Like jazz musicians, our colorful voices melded.

Complexity and chaos swirled onto our “prayer rug.” No longer splintered parts, we began to see how each of us was crucial to the whole even though we didn’t know it at the time. Our world collapsed into the middle of our canvas. We became part of a whirling centrifuge, a spinning universe, and our brushes brought order out of chaos. We painted from our centers.

Somehow we always knew when to stop. And we always completed our creation in one evening. One December we painted this magic play-circle of swirling energy and learned to further trust ourselves and each other. We stood back to view our “Advent Wreath” and realized we had co-created ecstasy. Shoes off, we had dipped our toes into the desert/ocean/Savannah of our common being. We followed our brushstrokes and spiral- danced our way into color and into life.

Deep bow of gratitude… This blog post was submitted by Karen Speerstra, author of Sophia: The Feminine Face of God -  Nine Heart Paths to Healing and Abundance, www.sophiaserve.com.  For more information, click here.

Sharon Mehdi is a writer, teacher, healer, mother and grandmother. She has lived and worked in Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Guatemala, Mexico, Spain, France, and Canada. She knows peace is possible.

The Great Silent Grandmother Gathering, Sharon Mehdi’s inspirational story of two grandmothers standing silently in the local park as their way to help “save the world,” has become a regional phenomenon in the Pacific Northwest, galvanizing its many readers over its hopeful message of small actions that can make the world a better place.

In our upcoming July Circle Connections newsletter I will share more about my story of this incredible Circle experience.

They bear hardships and they carry burdens,

but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy

and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in..

They stand up to injustice.

They don’t take “no” for an answer

when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel

and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about

a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member,

yet they are strong when they

think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss

can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They’ll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you

to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what

makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.

They have compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their

family and friends.

Women have vital things to say

and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

– Anonymous

Ann Smith (author)

Rhonda Hull and Caroline Ravelo

Musical duo Wilderland answers the call by releasing their new song “Fragile Day” with 100% of all proceeds benefiting the habitat affected by this tragedy.

Click here to watch the Fragile Day video and download the song

Heralding from the mountains of Ashland, Oregon, Wilderland features singer-songwriters Scott Blum and Kat Sanchez. A veteran from the music industry, Blum (who’s credits include multimedia production for Peter Gabriel, Soundgarden and many others) balances the exquisite vocal stylings of Sanchez who had been a member of a wide range of local bands most of her life.

After writing several original songs, the musicians began collaborating with renowned underground DJ and multi-instrumentalist Rara Avis (Desert Dwellers, Shaman’s Dream) to realize their musical vision. It was during these studio sessions that the Gulf Oil Spill tragedy happened which deeply affected all involved in the project. Ironically, the song “Fragile Day” was being worked on at that very moment, and when explaining the song’s lyrics to Avis, Blum realized that a powerful synchronicity was afoot. The song included the lyric “Fish are dimming while they’re swimming / Blackened ocean of foam” which, although written nearly two years prior, was about fish dying because of an oil spill. Credit is given to Blum’s wife Madisyn Taylor who suggested that “Fragile Day” be released immediately with all proceeds benefiting the habitat affected by the oil spill.

Also touched by the environmental tragedy, music industry superstars Toby Wright (Grammy award winning producer of Alice in Chains, Korn, 3 Doors Down, etc.) and Stephen Marcussen (mastering engineer for the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Seal, Cher, Paul McCartney, etc.) both contributed their expertise to this worthwhile project.

You can download two versions of “Fragile Day” by Wilderland with 100% of the proceeds donated to three important charities helping the habitat affected by the Gulf Oil Spill Tragedy. These organizations include The Gulf Restoration Network, EarthShare and the WILD Foundation.

Visit www.FragileDay.com to watch the emotionally powerful video and download the song to support this worthy cause.

Susan will share specifically about her work with the amazing and resilient women in Darfur.

Susan (seen left with the women of Darfur) has been a staff member of Darfur Peace and Development Organization (DPDO) since 2004. The DPDO was founded in 2002 by a group of Darfurians in the United States. It is a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to a peaceful Darfur that is justly governed and developed in a sustainable manner. In her role as Program Director, she oversees the development and implementation of DPDO’s programs in Darfur including the Schools of Peace Program, the Women’s Center and the Solar Cooker Training Program.

Susan’s initiative and passion for a New Economy has lead her to help the women in the camps of Darfur to connect more intimately with the women of the United States to become more self-sustaining by selling their baskets. To learn more about the women and their beautiful hand-crafted baskets, visit:

http://www.darfurpeace.org/baskets

So, set aside the time now to join us:

July 19th… and every Monday

12:30 p.m. Pacific/3:30 p.m. Eastern
Circle Connections Blog Talk Radio Show
Act In, Act Up, Act Out, Act Together

Call: 347-215-7136
- or -
Visit: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/circleconnections

UPCOMING BLOG TALK RADIO SHOWS

June 28th, 2010 ~ The Power and Progress of Women’s Leadership
Carolyn Anderson, Co-Founder and Community Steward of the Hummingbird Community and a Co-founder and Co-director of Global Family has a passion for sharing the principles of co-creation and exploring the frontiers of evolutionary spirituality. She joins us to share her insights about the importance of women’s leadership and the progress of her leadership program.

July 12th, 2010 ~ The Gulf of Mexico Oil Disaster and The Importance of a Feminine Perspective in Eco- Activism
Judith Murray, a remarkable proactive leader and eco-activist since 1970, joins us to share in a continuing conversation about the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster and the importance of the awakening and application of a feminine perspective in eco-activism.

July 5th, 2010  ~ Women Connecting to Transform the Gulf of Mexico Oil Disaster
Grandmother Tonya Whitedeer of the Sisters of the Planetary Water Rites in California  joins us to share in an urgent conversation about the continuing disaster in the Gulf and to inspire all women to awaken, connect and act by harnessing and applying the power of their prayer and their proactive steps to transform the damage being done to our Mother Earth.

Then we must ask how best to build (or re-build) the bridge to have a healthier relationship with money and embrace it as one way to fuel and empower our autonomy, innate strengths, and purpose.

Let’s us begin with ourselves, connecting deep within our center,  then to nature and one another, uniting in love and appreciation for self, one another and Mother Earth.

Co-creating a New Earth, One Circle, One Connections, One Step at a time.

A beautiful video of our dolphin sisters and brothers with a message of love and peace.

Namaste!!! Ann and Rhonda