Mari Oxenberg on Healing Wisdom

Certified Nurse Midwife Mari Oxenberg will be on Healing Wisdom discussing fearless birth, a hundred percent sure fire way to avoid perineum tears, herbs and the benefits of Mayan massage. 9am EST on 92.1 WOMR-FM, 93.1 WFMR-FM and streaming live at http://womr.org. *** Here's the podcast! http://www.womr.org/podcast/healing-wisdom-with-pandora-peoples

Women as Goddesses

I'm thrilled to interview photographer Lisa Levart today to promote a local art show here on Cape Cod, which is a benefit for WAVE, Women's Avenue for Empowering Voices. Ms. Levart has photographed powerful and important women as goddesses for her book, Goddess on Earth. When I created my series on women as goddesses last year, The Living Goddess, for the Cape Cod Goddess Festival, I had always wanted to photograph women as goddesses, which seemed an extension of the ceremonial circles with women that I had been doing for years in which women embodied Sekmet, Hathor, Isis, Brigid, and many other goddesses from around the world. Although I wasn't naive enough to think that I was the first modern woman to come up with the idea, I wasn't thinking of it in any context other than the full reclamation of female power and feminine identity. Here are some photos from my series...

This is my photo of Maat, Egyptian all seeing goddess of wisdom. This is Victoria Ariel Brown, former assistant to Ellen Degeneres.

Athena, Greek Goddess of wisdom and warfare, is Amber Telford, firefighter and former soldier

This is my photo of Freyja, Norse Goddess of Love. She is Abby Stafford, horse expert and business owner of equestrian care shop.

This is Ceredwin, the Crone, is astrologer and Reiki Practitioner Anna Peoples (my mother)

If We Listen

If we listen, the full moon will tell us exactly what it is we need to know. Just like in speaking with guardian angels, these downloads of wisdom are so grounding and transcendent. That magical fullness, openness and stillness is so abundant during a full moon. This is the atmosphere our souls thrive and regenerate in. Finding balance between hard work, creative expression and spiritual evolution is necessary to integrating our full wisdom into our achievements and feeling damn good about everything.

Us full moon ladies had a powerful circle last night at the beach. The goddesses of yor and the presence of the ancestors were fully felt. The tide was so high and the water so blue and still. And warm!

In the jungle of your life, do not forget to see the harmony, order and synchronicity in that which grows around you. Look, what I found in my front yard. St. John's wort. Also called St. John's wort by the Wise Woman Susun Weed. It heals bruises, burns and is a marvelous mood lifter. If I hadn't asked an herbalist friend, I may never have be able to identify it outside of pictures in books.

My husband Raven and I saw the fortuitous Red Fox crossing our path again this morning. He is such a powerful creature. He stopped in front of the car, and stared us down with causal curious attentiveness. But his soul knew, he imparted a great blessing. Living with nature is so rewarding.

Workshop with shaman and author Vicki Noble: Connecting to the Sacred Feminine

Coming up next week, a workshop at Earth Spirit Counsel House with a professor, shaman, Tibetan Buddhist healer, historian of the sacred feminine, and author Vickie Noble is happening! Next Friday night and Saturday all day $100-150 sliding scale. "This workshop is an opportunity to work with these two Tibetan Dakinis as role models, with a special focus on fierceness and courage as embodied in the Goddesses with whom they are linked, Vajrayogini (the Queen of the Dakinis) and Throma (the Black Dakini).

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To hear my interview with the wise and wonderful Ms. Noble, click here: http://www.womr.org/podcast/feminist-healer-vicki-noble-2/

Vicki Noble on Healing Wisdom

My guest this week on Healing Wisdom is Vicki Noble, a feminist shamanic healer, author, and professor. "In the 1970s she created, graduated with honors from, and subsequently taught in, the first women's interdisciplinary studies program at Colorado College. Noble worked for many years with archaeologist Marija Gimbutas, and has lectured and taught at the graduate level, both in the United States and abroad, on female shamanism and the healing arts....She also currently teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies." - Wikipedia

As far as the convergence of knowledge of ancient goddess cultures, shamanism and feminism is concerned, Ms. Noble is the embodiment of these divergent aspects of women's sacred wisdom. So very excited to speak with her! Tune in this Thursday at 9am EDT on 92.1 WOMR-FM, 91.3 WFMR-FM, and streaming http://womr.org

Ms. Noble is the author of Shakti Woman: Feeling Our Fire, Healing Our World - The New Female Shamanism, The Double Goddess: Women Sharing Power, Rituals and Practices with the Motherpeace Tarot , Uncoiling the Snake: Ancient Patterns in Contemporary Women's Lives (A Snakepower Reader) , The Toltec Path of Transformation: Embracing the Four Elements of Change , The Triple Goddess Tarot: The Power of the Major Arcana, Chakra Healing, and the Divine Feminine, Down Is Up for Aaron Eagle: A Mother's Spiritual Journey With Down Syndrome, and Making Ritual with Motherpeace Cards: Multicultural, Woman-Centered Practices for Spiritual Growth.

Herb of the Day: Tien Chi

Tien chi, is an herb used in formulas in Traditional Chinese Medicine. I have found it a very useful article in helping to heal and recuperate from injury. It disperses internal blood clots and halts internal and external bleeding. According to recent scientific investigations which have proved the folkloric efficacy of the herb, it improves circulation, and supports the health of the heart and blood. It is unsafe for use by pregnant women. It is an energy tonic for stress and fatigue. Tien chi reduces cholesterol in arteries and the blood, something which may prove useful in the treatment of arteriosclerosis.

In China scientific research has found that use of tien chi improves circulation of the coronary artery, which supplies the heart with blood. It is used for angina, as it increases oxygen in the middle muscular layer of the heart. It contains saponin a, flavonoids, and its properties are similar to ginseng. During the Ming dynasty, in trading it was worth more than gold. *** As always, these statements have not been evaluated by Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Peter McGowan of Finn MacCool on Healing Wisdom This Thursday at 9am EDT!

Peter McGowan grew up in a large musical family in the countryside of County Cavan in Ireland, learning to play many instruments in his father's band. Christmas presents always included accordions and mandolins. Today, he mostly plays the bass and bouzouki in his eclectic and rockin' band Finn MacCool which blends a variety of musical styles. Tune into my radio show "Healing Wisdom" tomorrow on 92.1 WOMR-FM, 91.3 WFMR-FM or streaming at http://womr.org, to hear his lovely music and learn a bit of Irish history.

Treat Your Plants As You Would Your Guests

Plants are like people, they do not like to be habituated or taken for granted. When your vessel is pure, you are more attuned to the medicine plants have to offer. Any plant may have a message to impart to you. Poison ivy teaches us about self protection. Emetics teach us about purging negative beliefs, and ask us to be brutally honest with ourselves. Ever been clinging to a toilet, vomiting, reduced to a groveling, "Just give me one more chance to make it right" or, in a deep catharsis, "Everything is clearer now, I see what I must do, let me live to see tomorrow". We have come to label plants 'food', 'weeds', 'alcohol', and 'drugs', but these labels are as far reaching as labeling people by their income at any given moment 'poor, middle class, and wealthy', or 'small, medium or large'. Such distinctions are dismissive, perhaps even slanderous. Most weeds such as dandelion are powerful potent doctors or plant emissaries after all. For example, dandelion is anti-tumor, lithotriptic, hepatic, alterative...a very good friend to have at your dinner table indeed.

Being creatures of habit, a delicate balance must be achieved between comfort and change. If we don't take chances and challenge our beliefs in life, we become stagnant or go through periods of slow growth. Susun Weed, made some good points in my interview with her. She said something to the effect of, life is dynamic tension and in constant flux. Only when you are dead are you truly balanced. Why do people strive in the Heroic medicinal model to achieve balance? While I am a huge promoter of balance, and also believe in dynamic tension and the coexistence of these polarities. But, it's an interesting thought. One can't become too dependent on circumstances, or the methodology of external forces, to find comfort and stability. Life quickly becomes boring and banal when it is predictable anyway. Order, safety and some a modicum of predictability creates environments where we can thrive and be open. One must find that centered place within, be it in the eye in the storm or in an underwater sea cave.

Plants teach us about adaptability. Plants will come along for the ride with you on the physical plain, but by acknowledging their medicine and wisdom to work their magic in your life, their spiritual essence will be felt whereby a healing can occur. From the use of chamomile tea to henna hair day to cranberry extract, we can develop relationships with plants. For deep healing to occur with medicinal foods and plants, one must honor the plant and treat it as you would your guests. It is advisable not keep them hostage for your habitual dependence. Do not hold them captive, let them impart their wisdom, and give it time to sink in. The best advice might be, learn to listen. Let your plant emissaries choose you, just as your angelic guardians have.

Plants contain life force energy and the consciousness of divine love. Plants do everything your ideal lover might. In their way, they say: "You are perfection;" "I acknowledge you in your purest essence;" "I love you with every fiber of my being." And of course, they can 'kick your ass' if you're out of line. That might be their message for you and part of your lesson. Think about a time when tequila, a hops libation, mushrooms, kava kava root, or some other lovely plant cradled you in it's loving bosom. Go back to college or high school if necessary. Ah, good. It read your mind, it was deeply empathetic, it knew just what to do to help you feel better, it even enjoyed hanging out with your friends. And plants are brave, they say it, they spray it, they think big. Think about the growth of a oak, from acorn to towering oak. They have wonderful imaginations. We give so much credence to man-made creations, non-entities with no consciousness whatsoever, yet generally speaking our collective perception of plants in the Western world is so warped that we feel uncertain making assertions based on our own experiences and intuitive knowledge. We must give credit where credit is do.

The vitality of plants is a reality. Their wisdom and life force is imparted to us. This phenomenon is not exclusive to the consumption of these articles, but also is symbolic and ceremonial usage as well. Some plants are so poisonous they will kill you. Some plants are so healing they will cure you of cancer. Plants can acknowledge pain in your emotional body, and release it from your being. I have witnessed deep healing with plants. Toast to them. Treat them as your allies, and your distinguished guests.

New Endorsement from Christiane Northrup, MD!

New York Times Best-Selling author of the acclaimed book Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom has endorsed the new book I am a contributing writer to, Spiritual Pregnancy: Develop, Nurture and Embrace the Journey to Motherhood. The book is authored by OB-GYN team Shawn Tassone and Kathryn Landerr. The stories and exercises within help women to connect with their babies before they give birth. It's lovely seeing this come to fruition. Makes a wonderful gift for pregnant moms and moms-to-be!

"Spiritual Pregnancy presents birth as the spiritual initiation it truly is. I highly recommend this truly moving book."

Christiane Northrup, MD

Honoring the Elders: A Media Movement

New York Times bestselling author Mr. James Twyman, who has published fifteen books to date discusses his film Redwood Highway with me, as well as why we need more films with high quality stories that focus on the internal and spiritual lives of people over fifty. His book titles include: Emissary of Light, The Art of Spiritual Peacemaking, Emissary of Love, The Kabbalah Code, The Moses Code, Psychic Children Speak to the World, and Messages from Thomas: Raising Psychic Children.

Listen to the podcast. Click here: http://womr.org/podcast/peace-troubador-james-twyman

If you are fifty and over, please sign James' petition to encourage studios to meet the need for satiating stories which honor the wisdom of our sages. Click here: http://www.jamestwyman.com/seniorcinema

Fourth of July

Played a grand game of scrabble with my sweet wordsmith child who found "manure"...pretty good for five. Our family had an epic BBQ with our friends in Chatham in a gorgeous house by the sea.

I love this silk-plated dress, part Lady Liberty, part Joan of Arc, part German expressionist.

Edible Arrangements

Edible arrangements sound about as delicious as edible underwear, but this oxymoron really came through on the delicious factor! My sisters-and-brothers-in-law sent me this bouquet along with a note of congratulations for getting an A on my final exam and getting my Chartered Herbalist diploma! The doorbell sounded perkier than usual, but I was shaking my head as I peered out at the colorful sparkling delivery van. That must be for my neighbors, a small inner orphan denied. Well lo and behold, it was for moi. What a yummy treat! During my grateful sentimental sobbing, Hero found most of the chocolate-covered strawberries, and we saved some for my hubby. It was ALL good.

Work. Play. And then I made a polenta with fresh African basil, chicken and broccoli thing. Agave lime juice has been fun to put on almost everything lately, and spruces up lemonade.