World Café #2
New Thought Feminine Power Community
Question: Many of us are witnessing the face of feminine leadership showing up now in our lives. Through what paths and opportunities are we each being called forward in leadership, and how can we mutually support each other in our process?
Women’s call to leadership and mutual support
Women are distributed throughout the system, called to show up, empower ourselves and other women, stay connected, and co-create. Some of us are focused on the self-care of the body-brain as a level that needs to be integrated to become an authentic modeling for others. Others are called into circles to develop trusted relationships, align passions, and build systems of true exchange and power-with leadership. Still others are standing on the edge of an unknown infrastructure, called to create bridges across long-standing boundaries, and unfold potential synergies that can impact human evolution now in these critical times.
KEY INSIGHTS
EMPOWERMENT, CIRCLES, DIVERSITY, SHOWING UP, BUBBLING UP, SELF-CARE, MUTUAL RESPECT, ONENESS, SHOWING UP, INTERFAITH, WITNESSING, CONNECTION, BRIDGES, ACTION, GODDESS, WISDOM, BOLDNESS, SPIRIT-LED, CONNECTION, SUPPORTIVE, SYNCHRONICITY, BEING CALLED, TRUST, PATIENCE, MIDWIVES, RESISTANCE, COMMUNICATION, UNCHARTED TERRITORY, INTUITION, PASSION, FLOW, WILLINGNESS, COOPERATION
Facilitator notes from recording in order
Joya Comeaux:
• Showing up and empowering other women
• Responsibility of taking leadership in their family…they’re experiencing their mothers on their way to their transition • Diverse activities around the world, giving voice to all types of women and all youth in their community • Feeling a pull to get together in circle
• Making our living by spiritual practice: creating new foundations and organizations to give women the opportunity to share what’s going on in their lives and help others in mentorship
• We’re moving from victimism to victorious- toward well-being and empowerment of other women.
Jeanie Rousseau:
• Bubbling in interfaith and different circle processes, energy conversations, prison projects. So many things arising,
• It is a new phenomenon for there to be so many women involved in all these projects.
• Quality of being one family through that process, one story unfolding
• Showing up and being present with each other is the best possible thing that we can do.
• Inner quality of recognizing that caring for each other is partnered and balanced with caring for self; we can help each other by supporting that aspect and being ok with the choices that we make.
• Being with each other in a deep mutual respect is facilitating the whole.
Lisa Pasquinelli:
• Moving from personal to professional; from individual to collective.
• There seems to be a deeper knowing at the heart level rather than just the mind, that we’re all connected- to the planet, earth, all people.
• A lot of action: personal, professional, or spiritual
• Authenticity, integration, communication, connection
• Drive to building bridges at all levels. Interfaith
• Witnessing, listening, noticing our connections with each other and with feminine role models.
• Being in appreciation of noticing what’s working and what’s not; looking at that to see what could be done differently.
Bonnie Kelley:
• The openenss of bringing out the Goddess. The way that Goddess is showing up these days- this is the feminine energy.
• The way the feminine leaders have of embracing all diversity and building relationships in all ways.
• Ability to step out boldly, collectively, embracing the feminine, being spirit-led, coming together.
• Recognizing the bio-diversity of not being separate.
• We are gentle leaders; lead as power-with, not power-over. We see are place as gentle feminine leaders.
• There is power of women in circles; this is the best way for women to lead; in circles in relationship with eachother, sharing the wisdom.
Claudia Abbott:
• Women are sensing a deep connection to each other
• There’s a sense of attracting, synchronistically, like-minded women, and as you go deeper with them, it uplevels all of your relationships because that consciousness expands out.
• Not competitive but mutually supportive.
• A sense of being called to something deeper,
• Trust- even not knowing what that call is—willing to walk that path with faith and patience
• Sense of being midwives to something greater
• Sometimes the opposite qualities come up to express and perhaps fall away…still a distrust of feminine leadership or preference to males in some communities. It’s coming up where you might not expect it, but giving us information as a mirror to how we move on and enrich those deep connections.
• Exciting and scary to step out into a new way of being…feels really good.
Pat Watson:
• Being called to contribute to some sort of infrastructure
• A lot of discussion around light pages…how to get the word out, let people know what’s going on, and keep women connecting on a regular basis
• “Do not follow where the path may lead, but go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Peggy Price:
• Two key words: intuitively and passionately being called
• Bringing people together: building bridges
• Being open and allowing the flow: that whole energy flows easily when we feel ourselves called and we just step into it
• Stepping out and being willing to just trust as you step forward
• The work no longer feels so much like work, but it’s like joy and play and work all blended…
• So much of it is based on mutual trust…we are learning to work together, we are learning that we don’t have to compete, we really understand about cooperation
• Divine feminine and goddess were brought up. Also sophia, the holy wisdom that is present within us that we can call upon
• We inspire and empower each other to help other women break through whatever the barriers might be for them. To help them step into leadership in some way or another.
• Bridging.
• Letting go in order to be allies for the greater good.
• The shift is just beginning for many, but as you take the step you find you’re not separate.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Jeanie
Feminine leadership is showing up as personal self-care, relationships of mutual respect, and collective action.
Taking the stories shared in our breakouts as samples of what is happening, we note that the gender balance of the boardroom has shifted from token women to majority women, and with it has come a deep invitation to relate to one another across traditional boundaries. For example, differences are being honored as women attend events across faiths, and all faiths are being represented on Global Oneness Day.
All kinds of projects are arising, led by women… for youth in prison, women in prison, the homeless, about leadership, health care, etc. The projects are appreciating diversity, recognizing the divinity in the other, finding ways to express and empower through conversation and writing.
We are moving into circles, connecting, networking, supporting each other. We are moving to encourage rather than disempower our sisters.
As individuals we are asking, “What is important?” and realizing that as we respect others, we must be self-respecting as well, creating space for and nurturing ourselves, finding the right balance between self and other, and being OK with our choices when we can’t do everything. As we are there for each other, we are there for ourselves, and this is a much more inviting space for the men.
We are showing up in all sectors, personal, relational, collective action; One Story unfolding; Oneness in many bodies; allies for the greater good; One family. We can’t help but support one another when we tap into Source and are really present to this unity.
Bonnie:
There were 3 women in my first group. One of them is finding her role as a leader to be comforting and graceful. Nothing that she does in a leadership position feels separate from her everyday way of living. She relaxes into her leadership and feels integrated. She calls herself a vision carrier and she is happy to be a natural, and authentic model for others. The 2nd woman feels just the opposite. She feels her leadership role is what she does, not who she is. She doesn't want to be seen as a person who micro-manages -- she wants to be part of a spiritual community-- she is looking for new ways of doing things, a different way of leading. She wants to to be a vision carrier. The 3rd woman is in a Phd program that is focusing on the organic development of leading and what it looks like to implement new models of feminine leadership. She is observing how women support each other and the collective power gained by being in each other's presence. It was a perfect, timely example of synchronicity to be in this conversation because two different points of view were expressed, and then the 3rd offering came in with exactly what was needed to bring the two previous variables into harmony and coherence. The perfect blend of sensibilities, each one building synergy with and as a result of the other. An organic tapestry was created in our very few minutes together.
Group 2 notes... My second group had 3 women, as well. They all commented on loving the openness of bringing out publicly --and expressing their delight and recognition of the Goddess and how She is showing up as feminine energy-- everywhere these days. They celebrate the ability of this energy to embrace all diversity. Women are creating relationships, coming together, stepping out boldly, collectively, and they are Spirit-led. We are re-cognizing BIODIVERSITY, not living in separated consciousness, and we are fortified by a gentle but strong strong, resolute style of leadership that leads as "power with...." not power over! We are seeing our place as gentle, feminine leaders. The last comment was, "there is a power of women in circles as they lead together. This is the best way for women to lead, leading in circles, sharing their wisdom. This is the true exchange."
Claudia:
Women are seeing a thread of connection among female leaders and healers. There is a sense of deepening and trust as well as a sense of being called to something larger. Several women discussed attracting more information about the strengths of women, their roles, and the shift in the expression of the divine feminine. There is also a mutual awareness of less competition and greater support among groups of women. Women experienced synchronistic connections and more opportunities to lead or take on roles as mentors or supporters. Overall, there was a sense of excitement and also patience as women step into a greater experience of oneness. Themes that were repeated were trust, patience, being called to something greater, a sense of quickening, and the concept of being midwives to greater change. Some reported finding resistance to feminine leadership, and this resistance sometimes presented itself in unlikely places. However, there was also a feeling of shift and change, as if this resistance was falling away.
Pat Watson:
• Called to be part of this group – which is really by divine design – through my mother – started a women’s circle through her church – Rev.Diana McDaniel
o Being called to contribute to some sort of an infrastructure – networking on line and creating a way for people to connect in geographical areas, discussions, coaching, etc. – feeling called to contribute
• Called as a member of the Imagine the Good Foundation – formed into a non-profit – this past week – serving as CEO. We connect – this is beautiful and I’m enjoying – first connection with other groups – wonderful to be here and just connecting
• Joined AGNT through season of non-violence – non-violence practitioner – Barbara invited me to join this group – came connected with Imagine the Good and screened her document here in my city. Help reach out to show the film from Imagine the Good – no peer support here in town for what I am doing –
o How it looks to be – introducing this to a new group of women who haven’t established themselves yet – coming to these types of conversations to get my peer support
• Cheryl - Jeanie is the mother/inventor of the Light Pages. Most of the women that are on our board were also in the film and participants at a retreat we had in 2005 in Santa Barbara, CA. We recently held a retreat and everyone there was thinking about how to hold on to what we had during that time….how to keep the embodiment of the feminine….embody the essence – unless we stay connected and support each other we go back to our lives. These calls are really important. Also, Light Pages is a great way to stay connected on a daily basis – you can just sign-up
• How do I get connected to Light Pages? Gone from being a board member to delivering the Sunday services at church
Key Points:
• This venue is a way for us to connect and continue to get the support that we need
• Being called to contribute to some sort of an infrastructure
• Finding ways of getting the word out
• Designing a system that would work in order to stay in touch like Light Pages online (spiritual groups)
Peggy:
The call is intuitive and passionate – bringing people from different background together – building community- sharing things that are similar – the support feels wonderful .
Flows easily inspired by other women – connecting with other women –drawn and guided the process feels miraculous – being drawn into activities.
Have been working with women in leadership for over 20 years – now engaging in on line leadership – empowering women to break through barriers and open to their own sense of leadership – women as savers of the environment – draw upon goddess wisdom and lore – and upon the wisdom of Sophia – indisputable as she is in the Bible – Holy wisdom –
Blending right and left brain and in same way,–bridging people through technology and through the intuitive.
Open to allowing the flow – feeling the passion blending no such thing as just “work” – now it feels more like joy-play and work blended together – more letting go- building allies for the greater good
Nurturing-listening – feeling a shift – has felt like work up until now – now letting go, trusting – take steps out in trust – knowing we are not separate – we are one feeling the spiritual aspect – the connections Taste of beauty anchoring – and we can be both anchor and sail to one another.