This is a curriculum for women who are entering or have passed through menopause. With the image of the triple spiral labyrinth to guide their progress, participants will share the stories and photographs from of each of the decades of their lives as they move into the center of the labyrinth to discover their inner wisdom and out again as they explore ways to share this wisdom with the world. Each circle includes poetry, story, art, music and dance to help women connect to the profound meaning of this life passage. Participants are invited to recall and record memories of their lives in WOW (Women of Wisdom) books. The curriculum concludes with a croning celebration as participants celebrate their new status and name themselves crone, queen, elder, or grandmother. The resource section includes sample decade stories, resources for songs and music for use with the curriculum, and a list of recommended books for crones. The curriculum, which includes a CD for easy distribution of handouts to participants, can be ordered through the UU W&R online store.

An Asante proverb from Africa says, “I am because we are and we are because I am.”  I ask myself who is in my “we circle”?  How far does my circle reach out?  Does it make me a trans-nationalist?  There’s so much to unite us as part of the human species.  Since the International UU Women’s Convocation a year ago, my membership in IALRW, International Association of Liberal Religious Women, has become more precious.

As I look around me, I see, in growing numbers and ways, people seeking community.  I bet you see this trend, too.  I’m not surprised at this when I look inside myself and feel the warm fuzzies and support that I find in several of my communities.  To me this trend is evidence of a positive meme breaking through into modern human evolution.  This natural occurrence of a meme is like the genes we pass on to new generations.

Memes are ideas that, spontaneously, find their time to come into a critical mass of human consciousness.  A meme breaks through from many sources over the same time period.  They click “out of those patterns of thought, habit, and emotion woven into our minds by the people and events around us,” say Win Wenger and Richard Poe in The Einstein Factor, a book about the “genius meme.”

When I find my still point within, then open my awareness to receive insights through the perception of my right brain taking the lead, I can intuit how to find meaningful living. That’s how the insights from memes work. If the time is right, memes travel from mind to mind like a virus.  In WOMUUNWEB’s last issue, (Summer/Fall) I quoted what Angela Sorby said about this phenomenon in Bird Skin Coat, “…key messages transmit themselves sans messenger.”  (The article was next to a Cakes For the Queen of Heaven’s goddess picture and entitled “Sending Out Breakthrough Vibes.”)

Recently, I received from a friend a book review by another friend, Karen Kullgren, that, to me, describes the kind of community building found in participating in the Cakes… course.  The book, A Hidden Wholeness:  The Journey Toward an Undivided Life by Parker J. Palmer, was recently re-printed in paperback (2009) by Josey-Bass.  It’s about how “circles of trust” are critical to our survival and growth as spiritual beings and contributing members of society.

This flow toward a more mature consciousness becomes a ministry when in a circle of trust “that invites people to become more of themselves, more whole, as we give witness to a vision of a world transformed by our care,” as Marjorie Bowens Wheatley described what  ministry is in 2005 (just before her death.)  May we all find such beneficent kinship in such meaningful community. 

Women & Religion (uuwr.org) News "blog by Helen Popenoe,” Sept. 18, 2009 

Helen wrote:  "I have sleep-disturbing nights like tonight when I feel we feminists could give up slogging through the patriarchal pie, up to our necks, impeded by disgusting goo everywhere.  So many incidents in the day before this sleepless night make me just want to give in, lie down and slurp up what tastes good to me at that moment, but...  To give up, to be swallowed up into my own little bite of sweet self-interest, grabbing what I can, would mean drowning.  I'd sink into too many over-cooked (but familiar), power-over ingredients." 

Judy wrote:

Guess I'm having one of those nights right now, since it's 11:15pm and I can't seem to get to sleep.  What disturbs my sleep is similar to what disturbs yours:  the everlasting patriarchal hogwash I see on the news every day/night...plus big dogs -- when I'm just out walking in my nice, suburban neighborhood -- running/growling/barking -- rushing up to me, catching me off guard, though they’re behind electronic fences which I'm afraid they may break through at any instant -- as my heart pounds from being surprised once again!...plus occasional bursts of temper from people that also catch me off-guard -- triggered, perhaps, by something that has nothing to do with me!....plus my continued frustration at not being able to understand, nor being privy to the information about what's going on in my adult sons’ minds, nor whether they will ever be able to fully communicate with me anything -- their feelings, their thoughts; they’re "guys" and they seem to be living on another planet.

It's all such a mystery to me....not to mention "life and death" (my own, and others')....and the "state of the universe"!  And who INVENTED this mess, (e.g., wars everywhere, etc.) anyway??  And WHY????

Boy, late night thinking can really get complicated!  I'm not really upset.  These thoughts just go round and round in my head most of the time lately.  You'd think eventually men would learn that starting war after war after war never settles anything anyway; and bubble after bubble after bubble isn't any way to run a worldwide financial system either, with people losing their homes, and losing their relatively good-paying middle-class jobs, and so much domestic violence and illness and all the rest.  I'm really getting sick of it. 

So, I go outside and look at the trees turning color with their rising sap, like they always do, every year.  Or if it’s night, I look at the moon, and feel the monthly changes we share.  Or I sing or listen to music and, finally, feel a bit at peace again.  Or I look into a child's face, and think maybe there's a chance they will start all over and not make the same mistakes of all the past generations.  Oh, and then I watch PBS about the Hubble telescope and all of the wonders there are out there in outer space, more than we ever imagined; more than we CAN imagine!  Going back in time to the beginning almost, of the first Big Bang (or maybe "Bangs" since they're now saying they might be like the bubbles in champagne, many universes, popping off everywhere).  Who knows?!  Another mystery.

"And then we die." Or not!  Who knows?!  Maybe not!!!  Maybe all of those ancient Hindus and Buddhists are right, and we get reincarnated and come back again....until we get it right.  I don't know about you, but just the thought of that makes me tired.  Guess I'll head back to bed.  But I just wanted to let you know I enjoyed your blog, Helen!

Sadly, the Florida chapter of UU Women and Religion is in the process of disbanding. Several women have been in touch with the Continental co-conveners, and it does look like some of their memorabilia will be maintained by the Continental group, against the day when Women and Religion again lights up the Sunshine State.

St. Lawrence District has formed a new W&R chapter. Their first event will be a retreat in the Fall of 2010. They've already lined up their keynote speakers and convention facility!

Northern New England Women and Religion announces the Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont UU Women’s Fall 2009 Retreat will take place the weekend of October 30th-November 1st, at Rockraft Retreat Center in beautiful Sebago Lake, Maine. We will be "Celebrating Samhain" during our last time at Rockcraft before the center closes at the end of the year. This is the time of year when the veil between the worlds are the thinnest. The perfect time to divine what the future has in store for us; and remember our loved ones who have passed. We will honor the sacredness of Samhain and rejoice in the playfulness of Halloween.

Michigan women are still talking about forming a W&R chapter. Dr. Misty Sheehan reports that she got re-acquainted with another one of the original Chapin-Crane W&R women (whom she hadn't seen in 30 years!) at a Carolyn McDade weekend in northern Michigan. They are talking with Rev. Shirley Ranck about a retreat soon in southern Michigan.

Joseph Priestley District is getting ready for their Fall retreat, Discover Your Voice!

October 16-18

LOCATION: Bishop Claggett Center, Buckeytown, MD
(You can view the beautiful retreat site at: www.bishopclaggett.org)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Anne Slater, registrar: 610-896-6468/ \n slater.anne@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
complete information at our website: www.jpdwr.org

 

Pacific SW District has a San Diego area retreat happening this month, "Women Together." More details are on their website.

Central Midwest District women are always busy. Current Chair Nancy Irons reports they're been working on strengthening their organizational structure and getting ready for their February 2010 retreat.