I am sitting, watching Dr. Lodon’s soft face crinkle, then smooth, and crinkle again as she excitedly points out her homeland in east Tibet. Her dream is to build a place of peace for the elderly so that they may rest in the last years of their life. And as I sit here, in her quiet acupuncture office, the green and purple wisteria dripping outside the window, the hot sultry sun beckoning outside in golden pools, I am becoming inspired. I can feel the enthusiasm surging between her and I, as her passion inflames me, moving me into the fury of taking action. This is what I love most, as a woman on earth today, hearing the stories of woman, writing them, painting them, in essence, giving them a VOICE. Each woman I meet who has this spark, a desire to help, a vision to change the world is harboring something ancient and potent and powerful, a whisper of beauty and change that is growing louder every day. I realize, sitting with Dr. Lodon, and thinking of the other special women I have met this past season that, indeed, I am becoming more present in the eyes of the Goddess.
Durga: fierce Mother Goddess

Luckily I live in India where the Goddess has been residing, worshipped and honored for thousands of years. Even amidst India’s cultural history of female oppression, the Goddess still reigns supreme here. And now that Indian women are on the rise, they are fueled by the power of the Goddess and her image: a multi-armed mother, creator, dancer, destroyer, giving and taking power as needed, dancing wildly with the ebb and flow of the moon cycles, manifesting the cosmos, the universe, and the world in a myriad of ways. She, Goddess, is Shakti, the fiery energy of creativity, Saraswati, the soft doe-eyed poet, Kali, the fierce slayer of Maya and all her illusions. As women become more educated and empowered, they are using their awareness to emulate the Goddess to force change, to become multitasking, beautiful, strong people who are not only daughters, mothers and wives, but also artists, architects, company owners, role-models and visionaries.

This season I have been blessed with the company of some seriously cool women. Nalini Nayek, originally from Bangalore and now living in nearby Trivandrum, has inspired us to dig deeper for projects to fund using rubybleu foundation. She is a woman of action, giving her time and energy to both SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association) and the local fishing communities. Check out a passionate article written about Nalini at www.changemakers.net/journal/98october/sharma.cfm and http://www.sewa.org/ for more information.

Another inspiration, newly-made friend and fellow global villager is Penny Roy Fellbrich who spent a couple months here at rubybleu house. She spent her time studying chakras and Reiki with me, building her website with unique photos and skipping around, touching many with her lovely smile, distinctive creativity and of course, those curls! I’ll never forget sitting on my rooftop celebrating the new moon with a sister, another priestess as we called out our intentions into the dark night. Visit her new website http://www.with-my-heart-on-duty.com/ and http://www.spiralmuse.org/ to get a taste of Penny’s wacky and wondrous visions.

One of the most inspiring women I met in the past year is Aisha Rose, a magickal shaman from England. Not only is she a Goddess in her own right, she was a brilliant teacher for me, giving me tips on the path which I am now treading in a bigger way: the path of teacher, healer and spiritual reader. She has been doing this kind of work for the past thirty years and studied with two of the most knowledgeable shamans, Albert Villoldo (http://www.thefourwinds.com/) and Hungarian shaman, Joska Soos who is also an amazing painter http://www.soul-guidance.com/houseofthesun/biojoska.htm. Spending time with Aisha, participating in her shamanic workshops on the roof of rubybleu house, and doing a soul retrieval was the highlight of the season for me. I do feel changed, more whole, more connected and full of power than ever before. Visit Aisha and her work at http://www.11-11.org.uk/

And finally, Dr. Lodon, the Tibetan woman with the vision, is another woman I got into closer contact with this year. Last year she treated me for vertigo and really helped to stabilize and comfort me through one of the darker times in my life. She is a gifted healer and is inspiring me to push harder with rubybleu foundation, to give her vision a form. Her story and project will be up very soon on http://www.rubybleu.org/projects


And of course, for all the rest of you goddesses that I consistently love and adore, more power to you! Thank you for supporting and encouraging me and being strong women yelling your stories loud.

Take care all you goddesses and supporters of goddesses...

Peace, katalin

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.

Alice Walker