Women at the Parliament

Videos from the Parliament

2010-01-02T07:07:00.000-08:00

You can explore some of the presentations from the Parliament available online.

The powerful panel on The Divine Feminine featuring Phyllis Curott, Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Mother Maya, Sr. Joan Chittister, and moderator Mary-Faeth Chenery can be found at
http://parliament.pagannewswirecollective.com/. (Scroll down this blog to the posting on December 19.)

Joan Chittister's answers to questions during 'A Conversation with Sister Joan ' can be found at http://www.themonthly.com.au/women-and-progress-religion-joan-chittister-2203

The Dalai Lama' address to the Closing Plenary can be found at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gln03HXWV4M&feature=related

Another Report from the Parliament

2009-12-20T20:42:00.000-08:00

Parliament report from Meredith Tenney, Monday December 7:

Hello All;

For the love of Mother, we came to Melbourne and the Parliament of World Religions to raise awareness of the Sacred Feminine. For the love of Mother, hundreds of women and men around the world helped to hold the intention to uplift her at the Parliament and the end result surpasses my highest hopes.

Kathe, Anne and I hosted 'A Creative Expression of the Sacred Feminine' on Friday evening, December 4th. The event was well attended. The program included:

~Valarie Kaur speaking from the Sikh tradition
~Cath Conolly played the Celtic harp honoring the Celtic goddess, Brigid
~Ariella Shira Lewis offering Jewish blessings to Shekinah
~Ninie Syarkin giving readings from the Islamic tradition
~Francyl Gawryn, vocalist, and Cristina Seaborn, violinist (from St. Cloud, remember?!) honoring the Universe Mother Spirit from Urantia
~Pam McCulkin honoring Mary, the mother of Christ from the Catholic faith

Audrey Kitagawa was present to offer readings honoring Kuan Yin from the Buddhist tradition but was called away due to time constraints.

The program ended with Faith Rivera of the Agape International Choir leading the group in singing:

'We all come from the Mother
and to Her we must return,
like a drop of rain,
flowing to the ocean.'

How heart satisfying it was! The most poignant moment of the event was watching the 8 women greeters who lined up outside the door of the event, beaming love and offering welcome to everyone. Each held a beautiful poster sized image of the feminine face of deity: Green Tara, Mary and Child, Lakshmi, Kuan Yin, the Black Madonna, Durga, Kali, the Virgen de Guadalupe and Saraswati. The women's glowing faces shown above the pictures with such warmth that it was easy to see Mother reflected in their faces above the images just as clearly as in the religious pictures below. Entering the hall was like taking a wonderful stroll with Mother through her garden.

The big news, however, is that we have played only a small part in the tidal wave of recognition of the Sacred Feminine that is breaking over the Parliament. Sister Joan Chittister's panel on the Divine Feminine was standing room only. She spoke so articulately of the need for the restoration of the Divine Feminine that when she offered a question and answer session later that afternoon, 500 people showed up and they had to move her to an auditorium.

Men and women have been equally supportive. Yesterday, when an all male panel on 'Global Spiritual Leadership' convened, attendees were in such an uproar about the absence of women on the panel, that the issue effectively monopolized the entire presentation. The standing joke around here is that 'Born Again Pagan' T shirts should be sold in the halls of the Parliament because that's what everyone will be by the end of the session!

I attribute this miraculous awakening of appreciation for the Sacred Feminine to all of you who have prayed and held the space for Mother to rise here. Please know your time, prayers, and intentions have not been in vain, but in fact have precipitated more progress than I hoped to see in many years.

Anne, Kathe and I were indeed blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in the event and we are sincerely grateful for the support all of you have offered. May this be just the beginning of what we can all accomplish together for the love of Mother!

In Her grace,
Mer

Parliament Report ~ Teleconference Saturday December 19

2009-12-17T14:59:00.000-08:00

Join us Saturday, December 19 for a conference call to hear highlights from the Parliament of the World's Religions. Kathe Schaaf and Anne Fitzgerald will give brief reports on their experiences at the Parliament and there will be some time for questions. This call has been set up by Barbara Belknap and the Gather the Women Regional Coordinators.

When:
Saturday, December 19
9:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time

How:
Call in number: 218-936-7999
Access code is 114614.

Report from the Parliament: The Feminine is Rising!

2009-12-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

A report from Kathe:

Three days into the Parliament of the World's Religions ... and I am happy to report that the Sacred Feminine is rising at this Parliament in the most spectacular ways. Here is a quick peek at some of the highlights in the past days:

~Our event on Friday afternoon 'A Creative Exploration of the Sacred Feminine' was a wonderful gathering. We had been assigned one of the larger breakout rooms at the Convention Center, and as people approached our space, they were welcomed by a semi-circle of wonderful volunteers holding large color posters of the Sacred Feminine from many faith traditions. (Special thanks to China Galland who shared with us beautiful high resolution images that we could have printed here in Melbourne.) Other volunteers handed out poems honoring Mother from many traditions. As soft music played and the images flowed on the large screen in the front, our room filled with more than 125 women and men. After tuning in with all of you in a Global Moment of Connection, we were blessed by offerings of poems, songs, music and dance from diverse traditions including Celtic, Sihk, Urantia, Muslim, Jewish and Catholic. It was sacred space.

~The next morning featured a panel on The Divine Feminine where women from various traditions -- Pagan, Catholic, Hindu and Buddist -- spoke to room packed with passionate delegates and a large crowd stood in the open doorway. Phyllis Courot spoke about how when she had offered a workshop on the Sacred Feminine at the Parliament in 1993, she had difficulty finding anyone who would join her panel and very few attended. She observed that things certainly seem to have changed with this Parliament and the Feminine was clearly rising! Sister Joan Chittister spoke in her usual clear and strong voice about imperative to bring gender balance to our view of God and to our world. She stressed our humanity is 'seeing with one eye, hearing with one ear, thinking with one half of our brain... and it shows.' The response was loud and loving.

~Next I attended a session called 'Men Who Love the Goddess' and listened deeply as four articulate and intelligent men described how they know and love the Sacred Feminine.

~Later that afternoon, Sister Joan was scheduled for a small open space event, an intimate opportunity for conversation with her. The room quickly filled with over 100 people and hundreds more crowded the hall outside. The staff scrambled to move us into one of the large ballrooms which was filled with more than 500 people as Joan began to take questions. The first question came from a Greek Orthodox bishop dressed in black robes: Please help me understand: What can men do to help heal this imbalance and bring an end to patriarchy? The whole room exhaled and Joan lovingly asked all the men in the room to raise their hands. It brought me to tears to look around and see that more than 1/3 of of the group was men opening their hearts and joining fully in this passionate moment.

A delegate sitting next to me said "Sister Joan is clearly the rock star of this Parliament." (The good news is that this humble, honest and very effective woman of Spirit is on her way to Copenhagen tomorrow!)

And I think the real rock star of this Parliament is the Sacred Feminine who is here with joy and grace and an incredible Divine Plan.

We're here!

2009-12-02T13:37:00.000-08:00

We are here in Melbourne and getting ready for the opening of the Parliament later today.

If you need to reach us, you can call our global cell phone (using a U.S. number -- just dial it as you normally would):

1-949-300-7060.

A Personal Invitation: Global Moment of Connection

2009-11-27T20:46:00.000-08:00

Clare Peterson from Vancouver Island has been inspired to invite a Global Moment of Connection to support the 'Creative Exploration of the Sacred Feminine' at the Parliament. Here is her invitation:

A personal invitation…

During the first week of December there is going to be a global spiritual gathering called
The Parliament of the World's Religions.
It happens every five years and this year is in

Melbourne, Australia, December 3rd-9th.

Within the program, a lovely space has been created

to anchor, honour and celebrate The Sacred Feminine.

Hearing this sparked an idea that I would like to share with as many others as possible.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone who hears this invitation would send light into this precise Moment of Connection?
Believing we each have the power to choose our thoughts and help create a loving field…you are invited to light a candle and join with many others to collectively beam thoughts of love, wisdom and deep peace into this session as it begins.

Presentation at the Parliament
'A Creative Exploration of the Sacred Feminine'
4:30 p.m. on Friday, December 4th
in Melbourne

(See below for times in your part of the world)

With love, Clare Peterson, Canada

What time is this in your part of the world?
U.K. London -- 5:30 a.m. Friday, December 4
Frankfurt, Germany -- 6:30 a.m. Friday, December 4
Jerusalem, Israel -- 7:30 a.m. Friday December 4
Nairobi, Kenya -- 8:30 a.m. Friday December 4
Mumbai, India -- 11 am Friday, December 4
Hawaii/ U.S. -- 7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 3
West Coast,U.S /Canada 9:30 pm.Thursday,December 3
East Coast/ U.S. -- 12:30 a.m. Friday, December 4
Thank you for passing this along!

An Invitation for Prayer Circles

2009-11-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

Julie Raymond of Idaho has been inspired to create a daily Prayer Circle for the week of the Parliament to support the energy rising. Here is her invitation:

The gifts of the feminine are on the move!

The Sacred Feminine will be featured at the Parliament of World Religions,

in Melbourne, Australia, December 3rd - 9th.

Thanks to the perseverance of The Women's Spirit Council

lead by Kathe Schaaf, Meredith Tenney, Clare Peterson, Anne Fitzgerald and co-hearts.

My own gratitude for visibility and voice of the feminine

in a global, theological context prompted an impulse of deeper service.

Powerful supportive energy can help midwife this profound emergence.

You are invited to join a daily 30 minute prayer circle gathering

via teleconference

for the length of this international gathering of religions.

Calls will be held @ 9 PM EST
December 3rd - 9th
Dial in Number: 218.936.4700
Access code: 235418

Join all, or some of the calls.
You are Invited!

Contact: Julie Raymond
tigressgaia@yahoo.com

Join us for a Global Moment of Connection

2009-10-31T13:43:00.000-07:00

There is a global moment coming

of love and light

to celebrate the Sacred Feminine rising.

At 4:30 p.m. on Friday December 4

women will be gathering at the Parliament of the World's Religions

in Melbourne, Australia

to honor the Sacred Feminine.

This event, 'A Creative Exploration of the Sacred Feminine',

will feature music, dance, poetry and art from many diverse faith traditions.

We invite you to join with us in this moment, to add your frequency of love and light.

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, you are invited

to pause ... wake up ... settle down .... set your alarm clock... code your cell phone ...

and join us in a moment of energetic connection.

You might plan to gather with others

or simply sit in silence...

to light a small candle

and focus for a few moments,

sending your thoughts and prayers to join with the Australian moment.

What time is this in your part of the world?

U.K. London -- 5:30 a.m. Friday, December 4
Frankfurt, Germany -- 6:30 a.m. Friday, December 4
Jerusalem, Israel -- 7:30 a.m. Friday December 4
Nairobi, Kenya -- 8:30 a.m. Friday December 4
Mumbai, India -- 11 am Friday, December 4
Hawaii/ U.S. -- 7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 3
West Coast/ U.S. -- 9:30 p.m. Thursday, December 3
East Coast/ U.S. -- 12:30 a.m. Friday, December 4

Host an Event or Gathering

2009-10-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

If you cannot join us in Melbourne, you might consider hosting a local event, circle or gathering on the same day or during the same week as the Parliament. It is a way to add your energy and intentions to this global exploration of women's leadership and the Sacred Feminine.

Your gathering could be a simple circle with just a few women at your home ... or a celebration of the Sacred Feminine with dance, song and poetry to mirror our event... or an opportunity to gather women of diverse faith traditions in your community... or a group of women walking in nature. No matter what you feel called to do, you will be contributing to the resonant field of feminine spiritual unity.

You can list your event on an online calendar at http://womensspiritcouncil.org/event_sacredfeminineParliament.php .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some women have reported they feel called to create a local event similar to ours. The guidelines for A CREATIVE EXPLORATION OF THE SACRED FEMININE are simple and organic:

~Broadcast an invitation though your networks and mailing lists inviting women from your area to contribute a song, dance, poem or other short artistic performamce honoring the sacred feminine from their faith tradition. Reach out to various faith communties in your area to invite participation. Hold the intention to attract women from diverse spiritual traditions and to create a expression of unity.
~Choose a date, time and location that will be inviting and accessible to a wide range of women.
~As you promote the event, invite women to bring images, icons and sacred objects representing the Sacred Feminine from their faith tradition.
~Set up the room with an altar where women can place their icons and objects. Images of the Sacred Feminine from various faith traditions can be hung around the room.
~Have some guidelines for performance: stay away from ritual; define a time limit; screen for appropriate and safe content.
~Come together with some words of introduction about the Parliament and the event in Melbourne. This site is a good source. Clearly establish the local/ global connection.
~Gather standing in a large circle. Use circle principles to have every woman present put her name into the circle and possibly a brief sharing (could be one word if it is a large group or a sentence about her spiritual tradition).
~Enjoy the creative exploration of the Sacred Feminine!
~End with a standing circle again and a final word of sharing.
~Close by announcing any future gatherings. Do you want to create an on-going Women's Spirit Circle to meet monthly at a regular time?

Weave your Energy into the Sacred Feminine Ribbon Mandala

2009-10-31T11:13:00.000-07:00

At our event in Melbourne, we will be creating a collaborative global art project - a Sacred Feminine Ribbon Mandala. You are invited to weave your energy and prayers into this mandala.

It's easy! Just send us a 6 inch section of narrow ribbon (no wider than 1/2 inch) inscribed with your name and a short prayer by November 25.

Your ribbon will be woven into the mandala along with those of Parliament attendees.

Mail your ribbon so that it is received by November 25 to:

FROM THE U.S. AND THE WORLD

Kathe Schaaf
27711 Deputy Circle
Laguna Hills, CA 92653

U.S.A

FROM AUSTRALIA:

Lorraine Rodda
Australian Representative
Veriditas and The Labyrinth Society Inc
6 Boathaven Grove
San Remo Vic 3925
Australia

Women's Leadership Made Visible

2009-10-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

There is another exciting opportunity to make feminine Spirit visible at this Parliament. A program cluster has emerged around 'Women's Leadership' and we are excited about this opportunity to build energy and awareness of the value of women as spiritual leaders. We are planning various activities and events to engage Parliament delegates in an exploration and inquiry about the many forms of feminine leadership.

We are bringing a question with us to Melbourne: What happens when women lead? To help make women's leadership visible and to encourage inquiring conversation, we will hand out hundreds of pink button asking this question. We have recently been informed that our question has also been chosen as one of the inquiries to be featured on the homepage of the Parliament website and during the event as part of its collaboration with Dropping Knowledge International. http://www.droppingknowledgeinternational.org/.

If you will be in Melbourne and would like to help build the energy for feminine leadership there, contact katheschaaf@cox.net.