The Time of the Feminine - A Global Sisterhood Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Usha Anandi: The Cycles and Phases of the Feminine Body Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

Usha Anandi was fifteen years old and was on the pill when she started down the path of recognizing how disconnected womb health and our understanding of our womb is from the rest of our body in our current medical structure. None of the medical practitioners she encountered provided concrete answers for her and that's when she decided to take her journey into her own hands towards healing.

Usha explains how just as Mother Earth experiences seasons, so do women. The first phase is the follicular phase or what Usha calls the "inner spring" because that's when its freshness comes over our body and it begins once the blood of your menstrual cycle stops; the next is the ovulatory phase or the "inner summer" where we experience our ovulation or the peak of fertility; the luteal phase or "inner autumn" is when estrogen falls and progesterone rises which increases the linings of our uterus; lastly is menstruation or "inner winter" where progesterone falls and triggers the release of the endometrium and the shedding or the release of blood.

Patriarchy, racism, and classicism have impacted modern-day gynecology and midwifery and a lot or procedures were developed through experimenting with black and enslaved women. The women who continued the tradition of midwifery were black but 90% of midwives in the US are now white women. Now, it has become highly medicalized, industrialized, and attended by obstetrical practitioners.

Usha Anandi's work is focused on revolutionizing the way modern healthcare serves the sacred and the ancient within each woman. She founded Womben Wellness and is a holistic nutritionist, childbirth educator, full-spectrum doula, and herbalist.

What we discuss:

02:10 – Usha's Journey

11:02 – Cycles and phases

19:33 – Inner spring

23:43 – Inner summer

28:46 – Inner autumn

33:19 – Inner winter

37:43 – Origins of Gynecology and Midwifery

50:14 – Empowering reconnection and trust in the body

59:03 – Abortion and sexual education

Learn more from Usha:

Website: https://www.wombenwellness.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wombenwellness/

Marysia Miernowska: Healing Humanity With Plant Spirits Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

Why do we feel burnt out? Marysia Miernowska explains that our extractive capitalist culture is to blame. The modern world equates self-worth to productivity, pushing people to work past their limits. It's not just our bodies that are suffering, but the Earth as well. To combat burnout, we must value rest. We must re-learn the pace of growth and healing—processes which take time. We cannot recover faster than the pace of recovery.

During rest, take the opportunity to reconnect with the self and with nature. All of life is made of the same soil as the Earth. The interconnected web of life is the reason we exist. One of the ways we can establish a relationship with the Earth is through plant work. Something as simple as preparing tea from specific herbs can help us feel grounded. The world conditions us to chase after highs and instant gratification. But what we really need is to be present in the moment, to remember our values, and to be compassionate to all beings. By allotting time to heal, we can prevent depletion of ourselves and of natural resources.

Marysia is an Earth activist, folk herbalist, and director of The School of the Sacred Wild. She apprenticed with Sage Maurer of The Gaia School of Healing. As a medicine maker, Marysia grows organic and biodynamic herbs in Malibu. She co-founded Rituel Beauty and formulates products for other ethical companies such as Foria. She is also the author of The Witch's Herbal Apothecary.

What we discuss:

03:04 - Embodying the living earth

08:36 - Sacredness in the mundane

12:04 - Marysia's herbalism journey

20:38 - Bringing balance to our bodies and the earth

28:55 - How to slow down

34:04 - Groundedness, grief, & disconnect

40:37 - Genuine "pro-life" and herbal abortions

47:22 - We are medicine

52:49 - What's the message of the Divine Mother to us?

Learn more from Marysia:

Website: schoolofthesacredwild.com

Instagram: @marysia_miernowska

Jeremie Lotemo: How Men Heal the Wounds of Patriarchy Aug 04, 2022

Show notes

The patriarchy is killing men. And yet, men continue to uphold this broken system. Jeremie Lotemo explains that this allegiance has been socialized from a young age. Fathers teach their sons how to dismiss their mothers. Sports initiates kids into a culture of dominance. There is no space for kindness and warmth. To be respected, men have to reject their emotions.

Not only do they feel disconnected from their emotions, but men also feel cut off from the Great Mother. As a result, they don't know how to take responsibility for their feelings. They have been taught to pay their emotions no mind, since the world will adjust anyway. This ends up isolating men from themselves, the people they love, and the feminine.

Jeremie urges men to intentionally connect with Mother Earth. They'll soon realize that the Divine Mother has always been present. When you gain a better understanding of the infinite nature of the feminine, you become more open and unafraid to explore depths. Being in touch with the feminine allows men to fully embody their masculine power. The way men relate to themselves and others is transformed.

Jeremie is a poet, a writer, and a transformation coach from Atlanta. He helps his clients live from their deepest core by integrating their deepest shadows. Previously, he worked as an account manager and graphic designer in advertising. He also hosts his own podcast called Gates of Perception.

What we discuss:

02:15 - Jeremie's upbringing and connection to the feminine

09:49 - As a privileged male and an oppressed minority

14:47 - Inner father cultivation

22:13 - The patriarchy is killing men

33:27 - Challenging men to be better

38:46 - Disconnection from the Great Mother

49:55 - Integrity in intimate relationships

1:04:16 - Inadequacy in the face of the feminine

1:11:13 - Confidence is power

1:14:32 - Lauren's most intense initiation

1:19:27 - What's the message of the Divine Mother to us?

Learn more from Jeremie:

Website: byermeas.com

Instagram: @byermeas

Nina Simons: Leading with the Feminine Jul 28, 2022

Show notes

One of the current challenges of feminine leadership is knowing when to draw the line between sacrifice and martyrdom. Historically, women have been socialized to serve as mothers and wives. From this conditioning arose the belief that self-worth is directly related to how many people they nurture. It's true that leadership is about lifting others up, but it shouldn't be at the expense of personal well-being.

The opportunities for growth, challenge, and leadership are endless. How does one discern when to say yes and when to say no? Keep in mind that a "no" is not a closed door; it may lead you to somewhere different. Before making a decision, ask yourself: Is it a cause you care about? Will it contribute to the cultivation of the self? It also helps to examine the sensations in your body. These sensations serve as signals; reclaim your body's intuition.

Another important area to apply discernment is in regard to motivation. Are you serving because it is a conscious choice or is it out of habit? Is it for yourself or is it to meet outside expectations? The practice of self love can combat the compulsion to overperform. Listen to your body, heart, and spirit intently.

Nina Simons is an award-winning social entrepreneur and visionary thinker. She is co-founder of Bioneers and its Everywoman's Leadership program. Her work currently focuses on writing, speaking and teaching about women, leadership, diversity, nature, systems thinking, leading from the heart, and restoring the feminine in us all.

What we discuss:

02:51 - Nina's leadership journey

11:24 - How to create boundaries

18:14 - Socialization of martyrdom

26:01 - Discern choice from compulsion

32:10 - Reclaim the body's wisdom

39:32 - Realize untapped potential

44:38 - What's the message of the Divine Mother to us?

Learn more from Nina:

Websites: ninasimons.com & bioneers.org

S2E1 Lauren and Shaina : A New Cycle Another Season Jul 21, 2022

Show notes

There is so much going on in the world right now and as the divine feminine is rising, her awakening presence is the one doing the shaking and showing the structures that make people feel stuck, their trauma bubbling to the surface.

Amid all this chaos, it is easy to lose hope, which is why for Season 2 on The Time of the Feminine Podcast, Lauren and Shaina's goal is to cultivate hope so that we listen to the Earth, not get lost in all the shaking, and stay firm in our connection to the divine and the truth within her bodies. Lauren and Shaina are in the process of decomposing, which is letting go of old ways of being like the patriarchal conditioning and pre-existing societal expectations. It is through letting go and surrendering to the current where we find true freedom where we are not attached to material security like money, fame, or career.

Lauren and Shaina also talk about the power of empathy. Through empathy, we can hold a grand range, the vastness of the human experience, and even the brokenness of the world. What makes empathy a superpower is the pulling back of the veil, lifting of the eyes to see clearer, and an intelligence that can hold a great scope of the human experience. This in turn can create effective conversations where people are not blaming or cancelling each other but are being understanding through our similar and different experiences.

Season 2 is a quest to decompose and resolidify in personal and intimate truths as Lauren and Shaina dive into hot button issues through a soulful lens. Join them again every Thursdays as they hear more deep and personal stories and journeys from new guests.

What we discuss:

01:19 – Season 2 Introduction

02:50 – The Divine Feminine Rising

06:13 – Decomposing and Composting

12:45 – Descending into the Underworld/Winter Phase

18:08 – Playing God and the Journey of Maturing

22:39 – Revoking Abortion Rights in the US

27:02 – Harmony and Diversity

29:31 – Season 2: Decompose, Reaffirm, Reconnect

Learn more about The Global Sisterhood

Website: globalsisterhood.org

Instagram: @theglobalsisterhood

Jamie Elizabeth Thompson: Pleasure with Power and Purpose Apr 21, 2022

Show notes

The Great Feminine Divide—as Jamie Elizabeth Thompson calls it— starts in childhood. From a young age, most girls were bought up to believe that sex is taboo. But sexuality is a natural and essential aspect of human nature, and we intuitively know this. The lack of safe spaces prevents women from exploring their sexuality so instead they carry shame about having erotic thoughts and desires. This ancient distortion still persists today to control the feminine.

To overcome this repression, women need to discern between their sexual truths and social conditioning. Question the rules and ask why you follow them. Delineate between what you truly believe and what you've been taught to believe. Don't be afraid to dive into your sexuality, for that too is a spiritual path to the divine.

For so many women, sexuality only exists within relationships. Only with a partner do they feel safe to release their erotic side. Jamie encourages women to continue their pursuit of pleasure with themselves and with fellow sisters. Women can create their own contexts of sensuality without following limiting patterns. By fully embodying our erotic nature, there is a deeper sense of self-knowing. When we fully approve of ourselves, we cannot be easily swayed by outside forces who want to control us.

Jamie is a holistic sex coach who equips individuals and couples with tools to help them break out of limiting sex patterns to have a more fulfilling intimate life. She is the founder of Awakened Woman, a curriculum and community for women to reconnect with their feminine sensuality and power and turn on their orgasmic potential.

What we discuss:

08:32 - Jamie's sexual liberation

13:06 - Reconnecting spirituality with sexuality

18:24 - Safety and permission for self expression

22:22 - Reverence of the dark, erotic energy

30:36 - Awakened Woman

35:56 - Creating containers for sexuality

43:12 - Sacred sensual practice

46:56 - Intuitive desire is protection

51:38 - The Great Feminine Divide

58:02 - The priestess archetype

1:01:56 - Overcoming triggers and respecting boundaries

1:06:58 - What's the message of the Divine Mother to us?

Learn more from Jamie:

Website: jamieelizabeththompson.com

Instagram: @holisticsexcoach

Traver Boehm: Healing Masculinity Apr 14, 2022

Show notes

There is no space for men's pain. Society expects them to put on brave faces even when they are hurting inside. Men are taught to reject their feelings, and with it, the feminine. In the past, they were once warriors and providers who had to compartmentalize their emotions in order to succeed. But in modern times, men are no longer needed as defenders and breadwinners. Without a clear purpose, men feel lost and act out in harmful ways in order to fill the void.

Instead of chiding men for bad behavior, Traver Boehm believes clear instructions are needed to help them move forward. He proposes a new paradigm of masculinity which combines the primal and the divine, the masculine and the feminine. Society needs to acknowledge the male collective wound. We need to ask men to turn inwards and deal with their thoughts and feelings.

In Traver's UNcivilized program, men are initiated into a brotherhood by talking about the deep, scary part of themselves. It's a safe space for them to open up, all the while invoking a sense of challenge that men crave. They learn to become whole by harnessing strength and cultivating kindness.

Traver is the founder of the UNcivilized Men's Movement. Through coaching and workshops, he gives men a new empowered paradigm with which to express their masculinity. He is the author of Today I Rise, and Man UNcivilized as well as a two time TEDx speaker and podcaster.

What we discuss:

03:15 - Traver's story of loss

06:38 - The UNcivilized Man paradigm

11:55 - The masculine wound

21:03 - Initiation and brotherhood

29:33 - Men's primal need to be challenged

34:57 - The fear of feelings

37:25 - Unrealistic expectations about intimacy

51:23 - Integration of head and heart

58:46 - Turn sexual drive into creative force

1:06:39 - How can women support men's healing?

1:09:19 - What's the message of the Divine Mother to us?

Learn more from Traver:

Website: www.manuncivilized.com

Instagram: @traverboehm

Margaret Starbird: The Lost Bride of Christ: Mary Magdalene Apr 07, 2022

Show notes

"Was Jesus married?" Margaret embarked on her own journey to uncover the truth about the lost bride of Christ after reading Holy Blood, Holy Grail. In her research, she found that the church has been trying to suppress the sacred marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene for thousands of years.

As she went deeper into her inquiry, she found compelling clues that Mary was indeed Jesus' most beloved companion. The anointing of Jesus by a woman with the alabaster jar was mentioned in all four gospels, implying the importance of this event. The gospel of John revealed the woman's identity to be Mary. Jesus himself instructed her to bring the fragrance to his tomb after his crucifixion. A look at the Scriptures shows that Mary Magdalene is mentioned first on seven of eight lists, hinting at her status in the community. These are some of the allusions that point to the sacred marriage.

Christianity has always emphasized the image of a male celibate God and a virgin mother all the while rejecting Mary as the bride of Christ. In doing so, Christianity also rejects the divine feminine because the sacred marriage represents the partnership between the masculine and feminine energies. Without it, we lack compassion and connection. The holy union is also symbolic of the unity of flesh and divinity. God is within us and works through us. We fail to fully embody the teachings of Christianity by being blind to the divine in us.

Margaret Starbird holds BA and MA degrees from the University of Maryland where she concentrated in comparative literature, medieval studies, and German language. She later studied theology at Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville. Margaret is the author of seven books that honor the Divine Feminine and the Sacred Marriage at the core of the Christian story. Her work has been credited as the inspiration for Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code.

What we discuss:

02:25 - Margaret's conversion experience

08:50 - Was Jesus married?

19:55 - A rosary for Mary Magdalene

25:31 - Lauren's relationship with Christianity

34:11 - Early Christianity before the Romans

38:08 - Divinity in the flesh

44:09 - The tragedy of the patriarchy

52:11 - Healing deep wounds from Christianity

56:19 - The meaning of Magdalene

1:00:21 - What's the message of the Divine Mother to us?

Learn more from Margaret:

Website: www.margaretstarbird.net

Turiya Hanover: A Woman's Rage: How to Channel It for Healing Mar 31, 2022

Show notes

Born in post-war Germany, Turiya carried collective trauma with no means of addressing it. She and her husband experienced a profound change after their first encounter workshop and Jungian psychotherapy session in the 70s. They continued their search for enlightenment in India with mystics. While in India, Turiya's husband suddenly passed away, leading her to have an identity crisis. She was unsure of who she was, now that she was no longer a wife.

Turiya questioned not only who she was, but also the existing patriarchal structures and religion. Why are most spiritual paths run through men? What about women's enlightenment? She started to feel anger towards the patriarchy for conditioning women to become submissive and manipulative. Instead of practicing Hindu detachment, she started exploring the pent up trauma within.

This anger that Turiya had is part of the collective rage towards the patriarchy. But anger is not about blaming others for our own suffering. On the contrary, Turiya believes that anger is energy—only by taking responsibility can we use this life force to live freely. Unexpressed anger can bring self hatred. It's not easy to deal with anger alone, oftentimes it's better to heal within groups. Being seen and heard pulls us out of isolation, allowing us to feel safe and to become more resilient.

Turiya is the co-founder of Path Retreats and the founder of the Path of Love transformation process. She has been trained in many different disciplines such as Gestalt, Bioenergetics, Psychodrama, Family Therapy, NLP, Hypnosis, Somatic Experiencing, Ego Psychology, Family Constellation, Enneagram and Astrology and Essence Work.

What we discuss:

04:52 - Confronting ego structures

06:48 - From princess to hippie

15:32 - Trauma and women's enlightenment

21:08 - Surrender vs submission

28:17 - Bridging over death

36:46 - Dealing with anger & collective rage

52:53 - Connection is healing

01:02:24 - What's the message of the Divine Mother to us?

Learn more from Turiya:

Website: www.turiyahanover.net

Instagram:@turiyahanover

Raven Rose: Woman's Mysticism through Dreamtime, Plants and Womb Mar 24, 2022

Show notes

The menstrual cycle is often associated with negativity—it's seen as shameful, gross, and too emotional. Society has long been conditioning women to hide this naturally powerful part of themselves. Womb healer and herbalist Raven Rose urges us to reframe the way we see menstruation. The phases of our menstrual cycle are like seasons. Each new season brings an opportunity for release, transformation, and creativity. There is a mysticism present in the connection between our womb spaces and the sun, moon, and planets. Instead of judging our bodies, try to be more attuned to it because the answers that we seek can be found within.

Just like how our menstrual cycles intuitively guide us, our dreams can also provide insight on what we're experiencing and what's to come. Dreams are the body's way of communicating with us. Raven suggests keeping dream journals. Don't attempt to interpret your dreams immediately after writing them down. Read your dreams out loud and meditate on them to see what comes up. Dreambooks can be helpful, but ultimately, symbols within dreams are context-specific. Plants can help enhance dreams, making them more vivid, immersive, or memorable. Dreams not only remind us to turn inward for clarity, but they also remind us of our connection to the Earth and our shared journey with all that has life.

Raven is an herbalist, Kambo practitioner, and womb healer. She is the founder of Moon Medicine, an intuitive practice that helps women balance their menstrual cycles through natural remedies and ancestral medicine. With Raven's guidance, women learn to release toxic programming and generational trauma in the womb—allowing them to live fully cyclical and creative lives.

What we discuss:

03:17 - Raven's "limitless" transformation

08:45 - Dreamwork practice

18:03 - Enhance dreams through plant spirit connections

23:08 - Raven's connection with blue vervain

27:37 - Womb healing and cyclical living

35:42 - Menstruation as releasing and receiving

42:48 - Creativity and the cycle

47:36 - Letting go of limiting beliefs

53:43 - What's the message of the Divine Mother to us?

Learn more from Raven:

Website: moonmedicine.co