Hollie B ~ Met the Goddess and Became a Witch

Hollie B is just 28 years old and facing the year of the Saturn Return with such beautiful courage I wanted to profile her as an Aussie Goddess. Although it’s the time of upheaval and change for Hollie, she has faith in the Goddess that she is on the right path with her sisters, and her true loves.

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Dear Anita,

Thankyou so much for this Goddess opportunity. It is so lovely to be featured amongst many beautiful Goddess women. May my story bring hope, passion and healing to the beautiful women who may ever feel as though they are trapped in the struggle. xox

I love the Goddess. I love the belief in a Divine Feminine soul to this very Universe we live within. She is nature and love and growth and change. She is all the bounties of this fine Earth. It just makes sense to love Her.

When I was a teenager my mother was meeting with groups of spirit women, making fires on the beach under the full moon, and eating whole foods. My mother’s friends brought medicine cards and drums to our house. They held Usui Reiki classes in our living room, while people were in trance, channelling extra-terrestrial beings downstairs.

I was a teenager, and I thought they were a bunch of weirdos! We lived in a tiny bush town on the Ninety Mile Beach, and this group of people were not the norm. When my mother ‘came out’ about her activities, the church ladies came over for a special morning tea (aka intervention). That was enough to appeal to my rebellious teenage heart, and I was swept up into the land of the Goddess.

At the local alternative book / health food / eco store / healing centre where I worked I was exposed to so many different types of people with so many varying spiritual and healing interests, but with one guiding similarity – love, growth and change. There I learnt about the Goddess. At the time too, Witchcraft was a media phenomenon. The film The Craft was released, Fiona Horne was on the television and all of my girlfriends wanted to be a sexy witch with the powers of nature at their finger tips. While they bought Spell books and tried to make their enemies suffer, I was finding that the energies were very real to me, and could be used in such different ways. There was Truth in this ‘stuff’. I could see a difference in the way our family ate and lived that really resonated with nature. Through my mother’s friendship circle I was directed to ‘reputable’ books on Witchcraft. I sifted through the dogma and found the Truth of nature and the Goddess’s own stories of Earth. Within the Sabbatts – seasonal festivals celebrated by witches and pagans – I saw the changes in the animals, the growth of the flowers, and best of all, the feeling of the change of seasons.

To me, this is the essence of Witchcraft. It is the essence of the Goddess. She is the story of growth and change. She is Love.

Growing up and moving out

And so, the wheel of change turned for me; I had to grow up and go to University. The adventure began. I’d never been to Canberra before I moved here. So, perhaps I have a notable pattern of rolling up my sleeves and jumping straight in. It’s a fast way to bring change, and hopefully, if the lessons within the journey are learned, the growth will come with it. I came to Canberra, stopped brushing my hair, wore bare feet, and desperately searched for the wonderful sacred spaces of the country.

And always the Goddess was my drive. As much as I searched, I could not find the bliss of the healing, sacred environment I had come from, and so She drove me from the inside. I connected with ‘communities’ who purported to share my philosophies and beliefs. More often than not I found people whom I had little in common with, yet for some reason I persisted, hoping to find the safe, sacred space I had once known. In hindsight, it was as though my True eyes were closed while I dedicated my mind to staying open – too open. I sat in on intellectual discussions about the matter of Spirit..? I listened to various opinions about ‘what is magick?’ and I was bored! At the same time I pushed for ceremony and circles, hoping to find a depth in connection. My faith in the Goddess’ Truth was my direction throughout, feeling a pull to contentment within the Mysteries.

Entering the Dark

When my relationship ended with my son’s father I had grown tired of love and light and happiness. I was in a shadowy place, and wished to reflect that in my work. We the Temple of the Moon was founded upon my suggestion with two other Priestesses, with the sole purpose of bringing women to their depth, through their own Darkness. It was an awakening time for me. The gentle pull of the Goddess’ void pushed me to grow up.

So many changes, so many lessons, so many opportunities for growth. We the Temple of the Moon (WETOM) shifted from three to two Priestesses. At the same time, I was creating a public space, my own version of the alternative book / eco store / healing centre but with a very strong tone of Witch.

What seemed to be a culmination

At the end of 2005 I opened Lunation Store in the ‘city district’ of Canberra. Only a few months later my daughter was born, but by this time I could already see my relationship with her father for what it really was. I also saw no way out, so I threw myself into work. Five weeks after her birth, my daughter and I were back at work full time. In the time I should have been bonding at home with her I was conceiving all manner of great new ventures for my business. I came back and built The Goddess Shrine.

The Goddess Shrine launched in September 2006 as a permanent public space for the Goddess. My thinking was that if the Church had altars where people could come and light candles, asking God to hear their prayers, where was the Goddess’s candle shrine? I rallied a group of Priestesses, we built a Shrine in the back of the Lunation temple, we wrote a Water Ceremony for the prayers, and The Goddess Shrine was born.

I felt at the time that this work was the culmination of my efforts of the previous years spent searching for the love, growth and change landmarks of the Goddess in Canberra. The temple filled with interested, passionate people each month. My mother donated her sacred statue of the Goddess who had been handmade by one of the women from her own circle, and she became the ‘face’ of The Goddess Shrine. Together we sang to the Goddess, and a community seemed to be developing. I was immersed in the land of the Goddess, and I forgot about the world outside.

All at the same time, I had forgotten about the world inside, and the shackles of Post-Natal Depression gripped tight. Weight fell off my body and most days I was suicidal. I knew I would never be happy in my relationship, but convinced myself ‘you chose it, you do it’. I did ritual and ceremony with my daughter’s energy, trying to find a way to connect. I hated myself for not flowing in the energy I believed in so strongly – of the Mother Goddess and Divine life. I wondered where had I gone? Only a few years before I had been the care-free Earth Mama, bare foot with my son in a carry sling and directing powerful Moon Circles. I would write beautiful poetry for ceremony. Now every public ritual was a chore. My creativity had dried up early with my mama’s milk, and the Earth was dry under my feet. I rarely cooked a meal or dug the herbs in the garden.

In 2007, with a major workshop coming up and no creative inspiration within my heart I went to the beach to find Aphrodite. Sitting on the rocks, with water around my ankles and the moon in the sky I suddenly realised that I had not been on a beach for over two years. In the sand, singing to the Goddess, feeling Aphrodite’s loving wings wrap around my, by this time, frail structure I wept. Back in Canberra the following week I told my daughter’s father it was over. My children and I had been wasting away in angst and unhappiness for too long. We had nowhere to live, and the Store was not making enough money to support us in the Canberra rental market. He let us stay for a few weeks, until he told us to leave. We went to a refuge.

I must have had a good poker face back then, because very few people knew what was going on. Customers and friends came in and out as normal. I continued Spell consults and tarot readings and apparently to the public, life seemed ‘normal’. While we stayed at the refuge I travelled to Queensland and presented my Aphrodite workshop at the Goddess Conference. I began to heal. My weight increased almost immediately. We were offered a house 5 minutes from my Store and in a day I had moved us in. And then it was 2008.

The year of adventure

My years in the Lunation Store gave me plenty of time to study relationship with the Canberra Seasons, and I facilitated many a workshop and ceremony about the Goddess Mysteries in each season. It is still my favourite part of ceremony work, and when I was asked by some of the women to facilitate ‘Priestess Training’, I saw it as a perfect opportunity to really delve into the Mysteries. So, in keeping with my pattern of rolling up my sleeves and jumping straight in I devised a thirteen month Priestess Path, where we met most weeks exploring the seasons, the Goddess in all Her guises, personal power, spellcrafting, Moon magicks and anything else that came up over the time. In the meantime for the second time in Lunation’s life I was running a house on my own, running a shop on my own and trying to find myself after all that had been lost in those years of unhappiness.

I called 2008 the year of adventure. I was not content to leave things how they were. There were layers of fear and darkness hanging around, and depression would still visit me on and off. In my time as a ‘public Priestess’ I had collected all manner of hangers on and energy suckers. I began to recoil from groups of people, and I dedicated myself to receiving all of the abundance that I deserved. I gave myself to the Mother ocean and let Her heal the rift with my daughter. I made a choice to open my heart, no matter how painful and frightening the process was. I believed so truly in a Sacred Divine Twin Flame Lover match to myself. But I also believed, that I was not ready for him yet.

I have never been content to stop at the edge. I believe that things happen for a reason. In the first half of 2008 I lost many ‘friends’. At the same time my Store was getting more new customers and online sales increased. One afternoon, as I was preparing to head to the coast, a very sweet man walked into the Store. I recognised him as the Bass Player from a friend’s band with whom I’d shared a very quick dance with at a concert a few weeks before. What a coincidence, I had only been telling my staff about him moments before! He stayed for a tarot reading and the next we saw each other it was a very fancy date.

The Priestess Path was still developing with its own shape and the women who continued after the first few months found their ‘groove’. We supported one another through our darkness, and shone light on each others’ shadows. Ten years on I had become my mother and her ‘weirdo’ friends! We ran workshops in my lounge room while the kids were sleeping. We drummed to the moon and sang to the Goddess, and I was channelling teachings I didn’t even know I understood!

I continued to date the Bass Player from the concert, and suddenly I was in True Love. This truth of the Twin Flame has taught me so much, and helped me focus on what is most important. At the end of 2008 I closed the Store, because so many of the things that had been important, just weren’t anymore. I no longer felt supported by the Goddess in this work, knowing that Her needs for me were elsewhere. I wasn’t alone anymore. After all the hard work and so so many tears, it was time to let go of Lunation, for the time being.

No coincidences – Only perfection

The Priestess Path ended in 2009 and all of us were such different women than when we began. It had been one Rite of Passage after another, and now it was time to go off on our own. The work that I had been keeping myself busy with came to a close, and suddenly there was nothing supporting my roll up the sleeves and jump in nature. In less than a month I was admitted to hospital, with most of my organs seeming to be threatening to fail and no one could say what was wrong. It was like being the patient on that TV Show House, with six doctors standing around the bed, vacant expressions, and no one coming up with anything.

And so I rolled up my sleeves and got over that too. But not by jumping in this time. Instead it was through lessons in patience and silence. I had to learn how to be content in stillness.

This time gave me the opportunity to really work out what I wanted. Did I still want to facilitate Priestesses? Did I still want to retail Spell products? Did I want to write and create, or just stay at home raising cats and kids?

At the Spring Equinox, 2009 I got married to my beautiful Twin Flame, Bolj. Together with each our own kids we have a family of seven, and a heap of animals. I garden. I write. I facilitate Priestesses. I am a Witch, Earth Mama and awesome wife. I was just laughing with a friend this week about how we were sitting playing with Medicine cards, while her twelve year old daughter sat at the kitchen table trying to ignore us. Now I am the ‘weirdos’ and I am very content with that!

I am 28, the year of the Saturn Return and apparently time of upheaval and change. I wonder how this will effect me, how much more change can there be? Contentment has set in, but never complacency. I continue to learn and love and grow, and I am willing to change. Lunation has been re-launched once again, online where my time and personal space can not be dictated to. My work now has an even clearer focus and more empowered philosophy. I’m not trying to please anyone else anymore, content with what I know and who I have become. The shadows of the past are a distant memory, and the sacred environment I yearned for in the beginning is right here. I made my own magick, sometimes the hard way, but always the right way.

To me, this is the essence of Witchcraft. It is the essence of the Goddess. She is the story of growth and change. She is Love. And She is something every woman can not only encounter, but also become.

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To learn more about Hollie B, visit her website. Exclusive to InnerGoddess members: Purchases over $50 will receive a free bottle of Blessed Water : until July 22, 2010. Just leave a note in the comments section at checkout stating Aussie Goddess Offer.

Charmaine Wilson – Queen of Self Belief

Charmaine Wilson is a medium and the winner of Channel 7′s “The One“. After years of abuse and surviving the grief of losing her daughter and a friend, Charmaine has discovered her goddess within.

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When I was a young girl approaching my teens I was a confused rebellious spirit, who at the ripe old age of 13 had seen more than my fair share of pain. My parents had divorced when I was five. My mum was always in poor health with her asthma and because of this spent most of her time in bed. She loved me but was not overly affectionate however I craved cuddles and affection and this craving led to me being sexually abused at age seven.

When you are seven it is very hard to distinguish right from wrong and with the abuser making me feel I did something wrong and wicked to deserve this I became distrustful and introverted until I reached aged 14.

At that age I discovered I could get affection with boys and my already low self esteem reached gutter level when I was crucified as the town bike. I did not feel like a Goddess and I did not feel human at all. I despised myself with a passion and something grew inside me.

It was a longing to find relief in this world where I could fit, where I felt good. At age 14 I found drugs and alcohol and all of a sudden nothing much mattered. I was booted out of school at age 15 and to be honest it was good not to be taunted with the names and abuse. I was glad to be away from those who had absolutely no idea of how I felt.  But still this longing to be loved lurked within me and then I found a boy and by the time I was 16, I believed I had found something that would forever take away the lonely pain, I was pregnant.

When my daughter was born I no longer clung to the drugs in quite the same way I had, I still puffed on pot but alcohol was proving to be a hindrance with my baby’s father drinking heavily all the time and then he would abuse me. The name calling began again, the emotional abuse unbearable.  The Goddess was still a long way into the future.

We separated and I was glad to be rid of him but his poison reached out to embrace me again when in an alcoholic stupor he killed my daughter in a drunken driving accident when she was visiting him. It was then I found alcohol again.  I found it numbed the pain and then it dug right in and created more.

Losing a child is the hardest death to bear. My daughter was four and a half. She was beautiful and the last time I saw her she was in a coffin.

I became dependant on alcohol for many years. I was a weekend binge drinker and when I drank, I drank with a seriousness that would black me out and turn me into a monster.  Personally I never met the monster I became, but many others did.  The Goddess had not arrived yet.

Life moves on and more children were born but the wound was unhealed and the pain always just below the surface. The father of my current children tried for 12 years but the alcohol won and we went our separate ways.

Then I found speed (Amphetamines).  Then I went to hell.

Whatever Goddess I had been disappeared completely as the drug began to rule my life. And then when I lost my kids, my house, my car, my soul the voices began.

At first I thought it was drugs so I straightened up. I couldn’t take it.

The voices stayed. I was still going for custody of my son’s and could not afford to go to mental health so basically I learned to live with the chatter. After eight months clean and still listening to these strange voices I decided to listen to what they said. They fixed me. They taught me to grow up and take responsibility for my life.  The taught me to stop feeling so sorry for myself and pointed out my worst enemy was me. The Goddess started to emerge!

It took a while to figure out it was the spirit world and I was a medium but when I did the Goddess stepped up and took over and when she arrived knowing she could help other bereaved parents face their path there was absolutely no stopping her .

This was in 2002.  I trembled and shook through the first reading I did but did so with an accuracy that blew the clients away and I have never looked back. Inside of me is the Goddess of self belief.

Since that time I have only ever wavered in my self-belief in 2008 when my ex boyfriend committed suicide. As a medium I was shattered that I did not know the exact time and therefore stop it. As a friend, because we were best friends, I felt incompetent as I had not heard his silent screams and as a woman I found myself hating all I stood for.  I ate and I ate and I ate until I blew out to a whopping 75 kilograms.

The Goddess of self belief shrunk into me and did not show her face until I found a most wonderful book – The Goddess DIET (by Anita Revel). I did shed five kilograms with this book and though I have put in on again in the silly season and the anniversaries of my mate and mum, I am now quickly, with the help of the book shedding it.  The tips and quotes in this book keep popping into my head to remind me that the Goddess of self belief is waiting to reappear.  Already down three kilograms!!

I have recently released my second book, Spirit Children, which encompasses all my guides taught me during my journey of grief, it is a book for anyone who has faced the death of a loved one and who wishes to understand why life has been so cruel.

It is a book which takes you on the continuing story of my life and where you will meet the parents of the Spirit Children who have inspired me.

You see Life goes on after death and this is what the spirit children wish for us to know. They are never far from our side and we are eternally connected.

The Goddess of self belief has taught me so much and it is this goddess I take on stage, whom assisted me when I won the television search for Australia’s most gifted psychic in 2008 The One, who has taught me I have what it takes to make a difference and thanks to the wonderful Anita – it is this Goddess who has once again shown her beautiful face to the world and is ready to help find that Goddess in others.

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To learn more about Charmaine, visit her website, or become her fan on Facebook

Shannon Bush – Therapy via Goddess Stories

Shannon Bush incorporates the Goddesses in her work with both men and women as a transpersonal art therapist, and delights in sharing many Goddess stories and seeing the Goddesses light up in others.

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A Goddess Thanks

Firstly I want to say a very Goddess thank you to Anita for ‘discovering’ and supporting the Goddess that I am and for inviting me to share my Goddess self. It is truly a Goddess gift!

Goddess in Training

From a young age I was interested in mythology, legends and all things historical and found the stories of ‘ancient ladies’ to be the most fascinating. I was inspired by their never ending strength and purpose, often in environments where the feminine was not overly welcome and supported. I developed a strong love of nature and all living creatures, became interested in healing and ‘alternative things’, learnt to love the moon and honour her gifts and discovered that the owl is my closest animal guide. Lastly and most importantly I learnt that it was important to honour my own creativity and not to try to ignore something that was compulsive in me.

As a young adult I travelled extensively and used this time to experience many more life lessons. I began to develop a greater understanding of myself through my experiences and through my continued passion for history and creativity. I had studied Nursing and worked in many places with people from all walks of life, each experience providing another step towards my living my life’s dream and fulfilling my purpose. Along the way I was blessed to be introduced to the concept of ‘art therapy’ and began to feel that this was the answer I had been looking for to fulfil my personal dream of empowering creativity in others by allowing them to experience their own creativity in a supportive and nurturing environment. Little did I know that the Goddess had more for me to learn before this dream could become a reality.

Discovering the Goddess in Archetypes

After returning home from my travels one of the things I did was to commence study of Archetypes which renewed my interest in the Goddesses and Gods. I identified things about the Goddesses and even some Gods within me that I had always innately known and learnt of the light and shadow aspects of those strongest in me such as Athena and Artemis and even a little bit of the God Apollo that I am also proud to admit makes up who I am. I was delighted to discover that archetypically I was also a natural Priestess. This explained the part of me that loved nature, all living creatures, healing, working with others during times of transition and change, my own inner wisdom, creative expression, crystals, herb-lore and ritual and opened up a beautiful feminine example of the worship of all things Goddess. During this journey of the archetypes I was able to learn ways to bring out the best of my own Goddess nature and was reminded that to do this meant to be continually working towards being as authentic as I can be, as often as possible.

So with Athena’s strength and Artemis’ determination and the love of every other Goddess I have ever had the privilege of getting to know I continued on my path of authenticity and enrolled to study Transpersonal Art Therapy. My lifelong dream of being able to share my creativity with others in a way that brings out their own personal creativity was taking a new step forward.

The Creative Goddess as ‘Creative Possibility Coach’

I have always loved working with people and am now honoured to have an endless array of wonderfully creative tools at hand as I practice as a Transpersonal Art Therapist, or Creative Possibility Coach as I prefer to be called. I work from my home studio which allows me to have my own Goddess support tools at hand in an environment that celebrates all things Goddess. You don’t have to look far to see my paintings of Goddesses, the many owls that adorn my bookshelf, Goddess cards, candles, crystals, Goddess statues from many places and cultures, Goddess inspired music, beautiful inspiring gifts from wonderful Goddess friends and family and numerous books that support my passions in life.

I have naturally incorporated the Goddesses in my work with both men and women and delight in sharing many Goddess stories and seeing the Goddesses light up in others. I run a variety of different workshops and also offer private sessions for individuals or couples. No creative or art experience is necessary to gain benefit from art therapy. All you need is a sense of fun and adventure. It is important to note that you also do not need to consider yourself in need of therapy to work with an art therapist either. The majority of my clients and workshop participants are everyday women, men and children who just want to tap into their creativity. One thing I can guarantee is that you will be surprised at what you will gain on a personal level by opening up to your creativity.

I recently developed an exciting workshop series for women that I have called Goddess Creativity. It is designed to welcome a number of different Goddesses into participants’ lives in an explorative and creative way. During each of the 5 sessions of 2 and a half hours duration we talk through the stories of a few Goddesses, reinforcing the gifts each Goddess has to offer through personal creative exploration. The Goddesses we work with come from a variety of different backgrounds and offer a varied cross section of stories, all of which I believe relate to women in today’s modern world. For example during one of the weeks we look at Goddesses from Africa, South America, Ancient Greece and the Celtic tradition. I work with a wide variety of mediums and encourage you to be adventurous and bold with your expression and use of colour. The only limitation you really have is yourself. All groups are limited to just 6 participants which encourages the supportive and nurturing environment I aim to offer at all times. Being creative does not mean being able to paint or draw. It means being able to express yourself in many different ways, each of which makes you the artist of your own life. I have always maintained that every person has an inner artist and I am inspired every time I meet someone new in my practice and have this re-affirmed over and over again as I am privileged to be a guide and support in their creative discovery. It is beautiful to see what someone has hiding inside them and how it comes out when they dare to take the chance to express creatively.

Future for the Creative Goddess

I am excited about the future, about expanding my workshops and continuing to welcome the Goddess into my life on a daily basis in such a way that I hope to inspire the same in as many others as possible. The next step in my story is to ensure that I am continually in a position to be able to empower all people and particularly my fellow women of all ages to live creative expressive lives. I believe that we have lost many of the values of ancient traditions that saw women support each other and I see the workshops I offer for women as a way to bring back ‘women’s circles’ where we can join together, support one another, learn and create. The Goddess has helped me to do this for myself and I know she has a lot to offer anyone who dares to take up her challenge of being adventurous enough and brave enough to do the same. I look forward to sharing a creative experience with you soon and welcome you to contact me to talk further about Goddess Creativity. For further information about what I offer and to learn more about Transpersonal Art Therapy I welcome you to visit my website www.creativepossibility.comfypage.com . The Goddess would be proud of you for doing so!

Offer for InnerGoddess Members

Enrol in the Goddess Creativity workshop series or book a private session with me throughout 2009 and I will provide you with a 15% discount on the fee. The discount applies to one workshop series or a single private session. Fees for all workshops and private sessions include all materials used by participants. No creative or art experience is necessary to gain benefit from art therapy. All you need is a sense of fun and adventure. For further details about Goddess Creativity and what else I have on offer check out my website www.creativepossibility.comfypage.com and make sure you join my mailing list so you never miss out on what I’m up to. I look forward to creating with you soon.

Serene Conneeley – Sacred Traveller

Serene Conneeley, author of Seven Sacred Sites: Magical Journeys That Will Change Your Life is an Australian writer, healer and witch with a fascination for history, travel, ritual and the myth and magic of ancient places and cultures. Serene has travelled to some of the most beautiful places on earth, and taken sacred plant medicine with shamans in the Amazon jungle, explored her inner priestess in the mystical isle of Avalon in Glastonbury, meditated in Egypt?s Great Pyramid on the morning of the summer solstice, connected with the volcano goddess in the island paradise of Hawaii, danced within the sacred circle of Stonehenge in the British Isles, walked in the footsteps of kings and queens on the Camino pilgrimage across Spain, and explored the powerful earth energy of Uluru with Anangu elders.

Serene has shared the story behind her book, below.

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What inspired you to write Seven Sacred Sites?

Over the years I’ve done some travelling (it was the way I stayed sane while living in a crazy share house in Newtown) to some of the most beautiful and sacred places on earth. I was drawn to the significant sites of ancient cultures and civilisations, to the gentle lands of the Celts where druids and priestesses harnessed the power of the earth, to stone circles and monuments that have watched for thousands of years as humanity learned and grew and changed and moved forward (or, some would say, moved backward). I spent time with witches and shamans in these places, learning about ritual, ceremony, healing methods and history. And I spent even more time alone, walking in nature, soaking up sunsets and moon rises and earth energy, tuning in to my own heart, my own past, my own self. I had a sense of spiritual connection there, and was healed and transformed. I had deep realisations about myself and my life, and I took the time to reflect on what was important to me, what I wanted in life, to listen to my dreams and my heart. Being in these places changed me a little.

How so?

I didn’t think my adventures were that unusual, but when I would send emails home — after taking “drugs” deep in the Amazon, or hiking through ancient volcanoes to connect with the goddess, or doing a ritual inside the Great Pyramid — my friends were amazed, and several suggested I write a book about my travels.

It seemed I had a knack for immersing myself in a place and finding out what lay beneath it. Perhaps it was because I usually travelled alone. Maybe, as a writer, I see things differently or try to find what?s hidden. And maybe most people would rather experience the nightlife of Paris than get dirty doing ancient rituals with medicine men in the jungle or celebrating Lughnasadh at dawn, shivering and alone in a cold and misty Irish field in the middle of nowhere.

And so your book was born?

This is the book I was searching for but never found before I set out with my backpack to explore the world. I love the Lonely Planet guides because they have great practical information, but I also wanted to know the spiritual power of each place, its magical history, the way the energies of the earth felt there and how it would open me up to the world and activate change within me. So while I wrote stories about the incredible, magical, sometimes spooky, always life-changing experiences I had, there are also sections on why other people go to each place, the spiritual purpose of visiting, what each person will get out of it.

What are the seven sacred sites?

Machu Picchu and the Amazon, Peru, where you’ll experience spiritual rebirth deep within the lush jungles and old stone ruins where shamans still perform millennia-old rituals

The sacred Isle of Avalon, Glastonbury, England, where you can immerse yourself in the magic of the priestesses and attune yourself to the beating heart of the earth.

The pyramids and temples of Ancient Egypt, a place to let the essence of the divine flow through you as you walk in the shadow of the monuments of the pharaohs.

The Aloha State, Hawaii, USA, where you?ll feel your soul being cleansed by the fiery and passionate volcanic energy of these beautiful tropical islands.

The mystical circle of Stonehenge, England, where you can unlock the secrets within these iconic stones and connect to the power and wisdom of the cosmos.

The Camino, northern Spain, which is a life-changing journey to find your true self, letting the energies of this ancient pilgrimage path open your heart and transform your soul.

Uluru and the Red Centre, Australia, where you will absorb the power of this long-revered monolith and the vibrations of the desert landscape that surrounds it.

Did you have any scary experiences?

The most harrowing experience was in the jungles of Peru, taking ayahuasca, the sacred plant medicine of the shamans, as the moon became full and our group lost all grip on reality. It’s known as the vine of death, and is a tool to help students metaphorically die then be reborn. And they are right. Over the three nights we performed the ceremony, I had terrifying visions (and some nice ones) and some truly frightening realisations. I really did feel as though I was dying, but it was ultimately very healing. That’s why the book opens in Peru, not just because it was my first overseas adventure, but because it was the place where I cast off my old self and began to emerge as more truly myself.

Which story do your readers connect the most with?

Funnily enough, the story that seems to affect people who’ve read the book the most vividly is the one about swimming with dolphins in Hawaii. It’s a section about joy, and I’ve been told that just reading it makes people laugh out loud and be filled with the sense of happiness and peace that comes from interacting with these beautiful creatures. Hawaii is a dramatic, chaotic, primal and passionate place, full of volcanic power and the energy of new land being created, but it is also a light, joyful, magical place of rainbows and butterflies and wide smiles, and the incredible spirit of aloha, the attitude of unconditional love and acceptance that is the guiding principle of the Hawaiians for living in harmony with each other and the earth.

Do you have a favourite place?

I love them all for different reasons, but the place I go back to again and again is the little town of Glastonbury, southwest of London, which is where the priestesses practised their healing arts, the druids worshipped nature, the Christians built the first church in England and King Arthur was reputed to have lived. The first time I went there, and sat by the sacred well and climbed the mystical Tor, I felt such an immense sense of homecoming. It’s the place that most deeply touches my soul, where I have most learned and grown and been nurtured and healed. I’ve stayed there for weeks at a time, in little self-contained cottages or B&Bs, wandering the gentle green slopes, celebrating the seasonal festivals alone and with others, twisting my way into the ancient labyrinth and the many layers of my own psyche, dreaming in the shade of the ancient oaks, and slipping through the enchanted mists to the Otherworld that lies there, touching the seams of the modern world but somehow still apart. It’s a truly magical place, and the one that I chose for my honeymoon because it was the one I wanted to share with my husband and that one that reflects my soul and represents the heart to me.

What makes this book different to a travel guide?

While it is a travel book, and explains what makes these places sacred, when to go and how to get there, the history of each site, the rituals that were performed there, their cultural and magical significance and the way they initiate growth and learning in all visitors, just as importantly it’s about how to attain the state of grace and sacredness inspired by each place without leaving home.

Not everyone can — or wants to — travel around the world, but the lessons and energy of each of these sacred sites can be accessed from anywhere. You don’t have to go to Peru or Uluru to understand the wisdom of the earth and the environmental consciousness we all need to tap in to if this planet is to survive — it’s within us all, if we’re open to it. And you don’t have to walk eight hundred kilometres along the Camino in Spain to make a pilgrimage to your inner self or learn to let go — you can do that in your own backyard. So along with the travelogue and the stories of adventure, there are sections on shamanism and druidry, Hawaiian and Egyptian gods and goddesses, the seasonal celebrations of the Wheel of the Year and how to incorporate them into your life, Aboriginal wisdom and legend, developing your intuition and psychic powers, drawing on magical and medicinal herbalism for healing and insight, as well as exercises that will help you absorb the energy of each place.

I wanted this book to send readers on a journey to the most beautiful places on the planet as well as to the deepest, most sacred places within their heart and soul, and open them up to the magic of the universe, within and without.

What do you hope people will get out of it?

I think it’s important that people realise you don’t have to be a professional psychic or a spiritual teacher or someone who channels angels to experience the sacredness of these places. Too many people fear that nothing happened or they aren’t spiritual enough or their feelings aren’t valid if they don’t start speaking in tongues or communicate with a spirit or see god himself sitting in a stone circle, but that’s not true.

The energy of the earth at these places changes everyone, and whether it happens in a cloud of clairvoyant rainbow sparkles or on a much more subtle level doesn’t matter. Everyone’s experience is important and significant.

I also think taking time out of your busy life to hope, dream and reflect is vital to happiness and health. Whether you do that by relaxing in a bubble bath, meditating, walking around your own neighbourhood or travelling across the world doesn’t matter, it’s the time and space you create that is important.

I had to go away to find this peace, because I shared a house and worked crazy hours, and even if I took time off I was still working, still stressing about deadlines and what not. But other people can achieve this at home.

The energy of these sacred places does help the process unfold, but the book is as much about the inner search for peace, happiness and spiritual connection as it is about outer travel. As the poet Yeats said, the only journey worth taking is the journey within. I hope that whether readers travel overseas or connect to the energy of a foreign place from home, they will start to see the world with new eyes, allow the beauty and magic of this enchanted planet to open them up to their own truths, and most importantly that they will discover the sacredness of their own self.

Seven Sacred Sites: Magical Journeys That Will Change Your Life is Serene’s first book. Part adventure story, part history, part travel guide, part spiritual search, it will take you on a journey around the world — and deep within your own soul. Order your copy at Serene’s website.

Tara Spicer

Creative Goddess, Author, Meditation Coach, Reiki Master, Mother of two free range and crazy kids, Wife and Lover… Meet Aussie artist Tara Spicer.

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Who is this Goddess and who is this girl?

There is a true ‘self’ that exists within each of us, that lies quietly beneath the demands and distractions of daily life. In my case, this ‘true self’ is the vibrant and vital woman who is completely in tune with the divine light of the universe.

She easily hears the loving guidance of her angels and guides. She knows that she is on the right path. She offers to all an open heart and warm hands, she sings out loud, she plays the guitar and she dances… flowing and growing with every beat of mother nature’s song. She swims naked, she eats from the earth, and she can stare at the moon for hours, feeling nothing but completeness.

When I see this woman in my mind, she has long flowing red hair, she is wearing a long white dress that clings and flows with an air of confidence, her bare feet are naked and strong in the earth’s delight. She is balanced and she is in harmony with all around her and the openness and love of her heart center expand beyond the bounds of time and space.

I have always been in touch with this woman, this Goddess and have always had recurring dreams of her from a very young age.

The Creative Goddess was born

In my twenties, after a dedicated journey of following my heart, I was working offering healing massage, meditation coaching, crystal healing, readings, dabbling in art and practicing as a Reiki Master.  It was around this same time, that I realised that the woman in my recurring dreams, my Goddess, is actually me!

Upon this realisation, there was a great shift in my self- awareness and I realised that she IS my higher self. She is the ‘ME’ that I can connect with and be on a daily basis! She IS the ME that I have come back to share with this world!

A short time after this realisation, I entered motherhood.  I was overwhelmed by the incredible strength and compassion of all the new mothers surrounding me. And from that moment forward, my eyes were opened to the profound awareness that within every woman is an incredible Goddess.

I Began Expressing This Truth

I began expressing this truth through my art and felt compelled to accompany every painting with divinely guided, worded wisdom along these same lines and affirmations.

I believe that this is my gift… my gift to myself, and to all women. With my words and my art, I am able to remind and inspire each of us that the path we are on, is one of great spiritual connection and that within each woman lies a great Goddess and that this great Goddess, is our ‘true self’.

My gifts to this world

Everything that has happened in my life has led me to this great passion that I am now unleashing… to guide women in realising their own self-discovery and empowerment through art, through the written word and through mentored birthing as they enter motherhood! I believe that these are three powerful means through which women can initiate great realisation and change within themselves and their lives.

So it is to this end that I am a very busy little mum and between nappies, wet beds and daily demands… I can be found painting into the wee hours of the morning, co-writing our Journals for Empowerment, and designing my own books and products to reach, to inspire and to empower every woman that I can in this life!

Faerie Cara - From mud-covered mischief maker to faerie-liscious magic maker

Faerie greetings and merry meetings from Faerie Cara, a faerie activist, environmental spokesperson, author, international entertainer, vegan, storyteller and devoted tree hugger.

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Once upon a time

I was never a ‘fairytale princess’ as a younger girl. I was the mud covered mischief maker hanging upside down from a tree, nursing baby birds that had fallen from their nests, and wrestling the neighbourhood boys if they said I was weak because I was a girl. I remember being kept awake with strange voices, noises and constant shuffling in my room at night time. When I talked about this to my family they smiled and said I had a wonderful imagination. By an early age I had learnt to not share my vision, and soon began to fear the dark and the kafuffle that came with it.

At the age of thirteen I was asked to perform as a faerie with a local Perth entertainer. My parents had named me Cara, meaning ‘friend’ in Irish Gaelic, when I started working I was officially titled Faerie Cara. I had no idea at that stage that my destiny was unfolding brilliantly before my eyes.

A good faerie tale has many twists

In contrast to my parent friendly lifestyle, at the same tender age of thirteen I discovered my love for escapism. I was a great actress, being able to pass through school, dance competitively and work hard as a performer. I was also taking drugs daily, drinking alcohol and soon became immersed in a lifestyle that dwelled deep into the dark realms. I spent seven years in what now seems a tornado of chaos. It is not the substance abuse that stays with you, it is the visions of friends in torment, my body riddled with pain, losing my period, rape and sexual abuse, fear for living much longer and a need to delve harder into drugs to escape it all.

I decided to take charge of the plot

One day something changed, I realised I had to be my own knight in shining armour. I left Melbourne, all mind-altering substances and starting a new journey to discover myself once again. I am forever grateful for the experiences I had gone through. They gave me valuable lessons that make up my structural integrity. They also brought alive my warrior spirit once again, now I wanted to find who I truly was with all the fervour I could muster.

I found my way to Ireland where I spent over two years walking town to town talking to old storytellers and learning the ancient tales that once kept my foremothers captivated. I discovered I had come from a long line of storytellers who believed strongly in the Irish language, the tradition of storytelling and the need to pass it on to the next generation, word by word in a spoken tale. Here, the faeries revealed themselves to me once again. I sat in sacred dwellings and nestled into trees to hear their tales too. My place of magic was awoken and stronger than ever before.

Dedicated to faerie

With my newly released magic quickly unravelling my wings I moved back to Perth, Australia, where I started my own faerie business. I wanted to bring a place of pure happiness into children’s lives. I know they will also be faced with challenges but if they can reference to a moment of magic, perhaps they will find that place of light to make them fight for their own magic.

I dedicated myself to bringing faerie folklore alive again, to using my faerie status to promote environmental awareness and to show women it’s ok to be a faerie, no matter how old you think you are. My movement ‘Save the Faeries’ is to bring peoples awareness to the voices in nature, to make conscious choices for the wellbeing of themselves, the community and the planet.

One day I sat down and started to write, the voices of folklore and my own valuable lessons of faerie discovery gently unfolding before me. This year I released my guide to faerie conscious living at the first Save the Faeries Festival. I now work internationally as a faerie at festivals, do children’s parties, teach and perform bellydance, run faerie workshops, facilitate a women’s circle, talk faerie to adults through meetings and my book, have a segment called talking green on the television program The Couch showed on Foxtel and Aurora, and in my spare time when I’m not planning a new wave of faerie mischief, I play with my chicken and my dog while listening carefully to the environment around me.

Happily Ever After

My happily ever after is right now. Everyday I am grateful for this tale I am in. I cherish my family, adore my friends, believe every moment is a moment worth celebrating and I am determined to live magically.

I surrendered to the faeries, vowing to swim with the mermaids on the oceanic tides to the many ancient dwellings across the globe, to dance like wild fire set free from all physical constraints, to blow hard with the winds of change and to listen with stillness to the wisdom of Mother Earth.

I believe there is a faerie within everything of nature. That means there is a faerie goddess in me, and that means there is a faerie goddess in you. If I work hard at revealing my faerie to the world, perhaps more faeries will have the courage to flash their wings too.

With love and dancing light

Faerie Cara

Leonie Allan – Lovin’ Life

Leonie Allan is a 25 year old artist, writer, photographer and leader of womens circles and retreats. She is also the creator of the most beautiful Dream Kit ever.

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ONE GODDESS, MANY PASSIONS

I’m a Goddess with many passions, and I have learned that I don’t need to choose one over the other. I share about spirit, laughter and being a goddess through my artworks, photography, writing, circles and retreats.

I BELIEVE IN MAGNIFICENCE WITHIN

I believe there is a Goddess in you, and in me, and in every one around us. We are the modern day Athenas, Kalis and Aphrodites, with our own mythological stories of love, loss and wisdom. We are creating a new world, and all that we need — all the beauty and knowing in this world — is inside.

I feel like my life is about finding out about this magnificent Goddess inside me, and reminding others of the Goddess inside their spirits too.

I SUSPECTED THERE WAS SOMETHING MORE THAN JUST THE EVERYDAY…

I started as we all do… a little bit stumbling, a little bit wide eyed, not sure where next to go, what to do or how to be. I only knew there was something inside me that sung to be let out. There was a place in me that knew that there was more to life than just the skin of the everyday.

I think my Goddess journey started true when I met a shining woman at my work. She radiated laughter and warmth, and I wondered what her secret was… what she knew about the world that I had yet to see.

I WAS AFRAID

She invited me to attend her women’s circle. It took me a few months to accept the invitation — I was afraid of change and the unknown.

THEN I TOOK THE STEP

When I made that step into that circle, into that room dreamy with incense, I took a step into my spiritual journey as I have come to know it today.

In that circle, I met a group of women whose faces shone. They were strangers and yet oh-so-familiar. In their faces was the glow of lives well loved and lived, of spirits awakened and inner wisdom known. They became instant sisters to me. I heard their stories, and they heard mine. They were women who knew they were Goddesses, and they changed my life forever. Since then, I have been blessed to sit in circles with many other women Goddesses. To meet another woman, and to look into her shining eyes to see the Goddess inside is such a dear blessing.

THE CIRCLE WAS JUST THE BEGINNING

In the four years since my first circle, I have begun leading my own women’s circles, running retreats, photographing gorgeous souls all around the world and creating artworks and prints to celebrate the Goddess in every woman. Spirit and Goddess are intimately entwined in all I do — creativity, circles, life and love.

Love and light,

Leonie

Yasmin Boland – Moon lovin’ Astrologist

Yasmin Boland has been a freelance writer for more than a decade and has contributed to publications around the world, including Marie Claire, She, New Woman, Playboy and  The London Evening Standard. But before she became one of Australia’s most loved astrologists, she was a beer-guzzlin’ party gal. What happened to turn her around?

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As you can imagine, all my friends see me as a total Woo-Woo person — here I am a fulltime astrologer, working publicly on my psychic abilities — only yesterday a friend came over for an energetic healing session in which we read her cards and I worked on her chakras, asking Archangel Michael for help.

But it wasn’t that long ago I was a cigarette-smoking, beer-drinking party girl/journalist. It was only after doing a GRUELLING tv job in London that I decided I needed to have some kind of tool to help me cope with stress – I learned how to meditate and that totally changed my life.

MEDITATION ROCKED MY WORLD

I was raised a Catholic and always had a strong connection to Spirit and Jesus (and still do) but had many issues with the Church which stopped me from really blossoming spiritually until I found meditation.

A few years after studying meditation, I connected with a Chakra expert on the Internet — I was in Sydney and he was in the US, but he taught courses in Switzerland. So I made sure I was there to do his course in Chakra Healing. It was one of those times when I felt so excited, like I was hearing my calling — this happened to me with writing as well, when I was a teenager.

So I did the course and I can see now why Spirit directed me to do it — because Chakras are the portal between life here in the 3D world and the spirit world.

CONNECTING WITH THE DIVINE

I started to write more about healing in my journalism work, sort of coming out of the closet as a bit of a New Ager. I wrote about the benefits of meditation and dabbled in alternative health writing – eg: about St Johns Wort and so on, when these were still untried and untested ideas in mainstream magazines.

The next giant leap came for me when I went to interview Deepak Chopra, Louise L. Hay and James Redfield in the US – I got to spend several hours one on one with each of these luminaries and I think they rewired my brain – Deepak in particular.

And then a few years ago, I went to India, to the home of the Divine Mother, in a small town called Malaikodi — narayanipeedam.org  — which was the start of my Goddess quest.

LIGHT A CANDLE EVERY DAY

And that has been my journey so far, long may it continue! I asked Deepak Chopra once what he thought the best thing to do is, if you want to invite Spirit into your life every day and he said to meditate. I would agree with that, and add “light a candle” and just say hi to your Angels and God/dess.

Yasmin x

moonology.com

Lucy Cavendish

Author, witch, and all round good gal, Lucy Cavendish wrote about her five fave elements: earth, air, fire, water and spirit, for us last year. She returns to Western Australia every year for the annual Wild Woman Weekend.

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Thankyou for this support and love, Anita — it really uplifts me to know we girls are out there, etherically holding each others’ hands.

My love for Her

Was when I was very, very little, before I could speak, I spent a lot of time gazing at the moon. I knew she was feminine, and I knew she was magic, and I knew in my heart that she was my friend and companion for this journey. I could see her from my bedroom window, and I had amazing experiences astral-traveling to meet her, and the beings of the moon, when I was tiny! So tiny that when I looked back, I could see my etheric chord attached to my body sleeping on the bed…with my nappies on. Of course, my astral body also had nappies! I knew she was in every flower, in every tree, in ever blade of grass, every drop of water and whisper of wind. Fire was Her fire, and I loved being alive so much. I was one of those little ones who climb trees and stay in them all day, singing the songs of the wind and the stars.

My Goddess awakening

This relationship with the Goddess became stronger the older I became. When I began talking, I would talk to the moon and began to call her Diana…I began to read mythology and fairy tales from all over the planet at a very young age, so when I learned that Diana was the name the Romans had given the Goddess of the Moon, I actualy had one of those moments when you are awe-struck. I had been calling her that all along, from the time I could speak, and now I knew it was one of her names! There was never any questio of “believeing” in the Goddess…she was apparent in all things.

I went to a very small girls Catholic school in the bush, and became very attached to a wooden carved statue of Mother Mary. I loved her very much, and would place offerings of wildflowers at her feet. She was by a window, and light would stream in behind her, and I would often stop, wait for all my classmates to pass me, and then have a quiet moment or word with Her. I felt she was so compassionate and beautiful, and very kind. I did not see her as Jesus’ mother, but as the absolute essence of female. To me, she was Her, and I loved her very much.

I went on to paint Goddess figures, the “Marys” were my subject, as was Aphrodite (who can help all adolescent girls struggling with their body image and sexuality) and Diana, and interestingly, Mary Queen of Scots, Morgan of Avalon and Guenevere… however, as I felt the oppressions of Churchism gather strongly around me, my love for Her grew, and a kind of estrangement occurred with me and the energy of Mary as I connected strongly to the outcast Goddesses who the Church seemed to fear so strongly. It was very sad for me, as I loved the Saints…who I then learned were in fact Goddesses and what others would call witches. Brigid…Joan of Arc…I stopped painting Mary, as the feeling of rejection by the Churches institutions grew, but I always loved her.

In my rock and roll years, I adored the Goddess through the form of wild and free rock stars…I became a rock journalist in London, simultaneously writing about tarot, and through the tarot deepening my love for the Goddess. The tarot is so embedded with the Goddess – the Moon card (Diana, Artemis, Isis) the Empress (Aphrodite, Guenevere – who is the Celtic White Goddess of the land…not the helpless child-woman the myths have made her out to be), the Lovers (the Goddess and the God in rapture together) and the Star (Ishtar!). I can’t talk about the Goddess without also talking about my relationship with The God – the wild, beautiful masculine Pan, Ceres, Cernunnos and Chiron and Thoth, which I also revere and recognise. When we are together, the Goddess and the God, the planet actually experiences healing at a very deep level.

Through my work with the craft, I learned more and more, and now I feel so strongly connected, because I know that I am Goddess, as you are, too. Last year, in Glastonbury, England, said to be the 3-D home of Avalon, I stayed in a very cosmic hotel, and found myself very drawn to staying in the Rhiannon room . (I love her wild, free nature – again, a love forged in adolescence – many girls connect with her during their “horse” or saddle club phase – they’re connecting with Rhiannon). I asked for her, but the only room left was the Mary room. Meaning that the entire week I was working at the Goddess temple, I was staying in the room with Mary’s energy, healing my relationship with her, understanding that she had always been with me. Healing my relationship with her, and with Christ, was truly powerful for a witch mourning her connection with this Ascended Master!

Travel is so healing for us all: I make pilgrimages. To Glastonbury, to Stonehenge, to Avebury, to Angkor in Cambodia this year. I recently spent time in Vietnam connecting with the unique Goddess and mermaid energy in under the rising full moon in Ha Long (Descending Dragon) Bay, and in Cambodia, connecting with Lakshmi, Durga and the amazing Goddess energy of the Apsara and of their mermaids, the Marchai at the ancient and mysterious temples of Angkor…

The wounded Goddess in all of us women and men yearns to be healed. But I also know that if we kill the God inside of us, and if we reject him externally, we cannot heal, and our love and our light dims.

Therefore, I ask of you all to bring to life again your Goddess, and the God too. With both these beautiful beings alive within us all, we and the planet can heal. We will cease the horror of warring within, and warring with each other. We will heal, and be in bliss.

Nicole Graham – Aussie Goddess in Hong Kong

Nicole Graham was a regular corporate girl when she realised life had more in store for her. She is now living in Hong Kong as a Modern Goddess helping women reconnect with their spirituality in all sorts of ways.

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Anita, thank you for your inspiration and I’m so honoured to be chosen as the next Aussie Goddess.

My Connection with Spirit and the Goddess

I connected with spirit from a very young age but didn’t really know how to explain my experiences… it was just something that wasn’t discussed. I was raised as a Catholic but didn’t feel very connected to the religion; I felt there was something more out there. During my early 20’s I started to explore my spirituality but kept it to myself because I was concerned about criticism. At the same time I met with my first clairvoyant and was blown away that he said I had the ability to talk to spirit, and that someday I would be teaching in this field. Over the years, many clairvoyants would tell me this and my own experiences proved them right.

My connection with the Goddess came a little later when I bought my first tarot deck in my mid 20’s. The deck was Motherpeace by Vicki Noble, and it’s not a deck for everyone but I fell in love at first sight. The book that accompanied the deck was aptly named ‘A way to the Goddess through myth, art and tarot’. Here I started my journey with the Goddess and throughout the years she’s always been around reminding me of our connection.

I Lost my Way!

During my late 20’s I got caught up with my ‘corporate’ career in the Training and Development field. I was going through the process of climbing the corporate ladder and had let my spiritual development slow right down. Then over a period of 6 months I kept getting this nagging feeling that I needed to move on, so I did… I moved from Sydney to Melbourne. At the time, I felt that this move was necessary for my own development but once again, I got caught up with my ‘corporate’ career. There I was again busy with life; slightly aware of Spirit and the Goddess around me, but I was not paying attention.

In the end Spirit and the Goddess decided to take actions into their own hands.

Steps in the Right Direction

Another move was looming… I later realised that they (Spirit and the Goddess) were moving me out of an environment that was focused on career and into an environment that had limited career prospects. I was on the move to Darwin but before doing so I had 6 months to get my act together… I attended workshops, Goddess retreats, development circles; I started writing in my journal, playing with my cards, getting in touch with the Goddess and Spirit.

I arrived in Darwin packed full of new learning and a keen interest to discover more. By this stage I had become a Reiki practitioner as well as a Lomi Lomi/Ka Huna Bodywork practitioner. This was my chance to change my ways. I had convinced myself that I would only work part-time as a contract trainer and the other days I would practice and develop my new found skills.

16 months later I was on the move again and I realised I still hadn’t learnt my lessons. Spirit and the Goddess were at it again… I was moving to a country where English is not the first language and a corporate career in Training and Development would be difficult.

I was determined to learn my lesson this time! And this is when Anita came into my life… I was search the internet for something unique to do to celebrate getting married. I wanted something special, something that I connected with, something that allowed me to show my true self. The Goddess had once again made a connection… “here’s an opportunity to change your ways”, she said. Anita’s, Goddess Playshop did just that!

Life Now

I am now in Hong Kong. I am a small business owner, a wife, friend, social butterfly, lover, aunty, daughter, teacher, facilitator and mum to 2 furry cats. 15 years after meeting my first clairvoyant, I am all that he described and more!

Life now is focused on getting my business off the ground and introducing Hong Kong to some unique services; Goddess Playshops, Mother Blessings, Lomi Lomi and Kahi Loa Bodywork. I am also working with people who are discovering their spirituality, as well as discovering the Goddess and her many attributes.

I also have some time to do volunteer work with women, children and animals. I am a volunteer facilitator for Soul Talk, a charity that assists women in emotional and relationship crisis. I have also applied to be part of the Animals Asia’s “Professor Paws” program, whereby I’ll visit local Chinese primary schools with a registered animal therapy dog. The purpose of the project is to focus on the values of kindness and compassion for animals and responsible pet care.

My business, The Modern Goddess is still in infancy but I do have big dreams!

My Dreams

My dream is to continue to grow my business and open a community centre based locally in the Hong Kong Gold Coast area. The centre will be run by women, for women and I’d like to achieve this within five years. My vision is very clear… and I can describe it down to all the details but to give you an overview, the centre is in a village house; a place that feels safe, healing and nurturing. The centre is for all women, local and expatriates – it will bring many people together.

A final word

Over the years I’ve had some very interesting experiences with Spirit and the Goddess. They have guided me on my path and now that they’ve got my attention, I’m looking forward to my the next chapters of my life.

I know at some stage the word ‘Spirit’ will be replaced with God… that’s not too far off. I’m all for keeping the balance – the Goddess and God go hand in hand, just like Lakshmi and Vishnu, the Priestess and Priest, Ying and Yang. My spiritual development is life long and I look forward to the journey.

I hope you too enjoy your journey. Sometimes we don’t know where we are going and we don’t know how we’re going to get there but if you trust and let Spirit and the Goddess guide you, you’ll no doubt have an amazing journey.

I needed my journey to have the courage and confidence to step out into this world as me, an Aussie Goddess in Hong Kong!