Magazine cover titled "common ground," featuring a red and white illustration of a serene, seated woman, from the October 2011 issue, with topics on women's issues and a mention of Gloria

October 2011

The Women Issue

This is our third Women issue, and I will quickly cop to the trickiness of tackling the subject. I joke about it: “Yep, I have women issues.” The best remedy? Find a thoughtful woman editor to help. We men clearly need it.

For this reason, Senior Editor Carrie Grossman deserves a very special shout-out. She took the lead assembling a brilliant mix of articles we think you will appreciate. For starters, Carrie’s own essay is a must read, as it attempts to delve into the innately feminine challenge of receiving fully. I like the title, “Drenched in Yes: The Art of Receptivity.”

Thanks too to Hilary Hart, who penned a fine feature titled “Longing, Cooperation, Caring for the Earth: The Hidden Powers of Women,” a profile of some local women activists. Very inspiring.

For celebrity power, we have a personal profile of the feminist icon Gloria Steinem (who is the keynote at the not-to-be-missed Bioneers Conference this month). It was written by Dr. Warren Farrell, who worked in the women’s movement in the ’60s and ’70s. Warren is a friend who skillfully leads our small men’s group. I knew that he had collaborated closely with Gloria on the East Coast back in the day. Now I look forward to seeing Warren and Gloria reconnect on the West Coast at Bioneers.

There is a bumper crop of great events this month, including Bioneers, which features a stunning women’s leadership lineup (Bioneers.org). We look forward to catching up with Reverend Michael Beckwith and his wife Rickie, who will be speaking as the guests of Unity of Marin and the Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living (BeckwithInMarin.com).

Another favorite this month: the Science and Nonduality Conference. This gathering, started humbly three years ago by Maurizio Benazzo, now attracts a wide roster of great thinkers such as Lynn McTaggert, Ken Wilber, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, and so on. Like September, when I traveled from one desert (Black Rock City for Burning Man) to another (Joshua Tree for Bhakti Fest) on consecutive weekends, followed by Baltimore (Natural Products Expo East) and Estes Park in Colorado (Yoga Journal Conference), October is going to be a busy month.

We look forward to seeing you around. Reap what you can from a compelling assortment of articles in this issue. Special thanks to Mayumi Oda, whose artwork graces our cover. I wish the cover’s orange and black motif (the colors of the SF Giants) dovetailed with our boys playing World Series ball during the Halloween season, like last year. But alas, no.

In November we celebrate our 37th anniversary with the theme “Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise.” I am excited about it. Also, we’re in all likelihood back on the party trail, helping cohost Green Festival’s 10th anniversary bash. Will keep you posted.

In the meantime, please show your support for this free publication by patronizing our advertisers, the best.

To Women Everywhere,

ROB SIDON, PUBLISHER/EDITOR

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