October Women’s issue
First and foremost: a special thanks to my co-editor, Carrie Grossman, for taking the lead on this Women issue. As always, you rocked it. For starters, we have a unique pictorial by Nadia Ferroukhi, who has traveled the globe in search of images of matrilineal societies. There are seven such hideaways where women rule the roost, in the remotest parts of China, Indonesia, Kenya, Guinea-Bissau, Mexico, France, and here among the Navajo Nation. For example, the family name and inheritance is passed down from mother to daughter. You’ll love the images and will hopefully be moved to learn more.
The inimitable Sally Kempton has contributed an essay called “The Vulnerability Paradox,” which is a must for any sentient being, male or female. I am also proud of a piece that was contributed by Emma Green about the rare (irreverent?) Reverend Nadia Bolz-Weber. Known for her tattoos and for attracting sinners of all stripes, Reverend Weber is gaining an important following in Denver.
You’ll be inspired by Maya Tiwari’s essay “Shaktified: Reclaiming Our Primordial Feminine Force.” It includes a whole section on the power of specific mudras, and how to use them to invoke Shakti. Cleo Everest explores the rotten subject of infidelity. Interestingly, she learned about marriage infidelity while accidentally being pocket dialed by her partner—the digital version of in flagrante delicto.
In a similar vein, Sara Stover’s essay, “Transforming Jealousy of Other Women into Feminine Power,” informs us how to turn lemons into proverbial lemonade. Thank you, Naomi Ehrich, for your piece, “Sometimes I’m an Asshole: On Being a Whole, Dynamic, and Dimensional Woman.” I believe everyone can relate.
In Mary Campbell’s essay, “Feeling More: The Most Important Tool for Sexual Healing,” we get some primordial life lessons, while Mary Saunders reminds us to take it easy in her piece titled “Restoring Yin: Reflecting on Our Inner Rhythms.”
I trust you’ll appreciate my interview with Nina Simons. Along with her husband Kenny Ausubel, she is cofounder of Bioneers, a remarkably unique conference taking place in San Rafael this month. In its 26th year, Bioneers has been thorough in its multidisciplinary approach to solving environmental conundrums. In particular, Nina has used the platform to help integrate the feminine archetypes into the dialogue. She’s attracted the most powerful women thought leaders along the way.
We hope to see you at Bioneers as well as at the San Francisco Vegetarian Society’s annual event in Golden Gate Park. Also, new this year in October, there is the Moksha Festival in Berkeley, integrating the wisdom of yoga and Ayurveda. We look forward to that, as well as to seeing you in San Jose for the annual Science and Nonduality Conference. Along with Deepak Chopra and other luminaries, you can meet Sally Kempton and my interviewee from last month’s issue, Bob Thurman.
As ever, please express your appreciation for this free magazine by patronizing our advertisers—the best.
Vaia con Gaia,
ROB SIDON, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR IN CHIEF