New Years is a wonderful time! It’s almost magical. This is the time of year when we all have a chance to regroup and start fresh. The slate can be cleared and you can start again. As women spiritual leaders it is so important for us to take stock of our lives, our ministries, or callings and revamp them as needed.

Frankly, the first day of the Gregorian calendar isn’t necessarily the only time to do this – there are various markers throughout the year when we can re-evaluate our lives such as our birthday or any of the other religious/ethnic new year markings. However, January 1 is certainly an obvious time to do it.

Another obvious thing about this time of year is New Year resolutions. I think we’ve all come to realize that New Year resolutions can be somewhat tricky. The perspective on this annual tradition can range from downright brutal – “New Years resolutions don’t work!” all the way to those dedicated few who still make them every year – ” I will lose 40 pounds this year.”

When they don’t work, it is usually because the goal that has been chosen is so lofty, we can’t really succeed at it – at least not without a framework, a plan and support systems. When these things are in place, it certainly is possible to succeed – most people, however, don’t do this. They make their lofty goal, go after it full-throttle and then lose steam somewhere around February 1st. By March, they can’t even remember what it was they had resolved themselves to. Women especially tend to get sidetracked and sucked into the caregiver role at the first opportunity and then any goal we’ve set for ourselves falls by the wayside.

A much better way to get a fresh start that lasts the whole year and can have a profound effect on your life and your spiritual growth is to create a theme for the year. I have been doing this for about ten years now and the changes it has wrought in my life are downright remarkable!

Choosing a theme for the year is very personal and should involve thought and candid reflection. I like to spend the week before New Years reviewing the last year and any issues I encountered. What worked? What didn’t? What areas of my life feel like they need healing? Here are some possible choices that I have either used in the past or have considered using:

Be Happy

Let go and let God

Choose Joy

Be the Gift

Trust

Say “Yes!”

Just say “No”

As you can see the possibilities are endless! And after while you can actually have a lot of fun coming up with them. I have noticed that every time that I have done this, within the first week of the year I am presented with a test of my theme. For example, if you choose “Let go and let God” – I guarantee that there will be something, someone or some idea that you will have to let go of.

So forewarned is fore-armed – put some thought into which theme will benefit our soul the most – you will not be disappointed!

This article was written by Patricia Selmo, an Interfaith seminarian, certified life coach, energy healer and entrepreneur. She is the co-founder of the International Association of Women Spiritual Leaders: www.iawsl.com, and is a practicing life coach, spiritual guide and healer helping people to live the life of their dreams: www.theblissfulsoul.com.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you commit to leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and include the following byline: The International Association of Women Spiritual Leaders was founded to support spiritual women in living abundantly while serving their unique missions. We invite you to download—as our GIFT to you—the 5 Secrets to Creating Abundance Through Your Calling. You will also be registered to receive our weekly newsletter full of information and tips for supporting you in your calling.

How are you going to make it through what is considered to be one of the top stress filled times of the year?  How many times have you thought about how the “holidays” used to be?  Do you long for a simpler way of celebrating what scholars tell us was one of the most phenomenal events in history, the birth of Jesus?  Please join me, women who are spiritual and leaders, as we look at trust and how it may relate to maximizing your Christmas experience.

I woke one morning recently with these same questions on my mind.  As I spent time in contemplation, I was prompted to go again to the beautiful passage from the first chapter of the gospel of Luke.  You may recall it recounts the interaction between the angel, Gabriel, and the woman from Nazareth, the virgin, Mary.

Gabriel announces to Mary that she will birth the baby Jesus.  When Mary responds, with what I imagine would have been absolute alarm, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man”? Gabriel assures her, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee…”

What trust!  Whether or not we subscribe to the story of the virgin birth, is not the issue.  What is the issue, I think, is the way Mary conducts herself with obvious trust through the pregnancy and birth.

First, she runs to tell her cousin, Elizabeth, who herself is pregnant with who will be “John the Baptist”.  I imagine the two of them embracing, and Mary speaks what has become known as the “Magnificat” or “Song of Mary” which is sung in Christian churches, usually around Christmas.  It begins, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God, my Savior…”  What trust!

Mary stays with Elizabeth for three months and then returns to her home where she remains until she and her husband, Joseph, set out from Nazareth in Galilee into the province of Judea to Bethlehem to register for taxes.  At this time, Mary is “great with child”.  The rudimentary means of travel had to be a physical and emotional ordeal of enormous proportions for any woman about to give birth.  What trust!

The story unfolds, now all too familiar, where door upon door of the inns and hostels were closed when Joseph inquired about lodging.  I would have been “high anxiety” at that point, but, again, we are reminded of Mary’s trust.

When finally, the couple is given access to a simple manger, Mary births the baby Jesus in the final act of trusting.  “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior…”

When we, as women spiritual leaders, experienced our first inkling of our “calling”, or “awakening”, by and large, we ventured forth in trust that we would be led in every aspect of our lives.  Perhaps we didn’t have a “Gabriel” experience, or an “epiphany”, but somehow the feeling of trust in God, Spirit, Allah, our Guides, or our True Self was exactly what we needed to show us the way.

For those of us who need to rekindle that trust, I suggest that it is the way to maximize our Christmas experience.  When we are stressed or nostalgic this holiday season, I suggest we turn to our Source for the guidance and the wisdom that we know is readily available, and then… trust .

This article was written by Reverend Ruth Reiner, interfaith minister, spiritual counselor, coach, nurse, former wife, mother, and grandmother.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, PUBLICATION, OR ON YOUR WEB-SITE?  You may, as long as you commit to leaving the entire article intact, do not alter it in any way, and include the following: “THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN SPIRITUAL LEADERS” was founded to support spiritual women in living abundantly while serving their unique missions.  We invite you to download – as a gift to you- THE 5 SECRETS TO CREATING ABUDANCE THROUGH YOUR CALLING.
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What is the Winter Solstice?

Technically this is the longest night of the year – in the Northern hemisphere, this is usually around December 21st – 22nd. The world around us is dark and cold. In modern times, ignoring the rhythms of the earth, we rise while it is still dark and continue our activities – taking the kids to school, going to work, running errands – until well past the setting of the sun. With all of our artificial light, we forget how dark our surroundings are at this time.

Can you imagine a time before electricity, before scientists had explained to us that this phenomenon is simply caused by the tilt of the earth as it rotates around the sun? And that this darkness is just the result of the earth being tilted to its maximum position of 23° 26′ away from the sun…it is likely people could easily become fearful. The trees and shrubs, would freeze and dry up, often they would be buried under a layer of snow or frost. There was no guarantee that the sun would come back. People would watch as each day the sun would rise to a lower and lower point in the sky. In northern elevations, they might not see it for weeks or months at a time!

Oh, but then! They would notice that this cycle would reverse itself…can you imagine the joy and hope that entered people’s hearts at that time! The sun was returning! The world would not remain a cold, dark wasteland forevermore. This was certainly reason for celebration! And even those seemingly dead gardens would eventually spring back to life…there had been life lying dormant there all along!

The word solstice derives from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still)…the moment when the sun stands still…culturally, this event has been seen through the years as the time when the ebbing of the sun stops and it begins to return. Concepts of the birth or rebirth of sun gods have been common in many cultures through the years:

• In Greek mythology, the gods and goddesses met on the winter and summer solstice, and Hades was permitted on Mount Olympus.
• The Hopi Indians, also known as “The Peaceful Ones,” hold a ritual on December 21, the shortest day of the year, to ceremonially bring the sun back from its long winter sleep.
• In many pagan and earth-based traditions, this holiday is celebrated as the rebirth of the Great God, who is viewed as the “newborn” sun.
• In modern cultures gatherings at this time of year are filled with evergreens, bright lights, large bonfires, feasts, spending time with loved ones, and dancing and singing.

As women spiritual leaders this can be an opportune time to STOP the busy-ness, STOP the “doing” and follow the rhythm of the earth. Much like the winter garden lies dormant, we too should take time to sit quietly and go within. This dark, cold, quiet time of year is perfect not only for hibernating bears, but also for our hibernating souls. We need the withdrawal and rest from the hub-bub of daily living to recharge and regenerate – to bring our own light and life back into the world.

Take time this week to have a daily check-in with yourself:

1. STOP – take 10-15 minutes and find a quiet place to sit – no radio, music, television, kids, phone, etc.
2. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Focus on your breathe and imagine it flowing through you as you breath in and out.
3. Imagine a small flame in the center of your chest. As you breathe in, the flame expands. As you breathe out, the flame flushes out anything negative in your thoughts or feelings.
4. Sit in silence for a few more minutes. Remind yourself that there is NOTHING for you to do right NOW.
5. When you feel complete, slowly open your eyes. Continue with your day remembering the calm darkness that envelopes you and the warmth of your light within that fuels you.

It is so important that we, as women take the time to recharge, hibernate or go within and stay in that calm darkness, knowing that our light is always there – we only need to allow its gentle flame to regenerate and recharge in the silence of our own winter. And when we honor that cycle of death and rebirth, we will be even more prepared to perform our ministry in the world – whatever it might be.

This article was written by Patricia Selmo, an Interfaith seminarian, certified life coach, energy healer and entrepreneur. She is the co-founder of the International Association of Women Spiritual Leaders: www.iawsl.com, and is a practicing life coach, spiritual guide and healer helping people to live the life of their dreams: www.theblissfulsoul.com.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you commit to leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and include the following byline: The International Association of Women Spiritual Leaders was founded to support spiritual women in living abundantly while serving their unique missions. We invite you to download—as our GIFT to you—the 5 Secrets to Creating Abundance Through Your Calling. You will also be registered to receive our weekly newsletter full of information and tips for supporting you in your calling.

We join our Jewish friends from all over the world on December 11th when the “Festival of Lights” commemorating the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, begins at sundown.  For those who need refreshing, this holiday was born in the century just  “BCE” or “BC” when a renegade band of Jews led by Judah Maccabee pursued their goal of regaining the holy temple in Jerusalem.

According to history, the Temple had been desecrated; its revered artifacts and icons, including a Menorah (a candelabra) made of gold; broken and ruined.  The reigns of Pompey and then Antiochus IV, Epiphanes were responsible for the allowing the Temple to fall into disrepair.

When the Maccabees succeeded in regaining the Temple, they set about, and I imagine lovingly; dusting, scrubbing, and polishing the entire Temple including the artifacts.  One of the more important of these was the golden menorah just waiting to be rekindled to its former glory of lighting the alter.

The Maccabees focused on celebrating with a rededication of the Temple, and they ran into what I am sure may have been one of many problems putting together a commemoration of that size.  They found only enough oil to light the menorah for one day, and they had planned a lengthy celebration.

To the wonder of all of the celebrants, the menorah continued to shed its light for eight days and nights.  The center candle, or “shamash” meaning “servant” or “guard”, is used to light the other candles, one for each night of Hanukkah.  Traditionally, a blessing is said as the candle for that particular night is lit.

Hanukkah is a time of joyous celebration and rededication, commemorating an important series of events in the history of Judaism.

THE 8 WAYS THAT WOMEN SPIRITUAL LEADERS MAY REDEDICATE AND CELEBRATE…

1.    Identify what needs rededicating in your life

2.    Strategize

3.    Set out to pursue your goal

4.    Surround yourself with support (perhaps a renegade band of troops who will help you ‘recapture the Temple’)

5.    Dust, scrub and polish in order to:

6.    Lovingly restore what that is to its Brilliance

7.    Light a Candle to commemorate what you have rededicated and offer a blessing

8.    Celebrate!

This article was written by Rev. Ruth Reiner, who is an ordained Interfaith Minister, spiritual counselor, coach, nurse, former wife, mother, grandmother, and entrepreneur.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, PUBLICATION, OR ON YOUR WEB-SITE?  You may, as long as you commit to leaving the entire article intact, do not alter it in any way, and include the following: “THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN SPIRITUAL LEADERS” was founded to support spiritual women in living abundantly while serving their unique missions.  We invite you to download – as a gift to you- THE 5 SECRETS TO CREATING ABUDANCE THROUGH YOUR CALLING.
You will also be registered to receive our weekly newsletter full of tips and information for supporting you in your mission or quest.

Today, the first Sunday in Advent, we celebrate with our Christian friends who look toward the “coming” of the birth of Jesus.  Although largely symbolic considering that Jesus has been born, there are those within Christianity who anticipate the second advent, or coming of Jesus.
Each Sunday preceding Christmas is marked with the lighting of an “advent” candle; four in all, usually contained within a wreath or other shapes of evergreens.  Advent is considered to be the start of the liturgical year in Western Christianity.  The celebration is alive with tradition, from the colors of the candles and the banners within the churches and raiment worn by clergy and other spiritual leaders, to the hymns and in songs sung by choirs and congregations alike.  The air is expectant, and the congregants eagerly look forward to the culmination of the festivities in the celebration of the birth of Jesus on Christmas morning.

For those of us women who are spiritual leaders in our respective religious communities; for those of us who have solo or partnership practices as spiritual counselors, energy and other holistic healers; and for those of us who are feeling the flames of longing to birth our own entities, “advent” could be pregnant with enormous meaning.  In order to “birth” whatever it is in each of us, I offer the following:

1.    Each Sunday of this “advent” season, or other day of your choosing, commit to spending time cultivating your spiritual roots.  Whether it be in prayer, meditation, chanting, yoga, singing, drumming, dancing, being in nature, studying in your tradition, or writing… the very idea that you have committed to and have actually created an outlet and time for it, will alter your mindset and your attitude.

2.     Each Sunday of this “advent” season, or other day of your choosing, commit to spending time contemplating your goals in anticipation of 2010.   In order to be effective and successful women spiritual leaders, we need the direction that is contained within the framework of goal setting.  For those of us who depend upon the guidance that comes from our spiritual practice, being aware of our goals keeps us alert to the opportunities that may appear at any time and place.

3.    Each Sunday of this “advent” season, or other day of your choosing, commit to spending time evaluating where you spend your energies.  Are you, like most, spending time on the 80% of your activities that produce 20% of the results?  Or have you, like other successful women spiritual leaders, cultivated the art of identifying which 20% of your activities produce the 80% of results?  It is not difficult to achieve…  it takes the willingness to look at the big picture and to seek help in learning the tools…

4.    Lastly…  each Sunday of this “advent” season, or other day of your choosing, commit to spending time “weeding out”; letting go of what is no longer working in your life and/or in your practice.  As women, and as spiritual leaders, we each know what that means in our own lives.  As natural born intuitives,  we know what needs to be examined in light of its usefulness and contribution to our lives and/or our practices.  As women, and as spiritual leaders, we often feel that in letting go of that part of our practice/business that is no longer effective, or that relationship/s that is draining us of energy, we may inadvertently hurt people by our decisions to “let go”.  And… it is likely that people may be hurt by our decision to “let go”.  And therein lies the meaning, for me, of “advent”.  When we “let go”, it allows for whatever it is to be born… in us, and, if they so choose, the people who may be affected by our “letting go”.

May each and every one of us as women spiritual leaders experience this time of advent… expectancy… as a time of dedication to our spiritual paths, to identifying and to committing to goal setting, of evaluating our lives and practices for the “80-20” concept, and to intuiting/examining our lives and practices for what needs to be “let go”.

This article was written by Rev. Ruth Reiner, an ordained Inter Faith minister, spiritual counselor, coach, nurse, former wife, mother, grandmother and entrepreneur.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you commit to leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and include the following byline: The International Association of Women Spiritual Leaders was founded to support spiritual women in living abundantly while serving their unique missions. We invite you to download—as our GIFT to you—the 5 Secrets to Creating Abundance Through Your Calling. You will also be registered to receive our weekly newsletter full of information and tips for supporting you in your calling.