The Real Deal at Copenhagen

I'm closing a circle tonight. A circle I have been holding with countless others, that our countries might do something at the UN Copenhagen Climate Change Conference that would bring the human family together around our common planetary crisis.

I've wondered why I was so focused on this event, when so many political world events have come and gone in my relatively apolitical life. Of course, the issue is rather compelling... only the survival of the earth... you'll forgive me, I hope, if I confess that I haven't really comprehended at a gut level this potential reality.

Tonight I know why I was so intrigued... by Bill McKinnon's invitation to candle vigils at http://www.350.org/, the World Council of Churches bell-ringing campaign at http://www.oikoumene.org/en/events-sections/countdown-to-climate-justice/bellringing.html, the Real Deal initiative at http://tcktcktck.org/events/major-moments/real-deal , the signature campaign at https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_copenhagen/ , and by the smaller initiatives I featured in this blog, sent out through the women's networks that I participate it... by all the moment-by-moment Internet weaving that happened through Facebook and Twitter and...

It wasn't the leaders who were making history these past two weeks... WE were making history! WE were the voices of the masses connected and empowered by technology! And I participated... I participated in the greatest self-organization of human beings yet to be seen on this planet!

WE mobilized ourselves...no one told us to. WE spoke our passions and hopes, our observations and demands! And WE were united, not so much in the details of our perspectives, but very much in the sense of mutual accountability for our One Interconnected Home World. There is no question that this united awareness will be a lasting "accord" of great significance...

A global moment... time to attend and intend

Those who can sense the inner aspects of this global moment, speak of a rising tide of unity... a growing awareness of our one planet. No matter what the outcome of the Copenhagen talks, this awareness is unstoppable! Once the truth of inter-connectedness is made visible, there is no returning to blindness.

There are so many visible threads of this "rising tide"...

I am left crying at the first 3 headlines of Copenhagen's official website http://en.cop15.dk/ Wednesday evening. Japan: 15 billion dollars in climate aid / Kerry: US to pass "major" climate legislation / Countries pledge billions to protect rainforests... positive news ... even though the negotiations have left much to be done by the world's leaders arriving for Thursday and Friday's work...

Then http://www.350.org/ speaks of unity among over 100 countries and throughout Africa because of their initiative. And Bill McKibben, though 350 ppm will probably not be included in the emerging agreement, continues to invite the grassroots into participation... by calling our leaders and leaving a message, or by fasting on Thursday. Fasting... like Ghandi... fasting together and listening for truth... Imagine...

And while women's perspectives are not yet very visible at the negotiating table, they were prominent at the Parliament of the World's Religions just proceeding the Copenhagen talks, and they partnered with a strong indigenous presence as well. An aboriginal Elder shared the dias with the Dalai Lama at the Parliament's Concluding Ceremony... painted stones were given out as participants left the hall [See Glenys Livingstone's blog at http://medusacoils.blogspot.com/ ]. Imagine representatives of every religion being given such a reminder of the importance of the earth itself...

The indigenous perspective on the Earth, as our collective home, as a sacredness, as our Mother, is surely one aspect of the "Sacred Feminine". In a sense, all the negotiations at Copenhagen are about approximating this perspective, this indigenous feminine point of view... we are one earth, everyone accountable.

The BEIJING DECLARATION OF INDIGENOUS WOMEN, created at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women, Huairou, Beijing, 1995, states:
1. The Earth is our mother. From her we get our life, and our ability to live. It is our responsibility to care for our mother and in caring for our mother, we care for ourselves. Women, all females are a manifestation of Mother Earth in human form.
See the whole declaration at http://www.ipcb.org/resolutions/htmls/dec_beijing.html .

[See also how women are working on climate change locally:
http://www.wayswomenlead.net/home/global-news-2/indiagrassrootswomanleadsresponsetolocalclimatechange (adapting to flood conditions);
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49563 (example given of women tending forests holistically);
http://www.wedo.org/learn/campaigns/climatechange/global-gender-and-climate-alliance (working since Bali 2007)]

Negotiating Real "Climate Change"

In a world increasingly connected by modern technology, we soon realize we are being flooded by information, much of it conflicting. How are we to negotiate this flood, to take the right stand?

In a world fragmented by so many forces, personal issues can take us by storm, leaving our relationships eroded as we are buffeted about by the financial, health, spiritual problems of the times. How are we to see our way through the storms, to find peace?

In a world that has so many "hot spots", where conflict is almost endemic over generations, we find ourselves with no escape from the heat. How are we manage this climate of conflict, to live in a positive environment?

Noticing the many weather metaphors that we use for personal and social issues, it is not hard to see that each of us is living through the issues of the world in our personal lives. Science tells us that this is to be expected in nature, where a natural pattern is often repeated at different levels or fractals, e.g., the veins of the leaves mirror the branching of the tree.

Science also documents that natural phase shifts can occur in the patterns themselves under certain conditions. A phase shift of a natural pattern can begin anywhere the conditions are right. When the conditions and the pattern change in enough places, the entire system adopts the new pattern.

Here is the possibility I want to outline ... If we are seeing a fractal pattern of conflict and overwhelm in humanity's affairs at every level, we can begin where we are, to create new conditions and patterns in our own lives, and know we are participating in phase shifting the whole of humanity!

Imagine, for example... if enough of us participate in changing conditions from judgment to love, how much change there would be in the world's "climate", and what new patterns of cooperation and creativity would emerge...

Another thread between the Parliament and the Copenhagen talks

How can we know the flow of energies from one event to another? When the same person attends both conferences some continuity can be assumed. So we notice with much gratitude that Sister Joan Chittister, a reknowned activist for truth, carried a passion for the Sacred Feminine from the Parliament of the World's Religions in Australia to the UN Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in Denmark.

Below we witness another thread, woven through modern technology but fueled by the ancient power of prayer: Julie Raymond moves her daily prayer circle's intention from the Parliament to the Copenhagen talks, as she responds to a Parliament report from Meredith Tenney of Women's Spirit Council (http://www.womensspiritcouncil.org ).
[To join Julie's call, see the relevant information in the side column of this blog.]

Dear Mer et all,

What an honor it has been to participate from afar. Though the miles separated us, energy certainly created a strong unification of collective experience. Each day the women in our prayer circle, (myself included of course) deepened into sisterhood as we expressed our love for humanity, the divine feminine, our mother earth, our shared ancestral heritage and so much more. There were so many expressions of gratitude!

Each day we met in circle, lit the candle, let the sage smoke, rang the Tibetan bells and called to the directions by offering the Munay-Ki prayer for creating sacred space. Together we offered a collective prayer, each woman spoke as she felt the impulse into the prayer circle her offering to our prayer.

We have agreed to continue on, energetically supporting the Copenhagen conference until its conclusion.

It has been a gift to serve the Mother in this way. Connecting to the global consciousness which desires healing and life affirming unity.
I have no other work in this life, but to serve the mother. There are many just like me. I am honored to be present in this sisterhood.

With great love,
Julie

More from the Parliament of the World's Religions

Last night I received a message from Meredith Tenney who has been attending the Parliament of the World's Religions, in Melbourne, Australia. She joins Kathe Schaaf [http://www.womenattheparliament.blogspot.com] in highlighting an extraordinary new visibility for the Divine Feminine at the Parliament.

Here are Meredith's words:

Hello All;

For the love of Mother, we came to Melbourne and the Parliament of World Religions to raise awareness of the Sacred Feminine. For the love of Mother, hundreds of women and men around the world helped to hold the intention to uplift her at the Parliament and the end result surpasses my highest hopes.

Kathe, Anne and I hosted 'A Creative Expression of the Sacred Feminine' on Friday evening, December 4th. The event was well attended. The program included:

Valarie Kaur speaking from the Sikh tradition of Kali
Cath Conolly played the Celtic harp honoring the Celtic goddess, Brigid
Ariellashira Lewis offering Jewish blessings to Shekinah
Ninie Syarkin giving readings from the Islamic tradition
Francyl Gawryn, vocalist, and Cristina Seaborn, violinist (from St. Cloud, remember?!) honoring the Universe Mother Spirit from Urantia
Pam McCulkin (sp?) honoring Mary, the mother of Christ from the Catholic faith
Audrey Kitagawa was present to offer readings honoring Kuan Yin from the Buddhist tradition but was called away due to time constraints.

The program ended with Faith Rivera of the Agape International Choir leading the group in singing:

'We all come from the Mother
and to Her we must return,
like a drop of rain,
flowing to the ocean.'

How heart satisfying it was! The most poignant moment of the event was watching the 8 women greeters who lined up outside the door of the event, beaming love and offering welcome to everyone. Each held a beautiful poster sized image of the feminine face of deity: Green Tara, Mary and Child, Lakshmi, Kuan Yin, the Black Madonna, Durga, Kali, the Virgen de Guadalupe and Saraswati. The women's glowing faces shown above the pictures with such warmth that it was easy to see Mother reflected in their faces above the images just as clearly as in the religious pictures below. Entering the hall was like taking a wonderful stroll with Mother through her garden.

The big news, however, is that we have played only a small part in the tidal wave of recognition of the Sacred Feminine that is breaking over the Parliament. Sister Joan Chittister's panel on the Divine Feminine was standing room only. She spoke so articulately of the need for the restoration of the Divine Feminine that when she offered a question and answer session later that afternoon, 500 people showed up and they had to move her to an auditorium.

Men and women have been equally supportive. Yesterday, when an all male panel on 'Global Spiritual Leadership' convened, attendees were in such an uproar about the absence of women on the panel, that the issue effectively monopolized the entire presentation. The standing joke around here is that 'Born Again Pagan' T shirts should be sold in the halls of the Parliament because that's what everyone will be by the end of the session!

I attribute this miraculous awakening of appreciation for the Sacred Feminine to all of you who have prayed and held the space for Mother to rise here. Please know your time, prayers, and intentions have not been in vain, but in fact have precipitated more progress than I hoped to see in many years.

Anne, Kathe and I were indeed blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in the event and we are sincerely grateful for the support all of you have offered. May this be just the beginning of what we can all accomplish together for the love of Mother!

In Her grace,
Mer

What if the Divine Feminine in-formed the UN Copenhagen Climate Change Conference?

One of the most exciting panels at the Parliament of the World's Religions last week was on the Divine Feminine, and later, Sister Joan Chittester was the catalyst for a question and answer session on the Divine Feminine that drew over 500 people. Sister Joan was then set to travel to the Copenhagen talks on Climate Change. [More detail with Kathe Schaaf at http://www.womenattheparliament.blogspot.com/ .]

My friend and partner Ann Smith (Ways Women Lead, http://www.wayswomenlead.net/ ) writes of Sister Joan: Joan Chittister is known throughout the world as one of the most prophetic voices for today’s times. She is a leader in the global women’s movement. I remember when she spoke at the Women and Power Conference that was held in New York City with 1200 women attending. This was a gathering of spiritual and secular women co-sponsored by Omega Institute and Eve Ensler’s organization. It was the first time that I had experienced a blending of the two intentions. The majority of the women attending were anti-religious. Sister Joan was the only woman speaking as a religious person. She received a standing ovation with cheers to have her run for president of the US. She transformed prejudices that day, and continues to be right on in her message, a message that transcends gender and the divide between secular, religious and spiritual.

"Without the inner freedom it takes to defy the chains of convention, without the self-esteem it takes to trust our own truth, we face our worlds unprepared and unaware.” Joan Chittister

Just think about the two global conferences occurring simultaneously today... people gathered from every religious tradition on one side of the world reaching into spiritual commonalities, while representatives from 192 nations gather on the other side of the world to consider the climatic fate of the planet that rests between the two conferences. Consider Sister Joan, perhaps others, personally bridging these conferences, threading the energies of the Divine Feminine across the world into the secular world...

On the Parliament side, December 1, the Association for Global New Thought (http://www.agnt.org/) , Unity.FM, and the Gaiafield Center for Subtle Activism (http://www.gaiafield.net/; see WiseClimate2009) co-created a global blessing and meditation from the Parliament for both conferences. [Tune into the energy of this subtle activism at www.unity.fm/program/SpecialBroadcast.]

On the Copenhagen side, Sister Joan joins a multi-faith delegation of key religious figures, organized by the Global Peace Initiative of Women, who will be emphasizing the moral and spiritual aspects of the climate change issue, as well as the need for each individual to do their part. Their conference, taking place from Dec 7-13, is entitled: "Addressing Climate Change by Awakening to Oneness", and on Dec 10, Sister Joan will be participating in a panel called "The Divine Feminine: An essential force in addressing climate change." She will be in "East-West" dialogue with Swamini Pramananda Saraswati, Spiritual teacher and educator from India. [See http://www.gpiw.org/ and http://www.gpiw.org/copenhagen.html for more information.]

The overlap of these conferences, the continuity in spiritual intention, the presence of the Divine Feminine, the global convergence of perspectives that each represents... these are deep moments of potential unity for humanity. Are you feeling this?

The Wave at the Parliament of the World's Religions

One of the most exciting and visible crestings of the mounting wave of positive change has come from a global event celebrating the world's many religions in Melbourne, Australia, from December 3-9, 2009. This year's convergence of religious traditions was marked with an abundance of non-traditional perspectives, among them many indigenous groups, interfaith groups, some working through the United Nations, and women's groups, some celebrating the Sacred or Divine Feminine. See http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/ .

Several women from the networks that I follow are represented at the Parliament, including Women's Spirit Council, http://www.womensspiritcouncil.org/, the Association for Global New Thought, http://www.agnt.org/ and Gather the Women Global Matrix, http://www.gatherthewomen.org/ . Kathe Schaaf of Women's Spirit Council shares from the Parliament the good news of the "Feminine Rising" there:

http://http//womenattheparliament.blogspot.com/2009/12/report-from-parliament-feminine-is.html

How are you seeing the Sacred Feminine woven through your religious institutions? Arising in your lives?