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October 1, 2015

From Sicily to Salt Lake City

From Persephone to the Parliament of the World's Religions

Dear Friends:

The Sicilian flag has in the center an unforgettable and vaguely uncomfortable image called the "trinacria" (a triskelion): three bent legs with a woman's head in the crotch. The head represents the Gorgon Medusa. In Greek myth, she was once a beautiful woman--one of three sisters-- who was raped in the temple of Athena by Poseidon the God of the Sea. Athena punished her (in life and myth, the rape victim is blamed) by making her face ugly and horrible, and turning her hair into snakes. On the flag, she is attractive, has wings on her head and three ears of wheat hang in the same direction as the legs. Whoever looked at Medusa would be turned to stone. She was beheaded by Perseus who gave her head to Athena to place on her shield. Her head became a protective device.

Words do not satisfactorily explain a symbol's effect on the psyche. The image is weird -- a word derived from Old English, "wyrd" and in turn, referred to three sisters, the Fates, and connotes uncanny powers.

Sicily --Persephone's Island

I went to Sicily for a Jungian conference on Art and Psyche in Siracusa--which was like a wonderful feast to choose delicious items from, attended by artists and therapists with papers and presentations full of images, and poetry, and held like a progressive dinner in a variety of places and noteworthy sites, including the option which I took to sleep overnight amidst ruins and over them at the Helorus archeological site.

Took tour before to Mt. Etna, and after to where the Greeks, Romans, Cartheginians, and Christians left their mark and we could see ruins and reconstructed temples.. Walking and climbing to where much of what there is to see is strenuous and was sweaty exercise in the August-September heat.

Sicily is referred to as "Persephone's Island." On a high promontory near the Enna, we climbed Demeter's Rock, with a 360 degree view, from where Demeter looked and couldn't see Persephone anywhere. The temple and statue of Demeter is gone. A personal highpoint for me was telling the Demeter-Persephone story to our small group at this site, feeling the story more alive in me there. In the city of Enna, we passed the statue of Hades abducting Persephone, which could have easily been Poseidon and the once lovely Medusa.

The Momentum of an invisible snowball?

Think of how a snowball forms. Begin with the Millionth Circle as an idea and a book around which The Millionth Circle Initiative formed (2001) to further the formation of women's circles with a spiritual center for over a decade including to the UN. Now we are bringing MC to PWR beginning when we meet together in a Deepening circle on Tuesday October 13,, The next day, MC joins On Feminine Ground: The Alchemy of our Collective Wisdom and Strength, 100 women attending. Circle momentum then moves into the Inaugural Women's Assembly on Thursday October 15, with over 2,000 women registered and registration still open. (Salt Conference Center: free to registrants of PWR, $100 if just the Assembly.)

` Women's Assembly: Plenary Speakers include Mother Maya Tiwari, Dr. Vandana Shiva, Ruth W. Messinger, Marianne Williamson, Ilyasah Shabazz, Dr. Rangimarie Turuki Arikirangi Rose Pere, Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D., Ms. Lokawua Margaret, Robert Thurman, Phyllis Curott, Diana Butler Bass, Bishop Barbara King, Masami Saionji, Nam Hee Kim, and Mallika Chopra.(same names both sessions).

Panels and the experience of being in circles with a spiritual center at 1 pm and 2:30 pm.

"Courage. Anger. Love. Something to Say, Someone to Listen" Terry Tempest Williams and I will hold a spontaneous, deep, and far-ranging conversation on how we got here from where we started and what we learned along the way on our respective spiritual, activist, and author paths, leaving time for small conversational circles for attendees to also speak about significant events and turning points. (Sunday October 18)

"Deepening Conversation, Finding Common Ground: Circles with a Spiritual Center" A workshop led by Conveners of the Millionth Circle in which participants will learn about circle principles and guidelines and through the experience of being in one, learn the value of hearing from each person speaking and listening from the heart, with silence to reflect, pray, meditate contributing to a circle becoming a vessel of trust and transformation.

The Peace Prayer of St. Francis and Pope Francis who reminds us of it

It has been a relief to have Pope Francis all over the news as a break from Donald Trump; there is also such a contrast between the two men.

The prayer of St. Francis is an affirmation and intention, of being of service to others, a step beyond the Golden Rule.

Mercury in Retrograde-- September 17 -October 9

If you wish you could take back what you just said or you hit the SEND button before checking the TO line (oh-oh!) , it may help to know this!

I learned to pay attention to Mercury in Retrograde shortly after Goddesses in Everywoman became a bestseller--now in its 30th Anniversary edition. I was leading a trip on land and in a boat on the Aegean called "Into the Arms of the Goddess." Accommodations were not as expected, the seas were rough, the ship was small, the itinerary kept changing: some were up for this adventure, others were not happy. It was becoming the "Into the Armpits of the Goddess" tour. We put into a port and held an emergency community meeting. After airing feelings and sharing information, everyone was given the choice of staying or going with a full refund and help to make new arrangements while in Greece. Three left, the rest made the decision to stay. The next day, everything had changed. The Aegean was like a mirror, the mood was festive, we swam, and laughed as survivors do.

Then the astrologer on board said, "Mercury was in retrograde, it changed yesterday!" I also wonder in retrospect, whether synchronicity played a part: once the group was aligned it felt as if the universe responded, just as when ego and Self are aligned, it seems opportunities arise and flow happens. However since then, when there are mis-communications and electronic devices go on the fritz., I check to see if Mercury is Retrograde.

UN 5WCW 2020 -- in INDIA?

The idea hasn't gone away

Prime Minister Modi of India was in Silicon Valley at the same time as President Xi of China was at the UN. The idea of India hosting the UN 5th World Conference on Women, the first with the Internet in the country with the most active feminist movement in the world, should appeal to the rivalry between India and China, to Modi's efforts to stop violence against women, and the infusion into India's economy by an estimated 100,000 attendees.

On September 27, President Xi and UN Women were co-hosts of a summit meeting to recognize the 20th anniversary of the Fourth UN World Conference on Women (4WCW) in Beijing. Recent background: In March, Chinese authorities imprisoned five young women, best known for staging peaceful performance art demonstrations, ahead of International Women's Day. Hilary tweeted "Xi hosting a meeting on women's rights at the UN while persecuting feminists? Shameless." whereupon, (according to the Washington Post) the Web went wild. I also learned that 4WCW has been described as life-changing in women who went to Beijing in 1995, in a mainstream American publication. The more 4WCW is in the news, the more energy is generated for 5WCW.

I sent an email to Hillary Clinton's campaign chief of staff and her senior advisor--whose titles, emails, and contact information came from an auspicious--I'd say synchronistically timed connection at Esalen urging them to put support for 5WCW into Hillary's goals to support women and girls.

If any one reading this is one or two degrees away from people who make things happen in India, do take this on!

To read and sign petition! Click Here

The Petition, Bella Abzug, 5WCW

A print-out of the petition is larger than two reams of paper--impressive, especially with the comments. Might this be used at a media event to promote 5WCW at the UN prior to the CSW meetings in March 2016? Or presented to Hillary Clinton to support 5WCW? These are ideas that i have discussed with Liz Abzug of the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute--named for the colorful, effective New York Congresswoman with her famous hats and a major presence at 4WCW. Invoking Bella's spirit here-- help the 18,000+ names grow toward 20,000!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Descriptions & More Details

http://www.jeanbolen.com/schedule.html

2015

October 15-19 - Salt Lake City, UT

The 2015 Parliament of The World's Religions

Salt Palace Convention Center

Women's Assembly, October 15, 9 am -5 pm. Click Here

Terry Tempest Williams and Jean Shinoda Bolen in Conversation

"Courage. Anger. Love. Something to Say: Someone to Listen"

(October 18)

Conveners of the Millionth Circle Initiative ( October 18)

"Deepening Conversation, Finding Common Ground: Circles with a Spiritual Center"

http://www.parliamentofreligions.org

November 3 – Los Angeles, CA

USC Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds

Presentation: Tuesday Noon – 1:00 pm

The Mythology of Artemis and the Psychology of Women who Personify this Archetype

Keck School of Medicine, USC

Los Angeles, CA

November 27-28 – London, England

C.G. Jung Club London

Friday, November 27: Evening Lecture:

Artemis the Archetype Liberated by the Women's Movement

Saturday, November 28
Seminar: Path with Soul/Path with Heart: the Inner Compass

http://www.jungclub-london.org/

December 1-3 – Barcelona, Spain

Editorial Kairos, Spanish Edition of Artemis, Media & Event

Tuesday, December 1: Book Presentation of Artemis, The Indomitable Spirit in Everywoman

Wednesday, December 2
Workshop: Artemis

http:// www.editorialkairos.com

December 4-6, 2015 – Rome, Italy

IAAP – Analysis and Activism Conference

Social and Political Contributions of Jungian Psychology

Saturday, December 5, 11:30am to 1:10pm First break-out session

Artemis, The Archetype Liberated by the Women’s Movement

http://www.iaap.org/congresses-and-conferences-events/conferences/2015-conferences.html

December 6, 2015 – Rome, Italy
Casa Editrice Astrolabio Ubaldini Editore, Piu Libri Book Fair
Sunday, December 6, between 4-7pm: Introduction to Italian version of
Artemis, The Indomitable Spirit in Everywoman
http://www.astrolabio-ubaldini.com/