The Greenhouse of Halloween
(Oct/Nov 2003)

Wow! another Wise Woman Weekend has now passed into the ethers. The energy that was generated was palpable, especially Saturday evening. After a day of workshops, many women let their hair down and whirled across the floor of The Great Hall, Naramata’s name change for the Gym. The new name is a reflection of things to come and creates a different vibration.

Joan Casorso and her drummers started the evening vibrating, then the belly dancers got the women off their chairs as scarves swirled and bellies moved. I smiled as I watched a seventy-five-year-old woman gyrate to the music wearing a black bra and a skirt with fake metal coins jingling. Her love handles rolling past her midriff as she swirled in graceful movements, thoroughly enjoying herself. I nodded my head as I watched a few older women do things I never thought I would see them do. I was impressed at the number of younger women who demonstrated wisdom and compassion throughout the weekend, helping out when asked.

It was a time of bonding, a time to allow the goddess within each of us to emerge. Each workshop leader suggested a few more possible ways to empower ourselves. Each workshop said the same thing in a different way. The women lined up at the Healing Oasis to receive healing energies and floated away afterwards. Women who came tired or depressed smiled within hours of their arrival. One women said to me, “My husband insists that I attend. He looks forward to the new me returning.” She added, “I have noticed that I am usually better-natured for about three weeks after I return home.”

When I told the crowd of women that I was creating a Wise Guys Weekend, they applauded. One woman said, “We are ready for them! In fact, we are bursting at the seams with anticipation of having more men in touch with their internal powers.” A few said they were excited at the idea of sending their guy to a weekend similar to what they were experiencing. I added, “You could bring your guy with you to the Spring Festival of Awareness. That happens at the end of April.”

Applications for instructors will be sent out soon and a few months later, my guy Richard, and I will send out applications for the first annual Wise Guy Weekend to be held at Johnson’s Landing, in the Kootenays. Over the years, I have been asked many times to organize a weekend for men but thought they should do it for themselves. Now, it is an idea whose time has come, and so it shall happen.

By the time you pick up this month’s Issues, I will have moved my office to Johnson’s Landing. The rental truck will also take the old doors and windows from my old Penticton building that has been remodelled, to become part of a greenhouse near my new office/home. This summer we had lots of tomatoes but I am told that is not usually the case. I would like to see most of the food for the retreat centre and our newly-developing community grown onsite, so the more warm spots we have, the better. If you have some carpentry, gardening or other skills you would like to share, please let me know. We are looking for people who would like to get involved in the complex process of creating a community. It will happen, and I am excited at the prospect of what it can become. I love living on the edge and as Alma said in her workshop at the Wise Woman Weekend … “If you aren’t living on the edge you are taking up too much room.” I always push my own boundaries and enjoy the many challenges that creates. I invite those who wish to do the same and help create a community to contact me.