Note: This story is a continuation of my last article, “A Fish Story.”

So, we’re sitting around the fire pit eating raw bison and… What? Oh, right. Sorry. I guess I should back up a little.

Well, the Salmon Incident gave us plenty of fodder for conversation. I could tell Mo was still processing this meat-eating thing. I was, too. When you invest years into supporting and promoting a specific set of truths and beliefs, you hang onto them… sometimes a little too tightly. We analyzed these truths and beliefs through different lenses, splaying them out on the table for dissection. The main issue that kept coming up for both of us was this idea of harm: Are we harming the animals when we’re eating them? Are we harming the environment by participating in animal and animal product consumption? Are we harming ourselves by incorporating these things into our diets? What do we mean by “harm,” anyway? And is this truly a question of harm?

A couple of weeks after The Salmon Incident, we had Frank Giglio and his wife, Camille, over for dinner. I was talking to Frank about what to make for dinner and we got to chatting about the salmon. He said that salmon was a pretty rich fish and that maybe Mo might prefer something a bit lighter like haddock or tilapia. I asked Mo if this was something she’d like to explore. She thought about it and said, “OK. I’ll try it, but I want to help prepare it.” (Admittedly, this is something that has pleasantly surprised me: since beginning this journey with eating meat, she’s wanted to be involved with meat gathering and prep before consuming it. I really respect that about her. She has such a tender heart that I wasn’t sure how that was going to play out, but this approach seems like it helps her to understand and appreciate what she’s participating in.)

The following Sunday found us sitting around the table, eating the local wild-caught haddock pan-seared in local raw butter. As I was getting others seconds, I overheard a bit of conversation between Frank and Mo. He was explaining about how life feeds on life and was detailing what’s involved in raising vegetables and raising animals. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear the whole thing, but what was interesting was watching Mo’s face. She has a lot of respect for Frank – something that she doesn’t parcel out easily. She was listening to what he was saying and I could see that she was putting it together in her head.

After they left, she brought up that conversation a few times and we continued to unpack it, thinking about it from different angles. One thing that kept coming up for us over and over was intentional eating. We’ve spent so much time researching local farms and questioning those farmers about their methods of breeding, raising, and killing practices. We’ve read articles and books about the best ways to prepare and consume the meats. We prepared the meats intentionally as a family and gave thanks at each meal. Were we ever this conscientious with our vegan meals? I mean, yes, we were conscientious, but I don’t think the spirituality was behind it quite as intensely as it has been with meat consumption. And should there really be any difference behind consuming animals?

We decided there really wasn’t. Life feeds on life. That’s where we’ve landed.

I believe we come to this place of intentionality because of our journey with food. Going from vegetarian to vegan to raw vegan was a slow, years-long cleansing physically, mentally, and spiritually. We’ve learned how to live with less, how to provide for ourselves, and how to be with our food.

So, when Daniel Vitalis came over the other night with the beautiful piece of raw local bison, we ritualized it. We took that and the local chicken that I’d marinated in my homemade honey mustard and went down to our fire pit. We spent time learning how to manually start a fire, appreciating our beautiful grove, and got warmed up. As darkness approached, we sampled the bison and chicken raw (both surprisingly delicious) and then tried some lightly cooked over our makeshift spit, eating everything by hand.

And the entire time Mo was present, respectful of the animal, and very clear spiritually. It’s true that nothing can prepare you for parenting – mainly because you never know what gifts your child is bringing with them. Thanks, Mo.

Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt is a raw foods chef and teacher and owner of Rite Food and Company (www.ritefoodandcompany.com), which offers workshops on intentional and joyful eating. Lisa Marie and her homeschooled daughter, Mo, record a weekly podcast – called Sweet Peas Podcast – chronicling their raw foods journey together.

TODAY is International Woman’s Day! And I invite you to join with me and about 10,000 other women around the world, in a celebration of our womanhood! We are gathering like women have done since time immemorial to tell our stories, share our collective wisdom and concerns, offer support and solutions, and have communion- united communication in the spirit of building community.

Tera and I have been excitedly working together to produce the biggest, most world-class event of its kind to celebrate Women’s Day. It’s called WISH Women’s International Summit for Health.

If you enjoyed the raw Mom Summit you are going to love this!

We have included over 40 of the world’s most sought after speakers for this, in and outside of the raw community including Marianne Williamson, Dr Mercola, David Wolfe, Janet Attwood, Tonya Zavasta, Marci Shimoff, Victoria Boutenko, and many, many more!

We discuss all the things on the minds of modern women today: Finances, Health, Beauty, Relationships, Self-Worth, Parenting, Sustainability, Spirituality etc etc and yes, it is available for FREE over the next 10 days.

WISH Women’s International Summit for Health

They say it takes a village to raise a child, well, the global village just got smaller because we are bringing a stellar line up of world speakers right to you. With this online banquet of delicious topics and speakers, all made with love for you to be lavished with and enjoy, my hope is that you feel as I do, that the world is getting smaller and that women are getting closer. Our connection regardless of our physical proximity is enhanced when we can come together in the spirit of celebration and empowerment, and that is what WISH is all about.

These people I interviewed and their contributions just opened my world to so many things, it is truly a gift that will keep on giving as I continue to assimilate everything I learned. For example, I’ll leave you with this teaser which came from one of the calls that just blew me away that will be made available as a BONUS~

One of the key distinctions I became aware of just this week which has actually CHANGED MY LIFE came as I interviewed Christine Arylo who wrote the book Choosing Me Before We- It is that Self-Esteem is NOT the same thing as Self-Love…Do YOU know the difference? Overwhelm and exhaustion are sure signs you may not…Please post your answers below.

Happy Women’s Day!

xoShakaya

On the hot, hot, hot Saturday afternoon, the Melbourne Raw Food Meet-up Group got together to feast on scrumptious raw creations, and to view the recently released Real N’ Raw movie. Have you heard about this movie?

It follows the story of Matthew Wilson, a young man who cured himself of serious illness, and it features interviews with inspirational people who’ve healed themselves, and many raw-food leaders and health professionals, including Don Tolman, David Wolfe, Dr Laura Lyons, Mike Adams, Rainbeau Mars, Viktoras Kulvinskas, Matt Amsden, Victoria and Sergei Boutenko, Janette MurrayWakelin and many others.

I love that wise quotes are peppered throughout the film, including this gem:

“It is easier to change a man’s religion than it is to change his diet.”

Hmmm, how very true.

It really is a compelling film, and I love that half (that’s right, half!) of the sales of the DVD are being donated to Fruit for Our Children Charitable Trust, which is committed to growing fruit trees in New Zealand, for future generations to benefit from. If you’d like to know more about the trust, head to http://fruitforourchildren.com/.

The film is available now on DVD, at http://realnraw.co.nz/, and it features a bonus soundtrack of 17 reggae songs. Groovy, mon!

The other highlight of our weekend was a visit from David Wolfe, as part of his whirlwind Australian tour. A packed auditorium (and boy, do I mean packed – like, people sitting on the steps) hosted the event, and we were entertained and informed for well over three hours.

With medical practitioners as parents, it’s any wonder David ventured into the health field. It’s obvious his knowledge is incredible (and having a masters degree in nutrition and a background in science and mechanical engineering proves he’s one smart raw cookie) – but three hours was barely enough time to scratch the surface of his amazing databank.

He showed us photos of unusual superfood plants, and played videos of beautiful fresh-water springs from around the world (just hearing the sound of the water gushing was exhilarating!). He’s even convinced me to go barefoot more often, and to find out about a little electronic device that he wears on plane to help keep him grounded. However, although he did put forward a compelling argument for including raw chocolate regularly in our diets, I’m still sceptical that it’s the best superfood, given its high caffeine content – a view that’s backed up by Dr Jameth Sheridan in an interview I listened to recently on the Raw Food World Radio Show (that show is still available for free download at http://riverbender.com/rawspirit/, until the end of March). But I still feel good about including it occasionally in my children’s diet.

The event was beautifully orchestrated, with David’s books available for sale, including The Sunfood Diet Success System, Naked Chocolate: The Astonishing Truth About the World’s Greatest Food, Eating For Beauty, and Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future. There were also raw food vendors serving up luscious cheezecakes and green smoothies, and plenty of superfoods were also available for purchase. Raw heaven.

David then spent the evening entertaining and dining with raw peeps at Le Cru, Melbourne’s only raw-food restaurant. I couldn’t go, but I heard it was a hoot!

If you’re interested in David’s teachings, I’d advise checking out his books and visiting his subscription website – www.thebestdayever.com – where you’ll find years’ worth of archived interviews, articles and audio downloads.

It’s wonderful to have a full weekend immersed in gaining knowledge, and being with a community that inspires and supports each other. I get the feeling that we’re going to have to organise more of these events, as more and more people awaken and come to realise that their health really is in their own hands.

Have a wonderful week, everybody, and hug your babies.

Love Jo

In the meantime, let’s talk about wishes…Cinderella says a wish is a dream you have kept in your heart. Every mother has a dream in her heart for her children. These dreams are our guiding light to give us strength when we need it, to brighten our lives when we lose hope, and to sweeten our steps of this overwhelmingly intense journey we find ourselves on.

Have you ever written out what you wish for? What you dream of? Have you given any loving attention to your rich inner world? Women have the power to birth life and build communities; we are naturally imbued with a sacred heart. If we do not take time to center ourselves there, the inheritance of our ancestors cannot prevent that power from being leaked and drained away from us.

I recently had the honour of interviewing Marianne Williamson for WISH which I’d like to share about. WISH is a world-wide empowerment party for women and you are all invited! Tera had a dream in her heart to build community and empower women for many years and has actively been engaging herself in that mission.

Women have always come together to share their stories. Women embody an emotional connection that men stand in awe of and secretly revere. Tera gets that about women and she has invited me to help bring to life a program for women that is beautiful and inspiring and world-class called W.I.S.H. Women’s International Summit for Health.

We have gathered together some of the most activated beings on the planet to support and inspire you on your mission: Marianne Williamson, Marci Shimoff, Janet Attwood, Victoria Boutenko, Rainbeau Mars, Barbara De Angelis, and nearly 40 other luminous minds and hearts! Please join with thousands who have already signed up and tell all the women in your life to join you! www.wishsummit.com.

Marianne Williamson talks a lot about the power of women. She tells the story of how every wild animal in Nature ferociously takes care of their young, and cites the example of Hyenas, noting how they do not eat until their young are fed, and yet, we Western Women who have so much, are not stepping into our power enough. She says:

“A common anthropological characteristic of every advanced mammalian species that survives and thrives is the fierce behaviour of the adult female when she senses a threat to her cubs. Our relative complacency while 17,000 children on our planet starve to death every day — one every five seconds — indicates a lack of positive intention, on the part of our species, literally to survive. The power we hold as American women is unmatched anywhere in the world, and our failure to use that power as effectively as we might on behalf of those who need us the most is a situation now ripe for change.”

This is the kind of activation that is possible. We are women! We are mothers! We are sisters, we are daughters, we are friends, we are lovers! We are powerful and we are needed. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are a wished for dream.

Mo has this uncanny ability to make the supposed mundane have great spiritual significance. Take the fish incident.

Over the past 13 years or so, my family has moved through a myriad of dietary choices. We’ve gone from vegetarian to vegan to raw vegan and are now focusing on a whole food approach. We still consume a lot of raw vegan foods, but have been experimenting with incorporating raw, local, organic dairy (such as homemade goat’s milk kefirs and chevres and raw butters), local eggs, and sprouted and cooked whole grains. We have had amazing success with this, I believe, because we cleaned out our systems first with a high raw vegan diet. Also, after reclaiming our stomachs and their true needs, we’ve all gained a new perspective on appropriate portions. Now, when we eat, it is from a place of true appreciation – for the taste of the food, yes, but more for its medicinal value. Our food consumption has truly become ritualistic in nature… something I’ve been striving for for years.

So, when the idea of meat came up, we had to talk. Mo, who’s been a vegetarian all her life, decided she’d like to try some fish, specifically salmon. She told us that she’s been getting signs from the Divine that are all pointing her towards salmon. We listened. We talked a lot about what bringing home salmon, cooking it, and consuming it would mean for our family. We are the family that has never had meat touch our dishes, our utensils, or any of our cookware. Would this change anything spiritually for our house? Would it be possible to do this in a way that fostered honour and reverence for all involved – including the fish?

The night we decided to do this, we had a massive rainstorm. The wind was howling and the rain was being slashed sideways. Mo said, “I think it’s cool that it’s raining outside. The Water energy wants us to pay attention tonight.” In our religion, the Water Element symbolizes emotions, flexibility, growth, change, fluidity. It was a great observation given the situation. This was the weather I ventured into to find our fish.

Because fresh salmon is hard to find this time of year, I went to a natural foods store and picked up a pound of the best salmon I could find. (We have a great market here that carries amazing “natural” meats.) I brought it home and we all stood around while I opened the package. “Wow, it smells strong,” said Mo. “Can I touch it?” Jim and I encouraged her to touch it, pick it up, notice the way that the fish felt in her hands, and think about how those muscles needed to move in the environment it was living in. Jim discussed the way that salmon can move from fresh water to salt water. We talked about the symbolism of the fish jumping upstream to mate and the mythology inherent in the salmon’s wisdom.

Jim and Mo then rubbed melted coconut oil, garlic, lime juice, black pepper, and sea salt into the fish, covered it, and baked it. Before we sat down to eat, we said a prayer to thank the fish and to ask for some of its wisdom.

As we were sitting down to take our first bite, Mo said she was nervous, that this was a huge step for her. This was hard for me. I was raised on meat and had a familiarity with it that she’s never had. I had none of this trepidation. She took the first bite and said, “Wow. It’s really good. It kind of taste like mushrooms.” I loved the irony: a vegetarian kid trying to fit the fish into the only world she’s known!

She ended up eating only half her portion, claiming that it was really rich – which I thought was cool of her. She’s always been so good at listening to her body. I asked her how it felt to eat it: did she feel different energetically? How did it feel in her stomach? “It’s a lot to process. There’s a lot going on at one time,” she said. I let it go at that.

The next morning she came to me and said, “I’ve done a lot of thinking and praying about this, and I think that I don’t want to eat meat. I’m glad I tried it, but I don’t think it’s for me right now.” I told her that was absolutely OK and that I probably wouldn’t be eating it again for a while myself. “It was pretty intense, hungh?”

Maybe that salmon did pass some of its wisdom onto us after all.

Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt is a raw foods chef and teacher and owner of Rite Food and Company (www.ritefoodandcompany.com), which offers workshops on intentional and joyful eating. Lisa Marie and her homeschooled daughter, Mo, record a weekly podcast – called Sweet Peas Podcast – chronicling their raw foods journey together.

Have you noticed there seems to be a movement sweeping through the raw community..? Many people are discussing it, many are doing it, and some are advocating it. I’m talking about the idea of widening our conception of what in fact is the healthiest diet. Let me ask you something, do YOU know what the optimal diet is? Most of us here would say a raw diet. Buuuuut, what exactly is a raw diet? How raw are you supposed to be to be considered raw? Is it all or nothing, or how important is the percentages of raw to cooked ratio for health? Does being raw mean being vegan? How healthy is the struggle of striving for a particular ideal, only to fail time and time again? How about when you desire certain goals, but the stress of striving for them outweigh the results? What about if there is judgement from other people or YOURSELF? Are there issues that lie underneath that aren’t being addressed through diet alone? Is focusing solely on diet as the means of obtaining health balanced? Or can it become toxic? What about the kids?? What does all the hyper-focus on the food mean to them? Is being raw a rawligion? What does it really mean to YOU?

There are truly amazing people in the raw movement who seem to be quite adept in their ability to trust their instincts and do due diligence with their research- using both hemispheres of the brain to ascertain what is right for them on their health journey- and we have learned much from them and been so inspired. However, it was always what worked for THEM that they did and eventually espoused. Of course, when anyone has the clarity and passionate beliefs and acts upon them with conviction, the innate strength and rightness of being which one is imbued with naturally shines a light outwards- not only guiding them onwards, but also attracting others.

Many people noticed this light in these particular individuals, and started to investigate this idea of becoming Raw for themselves. And for a decade now, many of us have been raw. The effects of changing our diet, our personal standards about not only food and nutrition, but also the ethos and ethics of our choices, and the consequences socially- for many of us have been profound. Some have found their purpose. Some have regained their health. Some have been released of the burden of excess weight or addictions. Some have reversed disease. The list goes on and on of the benefits of eating a raw diet!

I have always wondered…just because it worked for some, does that mean it will work for you and me? These people found what worked for them. THAT sounds like the real message to me. I don’t think anyone can say for sure what the perfect diet is for everyone, at every stage of their life.

For me, life is a process, and so is my awareness of what makes up real health; and it isn’t all about diet, though diet is a cornerstone. Many of you listened to speakers of the Raw Mom Summit and so you know that there ARE many models of the raw food diet. And every one of them attracts people that claim it is working for them even though it contradicts another version of raw foodism.

We have seen Dr. Graham passionately refute anything other than a 100% high-fruit, low fat diet, with lots of facts and stats to back it up. And we have seen David Wolfe suggest that certain people with particular metabolisms do well on a high fat all-raw diet. Dr. Brian Clement eats 70% raw and cooked grains. Many people say all grains, whether gluten-free or not, cooked or raw, are unhealthy. Victoria Boutenko consumes mostly green smoothies and soups but has recently added some steamed veggies occasionally. Shazzie was concerned about her daughter lacking in certain nutrients so added some eggs. Kate Magic raises her kids on a high superfoods diet. Sally Falon a widely respected author/researcher recommends raw dairy. Dr Weston Price who so many of us health-seekers have studied found that primitive people’s who lived the farthest from modern dentistry but ate a non-processed omnivourous diet (both plant and animal) had perfect jaws and teeth- and how many raw foodists can say that? Daniel Vitalis says raw veganism is a great cleanse, but not sustainable or even healthy for most people long-term. Aujanous Vonderplanitz cured himself from cancer by eating raw meat and now consults with thousands who do the same.

(Btw, I wouldn’t have thought this could possibly be good for anyone to do until I met a girl who was so robust looking, with perfect skin and clear eyes and beautiful teeth- an absolute natural beauty- who was the ‘healthiest’ looking person I have ever met. So I asked her about her diet. She said she ate all raw. My heart leapt for joy! Until she added ‘Meat. Raw meat’. I couldn’t even imagine it. But she vibrated such calm and yet powerful energy- kind of like a wild animal that is focused and peaceful yet totally alert and full of energy. I asked her how she came upon this way of eating and she told me about this man and his book called We Want To Live, and so I read it. Not for me, yet I could never discount it if it helps others.)

That was 8 years ago. The strange thing is that although I didn’t believe anyone could heal from this type of diet, I have to admit I have met very few raw vegans, if any, before or since who radiated the strength and beauty and physical health of this girl. My quest has always been for health, and I would love to look like she did, but being a raw vegan seems infinitely ‘superior’ to any other diet, and so it has been the path that I have chosen. Well, I no longer believe diets are superior or inferior…And neither am I 100% raw or vegan. The judgement that comes with those kind of concepts don’t seem ultimately very health giving, so I just hold that some diets are more nutritious.

Susun Weed who isn’t a raw foodist firmly believes that women and children need nourishment that plants alone cannot give. As a woman in my mid-forties, I want to ensure I do whatever my hormones may need for my later years, and so I hear that. Plus, any dogma which leaves no room for the emotional healing and is so confining is lacking in spiritual sustenance. My children are growing up and I constantly keep alert to ensure they are getting everything they need to meet their rapid growth spurts. I go in and out of being all raw, down to being about 90%, my kids a little less than that. And I used to beat myself up over it, now I just accept it and honour myself and my body and my mothering of theirs. Like I said, it’s a process, for all of us.

I most care about creating a safe haven for mothers on their journey. If I can do anything, it would be to support and encourage, offering some inspiration perhaps. But never to tell anyone what to do. I will always share what I do or what I would do in your situation if you ask me. And I would love to see other raw moms here with a variety of approaches so people can gravitate to what they resonate with. This will become a living community with a diverse and vibrant approach reflecting the evolution of sacred parenting at every stage. I’m not an authority. I’m no guru. Gosh, I’m so bored of gurus, aren’t you? I’m just like you- a mom- who loves my children dearly and wants to give them the best foundation I can in life.

Where are YOU in your raw health journey? Are you vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore?

I’d love to know, and I am sure others would too. We are going to set up a forum that is so user friendly and beautiful that we are all going to love going there to check out everybody’s profile and see what is happening with everyone. In the meantime, remember this, no matter what you eat, or what you don’t, it doesn’t define who you ARE, or the gifts that you came here to bring. Our diet is vitally important to our health, and natural raw foods are wonderful to include in a big way- but it isn’t the only aspect of health. My biggest hope is to get and keep our kids and ourselves off of junk food, to have people eating real nourishment, and even more importantly, is to address the underlying causes there, dietary, and emotionally. May we all be nourished. May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude, and be able to enjoy however we choose to nourish ourselves. And may we find love and support here on the journey.

The archetypal images of the Goddess come to mind. When I interviewed Susun Weed for WISH, I asked her which Goddess archetype she most identified with and she said for a long time it was Artemis, autonomous Goddess of the Hunt, Nature, Birth, a protector plants and animals and a Super Sexy Virgin who never bowed to the rule of any man. Powerful! I have always been fascinated by Goddess archetypes since reading ‘Goddesses in Every Woman’ when I was in my 20’s and later work by Caroline Myss. Here are some of the archetypes as described by Myss whom I have identified with- perhaps you will see yourself in some of these- and some others whom I feel the desire to connect more deeply with so as to draw from their well for my growth and expansion that I feel is needed now:

HERA: The Companion

This stereotype is loyal, tenacious and unselfish in their service to a more authoritive figure. In this relationship she provides the emotional and practical support to enable her partner to concentrate on his mission. This was long considered the traditional role of the wife. Hera is the Goddess of marriage and birth.

Sacred Animals: Her beautiful big eyes led her to be linked with cows, and lions.

Sacred Birds: Peacocks, cuckoo’s and ducks.

Sacred Plants: Apples of immortality, Gaia gave her a garden of these golden fruit as a wedding present. The pomegranates which is a symbolism of marriage. Iris, oranges and willow are also linked to the Queen of the Greek Gods.

Strengths: Leadership and a loyal wife. Despite her husbands affairs she stays with him and rules by his side.

Weaknesses: Vindictiveness, vanity and jealousy.

She often misused her position and powers to punish the Zeus’s lovers. Her retribution was also extended to the women’s children. When Antigone boasted that her hair was more beautiful than Hera, the Goddess became so enraged that she transformed the long locks of hair into snakes.

DEMETER: The Mother

The Earth Goddess and Mother Archetype is a life-giver and the source of nurturing, devotion, patience and unconditional love. The ability to forgive and provide for her children and put them before herself is the essence of a good mother.

Sacred Animals: Pigs. Snakes were symbols of this Goddess as her chariot was pulled by two winged serpents.

Sacred Birds: The screech owl.

Sacred Plants: In addition to the grains wheat and barley the penny royal, a type of mint and the poppy were sacred to this Goddess. The mint was part of a drink consumed at her temple in Eleusis where her priestesses wore poppies as her emblem. The chaste tree, frankincense, myrrh and sunflowers are also linked to this Goddess.

Strengths: Loving mother, persistence and empathic.

Weaknesses: Depression, lived her life through her daughter.

ATHENA: The Warrior

This Archetype represents physical strength, and the ability to protect and fight for your rights and those of others. Natural Teacher.

Sacred animals: Snakes form part of her famous statue.

Sacred birds: The owl is linked with Athena the Greek Goddess as it represents wisdom and watchfulness.

Sacred plants: Mulberry, oak and olive trees.

Strengths: Rational, intelligent, a powerful defender and arbitrator.

Weaknesses: Too ruled by her head and out of touch with her emotions and femine side. Unapproachable and lacking in compassion.

HESTIA: The Nun

The Nun is characterized by her intense devotion and dedication to her path. Their work requires great focus and includes not only spiritual paths but artistic and business pursuits. HESTIA is the domestic Goddess of the hearth domesticity, hospitality and family life.

Never shown in human form, she was usually symbolized by a sacred flame or a circle which represented the hearth fire.

Sacred Animals: Cows

Strengths: Modesty, welcoming, pacifying and dedication to her job.

Weaknesses: Self-sacrificing and unsociable.

APHRODITE: The Lover

Represents passion and selfless devotion to another person. It also extends to the things that make our hearts sing, like music art or nature. The Greek Goddess Aphrodite was the Goddess of love and beauty.

Sacred Animals: Dolphins.

Sacred Birds: Doves.

Sacred Plants: Wood anemones, apples, myrrh, quince, roses and lime trees.

Strengths: The ability to make men fall in love with her.

Weaknesses: She was Vain, bad tempered, jealous and unfaithful.

PERSEPHONE: The Maiden

The Maiden is one of your Archetypes if you are life still in touch with your childhood intuition and fantasies and have used these to fulfill your dreams. Hence you can still have this archetype at any time of life. PERSEPHONE is the Goddess of the underworld and goddess of spring and rebirth. The Maiden reminds you to take care of the magical child that lies within us all.

Sacred Animal: Bats

Sacred Plants: Grain, lily of the valley, spring flowers and pomegranates.

Strengths: Able to compromise, adaptable.

Weaknesses: Not able to escape the influence of an over protective mother. Torn by her loyalties she tries to please everybody.

There are other goddesses besides the Greek ones listed here, as well as Celtic, Egyptian, Nordic and Roman goddesses, plus fertility goddesses, moon and sun goddesses, and seasonal goddesses.

It’s helpful to dive into the waters of our sub-conscious to see our patterns clearer and examine them so they aren’t controlling us. I think it was Anthony Robbins who said an unexamined life is not worth living and Byron Katie says that to engage in inquiry brings us emotional freedom.

I hope you enjoy seeing which goddess archetype you have identified with. And if you want to see some modern day Goddesses, women who are making a difference in the world today, and even be able to listen in to carefully sculpted interviews with them about the contemporary issues of us Raw Mama Goddesses and women around the world, sign up here www.wishsummit.com for your free admission to this inspiring event!

Tomorrow I have the honour of interviewing Marianne Williamson for WISH.This is kind of a miracle to me as through her work she is the one who has mentored me most throughout the years since I lost my mom at 16. Her words of wisdom have always brought meaning and solidness to my life. I’ll leave you now with a few of my favourites, In-Joy! Shakaya

TEARS CAN BRING TREMENDOUS GIFTS- THEY CAN MELT THE WALLS AROUND YOUR HEART

GOD’S PLAN WORKS. YOURS DOESN’T. (LOL)

WE MUST BE FREE TO HAVE A DISPUTE OR EVERYONE IS HIDING.

IF YOUR’RE DEPRESSED THEN ON SOME LEVEL YOU KNOW YOU AREN’T DOING WHAT YOU CAME HERE TO DO.

LOVE ISN’T LOVE UNTIL IT’S UNCONDITIONAL.

FAITH ISN’T BLIND- IT’S VISIONARY.

LEARN TO TRUST THE POWER THAT HOLDS THE GALAXIES TOGETHER.

OUR WALLS ARE OUR WOUNDS.

THE PAST IS MERELY THOUGHTS. ALL THAT IS REAL IS THE LOVE WE GIVE AND RECEIVE- ALL ELSE IS ILLUSSION.

WHEN YOU MEET ANYONE IT IS A HOLY ENCOUNTER- YOU WILL SEE THEM AS YOU SEE YOURSELF.

WHEN WE THINK IN TERMS OF COMPETITION, STRUGGLE, LIMITATIONS WE ARE THINKING UNNATRUALLY.

LOVE IS WHAT WE ARE BORN WITH – FEAR IS WHAT WE LEARNED HERE.

MEANING DOESN’T LIE IN THINGS- MEANING LIES IN US.

WE LOVE THINGS THAT CANNOT LOVE US BACK.

WHAT IS NOT LOVE IS A CALL FOR LOVE.

THINK OF THE NEWS AS HUMANITY’S PRAYER LIST.

HOW WE REACT TO SITUATIONS AFFECTS OUR POWER TO TRANSFORM THEM.

THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DISAGREEMENT AND AN ARGUMENT.

FORGET THE IDEA THAT GOD HAS MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO THAN THINK ABOUT YOU. YOU WILL KNOW THAT TO GOD YOU ARE EVERYTHING WHEN GOD IS EVERYTHING TO YOU.

EVEN IF SOMEONE DOESN’T LIKE YOU THEY LOVE YOU WHETHER THEY KNOW IT OR NOT.

WE ARE PLACED HERE ON EARTH TO LOVE EACH OTHER’S PAIN AWAY.

WE LIVE IN A HOLGRAPHIC UNIVERSE WHICH MEANS THAT CONTAINED IN EVERY PIECE IS THE WHOLE AND VICE VERSA THEREFORE A HEALING IN ANY ONE OF US HELPS TO HEAL US ALL.

“Mo, you just had a salad an hour ago! Why are you eating again?!”

Mo, whose face was shoved in the fridge, now turns to me. Her eyes are ablaze with a look she has crafted over the past year. This look is intended to shoot laser beams and make me question my self-worth. A couple of days, this look has worked; most days I just respond with exasperation.

“Mom! Gah! Duh! Because I’m hungry! Hel-LO! Isn’t that why most people eat?!”

OK, the attitude was annoying, but what was even more annoying was that she was making a valid point. Why was I questioning her hunger? Why do I never ask her to validate her thirst? Where was this coming from? Was I reiterating some old programming taught to me by my gramma? I grabbed some chocolate, got a pen and paper, and went into my room to do some thinking.

What were some of the messages I received as a kid around food consumption?

• My food was doled out to me by the adults and I was expected to clean my plate. If I didn’t get enough to eat, I couldn’t have seconds or I’d get fat. If I was still hungry after dinner, I offered to clean the kitchen so I could munch on leftovers.
• Dinner was eaten with the family – no matter if I was hungry or not.
• If I was hungry, I couldn’t eat until the appointed meal time.
• Snacks were only eaten in the mid-afternoon and could only be an apple or an orange.
• Dessert was only eaten at special occasions and/or only after dinner. Other sweets were eaten in secret.
• Drinks of any variety (i.e., Coke, sweet tea) could be consumed at any time.

In other words, adults determined when I was hungry and what I could eat. My “job” was to do as I was told… and then rebel and eat in secrecy. For me, these messages bred a break in communication between me and my body – something I’ve been working to re-establish for years. These messages also reiterated the power-over dynamic adults often used with children. Food is the ultimate weapon for many adults; withholding as punishment or rewarding with “treats” is a common theme in this culture. So, what would happen if I took the emotions out of play? What would happen if my job was simply to provide a house full of healthy food and let her make decisions around her food consumption? Could I trust that all my education and nurturing had actually sunk in?

Armed with my new experiment, I began the trial the next day. Here was my first observation: Mo went to the fridge and started rifling through, looking for a snack. I bit my tongue and didn’t ask what she was doing or make a snarky comment about her wasting electricity by keeping the door hanging open. I also didn’t say anything about the fact that we’d just finished lunch a half hour ago. I continued doing the dishes. Eventually, she asked me what she could have as a snack.

“What does your body say it needs? A drink or something to eat?” I asked casually.

She did the pre-teen sigh and said, “I don’t know.” And then she closed the door and said, “I think I’m just eating because I’m bored. Maybe I should just make a hot tea. Would you play Uno with me?”

Inside, I was jumping up and down with joy and excitement – for her and for myself. Outside, I said, “Yeah, sure. What kind of tea you want?”

As I was making our cups of tea, I realized that a lot of energy went into worrying about Mo. Have I done enough? Given her the right tools? Been a good enough example? And I think I’m done with putting all that energy into doubting. Today I trusted and today the results were good. And if on some days they aren’t, then I have to trust that we’ll be able to work through it… because I think the education and nurturing has sunk in… for both of us.

Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt is a raw foods chef and teacher and owner of Rite Food and Company (www.ritefoodandcompany.com), which offers workshops on intentional and joyful eating. Lisa Marie and her homeschooled daughter, Mo, record a weekly podcast – called Sweet Peas Podcast – chronicling their raw foods journey together.

I’m still working on unpacking, understanding, and integrating the information I received from Daniel Vitalis’ talk in October. One bit in particular really struck me: his concept of the origin of domestication and our responsibility to become feral beings. As an example of this, he spoke about the importance of incorporating more wild edibles into our diet. That resonated with me.
Jim and I have been doing a lot of research lately on foraging, especially for medicinal plants and edible mushrooms. The culmination of these activities is, ideally, the undoing of damage done by domestication.

Domestication is defined as “tameness; to overcome the wildness of.” Feral is defined as “is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to a wild state.” Most people understand these words in the context of animals, mainly pets, and Daniel expounded on this to include, among many others, our lawns, methods of Western food production, our system of government, and… each other. The idea of domestication was not new to me. I’d heard variances of it in my college philosophy courses – Marx, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Foucault. However, the idea of feral was new. And how these two come together in terms of parenting is profound.

I don’t remember Daniel mentioning parenting, per se; but I remember listening to him and feeling something unlock in my head. It was audible, a resounding click, a turning, a creak of a door opening.

***

“Mom, I’m going to take a walk in the forest. I’m bringing Edgrrr with me.”

My immediate thought: AGH! No! Don’t bring the damn dog! He’ll get all muddy and I’ll have to wash him and it’ll be a big damn deal! And don’t climb on anything! I don’t want you covered in leaves and crap!

What I said was: “Cool. Don’t wear those dress-up boots though. Wear your sneaks, please.”

As Mo was changing her shoes, our dog – a 13-pound miniature poodle – excitedly paced back and forth around her legs. His was wearing that dog smile, as we call it, and was looking up at her expectantly. Mo opened the door, and he busted through, leaping onto the porch. Mo ran out after him. I stood there staring at the door for a while, thinking about my reaction.

***

When I am parenting Mo, I am ideally trying to guide her on her path while not giving into my power-over desires. We chose to homeschool because it afforded something we knew she could never get in a public school setting: virtually unlimited exploration time. But I struggle with this. I struggle with the learned inclination of wanting to make another Good Citizen™. For example,
she’ll burst into a fit of giggles while working on her grammar and I’ll find myself getting irritated because it will seem she’s lost her focus. Or she’ll clean her room and do things at speeds that work for her and I’ll find myself questioning her productivity. Or she’ll work on a sewing project and I’ll find myself getting frustrated because she’s not completing the task in a way that I
would deem efficient.

As an informed, enlightened parent, my responsibility should be, I believe, to refrain from my pull toward domestication. Almost more importantly, I have to work on undoing all the domestication I’ve been subjected to. So, I am having to find my inner wildness, to find those parts of me that want to burst out laughing, to do things ass backwards, to play in the mud
without a thought to stain remover. This is challenging, to say the very least.

In my family, we’re all doing this work together, communicating openly about the pitfalls, struggles, and accomplishments. We bash up against each other, each on our own course, our own path, living in our own authentic state. But we remind each other that we are operating from a place of love and always with each other’s best intentions at heart.

I’m not sure where we’re going to end up, but a feral family is on the horizon. Clad we may be in animal skins and eating mushrooms, but at least we’ll be that much closer to the Divine.

Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt is a raw foods chef and teacher and owner of Rite Food and Company (www.ritefoodandcompany.com), which offers workshops on intentional and joyful eating. Lisa Marie and her homeschooled daughter, Mo, record a weekly podcast – called Sweet Peas Podcast – chronicling their raw foods journey together.

I was born in Georgia where the temperatures range from hot to dang hot. That’s it. No real variable to speak of. I can’t remember ever wearing a hat as a kid. Actually, I remember complaining once that I was chilly and someone suggesting that I put on a hat to stay warmer. I stood there, utterly confused, trying to figure out how anyone could contemplate wearing a hat after spending 45 minutes spraying their hair. (When I was a teenager, proper hair placement was imperative.) Maybe that’s why more people use hairspray in the South.

As you can imagine, when I moved to Maine, I had a bit of a climate shock. I’ve been here for 15 years and am still adjusting… though it’s gotten a bit easier. Last winter was my first winter as a raw foodist and I’ve learned some valuable lessons about staying warm.

Are you wearing enough clothes?

OK, this may seem logical, but I’ll walk around my house in the winter in shorts and a t-shirt and hear myself complaining about being cold. We keep the heat between 68 and 70, so that should be pretty livable. I finally decided to try out that hat advice and put one on with my shorts and t-shirt. It really works! Now this may only be a solution for those with shaved heads, so find your own article of clothing that may be missing and give it a shot. Rarely is our entire body cold; it’s usually just one part. So, take care of warming that one part and the rest will usually follow.

Are you moving around?

Most of us are not getting enough exercise. I know I’m not. If I’ve been sitting at the computer for a while and getting a bit chilly, I’ll get up and do some jumping jacks or Breaths of Joy (fantastic yoga movement for increasing your heart rate). We weren’t meant to be sitting at computers for hours at a time or watching TV all day. Your body wants to move around. Make sure to continually honour your body by doing just that!

What are your thoughts?

This is huge for me. If I’m cold, my immediate, habitual response is to complain. Our bodies don’t want to be cold. They love being warm and pliable. They love freedom of movement and not being constricted by massive amounts of down and wool. When we get cold, we sometimes get cranky. But getting cranky means that you are energetically stagnating. When you choose to hold onto a negative emotion or thought, you are blocking movement of energy and are miring yourself in the “crank.” Make the decision to have another response. When I get cold now, I purposely jump up and laugh and say, “Wow! It’s brisk! This is awesome!” I focus on appreciating the cold to better appreciate the warmth. I work on feeling grateful for this change in weather to deepen my relationship with the Earth. In the beginning, you may feel silly, and that’s OK. Silly is better than cranky.

What are you eating?

I leave food for last. I am changing my relationship to food and have to be careful not to rely on food to do my work for me – even warming me up. Having said that, there are several foods and drinks you can work with to help keep the blood flowing in the colder months. Teas are a fantastic way to warm up and get medicinal herbs into your body. Purposely choose teas that will benefit your body. Learn more about herbs and their properties and explore some different combinations. Miso soups are also a great way to warm up and satisfying that savory food craving. Generously add warming spices to your foods like cayenne, turmeric, ginger, garlic, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to open up those blood vessels! There are also some foods that warm the body because of the energy needed for digestion. These include root vegetables, walnuts, and dates. (Check out Karen Knowler’s article, “How to Make Raw Food Taste HOT!”, for more delicious ideas!)

Winter can be challenging for a lot of people. Find the joy in this season and celebrate the differences in Nature and in you during this time of year.

Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt is a raw foods chef and teacher and owner of Rite Food and Company (www.ritefoodandcompany.com), which offers workshops on intentional and joyful eating. Lisa Marie and her homeschooled daughter, Mo, record a weekly podcast – called Sweet Peas Podcast – chronicling their raw foods journey together.