My life would have been different

Judith Duerk writes in her book, Circle of Stones; a Woman's Journey to Herself, "Long ago before the patriarchal period, in many places on earth, the Goddess was worshiped." Wow, I am intrigued by this concept. I wonder what life might have been like back then and I especially wonder what MY life would have been like.

She writes more to intrigue me further. And I notice I yearn for a circle of wise nurturing women in my own life.

"How might your life have been different, if, long ago when you were still a tiny child, long before you began to come to the Women's Lodge as the normal cycle of your life, you had been brought here especially by your mother and aunts...and you and your girl cousin entered shyly into this place you had overheard so much about?

And, after the fires were lighted, and the drumming, and the silence, you heard, for the very first time what the women called the Naming...each woman speaking slowly into the stillness, sharing her feeling of how she saw her life and what she wished to say of it...sharing it with the women around her...weaving the threads of her life into a fabric to be given and named.

And, as the shadows of the day lengthened into dusk and you leaned your head against your mother's shoulder, you pondered in your heart a different sense of a woman's life...

How might your life be different?"

What to do about the Economic Crises

This morning I woke up and thought before I started the day being busy, doing errands, and running around like a crazy woman getting ready for the holidays, I would spend a luxurious hour immersing myself in the question, “What do I really think is next for me on my personal journey?” “What do I want to do with myself that will make a deeper more meaningful difference in my life and the lives of others I touch?”

You know when you finally decide to buy a hybrid car, like a Prius, every car on the road seems to be one? Well, everywhere I turn there are women and men too trying to answer the question, “What can I do with my one precious life that will make me feel fulfilled and help others? What am I dreaming about and yearning for that I have not yet done? And if not now, when?”

All is going relatively well in my life at the moment, and yet recently I notice again an undercurrent of restlessness. I think my restlessness is fueled by the financial crises and economic chaos we find ourselves in no matter where we live in the world. I feel we must make some changes to the way we are running our businesses and living our lives in order to sort things out and create a new sustainable way of living on this planet. And I think even my small individual attempts to help in this time of huge world transition will be welcomed. I believe we each can make a difference, even if we don’t yet know what difference that will be. I believe that the way to make this difference where we could change the world and impact the lives of others is to do it with our gifts, our sparkle, our unique touch that we’ve had our whole lives; you know the essence of who we are.

So let’s start simply and ask ourselves two questions:
“What’s your gift?”
“What are one or two things I can do this week to use my gift to help others?”

So what are you waiting for?

International Coach Federation Annual Conference

This year's International Coach Conference in Montreal in November was like no other. This is my 12th year attending the annual conference and I'm always happy I attend as I learn alot and meet amazing people from all over the world. Coaches from over 46 countries gathered this year to deepen their learning and contribute to the growth of their fellow coaches on many levels! Wisdom Circles, live coaching demos, workshops, and master certified special coach training session were all part of the venue. Being a Master Certified Coach allows me to participate in some advanced training I would not otherwise have the opportunity in which to participate. The conference opened each day with a super session with three amazing world leaders; Vandana Shiva, Peter Senge, and Matthieu Ricard, "The World's Happiest Man. These keynote speakers provided us with new wisdom, scientific research, and insights as they shared refreshing new ways of expanding our perspectives and how we can each have a ripple effect globally.

The ICF is really an amazing organization with over 14,000 coaches from many disciplines, backgrounds, and countries. Check them out at www.coachfederation.org

Women's Weekend of Spirit and Healing recap

It was wonderful. It was inspiring. We learned alot about so many things that matter to our lives as women; ranging from how to deal with change better, how to heal ourselves, how to move our bodies with passion, how to eat to be healthy and sexy!, how to find our voice, and how to take care of our precious breasts so they remain healthy. We got free gifts and chocolate too! It was wonderful. It was truly inspiring. Plus we had a wicked good time! In a stunning inn and spa at The Stonehedge Inn.

"Thank you for having me. I loved the retreat. I really learned a lot and experienced a lot of connections last weekend." Bridget

"I can't wait to tell my girlfriends for next year!" Sue

"The presentations were amazing. The food & setting spectacular. I enjoyed the gifts, thanks!" Marie

"I loved it all, the support, the beauty, the love, the living testimony of what's possible for healing and wholeness." Melanie

Pilgramage and Traveling Your Life Path with Jen Cohen

Dear Magic Party women!
Thank you to those of you who came to the last Magic Parties’ Women’s Circle in September. If you weren’t with us, I am sharing thoughts with any of you on a journey, on a personal pilgrimage, or at a crossroad. If you were with us, we would like to hear what is opening up for you, what questions got evoked, what answers flooded into you from sitting with these question, how you are feeling on your path today, which lesson you think you are learning most directly now? If you were not with us, read the lessons and questions below in this blog as they will help move you forward along your life path.

Some thoughts on pilgrimage:
Some of us go willingly at first at least. Some of us go kicking and screaming. Either way the pilgrim is compelled by the forces of blank ( you fill in the blank that fits for you) to step onto the path and walk. What you find along the way will make you forget why you wanted to walk at all, it will make you wonder if it mattered at all, will force you to go beyond your current ideas of who you are and how you are. And that dear ones, is the point I dare say.

I thought I’d also post the questions I asked at The Magic Parties Women’s Circle. Some of you may want them for future reference.

The lessons and The questions:
1. Entering the unknown: What do you know for sure? Are you willing to trust that completely?
2. Letting go: What would you have to let go of to take this pilgrimage? Are you willing to let that go?
3. Dealing with fear and scarcity: What would you have to confront on this pilgrimage? What would you need to have with you to be able to confront that?
4. Letting desire be bigger than fear: What is already dying or dead but you are willing (using your will) yourself to do anyway? What is calling to you from your future that you are avoiding hearing?

We’d very much love to hear from you!

Blessings on your way to mecca........Jen

Poems from the Women’s Circle

For A New Beginning
John O'Donohue's To Bless the Space Between Us, A Book of Blessings

“In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.
Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you”

Ready to Lead?: a story for leaders and their mentors pp.63-64– Alan Price

“We all reach the point where we dream of packing our bags, walking to the shore, and setting sail for new worlds. But few of us actually set sail.

Many get lost in the dream and never take action. Many pack, unpack, and repack their bags, but never walk to the shore. Many walk to the shore, enjoy the breeze and the view, only to walk back home. Many step onto the boat, load it with provisions, check the maps and instruments, but never pull up the anchor. Many set sail but only go out far enough to look back at the land from a new view.

A few sail off and break free of the land. They go with the deeper currents, follow the stars that call them, and reach new worlds. Let us set sail for new worlds. Let us reach them together. “


Let us know what’s up with you. Use this space to blog and comment to our community.

Work Life Balance

In our "Turning our Dreams into Action" teleclass, we've been working our dreams for the last 10 weeks. Our dreams are varied as we are individuals on our own journeys. Some participants dream of a deeper relationship with their husband, some dream of being a well known author, some dream of creating health and well being in their lives, some dream of the contribution they have yet to make in the world, and I've been dreaming of my own television show.

One participant is dreaming on creating work life balance. We each have a partner that we work with as our "buddy" for the 12 weeks to be accountable to, to make us feel better when the going gets tough, to witness our challenges and accomplishments. Here is what one buddy said to her partner that I thought was worth sharing.

Work/life balance doesn’t mean you get up every day and 50% of your day is work and 50% of your day is life (non-work). Work/life balance is about ebb and flow. Some days you can invest more of yourself into non-work and some days you’ll need to invest more in work. Look at work/life in chunks of time vs on a daily basis. The challenge is once you get through a heavy work period, think about swinging the pendulum more towards “life” for a little while to even things out. Ebb and flow.

I think this perspective on ebb and flow makes many of us not feel like a failure daily when it comes to my work/life balance challenges.

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Creating Our Dreams

We’ve started our teleclass, Dreams Into Actions…Powerful Beginnings and are now in our second week. In the first class, we announced our dreams to each other to put them “out there”. Some of us felt exhilarated by announcing our dreams out loud and some of us felt scared. Dreams of the women in our class included:

• balancing work and family better

• losing weight and getting healthy

• moving into career and work that we adore,

• being role models for our children

• making millions of dollars

• becoming an author

• being on television or having our own television show

If you are reading this, you too might start by announcing your dreams out loud. Select your audiences carefully and only declare your heart’s desire to those who support you unconditionally; otherwise your dreams may get canned before they have a chance to take flight.

To prepare for our second class, we were invited to work with a buddy to help support the actions we each agreed to take to move our dreams forward. I was pretty surprised by the range of experiences in an assignment that seemed so simple and easy to accomplish. Some women were psyched and their dreams got fueled by their enthusiasm and the support of those around them. Other women ran smack into their expected roadblocks when they announced their dreams to their family members who thought they were nuts.

I found myself jealous of my buddy’s success and accomplishments as we emailed our progress to each other daily. And then felt terribly guilty that I would feel this way about a woman I adore and respect; wondering what the heck is wrong with me?! I began to wonder how women can support each other unconditionally and cheer each other on, and not have it mean they are “less than” or unproductive themselves. I wonder if there is a way for each of us to ride in the wake (to use a boating term) of another’s momentum and success and use that energy to inspire us instead of making us feel inferior. I notice how much work I personally need to do in this arena.

Magic Party 2nd Annual Summer Retreat

Our 2^nd annual Magic Party summer retreat last Saturday was wonderful. We were 18 courageous women declaring our dreams and working through a magical process led by Alexandria Hilton, Magic Party Faculty to manifest them into the world. It was exhilarating. It was scary. It was magical. The feedback we have received has been similar to this one,

“Thank you for a powerful day of deepening and expanding our visions and identifying what tools we will need for the journey!”

Alexandria Hilton sent the following email to participants after the retreat. We thought we would share this with you so you can use some of her suggestions to help you make your dreams come true too!

Hello Powerful Dreamers!

It was such a pleasure to work with all of you at the Second Annual Magic Party Retreat!

You all inspired me with your openness, courage and daring to declare your dreams. We are all on this journey together! I am excited to hear of your progress as you take the next steps to make your dreams a reality.

I invite you to use your Angel Guidance cards as a touchstone reminding you of your vision. Post them on your refrigerator, mirror, in your planner, where you will see, touch and read them.

Remember my warning about the old paradigm (the way you used to think of yourself and what was possible before coming to the retreat) conflicting with the new paradigm (the new way you are now stepping out into your dreams and living them starting right now) . Remember my warning that the old paradigm will morph into a new voice, a new objection, a new resistance (the old, ‘I could never do that” voice in your ears) and it is up to you to recognize it and choose what you will do based on your commitment.

This work is not easy. It is challenging, sometimes tedious, always demands that we grow. It is not for girls who only want to have fun; it is a journey for women who want their lives to matter and to realize their potential. This journey is for women who dare, who care, who stand together and support each other to be all they can be.

I welcome you into this amazing realm of discovery, new beginnings and being, doing and having what you have always wanted. It will take work. It will require support. Do not do this alone.

As you take the next steps to manifest your vision, be sure to call upon and utilize your allies (the support system of individuals you created). Wendy and I are partnering with each other to manifest our dreams and we now have a daily check-in with each other to keep the spark of creativity and the fullness of our visions alive!

To those of you who have chosen to work with the support of the tele-class, welcome and I am delighted to continue our work together. If you choose to go forward with your own support system, terrific, please let Wendy and me know how you are doing so we can share your success with the tele-class.

I have been a participant in a tele-class and I guarantee you that you will get out of it what you put into it. So, give it your best effort within the life you have with your families, careers, and other personal commitments.

Some of the benefits of working with a circle of women in the tele-class include:

1. You will be committing every two weeks to take the next steps in executing your plan and will be accountable.

2. The momentum increases when you are working with others supporting you, your results come more quickly.

3. You have others with whom to celebrate your successes.

4. You have the support of these women when you stumble, get

stuck, slow down or want to quit.

5. It is more fun and as Wendy would say, "yummy" to share

in this experience with women who care and want you to win!!

(To find out more about the teleclass, click here.) http://www.themagicparties.com/Events.htm

Thank you again for bringing your willingness to grow and transform as a woman, a leader and as a visionary doing important work in the world. It was an honor to spend a day discovering our magnificence together. I look forward to hearing from you as your dreams and visions unfold and are realized.

Sincerely,

Alexandria

A New Earth

I listened to Oprah's recent book discussion webclass with author Eckhart Tolle on his new book, "A New Earth". I so enjoyed Eckhart Tolle that I then bought the book and started reading it. Many things in this book started to resonate with me that I was musing to my friend Kate how great it would be to have help putting the teachings from the book into my life. She suggested we start a group book discussion like Oprah did but instead of listening to people talk ABOUT the book, we would talk about integrating what we learned into our lives. A group of us have been meeting on the phone, once a week for 8 weeks, (we have two weeks left) talking about and practicing one chapter at a time.

The things I have been learning through this simple but profound book has made a deep impact on my life! One thing I am practicing as a result of our book discussion group is no complaining...internally or externally. I never realized how much of my life I spend in complaint about other people. (Most of the time I complain inside my head to myself which does NOT make it better than complaining out loud.) The reason I am practicing not complaining is to be a more accepting person and more at peace. Complaining or wishing for something or someone to be different does not change them or make it so but instead just makes me frustrated and crabby and only has me in some sort of state of suffering. And why would I want to do this to myself? While practicing my new non complaining state I have been wondering, Why do I think people should do things my way? Why do I think situations should look the way I think they should look? Why is my happiness tied to things that happen in my life? What if I learned to be more accepting, would I be happier in life?

I am learning that the external world, of which I have found lots of opportunities to complain about cannot make me happy, make me feel safe, or tell me who I am. It is time for me to learn how to enjoy the experiences offered to me in my life without inner attachments to them so that I can be in a state of well being and contentment and maybe even bliss. Although I have a long way to go on this lesson, I am enjoying the practice and catching myself before or right after a complaint more of the time and even these small initial steps has me smiling more often,

Sex in the City

I just went to see Sex in the City with a girlfriend. It may not be quite our Magic Party brand of sisterhood, spirit, and a little chocolate, but it’s definitely the quintessential sisterhood and cosmos movie! There have been many reviews written about this film, some good and some not so good, but if you are an observer of women in girlfriend relationships like I am, this movie had lots to offer its audience.

As I sat watching the movie, I loved how these four women had so many characteristics in their relationship with each other that I value in my own relationships with my girlfriends.

• Sticking with each other and being BFFs through good times and bad.

• Watching each other’s backs and protecting each other, especially when their men went haywire.

• Supporting each other’s dreams.

• Celebrating each other’s successes.

• Taking care of each other when the crap hits the fan.

• Telling each other the truth no matter what.
• 
  

Watching this movie actually made me re-evaluate my relationships with my girlfriends. I wondered would they come running and take care of me if my crap hit the fan? Would one of them come out in a snow storm in the middle of the night and sit with me when I needed it, even if I didn’t ask? Which one would tell my man that he better shape up, or else when he did something really stupid?

Most of all, this movie made me miss my girlfriends. I have two wonderful oldest and dearest girlfriends and when we do manage for the three of us to get together; we usually close some restaurant because we love being together so much. And lately we have all become way too busy climbing some ladder that we rarely have time for each other. And I miss them. This movie reminded me of their importance in my life and how we need to create time in our schedules to be together more often.

Upon arriving home from the movie, one of them called to ask me what I wanted for my upcoming birthday. I told her, “No presents this year, instead I want dinner together and a pajama party, just the three of us.” And we picked a date in a few weeks that actually works for us all. Woo hoo!

posted by Wendy Capland

If I Were Brave

If I were brave. That is the question I carry in my heart from many Magic Parties. What would I do if I were brave? Taken from a wonderful song that was shared at many of the Magic Parties, this calls to my heart. “If I were brave, I’d walk the razor's edge…..If I were brave.” I practice being brave in my life. Brave to handle life’s ups and downs, brave to be a great wife and mother, brave to expand my business. Brave in my inner self – to love me and be courageous. Brave to stand up for my faith and beliefs. Brave to make the life I deserve. It is so much easier to be brave with the support system of other brave woman to stand with. The Magic Parties have introduced me to so many dynamic, fun, experienced, wise woman. They contribute to me each and every time I am with them. Their energy reaches a place in my soul that makes me feel alive! I look forward to each and every Magic Party – excited to see the magic that will be created just for me!

If you would like to comment or engage in a conversation related to this topic, then click on the white comment envelope with the pencil next to it. We love to hear what you are thinking!

Posted by Donna Iacopucci, Magic Party Council Member

Book Discussion Group: First Session

I so enjoyed our first Magic Party Group discussion on the Eckhart Tolle’s Book A New Earth. I had my own first glimpse into awakening 10 years ago when suffering from clinical depression. My therapist invited me to notice the thoughts in my head; I remember coming home and walking in my yard and realizing how horribly I talked to myself. I had an aha moment then… I am not these thoughts and I can change how I talk to myself. I started asking myself, how would my best friend talk to me? Definitely I had a glimpse of the light within me then.

I am grateful for this book which has “lightened” me even more. And I am grateful for our group discussion where we share our experiences and support each other in awakening. I got a wonderful gift from our discussion this week. One of the teachings in the book is to “make friends with the present moment.” This is something I have been practicing and sometimes find pretty difficult. Then Sheri shared that her way of “making friends with the present moment” was just to be the observer what is happening, nothing else required. I realized that when this practice is hard for me, I’ve been equating “making friends” to “feeling good about”, and that is simply not possible or helpful for all moments. And I loved how Sharon shared how she “looks with new eyes” to be present to what is, not making up a story about what is. Another gift for my own practice.

If you are at all interested in exploring these powerful teachings, we are offering this developmental opportunity for free. Please join us on Tuesday nights. Go to our website to get the call in conference line phone number. http://www.themagicparties.com/Events.htm

Written by Kate Harper, Magic Council member and co-facilitator of the book discussion series

Maybe It's Already Inside Me

By now you know me. I’m the girl who is obsessed with figuring out her life purpose. And as usual, I have been thinking about it a lot lately, again. The topic seems to be popping up everywhere I turn. Over the past 10 weeks, Oprah has had a live web teleclass with author Eckhart Tolle who has most recently written the book, A New Earth; Awakening to Your Life Purpose. Although I have not yet read the book, I listened faithfully for 10 weeks hoping to find a clue to my own journey. And I wasn’t alone as somewhere around 2 million people around the world participated in this teleclass. Through my own participation of this work, things in my life started to shift. More on that in a minute.

In addition to listening to Oprah and Eckhart’s eye opening deep discussion each week, I attended a Magic School program through our organization, run by my friend the yummy, spiritual teacher and healer Melanie Calitri Holden. This program gave us the tools, actually four really powerful tools, to clear out blockages and icky-ness in our bodies, minds and emotions for the purpose of hearing and experiencing the Divine within us. Participants and I spent a whole day practicing how to do these four things and without much effort at all, I came home and just integrated them into my every day life. More shift. In fact, after this program I felt as if cells on the inside of my body had shifted to a new awareness, a new awakening, and a new way of looking at stuff I had been doing for years without much thought. All in a good way.

So between Eckhart Tolle and Magic School, I am feeling like a new woman, with a new set of eyes.

So what does this have to do with life purpose?

I am now wondering if I should be looking for my life purpose on the inside of me versus outside like in my work or career. What if my life purpose is already inside me and part of me, and always has been and I just did not know it. I always thought life purpose was something to get to, to do, and to accomplish and now I wonder if it is more an internal, within myself kind of thing versus an external expression of who I am. Not that having an outside expression of who we are is a bad thing; it’s probably a really good thing too. What if all these years I have been searching and trying to find IT, find out what IT is and instead the IT I have been searching for has been within me all along? What if there is nothing to discover at all? What if the first step for all of us is just to prepare ourselves to hear and feel IT? What if the busy-ness most of us run our lives prevents us from knowing our life purpose?

And now I wonder what if the way in which I have been living has blocked me and clogged me up so that I could not be available for my life purpose to shine through and stay long enough for me to know that IT IS already. What if the wine and the martinis I love to drink, the junk food I put in my mouth and then convince my self is not really all that bad, the lack of silence I experience as I have created a life of doing, doing, doing, and the emotional gymnastics I, and the little horrible invisible guy that sits on my shoulder who whispers incessantly into my ear, “You’re not all that special, confident, smart, or capable”. What if all of that stuff builds up within me and contributes to junking up the pathway to experiencing my life purpose and experiencing the Divine already within me? What if I cleaned out my act, as I learned how to do at Magic School? What if all there is to do is prepare myself to receive the gift already given me, as it says in the Beatitudes? I know I am meant to live in alignment with my life purpose. I know I am meant to hear the Divine whispering in my ear all the time, helping and guiding my next steps. I know once I do this, it will be so much easier to align what I do on the outside, for example in my work, my relationships, my home and my friendships with the “me” on the inside that is already living in her life purpose. And then it would just be a matter of living as me; the fabulous parts of me.

Knowing this has brought me a sense of peace inside and out. Which feels so much better than feeling like the busy whirling dervish I have just today tucked in for a long restful sleep, maybe even forever?

With blessings,

Wendy Capland, Creator of The Magic Parties

If you would like to comment or engage in a conversation related to this topic, then click on the white comment envelope with the pencil next to it. We love to hear what you are thinking!

Women Supporting Women

We were at a dinner party the other night. We had invited our neighbors over to get to know them. Our children have been friends since moving here. Well, the conversation was wonderful and inspiring. I found myself sharing about the magic parties and my new friend said, “I have to go to one! I have felt a calling to this for awhile!” As we talked more, I was in awe had how much of the “magic parties” she had already imagined. From the journals, to the spiritual touch, to the support, to the inspiration. It is no accident….the timing for creating magic in our lives is NOW!!!

If you would like to comment or engage in a conversation related to this topic, then click on the white comment envelope with the pencil next to it. We love to hear what you are thinking!

Posted by Donna Iacopucci, Magic Party Council Member

Magic School

We are unveiling our first Magic School Program on May 3rd, 2008. It's pretty exciting. Magic School, what a cool name! I love the name, even though until you come and see or read what it is about, you might be thinking you are going to learn how to be a magician. Not!

Magic School, where tools for transformation await you! Magic School provides women with a deep dive and a full day to focus on themselves, to figure out what's next, to awaken to their inner voices and to hear the direction in which to head. Hey that kinda rhymes! If you are wondering what's next for you, Magic School is a perfect venue for you to discover something you have been struggling with and a perfect place just to take a deep breath and treat yourself to a day of self discovery. Because it is a place for us to give our minds a rest and let our hearts and spirits lead the way, you'll leave wondering why you don't do this more often. Magic School programs will be offered throughout the year by our Magic Faculty. May 3rd is our first program, Awakening The Divine Within, with Melanie Calitri Holden. Mel is a spiritual teacher and healer who I adore. She has conducted healing sessions on me for about 10 years and was instrumental in healing all sorts of physical ailments that I have had ranging from a sprained ankle to a breast scare. She is a woman you just want to sink into her presence because of her yummy-ness and loving care. You just feel better being with her. And her program is going to be outstanding. It's not too late to sign up. go to www.themagicparties.com and click on events. Hope to see you there!

The Whales in Maui

Recently I went on a whale watch. It was on my list. You know - the list of things to do someday that we carry around in our hearts. Well, I finally went and it was great. We saw so many whales that morning, I practically had to pinch myself to make sure I was awake and in my real life and not dreaming. Anthony, our guide, was going to graduate school to study marine biology and knew everything we could ever want to know about whales. He happened to be standing behind me when my husband Chris said, "Honey, can you see the whale? It just went under the water right next to the boat." Having totally missed whatever Chris saw, I still tried hard to look into the water and see if there was anything left for me to see of the beautiful mammal as she dove down under our boat. "I can't see anything except for that smooth patch on top of the water. I guess I missed it," I answered. Anthony, having overheard our conversation replied, "See that smooth looking oil slick on the top of the water? That is what we call the whale's footprint; it's what they leave behind as they move to the next place along their journey."

Footprint.

Just like whales we each leave a footprint in the world. Each of us is on our own journey, traveling it in our own way. We are meant to leave a footprint for others to see, to feel, and to follow. A mark. A tell tale sign that we were here. At Magic Parties, we call our footprint a wingprint (angels' wings, get it?) because it seems more spirit-filled. And we are meant to leave it on the universe together. Helping others. Healing the world with our touch. Making a difference in a wide variety of ways. Our ways. Your way. And helping others do the same by passing it on. So that eventually our wingprints change the world in small ways and in large ways and most importantly of all, in OUR OWN ways.

A call to action.

I call each of you to action. It's time to step forward. If you are hearing or reading these words it is because you are being called forth. By some universal spirit or force. It is not by accident or coincidence that you are here, now, reading this. Whether you are here for the first time, or you have been here many times. You are being summoned by the earth, by the sky and by your own guiding spirit.

It matters not that you feel ready.

It matters not that you uncertain if you are a believer.

It matters not that you can or can't see it all clearly.

It matters not that you don't know what to do.

It matters not that you are busy with your life.

It matters not.

It is time.

You are being called.

Let these words settle in your bones, just for an extra minute before reading further. So am I. Just like you. Being called forth. And it's time for us to start listening. Deeper. Quieter. More consciously. It is time.

You are meant to be in this magic community, to be part of a sisterhood of support, being supported and providing support for others all of us on our own journey. To be called forth into YOUR work. Hearing the universe whispering or shouting," The time is now!"

And only you know the answer to the question,

"Time for what?"

And we each have a different answer, an answer that is all our own. Uniquely ours.

Beatitudes

At the last Magic Party, I quoted from Beatitudes, which Jonathan Singleton arranged and conducted for the Mystic Chorale Gospel concert. Here is the whole stanza with the part I spoke in bold. I love this message. We are already worthy; we have already been given the gifts we are praying for.

When my longing for a life that make sense has left me feeling weak

When I mourn for those like me who’ve gone astray

I find comfort in surrender

I’m blessed when I remember

To look up, to let go and receive the gifts already given me

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Posted by Kate Harper, Magic Council member

My New Future

My New Future

I want a new future

not a one day

someday

far away future

But a today

right here and now

reach out and touch with my hand future

A future that arrives

like the next in-taken breath

of cool air

Like the bulb that

sat under ground for the necessary time

sprouted

and set the bed

which now has only to unfold

Death has done

and will do

what death does

But my future

does not argue with death

My future opens its arms

and invites m

to dance

Carol Beasley © March 2008

Awakening The Woman Within

We had a great Magic Party this past Saturday with 30 women. Our largest Party ever. The topic we discussed was, Who is the woman inside each of us that is waiting to be awakened?" One of the things I, and many others discovered, is that the strong, sure, beautiful woman inside of me is me already, not something waiting to happen. And it is fear and uncertainty that keeps her buried, sometimes deeply inside of me. Through some great exercises led by Melanie Calitri Holden, Magic Faculty member we each declared what we wished for ourselves so that the best of us shines more brightly. I declared I am going to be more courageous and less afraid in my work. And today I took a small step in this direction by making a phone call to a business colleague that I had been putting off for 2 months. Yeah! What do you wish for yourself? And what's your small or big step in that direction?

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Posted by Wendy Capland, The Magic Party Girl and creator of The Magic Parties, LLC.

The Art Resides in the Pauses

Arthur Rubenstein was once asked by an ardent admirer: “How do you handle the notes as well as you do?” The pianist answered, “I handle the notes no better than many others, but the pauses – ah! That is where the art resides.”

The pauses in Rubenstein’s music is akin to the “white spaces” in printed material, or the part of the page that is left unfilled. As I write a brochure or flyer, I struggle to leave in white pace, as my desire to fill the page with words and images drives me.

I’m struck that my life contains the very same struggles. My days are so filled with activities, conversation, driving, working, doing, endlessly doing, that I rarely allow “white space” to exist in my day. And yet it may be in the white space that the meaning in my activities emerges, as in the pianist’s pauses being the true expression of the art form.

I tend to entrain with the activities, the “notes.” What if I changed my approach and entrained with the pauses?

Entrainment. What is it? Entrainment is the process by which the natural rhythms fall into synchronization with each other. In his book Timeshifting, Stephan Rechtschaffen tells us that entrainment is one of the great organizing principles of the universe, as inescapable as gravity. Entrainment is a well accepted concept in the worlds of the physical and natural sciences, but entrainment in every-day terms is less widely discussed. Yet we see the results of this happening every day, and it can drive us to lives our daily lives in ways that don’t really serve us well.

When I take the time to meditate, walk outdoors, or write in my journal I entrain with the “pauses,” as Rubenstein would say and there is magic to be found here. When I spend time with girlfriends talking about my hopes, my journey and my inner life, I am satisfied in a way that is too rarely felt.

Together we can create a pause in our busy lives; together we can invest time in the “pauses” of life, and we can entrain with a different rhythm… sisterhood, spirit and a little chocolate.

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Posted by Sue Blaney, Magic Party Council Member

Prayer Changes Stuff

I was out on a walk this morning and saw a bumper sticker on a car that read, "Prayer Changes Stuff." What a great thought for the day!

Posted by Wendy Capland, The Magic Girl

Hope versus Faith

It’s the middle of the week and I’m winding down after another hectic day. I am reminded of the last Magic Party. The topic was faith. I’ve decided that until the next Magic Party in March, I’m going to focus on “faith”. One of the women I met at the party, Fiona, commented that hope and faith are two very different things. That made an impact on me. Thank you Fiona! Fiona said that hope is like the lottery – sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but faith is active. I’ve started to pay attention to my mind set – when do I use the word “hope” and when do I use the word “faith”.

I take martial arts with my son. We recently earned our camouflage belts and are now in the intermediate level class. At times, it can be very intimidating. The students in our class are a few belts away from becoming black belts, and they are in command of their forms and kicks and very self confident. Last night, the chief instructor called me to the front of the class to demonstrate how to use body language to lead by example. I had to demonstrate this by having my team follow my lead in doing jump front kicks with a lot of energy and perfect technique while giving no verbal instructions. As I’m standing there, I’m thinking “I hope I don’t make a complete fool of myself!” My first kick was a little off, but then I pulled it together and finished strong. It occurred to me afterwards that I used the word “hope” versus having “faith”. The life lesson for our martial arts cycle is “belief” – having a “yes I can” attitude. I think having faith in yourself is the same thing. If I have faith in myself, I have a “yes I can” attitude. The next time I get called up front I’m going to think “I can do this”! When I used the word “hope” in this situation, I allowed an opportunity to exist in my mind that I might “not” do well, and initially, I didn’t. I am gaining so much from attending our magic parties. I am becoming more aware of my “self-talk”, and rather than minimizing my opportunities, I am going to work on my faith and my “yes I can” attitude! Until next time, remember – “yes you can!”

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Posted by Kelly, Magic Party Council Member

The Calling of My Heart

You know, as I bubble over with excitement and share about my experiences with The Magic Parties to most woman I meet, I have noticed something remarkable – we are all on the same wavelength – experiencing the same calling. So many woman have said to me that they, too, feel a connection and pull toward connecting with other woman to support each other in finding and remembering the beauty within us and living the lives we dream of. I have been a “Magic Party attendee” since the beginning and I have to say, The Magic Parties have become a grounding experience (or should I say a flying experience) for me. Magic Parties support me in living the life that I know I can!

I sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed with life and even stuck – I love the companionship of other woman who help me to get un-stuck! There has not been a Magic Party that I leave without feeling like the topics, the sharing, the inspiration was designed especially for me. It is always what I need to hear or experience – and experiencing it with such a dynamic group of woman makes it more amazing. I carry the messages on in all aspects of my life – mother, wife, career professional, woman of faith, friend, etc. Thank you to Wendy – for taking the calling in so many of our hearts and making it into a reality. The magic truly has just begun!!

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Posted by Donna Iacopucci, Magic Council member

Magic Home Parties

I spent the better part of today working on The Magic Parties Home Party Guidebook; A complete guide with activities and step by step instructions to run your own Magic Home Party.

Although I think it's really good. Really easy to follow. A great vehicle for developing a community of women who will meet regularly to create fun, spirit and inspire each other to be their best. And I have had women say they can't wait to start a Magic Party in their own home, I wonder who will actually do it. Will it seem like too much of an effort? Will it seem too daunting? Will it not be as much fun for them as it has been for me and my girlfriends? I'm going to keep going and complete The Guide and see if the Universe is actually on to something as I continue to be guided along this journey.

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posted by Wendy, The Magic Girl

Our first charitable donation

I have always dreamed of making a difference in the body mind and spirit health of women all over the world.

My dream is starting to come true as The Magic Parties made our first donation to the Heal Breast Cancer Foundation. This wonderful non-profit organization’s mission is to clarify the many breast cancer myths, to raise public awareness, and to raise the funds necessary to research the cause and healing mechanism of cancer based on a biopsychosocial model of integrative medicine.

I am honored to have made a donation from us as I feel this is such a great cause.

The Wingprint Fund is our Magic Parties fund that provides financial, education, and interpersonal support to organizations that promote the health of women’s bodies, minds and spirits. 100% of the profits from the sales of our Magic products goes into this fund. We sell our products at our Magic Parties. Soon you will be able to buy products on our website, but for now, if you are interested in a Magic tote bag, Magic T-shirt, or Magic charm bracelet, email me at wcapland@themagicparties.com

If you also want to make a donation to the Heal Breast Cancer Foundation, they can be found at www.healbreastcancer.org.

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posted by Wendy, The Magic Girl

Wading into the waters of the woman you have yet to become

Sisterhood. Spirit. And a little chocolate.™

This phrase and our tag line beautifully describe our community of Magic Party women. We are an organization of women supporting women.

Sisterhood.

Doing our work in community with our girlfriends.

Spirit.

Getting in touch with the unseen parts of our lives that we can feel through intuition, prayer or meditation that allows us to manifest and create and do our work in this lifetime. And sometimes it feels like magic.

And a little chocolate.

To remind us to lighten up, have fun, and enjoy the sweetness of it all.

There is something new unfolding in the universe around the feminine. There is a shift in the universe towards reclaiming the feminine. Igniting the fires of feminine energy. Women who want to use goddess energy to make a difference in the lives of others and change the world. A whole new way, a feminine way, of being on the earth.

We need to help each other so that we can manifest what the universe has in store for us. It's important to have a safe place to come to where we can learn, be witnessed, be connected to and be supported by a community of women on the same path.

A place where we can remember who we really are, a place where we can listen to the deep source of wisdom within ourselves.

A place where we can fly, be empowered, vanquish our fears, and let go into who we really are in the world. And remember the magnificent woman that we really are so that when we experience her in all her beauty, it brings us to tears of joy and possibility. This is our community. Whether you are able to join us in person at a Magic Party or not, just by reading this publication, you are part of us, and us, you.

Imagining ourselves as glorious and magnificent with healing powers that may be unknown territory for many of us. Some of you reading this may not fully understand what we are saying. Or sometimes we know and then forget, because we are human. And some of us have more clarity about our purpose and are living it now. But maybe it is not quite enough for some reason. Maybe you are meant to do work in the world and you have just begun to dip your toe into the waters. I know I have just started to wade into the waters of the woman I have yet to become. And it's a bit scary and at the same time, exhilarating.

♥ Magical Musings ♥

Q. In what area of your life are you glorious and magnificent? Come on, don't be shy, say it loud and proud!

Q. What waters are you starting to think about dipping your toe into that seems like your life purpose work?

Posted by Wendy, The Magic Girl

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I'm so Glad

The Magic Parties are a really remarkable experience. I was musing on this today so thought I would write. I started attending them over a year ago and they remain a highlight in my schedule. “Oh, no. I have to wait all this time for the next one?” is what I will say. And then “Only a few more weeks until...” and finally, “Yeah! The party is tomorrow!” I have a very full and wonderful life, and I would put Magic Parties at the top of my list of fun things to do. Because they aren’t just fun. They are inspirational. They are transformational. They really are magical. Having leisurely time to commune with other women who are choosing to live their lives in extraordinary ways is the best Chocolate I know. We are a grand mix – some are top executives, some are Mom’s, some are part time volunteers, some are entrepreneurs. It doesn’t matter what you do, what counts is how you do it. Magic Party women inspire each other to live our lives with grace and depth, courage and commitment. And of course, to lighten up and indulge in a bit of chocolate when the moment is right! Thanks, Wendy, for inviting me into this wonderful community. I am so glad I came!

Posted by Melanie, Magic Council Member and Magic Faculty

Motherhood and Faith

Hello! This is my first official blog entry….ever. I don’t just mean on “The Magic Party” blog, but my first official leap into the world of blogging. I am moved by my experiences within this community of women and the feelings of “centeredness” when I leave the Magic Parties. Is centeredness a word? Maybe a better way to say it is to just simply say I feel more connected to myself! At any rate, I am so moved that I want to reach out and try to share those feelings and experiences. I am usually an active participant at The Magic Parties, but this time, my body and spirit were so tired, I really went to the party to quiet my inner self and reconnect. I am a single mother who works full-time. My son is going to be 11 in two days. We have a hectic life and my work schedule is crazy. It’s been a little more hectic since about mid-December. I left the party on January 22^nd feeling refreshed and refocused. We talked about faith and fear. It’s interesting that faith is usually what can push us past many of our fears, and yet we still give in to so many of our fears. I have been worried, of late, about what kind of mother I am. Am I supporting my son enough or not enough? Am I teaching him how to be successful for the future or am I pushing too hard at times? What I realized is that I am afraid my son will not be successful and that it will be my fault for not teaching him all of the right things? Why am I focused on the future, especially in terms of college or beyond? He’s turning 11! I need to help him learn to do things on his own (in an age-appropriate manner), accept that he’s his own individual (he won’t like all of the same things I like) and he’ll choose what he wants to do in his life and the level of commitment he’ll apply to that. I am so fearful of not doing the right things for the future; I am missing out on the present. I am living in a fear-based place rather than a faith based place. He’s a great kid – he’s smart, creative and funny. I need to be the best Mom I can be, and yes, I’ll make mistakes along the way. The most important thing is I love him and I’m involved in his life. I just need to make sure I’m not “overly” involved. That is so much easier said than done I have a feeling, but I’m turning this over to faith. I’ve been told I’m really going to need a lot of faith when he hits his teenage years! I’ll work on it now and maybe in a few years I’ll be better equipped to manage through those challenges. I think I’ll end this blog with a quote I recently read. “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968). That really hit home for me and they are words to live by! I don’t need to see where my son will be five years from now; I simply need to focus on taking one step and one day at a time. If I do that, I truly believe everything will work out. I have faith! Until my next blog, may your next step also be one filled with faith!

Posted by Kelly, Magic Party Council Member

Sense of Community

The feedback from the last Magic Party is pouring in from our attendees. This is what one magic woman had to say after coming to the Party on Saturday. " I think I came to understand this week, on a whole new level, what a real COMMUNITY, of souls and of energy, Wendy (and Magic Parties) is creating in bringing her vision to life through us."

All women are on a journey. Unique to each individual woman. Having a community of women to support each other, no matter where we are on our journey is awesome. Magic Parties is open to all women of all ages. We are an open community of women. Please come. We welcome you in. See our website and Our Events to find the schedule of what's happening.

The After January Party

25 women had a fun and inspirational time together last Saturday at the Magic Party . We all felt supported by each other as we talked about faith, our topic for the afternoon. We came to the conclusion that mostly we are afraid to do the things we dream about. And that fear stops us. And wondered what does it mean to trust our journey completely even when it turns your life upside down and spins it out of control. We wondered about embracing the fear which would mean knowing we were scared to death and moving forward anyway. And wondered about refusing to allow the fear to grab us. And how our lives might change if we could deal better day to day in the face of fear. And if we had faith, what would we do? If you had faith, what would you do? And imagined our lives just a little bolder and ourselves just a bit braver. One guest called me today and said she was inspired to now start her work day by sitting down at her desk first thing in the morning, closing her eyes, and asking herself, "If I were brave, what would i do today?

This Weekend's Magic Party

The Magic Party this weekend is going to be great. The theme of the Party is faith. Faith as it refers to a deep knowing about something without being able to touch it, hear it or see it. Why are we talking about faith this Saturday? Well, because many of us are used to thinking with our minds and moving through our lives based on seeing, hearing and touching facts, evidents and data. For many of us if we don't have visible proof of something we might not feel comfortable in making important decisions. I think facts and visible proof lives in our heads and minds and faith lives in our hearts and souls. Faith lives in the place somewhere deep inside us that just believes that it will all turn out, without knowing how, when or why. If we are going to do the work we are meant to do in the world, impact the people we are meant to impact, and have the kind of contributions we are meant to make we might have to listen to our hearts and souls a bit more. And give the guy in our head, that seems to speak with such authority as to why we shouldn't do something our heart is yearning to do, the day off....a time out...a vacation.