I’m often asked, “What is a priestess and what does she do?“

A simple explanation is to offer Webster’s definition: a priestess is a woman who officiates in sacred rites. While this is quite accurate, in truth, a priestess is and does so much more. She serves the spiritual needs of the community.

Long ago the priestesses in communities carefully observed the patterns and rhythms of Nature. Attuning to earth’s cycles, they honored the Great Mother by performing sacred seasonal rituals. Women, seen as an embodiment of the Great Mother, were deeply revered, honored and celebrated for, like the earth, a woman too was able to grow life within her. Later in history, Roman, Greek, and Egyptian priestesses lived in holy temples. They, too, worshiped the Great Mother, the Goddess in Her many forms. They served the spiritual needs of the community as well and were also held in high esteem. Numerous hierarchies and historical events ensued. Soon, men began to fear the power of priestesses. The natural spiritual and mystical practices of priestesses were viewed as evil. Their power, greatly misunderstood, was thought to be a dark force that needed to be annihilated. Thousands of priestesses were persecuted, put to death for their beliefs and spiritual practices. Those managing to escape death fled their holy temples and went underground into hiding.

Today, in the midst of a two-thousand-year period of patriarchy, a modern-day priestess is emerging. She brings to present times richly-steeped ancient wisdom, integrating past spiritual teachings with a few spins of her own. In addition to her work as Priestess, she may also have a family and hold a conventional job as well. She holds within a deep moon-water essence, and her mission is to help bring into fruition the vital life-force energy of the almost forgotten Divine Feminine. Intuitively, she knows a conversion to a matriarchy isn't what's currently needed. A modern-day priestess instead directs her energy to restoring a natural, harmonious balance between the genders and All That Is. Weaving her fluid moon-water essence with the energies of the fixed sun-fire masculine, she helps re-birth Sacred Union.

Women choosing to walk the path of the priestess have answered a deep inner calling. Hearing within and resonating passionately to the ancient call of the Great Mother, a time came when each heart knew with absolute certainty... yes, this is it... Hers is the work I am to do...the very reason I've incarnated at this time! For me personally, the actual word “priestess” whenever spoken created an ecstatic internal hum, a familiar vibration that was/is one of pure bliss. How blessed to be so crystal clear regarding one's life purpose! This being said, I also feel compelled to share the path of the priestess, though richly rewarding, is not an easy one. It is a path requiring deep integrity and tremendous dedication.

With courage and grace, a modern-day priestess journeys the continuous ascents and descents of life's spiral. Constant deep inner work is a must. Confronting, clearing, healing past wounds energetically empties her of what no longer serves use or purpose. Going into the inner realms…quiet times of reflection, prayer, meditation…enables her to better “see” and “sense” her truth more clearly. Hard work and perseverance bring rewards. Soon she begins to recognize herself as a unique expression of the face of the Divine Mother. She learns to value and deeply honor her own femininity. She becomes a holy vessel, better able to hold sacred space for all humankind.

A priestess is dedicated to serving the beauty, love, and spirit in all life. She learns how to attune to and work sacredly with all energies, particularly those of Nature and the elements. Like a fluid dance of ebb and flow, a priestess works passionately to raise the vibration of our physical world, infusing it with sacredness. Illuminating all that she is and does a priestess experiences great joy when performing divinely-inspired ceremony and ritual. Often compared to a Shaman, she is able to position herself between the visible and invisible worlds, residing in the valley of enriched tension lying between the two dimensions. A High Priestess works with even finer, more subtle energy frequencies. Archetypically speaking, she is a direct emissary of the Divine Feminine represented here on Earth.

A Magdalene (another name for a High Priestess), is the trademark used for a lineage of present-day priestesses first birthed by Nicole Christine in Tuscan, Arizona in 1994. Differing from priestesses who adhere to particular religious or earth-based practices, a Magdalene is non-sectarian, wholly sovereign unto herself.

And So It Is. Blessed Be!

Earlier this month, I shared a post called 'Should I wear A Bar?'
 It basically focused on the topic of wearing a bra constantly as a concern which may be causing the ligaments in our breasts to atrophy and stop working and also prevent their natural movement which stimulates blood flow and lymph flow.
So, in honor of October Being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to blog again about Daily Breast Awareness and my personal thoughts on wearing bras daily, nipple suppression theory and my own concerns about wearing anti-perspirant deodorants. Hopefully this post will cause some of you to do other things in support of a healthy, positive lifestyle change...I don't ever remember reading or hearing about so many women having or losing this breast cancer battle as I do these days. Especially these women who are family members, my friends and clients as well as their family members. It pains me to say that I've experienced the loss of several of my clients to this dis-ease in the past few years. And I know a few too many presently fighting daily for their well-being. These days, with so many Walks, Runs and Benefits towards the research, understanding, A Cure and ultimately annihilation of this nightmare-ish condition, I feel that a closer look should be taken into our own basic everyday habits and lifestyle practices. What can you as an individual do in the search for A CURE?


A BREAST AWARENESS POWER MOVE! KNOW THYSELF/HEAL THYSELF...TODAY & BEYOND!
No one wants to be offensive, especially when it come to our bodies... oh dear!!! Rubbing on three to five swipes of some thick, white, pasty, perfumed, chemically laden product or the same amount of clear slightly scented baby powder glazed chemical bar in hopes to not sweat through our clothing all day, may be a cause for concern and could possibly be lending to some of our own health challenges. Have you noticed while taking a bathe or showering, that you have to literally scrape your deodorant residue out from your underarms? Our sweat glands under our arms can become plugged and clogged up, redirecting harmful toxins back into our bodies and into our breasts (male and female breasts) areas. This sets up the playing field for disaster! 
 One thing that has be brought to my attention lately, is that some people believe that by drinking seltzer water, they are actually doing a good thing. Since they believe that this beverage is not a soda! I HAVE TO CLARIFY:  Even pure carbonated water is acidic due to the formation of carbonic acid. Since blood is alkaline and maintained at a pH level of around 7.35, adding acidic liquids into the body always creates an imbalance, however small, that must be compensated for. The body usually counteracts acidity by liberating minerals from bones into the blood or tissues. Acids of any sort also increase oxidation in the body, which produces potentially damaging free radicals. Although carbonic acid is normally carried in the blood as a result of respiration, adding more from carbonated water can be viewed as a severe stressor to the body, especially in large quantities. PLEASE STOP DRINKING SELTZER WATER FOLKS!
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/313171-health-risks-of-carbonated-water/#ixzz2hqcFRIZQ
Also, the sugar and caffeine drinks, along with the starch, beer, alcohol, cheese, ice-cream, milk, butter and red meat that are inside of our bodies, all resurface in unpleasant odors . After All, we truly are what we eat. There are many natural alternatives to neutralize the acidity in our perspiration. http://www.livestrong.com/article/288021-how-to-neutralize-body-odor/
 
 
One other thing, growing up I sometimes wondered about the reasoning behind wearing bras...images of bra-breasted women in magazines and wherever else I saw them seemed to be teaching me that this piece of underwear clothing was very necessary to cover and hold my tee-tahs up. Coming into my own womanhood, I was indirectly taught... indirectly, a bra came with my school clothes all of a sudden one year. I got the sense that I should wear this bra so that my growing, pubescent breasties wouldn't be too, too noticeable. I grew up hiding them as much as possible while they made their way into my teenage world. I learned later on, that it wasn't really the swollen part of my chest, but the pointy nipple parts that would not be too proper to be seen in public. So, wearing bras would mean that I was properly dressed and I wouldn't make other people uncomfortable...yeah. This was more the air in my carribean-based home than it was an actual conversation that was actually being spoken. As an adult,  I studied findings on ancient womens ways and I've learned that our nipples are somewhat like 'cats whiskers, very attuned and very sensitive. I was also made aware that we lose a lot of our feminine powers by wearing bras daily. Some women have even been known to develop unresponsive nipples. There's magick and intuitive sharpness that we are gifted with as women. When we practice the suppression of any member of our divinity, we limited ourselves on many healthy levels. I carried this knowledge, nicely seasoned and marinating throughout my mid to late forties. I'm truly grounded within myself, confident doing things different.  The self healing of my mind, body and spirit from the thoughts that any member of my body could be thought of as offensive was a past experience to learn and grow from. I read as many articles, blind studies and reports that I could find on the subject, (loads of info on the internet) and decided that enough was enough! Our Breasts, Our nipples and our Health is worthy of protection, growth and healing http://www.spiritualtantra.net/self-awareness

EVERYTHING THAT MOVES IS HEALTHY! SET YOURSELF FREE AND LET YOUR YOUR BODY MOVE!

Gravity is the major cause of sagging and so don't expect any miracle cure. 
Secondly, a major cause seems to be the habit of wearing bras all day everyday. Bras lend support to breasts and thereby remove the need for the natural supporting system to function properly.(Coopers ligaments) It atrophies and stops working! So not wearing a bra so much may actually make them sag less. See www.breastnotes.com for an in depth Doctor's opinion.
A recent survey on breast sag rates shows that breastfeeding has no great effect on sag rates but that smoking does as it affects the elastin in the skin. Bra wearing has only been popular in relatively recent times and only in western affluent countries, the same places where breast cancer rates are highest. It seems that  bras may be a major cause of poor breast health and not wearing one may be a better choice. Some wear one to make their breasts perkier and more attractive (to who?) while others wear one to reduce their noticeability (nipple protrusion)...socially incorrect, to who?
 I recommend 'no bra' to retain their natural shape and maybe wear a camisole or built-in-bra tees  for an extra layer of fabric. 
At the end of the day, it's all about staying healthy and doing what makes me feel good :-).


Please share your comments.

Free, Happy and Healthy.

Ancient Blends products are preservative free!

They do NOT contain petroleum based chemicals (Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Paraffin), chemical emulsifiers (DEA, MEA, TEA), chemical preservatives (Parabens, Urea), Propylene Glycol, artificial colors, stabilizers, or synthetic fragrances. 

My products are not made to sit on store shelves for years and years. Although there are many natural preservatives that exist within some of the essential oils I use and the chemical structure of natural products. They are not as potent as synthetic preservatives. Many of my oils and body butters are made with botanical infused oil which can lose potency over time. An unopened body butter stored at at a cool temperature should be good for one year. Once opened use within 2 to 6 months to ensure effectiveness. My hair oils and shampoos will last a bit longer once stored appropriately.
Since I manufacture my own products in small batches to ensure freshness, each time you receive your order, know that it was products last than two weeks prior or right before shipping it to you.

To have preserve freshness as long as possible, I highly recommend using an applicator like a small spoon or a wooden stick. Each time you place your warm fingers into a product jar, you melt some of the butter which can change the consistency of that product and introduce  bacteria and other contaminants into the product.

Here's a little peek at yesterdays trip to Bridgeport Conn for the WOMEN OF POWER, INC EVENT...

Yesterday morning my sistahfriend Elsie and I took a nice ride out to Connecticut on the Metro. My other sistahfriend Rhoena (of Red Feather Wellness) invited me to present my Ancient Blends products and expand my brand at the Women Of Power, Inc event she's affiliated with. The ride wasn't bad at all, we got a chance to appreciated some Fall foliage along the route. After the train ride, we arrived at The Trumbull Marriott on Merritt Pkwy a few hours before the event was due to start. Having to travel from Bedstuy Brooklyn, with two suitcases and a shoulder tote of products is no easy task. My husband is super supportive and he usually make sure that my travel plans go as smooth as can be. As a vendor, it's always best to be arrive earlier than later. If the event offers first come pick of space to set up, that's most favorable. We checked in and had ample time to snap a few pics, sit outside and enjoy the warm afternoon sun kissing our faces. I loved the inside of the hotel, walking through the lobby reminded me of a scene in several movies I've seen and it just made me smile inside...ready to share Ancient Blends Natural Hair Care & Body Care products!

THE EVENT AND THE MISSION 
http://www.wopninc.com/
WOPN's mission is to inform, inspire and empower women and girls to address issues affecting their educational, health and wellness, financial and social well-being. We aim to develop the unique talents of public high school girls by providing academic and professional development resources, to recruit professional women to use their expertise to aid in the development of students to promote excellence for generations to come.

So excited!!! Later this room was well attended with lots of supportive people, with inspiration, warm acknowledgements, presentations and talent galore!...at Women Of Power, Inc Expo (I'll add another image of the event in full swing as it becomes avail)

Setting up my table is always different each time I present my products at an event. I simply feel the energy in the space and that gives me guidance as to which one of my products should be featured...
Yes, Ancient Blends 'Morning Glory' was a winner last night! This blend has been my personal daily moisturizer for many, many years. At every event, folks always compliment my youthful skin. I have to admit that along with using this as my morning regime, practicing healthy living and stress management is my secret.
http://www.cowrieshell.com/products

Also, I've reformatted an old tried and true product...Ancient Blends 'NEW' Herbal Hair Tea Rinse was a winner at this event as well! This is the very same formula made from the same 17 dried herbal blend I have been using as a leave-in treatment (a service in my Cowrie Shell Center salon) and offering on my etsy.com store for many years...the difference is, now I've steeped the blend and bottled it for your convenience. Since it is a NATURAL tea, IT'S BEST REFRIGERATED. It smells AMAZING too! http://www.cowrieshell.com/products