Anique’s Blog · January 2003
News from Anique
New Year’s Greetings to you my friends, and may the Goddess bless us all in these uncertain times.
The past year has been a mixed blessing for me. I can honestly say that there have been as many challenges as there have been blessings…and as I write, I can’t help thinking to myself "That’s a good balance".
I began the year by putting into place my Sound Therapy Practice. The 16 day intensive course I had completed with Chris James had really brought all my singing and teaching skills together, and I felt ready to take on clients. I began with two women coming regularly to work with their voices to open their throat chakras. So many women suffer from the inability to "speak their truths". In this culture, it is no wonder, when we are conditioned to believe that what we have to say has no value, and that if we do speak out, we are "aggressive" and "masculine". The results began to express themselves within the first two weeks of therapy. Sore throats, colds, and lots of crying were the outward expression of the clearing taking place as the Throat Chakra led the way for all the chakras to open and release. My clientele grew to six regular clients and a number of "sporadic" clients who came on a "needs" basis. The beauty of the process and the truly humbling effect of seeing women who have been told all their lives that they cannot sing, open up and begin to belt out chants and blues numbers cannot be described. In the new year, I plan to promote my Sound Therapy Clinic and increase my clientele.
The popularity of my new CD "INVOKING" has been a source of great joy to me. Bringing this CD together was the culmination of many years of creating chants and prayers which are the basis of my Spiritual Practice. Sharing them was a courageous step for me, because I was not sure how women would respond to such a personal statement. The Goddess was right as always, in turning my feet in the right direction on my path and the CD was birthed with very few labour pains. Late this year (2002) I was approached by a distributor "WHITE MAGIC" and now the CD is available world wide through www.whitemagic.com Thank you to Whitewind for her help in getting my music "out there". I have already begun work on the second of the Trilogy "EMBRACING" which will be a CD of devotional songs to the Goddess. The first one is already complete - words by me and music by David Calaby who co-wrote "LOVER MINE" with me. I must tell you the story of how the song came to me.
The most spectacular song, a hymn to the Goddess came through in the most unusual way. Debbie and I went to New Zealand a few weeks ago. I won a trip for two all expenses paid!!! The Goddess in Her wisdom heard my prayer for money for a holiday and sent me a win of an all expenses paid trip for two to New Zealand...all we had to pay for was our drinks!! Just as well, if She had answered my prayer with money, I probably would have paid off bills!! So as I was saying, it was the last day of the tour and we were in Christchurch, it was a horrible cold and rainy day and the planned excursion that day was a visit to the craft markets which are supposed to be fabulous. Our tour guide assured us that rain hail or snow they would be there so Debbie and I took off. Fools!!! Of course there were three miserable stalls with equally miserable owners sitting under umbrellas wishing they had never set up.
Debbie took in the situation and said "I think we should retire to the pub and have a beer." For once I was in total agreement and off we went to find the nearest. It just happened to be down the street a little and was called - wait for it - "The Holy Grail". I took that as a very good omen and in we went. It was quite amazing really...an old 1930’s movie theatre converted into this cavernous pub with the old screen still intact but showing the Fox footie channel. Debbie was in 7th heaven (she’s mad about any kind of football) so we settled in to watch the world soccer final, ordered a beer and a pizza and I fell into her good humour and prepared to try and understand this love of footie thing.
The game had already started and was already halfway through so it wasn’t long before it ended and another was about to start. A game between South Africa and Scotland. Of course they play the national anthems at the beginning. I listened to the South African one and thought it was very nice. And then the Scottish one started and I tell you my friends, I got this huge lump in my throat and I felt this powerful feeling of something I couldn’t explain. I stopped for a moment and asked myself; "Now Anique...what is going on here, you are not Scottish, this is a footie game, why are you so emotional?" And then it hit me...it’s the anthem...it’s about being together in a "tribe", it’s about striving together for a common goal - a common good. It’s about belonging and pride. I knew I had to write an anthem for the Goddess.
I scrabbled around in my bag for paper, found the useless sheet for the day’s activities and found my pen, and as always happens when the Goddess is gifting me with a song, it came through complete and perfect. I knew in my heart that I don’t have the skills to write the music for this one. It had to be complex yet simple, and it had to be constructed musically the way anthems are, building the passion and emotion to fever pitch almost. So I sent the words off to David, and lo and behold, I have just received a CD in the post with my song put to music. Friends, it is breathtaking. I have the first complete song for my next CD. I don’t know yet how I will produce this CD but I have total trust that somehow it will happen. I just need to be patient. I know that patience is my primary lesson this life. My vision is always so demanding of results…yet I know at a profound level that the process is the gift from the Goddess. I strive each day to examine the gifts beneath the mundane ordinary events of most of my days…the loving presence of my dog as I work, the beauty of my front garden when I walk outside for a breath of fresh air, my cat asleep in my box of shredded paper which I keep to take my pottery to the kiln, the ripe mango in my refrigerator ready for my lunch, the anticipation of my dear partner coming home to me each night and the joy of communications like yours, which come regularly each day from friends across the globe. And I give thanks for the simplicity yet the richness of my life.
And my life is so very rich…and yet there is sadness too. This year my son Ben moved away to live overseas for 4 years (he works for the Dept. of Foreign Affairs and is based in Taipei) and my son Marc has been living and working as an actor in New York for some years now. I miss them both so deeply. I remember when they were small (11 and 9) and they were going off to the movies by themselves I used to say to them jokingly "Off you go, have a good time and come back when you are 35". We would all laugh, and they told me later they were grateful that I gave them so much freedom. While other mothers were saying "Be home by such and such or there will be trouble", I trusted them and they always came home at a good time anyway. But now I understand the power of words and I rue the day I spoke so glibly and so often of their "going away"...because now they are gone and I suffer deeply at times that I cannot see them, hold them, kiss them or just plain look into their eyes and know the magic of our connection.
The Invoking the Goddess Spring Creation Gathering was lovely this year. A small group with a huge heart. Our guest Ubaka Hill was spectacular. I have posted a letter from Jane Barnes and one from Karen Grimes in the Spring Gathering 2002 page for your enjoyment. Next year will be the 7th year…often a turning point for me and my projects. Next year I will begin a tradition of honouring a Direction or Element each year. We will begin with the Guardians of the East gate - The Element of Water, which also means focusing on the Heart Chakra and Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Love and Compassion. Goddess only knows that we need more love in the world. Those of you who are "regulars" at the Gathering might like to begin thinking about what you would like to present as part of the theme.
The INVOKING THE GODDESS NEWSLETTER is continuing to be a beacon for many women living in isolation in rural areas. I often find letters of gratitude in my letterbox from women telling me how much they enjoy and look forward to receiving it. I have had a few generous donations this year and I thank the women responsible. I will continue to produce and mail out the newsletter free of charge to any woman who wants it. I am happy to welcome two new regular columnists - Arati George and Jo Piggott - who are donating their time and skills to enhancing the newsletter for your enjoyment. Please send in your contributions, as I will be very happy to publish them.
During the year, my web page was updated by Cindi Drennan, who did a wonderful job. Cindi has now moved to Adelaide, so the job has been taken over by Deb Jones. As I write this message to you, she is updating the site with photos from the last Invoking the Goddess Gathering. Deb is a multi talented woman, who is a gifted songwriter and singer in her own right and is also a skilled sound engineer. She is a gentle soul who is a delight to work with. Thank you Deb.
My relationship with Debbie continues to grow in strength and love. Deep and soul nourishing love. She is a remarkable woman who has the sweetest, most loving heart I have ever known in any woman. We are so different and yet we complement each other so very well. Our decision to buy land and build a house together is a testimony of the strength of our belief that we are destined to be together for a very long time. I look forward to creating a page on my web site dedicated to the building of the house and our transition from city dwelling to a more nature based existence. My only regret in leaving Sydney will be the loss of proximity of dear friends that I meet with on a regular basis for Spiritual work and other social activities. However, I will be returning to Sydney on a monthly basis to work with clients, see my mother and visit with my friends. After all, Kempsey is only 5 hours away!
So here I stand at the edge of the mountain top, ready to jump off and take flight again. How truly wonderful, at age 55, to be beginning a whole new life! I give thanks for my zesty Spirit, which always keeps me moving forward with a joyful and strong heart. At a recent gathering of my Spiritual group, a dear friend pulled a Sacred Animal card for each member of the group as a way of describing what she appreciated about each one of us. When it came to me, she had chosen the Hummingbird card, which is all about being joyful. She told us all that in her opinion, I spread joy wherever I went and had a joyful and loving presence. I was deeply touched and I thought about what she had said deep and hard. Why? Because often we don’t see ourselves as others do. My Virgo Sun drives me so relentlessly and I am so task oriented that I often miss the fact that my Pisces Moon is combining with my Cancer Rising and doing their thing as well. And what is that? Why keeping me joyful and loving of course! Encouraging me to share my home with my dear friends, cooking gourmet meals and creating beautiful and uplifting environments. Surrounding myself with beauty and music and gorgeous smells - both on my body and in the house - and loving the sensual side of life. Creating art to give away at birthdays and other celebrations and always being there with my voice to sing Her praises and heal and nurture. Thank you dear friend for reminding me of who I am on many levels.
Dear friends, your presence in my life is sacred and very dear to me. For those of you who are on my database and have not communicated with me yet, I invite you to do so. I love communicating and will respond to your email. I wish you all joy and peace for the coming year. I pray the Goddess will tap you on the shoulder if She is not already in your life. I pray that you will build an altar to honour yourself as a precious expression of Her wonder and love. I pray that we can all overcome the barriers that separate us and unite in loving friendship on this tiny planet we live on. In the scheme of things Universal, we are such a small "dot" on the Cosmic "printout". May your hearts stay strong and loving, so that we can all proceed to the next level of our Soul’s Journey with Grace and Humility. May the beauty of life not escape you in every living moment, and may you be in the moment as often as possible to enjoy it. And may you never forget that you are one with all of Creation, and that the great munificent feminine Divine lives in you and through you.
Love, blessings and power to you.
Anique Radiant Heart
