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Cultivating Community + Collaboration
"For Empress Tides sistren, we have more options, because our community-economy is our platform, with cycles of others doing the marketing, sharing, content creating & automating for us, when we aren't doing it for them. Most of you aren't using community in this way, so I will explain how to do that next week."
In your replies to this bit, I saw that you all need individual guidance on how to use our community, because you are really working with complex pieces. Which I can't do unless we've really had some work exchanged, just because of my limited capacity. So below are a few notes on movement collaboration, community-building & our online platforms...
In my experience, each community I reach out to changes me & my work before I reach out. It starts in the research phase, as I look to be a worthy collaborator. In all cases, please first research the platform: Who are they serving? What's the best stuff on there? How can you serve their people with your *very best* work right now, in the context of incite|insight? Remember that communities always have their own answers, & it's always good to come in to learn before coming in to "help" or "make a difference."
It's not about me - it's always about the person, community, initiative, business or platform as a muse. Remember that they exist to make a difference, too. So letting them do that binds the karmic ties. At that point, it's all just evolution...
Sharing a meal is sweeter than a party. In person is better than calling. Video is better than calling. Calling is better than texting. Texting is better than email. Email is better than social media. Get as close as possible & be super-conscious of other people's capacity: they might love lots of reaching out, because they can't remember anything, & at the same time, it might overwhelm. Notice if they are introverts or extroverts, & how they seem to gather & collaborate. Honor their style while holding your own.
I always start with a personal introduction from someone else, unless the collaborator has reached out to me. That way there's an invested connection. But also now it's important to take note of the quality of their relationship, too. Every new element you bring in impacts the overall conduit/exchange of energy. The relationships you build are infinitely more valuable than any money returns.
Here's a few gateways, which lead to collaboration & resource-sharing:
-Create a concept for a blog post, article or series for Empress Tides, M|13 specifically, Saturn*s Sister, or Annapurna Living (no, we aren't partners, it's just a *great* place to share your gorgeous work with aligned community).
It needs to be use-full, impeccable & based in your brightest impulse.
-Pitch a 14 email course for the Saturn*s Sister School.
-Apply to join a YES! JAM. Endless community, support, partnership & collaborations live in that community. Currently I organize & co-facilitate the Evolving & Emerging Economies Jam, but work closely on many jams.
-Hire, join a circle or retreat with one of the alumni who've been linked here in M|13 or on the blog. If you are attracted to them, their program is likely full of your people, too. Let them know first that you are joining, so you can make connections together.
-Straight up ask me, Chelan or Tamiko who might be your people for your initiative, via email.
These are just beginnings. But this is where it starts.
xx, Maya
So...the Offering: IncitE | INSIGHT
{in-sahyt} verb
1. to stir, encourage, or urge on; stimulate or prompt to action
{in-sahyt} noun
1. an instance of apprehending the true nature of a thing, especially through intuitive understanding
2. penetrating mental vision or discernment; faculty of seeing into innercharacter or underlying truth.
3. an understanding of relationships that sheds light on or helps solve a problem.
4. (in psychotherapy) the recognition of sources of emotional difficulty.
5. an understanding of the motivational forces behind one's actions, thoughts, or behavior; self-knowledge.
When it comes to crafting your talks, workshops, chapters, & social media posts, there's different levels of usefulness. Transparency is often just about the Self. Which is important work. First-world work. A privilege.
Incite is different. It's standing for understanding, paired with action. It's revolutionary.
It also happens to convert & makes people place down their cash or other significant offerings. It's an important piece to bring to your copy & conversations - before you monetize them. Hopefully before every post, speech or chapter. Insight comes from the Eternal, & with your personal practice. Incite comes from your commitment, character, & allowing Earth & Ancestors to dream thru you. And I selfishly hope that it changes you, & your work to be more meaningful & potent, as you honor your words as yourself.
What are you inciting? Of course that's a sacred inquiry, again, grounded in your practice. I believe it should happen with plenty of exposure to diverse community, elders & teachers. Incite without insight is cloying. For this next year, offer up some blessed fire to your unseen guides, with a prayer to help you cultivate a brighter community. In the next couple of days, pick up a single, new incense or sacred wood (I use wedges of palo santo & feminine sage powder gifted from Marybeth) to keep at your altar to burn daily, from New Moon to Full Moon. Make prayers for humility, so you never need to be bigger than yourSelf, connection to distilled & impact*full movements to work beside, & structures that bring ease to your building. All based on what already burns within.
A Context for your Next Lunar Year...
All Love, Maya
Earlier this week I built a raised spiral, 3 feet high, & 20 across, from the branches around our camp, to hold your last shares & questions. I took them each to heart & hand, printed in pencil, & placed them in the center. This afternoon we had two gifts in the spiral, an early-to-turn sugar maple leaf, & a spray of red-winged blackbird feathers.
Sugar Maple tells us to grow something with historical & economic importance, like syrup, or timber...In the Japanese schools I attended growing up, "kito," which means calm, rest & peace, are a symbol of grace, peace, serenity, balance & practicality.
Maple's first invitation: build your year as a working retreat. Let every workspace be an altar, every project be a bit seva that finds you nourished & fulfilled. When collaborating, choose carefully :: relate to your work as a wooden temple.
The leaves here are still a verdant green, waxy, & very much on the trees. With the wind that travels across the lake, I've come to know that leaves hold the true name of each tree, creating a very distinct sound that carries the energy of each species. This maple has a swishy-hush to it, a lightness that's almost buoyant. It speaks of a youthful energy, & contains an inner elixir of sweetness & liquid sugar. More energy. The actual trunks are a solid hardwood, used for homes, artisan rolling pins, knife handles, & cutting boards - all use*full, beauty*full, & heirloom.
what's your true name?
the flavor of your essential nature?
what are you actually made up of?
For growing sugar, you need large crowns - branches that grow far & 60-80' wide, with plenty of exposure to the sun.
So to create a year of sweetness, with a sense of deep giving*ness, focus on just a couple of projects, feeding them as much warmth & brightness as possible.
For dense timber, & fuel (fire wood), you need tall, up to 100' straight trunks, so this means plenty of thinning. All branches below the crown are removed, to eliminate chaos in the wood grain. Irregular, wonky, leaning & troublesome trees are also removed, so they don't disturb or take resources from the timber.
To build an heirloom, or legacy platform, this year, thin out your initiatives. Choose the strong. Create efficiency by removing messy dynamics,systems & processes. Remove projects & products that don't fit the space. Create specific pillars & feed them with all your heart.
Over 100 feet, with crowns that spread 60-80 feet. Can you imagine the interconnection of these trees? The biodynamics & communication between them? For most of the year, maple's crown is filled with liquid sun, chlorophyll, which masks the yellow & orange with green. As they prepare to drop, anthocyin pigments develop, turning the leaves a vivid red. Your maple leaf found itself just within our spiral entrance.
While it's easy to show our usual, practiced ways, there's something edgy & precious & novel about those hidden aspects of your nature. This is maple's final invitation.
This requires the music of wind + wild spaces. There's no way around it.
I can't wait to see.
CLOSING TOKENS II - Red Winged Blackbird.
This is the second time red-winged blackbird has come to us this year. He showed up while Kelly, Robin & I were chatting about their then-future-retreat, Intuit + Inspire.
Red Wing Blackbird asks us to flash joy, whenever we take flight. Kinda like...
It's sorta like contagious, yes? Like sparkly objects for magpies. Joy is vitality + energy made visible. It comes from friendship + play. And. Oh, yes.
Money lives in dialogue + play, too.
In most Ojibwa dialects, it's called memiskondinimaanganeshiinh, or, "a bird with a very red damn-little shoulder blade." (I pretty much hear that in Kelly & Robin's voices, don't you?) Kel pointed me to all kinds of spectacular names for flocks, & these belong to a banditry. (So it's also a nickname for our new moon circles. Not reverent. Playful.)
They belong to the genus Agelaius, which means "belonging to a flock." Even with tons of predators, including snakes, mink & 16 raptors, the flock keeps them safe, so wild red-winged blackbirds live past 15 years. Amazing.
Omnivorous, Red Wings feast on seeds, weeds, dragonflies, damselflies, moths, butterflies, snails, frogs, eggs, carrion, worms, spiders, mollusks, blueberries, blackberries & other fruit. They share the open fields, feeding alongside thousands of grackles, cowbirds & starlings.
The females frequently copulate with males other than their social mate and often lay clutches of mixed paternity. Pairs raise two or three clutches per season, in a new nest for each clutch. So they mix things up. They don't stick to one source of realization, they fertilize their projects with multiple sources of inspiration + drive.
(whether online, in a tentspace, or your kitchen counter...this is the time to start that illustrated memoir, just for fun + prettiness)
The eggs hatch in 11 to 12 days. Red-winged blackbirds arrive blind and naked, but are ready to leave the nest just 11 to 14 days after hatching.
If you are stopped & overthink things, pick small projects & take on their timing: Sit on your idea for 11 days, warming up to it. Then give yourself 11 days to make it real. Done.
The Master Number 11 is a gateway, with two lines crafting a distinct path forward:
"In the case of the 11 (a double 1), it has the traits and personality of the 1 twice, and when added (11 = 1+1 = 2) becomes a 2, thereby combining the most powerful male energy (the 1, Zeus) with the equally potent female energy (the 2, Hera). Considering that the 1 and the 2 are on opposite ends of the spectrum and the sum of their combined attributes pretty much overshadows all other attributes assigned to the numbers 3 through 9 you can perhaps imagine a merging of the strongest, most driven and aggressive warrior, an unstoppable masculine energy, with the supremacy of the most intuitive, feminine, and cunning goddess. And even that does not reveal the true essence of the 11 Master number: The 11 symbolizes the potential to push the limitations of the human experience into the stratosphere of the highest spiritual perception; the link between the mortal and the immortal; between man and spirit; between darkness and light; ignorance and enlightenment. This is the ultimate symbolic power of the 11." ~numerology.com
The first three years, they have no territory. But then, they claim it. They own it. And they are fiercely protective over it, happy to fight 16 kinds of raptors, snakes, minks & whatever else is in their space.
But stay within the female gesture. We work hard, & are willing to commit, but never alone...Female red-winged blackbirds migrate nearly 230 km farther than males. The create their own populations, which arrive after & stay longer than the males.
It's pretty much all in there. Thank you for this year. For the gift of your resources to our benefactors, the children in Nepal. For your curiosity & willingness.
Let's stay in touch. And when we open the next MOONRISE|13, you are welcome to show up as a participant, live circle sistren, or contributor. If you'd like to be featured in a case study or profile, as a project, platform or dear one, just let me know. All of it is a gift.
xx, Maya
Full Moon PURGE + PRESERVATION.
Full Moon Purge & Preservation
From New Moon to New Moon, this is the light with which we build. It is the dark, the mystery that brings the miracles, while the light brings creative clarity. With the light of this 13th Full Moon, we can take stock of these miracles, along with all that's been, & see clearly the dust of the year. Let's spend the next 24 hours purging what's off, & preserving what's on.
A large mason jar.
1-3 pieces of Moonstone, clean.
Paper + a permanent fine-tip marker.
Today we will be moving thru our spaces here, purging the physical objects that feel dead, dull & dreary. While we're at it, we are also sweeping thru this last compass year, considering the moves that were half-hearted, or well-intentioned, but under-fueled. We are forgiving the mis-takes, the mis-steps & the misunderstandings. We're looking at the friendships, partnerships & collaborations that aren't vital, vibrant & effusive. We don't need to use any force or take action. Purge your space, & send an energetic glance in the direction of what's not needed. Call upon Kali, or your own dark goddess, to, as we sing, "Burn it all away, Kali, burn it all away, if it doesn't serve Kali, burn it all away." All things return to the detritus. Blessings.
All the blessings you've infused into your life have created a foundation of goodness, truth & beauty. Make a list of high points, breakthrus, angels & miracles that you want to preserve & bring into the next 13 months. Begin humming your ceremonial tune, you know, the one that comes to you when you get quiet. Let the prayer move thru you; it's not your prayer, but that of Earth, the Ancestors & the Eternal inviting you into your brightest gesture as a conduit for more brightness. Tape this to your mason jar, filled with fresh spring water. Add your moonstone. Cover it with a cloth or leave it open to the sky. Let it rest under the Full Moon.
As the next year unfolds, add bits of your Full Moon water to your baths, drinking water, soups (after it's on the table, don't cook it), & tinctures. Sip it when you are wanting catalyze projects, conference calls, webinars & presentations. Soak in it when you are feeling down, unsure, unclear & unsettled. Hum your tune. Feel into yourSelf, as conduit. Let your cells be cleansed with brightness, while the rest washes away.
May you glimmer on this Full Moon. It's been a year of great co-creation. (We still have another two weeks together!) Bowing down. Head-to-Floor.
So...the Offering: Automate.
What came most clear from the live Profit Planning Workshop (we'll do another in September & you are very welcome to participate while the crowd is muted) & Masterclass, is that those of you who are online just want to know what systems will automate your platform, so you can spend more time on the mystery, the glimmer, & the depth of light in your work.
I often talk about not outsourcing your learning curve, but I know it's not that you don't really want to do the research, or sit in that gap. It's that these are times when we need to just implement. At least in the U.S., of the 318 million people, 180 million can't find $400 in a life-or-death emergency. This is just the truth. So the emergent urgencies of our days make it irresponsible to go back to business school. Yes.
Your heartwork is not about running online business, I know. So let's offer up some automation so you have the spaciousness to be in practice...
The systems & technology are constantly changing. These are the systems I recommend for 2016. I haven't included any affiliate links. These are just the current black-and-white systems that are great for automating. While you are looking at these, I want you to bring the concept of "evergreen" offerings to your practice.
What would it look like to have an email opt-in that didn't need any help from you?
-For the Moon Storm Sessions, I had a free resource library full of maps, videos & instructions. This was kept on a "locked" page on my Squarespace website.
-For Empress Tides, it's not evergreen, & I haven't outsourced the upkeep of the April-June Lunar Strategy Planner, so it's outdated already. No bueno. Headache.
-For Saturn*s Sister, I sat my ass down & wrote three months of weekly emails, basically just sharing the contributors' posts + photo, along with a new & simple practice. Because it's a mini-economy, which you are all welcome to join once we get our systems down, the main promise for the email offering, 90 Days of Creative Clarity & Calm, was to expose & edify the contributors + their tools, to deepen the sense of community. We made the entire platform feel Instagram-based, so that's also worked into the opt-in, with Instagram/photo prompts. It's also a "sales funnel," meaning, along with value + education, there are plenty of soft & more direct pitches to join the circle or take a course, along with links.
When you are automating, the most important question is, "What is the next thing I want them to do?"
Always, always, always invite your people further into your platform, with the all loops leading to sales pages, opportunities & offerings. When they decline, because it takes people at least 7 times to buy, and months or even years of following you, you still want to lead them to a "downsell," which is basically a something similar, with less content at a lower price point. When they purchase, offer them an "upsell," which is something that cost 1/2-to-5 times more (yes, really, they are buying, do it) that takes their purchase to the next level. Like live events, templates that do the work for them, guides, tech videos, etc.
So think in terms of Calls to Action.
When you automate, for every single page, you must know:
-What you want them to think.
-How you want them to feel.
-What you want them to do.
Every single thing you say & show must be directly related to those things. Because you aren't there, you need to fill in every gap of their experience. My emails are incredibly gushy. Over-the-top. Because I AM INCREDIBLY GUSHY. Those of you who've circled with me know this, I always cry because all of your paths move me to tears. So I don't hold back my gesture, I put it all out there. Whatever is true about your gesture, lay it down.
If you are worried about being too aggressive, then that is great because you will convert sales. Every one of us is a "conscious-creative," or "herbed cacao truffle" personality-type. Which means so are our followers. And the truth is, they respond best to being told what to do. So tell them.
Automation means your platform is running on its own without you.
For solo-entrepreneurs, this means, with no assistant:
- Your social media accounts are sharing helpful content to your followers.
- Every person who emails you is getting a reply from you instantly.
- Your emails are sent out while you have an iced matcha matte before yoga.
For Empress Tides sistren, we have more options, because our community-economy is our platform, with cycles of others doing the marketing, sharing, content creating & automating for us, when we aren't doing it for them. Most of you aren't using community in this way, so I will explain how to do that next week.
When it comes to social media, I very much suggest you pick ONE or TWO & master them in a way that feels healthy to you. It doesn't have to look how other people do it. It just has to create the relationships you need. My Instagram direct messages & texts are my social media. It's all I have time for! I don't have time to hashtag, to curate photo galleries, or respond to comments. But I have time to make invitations & hear people's hearts & share my own, in an intimate, private way. This feeds me without draining me. You need to find your way, but *be honest* about if it's converting. My constituent archetypes & price points allow me to do less. So design it how you need it to go. You just need to provide equal value.
To be clear, you can run an entire $6-figure business on Squarespace alone, with a free Mailchimp account & Instagram + Pinterest. If you do this, just throw your courses into a private back page. Use Paypal or Squarespace Commerce to collect payments.
-Website for clean & versatile design with no coding + cover pages that "sell" your email opt-in: Squarespace
-Creating beautiful PDF's: Pages. (What I use for M|13) In Design. (What we used for Amulet Magazine)
-Setting up recurring payments for memberships: Moonclerk
-Schedule emails in advance and having automated email sequences: Convertkit
-Integrating Convertkit with Squarespace: Zapier & Google Sheets
-Delivering digital products: Squarespace Commerce ($30+/mo). Digital Product Delivery. Gumroad.
-Scheduling Pinterest pins: Tailwind
-Scheduling & doing Instagram posts on your computer: Grum
-Scheduling tweets and Facebook posts: Edgar (I adore the founder, Laura Roeder, she made this for you & has a super-helpful newsletter for simplifying marketing)
-Sending autoresponders to every email that comes in: Gmail (use the vacation autoresponder!)
-Learning how to use design software/ fancy photography & film/ anything creative business-ish: Skillshare. <~I love. Lynda. Way too analytical & boring for me, but it's all there.
-Private Groups that aren't on Facebook: Slack
-Free photo editing & social media image-making: Canva. PicMonkey.
-Classroom automation: Kajabi. (Like Teachable but pricey) Ruzuku. (The founder Abe will hold your hand. SUCH nice people. And beautiful platform) Teachable. (We are using Teachable for Saturn*s Sister because it's a bit of a co-op, & they will let us do affiliates, pay out authors, immediate deposit & also things like $1 first month for memberships. However I can't wrap my head around it at all. Courts is our Author Hand-Holder, so she's doing it. I've been told it's fairly simple. I tried.)
-Managing my brain: Asana (for checklists, team tasks, scheduling, free & my favorite). Basecamp (the same, $). Trello for a post-it-like system.
-Managing media: Evernote for *all the stuff* I use, like notes, saving entire webpages, keeping notes on my family, keeping team notebooks about each project (like notes with details on offerings, roles, payment plans, etc.), storing the bajillion visual things I collect online. Think of it like a giant chest of drawers full of moleskine notebooks.
-Video conferencing with automatic video & audio recording, plus webinar setups: Zoom. I LOVE Zoom. And they will hold your hand.
Send me your automation questions, & I'll see what other resources I can find for you! Blessings on your systems. Wishing you ease.
xx, Maya
TOKENS - Mink. Consistent. Shine.
The minks that live under our docks glisten & glow. They are fast, & sleek, & terrifying to find swimming beside you, because they are fearless & vicious. Luckily we aren't prey & they could care less, so they just move quickly past, up & down our banks & run across the wee patch of sand. They are tiny, & very cute, like long kittens, & extremely protective (that's why they are running around, to check the edges of their turf). There must be some new minks close by, because for the first time we're finding scat on the docks, which means they are marking territory, & glimmering, mysterious piles of giant sequin scales. They are grooming in broad daylight, with us watching.
When a mink preens, it throws open it's jaws every few minutes. I'm reminded of cobras, or big cats with sabers. There's something primal & vicious in it's confidence. The piles of sequins are scales from spiked freshwater bass, which look like mica in the sun. The scat are pure crawfish, including the calcium-packed shells, of course.
Mink shines, because mink is a consistent huntress of dense nutrients.
Mink is asking you to seek only power proteins, & rich, clean fats for your platforms. While you can apply this to your food (I always do), I am actually talking about the influences, materials, classes, books, thought leaders & teachers you consume for your work. When you only consume the highest-caliber nutrition, even your by-products are beautiful :: fertilizer for a more vibrant landscape.
Likewise, Mink is asking YOU to be unapologetically fierce, & protective over your chosen (& given) cause. You cannot create the next level results you are looking to create without committing to impeccable shine.
You, & everything you create becomes exquisite, plush, & precious.
Mink does not exercise caution or hesitation. It executes. I know this is extremely difficult for those of us who are creative-sensitives. There is worry about credibility, being too much, being attacked, being stolen from, doing it right, not wanting to look like you are trying, blah blah blah. Just include all of that. Your tenderness is magic. And instead be a conscious-creative. Remember the world is really, truly in too much peril to be given by any of those concerns. Society is ready for your fearlessness.
We can turn this all with your brightness.
We carry revolutions with our consistent, persistent shine.
"The Wild Woman is the Soul of Creation. She guides all life. She is the divine and the feminine, come crashing to the ground through the one tree reaching—stretching itself— just a little higher than all the others. Her gifts will leave you smoking and singed, but the soul of the world will be in you, pulsing and surging, wildly.
A Wild Woman is not a girls-gone-wild-woman. She is a woman who is forged in fire, a woman who has weathered all storms. A Wildish Woman is not a survivor. She is an alchemical vessel. All that enters her, is transformed. She leaves many broken things in her wake, but what is true, survives.
"If you have yet to be called an incorrigible, defiant woman, don't worry, there is still time." Clarissa Pinkola Estes
By the time you are ready to ask the hard questions, you may feel that your wildness has already been stolen, but the Wild Woman lives at the edges of every womb, in every woman, waiting. The world thought it could chase her out, but she is cunning, she is swift. She travels by moonlight. She listens to the wisdom of the owls. Wild dogs follow her, and while you are simmering, becoming ready, she is already whispering your name over the fire in the palms of her hands.
"Bone by bone, hair by hair, Wild Woman comes back. Through night dreams, through events half understood and half remembered..." Clarissa Pinkola Estes
The Wild Woman rises up from the deep beneath. She chooses the moment to reveal herself in women. Sometimes she is the only true ally, the only trustworthy stranger in a landscape overrun by hell conditions. Sometimes she comes gently, and quietly. Sometimes she comes crashing in as a tidal wave, to put out all your fires, and wash away a past that would strangle the life out of a future. Your future. A future you cannot yet imagine. A future in which the world is waiting for you.
It doesn't matter what you think of yourself, when the Wildish Woman comes calling. Her authority trumps your ego-mess, and she is the totem that has come to shake you awake, to break the enchantments that distort your perception. The Wild Woman is on a rescue mission. She comes to restore your majesty.
A Wild Woman has the sway of dissent in her hips. In a time when all that is natural is outlawed, the Wild Woman becomes a fugitive. She has been driven out of her home town, for feeling too deeply, for naming names, for calling out the systems that break hearts, minds, families, lovers, and human spirits.
You know the Wild Woman is awaking in you when the news makes you quake, not with fear, but with rage. You'll know she is returning when you hear news of a woman being whipped in a public square on the other side of the world, and you start a movement. You'll feel her presence when your womb starts to glow with new life, but the baby inside is a plot to liberate humanity from dry dusty text books of false morality and judgment.
You will become so aware of your own suffering, that you will be unable to justify your cog-in-the-wheel office job, while children freeze in the streets of the richest cities in the world. You will find the One Love inside you and you will be compelled into action. You will sing from the choir of angels in your belly, uncovered by the labors of you and Wild Woman. You will fall out of time and out of space and you will see the truth of what is, and the miraculous what-is-possible.
"Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach." ~Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes
You will know your calling and be compelled into the service that turns your heart into butterfly wings, flapping wildly in the sun. Your blazing sun-star spirit will turn all lies to ash. You will sing, and torches will ignite. You will cry and the earth will heal. The call in you will amplify the call in others, and the deaf will hear and the blind will see.
There is no other life, only dark dreams of fog and drizzle, hateful winds and violent seas. You have been there long enough. Come out of there. Come alive in the light of your own being. Let your wildness howl and sing. There is a world to save. And you, Wild One, are the Wildish Woman for the job." - Alison Nappi
Mouse Wins. Surprise. {Eagle & Mouse}
Eagle came with some fierce indifference, & I had to find the bright attributes of my current sequence, as a woman, as a single person in society's larger needs, as a mother who works. As a mouse, it turns out. The answers that came point to the opportunities of being in our lives, not just in our spiritual practice. If you are looking to scale out, Country Mouse is thriving, abundant, & prolific. She feeds comfortably on the many, many options - including the mess that other leave on the table. (In business, this refers to every opportunity that others failed to take!) Her gesture is foraging + harvesting. Her pace is curious + relaxed + on purpose. Her commitment is maternal.
I thanked eagle for all of us, for showing up as a consistent teacher & guide. The next day, I received this feather, sticking straight up in the woods by my window. Straight up.
Sit with the symbology of City Mouse & Country Mouse. And wonder what it might mean to pick up after the mess of others. What it might mean to work from your innate gesture, in your natural habitat. To sit & savor & surrender into the dignity of your specific limitations, the seeming traps of your people, circumstances & events.
And how you can thrive from what others leave on the table.
And remember your practice. There is no real perspective, & our values are lost without it.
Love. Humility. Curiosity.
So...the Offering: Oils to Soothe the Nerves. & Hang On! {video}
My Loves.
The largest organ of our bodies, the skin, is made of countless nerves, & every last one is agitated from the 85,000 man-made chemicals in our environment, with over 3,000 in the lotions, sprays, & cosmetics we put directly onto our bodies. At CI, we've found that most of us are deathly allergic to the everyday chemicals we put on our skin. And when I say deathly, I do mean that. They manifest in obvious illness, "random" illness, & also an overall sense of stress that we can't put our fingers on (because we are completely numbed out & desensitized by modern clothing, media, sound polution, & the overwhelming needs of making a living/sustaining life). We are killing each other slowly & quickly.
We must believe it's all happening. We don't need to choose between living as activists or abandoning our fellow humans. We just need to follow our brightest impulse to create & have faith in each Other, while society would have us develop a faith in tragedy-as-inevitable. We are here to evolve.
It must start with me. It must start with you.
Let's together take on a practice in soothing the nerves. Literally. Keeping our skin well-oiled removes the frizzed-out, wired sense of panic, anxiety, & general adrenal fatigue that comes from being in fight-or-flight. It protects us from chemicals, soothes itchiness, dryness, scales. It let's us relax at the cell level. We'll do this as a symbolic offering to the world, & to develop our own peace as we offer ourselves to the world in ways that feel healthy to us individually.
You' ll mix a magic jar, of herbs + vodka + carrier oil, which takes a full lunar cycle to create. While it cures, use your extra carrier oil to moisturize your skin each day. This is a prayer. As we soothe our nerves, as Earth's daughters, & mothers, we soothe the nerves of our brothers & sisters. We make ourselves more ready, more steady, & we gain levity in our business & movement.
But first watch this. We have our astral momentum back. Hang on!!
~Waxing Moon Oil ~
A Brightening Prayer for the Collective
Waxing Moon displays the growing, brightening energy, & we are growing our ability to use our voice, to claim our leadership roles in the feminine, Aquarian era. We are learning to say the brightest thing. While the oil cures, we must shake it a bit, every single day. Let us also shake ourselves up, learning more, accepting more, & challenging more, so that we can learn to listen for the brightest commitments of those before us. So we can look for the brightest possibilities in these times. So we can provide the brightest spaces of compassion & empathy for those who need to be in pain, in rage & in revolution. So we can be the brightest force of change in our own lives & communities. We practice so that the rest of the world might practice.
Fresh herbs
Organic almond, olive, grapeseed, or coconut oil
(My grandmother used calming, sweet almond on us a kids, so it's a powerful anchor for me. Something to consider if using with kids)
100 proof vodka
Large Bowl
Two sterilized pint glass jars with lids
Cotton muslin
Begin humming your prayer & intention with a joyful sound that feels light. Start with a fresh jar. Very finely chop enough fresh comfrey, lavender or calendula (or a mix!) to fill 3/4 of the jar. Add 1 T of vodka per quart of oil, to prevent mold from the water in the fresh plants. Pour your oil over the top, & over the herbs by at least 2 inches. If the herbs float to the top, don't worry, you'll shake things up a little every day. Close the jar tightly, & draw the Waxing Moon on the lid. Store it in a cool place out of the sun or heat.
Each day, make an effort to try on a new perspective. I will be joining you. You will be able to hold it; you are using the leftover carrier oil to moisturize & soothe your nerves.
Shake your jar, to distribute the herbs, infuse the oil & remove bubbles of air. Shake your jar, as we shake our society awake, & watch the beauty as the ingredients are upset, & as they settle. We will keep shaking, a little every day.
Every few days open the jar to breathe in the calm. While you're there, make sure the herbs are all under the oil & if there's a bit of mold, just use clean tweezers to remove it (If it's pea sized, you must start over).
When Waxing Moon returns, you are ready to strain your oil for keeps! Take out your second jar, & place your funnel into it. Cut a fairly large square of muslin, at least three inches bigger than the funnel opening. Carefully pour your oil thru the muslin, making sure not to let any plants into your batch. Don't squeeze or press your herbs, or you'll extract the water. Toss the muslin into the compost.
Use your oil everyday, in the bath, on your skin, in your hair. Don't place hands in it directly, just pour small amounts into your palm. Make sure to rub it in & wait a bit before dressing!
I hope this soothes you deeply. What seems only surface is always deeply penetrating. And as within, so without.
xx, Maya
I keep beginning & erasing sentences here. Sometimes I guess you just have to write that, to begin. There's something about stones, & the way they hold truth, that feels like it shouldn't be spoken about. Do you feel this? I know so many of us collect rocks. Not just crystals, but rocks, the kind that call us, that ask to be lifted, & turned & rubbed between the thumb & the pads of our fingers. The kinds that hold the essence of a place.
It feels a bit to me like those power names, that some are given at birth or ceremony, the ones that are to be kept close, never spoken, or revealed, except to create a portal. There is a holographic quality to stones: to hold one is to be transported to the frequency of a specific geography - all that has happened there, & all that will happen, there.
So I can't resist filling my pockets. Can you?
My older brother has always thrown stone as his oracle of choice. His relationship to Viking Runes is truly intimate, & I've spent my life watching him seek solace & answers thru his many sets. When I found these flat, quartz-striped granite bars in Mendocino recently, they asked to be made into a set of runes. I invite you to make a set, as well. While all oracles train the reticular function, fine-tune our frequency, & sharpen our ability to realize intentions, stone has the foundational stability to anchor our intentions with an ancient staying power.
So use your stone oracle to guide games when you're playing for keeps.
To take this further, create a jar of liquid salt to sip as you work with the runes. Our modern soil is mostly depleted of minerals, so a little solarized salt water activates the electricity in our brains, waking us up & speeding connections.
To make it, simply place a few large crystals of pink salt into a jar, then cover to the top with water. This happens to be Himalayan rock salt, available at most health food stores. We have also purchased huge rocks of Utah Ancient Real Salt at the animal feed store for cheap. Just give them a good brush scrubbing under hot water to slough off the outer layer. If you can't find large salt crystals, fill the jar with water, almost to the top. Add crushed salt, & stirring to dissolve. Keep adding more until you have so much it doesn't dissolve. Keep this jar in a sunny spot, to capture the bright, warmth, joy & power of the sun.
I take a tablespoon of solarized salt water every day, mixed in a tall glass of water. Now I'll be taking that glass while I consult my Runes.
It doesn't really matter if you find stones that are distinctly flat, they just need to be more or less uniform with two sides to them. This is the Rune symbology I inherited, though I think it's maybe more powerful to find the words that speak to your archetypes & their edges. Mark one side of each stone with a sharpie, some waterproof paint, or nail polish enamel.
Mostly it's important to have an honest relationship with your stones. When you ask a spot of Earth for permission to bring them home, make an offering of prayer, maybe leaving a bit of dried herbs, a rock cairn, or empty your diva cup. When you ask the stones for their help of truth & stability, make them a vow to live & work inside the principles of truth & stability.
Now YOU become the geographic "home" for your stones. They will gladly be infused with your complexity, & hold the promise of all that will happen for you.
So if you have a listening for yourself that you are a hot mess, that ends now. If you have inherited conversations about yourself as a wreck, overwhelmed, in poverty, unstable, flaky, flighty, dangerous, damaging, combustive, or basket-caseish, that ends now.
"When you pray, enter the room, as if for the last time."
Yes, we are back to the beginning. Again. And you've changed in every way.
With each sip of your salt water, & every thrown stone, you anchor yourself, as a stabilizing force of truth.
You stabilize your life, & life itself. You stabilize your friendships & that stabilizes your community. You stabilize your movement, & the movements of others. You stabilize your body. You stabilize your family. You stabilize your work. You stabilize your message. You stabilize society.
And so it is.
Full Moon Feast.
Full Moon in Capricorn
27 degrees
July 19 | 22:57
Your DISTILLED ASTROLOGY is here.
Oh goodness. It's hard to imagine that any of us could be more full than this. In all the ways.
I want to honor the elegance of who you've been Being.
I think when we are consciously building, with eyes, hearts & minds wide open to what's needed in this current chaos, it's easy to forget to stop & celebrate the co-creations, the current collaborations, & the concrete conversations we are hosting. It's easier to keep our eye on the "goal," because that's what we've been taught - get to high school, plan your way to college, & find a funnel (er, career) to squeeze into. Of course families & communities don't grow in straight lines & tight tunnels. So things might feel taught.
And yet, you *have* been celebrating. From your shares, directly & also on your platforms & social media, I've seen so much balance. So much charisma in your Way with the current moment. Being where you are. Doing what you're doing.
I'll be feasting to you tonight. I know many of us will be feasting under the moon tonight, celebrating our accomplishments this last year. I hope you join us where you are.
So...the Offering:
Pack a celebratory picnic of your favorite high-energy treats, & gift yourself with a horizon-soak, under the full moon. Let yourself indulge in the long view, while also holding the Great Fullness. In full brightness, let yourself soak in what you have, the gifts of what you have to do, & what you've done with those gifts thus far. Release the rest.
This is what life looks like when it's working.
MOONRISE|13 follows the gesture of Capricorn, the goat that loves to find it's place at the top of the mountain. It's a practice in ascending, elevating, & rising our perspective, our understanding, & ultimately our voices into their brightest expressions.
And, of course, we are mere mortals! These are a few of my favorite tinctures for tempering any energy that's "over the top." You know. Overwhelm. Overfilling. Overworking. Overexcitement. Overseeing. Overthinking. Overestimating. Overreaching. Overextending.
Just naming them off feels like too much. I'll stop there. You know your overage. You can get these at the local health/whole foods shop, or right here.
White Chestnut
Encourages a peaceful & calm mind when thoughts are going round & round in your head. Perfect for when you are stuck on a neural loop.
Helps you relax when you are overexcited or very driven.
Allows you to develop your natural leadership without being domineering & inflexible.
Allows for your ease at making big life changes & fulfilling ambitions free from the influence of others.
Allows the naturally strong to take breaks without struggling on without breaks.
So this Full Moon, I invite you to let yourself (and others!) off the hook. We must continue to make our lives into movements, bringing in support at every possible chance. And supporting others in the ways that are ease*full* and obvious.
Actually those are great questions to ask when you are invited in. Is it easeful? Is it obvious? Let your body tell you. The answers might be "no," but your body might say "hell yes."
That's pretty much how I feel about you.
xx, Maya
Sister, we are in a multitude of revolutions.
At this moment my heart is bursting with the full weather of a women's emotions. There is so much good. And there is so much still tragic. Life's 10,000 joys & 10,000 sorrows.
And I know that you are in your own creative tension. The space between the sweetness of your own life, the actual capacity of the life you have been given, & the almost bizarre combination of privilege, deprivation, brilliance, neglect, talent, & abandonment that only you know. Only you feel the precious beloveds you hold in your daily attentions, that deserve every moment of your gaze in this life.
And this is why we collaborate. This is why we are here, returning to a way when women get their chores done & their needs met by the efforts of a community.
And. We have a larger responsibility. Women hold the boys as they become men. Women are the ones who once told them when to stop.
We must each enter into a program of voice recovery. I don't know what that means to you.
Because your voice might mean your hands, as you make. Your voice might be the thumbs you sit on while a woman births. Your voice might be the sway in your hips, or the soil on your feet as you stand determined to work with the soil. Your voice might be tired legs, making pancakes & washing dishes upon dishes.
With honest tears in my eyes I thank you.
A rare Luna Moth, a male, has come forward to thank you.
He came thru the woods, because he is attracted to the moon & the light. He follows the scent of female, the scent of one who forwards life. He is huge, almost 5 inches, with false eyes to protect his short, week-long life. Both males & females come without mouths! They are not here to eat, their voice is their ability to love, their one purpose. To love.
{Science would say it's to reproduce. We know better.}
Like you, Luna Moth is here to perpetuate a series of cycles. To perpetuate transformation:
Connect. Love. Lay down life. Die inside the promise of new life. Hatch.
Eat. Molt.
Eat. Molt.
Eat. Molt.
Spin a protective cocoon & turn to mush. Leave the protection & climb with wet wings to new heights. Pulse. When night comes...Flight. Towards the light.
Ah, there is so much gorgeous life & death in all of that. So many moments of protection. Of right timing. Of waiting. Of building up & shedding.
There are byproducts to all of this. These are the Satuniidae, the Giant Silkworms. Their silk, their protection, given by an impulse to love & perpetuate life, is stronger than steel. This is true.
This is true for you, too.
The shelters you weave are stronger than steel.
They have two generations each year, those that know to sleep in their cocoons thru Winter, & those that come after them, thru the Spring & Summer.
This is true for you, two.
You know when to rest. You know when to sit inside of a protective nest. You know when your seasons are. {And. What do you think of birthing in a big way, only twice a year?}
I am fascinated by how they collect nourishment & grow, then molt, 5 times in the course of weeks. They change, fast. Unattached to outer skins. On Purpose.
How fast can you move thru old shells? Can you grow fast, in service to the light & the love?
This doesn't mean you need to put yourself out there in ways that aren't right for you. They fly, only at night, in Spring and early Summer. Of course they are glamorous.
When is it right, for you? What is your glamour?
They use the dark as a protective cloak, & have those big false eyes to deter predators.
It's okay to have your boundaries. To move in the dark. I am this way. I like to work behind the scenes. And sometimes it's more than okay to be seen for what you actually are.
But then again, maybe you need to move thru 5 cycles of nourishment, growth & shedding before you, too, can produce 200 eggs.
Are there five books, or bits of knowing you are wanting to follow? Or 5 patterns you are ready to transform & shed for forever?
Or maybe you have grown enough, & you need to retreat.
Some of you have been building nonstop our entire time together. And your brain is turning to mush. Please. Stop. Take space. Trust that you've grown & built & shed & now you need to break down in peace.
RETREAT. PROTECT YOUR SPACE. Turn to soup.
When you come out, you will see the strength of what you've already built. Take some space for re-entry. And you will have glamour. And you will have wings.
You also will have a new balance between your masculine & feminine. It's a paradigm shift. You will be a different source of light for others, attracting new collaborations. And you will have a new nose for those poised to forward life with your partnership.
After so many years of seeking nourishment in the form of other's wisdom schools, & other thought leaders, you are ready to lead your own conversations. Yes, you do this some already.
Luna Moth is a mystic, usually connected to psychic knowing & the feminine. But this is a male, asking you to trust in your power. In your ability to fertilize your own. To balance your quiet & shadows with a showy glamour. To keep boundaries, keep your seasons & to enjoy this process fully, as the cycles are short, & life is short. You are a gift, one who illuminates. You don't need to crawl, you don't need to inch along, & you don't need to munch on just leaves. Your Way, completely unique to you, is your voice, & it's given by love. A gift for the world. Needed.
Thank you. Again & again.
So...the Offering: Hike Your Talk
As you begin to speak your beliefs out loud, I invite you to join orators from many traditions, including those of ancient Greece, & take your talk to the Path. I flesh out all of my presentations while hiking. Yes. I speak, out loud, by myself, in nature. I also speak, out loud, repeating myself over & over again, while jumping from root to rock to stump with my kids. They find this hilarious, especially when I change the words, or repeat things that aren't tasting right in my mouth. Oftentimes they tell me better ways to say something or call me on concepts that need simplifying.
This might seem a little odd, if you're used to having one-on-one conversations, with no intention of ever repeating yourself. I mean, why would you, that's embarrassing! When I first began hearing my friends repeat their concepts, or their "story," I admit it took some getting used to. I have an aversion to it! At the same time, I consistently invest in thought leaders who've taken the time & given the love & attention needed to clean up their invitation. So you'll have to dance with this some, to find your place between form & spontaneity. It doesn't come from winging it. It comes from knowing it. You need to know your work that well.
This is really a willingness to walk into a hidden ravine, into a shadowy bit of path, to see where it's wanting to take you to, -> your flow. <-
Literally, & symbolically. It's a series of mini-sentence-long initiations, to discover connections & treasures that are waiting to dialogue with you. It's about crystal-clear values, language, & teaching objectives that are currently invisible to your mind, because they live on your heart floor. It's about a lucid mission statement that runs thru everything you say, & an irresistible invitation. This is the same as practicing music, sculpture, watercolor, or sewing. It's about getting past the learning curve so you can have style.
Let's go with that for a moment: When I don't sew for a few years, I make crappy clothes. I forget the tricks & my intuition takes a backseat to my awkward attempt to settle into my chair. I'm not set up for it - so I rummage thru stacks of fabric & seek out all the possible bits, like zippers & snaps & elastic. I don't set up the boys right either, & there's accidents. There's nothing pro about it! I end up with an unfinished skirt for some gratification, when I really wanted a sexy, strappy tunic.
Lack of practice takes us Off Path.
* * * * *
The month before my TEDx talk, my father, stepmother & little brother appeared out of nowhere, on my front steps. They planned to stay a month, & he brought no budget for food, or car, or shelter. It was my first sign that he was losing it. My brothers & I scrambled all month to get his needs met, and, it was the last chance I had to really be with him while he still really knew me. So I never practiced my talk in a formal, timed way. I took my recorder on my daily medicine walks & talked. I talked & talked, & tried to get it down to 18 minutes. I never got it down to 45! But I knew it.
When I got to the venue, Gabby Bernstein, Mama Gena, Ingrid Vanderveldt, Dr. Lissa Rankin, Alisa Vitti & the other women were in tight, bright dresses, with long legs & long hair & heels. They gathered at a tall counter to curl their hair, do their makeup & they sounded like a jungle of glorious birds. I never felt like such a mom! In order for me to have gotten in there, I would have had to climb up on the counter. So I put my dress in the closet. I took off my shoes, & I threw away my talk. I was second, so I just walked out there & began blowing some angry poetry from my teen activism days. Words that anchored my body to freedom of speech. Then I began saying what I knew, from all my practice. I winged it! I had barely gotten started when I saw the 15 minute flag, & so I just tied the whole thing up & thanked them.
When I sat down, Gabby turned to me & said, "Umm, that was hella cool & hella wise & can we like hang out?" I didn't actually know who she was, but now I do, & the woman practices!
D always says to leave people on a high, it doesn't matter if they got all the information.
I trusted that. Because I knew the things I had shared were the things I meant to say, & all that I could say in the time I had, I walked off stage complete.
It wasn't perfect - it was raw & unpolished & a little too human.
And. That talk became my 3-month Legacy Design Intensive. Which became Moonstorm, Soulstorm, Matrilumina at Esalen, & Bright Livelihood. It became some of what we do here. That talk became a spirit-based, philanthropic business school.
Even if you are a visual artist or a farmer. Preparation. Cell-level clarity. Knowing. Spontaneous power & natural teaching. Not just when you talk. Every time you are On Purpose.
Your clear why will bring in the movement of support that is your birthright.
xx, Maya
I do believe in effort. I honor all your effort.
And there are these winds of ease. These moments of grace.
Kite appeared, like this, for the first time ever. I didn't know, actually, who I was looking at - she's like an owl, and a pigeon. A seagull, & a swallow.
She also reminds me a bit of Archangel Raphael, the bouncer of the Universe. My oldest, Mahal, has talked intimately to him, his whole life, to keep him safe. From 4-7 years old, when he had post-traumatic stress disorder from my illnesses, he used be terrified to sleep; he said he could see everyone, over times before & times coming. He would cover his head & call Raphael, then I'd hear murmuring, & soon enough I'd see his stiff body soften under the covers. He'd lower the sheets & say, "Okay, he's here."
I had been wondering about my own sanity this week, as I am completing our M|13 time together, setting up the field guides & automations for next season, & also watching the authors, sister keepers & muse collective line up for Saturn*s Sister. I don't like a lot of work on my plate. I like freedom. I like it more than everything, & anything at all.
So when I saw this hawkish angel, I couldn't help but murmur, "Okay. She's here."
That night one of the "pro-Instagrammers," a gentle & natural minimalist with 122k followers, sent me a request: "Can we be set up as affiliates? So that those of us who are struggling can get some help, now? As influencers we give a lot, & I love to support smaller artists who can't pay us, but instead send us clothes, & beautiful handmade things. I don't work with the bigger companies that can pay us, but sell junk. I really feel good about this, & I feel REALLY excited about Saturn*s Sister, like I can make an income aligned with my values. I will do whatever it takes to make this work!"
Okay. She's here.
This is what it looks like to have a healthy collaboration make itself known.
Saturn*s Sister was created because one of you - a MOONRISE sister had built an Instagram following of 50k, but no income. Two more MOONRISE sisters said, "Can someone else PLEASE do all the marketing for us, while we just make content & teach?" BOOM
Let me break down some numbers for you guys.
-The average million-dollar business has just over 1k followers
-50k + 144k followers = A small, self-sustaining economy
Now that there's a chance to get paid for promotion, the others are ecstatic. And that means...dunt-da-dah! LESS WORK FOR ME.
And overnight, we are less a business, & more of a co-op. A platform. A movement.
So this is the gift of Kite. She is the *most* graceful in her flight, & teaches us how.
When asked to do affiliate links, I could have said no. That it slices into our profit. But grace says "YES. Sure. I don't know how. How do you do it?"
Kite asks you to observe carefully as resources appear from thin air. She shows you how to maximize results with little or no effort.
Why should you spend years building up a list of followers, when your gift is elsewhere? Or why should you create content or teach, if you are an artist, musician or chef who inspires others & has a gorgeous following? Or doesn't, but can find others who do? Or whatever your gifts & your missings - the nourishment needed to make your initiative a movement are there. In the field.
Kite is a skimmer, bringing a black-&-white perspective to the fields below her. She's able to move into the scurry with a sense of gilded skill & balance, gliding with speed to collect her nourishment. She is a bit in the spirit world, & informed by an unseen knowing.
Skim the field, balancing your intuition with an analytical eye. Notice the information, the resources, the people who are positioning themselves for their own advancement, glory, impact & transformation. Notice the ones that need you & what you offer. This is where you will find your nourishment. Go in. Trust it. The Eternal, as always, is somehow feeding your impulse. Everything you really need is right there.
And when they ask you for what they need, trust in your capacity. Say YES. Sure. I don't know how. How do you do it?
xx, Maya
Photo: Jason Crotty/Flickr Creative Commons
So...the Offering: Your Big Talk
"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." Simon Sinek
Whether you are a business owner, a movement builder, or a dancer, your audience wants to be moved. People don't want to be sold anything, ever. We want to feel, & we want to join something that magnifies our best understanding, with new possibilities.
We also want to be alive, & we invest in "supplements," or experiences that magnify our sense of pulse. Humans don't generally realize they are measuring resonance, but we all do - our entire magnetic field is trying to keep us each healthy & vibrant & alive. Lack of confidence, hustling, scarcity, stale breakthrus & regurgitated concepts are repelling to the field. So you want to have ideas, concepts, & art that are clean, clean, clean.
When it comes to building authority, it's really just a matter of placing yourself above the line of super-credibility. How? By teaching.
For seemingly silent marketing, forgo marketing for teaching. Share the best you have.
The fastest way to clarify your core teachings is to generate a TED-style talk. The creative constraint of 18 minutes forces your most distilled ideas.
For the next month, begin recording yourself as much as possible:
"I believe..."
After a few days of this, you will notice a few spider-silk threads, strong enough to build a web, a shelter, and even a landscape with.
Don't worry yet about forming a full talk. Start with "I believe..."
We will work with your talk for a few weeks. For now, work with the fullness of our moon, & let your beliefs spill.
Start from your edge. For my wordsmiths, it's not about beliefs, it's about voice. For those who use their voices, strengthen your concepts. For those who overflow with concepts, what are the stories that mingle with those beliefs? For those with just stories, yes! Not only is it true that "facts tell, stories sell," stories move us. They change us & shift us & open our eyes & our beliefs. Your stories will cause us to act different. So your edge is being with the audience. What do you believe?
I adore this talk for so many reasons. Simon Sinek discusses the principal behind every successful person and business. A simple but powerful model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?"
xx, Maya
So...the Offering: Drop the Cargo. Zoom Past It
With Mars still in retrograde, everything is taking forever. Things are moving slowly, & there's plenty of hurry-up-and-wait, despite the fact that you are working it. Well. Are you working it?
It's easy to find ourselves deep in social media, because it's addicting. Remember, the oxytocin hits let you know you're all in with the tribe, & it confuses your biology into relaxing. It's easy to find ourselves in the fridge, peering for goodies. For myself, it's really easy to set up my work space & family, & then unconsciously head out for a long, long walk. I believe we are in right time & right place. That this is all good parasympathetic, deep ahhhhh-inducing work. And all the stalls that keep showing up are part of the greater balance.
And for those who've been reporting deep tensions & tustles, well...we are in Gemini. The lesson here is to include all of it. And all the planets in retrograde this month are talk-it-thru planets. So we have to do lots of talking. Negotiating. Listening & speaking to learn, not to agree or disagree. It will look like stand-offs. It will look like dead-ends. It can look like a series of triumphs of the human Spirit. It can look like investing in each other long term, seeing & being seen. So we need to free up energy for this kind of thing.
And so how do we focus on creating, profits & launches, when Mars does not bring his power punch until August 22nd - when we are winding down MOONRISE|13? How do we get everything we came here for? We must also bring another layer of momentum & commitment to compensate for the universal slow-down.
I took a sail this morning. It's not my usual - sailing scares the shit out of me. There's a lot of yelling, bars flying around, jumping or crawling from one side of the boat to the other, to lean, LEAN, or else we're flipping over. And then we are in the water. {There's sharks in there} And then there is the unattractive athletic feat of jumping on keels to make everything come right. It's an exact science, and one that requires riding the winds. The invisible currents.
It's business.
And actually, if someone is committed enough to bring all the pieces & people together, and to *lead,* it's insanely fun. An adventure. A medium risk, with higher reward. Those winds are gateways & opportunities for moments of mastery & momentum. To catch them is to have your hair blown back, to laugh, & to collaborate in complete & total freedom.
Sailing fast, & the high of catching choice winds, doesn't work well if there's too much cargo on board.
You need to lighten the ship.
I needed to! Saturn*s Sister, a circle/school we've created with M|13 sister Tiff DeLancy, has an author/sisterkeeper/muse collective with over 3 million followers on Instagram & email. All of them have been waiting for me to say "go!" Me, too. It's been moving at the speed of molasses while I focus on you guys, & in my life.
So last week I looked all over the house for things I could toss & purge. Not little things, but things that equaled the weight I wanted to move forward. I couldn't find anything. It needed to be big, something that, if dropped, could be like cutting the anchor chains.
So I excavated my more subtle stress & found...two precious, & seemingly needed email accounts:
-email@example.com had all my assistant's market research. Opt-ins, lead magnets, freebies, interviews, case studies from my clients, their credit cards & personal, private applications. Maps from their sessions.
-email@example.com, held testimonials galore from 2010-2014. All the personal, sweet email from our alumni & also from those I shared stage time with as a speaker. There was also evidence against clients that had no integrity. Somewhere I've always intended to mine this account for everything I "needed." Someday.
These were my treasure chests, full of ores & precious things. And so...I hit delete. On both accounts. POOF.
I am 8 years younger. I have no evidence. No testimonials. No research. I am a beginner again.
Ready to learn how to sail. I am humbled. And I am getting a LOT done. I am seeing what's missing. I am sitting down at my desk & doing the work, while being with my family in a way that feels easy, & calm. We are eating brighter meals, & playing, because I'm inspired. I am strangely stoked at having to really do some work here.
So...the Offering...Drop the Cargo. Zoom Past It.
What can you drop, that's holding a lot of emotional & heavy significance? What subtle security is tethering you to an anchor of scarcity? Can you cut the chains? How can you hit delete? Let the release be a prayer for velocity, & a declaration of lightness. Give it to the ethers for transmutation. Zoom past it.
You can't lose what's truly yours.
xx, Maya
So...the Offering: The Map is the Plan
A launch can feel impossible. It can take forever. A tree, walking thru the woods. It happens.
It doesn't have to be that slow & laborious, though. Here's my learning from my own launches & those of our partners & alumni. It's never been easier to pull profits online, because the tech gods have been racing each other to make it as seamless, gentle & possible for us. I'm referencing your copy of On Path thru out this recording, & this is an entire, complete business model. As usual, though, it's open-ended, for you to custom to your particular gesture.
We want your launches to be as easy, duplicatable, & effective in creating growing your audience + profits as possible. First things, first. The Map is the Plan. I love you. I love your way. Maya
So what is your movement or business an expectation of? What systems & directions are needed?
Wild Prickly Pear is showing us how important it is to have very specific expectations in place, and then systems to direct what we are expecting. This isn't about human expectations & attachment. This is about designing your business or movement as a living entity that works correctly. Like the spines work as a filter, just like you need to filter out those you don't serve. The flowers are an expectation of light & bees, the gnarly roots an expectation of rain. Figure out what you need, & design your systems to capture these things. For example:
Work: Online Wisdom School
Expectation: Sold-Out E-Course
Systems + Direction: Social media series, email offerings, webinars or valuable posts directly related to the course benefits, & designed to capture emails. A series of emails that offer education, goodness, truth & beauty related to your course. Just a really high-quality taste of your course content, with clear invitations to sales page sprinkled in. An impeccable sticky sales page with why's, benefits, what's included, bonuses, & maybe a timer. Once they register, automated delivery systems.
Work: Film on Music Festival Culture
Expectation: Indie Film Festival Selection + Distribution
Systems + Direction: Impeccable website with trailers + pitch, optimized to share on social media. Maybe invitations to get involved or hold a screening. A clear, prepared pitch. A few well-know or highly regarded hubs involved. Press releases. Innovative viral marketing movement, like a Look Book, or series of trailers on eclectic festival personalities.
Work: Live Gatherings
Expectation: Ecstatic, Sold-Out Retreat Participants
Systems + Direction: Location & Dates secured. Impeccable website with photos that show the feel of the event, the facilitators & participants. Sticky sales page (not a lot of other links, preferably no other links) & a clear call to action, like Register Now. Leading up to the website, a series of communications to your list & targeted public directly related to the benefits of the event. Before, during & after treats to uplevel participant experiences.
Work: Digital App version of Wisdom School
Expectation: Funding
Systems + Direction: Business status filed (S-corp, B-corp, LLC, non-profit). Bank accounts opened. Impeccable pitch deck. Prepared presentation + elevator pitch. 1-sheets & percentages all broken down, paperwork complete.
Crowd-sourced funding = campaign set up thru a system like Indiegogo, kickstarter, or Kiva. Rewards set up & designed. Phone call scripts + email templates to invite family, friends & their family & friends to share + give at various points along.
Private funding = 1-sheet explaining the invitation to invest. Time to have the many phone calls. Maybe brokers or affiliates seeking funding for upfront cash or a backend percentage.
So what are you expecting?
What systems & directions are needed?
If you get stuck, just keep asking, What happens before this? What happens after this? Then get in dialogue with someone who gets what you're doing, & someone supportive & wonderful who doesn't know what you are doing. They will tell you what else is needed! But don't do all of it.
Don't worry. We break this down for those of you doing online launches, in this copy of On Path. I'll walk you thru it tomorrow.
xx, Maya
So...the Offering: Your Magic Number
Many of you are requesting support to pull profits online, so we'll focus here. Online business is a rabbit hole of exponential tunnels. I don't want you freaking out, which every. single. online. entrepreneur. does. So, okay, I guess I can't control that. BUT. Really. You only have to do a couple of things. The right things. {evil laugh. hahhahhaha} The right ones for you.
Recently Vidda freed me when she said, "What's your power number? Use it for everything." Yes, with a mom's authority.
SEVEN. Just thinking of it feels good to me. It's different than my numerology numbers - which are important to know & absolutely on. It's just a number that strengthens me. (I think I was seven, actually, when Hello Kitty magazine assigned it to me. They were right) And, it has it's own numerological meaning, of course.
Well. Holy number magic. In every domain of my life, it's crazy how much pressure has been removed. How much clarity came into play. How much I don't have to do, to take on, to accept or to navigate. Because if the problem/opportunity/solution/
adventure/invitation/piece of furniture/coffee date/pool party isn't in my precious chosen SEVEN, then that means... well let's be honest. That means I can't handle it. Not with grace. <~ KEY
No thank you.
No thank you.
No thank you.
I mean, there's already 6 people in my house. This means only one grandparent at a time! Only one playdate at a time. Only one friend in my life that day - or week! Only one thing. PHEW.
And. The joy. The inspiration I can bring to each thing! My energy is not disseminated. I am very happy to say - I can't! My dance card is filled.
So what Is your power number?
Use it to focus your efforts, because copyrighting, curriculum-shuffling & implementing technology bits can be overwhelming. If you don't have a power number - oh, NICE. You get to pick one. As always, your body will tell you. But you can also pick by aligning the symbolic power of each number with your energetic address & beacons. I'm fairly certain they will be the same.
If not, let me know! More learning for me on how you realize. More awe, for me.
xx, Maya


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TORONTO, Nov. 19 /CNW/ - Spectral Diagnostics Inc. (TSX:SDI) today announced that it has entered into a non-exclusive license and material supply agreement with Bio-Rad Pasteur S.A., a leader in the manufacturing and distribution of a broad range of products for the life science research and clinical diagnostics markets. Under the terms of the agreement, Spectral will provide Bio-Rad with its leading single chain Troponin I reagents. "We are very pleased to partner with a company of Bio-Rad's stature and market reach. Bio-Rad's readiness to partner with us is a testament to our ability to generate and commercialize products of high quality, value and utility," said Dr. Paul Walker, President and CEO of Spectral Diagnostics. "Most significantly, the consistent revenue stream over the term of the agreement will continue to provide our company with the non-dilutive capital necessary to focus on Spectral's core business, the commercialization of our FDA cleared EAA(TM) Endotoxin Activity Assay for the detection of endotoxemia and the subsequent risk for Sepsis." Spectral's proprietary single chain Troponin I reagents are now in use by five major international reagent supply and instrumentation companies. About Bio-Rad Pasteur S.A. Bio-Rad Pasteur S.A. is a subsidiary of Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc (AMEX: BIO and BIOb), a company that has remained at the center of scientific discovery for more than 50 years manufacturing and distributing a broad range of products for the life science research and clinical diagnostics markets. The company is renowned worldwide among hospitals, universities, major research institutions, as well as biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for its commitment to quality and customer service. Founded in 1952, Bio-Rad is headquartered in Hercules, California, and serves more than 85,000 research and industry customers worldwide through its global network of operations. The company employs over 6,300 people globally and had revenues of nearly $1.3 billion in 2006. For more information, visit www.bio-rad.com. About Spectral Diagnostics Spectral is a developer of innovative technologies for comprehensive disease management. Spectral technologies provide accurate and timely information to clinicians enabling the early initiation of appropriate and targeted therapy. Current products include Spectral's FDA approved rapid diagnostic for sepsis (EAA(TM)) and its FDA approved rapid diagnostic for West Nile Virus (RapidWN(TM)), as well as a range of other biological reagents. Spectral is listed on TSX under the symbol SDI. Forward-looking statement Information in this news release that is not current or historical factual information may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of securities laws. Implicit in this information, particularly in respect of the future outlook of Spectral and anticipated events or results, are assumptions based on beliefs of Spectral's senior management as well as information currently available to it. While these assumptions were considered reasonable by Spectral at the time of preparation, they may prove to be incorrect. Readers are cautioned that actual results are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the availability of funds and resources to pursue R&D projects, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the ability of Spectral to take advantage of business opportunities in the biomedical industry, the granting of necessary approvals by regulatory authorities as well as general economic, market and business conditions, and could differ materially from what is currently expected. The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this statement. %SEDAR: 00002006E
For further information:
For further information: Dr. Paul Walker, President & CEO, (416) 626-3233 ex. 2100; James Smith, Investor Relations, (416) 815-0700 ext. 229, firstname.lastname@example.com
Spectral Diagnostics Inc.
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Join us & a great line-up of speakers at the @NEPIC_Ltd #Bioresources Conference 2018 including @GreenLizardTech… https://t.co/yLvO5nD4A6
Chief Executive
Originally from Leicestershire, I moved to the North East to work as the Production Manager for Glaxo at their large…Read More
Office Manager & PA to Chief Executive
Having worked in both public and private sector organisations, across many aspects of business; shipping, not for profit, charitable, NHS,…Read More
Project Administrator
My passion is helping SMEs and gain great job satisfaction if I feel that I've helped them. Over the years…Read More
PR & Communications Manager
Even though I'm a marketing person by trade, my true passion is copywriting. I thoroughly enjoy looking at an audience…Read More
Business Development Manager
Currently the Business Development Manager for the SME Growth Programme covering the NELEP region. I was delighted to join NEPIC…Read More
Engagement Manager
I look after the services NEPIC provides to our members - contact, opportunities and networking meetings; including Cluster Connect. I…Read More
Director of Projects, SME's & Supply Chain
I am a Chemical Engineer who started with ICI in 1977 and worked in various businesses including plastics, petrochemicals, fertilisers…Read More
Senior Graphic Designer
Based at NEPIC's Sunderland office, I look after the design of printed and online marketing materials for both NEPIC and…Read More
Project Manager
I have recently joined NEPIC as a Project Manager following 27 years' experience in the Steel Industry covering a wide…Read More
Membership Manager
I will be spending the next few months looking after the services provided to members, making sure that you get…Read More
Membership Director
I am the NEPIC Project Manager for the Innovate Tees Valley Project. Prior to this, I worked on the BASME Programme…Read More
Project Associate
I am the NEPIC Project Associate for the Innovate Tees Valley Project bringing over 20 years' experience in business advice,…Read More


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Signs of Excellence, LLC provides interpreting services to Deaf, hard of hearing, Deaf-Blind and hearing clients in Birmingham, Alabama and surrounding areas. Our interpreters are skilled in American Sign Language (ASL), English sign systems (SEE 1, SEE 2, LOVE and CASE), and Contact Variety Language (pidgin).
We got our start serving the deaf community in South Florida and made our name by providing cost-effective interpreting services that are in compliance with ADA law. Seeing a need in Alabama we committed to serve this community under the leadership of Jill Moran.
No matter what your sign language interpreting needs may be, we have the skills and experience to provide them. Whether an interpreter is required for single or ongoing assignments, or at various sites, we will provide the highest quality professional interpreters available. Our interpreters demonstrate excellent verbal English skills as well as provide accurate interpretations that seamlessly integrate cultural mediation.
When you hire Signs of Excellence, LLC;
- The interpreting services we provide for your deaf clients will ensure that your company is compliant with the ADA law.
- You are provided cost-effective services.
- You will be provided skilled, qualified and credentialed sign language interpreters to serve at your location.
- We encourage smarter service provision through coordinated services for multiple-client situations.
- We will be your information ally, directing your tax preparation professional to the federal IRS guidelines for Disability Access Tax Credit.
- You will be provided with exceptional customer-driven response quality, ever mindful of the communication needs of hearing and D/HH clients.
- Our interpreters are credentialed EXCLUSIVELY throughout the communities we serve.
- Our interpreters behave ethically in accordance with the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf's Code of Professional Conduct (CPC) and cover all HIPPA (Healthcare Information Protection and Portability Act) requirements.
About Jill Moran
Signs of Excellence, LLC proudly announces its Director of Operations for Alabama, Jill Moran, of Chelsea, AL. Eleven years in business, Signs of Excellence, LLC has served throughout Florida and is proud to establish a business footprint in greater Birmingham. "Our goal is to serve alongside those professionals already here in order to facilitate a greater awareness of Deaf/HH communication access rights and to hire the most skilled professionals for each assignment," said Deborah Wesson Gibson, CI/CT, owner and founder of the firm.
"Since 1990, the ADA law has been on the books. Title III, Section 36.303, mandates the provision of skilled qualified interpreting services as a reasonable accommodation." Gibson said. "We look forward to earning the community's trust as a credible, ethical organization under the capable leadership of our director, Jill Moran."
Jill Moran was born under the blue star at Carraway Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. Owing to her father's career with Chicago Bridge and Iron, Inc. (CBI) Jill moved often, attending several schools. Following the moves, including a time in Scotland, she returned home to Alabama. Her interpreter training included time in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Chattanooga, Tennessee.
In 1997 she achieved dual national certification with a Certificate of Interpretation and Certificate of Transliteration (CI/CT) from RID, the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Her 25-year experience includes business, post-secondary, K-12, medical, vocational rehabilitation, mental health, legal, and community assignments. Most recently, Moran interpreted for Gov. Kay Ivey to be sure Alabama's Deaf/HH community was informed during Hurricane Irma.
"I am energetic about connecting the business community with services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing consumers. I feel that my connections in the Deaf and Interpreting Communities will give heart to making sure we can provide services to businesses wishing to fulfill their legal and ethical obligation to communication access."
Moran is a member of RID nationally and the Alabama chapter, ALRID. She is a member of The Church of the Highlands, Greystone campus. Jill enjoys mission work, time at the beach, and SEC Football! Most important is time with her daughters, Allison, Susannah, and Emily, who are the light of her life.
Contact Us
Just because you have hired an interpreter, you still may not be compliant with federal civil-rights communication access laws? We make sure our clients are compliant with all access laws. Let us earn your trust, one appointment at a time.
To learn more about how to hire skilled, qualified sign language interpretation services, please visit our website at www.signsofexcellencellc.com/alabama or call, text or FaceTime Jill Moran at (205)275-0564.


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Have Trouble Putting on Size? Practice These Tips to Get Bigger
Only people who have tried to gain weight and failed will understand the difficulty of this tremendous challenge.
The goal is to get bigger but for a lot of use what we really want to know is how to eat more.
People will tell you that you are so lucky that you can eat whatever you want and not put on weight.
It's as if you are lucky because you will always be where they want to be, and yet your goals and wants aren't as important.
Being big enough to get to your desired goal can be difficult and as such, I want to be able to help you decide what to eat to gain weight.
The other important piece is how to actually that gain weight since it can be difficult to eat more food when your stomach feels like it's going to explode. Lets get this figured out together.
I've compiled the 5 best methods for eating smart and putting on size with the right nutrition:
1 – Be Aware of Food(download an ap)
The most important rule about putting on size for anyone who wants to gain weight is this: you must consume enough food!
This is often a problem for youth athletes and "hard-gainers" (men and women who naturally don't put on much weight). The key to overcoming this is to be aware of what you are consuming.
To do this, I recommend using an app like MyFitnessPal or MyPlate so you can record what you're eating and learn to pay attention to your food intake. These apps let you submit everything you eat and get the caloric breakdown and contents of each food. It's just enough to raise your awareness about how many calories you're eating in a day.
The more you realize that you are probably not eating enough on a regular basis will allow you to make active change. Awareness is the first step to solving any problem so if you get reliable information about what and how much you are consuming you increase your chances of success.
These apps are very simple and I recommend you test one out for 2 weeks to learn a few things about your own eating habits. At the end of every meal just look at plugging in what you ate. For example, this is what the MyPlate looks like on my phone. There are easy to use entry buttons that I can click on to add my foods after each meal. For my current goal is to move up to 180 lbs from 175 so it gives me caloric goal of 2755.
When you hit the breakfast button, it will take you to a recently tracked foods section which makes things simple for future use. Start entering the foods that you eat and they will be logged for life. This simplifies the process and makes entering your breakfast lunch and dinner seamless.
Here is an example of me plugging in my breakfast. It has a nice handy little Servings sections which will allow you to adjust the amount that you ate. Then it will break down the amount of carbohydrate, fat and protein that you consumed for that specific meal. With my four egg breakfast, I consumed roughly 25 g of protein, 19 g of fat and 1.44 g of carbs. It also lets me know that I consumed 288 calories.
As you can see this will log back into your main screen so that you know how many calories you have left to reach your goal. You can then also see if you are reaching your daily fat, protein and carbohydrate goals.
This process of inputting food seems overly simple but don't let that fool you. Taking the time to know what you are eating creates a world of difference in what you will decide you should be putting into your body.
2 – Wake Up Early to Eat More and Go to Bed Early
One of the best ways to get in extra calories for your day is by getting up early enough to eat first thing in the morning. The longer you sleep in each morning, the smaller your window of time to consume food in the day. And since most people are busy during the day with work or school, the morning is prime time to fit in more food.
If you're having trouble getting up with enough time to eat in the morning, go to bed earlier! Not only does it allow more eating time after you wake up, it will help you get in a healthy sleeping habit.
Try getting up and having a large fatty breakfast (nuts, nut butters, fatty meats). If you start your day with a good 500- 1000 calorie breakfast at 6 am, you will be surprised to see how much you really eat by the end of the day. Test this out for a week and plug it into MyPlate to see if it makes a difference in your daily caloric intake.
3 – Eat Calorically Dense Foods (Fats)
To consume extra calories, you have to eat calorically dense foods. Carbohydrates and protein, are four calories per gram and are less calorically dense than fat, which is a whopping nine calories per gram. This means you should leverage the use of fats in order to get more in your system before you get full. Think nut butters, nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, and fatty meats like wild salmon or chicken thighs.
A simple breakfast that I use if I want to get more calories in the morning is
- 1 Large handful of mixed nuts
- 1 Small protein shake with spinach(25 – 50 cals), berries (100 cals), full fat milk(50 – 100 cals), 1-2 tbsp of peanut butter(100-200 cals), 1-2 tbsp coconut oil (100-200 cals) and 1 scoop of protein powder (100 cals)
This will give me roughly 800-900 calories first thing in the morning which I can make in about 3 minutes and pour into a shaker cup. Easy!!
4 – Drink Protein Shakes
Another slick little trick for getting the right amount of calories is to just drink them! Start having a post-workout protein shake filled with carbohydrates and protein. While these 'weight gainers" are typically used for those having trouble consuming enough, I think it is appropriate to try some other "recipes" that are a little more natural. Coconut oil shakes are tasty and a great way to add calories into the diet.
You can make an unreal chocolate macaroon shake by blending 2-3 scoops of coconut oil, a scoop of walnut oil, a scoop of chocolate protein powder, and almond milk. Blend for 20 seconds on high. If you want a dessert version, just add a very small amount of almond milk and you will get a chocolate almond coconut pudding for an easy 800 calories.
5 – Consume Quickly
Here's a last-ditch tip for those who get full really quickly or are simply not hungry in general: eat fast! The body's satiety levels take about 15 minutes to catch up with us, so if you need to hammer back extra calories, do so like you're on a mission.
Please note that although this will help you consume the calories you need, you might experience a bit of a food coma later if you eat very fast. This also is not the healthiest option so don't make this a regular habit. Do this if you are short on calories and are working for a specific goal.


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NEW DELHI — A rinky-dink political parade was winding through the back streets of northwest Delhi on Sunday afternoon, past narrow alleyways and a clutch of pigs, ferrying along a candidate in heavy makeup and a blue sari.
One could have looked right past her were it not for a certain bulge to her forehead, a squareness to her jaw or the fact that her campaign slogans, chanted by a group of similarly thickset women, included "Long live Lili the Eunuch," and "Put your stamp on Lili the Eunuch" and "You've tried men, you've tried women, now it's Lili's turn!"
It's been a "none-of-the-above" political season in Delhi, whose voters will go to the polls to choose a new state legislative assembly on Wednesday. Rising prices have soured the mood toward the Indian National Congress, even in poor, low-caste neighborhoods like this one, where voters have supported the party almost by reflex — and yet the main opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party, is also unloved in many quarters.
For this reason, this fall's election has opened the door to unorthodox new players, most important, the upstart Aam Aadmi, or Common Man Party, whose attempt to unseat the heavyweights has provided this week's main suspense.
A similar logic inspired Rajkumar Gautam, who was hunting for people to represent his Indian Bahujan Samajawadi Party, but did not have much money to spend on advertising.Continue reading the main story
What candidate could embody "none of the above" better than the eunuch Ramesh Kumar Lili, part of a mysterious, intricately structured subculture that has been part of Delhi history for more than a thousand years?
"We hear people saying that this time, they want a change," Mr. Gautam said from the narrow storefront that serves as headquarters for his organization, a little-known group that splintered off the socialist-leaning Bahujan Samajawadi Party. "This," he said, nodding at Ms. Lili, "will be a radical change!"
She smiled grandly in acknowledgement, reeling off a list of grievances over water and electricity prices, corruption, education and jobs.
Unlike some of the eunuchs who live in her commune, Ms. Lili was castrated late in life, so her voice is a bit husky, but she can project a stiff, well-coiffed hauteur, like a scruffy Margaret Thatcher.
"If people were happy with their government, I would not have a chance," she said matter-of-factly. "Morally, eunuchs are better than other people. We are like beggars. We are like saints. We dance. We beat on the drums. We share people's happiness. This is our place."
Eunuchs began to surface as bit players in Indian politics more than a decade ago. At first, their candidacies seemed like a stunt, a creative way of expressing disdain for both the Congress Party and the B.J.P. But then, propelled by public anger over upper-caste privilege and corruption, a few of them began to win, taking advantage of seats set aside for women and oppressed castes.
India's eunuchs are outcasts who typically live apart from their families in hierarchical communes. But they are also granted a rare space in public life, as adults who are free of social constraints, like jesters in a king's court.
When a family is celebrating a wedding or the birth of a child, eunuchs show up to perform dances in exchange for money, and their blessings are believed to confer fertility. When displeased, often over the question of payment, they can be vengeful, spewing curses and threatening to strip naked until their target relents.
Each time a eunuch wins an election it makes national headlines, but things have not always gone smoothly after that.
Kamla Jaan, who won a mayoral election in the city of Katni in 2001, immediately pooh-poohed the advice of the businessman who had sponsored her campaign. ("We can't control her," he said at the time. "She's completely unpredictable. And people are afraid to offend her because she can be abusive.") Shewas removed from office two years later after a court ruled that she had illegally won a post reserved for a woman.
Another eunuch mayor was removed from office for the same reason in 2009.
Shabnam Mausi, who in 1998 became the first eunuch to win state office in India, was treated as a celebrity but has since found herself adrift, managing only 118 votes in a run last year, according to The Times of India. Elavarthi Manohar, a rights activist in Bangalore, said activists' hopes that Ms. Mausi would advocate for more freedoms for sexual minorities were bitterly disappointed.
On the contrary, he said, she represented a deeply conservative, hierarchical tradition that dates to the Mughal era, which stretched from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The hierarchy protected eunuchs, but also controlled their behavior with the threat of severe punishment, enforcing strict bans on wearing male clothing, eating pork or having sexual intercourse.
"Here is this big person in the eunuch hierarchy, whatever," Mr. Manohar said. "But definitely human rights in her own family group is not her agenda."
Ms. Lili stood atop a truck rattling through the Mangolpuri area of New Delhi this week, blaring Bollywood anthems through a tinny P.A. system.
She ducked occasionally to avoid being whacked by oncoming branches, and people looked up at her with amusement. Many were skeptical that her candidacy was a serious one, speculating that her backers planned to approach larger parties on the eve of the election, offering to sell whatever votes Ms. Lili commanded. (Mr. Gautam denied this.)
But there was no trace of ill will. A scattering of people said they might vote for her, mainly to express their frustration with the status quo.
"We have voted for Congress, but this time we are angry with them," said Santosh, 40, a trader. "I will not tell you why I am angry, but I am angry."
Among the campaign's unlikely supporters is Sunita Kogra, Ms. Lili's wife, who is now raising their three children. During an interview, she looked up at a studio portrait, taken when Ms. Lili was still a man named Ramesh Kumar, sporting pointy white loafers and a luxuriant mustache.
"Earlier," she said, "this was my life."
Ms. Kogra was philosophical when asked about her husband's transformation, which she said took place four years ago, and against his will. She said he had a job playing drums with a troupe of eunuchs and had been drawn deeper and deeper into internal rivalries until one day he was abducted, underwent surgery and returned as one of them.
"He is basically a simple man, somebody called him and he went," she said. "Now, he is a changed man, because he lives with eunuchs. Yes, he is a woman."
Ms. Kogra sighed. "It was a very shocking incident," she said. "But what can you do?"Continue reading the main story


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On the Wednesday edition of Breitbart News Daily, SiriusXM host and Breitbart News executive chairman Stephen K. Bannon will continue our weeklong discussion with experts on what a "contested" Republican Convention in Cleveland is, how we get there, and how it will impact your candidate, your vote, and your country.
John Yob, author of Chaos: The Outsider's Guide to a Contested Republican National Convention, will discuss what we can expect in Cleveland.
James Rosebush, the former Deputy Assistant to President Reagan and Chief of Staff to First Lady Nancy Reagan, will discuss in depth the famous 1976 and 1980 Republican Conventions. Rosebush's new book True Reagan: What Made Ronald Reagan Great and Why It Matters examines how Reagan's legacy continues to shape the course of American history.
Breitbart News National Security Editor Dr. Sebastian Gorka will discuss his groundbreaking new book Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War.
Breitbart's Sonnie Johnson will give us an update on her latest podcast as well as the Breitbart Meetup Wednesday night in New York City at Emmett O'Lunney's. Click here to RSVP.
Live from London, Rome, and Jerusalem, Breitbart correspondents will provide updates on the latest international news.
Breitbart News Daily is broadcast live on Sirius XM Patriot channel 125 from 6AM to 9AM EST.
It is the first live, conservative radio enterprise to air seven days a week. Sirius XM Vice President for news and talk Dave Gorab called the show "the conservative news show of record."
Follow Breitbart News on Twitter for live updates during the show. Listeners may call into the show at: 866-957-2874.


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The Louisville Zoo hosted its annual Easter egg hunt Saturday.
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