Book of the Month: Dr. Christiane Northrup's "The Wisdom of Menopause"

Dr. Christiane Northrup's The Wisdom of Menopause - Now Richer than Ever!

You probably already know that the women involved in dance tend to be a little above-the-average (sometimes a LOT above-the-average) in terms of intelligence. Emotional intelligence, body-intuitive intelligence, expressive and movement intelligence, and good, old-fashioned, intellectual intelligence.

If you’re like me, you’ve been taking little imaginary “mini-vacations” using books lately. (That’s using our intellectual intelligence and creative, imaginative intelligence in tandem.)

Are you nearly over your “beach reads”?

I’ll confess – I’ve been doing a little “staycation” this week. Still “clocking in” to work (at my home office) every day – but have ripped through two totally “beach-read” novels in past two days alone. (Yes, that means staying up real late.)

But within a week or so, I’ll be over this, and interested in something more “solid.” Which brings me to Dr. Christiane Northrup’s books. Her loving endorsement of Unveiling (see below) has me re-reading her works again.

Dr. Christiane Northrup, New York Times best-selling author.

We have something in common, Dr. Northrup and I. We’re both professionals – she’s an Ob/Gyn practitioner, and my Ph.D. is in theoretical physical chemistry. She’s done a lot of mainstream medical work over her career, and I’ve been an inventor, with four patents in computer science and a book about neural networks (the computer sort; think the android “Data” from the later Star Trek series, with his “neural network brain”). But both of us have examined our inner worlds – gone on our own “inner journeys” – and have observed and inquired into what other people have been learning. And we’ve each put what we’ve learned in book form.

We’re similar also in that our “writing voice” is very warm, intimate, and personal. Somehow, we’ve each managed to escape from the dry, distant “academic voice” with which we were taught, and learned to write in a way that makes you – the reader – feel connected.

And you know what? I’m really enjoying reading her book, The Wisdom of Menopause. It feels like we’re having a cup of coffee together, and she’s telling me about her life.

Dr. Christiane Northrup's recently revised and updated The Wisdom of Menopause (Jan., 2012) is worth our time. (And I'm rereading it - and loving it more than ever!)

Her book is available in trade paper form from Amazon, and also as a Kindle download:

Dr. Northrup just sent me an email describing Unveiling as "delightful," and saying that it brings "divine sensuality to women." (Hooray for her! And hooray for me! So thrilled to get this accolade from an author as respected and loved as her!)

I reference The Wisdom of Menopause in Unveiling:

As described by Dr. Christiane Northrup in The Wisdom of Menopause, we become attuned to new pathways opening up for us at this time. With the monthly cycle of hormones diminishing, we have a more steady and consistent "baseline" for our self-observations. (Unveiling, p. 125)

If you're just beginning your "inner journey" - or are well into the midst of it - Dr. Northrup's book(s) and my own Unveiling make great hand-in-hand reads. Check us both out!

And as you make the transition from purely a "beach read" to something more substantial - what are you reading now? And what's "in your bag" for Labor Day weekend?

Comment below - nominate your favorite reads - and I'll select one to blog about the few days before Labor Day - so others will tune in to your favorite book!

"Unveiling: The Inner Journey" Celebrates First Year Anniversary!

The Unveiling Community Celebrates First Anniversary with Gala Party

On Saturday, July 28th, founding members of the Unveiling Community - and new ones as well - gathered at Alay'nya's home to toast the first anniversary of publication.

As featured in a McLean Connection article on "Pathways for Today's Heroine", by writer/photographer Lori Baker, guests each had a story to share about their own "inner journey."

From left to right, Kim Murray, Alay'nya (Alianna Maren), and Katherine ("Kate") Hanna. Photo by Lori Baker, McLean Connection. Used with permission.

(If this link doesn’t work, please go to: McLean Connection, click on “McLean” (upper right-hand corner of the title bar), and look for the article (central column) titled “A Pathway for Today’s Heroine.”

As described by Ms. Baker, writing for the McLean Connection:

"Last week, McLean author, Alianna Maren’s living room was filled with fascinating women. There were old friends, and new friends, several of whom edited or contributed to her recent book, "Unveiling: The Inner Journey."

"The women gathered in her home, on a wooded and peaceful neck of McLean, to celebrate one year of the book’s publishing. Each guest had a unique background, and a special reason for being there. Among them were authors, dancers, a women’s organizational consultant and life coach, and a spiritual teacher, just to name a few. Each had an opinion of the book’s message, and each articulated the need for such a book in today’s world."

Social commentator and activist photographer/videographer Kim Murray, whose thoughts on the Heroine's Journey were captured in Unveiling, advocated teaching young women to embrace their life's challenges. Her own story (for which her nom de plume Kirene is used) is featured in Unveiling's Chapter 6, "The Hero's Quest - and the Heroine's As Well!," pp. 72-74. As Kirene expresses it:

"If little girls were exposed to the female vision quest, and learned early on that life is full of victories and obstacles that must be overcome ... then girls growing into womenhood would be better able mentally and emotionally to navigate ... turbulent waters and resolve the perceived insurmountable."

Unveiling's editor, Katherine Hanna (seated right in the picture above) contributed to how Unveiling described the role of a Heroine's Journey, as distinct from the well-known Hero's Journey. Ms. Hanna offered the character of Lyra, in the movie The Golden Compass, and Sarah, in the movie Labyrinth, as examples of young women going on their Heroine's Quests. Lyra's goal was to rescue other children, including her friends. To do this, she had to do something in common with all Heroines - find and heal her most significant ally. Sarah likewise found and ennobled her allies. This characteristic of healing and empowering others is a distinguishing feature of the Heroine on her Quest.

Two other guests, Nicole Cutts, Ph.D., and Barbara Jewell, each spoke of how their lives had Heroic Quest aspects. Dr. Cutts (DC's "Success Doc") is a success coach for women who want to bringing their life-vision into reality. She was inspired by Unveiling's description of how Heroine's Quests are an important part of how we create our own success stories. She has hosted numerous women's Vision Quest Retreat, with her newest (the "Social Media Butterfly" event) to occur this weekend.

Nicole Cutts, Ph.D. (left) and Barbara Jewell (right). Photo by Lori Baker, McLean Connection. Used with permission.

Barbara, who has lived abroad extensively, talked about how the experiences of shifting from one culture to another created a Heroic Journey for many young people as they navigated cultural transitions. This same theme resonated with author Charise Hoge, who also attended the event.

Artist of the Month - Maestro Dingwall Fleary

Maestro Dingwall Fleary - Celebrating Forty Years of Classical Music Leadership in McLean, VA

Maestro Dingwall Fleary, Founder and Music Director of both The McLean Symphony and the Reston Community Orchestra is working hard developing his Season Finale Concert for The McLean Symphony. This spectacular event will feature Beethoven's Ninth Symphony Choral Finale, the much-loved and ever-popular magnificent Ode to Joy.

Now why should this matter to you?
There are very few genius-level leaders who combine their artistic passion with intense devotion to their people. Forty years of "making music in McLean." This is with an all-volunteer symphonic orchestra. (Actually, two such orchestras. The McLean Symphony traces its ancestry back to Maestro Fleary's first founding of a classical chamaber group in McLean in 1971, and the Reston Community Orchestra has been in existence for 26 years.)
Some of his players have been with him for over two decades. Others travel for miles, after a hard day at their "day jobs," to rehearse with him.
Why? Because by working with Maestro Fleary, they achieve heights of excellence - greatness even - that they would not reach with any amount of hard work and passion on their own. Not if they are being "volunteers" in their musical efforts. (And relatively few of us can afford to do our artistic work full-time.)
The mark of "true genius" changes over time. When we are young, it is all about our own fire; our brilliance and our passion. We epitomize the Magician archetype. And bluntly, society will forgive a great deal of self-centeredness in the young artist, provided that the gift is commensurate. We cut the "emerging prodigy" a great deal of slack.
Then, the artist matures to establishing himself or herself. He or she becomes an Emperor, recognized as the "preeminent expert" in a certain area. Maestro Fleary, for example, is very likely the world's leading interpreter of Duke Ellington's works, such as Harlem, which he featured in a recent TMS performance.
Beyond that, there is yet another stage; the Hierophant. The Hierophant is the master teacher, the Obi-Wan Kenobi. Hierophants are one of the least-understood archetypes of our society. However, once we understand the Hierophant concept, we see Hierophants in action all around us. They're the senior executive who mentors the up-and-comer. They're the Youth Pastor and the Girl Scout Troup Leader. They're the college professor who always has an open door so that a student can come by and ask questions.
And even more than that, the most-developed Hierophants among us not only help us get through the college chemistry course; they help us have real, true, honest-to-God, for-real breakthroughs. These are the teachers whose books we read, whose audio CDs we listen to, whose blogs we follow. If we're really lucky, we get to interact with them in person.
That's why musicians travel from around the area for the privilege of performing in his orchestra.
Maestro Fleary was featured in Unveiling: The Inner Journey as an example of an "integrated person."

Where to Look for the Latest

Archetypes, Pathworking, and the Fountain of Youth

There are three core themes in Unveiling: The Inner Journey:

• Archetypes: Our "high-level roadmap" for personal power. This is the 10,000-foot-high view of our life-journey.
• Pathworking: What we do on a day-to-day basis; this includes using a body art (such as Oriental dance, or the martial arts) for body awareness and integration. This also includes tension release and processing our emotional "stuff" - the emotional tensions and reactions that we store in our bodies.
• Fountain of Youth: Intrinsic vital energy (ch'i) cultivation and circulation, and what we can do with our ch'i once we've cultivated enough to have something that lets us be effective.

In this Unveiling blog, I am currently focusing on the archetypes. This is largely new material that builds on the subjects of Chapters 7 and 11 of Unveiling.

In the Alay'nya blog, I focus on the Pathworking and creating our very own Fountain of Youth. The Pathworking develops material presented in Part II (Chapter 8), and Parts III - VI of Unveiling. The original Fountain of Youth material is in Chapter 29, "Pragmatic Esoterics" of Unveiling. What I'm developing in the Alay'nya blog has more to do with practical steps; the Unveiling material itself was more high-level and conceptual.

Your Six "Power Archetypes" - What Happens When One Doesn't Function?

Six Core "Power Archetypes" - The Key to Personal Power

Imagine that you're John Wayne, with the thundering power of six galloping horses under your control, as he had in the movie Stagecoach.

Such stirring, viscerally exciting stagecoach "powerhouses" still exist; and are still drawn by six powerful horses. There are still people who are excited by real stagecoaches and the power of their six-horse "engines."

Now, imagine that you're in the driver's seat, thundering along at full speed. Your "six horses" are in fine form, as you cover dusty plains, heat-seared deserts, and mountainous terrain. You know each member of your team; each is integral.

And suddenly - one of your horses takes a stumble; he breaks a leg, and you no longer have that essential horse on your team. That crucial "balance of power" that enables you to move at top speed, easily covering the most difficult terrain, is broken. Now, lacking just one of your integral "powerhouses," you are much more vulnerable - to attacks by Indian war parties, to raiders and bandits, and even to rivals who will beat you to the next town with important news.

The value of archetypes?

You are the stagecoach. Everything that you are, that you value, that carries you through life, is your "stagecoach." It's your job, and the skills and abilities that enable you to perform on your job. It's your special interests, and the skills that you've built up over a lifetime that lets you cultivate your interests. It's your role in your community, your church, your family, and society at large.

Your archetypes are your horses. Each is different, and you need each one.

 

Congratulations - You've Found One of the Top Blog Posts in The Unveiling Journey

Congratulations!

Whether by luck or by design, you've come to the single most popular blogpost in The Unveiling Journey since the blog was started in 2007. ("Most Popular" is the vote current as of October 22, 2013.)

Since then, we've moved the entire blog series to a new location.

Here are some great reading choices:

• The Unveiling Journey - the most recent blog (we keep getting better!),
• Six Top Blog Posts for The Unveiling Journey - gives links to this blog post plus five more (including the one I'd recommend the most), and
• Your Six "Power Archetypes" – What Happens When One Doesn’t Function? - the rest of this post (the one that you started reading here just now).

 

Why the Transition to a New Blog Site?

• Better Intralinking: You'll find related blogposts easier (look at the end of this post on the new site for good links),
• Better Categories and Tags: Interested in a related topic? Want to see what else is covered? Look in the right-hand sidebar on the new site - check out the Categories (main topics) and Tags (people, books, events, and sub-topics), and
• Improved Resources: Look for a Resources Page (main header menu); it will give you a different kind of access to related topics - from the antecedents (books inspiring this ongoing work) to future directions.

 

See you over there - and thank you!

 

Alay'nya (Alianna J. Maren, Ph.D.)

 

Post edited and content moved to The Unveiling Journey website, specifically to the Your Six "Power Archetypes" - What Happens When One Doesn't Function? blogpost on Tuesday, October 22, 2013. Original post September 15, 2011.

Mastering the "Power Archetypes" - Essential for CEOs and Strategic Leaders

Using the Six Core Power Archetypes - A Leadership Essential

Why are successful CEOs paid so much more than other key members of a leadership team? It's not just the responsibility; the "buck stops here" factor. It's not just business experience and ability to "perform." Rather, there is a skill required in leadership situations - a very special skill - that very few have. So few people have this skill, really, that those that do command the most prestigious jobs. They have the most influence and leverage. While each of us creates a "ripple effect" in the world around us, those few people who have this unique skill have a "ripple effect" that can travel around the world (multiple times), and persist long after the person is still in place, carrying out his or her role. In some cases, the impact of these people lasts for centuries. They create true legacy.

This skill, I'm convinced, is not just the ability to deal with complexity, but something more complex in itself.

Imagine that you - or anyone whom you know - works within an "imaginary room." There are different "walls" in this room. Each "wall" represents a kind of interaction that is required for the job.

Suppose that someone has a relatively simple job, in terms of "interaction complexity." They might be doing a very highly skilled task - such as programming a complex system. But their "interaction complexity" is limited to just a few "walls." This person has their boss or team leader, their co-workers or those who are providing inputs to the system design, and - of course - the "system" itself. This person may be paid a great deal, depending on the complexity of the system that they're programming, and the level of insight and skill that they bring to the task. But there is a "cap" on their salary - and on their growth within the organization. This "cap" relates to the complexity of the "room" in which the person lives. In this case, their "room" has just three "walls"; team leader, co-workers, and computer system.

Now, think of yourself in a CEO (or similar leadership) role. Your job requires you to live in a "room" with very many "walls." There is your Board and the Board Chair, your direct reports, your clients, and - of course - the product or services that your company offers. Within the realm of "direct reports," there is further complexity. Marketing, for example, is a very different "wall" than is finance, which is different from operations, etc.

What makes your job both interesting and demanding is the need for you to "switch gears" as needed. Your job environment is the Swiss Alps race track; as described in a previous blogpost on Your V8 Power Car Engine.

The most effective, and successful, CEOs manage by calling on their different power modes as appropriate, and as needed.

One good example of this kind of power mode integration is described by author Michael F. Andrew, in his book, How to Think Like a CEO and Act Like a Leader. One of his first points is to "treat issues coldly and treat people warmly." This is direct advice to combine two power modes; your Emperor (your logical, facts-and-figures, results-oriented mode), and your Empress/Isis (your caring, feeling-oriented, relationship-building mode). These are entirely different modes of being. Successful leaders use both - and four others as well! (They also, for "filling their well," draw on their two reserve modes also.)



I know of several people who do this kind of "gear shifting" very well. Two well-known luminaries are current Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. (They are both profiled in Chapter 11: "Switching State" of Unveiling: The Inner Journey.

Closer to home, Maestro Dingwall Fleary, Musical Director for both Reston Community Orchestra and the The McLean Symphony, is an excellent example of a leader who can "shift roles" as need be. He finds this ability essential to his success in leading people and in bringing out their "best possible performance." And just as as business offers quarterly profits as immediate and direct feedback on the CEO's skill, a symphony's performance is a direct feedback on the conductor's skill. It's partly the quality of the musicians, and it's mostly what the conductor can get out of them.

For more, read Chapter 11: "Shifting State," in Unveiling: The Inner Journey.

The Risks in Practicing "Unveiling" (And Yes, They're Real)

I had coffee this morning with a young colleague; a woman who is truly brilliant; an "out-of-the-box" genius-level thinker, and who is also the mother of a very active son. I showed her the proof copy of Unveiling.

"Weren't you scared to write this?" she asked. "After all, you're saying everything in this book."

"Yes," I told her. I was scared, and I still am. I wrote and rewrote, figuring that I was going to be ostracized by the scientific community forever. "The only solution," I told her, "was that I had to go big and bold. I couldn't hold back."

I came home, and after a bit, went down to the "Diva Den" to watch a movie and stretch out. It turns out that Agora, the story of Hypatia of Alexandria, was on. I nearly wept as I watched it, already knowing Hypatia's story.

She was a brilliant mathematician and astronomer. And she was murdered by a mob of Christian monks, who stripped her naked, skinned her alive with potshards, dragged her body through the streets, and finally burned her. (Accounts vary as to whether or not she was burned alive.)

Hypatia was brutally murdered not just because she was an intellectual leader and an abstract philosopher, and not just because she didn't convert to Christianity, but because she was a woman.

Yes, it is very scary for all of us women to reclaim our inherent wholeness, and with this, our intrinsic power.

From Unveiling: The Inner Journey, Chapter 9, "A Real Woman's Path - Really Does Exist" (p. 128):

It is not that we expect to be burned at the stake for taking time for our inner selves. However, history is replete with examples of women who have been burned at the stake, for crimes ranging from knowing their own sexuality, to spending time with animals, to having healing wisdom and knowledge of herbs.

The famous Venetian "honored courtesan" Veronica Franco was persecuted by the Inquisition. Although she survived, the experience broke her spirit (and ruined her financially), and she left Venetian society. She died in poverty some ten years later.

The Miletan philosopher Aspasia was renowned for her intellectual leadership as well. She influenced Socrates and other leading thinkers of her time. She was put on trial for "impiety."

One crucial thesis of Unveiling is that Oriental dance is a women's body/mind/psyche/energy integration pathway. And since our dance form is intrinsically sensual, we are denigrated for practicing it. If we were doing karate, we'd be respected. That is, if we did a martial art, we would get respect; if we do a "Venusian art," we are trivialized.

And yes, I'm coming out with a book that puts all of who I am on the line. My scientific identity and my "dance" persona; my research into esoteric practices and my latest "discoveries." All in one big (544, but easy-to-read) volume.

And yes, I'm scared.

Your thoughts? Your comments?