Welcome to a special episode of Unclassified Woman today with the inspiring Clare Dubois.

Clare is the founder of TreeSisters, which is a feminine nature-based organisation inspiring the world’s women to take shared leadership around tropical reforestation.

TreeSisters reflects Clare’s exploration of the links between feminine consciousness and nature’s intelligence. She and her team experiment overtly to figure out how to call forth the unique capacities and creativity of women on behalf of trees. They aim to be funding ONE MILLION trees per month by the end of 2017!

Clare is known for her direct catalytic energy, her whole systems approach to behavioural change and her unending loyalty and love for the natural world. 

There is only one truth - and that is our indivisibility from nature - Clare Dubois

For two decades, Clare created behavioural change processes within the personal growth and social change sectors and volunteered for three years as the UK coordinator for a massive agro-forestry initiative in southern India called Project Greenhands. Her aim in life is to reclaim balance, rediscover freedom and health, and to be walking permission for those who are fed up with being held back and just want to “have a go.”

I believe that Clare is a great example of this and a role model for us all. She’s someone who has thrown herself into her life mission, and for me, she explains eloquently how female leadership and eco-revolution are a natural partnership.

"I had a complete mind-bending experience realising the depth of ecological destruction that we’re in. I knew it was bad, but I had an educational experience that floored me. I knew I had to do something." Clare Dubois

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Clare’s background as a business coach and intuitive, working in education and living her passion for consciousness and helping people find liberation;
• How she went to India to find enlightenment and found Project Greenhands;
• Why we must realise that our planet is in peril;
• The combination of spirituality, social justice, and ecology;
• What it will take to wake up humanity;
• Clare’s car accident as a catalyst and the personal message she received about reforesting the tropics through the women of the world;
• The link between women and reforestation within the female receptive space;
• How today’s people are stealing from future generations;
• The process of discovering how to engage and encourage;
• How we live as humans and as women;
• Embodying the intellectual changes that must come as we deepen our understanding;
• Cooling the planet by reforesting: all because of CO2 absorption;
• The mycelial network that links all the trees in a forest;
• The Amazon rainforest: it’s the size of the moon, but 40% degraded;
• The rising and falling of water vapour: the heartbeat of the forest that has disrupted the rainfall;
• Things that happen because of trees:
• • Trees absorb CO2 and trap the heat that causes global warming.
  • If the trees aren’t there, the CO2 dissolves in the oceans and harms the food chain there.
  • We need kelp and trees because they are most effective at sequestering carbon.
• Why we need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels;
• Why staying plugged into technology means you can’t listen to your intuition;
• Clare’s 9-day nature awakening trip and its benefits and correlation to womb awakening;
• The reality of the blessed life of Western women compared to most women around the world—all amidst the destabilisation of our planet;
• Clare’s damage from childhood abuse;
• Yearning to be pregnant, but not wanting a child;
• Why TreeSisters is everything parenting is about; 
• The profound privilege of women in giving back;
• Exciting upcoming focus for TreeSisters.

Humanity is running out of time, but it’s not over yet. It’s going to take everyone rising to the challenge to get through what is coming. "The single greatest threat facing humanity is fear of failure, but you can call everything you do 'an experiment'. You can’t fail at an experiment; you can only learn."

Resources:

www.billiontrees.me

www.treesisters.org

I do hope you enjoyed this episode with this important message from Clare. Please join us and become a Treesister!

To help spread this message please leave us a review or rating on Itunes and share with your friends. Let's be more conscious of the future we are creating.

For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

My guest today is the inspiring Flora Bowley, a painter, creative pioneer, gentle guide, and author of two books: Brave Intuitive Painting and Creative Revolution.

Flora blends over 20 years’ experience as a yoga teacher instructor, healer, and lifelong seeker. She passionately believes creative expression is waiting to unfold within every person who is brave enough to trust, let go, play, and explore. How good does that sound?

Flora’s soulful approach to the creative process has sparked a new holistic movement in the intuitive art world, empowering thousands of people to courageously pick up a paintbrush.

She encourages this creative expression through her intimate, in-person workshops, books, and online courses. Flora lives with her partner, Jonathan, his son, and their dog, Pearl, in Portland. Her own vibrant collection of paintings can be found in galleries, shops, and printed on unique products around the world.

Newsflash: I’m also delighted to share that Flora has VERY generously offered listeners an amazing discount on her upcoming Creative Revolution e-course happening in October, so listen in and you can apply the coupon code on her website.

Join me for this amazing conversation with Flora!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Flora’s unconventional, winding path in life.
• Everything Flora has created in following her dreams and implementing her “out of the box” belief system.
• “A blessing in disguise”---NOT getting into the art schools she thought she wanted.
• Positive results that come from “just creating”.
• The wounding from people telling us we “aren’t good enough”.
• Healing, empowering, and practicing ways of being through creativity.
• Your soul’s calling and your creative offerings to the world.
• “Intuitive wandering” exercise and how to implement it.
• Dropping into your intuition and finding wisdom there.
• The flow that happens when you engage in the creative process.
• Simple, accessible exercises to get your creative flow going.
• Flora’s biggest inspirations.
• Staying present and being open to focus on what IS working.
• Teaching a workshop including “all the beautiful parts of myself”.
• Moving forward for Flora: collaboration with others and co-mingling their creations through workshops.

Resources:

www.florabowley.com Find Flora’s courses, workshops, videos, and products. Use the coupon code Flora shares towards the end of the episode to receive 30% off Flora’s Creative Revolution course!

I do hope you enjoyed this episode and invite you to share with a friend. For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

I would be so grateful if you would leave a rating or review on Itunes. Thank you! 

My guest today on Unclassified Woman is the fabulous Mary Reynolds, who is based in Ireland, one of my favourite places in the world. (I am 3/4 Irish so slightly biased!). 

Mary lives and breathes her work as a landscape and garden designer, teaching others how to connect with the land beneath our feet and have a nurturing relationship with it.

Her gorgeous book that is about much more than mere gardening. It's a call to action for all of us. The Garden Awakening highlights her role as “a guardian rather than a gardener.” She believes in cultivating a relationship with the land and working in harmony with Mother Nature.

She views being a gardener/land owner as someone who is like a parent guiding a child. In creating vibrant and magical spaces, she displays her creative spirit where gardens are a partnership between sensitive souls and the earth that nurtures us.

I highly recommend Dare to be Wild, a film inspired by a period in her life, when she became the youngest woman to win the gold medal at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. (Download after listening to this podcast on Google Play Movies). 

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why Mary is a “custodian of the land” and a “creature of the forest”;
• Feeling at home and strongly connected to nature;
• A strong childhood memory of a field, sunshine, and butterflies;
• Belonging to the family of plants and creatures;
• Different places, different vibrations, and unique personalities;
• Our connection with places and bodies, mirroring the earth;
• Working in harmony with the land;
• Our role as guardians and light holders of the woodlands;
• Abuse of the land reflecting the abuse of women;
• How we treat the earth with industrial farming and chemicals;
• The synchronistic system between us and the earth;
• How Mary communicates with the earth, the plants, and the creatures;
• Her advice? Find some land to work with in your community;
• The unfair distribution of land;
• “Dismantle the ego-self and create the eco-self.”
• Evolving in the future and what's next for Mary;
• How the film came about;
• Remembering what’s important and finding your way home;
• How working with the land heals your heart.
  
  Order Mary's book: here:https://www.michellemariemcgrath.com/garden-awakening-designs-nurture-land/

 To follow Mary on her journey as she works her gardens and her land, you can visit her website: http://marymary.ie

 I do hope you enjoyed this episode and would be eternally grateful if you left us a testimonial or rating on itunes. Please subscribe and share with a friend who would enjoy.

For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

How do you feel about the power of the womb, menstruation, and the mystique of the Divine Feminine? Today we are going to dive in.

You may not have given much thought to these concepts, but they are pivotal in so many areas relevant to understanding our bodies and souls.

My guests today will enlighten you in many ways. Today’s episode is more of a pilgrimage than it is an interview!

Womb Awakening is a pre-historic tradition that has risen to popularity again in our modern culture. Everything old is new again! Come with me as we open the doorway to this magical, mystical journey.

Dr. Azra Bertrand and Seren Bertrand are the founders of The Fountain of Life Grail Mystery School. They are teachers and mentors of mine who have so much wisdom to share. 

Much of the visionary work they share about Womb Awakening came through direct gnosis in Sacred Union during the ‘Gateway into the Feminine Dimension’ in 2012. This was a period where the new wave of feminine Womb Consciousness birthed onto the planet. This experience fused all previous studies into a clear essence, and impassioned them to offer their lives to the embodied rebirth of our world, and to support men and women to meet in love again.

NY bestselling authors have described their ground-breaking new book as “a masterwork of beauty, power, and mystical truth, a magical sacred feminine transmission, and a Mystery School in a book.”

Azra graduated from the prestigious Duke University School of Medicine and has been a pioneering doctor, alchemical scientist, and spiritual guide for 20 years. Seren is a womb intuitive and channel of the Sacred Feminine mysteries and has been immersed in Womb Awakening practices for more than a decade. 

Together, they are evolutionary enchanters, dedicated to helping women awaken their womb power and assist the rebirth of the masculine into his true gifts, uniting them both in Sacred Union. As midwives of the return of womb consciousness, they draw rich veins of wisdom from many traditions and have assisted over 25,000 people to heal on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level for over 20 years. 

After having worked with them both personally and in group consciousness, I agree with those descriptions. They both bring lightbulb moments to every conversation.

We hear much talk about the Divine Feminine and Rising Feminine consciousness, but there can also be much superficiality. These two embody this consciousness and are way-showers to teach us to dive deep into the wisdom of our own bodies and souls.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Their background and how they came to their fascinating work today;
• The synchronicity of mermaids, the upcoming solar eclipse, and the Feminine traditions;
• Significant energies and events in 2012;
• The return of the Sacred Feminine and what it means for women and men;
• Dr. Azra’s work as a primal healer;
• How the doors of the great Cosmic Womb opened with their love;
• The vast umbrella of motherhood;
• The link between Mary Magdalene (“magical doorway”) and the womb mysteries;
• The divinized womb priestesses of every tradition;
• The Divine Harlot/The Holy Whore;
• Ancient symbols of the womb mysteries;
• The lost tradition of women rulers, oracles, and healers;
• The body as the vehicle of awakening and heaven on earth;
• Seren’s awakening experiences on a beach in Thailand: finding ecstasy within;
• Advice to start diving gently into womb consciousness;
• Symptoms expressed as divine communication and the pathway to true healing;
• The soul of the womb, its gifts, and painful memories;
• Feedback from people on the womb awakening path;
• Why men actually menstruate too!
• The Womb Circle and oracular awakening around the world;
• When it’s time to rest and receive;
• Why the book carries the frequency of lunar consciousness and what that means.

Your womb has sacred power and a divine purpose and is the thread that connects you to the Universal Womb and the Source of Creation. You can call it whatever you want - Divine  Mother, Goddess, God - but her power is undeniable. You do not need to have a physical womb for this to be the case.

Awakening your womb is a transformative experience and it can alter your earthly life in ways that you can’t imagine. It reconnects your lost femininity and heals your disconnected masculinity.

This is an important step in embracing your multi-dimensional humanity. To continue this magical journey of healing, connect with Azra and Seren at www.thefountainoflife.org

Order their book via this link with free worldwide postage:
https://www.michellemariemcgrath.com/womb-awakening-initiatory-wisdom-creatrix-life/

If you have enjoyed this episode then please share with another woman who would enjoy! 

I would be so grateful if you are able to leave a rating or testimonial for the show on Itunes. Thank you!

For more episodes and information go to michellemariemcgrath.com

Do you ever feel judged by others because you’ve not had a child? Not surprisingly, many women feel this judgment of “assumptions” behind the choices or circumstances that have determined their situation.

One woman decided to take on those judgmental scenarios, so she did something about it. She wrote a novel which explores many of the situations that women find themselves in with family, friends and colleagues. I was really interested to read this book as whilst there are many non-fiction works about the topic, it's not the norm to find many novels.

My guest today is Jane Doucet, a Canadian writer based in Halifax - and she knows that feeling of being judged all too well. Since 1993, Jane has worked in various capacities for national magazines in Canada. As a freelance writer since 1998, she has written dozens of feature articles on health, parenting, gardening, entertainment, education, business, and other diverse topics for award-winning Canadian magazines and newspapers.

In 2003, Jane wrote the first draft of her debut novel, The Pregnant Pause. She wrote the book that SHE wanted to read, one that sent a positive message to women who assumed they’d have children, but for whatever reason, have not. Following a negative experience with a literary agent in the UK, Jane shelved the manuscript for 14 years.

Fast forward to 2016, when Jane dusted off her manuscript and self-published her book, in order to maintain creative control. The story is loosely based on her own experiences but is also representative of many women’s journeys.

Having read the book myself, I could relate to the situations, commentary, and assumptions that people make when you arrive at a certain age without offspring in sight. I hope you enjoy my wonderful conversation with Jane about her fascinating novel! 

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• What led Jane to write The Pregnant Pause
• An inspiration for the book at the time? Bridget Jones’ Diary
• The uncomfortable and unfortunate experience with a literary agent in London
• The misassumptions people make about a woman with no children
• Addressing the topic with a light and humorous work of fiction
• How books and articles helped her write the book
• Changes in women’s friendships around having/not having children
• Different ways to “mother” without having a biological child
• How statistics around the world support the growing demographic
• Why Jane’s book is not “just for women”
• How the book includes relatable experiences for almost everyone
• Why Jane speaks for the silent voices
• How labels limit women
• How writing brings creative fulfilment
• Ideas for Jane’s next book!
• Every woman’s story and perspective is valid and unique
• The main message of the book: “Don’t judge someone whose journey is different than yours, as you never know the full story."

You can find out more about Jane and buy her book at

www.thepregnantpause.net

If you enjoyed this episode then I would be so grateful if you would leave a rating on Itunes and subscribe.

For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com 

Hello! Today is a little bit different with a short personal episode from me and some words that came to me in the early hours of the morning, whilst I was jetlagged. I sent out in an email to my newsletter loves and was overwhelmed by the response. So I felt drawn to speak aloud and share here with you. 

Does any of this resonate with you? I would love to hear from you if so.

The Doorway of Not Yet

Standing at the doorway of not yet – so what now?

What if in the ‘meantime’ really means in the ‘me-time’ and is an invitation to go deep, right into ourselves?

The blank page of not-yet-ready-to-be-seen.

What if these in-between times are invitations to reveal to us what we are made of?

Who we really are.

When all is flowing smoothly, it’s easy to take it all for granted, become complacent or write in your gratitude journal.

What if these uncomfortable twisty-turny lanes are where we need to do a 20-point turn to be redirected onto our true paths?

Maybe this is what is meant by the path less travelled.

If the path is clear and well-trodden then it’s NOT our true path.

The difference between a leader and a follower.

Surely ‘our’ path is wild, uneven and and unmarked as no-one has been that way before?

What if the fact that you have no clue what you are doing – means you are totally, certainly, absolutely, exactly right on track?

You are at the beginning of an adventure into who you are being called to be – a more expanded version of yourself, vastly different from the shiny, social media image.

Where is the uncomfortable achy-ness, heavy uneasiness leading you?

Which rock are you being asked to overturn, to seek the treasures underneath?

Which secret doorway may be hidden from view until you STOP. PAUSE. BREATHE and look around for a moment, and say the Abracadabra of our times “I surrender“.

What if when we reach for the lifejacket and say “I’’m drowning here in overwhelm and cannot see due to the fog of uncertainty” is the moment that we receive the support we need?

What if the friction, the uneasiness, the discomfort, the terror and the feeling of not fitting right here in this spot, in this place, with these people, are merely birthing pangs?

Maybe this is THE sign you were waiting for, that means ‘hey you’’ve outgrown this space’’ but the next one is still cooking in the oven of your dreams.

What is yearning, burning, to be noticed in your merry-go-round of ‘doing’ and ‘busy’?

Hiding just of reach from you, like the moon shielding her luminosity from view.

A nervous Dame about to go on stage, taking a few deep breaths, shaking behind the curtain, before……

The hush…..the chills, the anticipation, a clearing of the throat before declaring the next words; the words that could change everything. Everything.

What if this limbo-land awkwardness is course-correcting you to go where you’ve never gone before, to lead you into who you REALLY are?

Beckoning you forward like a guiding mother, anxiously watching her baby take those first shaky steps.

What if this is your opportunity to break out of your comfort zone of complacency, of scrolling, of ‘observing’ what others are doing, of ‘liking’ but not really, passionately, fervently forging into pastures new of your own creation?

What if?

If you enjoyed this episode then I would love you to subscribe and leave us a rating on Itunes ;-) Thank you so much and for more episodes check out michellemariemcgrath.com

Welcome to Unclassified Woman. Today's episode is one that I know are you going to enjoy so much. Filled with so many nuggets of wisdom, so you may even want to grab a notebook!

Laura Hollick is an award-winning Artist, Shaman, and Visionary Guide based in Canada. After walking 10,000 km on a vision quest, Laura clarified her purpose and dove headfirst into realising it and making it a reality. She is the founder of Soul Art Studio Inc., a business devoted to circulating love around the planet with creative inspiration and unique artistic creations.

Laura’s life and art have been featured in a documentary produced by Bravo TV called "The Artist's Life: Laura Hollick. She’s hosted and produced over 500 radio shows, and given an inspiring TED talk called "You are the Art". She inspires audiences all over the world with global events that feature her art and insights, such as the upcoming International Soul Art Day (25th May), the Global Vision Quest, the Yoni Art Project and the nü Icon Movie.

Do you yearn for more connection with your feminine energy? Women have the ability to harness that energy to express their creativity in so many ways, and Laura is an expert on the topic.

She shares what she’s discovered about the connection between the menstrual cycle, sexuality, money, creativity, art, and the moon cycle. You don’t want to miss our fascinating conversation, that weaves together so much feminine wisdom! I had so many aha's listening to Laura.

"There’s a changing point in the consciousness right now. Women are recognising their roles as not just being a wife and birthing babies, but that they have the capacity to create in wonderful ways."

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Your “Yoni”: the spiritual centre and sacred gateway to Divine Feminine energy;
• Laura’s background: how feeling a disconnection as a child, inspired her imaginative art and a way to bring these dreams into her physical life;
• Art as a “home for the soul”;
• The body’s physical connection to the energy of creation;
• A woman’s role—NOT just to create babies and how we can work with the womb energy to create anything and everything;
  Childless and childfree women can still harness this energy to create too.
• The biggest block in connecting with creative power can often be unresolved trauma of the past;
• Why we often can’t handle the healing required to create a “safety container” at certain times;
• What do you need to feel safe in your soul to have clarity in your life?
• The fully expressed woman in desire and truth;
• Connecting through orgasmic pleasure;
• Learning your unique seasons and rhythms;
• The menstrual cycle:
• • New moon, day 1—higher levels of insights and visions that fuel action
  • Full moon—ripening and receiving energies
  • Waning moon—darker reflective energy
• Gleaning the nutrient energy of the life-giving menstrual blood and how to use this to support our creations. How Laura works very consciously with this energy.
• Connection between sex, money, and menstrual blood;
• How our energy moves in its natural flow of circulation;
• Either you’re on your true life-track or you’re not;
• An exciting time for women to be anchored and grounded;
• International Soul Art Day, May 25: a global event with virtual connection to women everywhere! Join this Soul event, wherever you are in the world!

Resources:

www.laurahollick.com (Learn more about Laura’s work and art, and don’t forget to take the Yoni Personality Quiz!)

 Thank you so much for listening in. If you enjoyed this episode then please leave a review, subscribe and share with another woman who would love!

For more episodes check out michellemariemcgrath.com

Today’s guest is Jules Galloway, who lives in Australia, while working as a passionate naturopath, speaker, podcaster, and recipe creator. Jules hosts a podcast, Shiny Healthy You, and loves surfing, hanging out with her husband and elderly rescued dogs, and walking the famous Byron Bay lighthouse track. 

Jules recently returned from working as a volunteer at a refugee camp in Greece. She was drawn to this work and feels that her childfree entrepreneurial lifestyle allowed her the freedom to pursue that dream and fulfil that desire. 

Jules knows all too well the toll that unhealthy living can take on mind and body. She went through a challenging childhood and youth, and then lived a party lifestyle for over a decade. She ditched the stressful city life for a fresh start and a peaceful setting in beautiful Byron Bay. After being diagnosed with Pyrrole disorder, adrenal fatigue, and a gene mutation, Jules learned the importance of nourishing herself with whole foods, supplements, happiness, gratitude, and a good sense of humour. With 10+ years of clinical experience as a naturopath, Jules has made it her mission to help women find their SHINE again through her work and her e-courses. Do you need help finding your SHINE? Join me to hear more from Jules!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How both choice and circumstance have led to a childfree, 17-year marriage.
• Thoughts of having children were put on the back burner until she was about 30.
• Six months of trying for a pregnancy, and then a hiatus to buy a house.
• Busy with careers, and then a diagnosis of endometriosis.
• The pushy doctor who said, “Don’t wait until it's too late!”
• More health issues for Jules: adrenal fatigue, Pyrrole disorder, hormone issues, and a gene mutation problem.
• The move to Byron Bay, hoping for a quieter life and restored health
• Perfect house (for kids), perfect yard (for kids), perfect place (for kids)—but no kids!
• Weighing the pros and cons of what it would take to get pregnant.
• How friends influence the pressure you feel to have or not have kids.
• Dealing with family pressure, especially from a mother-in-law who desperately wants to be a grandmother.
• How to cope when those little moments of grief come?  Refocus on the joys and benefits of a child-free life:
• • More time to focus on entrepreneurship.
  • Freedom for surfing and other enjoyable activities.
  • More time and attention to focus on husband, marriage and friendship.
  • Never forgetting to be grateful for the freedom
• How Jules focuses her creative energy on a nurturing force in her business and with her clients.
• NOT having to decide who to focus energy on EVERY moment of EVERY day
• Being able to drop everything and go to a friend in need.
• The “Spare Auntie” who can help and support other mothers.
• Indirect pressure from friends.
• How Jules feels about parenthood in light of her personal childhood experiences.
• Respecting the different path and journey of every woman.
• Why fear of regret is NOT the best reason to decide to have a baby.

Resources: 

www.julesgalloway.com

www.shinyhealthyyou.com  

The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware

I loved this conversation with Jules and I hope you do too! Please subscribe for more inspiring real-life stories from amazing women around the world. If you enjoyed this episode then I would be so grateful if you left a rating. 

For more Unclassified Women, go to www.michellemariemcgrath.com

Have you ever wanted to get more in tune with your body’s natural rhythms? For women, one effective way is by acknowledging the seasons that are within the monthly cycle. Even if you don't bleed any more, this is still relevant for you.

My lovely guest today will have you throwing out the scales, booking the flight, launching the blog, and falling back in love with your life. She knows the missing key when it comes to women’s wellness, and she wants to share it with you! Listen with us to learn about harnessing that creative wisdom within our bodies as we align ourselves with our natural rhythm.

Claire Baker is an Australian women’s coach and writer currently based in London. Through her popular e-books, blog, online courses, and live workshops, she teaches self-care, creative rekindling, how to live life aligned with your menstrual cycle, and how to be kind to yourself and the world. Join us now!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why Claire’s interest in the menstrual cycle stemmed from her own problems with her cycle.
• Letting go of the idea of having any control over your cycle.
• How contraception interfered with her self-esteem and self-awareness.
• The sacrifices women make with long-time contraception usage.
• Re-attuning to your body’s natural cycle:
• • Clean up your diet with healthy food and supplements
  • How Chinese medicine can help
• An overview of the seasons mirrored within your cycle, through the follicular phase, luteal phase, and post-ovulatory phase.
• Relating feminine archetypes to the female cycle.
• Mothering yourself with an internal focus.
• Nurturing energy for yourself instead of always for others.
• Craving the connection with the natural world.
• Using the different energies of the seasons to tap into creativity.
• Feminine and masculine balance.
• Creativity when you feel blocked or stuck.
• In Italy: days of leave for women around their menstrual cycle?
• Structuring days and lives around cycles.
• When you should pull back and let things go.
• A song that embodies the energies of each season of the cycle: How Claire aligns herself with music!
• • Spring: Work by Rihanna and Drake
  • Summer: Milkshake by Kelis
  • Fall: anything by Alanis Morissette
  • Winter: Anything by Annie Lennox

Resources:

www.thisislifeblood.com  (Look for Claire’s e-books, courses, workshops, and her blog)

I do hope you enjoyed today's episode, rich with valuable content from Claire. For more powerful sharing please subscribe.

I would be eternally grateful if you leave a rating or testimonial on Itunes. Thank you!

Are you struggling with the decision whether or not to have children? If you are feeling pressured to make a choice, based on someone else's feelings, you will benefit from listening to today's guest, Karin Rahbek, author of "Do I Have To Be A Mother? A Childfree Woman's Honest and Unspoken Thoughts and Feelings."  Karin's hope is that this book will help other childfree women to understand and accept their feelings and be happy in who they are (and not focussed on the mother they could have been).

Karin spent several years looking for precisely the book that she ended up writing for herself. The book describes in a potent and personal manner, the thoughts and feelings that are associated with not wanting to have children at all, in a society that views motherhood as the most natural part of being a woman.

It is Karin's hope that by reading and talking openly about the doubts felt by other women, that women can become more honest with one another. She intends to help make the decision about motherhood less fraught with taboo. Listen in today - this is such an emotive topic! 

“You define your own femininity and feel beautiful and valuable and loved as the woman you are and not the mother you could be.”

Today, Karin talks to Michelle about: 

• Her choice to not have a child, even with the pressure of family and friends, who were all becoming parents.                                                                 “The feeling that motherhood is not for me has been with me for as long as I can remember.”
• How Karin's book came out of some deep thinking about motherhood and the different facets involved in making this kind of choice.                                 Karin notes:” I didn't know any parents who actually had a life I would want to swap for." (Very thought-provoking).
• The difficulty in making a choice contrary to that of most of the people in your life, with all the pressure that goes with that, to conform.                          Karin says: “Yes, it definitely takes courage to choose a life without children.”
• How many women feel pressured to have a child, even after having previously made it clear that they have no desire to be a mother.                                   Karin says: “When you say that you don't want a child, many people hear you say 'I don't want a child right now'.”
• She highlights: if it's the man's choice not to have children, they often get the same type of pressure to conform.                                        
  “There was a man writing to me that the exact same story, just the opposite... he didn't want to have children..... after a while his partner said the same thing 'you must have the urge to have kids now?”
• How she got the idea to start a dating network for childfree people.            Karin says: “My husband and I saw a program with a guy creating a dating network for people who really wanted to have children.”
• The reason that she started her network.                                                    She says:  “I thought why can't these two people meet, they need another person that doesn't want to have children either and that made me start the network.”     
• Karin finds it interesting and special about women who choose not to have children - is that they know exactly what they want.                                       ”Some people will just go along with the desire of their partner, because they don't really know what they want.”
• How different people make the choice with different levels of certainty.        Karin says: “There are different levels of having this feeling I don't want kids because some people are kind of indifferent.” (Ambiguity is a huge topic).
• Some of the beliefs and questions that Karin explored around the time that some of her family members changed their minds. It made her question why she didn't want to have a child when everybody else had that desire.
• The number of women not having children in Denmark is increasing.  
  “Not only in Denmark, but in all the Scandinavian countries.”
• Her interview with the BBC about her book and also about the paradox that the Danish population is in decline, while the market for Danish sperm donation is booming!
• What she's had to deal with in terms of pressure from family and friends, to change her mind.                                                                                     She says: “I think I felt the pressure within myself.”
• A TV show she was interviewed on about choices that people make around having children. Karin says: “They don't really understand the term 'childfree'.”
• Karin discusses how she uses her energy to create in other ways and how important it is to her, to help and give to others.

Links: 

Karin's site www.childfreewoman.com

Karin's book is available from Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/lcpvsfb

I do hope you enjoyed this episode. It's fascinating to hear perspectives from various countries and cultures to understand what the differences AND the similarities are, no matter where you are in the world. 

Please share this episode with another woman who would benefit and of course eternal gratitude if you would subscribe and leave a review. Thank you!

For more episodes go to michellemariemcgrath.com

Welcome to today's episode of Unclassified Woman and today we have a special episode for moon lovers! It seems very apt with today's full moon.

If you'd like to understand more about how the phases of the moon can affect your mood, mind, body and soul, join Michelle and her guest, Dr. Ezzie Spencer, with today's show. 

Today we're going to be talking about Ezzie's new book, An Abundant Life, Flourishing With The Cycles Of The Moon, which is her concept of Lunar Abundance and also her personal practice. This practice partners intellect with intuition and it has helped many women throughout the world, through one to one coaching sessions and through the support of Ezzie's flourishing online community at Lunar Abundance.com

Ezzie has trained as a lawyer, worked in government non-profit and research sectors and earned a Ph.D in Women's Wellbeing and Justice After Violence. As a result of feeling that something elemental was missing in the intellectual world of law, Ezzie began to explore the correlation that she noticed between her feelings and the phases of the moon. Listen in... I know that you're going to love this magical topic!

On today's show, Ezzie and Michelle discuss:

• Ezzie's book- Ezzie starts out by giving a summary of the subject at hand, as in her book. 
• She says: “It's a step-by-step guide to working with the moon cycles, to be able to create your best version of your life - and it's really practical.”
• How it stood out for Ezzie in her cultural research, that different cultures, in their beliefs about the moon, would view it as either a Goddess or as a God.        As she says: “Often times we think about the moon as feminine and indeed it is Goddess-related in many cultures, but in other cultures, it may viewed as masculine.
• Ezzie's favourite phase within these cycles, with the understanding that things are constantly moving within the different stages and cycles of the moon, going between the yin and the yang.  She says: “I would find that those yin phases would really be welcome and really my favourite phases throughout the month- although they had their own sets of challenges.”
• Michelle and Ezzie discuss a particular time that people tend to struggle with the most during the cycle. People are familiar with the obvious setting of intentions at the new moon and the dramatic and visible impact of the full moon, but there's a lot more to working with the moon!                                 Ezzie says: “I would say that the number one phase which women tend to struggle with in the practice, is the Gibbous moon phase- a few days before the full moon.”
• The daily practice which is necessary to develop the awareness within you to assist you through the transitory phases, which may be really intense.        Ezzie says: “Just following that constant practice over time will render really great results and change.”
• Whether this is yet another example of how we have become disconnected from the cycles of nature. Ezzie says: “You're hear anecdotally all the time, even from people you wouldn't expect about the impact of the full moon...”
• The original meaning of lunacy, according to the Greek Triple Moon Goddess. Ezzie says: “Hecate was a very powerful Goddess and she was one of the very senior priestesses (or patron of priestesses, or patron of witches in Ancient Greece) and she represented wealth and magical powers.” 
• Whether Ezzie has found, in her working with women with her Lunar Abundance Practice, that they have become more in touch with their menstrual cycle. Ezzie says: “I would say that it's one of the things that women are most interested in with the moon work.”
• What is the best approach when working to deadlines, when one feels that the current moon phase is counter productive to what needs to be done?               “It's about working with these two principles (yin and yang) in tandem and harmony.”
• Working with non-negotiable principles and values during the moon cycles. Ezzie says: “To find those pockets of agency you have to be able to be very intentional about how it is that you live your life.”
• Ezzie shares some wonderful advice for those women who are still challenged with learning to receive.                                                                                “There is a whole chapter in the book on receiving and it is correlated in the Abundance Practice with the sixth of the eight lunar phases.”
• How working with the lunar cycles can have a really positive effect on your level of productivity.                                                                                       Ezzie says: “The yin cycle is key to being, I feel, highly productive, highly effective, but doing it in a way where you're really able to take care of yourself.”
• The greatest gift that Ezzie feels she's received in practising Lunar Abundance. She says: “I feel like...this sense of relaxing and being able to enjoy life a bit more has been central to my life now, vs my life before this practice.”  

I hope you love this episode. Find out more about Dr Ezzie Spencer's work and her book at www.lunarabundance.com and for more episodes of Unclassified Woman with Michelle, please see www.michellemariemcgrath.com

If you enjoyed this episode please share the love (and abundance) and leave us a rating or testimonial on Itunes, so more women can receive this valuable sharing. 

Thank you!