Merlin Stone
Remembered
Discover the extraordinary life
and profound contributions
of Merlin Stone, the renowned feminist author, sculptor, artist,
and historian.
Known for her groundbreaking books When God Was a Woman
and Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood
, Merlin Stone was a pioneer of the Women's Movement and the reclaiming of the Great Goddess tradition of the Western world.
In this phenomenal 384-page book, new light is shed upon Merlin's philosophy and methodology as you take a memorable journey through her life.
"It is so great to remember Merlin ...
to have so much detail about
her life and her work."
-Olympia Dukakis,
Oscar-winning actress and author
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"In The Queen of My Self: Stepping into Sovereignty in Midlife,Donna Henes proposes the concept of the midlife Queen, focused on spiritual wisdom, mastery and self-esteem. Yes, it is time to be the Queen of Our Self, the High Priestess of Our Own Life, and claim the respect that we deserve while shouldering our own hard-earned authority, wisdom and inner beauty."
- Layne Redmond, author of When the Women Were Drummers
The Queen of My Self is available in all
E-book formats:
Kindle, Nook Book and Apple
from:
The Apple Store:
COPY HERE
I LOVE your book -I laughed and you touched my heart, I saw myself - and am purchasing these copies for friends and clients. Thank you for such a wonderful gift
- Sherrie, N
Y
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The Queen's Chronicles
Offers upbeat, practical and ceremonial inspiration for all women who want to enjoy
the fruits of an influential, passionate, and powerful maturity.
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There is no charge for The Queen's Chronicles. It is offered freely from the heart. However, if you welcome and value this work and want to support it, please feel free to make a donation to keep it going and growing. Your help confirms the importance of our community of Queens and I am ever grateful. |
The Queen's Chronicles
TO MAKE A TAX DEDUCTABLE
DONATION
and help The Queen's Chronicles maintain its mission to promote meaning, moxie, magic, and majesty to women in midlife.
THANK YOU!
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My deepest appreciation to all of you who have contributed to keep
The Queen's Chronicles alive since 2007. I could not have done it without
your kind support.
CLICK HERE to see a complete list of our past generous donors.
Now we start a new list for 2016.
Red
denotes new donors
Daile Kaplan, NY Virginia McCallister, PA Melissa O'Grady, OH Kay Osborne, NJ Jane Petro, MA JoAnne Richards, NY
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CONSULT THE
MIDLIFE MIDWIFE™
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"My Sistar, My Queen, I adore you, applaud you and salute you. Thank you for making a difference in my life and the lives of many, as we collectively make differences to improve the world! Very excited to see what the next years will bring! Ashe, Love & Light,"
- Adrienne, NY
Are you looking for meaning, moxie, magic & majesty in midlife?
Consult The Midlife Midwife™
The transition from Maiden and Mother to Queen can be a difficult one, fraught with hard lessons and lots of loss. It takes great determination and courage to confront and embrace the changes brought about by the midlife passage.
It can be really helpful during this confusing time to have the inspiration, advice and encouragement of a counselor/coach/mentor - someone who has been there and done that and is ready to help you do the same.
Queen Mama Donna offers upbeat, practical and ceremonial guidance for individual women and groups who want to enjoy the fruits of an enriching, influential, purposeful, passionate, and powerful maturity.
TURN YOUR MIDLIFE CRISIS
INTO YOUR
CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT!
For further information, click HERE.
Sessions are available in person, by phone
and skype
.
To make an appointment,
call 718-857-1343
"I am able to close my eyes and generate the feeling of total peace anywhere and any time." - Mary MAddox
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SPIRIT SUPPORT SKILLS
TELESEMINARS
with Mama Donna
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A SERIES OF RELAXED
FOR YOU TO DOWNLOAD
Lessons in practical spirituality
that offer no-nonsense approaches and practices to help you live your daily life in a consciously
(and conscientiously)
sacred manner.
$25 PER Download
$60 SERIES OF ANY 3
(plus PayPal fee)
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ALWAYS IN SEASON
Back Issues Sale!
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Always in Season
Living in Sync with the Cycles
A Quarterly Journal by Mama Donna Henes, Urban Shaman
1999 - 2006
"A Gem.
A fresh highlight of the independent and alternative media."
- Utne Reader
Order the set for only $32
Free shipping!
(U.S. only)
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DON'T MISS THESE EVENTS!
JUNE
GLOBAL
June 1 - 30 MAMA DONNA'S HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAROT
1/3 off the regular price for June Birthdays
*
Thursday, 6:30 - 9:30 PM
BECOMING THE QUEEN OF YOUR SELF
An evening of empowerment and ritual
with Queen Mama Donna and
Anne Klaeyson, Sharon Mesmer, Lori Hefner
The Ethical Culture Society
2 West 64th Street at CPW
NYC
Info:
(212) 874-5210
Click
HERE for more information
about all events.
*
JULY
GLOBAL
June 1 - 30
MAMA DONNA'S HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAROT
1/3 off the regular price for July Birthdays
$120 plus paypal fee
*
NEW YORK
Full Buck Moon Drumming Circle
Drum! Chant! Kick up your heels!
NY Open Center
22 East 30th Street
New York, NY 10016
For information and registration call
(212) 219-2527 x2
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Bring the Queen to You!
Book Queen Mama Donna to officiate at a wedding, memorial or other rite of passage, or
invite her to give a reading, presentation, ritual, workshop, or keynote address at your next meeting, conference or retreat.
Call her at 718-857-1343
"Our seminar audience felt as if they were chatting with a cherished - and savvy - girlfriend. Mama Donna transforms lives with the insights, the wisdom, and the vision of her work. We received many compliments about Mama Donna in the days after she spoke."
- Diane Saarinen, Event Coordinator
The Beltane Papers Magazine
Bellingham, WA
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GIFT
THE QUEEN OF YOUR SELF!
specializing in all manner of elegant, practical, and frivolous goods to fulfill all the royal needs and fantasies of
The Queen of Your Self. Therein you will find a choice collection of goods to augment and accessorize your royal prerogative.
Anoint, Adorn, Enjoy!
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It is my hope that as more and more women rise to reign
in the fullest potential
of our supremacy,
we will harness our purpose,
passion, and power
and direct it toward
creating a more balanced
and peaceful world.
This is the legacy of Her majesty.
- QMD
Turn Your
Midlife C
risis into
Your Crowning Achievement!
The origin of the word "BLESS"
comes from "BLOOD."
*blōþisōną ("
to sprinkle, mark or hallow with blood
"), from
*blōþą
("
blood
").
if there is a river
more beautiful than this
bright as the blood
red edge of the moon
if
there is a river
more faithful than this
returning each month
to the same delta
if there
is a river
braver than this
coming and coming in a surge
of passion, of pain
if there is
a river
more ancient than this
daughter of eve
mother of cain and of abel
if there is in
the universe such a river
if
there is some where water
more powerful than this wild water
pray that it flows also
through animals
beautiful and faithful and ancient
and female and brave
- Lucille Clifton
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All Praise the Women of Menopause
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All Praise the Women of Menopause
By Sharon Mesmer
For some women, menopause is no big deal. Some say they barely notice it. My mother, long ago, described her menopause this way: "My periods just started gettin' lighter and lighter, and my harmones settled down, and then one day ... pffft! It was over."
Not me. Not only did menopause change my life, it changed me.
Before I was laid low by hot flashes and panic-inducing adrenaline rushes, the constant oscillation between morbid sadness and killer rage, I'd prided myself on being fearless. I'd kicked undercover cops in the groin, screamed obscenities at the masochistic nuns at my Catholic school, threw a chair at my abusive fiancé's head while Allen Ginsberg read poetry in a room below.
And suddenly, I was a person to whom sitting quietly with hands folded, ideally in a dark room with the shades drawn and maybe "The Lawrence Welk Show" playing low on an old TV, seemed like the best plan ever.
I wish I'd been better prepared. I wish I'd properly celebrated the last time I'd canceled plans to spend all morning soaking in a lavender-scented bathtub with a bottle of Advil. I wish I'd noted down the date when I'd dug that last extra tampon out of the bottom of my purse and thrown it away. I should have marked the event in some way, maybe even performed a personal rite-of-passage ritual: taken that tampon out to the woods, placed it upon an altar that I'd fashioned out of ancient, glacial rocks, and set it ablaze while I chanted an invocation to whoever the crone-goddess of menopause is.
I am now well-acquainted with that crone-godddess.
It's possible that I have the World's Worst Menopause. But how to quantify with hard data hot flashes that make me feel like I'm staring into the mouth of an active volcano or the engine of a coal-burning locomotive on the hottest day in history? To what previous record could I compare panic-inducing adrenaline rushes that occur every hour o
n the hour and, while I'm teaching, inspire concerned students to ask if I'm having a heart attack? When I hear women use cutesy nicknames like "power surges" I want to rip their throats out.
If you are one of those women for whom the transition from periods to no periods was like the transition from walking to sitting down - congratulations. Everybody else - you are my tribe. And I've come to believe that our tribe needs a ritual.
I've heard menopause described as a second puberty. There are plenty of rite-of-passage rituals for girls as they begin and complete puberty. There's the
Bat mitzvah, the
Quinceañera and the Sweet 16. I've read about a beautiful Apache ceremony called
Na'ii'ees, which takes place the summer after a girl has her first period, at sunrise, and commemorates the story of Esdzanadehe, the First Woman. As it was originally performed, a girl, covered with a golden mixture of cornmeal and clay, becomes imbued with the power of the First Woman, and receives the ability to heal and bring blessings to her community.
I didn't have a Sweet 16 or a
Bat mitzvah. But I did have a First Holy Communion, which supposedly marked my ascent to the age of reason, as a seven-year-old. As rituals go, it was a good one.
First, there was the buying of the white dress, white fake fur jacket and white shoes. I clearly recall my mother and I marching up and down Ashland Avenue, the main shopping street in our south side Chicago neighborhood, in search of something that I would actually deign to wear. It couldn't be too ornate, according to Sister Eleanor, the principal of St. John of God grammar school, but according to me it had to be really, really pretty. (Twelve years ago I actually found the dress as I was cleaning out my mom's house, and it really was pretty: sateen with sheer puffy sleeves and seed pearls all over the bodice.) As we shopped around, we'd run into other girls and their mothers doing the same thing. Seeing them and comparing notes - "Goldblatts ain't got nothin' good no more" "I heard they're gougin' everybody over by 63rd" - heightened the feeling of the ceremony's importance.
As we turned a corner, I could, for the first time, hear the booming sounds of the church organ and the choir. I remember thinking right then that that was a magic moment: all of us walking toward the thunderous organ playing just for us while the choir of adults sang us in to the tune of a hymn called "This Is My Body."
A group of teenage boys stood with their arms folded, watching us; a young mother crouched down, put her arm around her little boy, and pointed; an old man doffed his cap. As we walked up the steps of the church, the nuns, like security at a rock concert, waved back the mothers with flowers and dads with cameras. It felt like we were the Beatles.
Now I wonder: why is that we're lauded and celebrated when we've only just embarked on the journey? Why do we stop marking, ritually, the accomplishments along the way? The hurdles that women routinely overcome?
I think all of us who are going through menopause should gather together, and then two-by-two make a pious procession through streets clogged with our living loved ones and long-dead parents and grandparents (resurrected just for us and calling our names). Whoever we are, whether svelte and wafting Chanel, or pouchy with pendulous breasts, I want us to be made much of, cheered, lauded, recognized. I want our procession to be led by a bunch of men our age with beer guts pushing their shirt buttons apart, shouldering a statue of whoever our appropriate goddess is - possibly Tonantzin, the Aztec Earth Mother, or maybe Hillary Clinton.
I want us to be sung to by a choir as we march into a secular temple, possibly some combination of the old Fillmore and the Society for Ethical Culture. Once inside, we gather in a circle around a huge ring of fire and, at an appropriate moment, accompanied by chanting, we toss into the flames that unused old tampon that we've been carrying around for five years. As we do, the fire changes from red to pure white, tongues of it leap into our hearts, and we receive the ability to heal and bring blessings to our community.
And there's a party afterward that lasts four days, with enough ice-cold drinks, Ativan, and L'Occitane Verbena Refreshing Towelettes (chilling in hundreds of tiny personal refrigerators), for us all.
###
This article first appeared in the NY Times online on 2/11/16, and in the Sunday Review print edition 2/14/16
It was widely read and commented upon. Anne Klaeson, Leader of the Ethical Culture Society in New York contacted Sharon to tell her how much she liked the idea of a menopausal ritual, and then proposed to present one at the Ethical Culture society. Susan told Anne that Mama Donna Henes, the Queen of Her Self, simply must lead the ritual! And so the idea for a wonderful evening of empowerment was born. Scroll down for all the invitation.
Join US!
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Becoming the Queen of Your Self
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Kicking & raging against aging?
Struggling with the big change?
Mired in a menopausal hot mess?
Resisting your mature power?
Dare to Step into Your Sovereignty
&
Turn your Midlife Crisis
into your crowning achievement!
Join us for an evening of Empowerment
Becoming the Queen of Your Self
An Evening of Empowerment
JUNE 30
THURSDAY, 6:30-9:30
With
Anne Klaeysen, Ethical Culture Leader
Sharon Mesmer, Poet
Laurie Hefner, Healer &
featuring a special
Crowning Ceremony
with Queen Mama Donna Henes,
Author of
The Queen of My Self:
Stepping into Sovereignty in Midlife
$10/members $25/guests
Advance registration requested
For info: 212-874-5210 x 113
NY Society for Ethical Culture
2 West 64th Street @ Central Park West
"At her first bleed a woman meets her power.
During her bleeding years she practices it.
At menopause she BECOMES it."
Native American saying
During this event we will work with the power that menopause grants - especially for those suffering through it! - by coming together to acknowledge our undeniable global presence, to do a meditation, to share our stories and to participate in a powerful SOVEREIGNTY CROWNING CEREMONY
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The French have a marvelous saying:
"When a woman loses her blood, she gains her voice."
The New York Subways sport this sign:
"If you see something, say something"
Queens speak up and say what needs to be said
in defense of what they know is right and worthy
and in the best interest of women and society as a whole.
A Queen has got to say what She has got to say!
Last month, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed a law
imposing new limitations on abortion. It requires miscarried fetuses, as well as aborted fetuses, to be "interred or cremated
by a facility having possession of the remains," regardless of the age of the fetus.
"Fertilized eggs can be expelled during a woman's period without a woman even knowing that she might have had the potential blastocyst in her. Therefore, any period could potentially be a miscarriage without knowledge. I would certainly hate for any of my fellow Hoosier women to be at risk of penalty if they do not 'properly dispose' of this or report it. Just to cover our bases, perhaps we should make sure to contact Governor Pence's office to report our periods. We wouldn't want him thinking that THOUSANDS OF HOOSIER WOMEN A DAY are trying to hide anything, would we?"
She invited women to call and tweet Pence's office to talk about their periods. "Let's make our bodies Mike's business for real, if this is how he wants it." And since then, women have been sending Pence a lot of messages - about their menstrual flow, and their cramps,and their birth control, and their tampon discomfort,
and their bloating, and their menopause!
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The Queen's Correspondence
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Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to
The Queen's Chronicles.
It is a joy to
connect with you and to share your comments with our sister Queens.
Letters In Response to the MARCH 2016 Issue
Thank you so much for introducing the world Women's Power website in your newsletter. Your step of introducing active women of the world is positive and a help to encourage the women to stand for the rights in the world. Best wishes,
- Farah, Iran and Austria
Letters in response to the MAY 2016 Issue:
Hail Oh great Queen of Love and Truth!! This is so great:
"A general congress of women without limits of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consider with its objects to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace." What a powerful message - oh but I do pray that we are able to gather this group of women and do count me in!!Really loved your newsletter today and identified with the Cindy Sheehan article among others! Felt I would share these old memories with you (now 11 years ago) it seems like just yesterday .Love,
- Venus,FL
I'm reading the Mother's Day declaration to my boys when I next see them. We didn't have a chance to celebrate, so this will kick it off. Thanks also for tipping me.
- Terese, NY
The world needs more women like you and the ones you write about. Thank you for all you do. With much love and peace in my heart. Namaste.
Elayne, PA
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your enews and writing, as always, Mama Donna! I ordered your book today too!!
Amalya, CA
Please keep your letters coming. And do feel free to make suggestions about content you would like to see. Or anything else, for that matter.
Your letters will be printed in the next Queen's Chronicles.
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We extend hearty congratulations to our multi-talented circle of Sister Queens for their impressive accomplishments and successes.
And by the way, everything in life is writable about
if you have the outgoing guts to do it,
and the imagination to improvise.
The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.
- Sylvia Plath
Alessandra Belloni, NJ; Barbara Rosenthal, NY; Carol Tandava, NY;Diane Torr, Scotland;
on their performances and/or performances of their work.
Emma Amos, , NY; Suzanne Benton, CT; Lauren Curtis, NJ; LuLu LoLo, NY; Yoko Ono, NY; Robin Tewes, NY; Martha Wilson, NY on
the exhibitions of their artwork.
Katya Miller, CA; Suzannn Robins, OR
on their moves.
BRAVA!
Please send your good news, achievements, accomplishments, successes and celebrations so that our international circle of sovereign sisters can send you blessings and accolades.
And we are glad to so. It is a joy and a privilege to share in the fortune of another woman. I recently heard Oprah say the saddest thing ever - "The hardest thing about being successful is having someone to be glad for you."
It takes a centered and confident Queen to break that pattern. There are 60 million thrones out there. One for each of us. There is plenty of purpose, passion and power for us all. May we use it well!
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Please Offer Your Purest Thoughts, Your Heart-Felt Prayers, Your Great Good Feelings, And Your Very Best Blessings For Healing and Peace of Mind To:
Adrianne, NY; Alison, TN; Amy, NY; Babs, NY; Barbara, NJ; Bebee, DE; Berenice, NY; Bettye, NY; Betty, AL; Chrissie, NY; Christine, NY; Dana, FL; Dawn, CA; Diane, NY; Dolly, NY; Dominique, NM; Donna, NY; Dorothy, CA; Gail, WA; Jo, AZ; Gerry, VT; Joan, ME; Joan, NY; Judi, FL; Karen, NJ; Kathleen, PA; Kathrine, Denmark; Kaylin, MD; Kazuko, NY; Kim, NY; Kimi, NJ; Laura, NY; Laurie, OH; Linda, FL; Linda, SC; Lisa, NJ; Lorie, KY; Lisa, PA; Lucia, TX; Margi, NY; Mari, VA; Margi, NY; Marna, NY; Marsha, NY; Mary, MD; Mary, NY; Mary, OH; Mary, CO; Nancy, NY; Nancy, NC; Nona, LA; Pat, MA; Patsy, NY; Paula, NT; Pearl, NY; Reynolds, NY; Roberta, NY; Sally, NY; Sandy, CA; Sharon, NY; Shelley, NY; Sheriden, MA; Shirley, IN; Sherli, CA; Sid, PA; Sue, CA; Susan, NC; Susan, NY; Terese, NY; Terri, FL; Urvashi, NY; Vicki, MN; Weslea, ME; and
Yvette, NY;
who are in the process of healing themselves from illness, accident, injury, or surgery.
Amy, NY; D. Barbara, NY; Beverly, NY; Carol, NY; Diana, FL; Joanne, NY; Kimberly, NY; Kyia, MN; Linda, NY; Linda, NY; Maureen, NY; Meryl, NY; Beedee, NY; Patricia, Australia; Regi, CA; Sheryll, CA; Susan, NY; and
Svetlana, NY;
who would benefit greatly from some spiritual support.
Deni, NY; Erica, New Zealand; Gaetana, NY; Hemetra, PA; Janet, CT; Kat, NY; Kate, NY;k; Laurie, OH; Lois, NY; Marla, NY; Mary, CO; Marya, NY; Nancy, NC;
and
Roslyn, NJ;
th
e caregivers who are in weary need of care themselves.
May Their Spirits Rest in Peace
Meredith Lee Armstrong, WA
Sheila Connolly, WI
Jo Cox, England
Marlis Klein, BC, Canada
Dr. Brigitte Mengelberg, WA
Sandra Moran, KS
Patricia Grace Smith, DC
Marilyn Wood, NM
Jen Wright, MN
With Heart Felt Condolences
Carol Ball, MN
Alfie Garcia, NY
Norma Joyce, WA
Cheryl Pletcher, KS
Please send your requests for physical and spiritual healing and positive energy so that the powerful women of The Queen's Court might send their prayers and blessings to you in your time of need.
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
-
Maya Angelou
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~ ROYAL RESOURCES FOR QUEENLY WOMEN ~
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Our extended circle of Queens includes some mightily talented women. Please support them by availing yourself of their superior services and by buying their excellent products and supporting their work.
WELCOME TO OUR NEW ADVERTISERS.
MAY YOU PROSPER!
Click on ads to link to website
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Anthologies featuring a chapter by Queen Mama Donna
Click HERE for more information.
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The Queen Returns to Beliefnet! |
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Read articles by, about, and
Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays
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