ALisa Starkweather's Page

Hello dear women,
I would put in an image here but all that keeps coming is long html text. Anyhow, there are many ways for us to do the work at hand and although I admit I am going many directions at once, one place that I have dedicated mega hours, weeks, days, months to this year has been the upliftment of the Red Tent Temple Movement among us. Hmm. If you have heard if it then it is working and if you haven't I'd love to share what is going on.
I am the founder of many women's visions. Priestess Path Apprenticeship, a nine month, 8 weekend odyssey or a two year, 13 weekend one, or a lifelong community that women have been sourcing lots of inspiration from. No, this is not vocationally oriented but rather archetypal with ceremonies, community and support for women's gifts to root deep in this world. Women in Power; Initiating Ourselves to the Predator Within is a very fierce women's initiation that is unlike anything I know of. The powerful intention here is to heal the perpetrator and victim circuitry and return to healthy predator and prey instincts that we do not need to feel ashamed of as they are part of our nature. Those of you who know about Mankind Project or New Warrior Weekends for men might have heard of Women in Power as we began from one of their founder's encouragement in 2000. Then Daughters of the Earth Gatherings where the women come to the land off the grid, solar powered no less, and we council, heal, celebrate and share sacred ceremony. There are scholarships to many women of color so that we can deepen our dialogue in our council's by encouraging diversity among us. If we are not able to bridge some of the healing that needs to happen, what are we about? We also bring young women in too.

This year DOE takes place on Aug 7 -10 with an emphasis on council, circle, building of skills, and preparing for our new lives ahead within a changing society. Could I be done? No. I like you, live a pretty full spectrum life women. I single-momed during all this for thirty years! In 1998 I founded the Women's Belly and Womb Conferences of which Imani came with her first born and taught! This year in November will be our 10th anniversary of honoring our bellies and wombs women!
So long story short literally, the Red Tent Temple Movement began in September of 2007. It certainly began before that at conferences, in writing and supporting live Red Tents but in September we launced a grassroots movement to raise them up in our villages, cities and towns. We presently have had 27 at any one time from Oregon, Kentucky, Texas, Ohio, to up and down the east coast. One will happen in July in Australia! This is for all women, open to all beliefs, all ages, all classes, all races and freely held by women for women. We cook, make tea, offer body work, sing, tell stories, share circle and often simply take a nap and sometimes in someone's lap one day a month near or on the new moon. We are hoping to document and publish so that the word can reach more women and also write about how to hold one in one's community that can be accessible.
Right now we are on the learning curve. In fact tonight, June 10, I will meet with organizers on the phone as we share what we are learning and what is needed. We need a lot of technological help as a website for it will need to be developed. We need a logo. And I need to focus on the mission, purpose and principles statements. In the meantime women are coming on to my humble site to learn about it and the organizers are steadfastly doing an amazing job at pioneering a new and needed movement among us. If we can get this going in our society so that women know when the Red Tent opens and holds them each month it would be amazing huh?

I have also recently bought the domain names, daughtersoftheearth.org, com, net and womenriseup.com, org, net. There are rumblings about creating a social networking adventure called Daughters of the Earth Alliance. More to come.

The women in our beautiful network, you included have plans. Changing society and helping women to remember is beautiful work. I am glad to share sisterhood with you.