I’ve had many conversations with the golden goddess of love, beauty, and archetypal femininity. I’ve actually had many conversations with all of the goddesses. I’ve written about them, I’ve spoken about them, I have performed them, and I have witnessed them all in the women around me. But, the goddess of love, Aphrodite, and I often have had late night chats.

Once, in one of our chats, I asked her what makes her so irresistible, seductive and adorable? She replied that, “All women are born beautiful. Knowing that, however, is their choice.”

I’ve had many conversations with the golden goddess of love, beauty, and archetypal femininity. I’ve actually had many conversations with all of the goddesses. I’ve written about them, I’ve spoken about them, I have performed them, and I have witnessed them all in the women around me. But, the goddess of love, Aphrodite, and I often have had late night chats.

Once, in one of our chats, I asked her what makes her so irresistible, seductive and adorable? She replied that, “All women are born beautiful. Knowing that, however, is their choice.”

Click here to read my poem about Aphrodite.
Throughout the ages, the Aphrodite archetype has captured the human imagination and the male and female libido. She is the quintessential lover — the ultimate seductress who takes endless pleasure in her own physical attributes and in bestowing her gifts upon her lovers. She has been adored by artists from Botticelli’s Birth of Venus to Titian’s Venus of Urbino, to the Greek Venus of Milo. Read more »

I went to see the new Renée Zellweger movie this weekend, “My One and Only”, a film that touches on the ever present subject of a woman’s liberation after leaving a man. The movie is set in the 1950 and follows Anne Deveraux, a southern blonde who, as her husband Dan, a band conductor played by Kevin Bacon describes her, suffers from delusions of grandeur. When she arrives early from one of her trips, she finds him in bed with the singer of the band, and it’s clear this isn’t their first time.

She packs up, takes her two teenage sons, money and jewelry from the safe deposit box, buys a Cadillac and leaves for Boston, the closest city she can think of. He protests and tries to stop her by saying how the affairs mean nothing and that she means much more. He then tells her that she is a bad mother who doesn’t even know what school her kids go to and that she won’t be able to take care of them or survive on her own. She drives on, with the clear intention of finding a husband to take care of her and her boys. Read more »

Last weekend, I went to see “Cold Souls”, the new movie starring Paul Giamatti.

Cold Souls is a perfectly imperfect movie that tries to make us understand that it is ok to be exactly who we are, going through exactly what we go through, having our own challenging experiences. Its message is that the shoe fits–even if we think it is not the right shoe. At least that is what I got out of the movie

Sophie Barthes, the French director, brings an interesting angle to addressing our souls through the possibility of soul trafficking: To choose to live with the soul we have or exchanging it with another in the hope of eliminating some of the turmoil, angst and stuckness we are experiencing. She opens up a field of possibility where we ask ourselves, ‘If I could exchange my soul with someone else for a day would I? Who would it be? Why?’ Read more »

In the spirit of optimism, three hundred women gathered at the Women’s Foundation of California Momentum Awards on Friday May 8th to honor 6 influential women who have trail blazed their way to become extraordinary pioneers in their communities. These women have in their unique way stood forward to make a difference not only in other women’s lives, but in all of our lives.

Women from four generations came together to get inspired for a common cause. One of the honorees quoted Madeline Albright “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” But also we think there’s a special place in heaven for women who stand up and support other women. The women honored at the luncheon have some special thrones reserved for them.

Among the women honored was Novelist Isabel Allende, whose powerful words “write what should not be forgotten” were repeated throughout the event. Isabel Allende has written about love, heartache, generosity, and life. Her magical realism has touched so many and she will be the first to tell you that life is full of ups and downs: watch Agapi’s interview with Isabel Allende >

Read more »