Capricorn New Moon: Set Intentions, Manifest Dreams!

Moon Goddess by Josephine Wall 

The first New Moon of the New Year, so now we can say: 

Happy 2026, bring it on, now with the aligned energy of a new beginning!

New beginnings, fresh starts, solid developments or endings (the cycle of life-death-rebirth...) of anything that no longer serves you.

A few things for you to meditate on, whatever works for you: seated in meditation, lying down, or simply contemplating the view. Here it is:

• Everything and everyone you are grateful for.

Give them a hug (energetically or physically), ah, and this includes self-hug! (appreciation for your body and whole self!) ;) Also, to everyone you are grateful for, let them know!

• What have you done and have not done this year? (Based on the goals and ideas you set out to achieve in 2025)  

Although be light-hearted about this: 

It's not an understanding from the mind, but more from the heart, which cultivates the acceptance of your own nature and life circumstances. There's really no point in focusing on the negative; just take it as a way to improve something or even to change it. Also, as motivation and goals to achieve in future, as everything happens at the right time... the Divine Plan transcends us all!...

So going a little bit deeper: 

• What were your biggest challenges and your biggest satisfaction?  

To stir a bit of philosophy into it, something I received from my family when I left my country, to embrace the unknown, a card with this sentence:

"The bigger the challenge, the bigger the satisfaction."

(From a Greek philosopher that I forgot the name of), This made lots of sense, and it still does. 

Challenges are incredible gifts, some really hard, but they are our great teachers. Indeed gateways for growth and evolution, along with so much wisdom and self-awareness.
And being in the 'quoting mode', another thought:

"Never lose your faith. The best beginnings come after the worst endings." Bob Marley.

We have a saying in Portugal: After the storm comes the calm.

And finally, something for you to write down (or just run it through your mind, whatever works better for you) :

• Where have you been? (Different places, travels you have done, doesn't matter the distance.)
• What did you do? (The highlights of the most exciting things you did this year, on any level, something that really means a lot to you...)
• What did you learn? (In the different levels of your being.)

If it is something that no longer serves you and you don't want to see repeating in your life, including things in yourself you want to let go, write them down on a small piece of paper and then:

• Take a quiet moment to reflect on everything you wrote, read it out loud and in a place in nature, and burn the paper. As the ashes fall to Earth, the smoke rises to the Sky, as above, as below, so within! (If you have any sacred place where you do your rituals indoors, like a cauldron or a stove, it's fine, but then give the ashes to Earth). The fire has the power to transform, supported by the unconditional nurturing of Mother Earth and the divinity of Father Sky.

This New Moon in Capricorn reinforces the energies of endings and new beginnings for the New Year. Specifically, the energy of determination to accomplish your goals, dedication and confidence to do what you want to do, to achieve ambitions and have the stamina to do it. 

 
Capricorn being connected with the earth teaches about grounding, essential to help us in our achievements and indeed embody presence - be here in the now!

•  Write down your goals and dreams for 2026!

Be specific in your goals and dreams, and less is more, so make the list that you believe with your mind, heart, and soul can be possible to achieve in the coming New Year.
Then you just have to do your bit in the mundane dimension, along with visualisation and appreciation (that is actually happening, even when not yet!), to make it a living reality!

***Wishing you a wonderfully fantastic 2026! It is unfolding with new opportunities to Live Your Truth, embrace your Divine Feminine essence, and Manifest your Dreams***

May your radiant Feminine self shine, contributing to a better and more beautiful world!

© Anamarta

Special Lucky FRIDAY 13th!***

High Feminine Energy is in the air today, the lucky Friday 13th that usually happens once a year. Enjoy it, tune into it and make the most of it! Why lucky? Why Feminine? 13 is a special and magical number for us women, associated with the 13 Full Moons we usually have in a year, linked with 13 times we usually bleed (have our moontime, menstruation), as our cycle links with the moon cycle. 13 is the number of blood, fertility, and lunar potency. It is associated with the sacred feminine, psyche power, magic, and emotion in various traditions, from ancient times to modern. In Wicca, the Pagan Goddess tradition of Old Europe, communicants convene in covens of 13 participants. 13 was also auspicious for the Egyptians, who believed that life has 13 stages, the last of which is death, the transition to eternal life.  When Chinese women offer moon cakes, there are sure to be 13 on the platter.  A turtle, which represents the Earth Mother, the Goddess in Native American, for the Chinese symbol of wisdom; in the Taoist Shamanic Tradition the shell of the turtle was the original 'pakua', has actually 13 segments on her shell!... 13 is the lucky number of the Great Goddess! Then Friday itself is ruled by Venus, the planet of transcendental beauty, of love, special self-love, sexuality, eroticism, desire, enjoyment, fun, attraction; and the planet which reminds us of our Divine Feminine within. And is associated with Goddess Freya, who brings us love, friendship, beauty, and reconciliation.    I think for the reasons above this number has been seen other than as 'bad luck', a myth that started essentially from the dark ages of patriarchy in church and politics when they used to burn women for their medicinal and psychic powers. Believe it or not, the Witchcraft Act was repealed in England in 1953!... Digger a bit deeper, this superstition about Friday the 13th may have roots in the biblical tradition based on the belief that the 13th guest on the "last supper" was Judas, whose betrayal caused the death of Jesus. But was said that Judas were part of the 12 disciples already! I remember growing up hearing if it was 13 people in a table the youngest one would be the first to die!... Now I wonder if the 13th guest of this "last supper" was Mary Magdalene, she had a special relationship with Jesus... Of course never mentioned by the Christian tradition, which also never mentioned the spiritual leadership that Mary Magdalene held because she was a woman. This was kept secret and just encoded in stories, only revealed nowadays from the discovery of hidden gospels. Friday was also: the day Jesus died on the cross; that Eve served forbidden fruit pie at her legendary garden soiree, was the day that Adam was expelled from Paradise. Do you know the superstition of the number 13th in the Western World is called triskaidekaphobia?    I found all so interesting as from fear of the Feminine Power so much was developed, but with that lots of women lost touch with their powerful and feminine self, even the understanding of their cycles, bodies and true nature. But I believe that is also changing and we should embrace this change to inspire others around us to do the same. The Tao ( = the way) of Feminine Empowerment, being powerful as a Feminine Woman filled with compassion, trust, flexibility and receptiveness. Tao of Feminine Empowerment, the Jade Circle® Workshops which provide the tools to support us in this path, through Ancient Secrets which can be easily applied and greatly benefit our modern lives. © Anamarta

***Happy Rooster Year: Focus your Power***

With New Moon, the new beginning in the Lunar Calendar the Chinese (Taoist) New Year begins: The Fire Monkey swings away and the Fire Rooster crows in!

Yes, another fire year!... Fire creates, fire destroys, fire connects with the heart the place of love and compassion, impatience and hatred, as light and dark coexist.

"The Fire Rooster, specifically, is an already-intense sign with an extra side of focus and drive. Rooster years are rarely ever boring, so it'll be a year with a lot of action." 

But different from the monkey's unpredictability, the rooster is more predictable, so this brings some stability, indeed wrapped in action, which can be taken to be productive and fulfill accomplishment.   After all rooster is characterised by confidence, optimism, courage, hardworking, being observant, resourceful and talented. The Rooster is also sensitive, so drama can accompany the year; although I believe is not about what is happening but the way we respond to it. So if you make a priority in keeping yourself in a good space, which for me means keeping the inner peace in our heart and mind, feeling the harmony within, which will spread to our outer world, can really support you in managing your life and all the "arrows of outrageous fortune" much smoothly.

"The Rooster favours those who put in the hard work and stick to a plan. Also respects those with strong opinions and a good work ethic. Be thoughtful about what’s in your heart and go with it." Adopted from Chinese Astrologist Laura Lau

This Rooster year according to some Chinese Horoscope is Female Fire Chicken aka Red Chicken year. I'm bringing this up as I would like to mention the feminine, yin importance; as it's great to keep focus and organise to accomplish goals and all that, but that's pure yang, masculine, the rational and doing; so keep a good eye on equally relaxing, to be open without expectation, to cultivate the state of simply being. Otherwise you might find yourself out of balance or totally drained by exhaustion!...

How do you relate with these animals: the rooster and the chicken? Any experiences you have with them? What comes to your mind?

Part of tuning in into the energy of the New Year, is understanding the animal, and knowledge follows understanding, which gives you the support to make the most of it! How do you think Chinese Astrology started?...voilà! And specially when the energy in the air is strong, the better you understand it, the best possibilities you have to deal with it and even end up to ride it for you own advantage. But with misunderstanding and fighting against it, a hard time is guaranteed!...

Before I share some of my relationship with Rooster and Chicken, here some facts and interesting curiosities about them:

"Rooster is almost the epitome of fidelity and punctuality. For ancestors who had no alarm clocks, the crowing was significant, as it could awaken people to get up and start to work. In Chinese culture, another symbolic meaning is exorcising evil spirits."
Well, just not in in Chinese culture they are used to 'magical purpose': in Greek mythology Rooster was thought to have the ability of divining the future. In Africa and Brazilian-Afro cultures they are feared for their use in 'black magic'.

Recently in Bali I learned the feathers of the roosters are used in their sacred rituals, and each part of the island (east, west, north, south and center), uses different colours according the the feather coat of their local roosters. While there, one day my curiosity pulled me to a crowed of men shouting holding money in the air.  As I got closer I just saw a rooster jumping on another.  Shocked, I asked "Did he kill him?" The shock was from the men, as women are not allowed in rooster fights (which I didn't even know about it)! As you can imagine, being an animal lover, I was horrified; but this to say that this animal is indeed courageous, when it does stand for himself it does fiercely! Something to bear in mind (and not to be taken literally) for this coming year. I also had the opportunity to observe some wild roosters, I can definitely confirm that:

"Roosters are happiest when they are surrounded by others. They enjoy the spotlight and will exhibit their charm on any occasion". 

I had a special episode with this rooster you can see below, he was big and strong, and as I came close to him and asked to photograph him, he didn't run away as most of his fellows, but actually posed to the photos.  I chose the best two, but was literally a photo session; he loved it!

In ancient times rooster was regarded as a mascot because they ate harmful insects. 
The "Barcelos Rooster is the unofficial symbol of Portugal" originating from a Medieval legend from the lovely Minho, a region of the north of the country, where this Barcelos city is located. So:
Once upon a time a men was accused wrongly of committing a crime, stealing some silver from a landowner. He was a pilgrim in his way to Santiago de Compostela (still today a route for the "caminho"). He was taken to this landowner who was holding a banquet with some friends, but even after pleading his innocence, he was condemned to death, so he shouted: "It is as certain that I am innocent as it is certain that this rooster will crow when they hang me." Well, with laughter they let him go, but afraid or not nobody ate the rooster. As the pilgrim was being hanged, the roasted rooster stood up on the table and crowed. The lord in panic for his misjudging ran to the gallows, and to his surprise and relief the innocent man had been saved from hanging thanks to a poorly made knot in the rope. The man was immediately freed and sent off in peace.
Besides being Portuguese I confess that I just learned about this symbol of "faith, justice and good luck" last Summer, as this location is just nearby where we hold our annual Qigong and Tai Chi Teacher Training in a manor house belonging to the same feudal family for hundreds of years.

And do you know the shape of China on a map is often likened to a rooster? 

My relationship with rooster and chicken started when I was a baby: we used to spend holidays in my grandfather's small village, a valley in a mountain surrounded by countryside, and he had many animals, including chickens and rare white roosters (they are not afraid to charge into humans if upset), so apparently when I started to crawl I used to disappear and be found in the chicken coop!... The problem was then to take me out of  there, as the roosters won't let it happen easily!...
A few years later I was given an Indian chicken (a small size chicken), which I remember very well to be my companion. I was to carry her everywhere under my arm, feed her and play with her.
Many years later, so just a few years ago, I encountered this same breed of chicken while camping in Hawaii, they lived everyday with us, we shared food with them, but they were really keen on my beloved partner Kris actually, as they always followed him wherever he went.  This was hilarious, and believe me we tested a few times, and they were many, as you can see in the photo below.

Rooster (or Chicken) ranks tenth among the Chinese zodiac animals.  This just reinforces the "1" in this year numerology: 2+0+1+7 =10 is 1+0= 1. The number one is the fresh start, new beginnings, rebirth, is associated with the sun: life force, creation, fire element!

"The most important themes during a “1” year are flexibility and resilience so that we are mentally, emotionally, and physically able to effortlessly accept and adapt to the continuous change that is constantly floating our way." Alex Myles

I wish you an amazing Rooster New Year: Focus your Power, cultivating the energy necessary to do so! Grab the opportunities and make the most of what this Fire Rooster/Chicken and 2017 brings you!***

 © Anamarta

 

***Harvest Powerful Moon***

Today is a very special Full Moon, the Harvest Moon, the one which occurs closest to Autumn (Fall) Equinox, sometimes a few days after or before, depends on the year. It's usually the biggest full moon in the year and more 'pumpkin colour'. Perfect time for an abundance ritual!
The Moon will be in Pisces and comes with a Lunar Eclipse, presenting us the Alchemy of light and dark, yin and yang - Full Power Time!!
"Eclipses are the most powerful transits that you can experience." Kelly Rossano

This Pisces Moon relate with sensitivity, intuition, mysticism and dream power, spiritual evolution, expansion of consciousness and subconscious seeking inner truths.

With your Moon Magic (even if just lighting up any candle: what is important is your intention and focus) you can ask the Grandmother Moon to support you in all the above and anything related with this energy, specially to your dreams come true!...

And what is Moon Magic? Magic is no more than a change of consciousness, and the Moon representing psychic energy, or the unconscious that holds the secrets of wisdom, can be a great ally or supporter in this.
Here a my suggestion:
Light a turquoise (or violet) candle and burn oil or incense of ylang-ylang, or eucalyptus, or sage. Repeat an affirmation three times, facing the moon (if possible) even when indoors. Let the candle burn until the end. 

You can create your own affirmation based on the Pisces virtues, here an idea:
"Moon in Pisces, bright your beam, Bring to me my sweetest dream".

Why not put you Pisces Moon magic with a ritual of Abundance to make the most of this energy in the air!
'Magically speaking' this is indeed a great time to focus on abundance.

You can create your own ritual to connect with your inner self and let this golden moon illuminate and inspire you; be clear and assertive in your requests and be aware of the same (be careful that what you ask the Universe is what you really want...).
Ideas of things you may use in a ritual for abundance:

• Gold (or/and green, orange) candles, oranges, rice, milk, corn, cinnamon, money (big notes and coins), gold. Some crystals relate with abundance: citrine, carnelian, jade; and totems: buffalo (or/and cow) and sardine.

Remember follow your intuition you can never go wrong, and for something to happen, the belief must come, not just from the mind but from the heart and soul.
My Last year Harvest Aries Moon (is why the red candles) Abundance Ritual.

© Anamarta

Sexuality & Spirituality in the Taoist Tradition in Modern Lives

How are sexuality and spirituality bound together in the Taoist tradition, in a way that's relevant to modern women?

In the Taoist Tradition sexuality and spirituality are bound together, as the Taoists focus on harmonising mind, body and spirit.  Spiritual development requires a balance of physical health and mental clarity, and our sexuality plays an important role in that.
Sex is natural and we are sexual beings – women, born with hundreds of eggs, they have the capacity to generate hundreds of lives! (And man with a single ejaculation could repopulate North America!).   The Taoist believes that if we were not to use this energy to create life itself, we can use it to enhance our own life. This happens by internalising the intense sexual energy, all the hormones and nutrients; the ancient secrets of the Art of Bedchamber that can be applied to benefit our modern lives.

In this light sexuality is beyond sex, being the most powerful energy of creation, the expression of our creativity, that can be used for pleasure, healing, to cultivate health, rejuvenation, longevity; to attain goals, to realise dreams, and ultimately, to connect with the Divine, the universal source or ‘Re-Union with the Tao.’ In other words, by using the sexual energy for spiritual development, we come by ‘the short path to enlightenment’.

When we consciously tap into the energy of creation, we have in our hands the power to heal, transform, and create what we want!  Creativity is present throughout our day, from the moment we get out of bed and choose what to wear, what to eat…  And the fact is that when we get up our sexual organs don’t stay in bed: they are always with us! 

Why and how is this energy important for having sex that is spiritual. Is this energy a fusion of body & spirit?

There is no ‘sacred’ focus, all human sex being sacred in the union of Yang, the force of Heaven, with Yin, the power of Earth.
The idea is that by keeping the body – the vehicle to generate, transform and project energy – healthy, we keep mind, soul and spirit healthy too. And to keep the body (also seen as the ‘temple of spirit’) healthy we learn how to avoid losing energy, which women lose through menstruation and childbirth (and men through ejaculation). We also learn to take the most of our energy circulating it through all our being, which includes redirecting the orgasmic energy through the whole body, instead of just staying in the genitals.
These Taoist Healing Love practices are internal alchemical methods to harmonise both right and left sides of the brain, balancing the intuitive and the rational, when to do and when to be. Besides the enhancing of sensation, transcendental pleasure and becoming a more effective lover, the practices bring the benefits of hormonal balance and vitality, empowerment and fulfillment in all levels (physical, emotional and energetical).   Being holistic, merging qigong and meditation, the specific yin (feminine) and shamanic practices, also bring the benefits of grounding, being centred in one’s own power, and unconditional self-love and self-acceptance.
The Taoist holistic practice brings awareness of our infinite inner resources and opens the path of self-healing and self-mastery to live life to the full!

If you want to learn more about these you are welcome to the:

Coming Annual Jade Egg Initiation Workshop: Tao of Feminine Empowerment. 

Questions answered to Angela Kennedy from UK Soul&Spirit magazine I was featured in the beginning of the year. 

© Anamarta

Image of the Taoist Eight Immortals by Shen Quan

LOVE or LUST?...

Both!...

***Love or Lust - How can you tell the difference and does it matter from a spiritual point of view?

Love is the warm feeling that starts in our heart and can spread through our whole being, with the power to heal and transform.  Love and the way it is felt is unique to each individual, transcending mere words.
Lust triggers desire, which can also spread through our whole being, releasing sexual hormones, bringing a sense of vitality, stimulating all our senses, like the Spring when everything bursts into life!

Love and lust, both have the power to energise, and are equally important: as in the Taoist philosophy of Yin & Yang. The aim is to find harmony within which will spread into our outer world - to tune into the feminine and masculine, the emotional and the sexual, and to bring this balance into our life. 

We have meridians (energy lines) in our body.  As blood flows in the veins, energy flows in the meridians.  The ‘Conception Vessel’, running from the perineum (the point between the anus and genitals) up the front of the body to the lower lip, connects our heart center (in the middle of our chest) with the energy of love, with our sexual center (our womb, genitals) and the energy of lust.

You are welcome to learn more about the Jade Egg Initiation Workshop: Tao of Feminine Empowerment.

***Question answered to Angela Kennedy from UK Soul&Spirit magazine I was featured in the beginning of the year. 

© Anamarta

Happy Chinese Monkey New Year: Follow Your Heart Desires!

Today with the New Moon we enter in another cycle, a New Year in the milleneum Chinese (Taoist) calendar.

The Wood Yin Sheep trots out, the Yang Fire Monkey swings in!!

"This cheeky animal bursts with exuberance, bringing a lightning pace and fantastic motivation. The Monkey increases communication, humour and wit, helping us get through stressful times with grace and ease. The Monkey’s gift is the ability to find unconventional solutions to old problems. Daring to be different can lead to success"

The Monkey is a trickster, playful, funny, intelligent, inventive (great problems solvers), strong minded, adaptable, curious, creative and last but not least youthful! 
Fire Element: "Fire dances, fire warms, fire burns, fire creates and fire destroys" Kris Deva North in Finding Spirit in Zen Shiatsu

A year  that anything can happen, the way to respond to the unexpected is to be flexible and grounded - sounds contradictory? Well it's the principle we use in Tai Chi, as the flexibility strengths our ability to respond to any situation without letting the situation itself take over, and the grounding gives the necessary stability to be in the here and now: this makes us centered in our power, open to wide vision and harmoniously living.

 

And you heard the expression "monkey mind"? The mind jumping around, being faster than the body, so practice breathing in and out, and focus on the moment rather than yesterday, or tomorrow, or later.  The scientific world is already agreeing with the benefits of ancient methods of meditation and body movement as Tai Chi, Qigong, Martial Arts, dance, yoga, etc...

The creative mind may also be bubbling with ideas - great!! Channel them, put them in practice, even if involves taking risks... Monkey energy supports success and innovation!!

But be aware if you find yourself spending too much time in mind, remember your body, the grounding helps: even if this just being barefoot, especially in nature. Our body needs more activity: exercise more, move more, whatever works for you and in an enjoyable way. Otherwise if the mind takes over can be overwhelming, depleting, and losing touch with inner wisdom; and for us women the most powerful compass we have within filled with ancestral knowledge, our womb!

 
So: Keep calm and eat bananas!
Hehehe, joking... But indeed you need energy for this year, so keep an eye how you manage your energy; which for me is about the choices we make. In which, where and whom you decide to spend your energy, choose wisely!...

And saying all the above: 

How does the monkey, yes the animal itself, resonate with to you?

Just take a moment to allow any thoughts, images or sounds to fill your mind...

I had a few encounters with monkeys in my 13 times in India these past seven years.

In India one of their beloved Gods is Hanuman - the Monkey God - so monkeys run freely, mostly everywhere.

I saw so many people being robbed by monkeys from food to objects (not just in India, but also in Africa), and 'monkey gangs' really taking over a place, messing up a kitchen... Can be scary, but I never had a bad experience with them, thus I really respect them and my relationship with them honestly is "hi, bye", as with their unpredictable nature you never know what to expect from them.
I could share a few stories, but let me pick up the ones who mark me most:

** 2009 in Bagsunag, in the Indian Himalayas, when I was teaching my first Jade Circle Workshop, we were a big group on a rooftop which was covered with nice fabrics (imagine a tent); a monkey (red face one, which are the more dangerous in India, the black face ones are more gentle), just come in, the dog from the BuddhaHall Center felt him, ran to him furiously barking and the monkey responding to him showing his big teeth in a very aggressive way... OMG a slight panic started to be felt by the ladies; I thought "this has to finish otherwise is the workshop finishing here for today!..." I got up and went close to them, calm down the dog and look to the monkey and gently asked him if he could leave; the monkey looked at me, looked at the dog, and just before he left did a little jump to the dog (just to scare him, like if he was attacking him) and then off he went!...

** This one was more recent, a few year ago, in the edges of the Rajasthani desert. Was early morning and I went to the top of my guest house to sit on a wall (was wide enough for that) where I had an amazing view and breeze and maybe two floors high. I crossed my legs, clasped my hands together, closed my eyes and start to meditate... when suddenly I felt a very fluffy warm 'thing' passing by my back, the first thing that came to my mind, was: "do not panic!!..". So without moving my head I opened my eyes to see what it was: exactly what I suspected: a big red face monkey!! Big enough to just push me down; and I just realised I was in his territory!! I tried everything to keep calm, breathe deeply, closed my eyes again to continue to meditate; but my curiosity made me open them again. Keeping still I looked again and the monkey was exactly copying me!  Ok he didn't cross the legs, but his hands together, looking straight ahead with his eyes closed!!!... Meditating together!!... So I closed my eyes again, and then after a while I felt the 'fluffy thing' passing by again and off he went. I didn't abuse my luck, I found another place to meditate!

Do you know the Monkey is the 9th animal in 12 Chinese zodiac? And we are in the 9 year = 2 + 0 + 1 + 6 - reinforcing this number of completion; but in the Tao, 9 is our infinitive number.

Infinitive transformation indeed!... But definitely with this fast paced year, gives the opportunity to complete cycles, and don't waste time with anything that no longer serves us, let it go, thanks for the learning and move on.

When the energy in the air is strong for me the options are: to tune into it, I mean to understand it, which brings the opportunity to make the most of it and gives strength and ability to take the challenges and quickly transformed them into opportunities to change and grow; or if we resist the change is like swimming against the tide, procrastinating and complaining about things instead of doing something about them, we can have a really hard time.

"The year of Red Fire Monkey brings to humanity the possibility of tremendous growth and vast fulfilment; we begin to create our destiny through intention, desire and focus."
Glenn Stewart Coles

A simple ritual to welcome the Monkey New Year:

Light up a red candle(s), tune into the fire within and without, smile at your heart where the fire lives, smile at the Fire Monkey, ask to align with his energy and for him to show you how to make the most of it. Then set your intentions (reinforcing perhaps the ones you set for 2016) and speak them loudly.

I wish you a fiercely Monkey New Year, also filled with laughter and fun, may your passion drive you to follow your heart desires!

© Anamarta

Monkey and the girl by "Kindness Blog"; third image monkey by Jandkatl

Monkey "Joker" Zen painting by Kris Deva North

THE TAO OF FEMININE EMPOWERMENT – Ancient Secrets for Modern Women

‘Tao’ literally means the way.  
Taoist philosophy, based on polarities that cannot exist without each other (light & dark: we can’t have sun, if we don’t have the moon, and vice-versa), emerged around 4000 years ago in China.  By observing nature, the ancient Taoists concluded that everything happening in the external world is replicated within us, the difference being that, unlike the weather, it’s in our own hands to cultivate our inner harmony. The desired result is enjoyment and fulfillment of life in this mundane dimension.  Then, certain sages of the Imperial Court began their exploration of Internal Alchemy, seeking the path to ultimate health and longevity.

They found in this inner exploration the most powerful energy we have is the sexual energy. Aligned with her innate power a woman could create and manifest the life she wanted; and for this very reason these higher practices were kept secret, reserved for the Empress and concubines.

These women had this precious ‘tool’, a carved Jade Egg, worn to tonify the internal organs, reaping the benefits of sexual health, natural beauty and rejuvenation, vitality and intensified pleasure. And jade being a healing crystal, benefits beyond the physical include cultivating a compassionate heart, the power of Love, and alignment with the Divine feminine, itself a source of inspiration.

These Ancient Secrets are easy to apply in our modern lives and so benefit all women who want to cultivate their feminine empowerment, to strengthen the Yin energy of being receptive, intuitive, mystical; to trust and simply to be, and harmonise with the Yang energy of being rational, giving and doing, for a fulfilled, healthy and harmonious life.

Article to Findhorn Community Magazine in Scotland, where the Jade Circle workshop took place this March 2015.

If you would like to learn more about this Tao of Feminine Empowerment, you are welcome to the:

Jade Circle Workshop 

This workshops travels the world: here the calendar.

©Anamarta