Tony Schanuel: Schanuel Fine Art

My work is an exploration into the unseen world of consciousness, that last amazing frontier – inner space, one’s own consciousness. My goal is to inspire the viewer to the possibilities of the unseen world to which we all belong. I am inspired by such artists as Dali, Escher and Monet, and fascinated with the writings of psychologists Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. The incredible creative synergy of these influences merge with my Zen meditation practice to inform my art. My background as a digital artist is grounded in photography, having worked as an on-location photographer for more than 30 years.

"Three Sisters"

An Interview with Judy Rudin by Reid Baer, Editor of MKP’s The New Warrior Journal

I confess . . . I was skittish about interviewing Judy Rudin . . . especially after I read an email from her that stated emphatically: “Real MEN do not use intimidation to make a point!”

My first reaction was, oh yeah . . . what about real WOMEN? Is “intimidation to make a point” the sole province of MEN?! I’m on my second marriage – don’t tell me women are always blameless! Don’t tell me . . . I was inducted as a bona fide member of the He-Man Woman Hating Club long before I was initiated into MKP!  click here to read full article

What's Next? by Christina Archer

In May 1999, my husband died, leaving me with our two boys, ages 4 and 5. Four months later, I found myself on a Women Within Weekend. For me, it wasn’t the earth shattering experience that I’ve heard from other attendees. Until I staffed the September weekend in Delavan last month, the only thing I could remember was the silence. When I walked down the hill toward Vittum, I was awash with feelings and images that I hadn’t even realized existed within me. From there, and through the end of the weekend, I got my AHA! I came home with those same feelings that I had heard about from so many other women; the feeling of getting through some barrier, connecting in a new way, of being reborn.    click here to read full article  

Laura Lewis-Barr:  Inspirare Theatre

I fell in love with theatre in high school—I found it to be a profound experience in community and art. But once I declared it as my college major, my struggles with the discipline began. I was nervous about how I might make a career for myself and constantly questioned my decision. But every time I debated my future I felt compelled to pursue studies in the Theatre. This compulsion (and questioning) has followed me ever since, for over 20 years. I also struggled with a split within myself and (seemingly) in my world—the split between two communities—the spiritual one that felt like home, and the theatrical community that felt intimidating and foreign. click here for the full article

Ayurveda by Deborah Hoffman

I started thinking back to how Ayurveda found me and its seeds go back quite a few years. I had a friend who was always worried and upset and “hyper” about things. Sounds disturbed him, he was very thin and very high strung but also a musician, very creative and spiritually oriented. The chief of staff at the hospital where he worked showed him a book by Deepak Chopra and introduced him to the ancient science of Ayurveda, suggesting that his constitution might be Vata (one of three main energy/body types).     click here to read full article

Meet Me in St. Louie by Louise Lovdahl, Roving Reporter for heartbeat

Have you ever read a book in which you highlighted all the good stuff and when the book ended you realized that nearly EVERY line was highlighted? This happened to me with two eye-opening books, “Privilege, Power, and Difference” and “The Gender Knot”, both by Allan G. Johnson.

Allan G. Johnson http://uhavax.hartford.edu/agjohnson/ is a writer, teacher and public speaker on issues related to social inequality and privilege. In other words, he presents controversial issues such as racism and sexism in a way that people can hear without defensiveness and guilt.   click here to read full article

Celebrating The Women of September

On Sunday, September 17, Women in Circle hosted the celebration for the September 8-10 Woman Within weekend in Delavan, Wisconsin, at the Lake Forest Friends meeting house. This was a new location for the celebration, a Quaker meeting house in a lovely, wooded setting. As with the last celebration, several Chicago area women who did their Woman Within Training Weekends in other areas were able to celebrate their initiations with Women in Circle.

We welcome them as new members of our local community. The celebration was attended by many staff members and the weekend leader, Sheri Zucatto.  Thanks to the many women who attended and helped to make this celebration a beautiful and spiritual event.

The next Women Within Training Weekend in Delavan is November 3-5, and the celebration is scheduled for Sunday, November 12. Please put this on your calendars, and let me know if you are interested in helping with the celebration.

Leslie Penelope Recht, Celebration Coordinator
Women in Circle
(312) 405-5215

In Next Month's Issue

"Taking Your Foot Off the Brake" by Alyce Barry, Shadow Work Coach, Facilitator
"Bettina Madini, Multi-Media Artist" by Louise Lovdahl
"From Nurse to Small Business Owner" by Arlene Sterbis

Click here for submission guidelines for submitting articles, interviews, upcoming events, poetry, short stories, and more. Submission deadline for the November heartbeat newsletter is October 20, 2006.  Submission deadline for articles for the "create' column is October 15.

Click here to sign up for safe email delivery of the heartbeat newsletter.

Each month's newsletter will be archived on the www.womenincircle.org web site about a month after publication.

Last Words: "Do not let the sun go down on your anger."  Clear. Clear the air. Clear your own heart, mind and body of the anger as well.