George introduces the philosophy of Stoicism and its history and basic tenets and leads a discussion concerning the four virtues of courage, moderation, justice, and wisdom.
George has been a discussion leader and educator for many years. He taught and led workshops in schools, corporations, and agencies in the New York area. He provided an anger management program at the prison here in Santa Fe. In addition to leading group discussions, George enjoys reading, hiking and watching old westerns on TV
Jane talks to you about End of Life Doulas, who they are, what they do, and why you might want one. In short, she tells you everything you never knew and didn’t think you would ever want to. She is a Certified Doula, a Certified Dementia Consultant, and a Certified Life Cycle Celebrant. That’s a lot of hats, but somehow they all fit together and allow Jane the opportunity to help during one of life’s more challenging experiences. Jane is trained to work with families who are trying to navigate the end of life with their loved ones. She was born in Ohio and lived between the Midwest and the East Coast.
As someone who has always enjoyed doing many things, I have always done my best to maintain a balance between what was necessary for survival and what served no other purpose than to bring me joy and pleasure. The ultimate goal, of course, was to create a balance in which all that I did brought me that joy and pleasure. It is an ongoing process that is always open to change, and I’ve found that the process itself has its challenges and rewards.
Deanna is a fully transitioned transgender woman who came out in November 2011, announcing to the world that she could no longer live and be seen as a man. Born in 1949 and starting life in the 1950’s, she had no clue as to why she could never fit in with her peers of either gender. Not having a real understanding of why she was so different from the other boys, she struggled right up to her coming out in November 2011, trying to fathom why she was so different.
At puberty, she began cross-dressing in her bedroom at night, putting on women’s lingerie she had surreptitiously acquired from sources she has long since forgotten. She would practice this secret ritual through college and even through her marriage. Her beloved wife was battling terminal cancer in 2011 and 2012, and Deanna was living separately from her, due in part to Deanna’s mobility challenges during her convalescence from double hip replacement surgery in July 2011. Seeing an interview of Chaz Bono on the David Letterman Show, she began to see the possibility of having her lifelong fantasy fulfilled.
Her talk highlights some of the struggles she faced growing up as a transgender girl assigned male at birth.
Diana D. James de Lellis will give a message of remembrance, encouragement, hope and a call to action for all Celebration members during this sharing of her visions of where humanity is at the present rather precarious moment, and how to live consciously beyond it.
An Aromatic Alchemist, clairvoyant intuitive and shamanic practitioner for the last thirty years, Diana has enjoyed learning how to work in partnership with Nature and what is often called ‘the unseen realms’, i.e. the Devic, Angelic and Shamanic Realms, finding vibrant, peaceful, effective and adaptive solutions to some of the most dire challenges facing our World.
In the early 90’s Diana founded Sacred Aromatics, an exquisite line of alchemically prepared Essential Oils. Through the Academie of Sacred Arts & Sciences, Diana teaches courses in a variety of energetic healing modalities, including Egyptian Aromatic Alchemy, Geobiology & Dowsing, and Devic Communication, the hidden and magical language of the unseen realms. Diana loves working in-depth with individuals and groups to assist people seeking to accelerate their personal growth and evolution.
She loves music, trees, animals and everything that is wild..
Cheryl Feldman arrived in Santa Fe two years ago on August 1st to begin a new leg of her solo journey. She was certainly led here after suddenly coming to a major transition point in her life by various signs, symbols and synchronicities which she spoke about earlier at Celebration.
Cheryl shares with us how her journey has continued, including facing the questions: “Where is home?”, “Am I following my heart?” and “Do I consciously choose to be aware of the signs, symbols and synchronicities as they appear?”
In conclusion, she expresses her touchstones at this point in the journey.
Having grown up in a conservative Christian religion, I had never questioned why there were no female figures worshipped in my faith. All that changed for me when I discovered the Divine Feminine in earth-based religions as Mother Earth and other Goddesses. Also, Buddhism and Hinduism are filled with female deities.
My talk is of my own journey with the Divine Feminine of all cultures on our planet. But specifically I expand upon my journey with the Buddhist Goddess of Compassion and Mercy, Kuan Yin. I will also share how my recent journey with Guru Amritanandamayi has manifested in Santa Fe as I find myself on a new path, living in a Hindu ashram.
There is a pattern for the basis of all conflicts large or small. When you know the pattern you can learn to de-escalate it and perhaps change an enemy to a friend. How do you convince someone to kill another person? Looking for a way to explain the psychology of warfare to 8th grade gang members, Cindy was able to create a simplified but powerful way to help her students see how they were being manipulated into violence and a potential way to de-escalate rivalries and conflicts. The pattern applies to all conflicts large and small.
Cindy’s adult life journey has been rooted in being an educator, activist, and advocate for social justice issues. As a K-12 educator, she won numerous awards for her multicultural teaching efforts designed to empower and champion marginalized children and women. As a college professor, her goal was to train as many aspiring teachers as possible to empower marginalized children. Currently, she is working on her certification to become a Dementia Education Trainer. In her spare time she enjoys reading and hanging out with her dog, Lilly.
Growing up in an inner-city ghetto in Brooklyn, New York, Saul had little reason to believe in spiritual concepts. They lived in condemned housing through most of his childhood, so they had to move a lot and therefore had few opportunities to develop friendships. A near fatal motorcycle accident seemed to be a catalyst to send him on his journey away from Brooklyn and a new beginning in Monroe, Louisiana. He shares his story of awakening to spirit.
Three of his books can be read free at smashwords.com, as ebooks: The Little Book of Miracles, The Double EE Diet, and The Bigger Little Book of Miracles.)
My online dictionary defines Agape as; “(of the mouth) wide open, especially with surprise or wonder.” Then there’s a Christian definition of: “The love of God for man and of man for God.” Then there’s my poetic appreciation of Mary Oliver’s “the sands in the glass stopped for a pure white moment” as she listened to a thrush sing. And then there’s my own divine pagan experience of melting into the arms of mother earth. I explore all these themes in pursuit of this wild thing we seek so deeply, called LOVE.
Jeff Hood is a poet, gardener, and adventurer in wild places. He lives on a six acre farm on the Rio Grande in Velarde, NM, where the old apple trees share their wisdom.