Anyaa McAndrew, MA, LPC, NCC, Ordained Priestess

What an amazing time to be alive! What is occurring on the planet these days is moving us at lightening speed. Can you feel it? Depending upon who you talk to, listen to, and read, you may feel depression, anguish, grief, anger, hope, inspiration, and upliftment all in the same day, or even in the same hour! Are we all becoming bi-polar, or is something else happening?  We are collectively finding ourselves faced with some of the most difficult situations, circumstances, challenges and patterns, depending upon what it is we need to move us into a place of surrender. For me personally, some days life is magical and grace-filled, and some are filled with complete disillusionment and frustration.

Would it make a difference if you knew that every day you are living the equivalent of 274 days? That every month you are living the equivalent of 8,000 years? The Pleiadians, keepers of the 5^th Dimension, and through teachers like Barbara Marciniak and Barbara Hand Clow, tell us we are now moving at a frequency of 100,000 years per year! We are clearly at the Great Shift, the Turning of the Ages, the Collapse, the Planetary Dark Night of the Soul, the end of Patriarchy and the Mayan Calendar, and the end of time as we know it. We are also in a process of Ascension, moving into Unity Consciousness, and birthing a New Earth. That is a lot to hold spiritually, as tiny 3-D beings.  We are asked to do just that, to hold this vast terrain of consciousness within our consciousness, to hold the tension of the opposites, so that we can come all the way through these times into a new world on the other side. The more beings that have eyes to see, and ears to hear what is happening, the closer we get to the Tipping Point that gives us the momentum we need for the ride through to the other side. And what a ride it is!

Sometimes I imagine that I am in a room filled with clocks and calendars. There are sundials, and grandfather clocks and pyramid calendars, alarms, timers, astrological wheels, and dates of all kinds floating around in this room. All of the clocks are going off at the same time and the calendars are all marked with intersecting dates and timings. The sense I get in this imaginary room is that I am here for a reason, a really important reason, and I am a part of this Great Timing. I have a part to play, and so do many others who are here with me or come and go from this place as I do.  I and We, are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For, but not quite as simply as it sounds. The We is bigger than our egos, or even our soul’s plan. Our bigger multi-dimensional Selves are here with us and they have all signed up together for this Divine Appointment. What a party!

If Gaia is birthing into a new dimension, then I am going with her. Unity Consciousness implies that we are all in this together, aren’t we? Another way I imagine these times is that we are traversing a very narrow passageway as a Planetary Being, like going through the black hole that so many talk about at the center of our galaxy, the place where the Winter Solstice Sun has been rising for the past several years. In order to move through such a dangerous passageway, we must deconstruct, purify, dissolve, surrender and totally trust the Great Spirit. I imagine it getting very dark in some of our lives and on the planet as we move through this collective Dark Night of the Soul. On the other side is the Great Unknowable Mystery of a New Time on Planet Earth.

The Truth is, none of us knows what the future holds. Those who say they do, are just projecting one of many possible scenarios that are reflected back to us: good guesses and calculated scientific possibilities all the way to ancient prophecies and present channelings. Will we experience more earth changes, solar flares, a polar shift, 3 days of darkness, ETs walking among us, or Mother Earth continuing to give us really clear messages that she will no longer tolerate the rape of her land and the destruction of her species? As a woman of consciousness, perhaps a woman who carries the priestess vibration, what do you intuit about these times? Do you know that you are here for a good reason? Your life purpose has called you here. You have a front row seat in this theatre of Great Change. You have a place on the wheel of time as it ends, and then we start anew.

The calling to the Feminine is very loud these days. One of my favorite teachers, Lucia Rene, says that the Patriarchy has already been unplugged and now is the time for women to stop running away from what scares us. It is the time for us to step into our personal power, and our spiritual authority. Lucia calls this the Solar Feminine, the One who will step into leadership through feminine values like Economies of Care, Networks of Grace, and Communities of Compassion.

The Shamanic Priestess is one who understands that to die and be reborn many times in one lifetime is the hallmark of these times. She is a being who has walked on the edge and lived to tell about it. She is learning to confront her fears, to move her past through her, to a place of peaceful resolution, and to help others do the same. She knows the value of priestessing others. She sees and feels the pain and suffering in the world, and practices transmuting and blessing as much as she can, so that all of life on earth can shift. And she is the woman who knows she is Sacred and that everything she sees and everything she does can be Sacred. Making Sacred is also to bless, to sanctify, to honor, and give thanks for all the life forms that are leaving us, including many of those close to us, including people, animals, land masses, the great oceans, the rainforests and plant life, and all the old patterns that no longer serve us. The Sacred Woman has done this through the ages. She understands that these times call for ritual and ceremony because we are going through the biggest Rite of Passage this planet has ever known!

The Shamanic Priestess is also learning to be a midwife to what wants to come into life. She downloads the light, radiates compassion and love, and tells the truth, to shine on what we all really want to co-create. She learns to draw on the ancient wisdom in her DNA, in her bones, in her lineage as a sacred woman from the past, to inspire and enliven the new visions. Some call these codes of light that are now being activated by the intense astronomical activity happening on our planet. I feel it as subtle knowings that I am shifting my perceptions and things that used to be important to me are falling away. Time is speeding up and my consciousness seems to amp up, and I want to slow way down. I want to savor every moment and live in the NOW, not the future or the past. The teacher of my lineage Nicole Christine used to say “The Hopis tell us that when the world speeds up, slow down.”

We are slowing down so that we can really feel all the ways we exist in every dimension, every space and time, to merge in this time, the end of time, into a new way of being.

This article is written to be a call to the Shamanic Priestess, because her time is NOW.

If you have an inner priestess that wants to come forth into the world of the Shift, now is the time. If you already claim yourself as priestess, then you know the value of holding the field for others, because others already come to you for counsel. You are not afraid of your power and you feel it is part of your Sacred Work to serve in these times. You are in good company with thousands of other women on the planet who are waking up to the Priestess Within.

Graphic by Prescott Hill

I recieved this today, and it is so precious, I had to add it to my blog site!

You might think I’d say… “This course is awesome, you should take it!”… That’s totally an understatement! This is truly a ‘PROCESS’ of transmutation, which has totally amp-ed up my self-esteem and self-worth big time! It has birthed a new level confidence. Anyaa and her amazing Apprentices Kristina & Zanzara, reflected to me, who I truly am (each one has their own special gifts… just like other leaders & apprentices of the SPP). They acknowledged my power, love, and truest essence, right to their core. That kind of reflection, made me feel nurtured in the most comforting way one can possibly imagine.

 Yes…they pushed my buttons, but in a good way. They lovingly reflected what I needed to learn most, and what I need to let go of, etc. They also acknowledged what gifts I offered them, that they found valuable. So there was a sense of equality as Sisters, rather then a hierarchy.

 This is a beautiful experience for all ages of women. We all just honour each other, as adoptive-spiritual Sisters. We’re like long-lost Priestesses that have finally found each other again, that hold sacred not only the upper chakras, but also the lower chakras. We honour the teachings of our light-side, but also honour the teachings of our shadow-side.

The initiations I hold most precious. They are spiritual acts in the moment that always bring out the Divine. I understand old ancient pagan rituals now, as the SPP has taken it more into an up-to-date version of ceremony. This totally resonated for me, in that we had a basic template, but each used our own imagination about how the exercise related to ourselves. It was so much fun, and truly transformational! This is more of a modern creative way of “Shamanic Journeying”. It’s not strange, but actually really fantastic!

I must say that I can’t believe how much ‘living ceremony’ meant so much to me during this ‘process’! I always thought ritual was weird. Now I see that there is some form of ‘magical alchemy’ that creates transformation. I think taking a sensitive topic, and then mixing it with creativity, fun, and theatre, makes a sacred space for metamorphosis to occur.

There were many highlights. I really enjoyed all the prep-work for each event. Each time I went, it felt like going somewhere really magical (ie: like the ‘Mists of Avalon’!)… our retreat centre was actually on an island with real mists!

Each event I wanted to look my best, share my best homework attempts, and bring the right ceremonial supplies, including the joy of finding accessories to accentuate my Goddess/Priestess makeshift outfits… so I got to be a Princess for the day, several times throughout the process… thank-you very much! The little girl in me that still loves Disneyland, also still believes in… fairies, unicorns, magic, Gods & Goddesses… which was a wild fantasy come true!

The SPP creates a sacred space with lots of fun activities (ie: dancing, meditation, tarot cards, sacred talking circle, feasts, writing assignments, creative projects, etc), that’s accentuated with the most beautiful modern Goddess music! It’s also incredibly feminine and loving, as it feels like being tucked away in a ‘receiving blanket’, being re-birthed as a true Priestess to myself, and to the world… however I choose to express that gift the process gave me. There’s no dogma, so my own spiritual belief viewpoints are totally honoured, just like everyone else’s. It’s also an excellent opportunity to become an ‘Ordained Minister’, if you choose (an additional exciting option… which I took!
… now I can minister weddings, funerals & births!).

The Shamanic Priestess Process ‘naturally’ instigated a ‘mid-life’ crisis that I’m presently in. I wouldn’t have done it, agreed to it, or have moved through so much in one-year, had it not been for the amazing leadership, and wonderful circle of sacred women.  Since the official process has been over, the transformation seems to have amplified pending changes (…I’m still in the process ~ which is more then wonderful J ).

I need to let go of the old that no longer is serving my life, in order for my new dreams and goals to manifest and come in. The SPP helped give me the nurturing love and care, to make all of that possible… which I’m truly grateful for… more then words can possibly express!!! Even leaders can benefit greatly from the program.

Now I have a wonderful group of Sisters not only in my circle, but previous ones (and future ones), as well as a larger network on an international level. There are many Priestesses, as our sacred circle is growing! This kind of continued support after the course is over, is such a joy to be part of, to allow further growth on my journey, creating a sacred space for my higher-self to manifest into my life as a reality, rather then a dream… in more deeper, and subtle ways.

This process makes your dreams a reality. Because of this, all of the commitments involved are totally worth it! I dare you to feel that worthy, to treat yourself with that much respect and care, to get all of the nurturing support, with TLC and a little tough love that you need; to make that shift in your life, so you can truly soar!

I dare you to allow yourself to be that great! This process has the most amazing support system and tool set, to fully claim your true-self, as a Shamanic Priestess to the world!

Love & blessings,
Priestess Sahara

Submitted to Sunstream Magazine

June 13th, 2009

By Kristina Violet & Kelly Ann Woods

Our community was blessed recently with its first Priestess Ordination after a profoundly intensive 9-month process.  This is a great time of awakening and transformation on the planet. As stewards of these changes, a circle of 15 women journeyed through several initiations, rituals, ceremonies & celebrations, culminating with Sunday’s (June 7^th) Emergence.  An Ordination occurred for many of them, giving them the title and responsibility of a Reverend within the Madonna Ministry, a-global Spiritual Community, a Church without walls.

Women from all walks of life came to the Shamanic Priestess Process out of a deep desire for greater balance, purpose, connection and inner spiritual authority, as well as activating the return of the divine feminine, walking in harmony with the masculine. The Priestess archetype is a vehicle of that return and union.  She lives her life in a sacred way, connecting her human self and her goddess self at the same time.” says Anyaa McAndrew, the group’s facilitator.

The course also offers a greater understanding of archetypes and how they live within us, often influencing and directing our thoughts, feelings & actions. One may move through the Amazon, the Vision Quest Heroine, the Courtesan, for example, the goal being to acknowledge, accept and integrate these energies?, thus reducing fears of the shadows which lurk within each of us and bringing the gifts and light to the surface.

One of the participants, Reverend Kristina Violet expresses, “This transformative journey equated to a 9-month gestation of giving birth to my authentic self, allowing me a deeper sense of purpose, spirit and connection to all.  Although being in the womb and giving birth wasn’t always easy, I feel reborn, recreated and ready to serve my community in a more unconditional loving, playful way?.  As a circle, we shared deeply, danced daily, laughed and cried loud and clear each time we came together. I know that we will always be friends, and bringing more spirit, ritual and service to the Sunshine Coast, the lower mainland and the world at large.”

“Upon completion of the nine month process, each Priestess proclaimed their personal intentions and gifts they bring to their community in the presence of over 75 guests, allies and those who’ve shared their journeys.” claims McAndrew.

A new circle commences June 27^th as an intro weekend for the next Shamanic Priestess Process.  Women interested in stepping into their power, to share their gifts and contribute more fully in their home and community, are welcome to join in this profound journey. More info can be found at www.goddessontheloose.com or call Kristina at 604-885-6688.

 

Creation

I will forge my own goddess in the fire of my need

Unmet by the father-god daddy-world

(call her Kali)

Hammer her curving, open form on the anvil of my power

(call her Hecate)

Carry her close in the medicine bag of my heart

(call her Inanna)

Worship her with love of self

(call her Diana)

Love of life

(call her Demeter)

Love of Earth

(call her Gaia)

She asks no burnt offerings, no fatted calves,

No “Thou shalt nots”

Indeed, she sings to me “Thou shall!”

Oh, truly is she flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood,

Bone, sinew

Never further from me than my heart, my skin

My belly and breasts,

I call upon my goddess, “Rise up within me!”

And, oh, she rises.

Karen Runkles Throener © (1996)

The story below belongs to Anna Cariad-Barrett, A Minneapolis Shamanic Priestess who emerged in 2005. This was a piece of Anna’s thesis and an affirmation of her priestessing in the world.

Anyaa McAndrew

In the fall, I began my first semester of the Marriage and Family Therapy graduate program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. This program affirmed my background in systems theory, social activism orientation, and prepared me for clinical therapy work with individuals, couples, and families. At the same time, I began what I view as the second half of my graduate studies. Inspired to open more fully to a relationship with the Divine I signed up for a year-long developmental spiritual process which focuses on personal empowerment and explores the feminine face of the Divine.

I gathered with a circle of women for many powerful weekend workshops and community events. (facilitated by Anyaa McAndrew, High Priestess, and Psychotherapist) This process does not involve particular beliefs, dogma, and structure. Instead, it is a fluid and evolving developmental process that supports and enlivens the unique journey of each woman into her full spiritual empowerment and self-knowing. As it explores the priestess archetype, it is called the Priestess Process. The “P” word! What does the word “priestess” trigger within you as you read it?

For many in Western society it is a denigrated and dangerous word. It has been associated with other terms: witch, whore, unholy, illegitimate, exotic, and dangerous to the social order. It has taken time for me to step away from this dominant patriarchal social perspective and define the archetype of the priestess for myself. To me, a priestess is a woman who is a spiritual facilitator, takes a personally-empowered spiritual stance, and honors both feminine and masculine aspects of the Divine.

Over the hundreds of years of the women’s holocaust, or the witch trials as they are popularly known, thousands if not millions of women were tortured and killed (Armstrong, Pettigrew, Studio D, National Film Board of Canada, & Read, 1990). These women were not witches, but landowners, women with money, healers, those active in the community, or those who were simply too bright, beautiful, and gifted to be tolerated by medieval society. In other words, women with any sense of personal power were found to be dangerous and systematically stamped out of Western society (Armstrong et al., 1990). By blaming the victims as witches, we belittle this holocaust and deny its connection to the long-term oppression of women. Women have long been “known” to be sinful, and we are told to look to our fathers, husbands, and men of the church for authority. A woman with a healthy sense of internal authority and empowerment could be dangerous to the status quo! It is no wonder we have been denied positions of authority within many Western churches.

I was disconnected from the Feminine Divine, but she is my source. Up until 2500 BCE, many of the agrarian communities of Western Europe were socially organized around Goddess spirituality, and were led by women (Crawford, 2004). A number of recent feminist authors, including Crawford (2004), have stated that these societies were peaceful, egalitarian, and surprisingly complex. Though many Neolithic cities held large populations, archaeologists could find no trace of warfare for thousands of years (Crawford, 2004).

Closely mirroring the plight of women, the feminine face and principles of the Divine have been denigrated and forgotten. The Goddess and priestesses were given the negative mask of the witch and were associated with the devil (Armstrong et al., 1990). As Western society shifted from matriarchy to patriarchy, I do not believe it is a coincidence that the snake, an ancient symbol of wisdom and the feminine, was utilized in Genesis as the devil tempting a woman with knowledge, thus bringing about the exile of mankind from the heavenly garden (Kidd, 1996). With the origin of the Judeo-Christian world, the identity of woman as sinful and unholy was cemented. In recent times many men and women have begun to explore this lost feminine face of the Divine (Kidd, 1996). This journey is unique to each person. My reclamation of the feminine Divine has been instrumental in the journey that calls me to work with larger systems.

After the women’s holocaust, many women learned the forced lesson to be small, quiet, and sacrifice themselves. This is how my female lineage survived a gender-oppressive reality. It is no small task to reclaim the Feminine Divine and claim my personal spiritual power and worth. Many women are still metaphorically burned at the stake for being powerful in this culture. Living into the archetype of the priestess has been a powerful developmental journey for me. As I explore aspects of the Feminine Divine, I explore myself and the planet.

As I wrote these words, I felt my storyteller’s voice take on a new tone. As both a storyteller and participant of culture, I hold this herstory of women and my own reactions to it. The emotion of my voice tells an additional story. I refuse to be unconscious of the oppression, violence, and mystification of experience that women and all other marginalized groups face. As I identify my own determination, anger, and refusal to shrink into less than I am, I resonate with the interconnected experiences of oppression that others have faced: the loss of indigenous culture, the bigotry directed at different cultural groups and the LGBT community, the rape of environmental systems, and the economic piracy of large corporations. What began to rise up within me, as I explored the loss of the Feminine Divine, was a voice that said with certainty, “This oppression will not stand anymore. This is my work on the planet.” I claim the following intention statement for my life:

Life Intention Statement

I am Priestess Anna Cariad

Mystical dreamer

Visionary

Creatrix

Sentinel and protector

Wise elder of the circle

Loving energy incarnate

Mother to all

Through these many facets of self, I shine as a beacon to the world.

I am a global leader, teacher, and healer.

I have come forth in this lifetime as a truth speaker.

My voice and actions shake the brittle cage of oppression and violence

Until it dissolves into the flowing birth waters of harmony, understanding, and connection.

I am divine midwife in the birth of a new planetary consciousness.

I am catalyst of energy potential.

Through the divine energy of my truth,

I activate the power of my life intention.

I call forth the dynamism of my life expression

And commit myself to walking this journey.

I stand in the power, truth, and beauty of myself.

I am Priestess Anna Cariad

Anna Brooke Doherty (2005)

As Within, So without… As Above, So Below (Continue reading…)

Patriarchy has emphasized initiations that focus on transcending the body to join with Spirit. These solar initiations include fire-walking, warrior sweat-lodges, the Sun Dance, meditations, some martial arts, and many forms of vision quests. They all use endurance and trance to reach out of the body and, thereby, elevate consciousness. As women, we have tried, and often succeeded, in using these methods to reach heightened states.
But now, as the Divine Feminine is returning to consciousness, the Priestess Archetype is also returning as Her entry portal. Lunar initiations, or those that call Spirit into the body, are most welcome.The Priestess is the embodiment of Goddess Consciousness. Psyche, or Soul, loves to be fully embodied, yet most of us center ourselves from our neck up. As we women reclaim our goddess natures, the true function of feeling feminine gets to play and be re-membered. Shakti dances into ecstatic bliss. Aphrodite revels in sacred sexual pleasure. Pele fully runs the life-force energy of fiery passion. Inanna consciously surrenders to the death-rebirth mysteries. Baubo laughs her bawdy belly laugh. Kuan Yin cries her tears of compassion for all living things while Gaia pours forth her infinite abundance.
Priestess consciousness allows the myriad faces of the Goddess to be soulfully expressed through the human woman as she steps into her spiritual power! (Continue reading…)