A Page from Mama’s Moroccan Travel Diary

Darlings,

I am just back from Morocco, where I spent two weeks and two days with my daughter, Maggie, seven of her classmates, three other moms, two dads, one sister, and the founders of her boarding school, Mary and Kenny.

The purpose of the trip was for us to trek across the Sahara for four nights and five days, camp out at night, and then to go to Marrakech, where we did service work at an orphanage for four days. In between, we had a day of sightseeing in London, and two days in Marrakech.

Morocco is a place where various ancient indigenous cultures live side by side, winding their way around each other, geographically, like the circular cobblestone streets of the medina, each archway holding thousands of years of history, each doorway leading to some impossible-to-imagine world that opens, and then shuts, as if it had never been, or, perhaps, as if it has always been.

Donkeys share the roads with goats, chickens, bicycles, motorcycles, cars and pedestrians.  We took an eight-hour journey from Marrakech, through the Atlas mountains, covered in snow, and arrived at the edge of the Sahara at nightfall, meeting up with our guides and camels, and setting up camp.

This was my first time, camping out.  Yes, you heard me.  I came, I saw, I camped.

The girls had bought a soccer ball to entertain themselves.  And what we discovered, over the next few days, was that whenever they played, local kids of all ages would appear—as if by magic—wherever we were, to join the game.  We would trek for six hours a day, and when we would stop for a picnic, in the middle of nowhere, suddenly a Berber child or two would come running across the desert to play soccer.

One day, we stopped on the edge of a village in the Sahara.  There was a tiny one-room schoolhouse nearby.  Some small kids from the schoolyard came and grabbed the ball, and our girls ran to the schoolyard, and played, just over a stone fence, out of our sightlines.  About 20 minutes later, one of our girls came back, soccer ball in hand, looking upset.  A moment later, another one of our girls arrived in hysterical tears, flinging herself on the ground, unable to stop crying.

Mary and Kenny had the situation in hand, so we waited until evening Circle to get the story.

Western women and girls have a tough time in Morocco. We do not wear veils, we do not hide from view, as do the women of Morocco.  And even when wearing long sleeves and trousers, the outlines of our bodies are visible in a way that is not customary in this culture.  The girls had been drawing lots of attention from boys from the moment we arrived.  Some girls found this beguiling, some girls found it offensive, and some girls were just plain scared.  In this case, some of the older boys had asked to take pictures with the girls after the soccer game.  The girls felt comfortable enough to agree.  And then, some of the boys put their arms around them.  And asked for their watches and bracelets.  Some of the girls rebuffed the attention.  Some of the girls enjoyed it and flirted back.  At one point, the boys’ attention crossed the line from fun to discomfort.  The boys stole a kiss.  Which resulted in the tears, and then, accusations.

The discussion that evening became emotionally charged. The girls reported lots of different responses; some of them were able to say “no” to the boys.  Some felt powerless to stop them.  Some loved the attention and encouraged it.  The girls who had said “no” were really down on the girls who did not.  And of course, the parents, filled with concern, were extremely upset with the girls who had not declined the attention.

I listened carefully to the criticism and fear.  And finally spoke my truth.

“We live in a world that does not understand or value the power of woman. Women do not understand it, nor do men.  In fact, we are on a continent in which 92 million women have undergone Female Genital Mutilation, and three million young girls each year are at risk for this procedure.  There is a child, right now, having her genitals cut, because her culture does not want her to own her birthright, her power as a woman.

“And right now, in our world, there is no place for a young woman to practice taking ownership of this innate power that is her birthright.  Boys get to practice.  But we criticize our girls for experimenting.

“What happened here today was great research. Our girls were but an arm’s reach away from us, and they experimented with their impact in public view, with a group of kids, in the company of one another.  And the moment they got in above their heads, they reached out for help.  This was a perfect experiment, executed perfectly.  Our girls now know more about their impact.  They know more about the boys in this culture.  And without knowing it, they have already learned how to make even better decisions about using their innate power next time.  A woman’s power is something that has to be learned, just like learning to walk, or talk, or play soccer.  We start out not understanding the game and gradually build more and more skills.  Going too far is part of learning.  So is not going far enough. Every time you play, you get better.  Especially with encouragement and appreciation, which these girls have earned today.  Each of our girls played with her whole heart, and pressed into new depths of her emerging womanhood, in a foreign culture, with great courage.  I honor each one of them.  And I honor the pain of the risks that each of them has taken, even in bringing this experience forward for our attention.”

The girls’ relief at my comments was enormous.

They went from bad girls to heroines, in the flash of a paradigm shift.

This was not the only paradigm shift in Morocco that month.  A few days before my arrival, 600 African women gathered under a white tent in Tangier.  They traveled from all over the continent to celebrate the 100th Annual International Women’s Day, and to talk about government.

The meeting was the first forum of locally elected African women organized by the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa. It took place as the winds of change were sweeping North Africa. Both Tunisia’s President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak had been toppled, and unrest raged in Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Libya—and host nation Morocco.

Women are waking up, internationally, experimenting with using their voices and standing in their power.

I am so grateful to have had a chance to travel to this part of the world, with my daughter and her school.  I feel even more aware of my leadership and my responsibility in this world.

Our Sister Goddess Community is so powerful.

I know that each time we inhabit the fullness of our freedom and stand inside our gorgeous, radiant, eternal, incandescent power, we open the doors for women everywhere on this planet to do the same.

Each of us has a part to play in our own personal Pleasure Revolution.

I have let you into my most recent chapter.

How are you rocking yours?

With so much love and pleasure,

Mama Gena

The First Sister Goddesses

Darlings,

I like to look at this photograph.
And ponder.
Sometimes I pretend that Susan and Elizabeth are reading over their pleasure interviews, received just after signing up for the School of Womanly Arts Mastery Program.
My imagination uncoils their hair, allowing it to stream down their backs.
I hear “Love Is in the Air” and I see them holding hands and dancing, heads thrown back, laughing—you know—the way we do.
Swimming in a sea of ecstatic sisterhood.
So different from the world they knew.
These women never lived to see women get the right to vote. This is a privilege you and I do not even question.
(Well, actually the question is different now—will we get up off our ass to vote?)
These sisters actually had very different points of view. Susan (the standing one) was all about suffrage.
And Elizabeth was concerned with women’s religious and social bondage.
But they put aside their differences and united to create change in the world, forcing the government to open its mind to women.
Could they even have imagined the legacy we now live?
Where women now have the inalienable right to pursue happiness?

Being a woman at this date and time is a privilege. We have more freedom, more opportunity and more choices than our mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers. At the very least, these gals must be having a party on the other side, celebrating how far we’ve come. And it is my conviction that we have reached yet another level of possibility. One that we are only now, in the 21st century, even able to entertain—and that is pleasure. A woman’s pleasure, YOUR PLEASURE, is of the utmost importance, because pleasure is the most important connection that you have with yourself. It is the connective tissue between you, your own life force, your own enthusiasm and your ability to generate that on an ongoing basis.

It’s why I designed The Womanly Arts Mastery Program—to teach you to use the Womanly Arts,  to become a Sister Goddess™ — to work less, attract more, embrace the community of women around you, be showered with abundance and have your way with the world! And it is the only School of its kind.
Whether you feel like you have conquered the world of business, or the business world has conquered you, whether you are in the relationship of your dreams or are healing from a breakup, whether you’re the quiet type or totally outrageous, whether you’re living large and want more, or can sleepwalk through your day and are ready to break out of the monotony, whether you are a mom, an executive or an artist — the Mastery Program is for you!

We are kicking off our 9th Mastery this March! Click here for schedule.

One of the key elements of Mastery is the Sister Goddess Community, and after 13 years of these teachings, the community has actually reached a new level of saturation, maturation, and salivation. So many women in this community who have been utilizing the tools and the arts in their daily lives have reached the point where they are filled to overflowing—and the beauty of this new level? The outrageous amount of generosity, making space for other women to come in, inviting others to join the party—it’s got me beside myself with the breathtaking vista of global sisterhood. And I can hardly wait to see what transpires in this round of Mastery with THIS foundation supporting it. Given the quality of applicants that have applied to be the Big Sister Goddess mentors for Spring Mastery 2011, I’d say we better buckle our seat belts, because we’re in for the ride of a lifetime!


Thousands of women from all over the globe have graduated my programs and have made ecstasy their reality.
They are living the Pleasure Revolution, now. 
They are insisting upon, laying claim to and seizing—living celebration, NOW.
They have transformed their relationships, their careers, their health, their finances. They have let go of their not-enoughness and learned to party with their magnificence.
They have embodied the tools, the arts and the community and are living beyond all they believed possible.
And guess what?
You can too!
Right now.
No waiting.
While Mastery kicks off in March, the course begins the moment you enroll. The moment that you decide that you are no longer willing to settle for fine or good, but that you are ready to live the ecstatic reachings of your soul.

Enroll now and save $500 off the Mastery tuition, bringing your investment to $4450!  Want to save even more? Pay in full and you can save an additional $200, bringing your investment to $4250! Enroll online or call 212-787-2411 x1.

Wanna spread out your tuition?? We have payment plans available while you are in the program at no additional cost. Call my team for even more details at 212-787-2411 x1.

If you’re one of my beloved Grads and ready to go even higher, simply call the Palace at 212-787-2411 x1 to enroll at the special Graduate Rate of $3450.

Darling, I am clear that the world is a juicier place with you in it, in your full glory. Let me help you take your rightful place on the throne of your choosing.

With so much love and pleasure,

Mama Gena

You’re Invited to the Biggest Virtual Women’s Event of the Year

Darlings,

As you know, I have a passion for continually putting you in front of the cutting edge voices of women speaking on behalf of women in the world today. That is why I am delighted to invite you to join me for the Inspiring Women Summit, an unprecedented teleseminar event designed to help women activate their full potential. It runs from May 1st to May 8th and is completely free.

Besides me, the seminar features dozens of top women leaders — I’m talking powerhouses — such as Marianne Williamson, Christiane Northrup, Riane Eisler, Joan Borysenko, Sonia Choquette, Marci Shimoff, and on and on and on.

Click Here to Find Out More!

As part of the summit, I have the distinct honor and pleasure to be participating in a dialogue with Dr. Christiane Northrup and Joan Borysenko, during which we’ll discuss how joy and ecstasy are linked to women’s health and well-being. Our call is on May 3rd from 9-10:30pm EST.

The entire Summit will explore many facets of being an inspired woman including: feminine leadership, women’s health, communication, relationships, manifestation skills, sensuality, community organizing, spirituality, and much more. Panel dialogues will focus on questions of importance to women, which will then seed your conversation with other participants.

Each day will also include networking opportunities to advance your work.

Never before have so many top women leaders gathered on the phone to offer their secrets, stories, advice, and encouragement to other women. It promises to be a dynamic week of personal transformation, powerful dialogues, and inspiring circles –- all without expense or travel. This event is not like other teleseminar series — you will be an active co-creator and collaborator through breakout groups, collaboration circles, and more.

You can participate live on as few or as many calls as you like and interact with both the leaders and other participants via a state-of-the-art MaestroConference platform. Or, if you can’t make the live calls, you can listen to recordings later at your convenience. Simply register, and they’ll send you all the call-in details as well as the calendar of calls.

Again, the Summit runs from May 1st to May 8th and is completely free. Please do share this invitation with friends and allies –- all are warmly welcomed to participate. While the event is geared towards women, men may participate as well.

Find Out More: http://inspiringwomensummit.com/spotlight/Mama-Gena

I hope to connect with you at the Summit!

With so much love and pleasure,
Mama Gena

P.S. The Inspiring Women Summit gives you personal access to the following inspiring women leaders:

Marianne Williamson, Christiane Northrup, Riane Eisler, Jehmu Greene, Deva Premal, Joan Borysenko, Monica Sharma, Marci Shimoff, Ariane de Bonvoisin, Sonia Choquette, Mona Polacca, Hazel Henderson, Jan Yanehiro, Nina Rothschild Utne, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Angel Kyodo Williams, Margaret Wheatley, Kristine Carlson, Belvie Rooks, Elza Maalouf, Daphne Rose Kingma, Juanita Brown, Marcia Wieder, Anodea Judith, Susan Davis, Beth Wilson, Tami Simon, Rita Lustgarten, Lama Palden, Michelle Price, Dorka Keehn, Lisa Schrader, Claire Zammit, Liana Chaouli, Elayne Doughty, Charlotte Shelton, Durre Ahmed, Agapi Stassinopoulos, Zem Joaquin, Susan Collin Marks, Katherine Woodward Thomas, Johanina Wikoff, Sherry Anderson, Hala Khouri, Suzanne Sterling, Zen DeBrucke, Miranda MacPherson, Osprey Orielle Lake, Sheva Carr, Jalaja Bonheim, Chameli Ardagh, Gail Straub, Jessica Roemischer

Series Host: Devaa Haley Mitchell

Event Co-sponsors:
MaestroConference, MaestroPath, First 30 Days, Women on the Edge of Evolution, FemininePower, Wisdom of the World, Sounds True, Unity, Dream University, WOW Magazine, Women of Wisdom, SpiralMuse.

Mama’s BRAND NEW Tele-class! April 14th!

Darlings,

I’m the expert on teaching women to use the power of pleasure to have their way with the world. The Power of Pleasure. To have your way with the world. Wow. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

But, how do you actually DO that, Mama? What is the first step? Where do I start? And once I learn it how do I not lose it or keep going???

The answer?
I’ve got it all covered in my upcoming new teleclass:

Sister Goddess™
The Case for Pleasure

In this one hour tele-class we are going to tour the world of pleasure together. We will examine everything that qualifies as part of a pleasurable life.

Why?

Pleasure gives you clarity, it refreshes and rejuvenates, it keeps you ahead of the curve. Pleasure sends you on wonderful journeys, and you always arrive at your destination ahead of schedule.

You’ll find that a pleasurable life requires constant vigilance. It requires you to stay true to what you want and listen to your instincts. Embracing pleasure is about looking within to see what would feel good, and following through on any and all activities that can add to your own gratification. And because no action would feel good if it hurt or compromised someone else, pleasure is moral in the highest sense of the word.

A woman in touch with her pleasure is in her highest power. Her lights are on, and everyone wants to be near her. She is a woman who feels fully engaged with LIFE!

See, when you are not in your pleasure, self-doubt, self-hatred, and self-deprecation take over a woman’s life. Locate what lights you up, letting pleasure guide the way, and it’s a whole different scenario…jobs appear, you find a mate, money comes in when there wasn’t a dime to be found, the perfect apartment manifests, you get a promotion, opportunities arise, synchronicities occur…you get the picture.
When you are tuned in to your pleasure, you inspire beauty and greatness in yourself and in the world around you.
You good for that?

In this one-hour tele-class you’re going to learn:

• How to access your pleasure at any moment of the day.
• How to explore your appetites freely, with no guilt!
• How to use the creative power of YOUR pleasure to create whatever outcomes you are looking to create. (For example — one Sister Goddess recently doubled her salary, and another one just got engaged by staying juicy and in her pleasure!)
• How to step out of fear and step into fun.
• How to turn the mundane aspects of daily life into moments to treasure and inspire.

*Join me on the phone and/or by live video conferencing!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010
8:00pm to 9:00pm EST
Cost: $25.00

Space is limited so enroll now. *This call will be audio recorded and you will receive a link to the recording so you can listen to it again and again!

Can’t make the date? NO WORRIES!
Enroll here and we’ll send you a link to the audio to listen to at your leisure!

You ready to shake things up??? Join me!

With so much love and pleasure,

Mama Gena