IN YOUR WORDS

Donna, thank you for listening to your heart when you felt something was missing over 20 years ago and you started the Center. Thank you for the courage to nurture it and allow it to evolve, yet maintain its simplicity. You have enriched my life, and those of countless others! You have given me a community, a sisterhood, a safety net, an oasis…and something to always look forward to! You have given me back music, history, art, prayer, meditation, friends, role models, deep storytelling…Holiness. I am thrilled to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Center for the Sacred Feminine. Thank you for so fully being you and for bringing your gifts to the world. ~Cynthia C.

For me the Center for the Sacred Feminine is a giant, beautiful, wonderful web of the finest spun silk. A web that is omnipresent. I just lean into it and feel the warm, supportive LOVE. A safe place to bring up my darkest shadows and cocoon them, let them sit until they become a good source of nourishment (like a good spider does). Spun with the glorious sisterhood of modern midwives, so full of acceptance, love, and knowledge. I am reborn over and over again, supported in my growth by this boundless web. ~Selene S.

I had an amazing time. It was such a healing experience to be in a group of women who were so open and compassionate towards each other. My favorite thing was the sense of community and belonging I felt with a group that I had never been part of before. ~Ramsie M.

Each retreat seems to have its own special flavor, and the Spring retreat was sweet. The pace of the world seemed to slow down and the beauty of the Casa provided a perfect backdrop for the ritual, yoga, Seven Directions Movement Meditation, walking the labyrinth, reading…well, the list goes on and on. There was wonderful free time Saturday night to get into all sorts of mischief and the hot tub in the evening was the perfect way to prepare for a restful night’s sleep. Donna and Lyndi, you organized and presented a beautiful experience, which included a lot of hard work and planning. May you both know how grateful I am for this blessed twice yearly retreat. ~Susan K.

When I see the familiar faces and hear the beloved voice of each woman at circle, at the table at retreat, in the courtyard at the Casa . . . I feel safe and abundant, at peace and inspired, love and loving . . . . The circle holds us in and out of our daily lives, filled with sweet honey and power-filled resources. What a blessing and enriched sacredness you have created and offered, Donna, through your practice and devotion . . . all these years. What is the Center for the Sacred Feminine to me? It is home - holy wholly home. Blessings to you always, Jennifer R.

The retreat was like a school of sorts. Donna’s Seven Directions Movement Meditation taught us why we were here on Earth. Lyndi’s yoga taught us how to take care of the bodies we are using. We were given wings made of Susan’s prayers and nourishment from Dana and the kitchen goddesses. We found safety and love as we soared in love and light, finding courage to let go of the darkness. We wove the tapestry of ancient sisterhood with joyful threads of singing, dancing, laughing, crying. Thank you, Donna, for the retreat – I learned that I am ready, I am a warrior, I AM the storm! ~Patricia S.

To me the Center is you, Donna. And I want to thank you. Your vision has been so clear, so inspired, and so honest that the space you have created encourages women to explore, grow, share honestly, and re-form their lives. The world opens up to them because they become stronger and more creative. They realize that by taking responsibility for their lives, they can live happier, healthier, more satisfying ones.

And then…Donna, you bring in your scholarship. I have learned so much from your stories, our discussions, and from reading the packets. This knowledge has enriched my thinking and consciousness. Again, my world opens wider and I can see with new eyes….

From circles, to retreats to playshops- everything is always so well organized and flows so beautifully. The rituals, the music, the yoga, the crafts, the meditations, the teachings are always perfect. I am always touched profoundly in some way. A spark ignites in some corner of my consciousness and allows me to discover hidden treasures within myself. Year after year, you always inspire me. With gratitude, Debby B.

As always, the retreat was so nourishing. The River is sacred. We were blessed with the cutest ducks! It was so beautiful to expand our love circle with amazing new sisters. My favorite things: the Seven Directions Movement Meditation with Donna on Saturday morning and Yoga under the cottonwoods with Lyndi. ~Selene S.

We celebrate the continuing mystery of how each gathering is more delightful than its predecessor. My heartfelt gratitude and blessed be. ~Jo S.

Thank you for a true retreat experience. I loved the freedom to explore the river, dance and sing with my sisters, and share in the gratitude of all our gifts. My favorite thing—the luxury of a slow pace with lots of free time to nap and explore. The Casa – magical. The food – delicious. ~Patti G.

The retreat was a relaxing, friendly, supportive experience. I felt welcomed. It was easy to engage in conversation with others. The events and rituals and details were plentiful, meaningful, and informative. While I enjoyed the experience itself, I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by the” afterglow” – I have recalled several of the things we use (chants, blessings, mudras) and incorporated them into my daily practices. I am also appreciating that there are people around the city and beyond who think/believe/study the way I do. ~Holly C.

I love returning to such a beautiful space and place and relish in the joy of new women discovering the Center and joining in on the peace of the Retreat weekend. The structure you and Lyndi create allows for everyone, old and new, to find their way to comfort, companionship, and solace in solitude. Favorite things- the space, the gentleness, the yummy spanakopita, curried peas and potatoes . . . loved the gentleness of Lyndi’s lovingkindness meditation and then being sent out in silence and, I chose, to bed for a long, peaceful sleep. ~Jennifer R.

How can I ever thank you for your wise, generous, loving spirit and your living example of all that we can be as women? For the womb space you have created, that you nurture and tend and hold in readiness for all women to use on their very personal journey. It is truly a womb space of the spirit. In joy and gratitude, Ann M.

To come to celebrate at the Center and to experience circle week after week, in sacred ritual, surrounded by love brings so much joy. I love most the singing and the “close your eyes” stories, where I am taken away to connect deeply in an almost dreamland with the archetypes who teach me how to live strongly and richly in the real world. And through my darkest days, to come and be held in love and compassion by my sisters, who shone with inner beauty, kept me going, lifted me up so I could emerge. Retreats and circles kept me dipping into the well of goddess and woman love, encouraged me to keep growing more deeply, seeing more clearly, loving in a bigger way.

Even though I am gone from your physical space, the journey continues. Everywhere women move and continue to find our circles, we sing the same songs, we honor the same names. All part of the same river of love. Donna, thank you and my Center sisters for being such a huge part of my journey, and forever in my heart. ~Amy H.

I have been blessed to be part of the Center for the Sacred Feminine‘s Circle of Women for more than 15 years, attending both the Women’s Wisdom Circles and Retreats (more than 30 of them) with some Playshops tossed in for good measure! I have the deepest gratitude to you, Donna, for your passion and dedication to the Sacred Feminine, and for creating such a safe and sacred space for us to gather, Wise and Wonderful Women, sharing our Journeys…learning from and about each other…feeling the guidance and support of the Goddess in her many forms…becoming Empowered and Powerful in our own skin. I can honestly say that being a Circle sister has changed my life in wonderful ways, and I have watched it change others as well. I look forward to meeting all of those who will join us in the future! ~Dana L.

The Center and Donna’s leadership have been instrumental to my spiritual growth and development. Even though I moved from Tucson 15 years ago, I reflect often on the many circles and retreats I attended while living there. It is one of the treasures and highlights of my time in the desert. I carry that sisterhood wherever I go now. ~Jenna L.