As I was driving home from my dance class this morning I was behind a car with the bumper sticker which read:
Behind every Successful Woman is Herself. And let me add: behind EVERY woman (no matter her perceived status) is HERSELF.

As a self- employed entrepreneur and writer every waking moment is a confrontation and conversation with myself. Inside of myself are many different voices, each vying to be the main voice, the boss. If on nay certain day the boss is task-oriented there is no limit to what I can accomplish. If the voice that wins out is the sloth well it’s all down hill from there. When I study the lives of super successful people I am always awed by their drive and ambition. Sometimes I tap into some of that but I have to say there is not a huge well of that in me. The trick to success, as I see it, is to tap into what you do have in abundance and use that to propel you forward towards whatever goals seem interesting and fulfilling to you. To thine own self be true and all that.

If you are drawn to being an entrepreneur, a business owner,  what a path of challenge that is! If you are more the visionary and lees the implementer,  it can seem that nothing ever gets done! Learn your strengths and delegate everything else is the most  important distinction to make or you’ll find yourself going slowly and surely stark-raving mad. I can vouch for that myself.

Check out the amazing entrepreneurs I have interviewed on my talk show, Priestess Entrepreneur: Kitchen Table Conversations.
Each and every one of those women is an inspiration and boldly courageous. Check out an interview (they are all available online by clicking on the link in the blogposts and on the GUESTS page). See you there at http://PriestessTV.com

I always think my Aunt Irene was grossly misunderstood in the family. She was a married-in aunt, married to my mother’s brother Sammy. Theirs was a late-in-life love affair. They met in Atlantic City in the early 1950’s, they in their ripening forties. Atlantic City and the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York were the singles hang-outs for Jews in those years, the equivalent of J-date, before computers. I have a photo of them walking hand-in-hand on the Atlantic City boardwalk, smiling, aglow. My Uncle Sammy so tall and gallant, Aunt Irene quite luscious in her shockingly short shorts and sunhat (she was terminally freckled).

Everyone would have been very happy for Sammy, I mean already in his forties and no wife, except for one glaring problem. Irene lived in Philadelphia. For the Bronx Shapiro clan Philadelphia might as well have been China. Who went to Philadelphia? No one! If it was west of the Hudson River, who needed it?

There was no question of Irene relocating to New York. It would be Sammy who would be moving. Irene had an unmarried sister, Rose, gentle as a summer breeze. Rose came with the marriage. Rose never married, lived with them for 40 years. I always thought she was a nun, which of course she wasn’t, being Jewish and all, but the only unmarried women I knew were nuns and women whose husbands had died.

My mother never really liked Irene. It could have been a clan thing or something I never knew about and never could get my mother to admit to, but probably it was because Irene took Sammy away from the family, over the river and through New Jersey to who knew where.

On occasion we would excursion to Philadelphia to visit them. Irene was always so loving and adoring of me and my siblings. She felt to nearly bursting with excitement when we arrived. When we were kids they lived in a little row house, complete with a garden in which Irene grew marigolds. Their house smelled of pancakes cooking, gefilte fish, and Pledge. Irene was a cleaner, a vitamin taker (before this was done), an organizer (she was probably a Virgo), and she kept Kosher-in and out of the house.

She adored my father, which I realize later was because he had the same kind of family dutifulness that she did. Family was priority to him, first and foremost. Everyone else was suspect. And when Sammie was hit by a bus and broke both his thighs, laying him up for the remainder of his life, which turned out to be nearly 30 years, my parents were the only ones in the extended family who insisted on visiting all the way to Philadelphia – in the days Sammy was in the hospital and the endless months he was in rehab. My father ran the early shift of life so we were in Philly in time for breakfast, which always impressed Irene.

Rose had died by then. Sammy and Irene moved to an apartment with an elevator as Sammie could no longer do stairs. Irene took over everything, in her highly strung, impeccably right manner.

Irene was keen on injustice, having suffered her share. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and became somewhat of a vigilante in her neighborhood for cleanliness and respect. They never had children and when I visited them Irene would give me personal instructions on things I still practice:

Put nail polish on from the base of the nail upward, not horizontally across the nail.

The sink is not really clean until the faucet is buffed to a silvery glow.

Just because other people are slobs doesn’t mean you have to be.

Educate people on the value of taking responsibility for shared living spaces, like the apartment and the neighborhood.

Don’t be afraid to speak out on what you think is right, even if everyone disagrees.

Have a gorgeous bed (she always had a brass one).

Take care of the ones you love.

Wait for the right one to come along.

Grow flowers, no matter the size of your plot.

So in my fifties I realize I am more like my Aunt Irene than I thought I would be. In my quirky eccentricities, in my vigilante behavior to keep my neighborhood clean and quiet, and especially  voicing my convictions in the face of opposition, my obsession with flowers and gorgeous beds, my unflagging willingness to care for those I love, the nail and sink care. There you have it.

So when I came across Lois Meltzer’s The Murderous Urges of Ordinary Women, I thought immediately of Aunt Irene. Courageous, ballsy to the extreme, relentless in her pursuit of her convictions, passionate to right the wrongs of the only world in which she had control – her apartment and her block in northeast Philly.  I so fell in love with this book I tracked the author down and interviewed her. Clearly Lois has had some Aunt Irenes in her life as well. Check out our chuckle-filled interview at http://PriestessTV.com. Click on the Audio Interview page and there you will find the podcast of the interview. Leave a comment so I know you visited. Any Aunt Irenes in your life?

I raise my bouquet of flowers and dust mop to all the Aunt Irenes in the world. If she were alive today she’d be blogging her brains out on what’s right and what’s not. And would she ever be busy. Gotta go! The garbage men were just here and I have to make sure they took every last bit away. And then I have to scold the college boys for smoking and then tossing the butts on the ground. Will my work never be doe? Not in this messy world.

Self-care in powerful times of transition -like now!

Nurture and care for your body as the sacred vessel it is
Do you take better care of your car than of your body?

Release negative emotions – they’re toxic!
You don’t have to do this alone! Help is available
Releasing toxins is like changing the oil in your car

Follow your Intuition
Your internal guidance system always directs you safely home

Have an Astro check-in!
Being in the KNOW keeps you in the driver’s seat of your life
Schedule your session with Cindy at http://PriestessAstrology.com

I am a massage junkie, it’s true. I am totally hooked on the short and long-term benefits of excellent body work. Fortunate as I am to live  in a town that is very massage-sophisticated I have experienced what I had thought was the entire gamut of massage experiences until I met up with Cat Cantor. And all I can say is “Beam me up, Cat.”

Cat, like me, has an affinity for the planets, a strong connection to the mobile hurtling through space that is our solar system. As it turns out, the planets resonate at unique sound vibrations. Those sound vibrations each have healing properties,  associated with the qualities of the planetary bodies – literally music to my astrologer’s heart. Cat taps into the energy of the planets through the use of tuning forks, in the totally cool practice of Accutonics. Hence her website http://MusicalHands.net

You really have to hear Cat talk about all this because I could be bungling the description of it.  And the BEST, of course, is to have the experience of this powerful healing massage technique yourself.

What I DO know is that Cat’s massage techniques will have you feeling like you you took a trip to outer space and still get to sleep in your own bed that night. If you think you feel more relaxed just to take a little road trip, imagine the healing experience of leaving the orbital pull for an hour or two. Nothing like it!

If you’re going to live your Priestess empowered self, doing good, uplifting work in the world, your first priority has to be to care for your precious body. Massage is a GIVEN for the empowered Priestess Entrepreneur. We each have to care for this amazing vehicle that carries us through our lives. The body can take some heavy hits, both physically and mentally.  A gifted bodyworker , like Cat, can help re-align and relax your body so it can return to its natural state of well-bring. Now doesn’t that sound divine?

Best to hear Cat talk about her work yourself. I interview Cat this week on Priestess Entrepreneur: Kitchen Table Conversations. You can catch the show on Comcast 22 today (Sunday) at 11a.m., Monday at 6p.m., Thursday at 6p.m., and Saturday at 11a.m.
You can also watch the show online in its entirety by clicking on http://vimeo.com/13198228

The only thing missing from Cat’s work is a car service to take you home after the session!

I have been thinking a lot lately about unexpected change. Unexpected change can show up in all different ways, scanning the entire spectrum of our experiences. You can meet the love of your life at the freezer section at the grocery store wrestling over the last container of Haagen-dasz coffee ice cream -extra fat – or you can lose all your  investments with a market downturn. You can win the lottery ( I hear some people win it twice. Once guy won the lottery AND the scratch -off ticket bazillions in the same day!) or you can a be diagnosed with a fatal illness.

Whatever it is that comes your way on any particular day you can pretty much count on it not being exactly what you thought it would be. That’s LIFE- ever changing, ever unfolding, always a surprise, often miraculous. Personally I like to chat about what is occurring in life and what part I have in making that all happen. What parts do I control (hardly any – mostly my thoughts and
my reactions) and what parts do I absolutely have no control over ( most everything)? A coach is a great person to bounce ideas off of and work things through with (excuse the dangling participles).

A coach is a great aid on the journey of life. Kind of like a river guide. No way are you going to venture down a river without a guide. And believe me, the river of LIFE is way more wild these days than the Colorado River bookin’ it through the Grand Canyon. My suggestion is FIRST get an astrology session ( with me!) to get your own personal map of the river of your life, then get yourself a good coach (guide) to help you navigate the tough patches.

Check out the inspiring Priestess Entrepreneur  interview with Life Coach, Susan Osborn, fearless guide on the River of Unexpected Changes on this week’s Priestess TV. You can watch the show on Comcast 22, Boulder Valley Media Alliance, Monday at 6p.m.,
Thursday at 6p.m., and Saturday at 11a.m.

Or watch the entire interview  any time at all online at  http://vimeo.com/12340832

Unexpected changes are becoming so commonplace we are pretty much expecting the unexpected.  With rebel disruptive planet Uranus teaming up with only-making-it-more-so Jupiter you can pretty much be assured there’s going to be more of that coming down the pike. What to do?

Well first check out my totally cool interview with Life Coach Susan Osborn, a woman who fearlessly addresses this most challenging of all beasts: the unexpected. Like most good coaches. it has been the curve balls Life has served up to Susan that has pushed her to develop her coaching in this particular way.

Susan’s intelligence combined with her gentle, compassionate nature -towards herself and others- makes for a compelling and engaging interview. Not to be missed!

Catch us tomorrow (Sunday) at 11am, Monday at 6pm, Thursday at 6pm, and Saturday at 11am. on Comcast 22, Boulder Valley Media Alliance
Or you can watch online at any time by clicking on  http://vimeo.com/12340832

No need to try handle all of this by yourself!
Life coaching can be so helpful.
Check out Susan’s interesting work – she just might be the perfect coach for you!

I was watching Jim Hensen’s The Dark Crystal the other day and I was taken by the core message of unity. When one of the fearful, bullying Skeskies bled or died, so did one of the gentle, wise Mystics. Just because one group was nasty and the other loving did not
alter or change the basic connection of all things and all beings. I think this is a particularly challenging concept for us to accept what general mentality of separation, fear, and competition for resources. Sharing is nice, right?  Sure, until we feel threatened or vulnerable and then the human tendency seems to be to retreat into our separate corners, which frankly, does not work all that well.

I was outside Whole Foods yesterday where there were 2 dogs tied up and waiting for their persons. Somehow the leash got bound and was tangled around one of their legs. They both were freaking out. I walked over and got the one’s led untangled. When I came out of the store they both were sitting peacefully, now calm and relaxed. I nodded to them and the one thanked me with a nod and a chirpy bark. I said “You’re quite welcome”, grateful for those who have helped to untangle me. Every time you are offered an opportunity to untangle some mess, no matter how small, you are adding to the healing of all of us. In the Jewish tradition we call it Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. No repair goes unnoticed. Every stitch of mending is needed. Every single stitch.

This week on Priestess Entrepreneur: Kitchen Table Conversations I interview Kate Heartsong,  visionary author and channel of the unifying principle of Oneness. In her new book Deeply We Are One Kate addresses this most challenging concept of Oneness in a way that is meaningful and simple to grasp.

You can hear our uplifting and inspiring chat on Comcast Channel 22 tonight (Thursday) at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 11a.m.

To watch the interview online click on:   http://Vimeo.com/11682984

We  humans say we want change, Change! Give  me change! But really we are creatures of habit and though the thought of change is appealing and the ultimate results might be desirable, the process of change, the going through it, can be downright terrifying, and often is. The more rigidly you hold on to what was and how things used to be the more challenging the transition is to who and what you were to who and what you are becoming.  All in all, it’s pretty hard to just let go and trust the process of unfolding, to trust the journey of you.

Is it any surprise that throughout history our favorite and most compelling stories are about journeys?  From the Odyssey and the Bible, from Siddhartha to The Alchemist, we visit and revisit the stories of transition and change, leaving what is familiar to what is absolutely not. What kind of things can happen along the way?  The mind boggles considering it. And often the mind defaults to fear. Whether you’re Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz or Frodo in Lord of the Ring or Jen the Gelfling in the Dark Crystal or you (amazing you!)  the journey begins with the soul’s desire to experience something new (though the personality can FREAK OUT!) and brings you somewhere you never thought you would be. And that can be a good thing.

Last night I was watching Bill Maher on HBO. He was talking about the people who want the country back the way it was (that’s never going to happen, Luddites) and his view of wanting to bring the country forward.  Forward?  What a concept.

This week on Priestess Entrepreneur: Kitchen Table Conversations I am interviewing a master in transition, Barbara Joye, The Shift Guru. Check out our highly stimulating conversation about the challenges of transition and shifting and some of the tools Barbara brings to the table to assist in this most momentous, and inevitable, process. Change is going happen, no doubt about it. How you manage  change is easier with help and support.

Here’s an excerpt from the interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbUQegEqbfY

Here’s the interview in its entirety:
http://vimeo.com/10101505

If you’d like to catch the show on your TV and you’re in Boulder County, you’ll find it airing in Comcast Channel 22
on Thursday at 6p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m.

How’s your shifting going for you these days?

Through the miraculous workings of the internet I was found by another fabulous Priestess Entrepreneur, Coach Betty,
She was in San Francisco at the time we spoke and then took off for Paris to spread the Priestess empowerment message.
We did a very inspiring interview that you can listen to right here, right now! Will wonders never cease?

Click on the link and get inspired!
CoachBettyLive.com.

I just received this email from a lawyer who has had  to deal with too many cases of Identity Theft.
There are actually things you can do that can help you deter identity theft. Just like you don’t want to leave valuable items exposed in your car, even if you have locked the car!, there are preventative steps you can take to make identity theft just that much harder to happen to you.

1. Do not sign  the back of your credit cards. Instead, put ‘PHOTO ID REQUIRED.’

2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts,  DO  NOT put the complete  account number on the ‘For’ line. Instead, just put the  last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won’t have access to it.

3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never  have your  SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have It printed, anyone can get it.

4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel…. Keep the photocopy in a safe place.
I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We’ve all heard horror stories about fraud that’s committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.

Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have first hand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month… Within a week, the thieves ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more.
But here’s some critical information to limit the damage  in case this happens to you or someone you know:

5. We have been told we should  cancel our  credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.

6.  File a  police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

But here’s what is perhaps  most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)
7. Call  the  3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the internet in my name.

The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done.. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves’ purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks..

Here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, if it has been stolen:

1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union  : 1-800-680 7289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):
1-800-269-0271

How appropriate that this email coincides with my Priestess Entrepreneur  interview with Identity Theft expert, Peggy Goehringer.
Here’s a segment of this must-see interview:

Peggy’s Interview can be viewed in its entirety today (Thursday April 15th) at 6 p.m. and Saturday, April 17th at 11 a.m.
on  Comcast Channel 22. Boulder Valley Media Alliance.

Be aware and make good decisions.
Identity theft is real and good Priestess Entrepreneurs deal with reality.