Sacred Feminine Festival - Fremantle

PROGRAM OF EVENTS

The festival is grounded in celebration and provides a wide range of possibilities for the people who attend. There will be a balanced combination of wisdom talks, art, music, food, healing, dance performances etc.

In addition to the Program outlined below, the festival offers
FESTIVAL MARKET - Saturday only!

A wide variety of products (incl. our special Festival T-Shirts), services, kid’s craft activities and entertainment — are on offer at 30 Market Stalls on Kings Square outside the Town Hall.

NURTURING & BODYWORK ROOM
Pamper yourself with variety of bodywork and healing sessions for deep nurturing of your being. All proceeds are donated to our children beneficiaries!

ART EXHIBITION
Delight in the Sacred Feminine expressed through beautiful artwork on exhibition in the Town Hall Foyer.

JUICY BEETROOT CAFÉ
Savour delicious vegetarian food, offered by the Juicy Beetroot Café inside the foyer of Town Hall. Yum!

Saturday Morning Program—4 March 2006

09:00-09:30 Welcome Ceremony
9:30-10:00 Sri Lalita Sahasranama (Vedic prayer on the thousand names of the Divine Mother) led by Shanthy Jeyaraj, coordinator for the Mata Amritanada Mayi Center in Perth. This ancient Sanskrit prayer invokes the supreme female divine energy and is said to have many extraordinary benefits.
10:30-10:45 Video presentation of a speech given by Mata Amritananda Mayi on the occasion of “A Global Peace Initiative of women religious and spiritual leaders” at the United Nations. Lovingly known by millions around the world as Amma (Mother), the hugging Saint, Amma has spent her adult life fulfilling her mission to share her message of love and compassion throughout the world.
Break
11:00-12:00 ‘Light on Tantra’ - Satsang (gathering in truth) with Swami Alokananda Saraswati. Swami was born in India and dedicated at the age of four to Kalima at the famous Kali Ghat Temple in Calcutta. Following her initiation as a Swami into the Saraswati Order by Paramahansa Satyananda Saraswati in 1979, she has been living in Australia and for 12 years was the Director of the Yoga Darshan Ashram and the Tasmanian Yoga Therapy Centre. In 1993 she was formally recognised as a Master of Yoga.
Kali Puja (Hindu ceremony honoring the Goddess Kali). In the Hindu tradition it is said that we are living in the Kali age – the time of the resurgence of the divine feminine spirit. Although Goddess Kali is most known for her destructive power, she is also the creator and nurturer and the essence of Mother-Love and the feminine energy (shakti).
12:00-12:30 Awakening of the Divine Feminine - Mirjam. Mirjam is an international clairvoyant teacher from Europe with an extensive background in spiritual psychology, therapy and healing. She will talk about the descension of the divine Feminine on Earth and lead a guided Meditation to align ourselves with the energies of the Goddess.
One hour lunch break

Saturday Afternoon Program—4 March 2006

1:30-2:00 Presentation of the beneficiaries of the proceeds of the Festival - Ramanas Garden (Indian Orphanage), Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery (Buddhist nunnery in Dharamsala founded by Ven. Tenzin Palmo, dedicated to preserve ancient sacred feminine wisdom in the world) and Children of this land, Australia.
2:00–3:00 The Feminine Essence in Presence – Isira. Isira Sananda is one of the world’s modern spiritual Masters based in NSW. From the depths of stillness she speaks the wisdom of the ages with a clarity that is mind-stopping, heart-awakening, enlightening. Recognising her destiny at the age of eighteen, she committed her life to the service of inspiring self-realisation and love in humanity. Isira is a global peacemaker who has worked alongside Aboriginal, Native American and Tibetan Elders, and has been initiated in mysticism and yogic mastery. Her talk focuses on understanding the feminine essence, its creative power and qualities manifested in our life.
Break
3:15-3:45 “An Offering of Love” - Satsang & Metta (loving kindness) Meditation with Amitabha. Amithabha was asked six years ago by her spiritual master, Shantimayi, to “spread her light over the world”. Since then she has been offering satsang, meditation and intensives in France, India and Australia - welcoming all who are longing to awaken to their true selves, guiding them back into their hearts, revealing who they truly are.
3:45-4:15 The Joy of Being - Mark Kumara. Mark is a humble, self-realized man, who manages the Lyra House Meditation Centre in Denmark, WA and has written the book “The Joy of Being”. For this presentation he will speak from his heart.
Break
4:30-5:30 Sharing Circle - An invitation to experience and express the different aspects of the Feminine. Women’s Circle facilitated by Suchita. Men’s Circle facilitated by Andrash Bodonyi.
5:30-6:00 Chanting -devotional singing together
Dinner Break

Saturday Evening Program—4 March 2006

7:30-11:00 Conscious Music & Dance Performances from around the World
Real Soul Music - Baba Y’suha is a doctor and an African American musician currently visiting Perth from America. Y’shua believes that consciousness-based music is needed to heal and restore evolutionary momentum, while at the same time providing maximum pleasure and personal enjoyment. His positive musical message is “Be ye transformed through the renewing of your minds by listening to conscious music”.
Moksha - Indian Odissi dance performance by the Temple of Fine Arts followed by a prayer to the Divine Goddess Devi. Moksha literally means salvation, liberation, release or deliverance. Here the dance and the dancer become one, culminating into an all-inclusive awareness, the fathomless, deep consciousness, where all thoughts are dissolved and fused into perfect harmony and equilibrium.
Gurdjieff Sacred Dance with Mohini Sacha & friends These dances, preserved in temples and Sufi monasteries of the Middle East, they are designed to develop a unity between body, mind, emotion and a oneness and totality in the here and now. They are a unique example of silence in movement & movement in silence. Ultimately they are designed to awaken the human consciousness from its sleep
“The Sacred Opening” Concert with Peru, the Singing Woman
Peru was a professional Jazz singer before she met a Native American Elder who taught her the ancient ways of Earth Singing & Chanting. She learned to sing from a deep state of union with the earth. Entrancing the audience with the power moving through her voice, it could simply be said it is the earth singing through Peru. Working with live tablas, didgeridoo, Native American flute, Peru is constantly creating layers of intoxicating chant and vocal percussion. She inspires total participation of the audience in simple chants that can build into an ecstatic state. She is coming from New Zealand for this festival and her performance is simply potent!

Sunday Morning Program—5 March 2006

9:00-9:15 Morning Meditation with Isira
9:15-9:45 Video Satsang with Shantimayi (Mother of Peace) recorded in India especially for this festival. Shantimayi is an American spiritual teacher in the lineage of Sacha Sangha, an ancient Indian tradition of deep wisdom. She became self-realised at the feet of her teacher Hans Raj Maharaj in India in 1988 and has since been travelling the world spreading words of ‘Truth in All’ and the Dharma (path). Her teachings reflect aspects of Buddhism, Hinduism and Tribal Wisdom.
9:45-10:15 The Pagan perspective of our times – Tamara Lampard Tamara is a celebrant and owner of the Sun Moon and Stars Spiritual Centre, where she teaches. Paganism honors both the masculine and the feminine equally. Tamara will talk about how being pagan is meaningful to the modern woman & man, how it can bring beauty, natural rhythm and connection to the sacred in the hustle and bustle of the second millennium.
10:15-10:45 ‘Innana & Gilgamesh’ - Britt Garrett. Britt is a Jungian Psychotherapist, sharing stories from two ancient Babylonian myths. The relationship between Innana and her husband Gilgamesh symbolizes the relationship between Man & Woman, Darkness & Light, Consciousness & Unconsciousness, Mortal & Divine etc.
Break
11:00-11:30 Opening to the Divine Feminine, Embodying the Divine Feminine – Peru, the Singing Woman. When woman is loving love, more than her pain, or anything, she flowers open and embodies the divine feminine on earth – she is the living Goddess.
11:30-12:30 The role of Feminine presence in this time of awakening – Isira. Isira (see Saturday program) will share about how the feminine essence is essential in our journey of awakening; understanding this within our individual process and as a collective mandala of divine purpose.
Break

Sunday Afternoon Program—5 March 2006

1:30-2:00 The wisdom of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion and Healing -Rev. Cate Kodo Juno. Cate is a Buddhist priest, ordained in Japan where she lived for twelve years, studying and practicing the Way of Kuan Yin. Cate now resides south of Mandurah, where she has built a Wabi'an Temple dedicated to Kuan Yin and where she teaches the Way of Kuan Yin. In sharing the wisdom of the Way of Kuan Yin, Cate will explain how we can bring Kuan Yin's healing energy into our everyday lives. You will also have the opportunity to write a prayer for healing that Cate will offer at the Kuan Yin sacred sites, when she goes on pilgrimage to Japan in March.
2:00–2:30 Spirit in Business – Elizabeth Stephens. Elizabeth is the founder and editor of the Living Now Magazine, based in Victoria. Elizabeth has many amusing stories to tell about listening to the voice of Spirit – and NOT listening – and the consequences of doing so. In this talk she will share how dreams have changed her work - “almost as though God was the CEO of the company.” She will also explain the techniques she employs to open to such dreams.
2:30-3:00 Secret Messages in Water - Vibodha Clark & Lawrence Ellyard, co-founders of the Hado Institute Australia. If you liked the movie “What the Bleep”, you will enjoy their talk. Crystal water photography uses a very ‘feminine’ way of approaching science and for the first time creates a bridge between the world of intangible consciousness and that of physical reality.
Break
3:15-3:45 Opening the Door of Your Heart – Ajahn Brahm. Born and educated in the West, Ajahn Brahm is a Buddhist monk ordained in Bangkok at the age of 23. He spent 9 years studying and training under the Venerable Ajahn Chah and has taught Buddhist philosophy to Westerners from all walks of life. He also offers counseling and meditation in numerous Australian prisons. Ajahn Brahm’s talks relate wise teachings of mindfulness, love and compassion – of opening the door to your heart – and are offered with wonderful sense of humor.
3:45-4:15 The Creative Heart of the Feminine – Jyoti McKie. Jyoti has worked for many years internationally as a shamanic teacher. She is an experienced clairvoyant and channel, as well was being a professional artist and author of “The Healing Earth” book and tarot deck.
Break
4:30-5:30 Sharing Circle - An invitation to experience and express the different aspects of the Feminine in a circle of men & women, facilitated by Suchita and Andrash Bodonyi.
5:30-6:00 Closing of the Festival and Chanting (devotional singing together)

Sunday Evening Program—5 March 2006

7:30-11:00 Dance Celebration Party!

Dance the night away with DJ Suchita and DJ Avi. Suchita is well known for starting and running the Zorbas Dance Club in Fremantle for the past 10 years and also for her Radio show ‘Full Circle’ on RTRfm 92.1. Avi is currently running the fortnightly Lemuria Dance Nights at the Fremantle Club. Together they make a great team with their wild & joyful rhythms.
Let your dancing be inspired by the following guest performers:
Dancing for Universal Peace – touch deep sources of stillness and joy as we join hands in a circle to dance and chant sacred phrases from world traditions in honor of the Sacred Feminine.
Gypsy Trail Dance Company - a tribal fusion dance form evocative of the tribal dances of India, North Africa, Middle East and Spain.
ORGANIKdance — fuse traditional African, funk and contemporary dance with a theatrical element thrown in. The troupe was formed to encourage people to “dance for joy.”
Afrotonic Dance Group—Afrotonic is an African dance group that has been performing since 2002. Afrotonic was created by Veronique Thomann from France and Kwame Selormey from Ghana, both with extensive experience in dance and choreography.