On this episode I'm so honored to be joined by the poet Chelan Harkin. Chelan's poetry journey began at age 21 on the heels of a traumatic event, a mystical event and an unparalleled creative opening where inspired verse started to pour through her with very little need for editing. Her experience with channeling the muse was profound and intimate but also quite private. It took Chelan 12 years to find the courage to share her poetry with the world through her first self-published book, "Susceptible to Light". This publishing journey that began at the end of 2020 has been something of a magic carpet ride characterized by prayer experiments gone right and has included some of the most awe-inspiring events that have completely shifted Chelan’s way of relating to herself and the world. Her current published books include "Susceptible to Light", "Let Us Dance: The Stumble and Whirl with The Beloved", "Wild Grace" and "The Prophetess: The Return of The Prophet from The Voice of The Divine Feminine".

On the latest episode we discuss:

* How a brain tumor and a subsequent pilgrimage inspired by her Baha'i faith led to a spiritual awakening for Chelan at age 21, which included an influx of divinely inspired poetry

* How Chelan experiences her creative inspiration as a flow of energy that offers tremendous insight and wisdom

* The generative nature of suffering, and why she feels like suffering is simply "energy that hasn't been brought back into the fold of love"

* Chelan's incredible publishing journey, which was presided over by two of her favorite dead poets, Hafez and Khalil Gibran

* Plus, she reads the first poem that ever flowed through her, "Say Wow"

Here are a few notes related to this episode:

* You can follow Chelan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chani.harkin/. You can also find more information about her at her website, www.chelanharkin.com, and follow her on instagram @chelan-harkin

* You can pre-order Chelan's new book, The Prophetess: The Return of the Prophet from the Voice of the Divine Feminine, here: https://www.amazon.com/Prophetess-Return-Prophet-Divine-Feminine/dp/1401977561

* Chelan discussed her experience growing up within the Baha'i faith.

* She also referenced the work of two poets: Hafez, and Khalil Gibran.

And here are a few more details about this show and my work:

*If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/

*You can also visit the Coalition of Natives and Allies for more helpful educational resources about Indigenous rights and history.

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* And to read about the Sacred Feminine, check out my award-winning book Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine (Womancraft Publishing), available wherever you buy your books!. If you've read it, your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are greatly appreciated!

Mentioned in this episode:

We Are Sovereign: A 9-Month Transformational Leadership Program for Women

We Are Sovereign is a 9 month transformational leadership program designed specifically for women who are ready to claim full authority and power over their own lives. The program includes a deep dive with: • Powerful Sacred Feminine figures, drawn from history and mythology, who will serve as our sovereignty guides along the way • Transformational practices rooted in creativity, play, energy work, ritual, ceremony and even magic • Embodiment practices, including dance, yoga, and other intuitive movement exercises to tap into the wisdom of the body • The Enneagram as a tool for understanding the human psyche and our individual personality types • Yogic philosophy, creative writing and journaling exercises, and much more • The power of the group field that we cultivate to dive deep and be witnessed fully for who we are, allowing the property of emergence to support our becoming The journey kicks off with an opening retreat on the beautiful Big Island of Hawaii, September 12-15, 2024. From there, we’ll gather twice a month over the next 9 months via Zoom, and we’ll wrap up in June 2025 with a closing retreat at Hestia Magic Retreat Center, located in the shadow of majestic Mount Shasta, California. To learn more, apply, and/or book a discovery call, visit: https://www.hometoheracademy.com/course/we-are-sovereign