Gathering Around the Well of Sacred Memory

The Mirror of Venus by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt ARA. 1898

This June 2015, I was honored to visit New York state and city to conduct two editions of "Aphro-Hera's Temple".  It was a magical time full of inspiration, realization, and healing.  And it underscored the power of women when they unite to commune with the timeless sources of inspiration through the arts, myths, and archetypes.  It was a gathering at the well of sacred memory - the collective dreams, aspirations, expressions, and achievements of countless generations who refreshed their creative souls there.  From that sacred spring, the Mysteries bubble up in various forms - stories, paintings, sculptures, songs, music, and dances that lead us to those levels of wisdom which defy verbal definition and transcend the Self.

This is called "transpersonal" healing - when we reach across, throughout, and beyond ourselves to the spiritual and archetypal realms in order to engage the deep realizations and shifts that conduct us along our quests for wholeness. The same forces that inspired great works of art like "The Mirror Of Venus" above continue to inspire us and to speak through our souls, hearts, and bodies.  We meet the Goddess and she holds a mirror, reflecting back to us a nobler version of ourselves.  That is the gift of transpersonal healing, sending us the message that we already ARE what our souls long to be.  In a time that is not a time and in a place that is not a place, we shift into sacred time/space/consciousness and BECOME living works of art, born of the divine inspiration of the ages.

I want to sincerely thank all the beautiful women who participated in "Aphro-Hera's Temple" and with profound gratitude leave some of their reflections on the experience here.

"I am so grateful for the opportunity to experience this workshop. It was soul stirring and transformational. I left feeling empowered and with greater self acceptance. There is so much to rave about. You created a sacred, reverent atmosphere that instantly signaled to our psyches that it was time to excavate and do deep work. The exercises you created allowed us bypass our egos and work with our hearts. You also taught us rituals that we can easily incorporate into our lives. Thank you" - Kierra Denise Foster-Ba, NYC

"Hera has been unleashed and it’s amazing!"  – Barbara Graham Price, NYC

 "I want to recommend that everyone study with you the next time you're here.  Such a gift, you are!" – Tachea, NYC

"Paola Blanton is a master story teller, facilitator, and Goddess Divina. I took AphroHera's Temple, a creative movement ritual workshop she created and facilitated, and was moved by her work. Her study in the Goddess Archetypes and the history of the Goddess is extensive, & her facilitation in embodying the archetypes of Aphrodite and Hera through movement ritual is grounded in her daily practice as a dancer. Her intention to bring these two Goddesses together within all women so we can live empowered and in harmony AS women is powerful! Thank you Paola for your masterful work." – Sarah Haykel, Buffalo, NY