being in sync

Renee Baribeau and Sandra Ingerman released a new episode on the Shamans Cave, Keeping Pace with the Seasons - how we can align our energetic phases with nature to be in natures’ flow instead of living against its flow. Perfect timing as we're winding down for 2022 and looking forward to 2023.

water babes

Humans and nature were meant to live in harmony - together and linked, not separate. If we follow our true identity as a nature being then attention to the changing phases and cycles of nature keeps us better in sync.

Painting: crossroads

I went for a walk in the beautiful Epping Forest with a friend before the winter set in. The skies were grey but the leaves, on the trees and the ground, were a beautiful golden colour.

warm island seas

wonder | wander | women have not been back to the island of our birth since prior to the pandemic. Now that our tickets are booked for our imminent return, we are eager and excited to get back. Aside from family and friends, we miss our warm lush ocean, teeming with tropical delights. 

Bohol Sea marine preserve & ecosanctuary

Both to embrace in wanton abandon and to eat to our hearts content. They say we don't fully appreciate home until we leave it. Our heritage and history were something we lived daily and ignored most of the time. 

Guimaras Straight - an important fishing ground

Now that we have moved away, when we are in the UK and US, we miss the delicacies and treats of the Philippines. Then when we're back there we miss the comforts and conveniences we have over here. 

evolving glamour: BULGARI at Saatchi Gallery

Jewellery brand BULGARI celebrated the anniversary of its Serpenti Collection in the celebrated Saatchi Gallery in London. The Serpenti collection was first created by founder Soutirios Boulgaris in the 1940s and has been worn by various Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Charlize Theron, and Michelle Yeoh.

Rachel Weisz campaign for Bulgari,
photo courtesy of The Cut

ingesting & digesting

The holidays are here - with feasting at its most stratospheric levels for the whole year. Instead of troubling over how much we are eating - how about focusing on a more purposeful and conscious approach to nurturing ourselves?

Eugene Gologursky - Getty Images for Macy’s Inc.

All too easily we get so caught up in the chaotic preparations and expected festivities. Do we even pause to think about what it is we would rather do for ourselves?

the long golden afternoon of the year

Happy Thanksgiving! Many of us are saving our revels for the weekend, but it's always the right time to appreciate the season of Thanksgiving - the third Thursday of November, as the leaves fall and darkness covers the Northern Hemisphere.

the power of a beautiful question

The poetry of David Whyte captures the human experience of longing, soul searching and the drive towards meaning making. It powerfully directs us back to the often muffled inner voice which is such a potent guide when we allow the space to listen. Sweet balm for our battered souls.

wonder | wander | women value the benefits of carving out time in our lives to go on regular retreats. Purposefully disengage and seclude from the material and mundane. Retire to some serene sanctuary for self renewal. 

prairie grass

For the past three years our annual pilgrimages were interrupted. It was concerning to risk travel or exposing ourselves outside our bubble of safety during these pandemic years. Home based retreats are the preferred option for now. 

when is NOW

As 2022 winds down and we approach the holidays it's time to assess the year and plan for 2023. 

A recent post from the Agam Agenda seemed most apt. 

Culture is about how we relate with each other, and with the Earth. It holds our living stories—outside any walls or any conference.

Why rewrite COP27?

We have grown too attached to our habits and creature comforts and because most of us live in crowded bustling urban centers - we are sadly remotely distanced from nature and natural cycles - hardly conscious of subtle shifts and central cycles. 

The tendency is to constantly disrupt or make demands on our environment and relationships. To have these adjust to our needs and wants rather than closely monitoring and collaborating among each other. 

democracy on the ballot

This election season in the US there is deep voter distress over the state of the nation, the highest inflation in four decades, and economic uncertainty - as well as concerns about abortion access and crime. 

US flag at the Capitol Building - Getty/franckreporter

The Republican Accountability Project is a nationwide advocacy campaign reinforcing the importance of accountability by some Republicans and conservatives who want other Republicans to stop sowing distrust in our elections. They are making sure their message is broadcast far and wide to push back against election deniers and MAGA extremists.

The Chicks' March! March!

Jupiter pays a visit

Last September 26 wonder | wander | women joined our fellow space lovers in greeting Jupiter. This is one of my favourite planets: the striped gas giant with its Great Red Spot captured my imagination as a child, and later I read Arthur C. Clarke's short story "A Meeting with Medusa", where an astronaut undertakes a lonely exploration of Jupiter.

Image from nasa.gov

United Nations Day 2022

United Nations Day in 2022 is on Thursday, October 24. The day encourages all the countries in the world to keep peace with one another and take steps to solve any issues in a peaceful way. All around the world, the need to nourish peace is an ever growing demand. 

NANSEN Award laureates join UN High Commissioner for Refugees

The themes for 2022 are:

• The future we want, the UN we need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism

• Our Planet, Our Future

• Traditions of Peace and Non-violence

• Potential in Diversity

bird on the water

On this blog wonder | wander | women never get tired of talking about the waterways of our beloved London and the wildlife that live there. We made several posts about the birds that thrive in the marshy areas of London canals and how it's a precarious balance of human and natural residents.

We found a totally unexpected species of bird living on the water this week! But first to set the scene: a visit to our favourite Word on the Water, the fantastical bookshop on a boat.

dimensional flow

Every year since 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) has organized a global campaign for World Mental Health Day on October 10. The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) announced the theme for World Mental Health Day 2022 is ‘Make mental health for all a global priority”. 

Aphrodite/ Venus Urania, Queen of Heaven

A day for all races not just for Columbus and other colonizers to blast their way through nature and what is natural. The Columbian Exchange embodies both the best and the worst of environmental and health results of contact, as well as the cultural shifts produced and its exponential results. 

The gift that keeps on giving to this very day - in the best and worst ways possible - in all its increments in between.

Columbus' large scale colonization & exploitation project

medieval meditation at The Cloister Garden

If you know wonder | wander | women, you know that we are fascinated with the medieval period of Europe. Whether it's the incorrectly named "Dark Ages" of England that everyone pictures at the word medieval, the golden years of tapestry in France, or the intellectual and diverse Islamic period of Spain, we are willing devotees of the art, architecture and history of the period.

Entrance to the Priory of St. John and its Cloister Garden

So we were thrilled to discover the Museum of the Order of St. John, the 900-year-old charity still existing in London. The Most Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem originated with the Knights Hospitaller, formed in the 12th century during the Crusades. The mission of the order is "to prevent and relieve sickness and injury, and to act to enhance the health and well-being of people anywhere in the world."

The Memorial Gallery seen from the garden

an equinox of grace & grief

“Autumn Equinox is a time – a sacred moment – for grieving our many losses, as individuals, as a culture, as Earth-Gaia. At this time we may join Demeter – and any other Mother Goddess from around the globe – in Her weeping for all that has been lost.

The Mother weeps and rages, the Daughter leaves courageously, the Old One beckons with Her wisdom and promise of transformation.” ~ Glenys Livingstone, PhD, “Autumn Equinox: Thanksgiving and Grieving,” Celebrating Seasons of the Goddess

Ninnion Tablet replica

For millennia, in Greece, this Seasonal Moment has been the holy celebration of Persephone’s descent to the Underworld, and in the earliest Goddess tradition, She descends of Her own volition to comfort the dead: the process is one of gaining of wisdom and restoring beauty – She is the Seed planted in the Earth, that will sprout again, grow to maturity and carry life into the future. 

from industry to illustration: New River Head

Exciting news in the London neighbourhood of wonder | wander | women as English icon meets London landmark. Beloved Roald Dahl illustrator Quentin Blake founded the House of Illustration, which opened an exhibition space in Granary Square, Kings Cross.

  

Now the House of Illustration is rebranding as the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration. The Centre is expanding, and now it's found an amazing piece of London history to house it - the Engine House at New River Head.

In a country as old as late Roman history, the word "new" is relative. The New River was opened in 1613, a man-made river created from natural springs to help pipe fresh water into London homes.

moon feast

When it comes to Mid-Autumn Festival, Asians celebrate the mystical animal - the Jade Rabbit, also called the Moon Rabbit - a character in oriental folklore that lives on the moon with Chang’e, the Moon Goddess. 

the myth of the Moon Goddess & the Jade Rabbit

Also known as the Moon or Mooncake Festival, it is the second most important Asian festival, next to the Lunar New Year. It is mainly celebrated in China, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines - though many Asian communities around the world have grown to enjoy its festivities too. 

a traditional mid-autumn festival spread

On the day of the festival, the moon is said to be the brightest, roundest and most beautiful. Folks are encouraged to gather and celebrate together in families and communities. 

tropical birthday treat

Who doesn't love flowers for their birthday? This year wonder | wander | women celebrated my 43rd year by visiting one of my favourite urban gardens, the Barbican Conservatory. This isn't the first time I've spent my birthday here; maybe it can become a tradition.  

The Conservatory is a contradiction: concrete balconies, glass and steel, and tropical rainforest richness everywhere. It squeezed my heart to see the shiny, broad leaves of truly monstrous monstera or the colourful spines of bird-of-paradise blooming in profusion in the middle of this mid-century cement complex...like the parks and markets of old Manila.

bzzy bee

Before we bid summer goodbye wonder | wander | women would like to shine the spotlight on our worker bees, honeybees, bumblebees, buzzing bees. 

bee villages of NYC

It’s estimated there are more than 400 bee species in New York. More than half of these species are digger bees that nest in the ground.

summer on Hampstead Heath

London is a city with so much history that it's written into the buildings, the streets and even several feet underground. When we examine the history of a city, we look at its architecture, its layout, the people who built it and the ground it's built on.

View of London from Parliament Hill

One thing we often forget is that there are green spaces in a city, and that they may be as old or even older than the buildings that surround them. We visit, photograph and read about landmarks like St. Paul's Cathedral or the Tower of London, and we forget about the ancient heritage of St. James's Park or, in this case, Hampstead Heath.

View of Hampstead Pond no.1 from Parliament Hill

three card draw 2022

On August 8 the Sun in Leo and the bright star Sirius create its annual cosmic alignment known as the Lion’s Gate Portal. 

This spiritual vibe is amplified even more intensely this year, with the full moon in Aquarius and Leo on August 11. 

awake, ascend, activate

The portal is open from July 26 to August 12 - giving us plenty of opportunity to manifest and realize our sacred intentions within this powerful energetic window. 

summer on the water

All year round the Kings Cross area is a huge tourist attraction, drawing sightseers from around the world.

St. Pancras station

But in spring and summer residents flock to the Regent's Canal near Granary Square.

There are shops, restaurants and bars, fountains and even the prestigious Central St. Martins of University of the Arts, London.

be the change

That famous quote we all attribute to Gandhi, "be the change you want to see in the world," was not what was actually said. What he did say was:

clouds got in the way

“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.” – Mahatma Gandhi

cloud illusions we recall

If we want to inspire change in our communities, both showing and telling can matter. People are more receptive to learning their behavior should change when they are being acknowledged.

the great fire (hazard) of London

A few years ago London was swept by a record-breaking heatwave called the Sahara Bubble. That heatwave brought a fiery breath of 36 degrees Celsius to London, the highest temperature recorded in the city.

Guru Purnima 2022

Guru Purnima is a most auspicious day of celebration, honouring and expressing our deep gratitude for the immense blessing of the Guru. The word ‘Guru’ means ‘the dispeller of darkness’ and such a one is a light unto this world.

supermoon over George Washington Bridge - Edgewater NJ

The most auspicious time for the Purnima Tithi will begin from 4 am (morning) on 13 July, 2022 and end at 12:06 pm (afternoon) on 14 July, 2022. Full Moon day or Purnima that occurs in the Hindu month, Ashadha. 

7:7 energy gateway

Every year during the first week of July, a sacred gateway of energy is activated between Earth and the star Sirius, bringing heightened vibrations and spiritual advancements.

Sirius is considered Earth's spiritual Sun and is 23 times brighter - adding much needed light at a time when the Sun is furthest from our planet.

EarthSky | Garth Battista at Catskill Mountains NY

Jon Stewart | our hero

wonder | wander | women have loved Jon Stewart since we started following him on The Jon Stewart Show. By the time he was hosting The Daily Show at the end of the 90s we were totally hooked and have remained his avid followers ever since. 

Honoring Jon Stewart with the Mark Twain Prize this year is a testament - not just to his specific brand of American humor - but to his sharp satire and caring vigilance over the past decades. 

Jon Stewart at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in 2010

As a native New Yorker and proud American he has used his celebrity and voice in a sustained advocacy for 9/11 first responders and war veterans' health benefits. If he ever decides to run for president we would definitely campaign and vote for him. Lucky for us he's too smart to do it. 

exploring curbside gardens with PlantNet

London is a city of parks, gardens and little squares of green. In spring and summer, there are flowers everywhere.

Red Valerian with English roses

eating away

In times of trouble wonder | wander | women fortify ourselves with hearty home cooked meals we enjoy. When the weather is too hot or we are too lazy to cook for ourselves, we are lucky to live where they are a mere order away. 

grilled hamachi kama yaki

Summertime is the best season to indulge in fiestas from the grill. Seafood and veggies are our all-time faves. Tender juicy goodness to bite into and fill our bellies. Comfort food for our souls. 

new adventures in comfort food

Even before quarantine, I always preferred staying at home to going out and even eating out. It was a good time to discover what my comfort food was, and experiment with whatever was in my fridge.

Pork and mushroom noodle soup

I enjoyed getting restaurant and even grocery deliveries, and was grateful to be able to order whatever I wanted when sheltering in place. Although I tend to have a repetitive taste - I just cook my favourites over and over again because they're easy and I don't get tired of them.

Chicken congee with crispy garlic

the great pretender

Fifty two years after the First Quarter Storm a dictator’s son sits in office as president of the Philippines. How the hell did we come to this?

this 70s generation dream is now compromised

What can this pathetic excuse of a mama’s boy offer the country? A male child of no particular achievement or promise other than that he is lone heir to the conjugal empire of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.

sacred geometry

Ever since we visited the Alhambra in Spain, we've been obsessed with the patterns of Islamic tradition. The calculation and creation of these mathematically precise patterns was a mystery to us. 

Tile pattern from the Alhambra,
from AlhambradeGranada.org

cross to bear

Despondent and dejected over the state of too many important issues in our world today - wonder | wander | women return to an old favorite to lift our mood and resurrect our vibe - the musical hit, Jesus Christ Superstar. 

production gallery image by Matthew Murphy Evan Zimmerman

Popular among both theater audiences and concert music fans, this production pays tribute to the historic 1971 Billboard Album of the Year while creating a modern, theatrical world that is uniquely fresh and inspiring.

iconic album cover

keeping our home fires burning

This blog post was originally going to be called “five stages of grief for six more years”, but there is no reason to mourn yet. Besides there’s grief that feeds pointless anger, but there’s the mourning kind that fights fiercely and propels us to love more and try harder.

We have invested too many years — wonder | wonder | women do not give up.

free documentaries about the Marcos Regime

By midnight on election day the Marcos-Duterte party were claiming the lead by double the number of votes over the Robredo-Pangilinan camp — the popular and favoured party. We witnessed vote buying and attempts to steal the election — it was expected given the history of these opponents.

political dissent cartoon by Tarantadong Kalbo

havens & hotspots

So much hope is riding on Philippine presidential candidate Leni Robredo and her running mate Kiko Pangilinan - as the country gears up for elections on May 10. 

rich marine life on Monterey Bay, California

Far removed in our adopted countries, wonder | wander | women watch closely - anxious and vigilant. To ease our vexed psyches, we turn to nature documentaries to soothe our sore savaged souls. 

Longtime fans of David Attenborough and his beloved BBC docus of the living world in all its wonder and complexity - we know where to seek our reassuring fix. 

custom made

Whether there's a pandemic on or not we still love our clothes; why wait for an occasion to dress up? Mom is a master of alterations and as a short stocky person with small shoulders and wide hips, I reap the benefits of her sewing projects.