Estrimonials for the Temple of the Sacred Feminine

Twenty some years ago I was crammed into a very small shell of discontent... so small I am not sure  I was aware of the magnitude of the discontent. It was both the armour I wore and the cage on my heart. I found the antithesis of shell: container - sacred space, the safe, scrupulous company of women lead by Sheila Foster whose own marriage to Truth informs her teaching and wisdom. Over the years, as I continued to be willing to bring awareness into my moment to moment experience I slowly began to realize that I am not my experience, I am not the tape that played constantly in my head, I was not my old tired stories.....my life now soars.
 Lucy Wright
Over the years I’ve worked with Sheila and the Temple community in the archetypes of the sacred masculine, sacred marriage and relationship. The work has been one of the most transformative elements of my spiritual journey. From the first relationship, with my father, to my relationships with my brothers, my husband, friends and men I work with, I have stopped feeling victimized and angry, and learned to see these men for the people they are, other souls doing the best they can in this world, just like me. The process happened gradually and with subtlety, and the change has been profound.  
Linda Kolker, Marketing Executive, Earlysville, VA
 
The Temple of the Sacred Feminine is a profound vessel of healing, initiation, and community that I was blessed to discover in 1994. Since then, I have been involved in year-long temple events, portals, Samyama training, destination retreats, and the film “Eve’s Fire.” The years that I have spent in the Temple have helped to support my evolution from a frightened, uncertain girl into a vivacious woman who revels in the joy of expressed femininity. Sheila Foster is a gifted guide to the realms of Sacred Feminine archetypes and spiritual initiation. I am profoundly grateful to be part of this community of amazing women. 
Jennifer Lakshmi Dove, Writer and Dancer, Baltimore, MD

            I am an 85 year old retired physician and have been working with Sheila Foster for about 15 years. I began my journey with her in the School for Women Healers where we studied the Feminine Archetypes, as described by Jung and Toni Wolf, and learned about the world of the
Sacred Feminine, an area totally new to me, a scientist by training. As we progressed, we were taught Samyama, a wonderful healing meditation first described by Sheila. Dharma teachings were interjected frequently throughout the years.
I attended about seven one week-long adventure-filled retreats in Crestone, CO, Ghost Ranch, NM and in West Virginia. I also took part in teleconferences for two years. The retreats stood out as particularly significant. Exploring a new environment was fun and educational. "Feeling" the energy of those who had preceded us was very spiritual. Visiting churches and temples satisfied spiritual curiosities. We immersed ourselves in group activities as well as long periods of silence.
I have learned so many important things that it is hard to pick the most important. Learning about the Mother, Amazon, Lover, Medial and Queen archetypes and that my Person was made up of varying
percentages of the characteristics described for each, was profound.
            Learning to "be" in my heart, as in Samyama, was new and vital, as was learning to "go" into  silence and spaciousness. Learning tools for self-healing was invaluable. They included Samyama, deconstructing fixations and others. The biggest change that has occurred in my life as a result of participating, is in my ability to handle stress. Using the tools mentioned above, I am free of stress most of the time. This has had an enormously beneficial effect on my health and has enabled me to relate to family and friends with much more love and intimacy than I had before. I am particularly pleased with the renewed affection and closeness my daughter and I are experiencing.
If I were to recommend this work to someone, I would describe the program (outlined above) and highlight the warmth, love and trust that Sheila projects as she carries out the program. Some of her other attributes are that she is totally non-judgemental, sensitive, empathic, intelligent and a wonderful teacher.
Jane Shumway, M.D., Dillsburg, PA

I've known Sheila for over 15 years. When I lived in Maryland, I attended her Temenos Temple, a Mystery School for Women. It is an initiatory training, where Sheila holds the fire of Shakti to help women through the portals into the Sacred Feminine, into themselves. Sheila is someone I hold in very high regard. She is talented, has deep integrity, and is able to evoke the Divine Feminine within, in such an exquisite and profound way.
Jodine Turner, Ph.D, Author, Eagle Point, OR

To add to the fire....
Personal Ritual work (PR) in the Temple brought real healing in relationships with my parents.
PR taught me to be scrupulous... honest with myself in everyway... it gave me a place to answer life-questions that I would otherwise have glossed over.
PR helped me to honor and recognize my strengths and weakness.
PR helped to teach me to talk with shadow, to learn from shadow, to make
loving room for shadow.
I don't know but it seems to me that PR is a potent transformation agent.
To do it invites transformation...scary & unknown when diving in, but oh so
worth it.
MaryJo Boylan,Westminster, MD

The Sacred Feminine work made me much more aware of all the parts of myself that were in shadow and controlling my life without me realizing it. The time in the temple took me from someone who was cut off from her feminine essence to someone who learn to embrace it and literally learned to allow it to dance and sing. When I first started I never spoke in the group and by the end of my time there I actually stood up and sang in front of the whole group and the song I sang was one I wrote about my love of the divine feminine.
The retreats I did were Rio Caliente, Crestone, Ghost ranch, West Virginia, and the Samyama Practitioners’ Retreat in MD. Of those, the most significant was Rio Caliente, the ritual of being naked in the stream was so healing and that retreat really opened me up to seeing just how wounded my feminine nature was and planted the seeds to beginning to experience my feminine nature as beautiful and powerful.
             I would recommend this work to anyone who wants to experience their true essence and who wants to be more fully present and loving in every moment of their life.
             Sheila is totally dedicated to serving the divine feminine, definitely practices what she teaches and creates a very loving space for people to explore their true essence. The only thing I would ad is that my gratitude toward you continually deepens, thank you for awakening my heart.
I shared Eve's Fire (our evocumentary film available at www.dangerousoldwomen.com) with a friend this week and was reminded all over again how very much you helped me. The practise of samyama continues to deepen for me and the love that flows through this heart just gets deeper and sweeter. Sometimes I just can't believe how beautiful the love is.
Kate, Early Childhood Educator, Boulder, Co

I always did some of my most profound healing during our December portals. I am sure I told you that I believe I healed out of lymes disease during a Dec Portal.
Jette Goldman, RPT, CMT, Florence, MA

Devotion to the Creative Fire means following the inner knowings without questioning them too much with the mind. Even if it's uncomfortable, even if it makes no sense to anyone else, even if it makes no sense to you, even if it looks very different from what you expected. Devotion to the Creative Fire is to move beyond one's limiting thoughts about one's abilities, etc. "Just do it," that's what it means.
            My willingness to hide has died in me.  To quote Kirsten from the Film, "I just want to be shiny for You" all the time. Why not? My willingness to feel shame about my body is dying in me.  My need to have things neatly packaged before stepping out of my comfort zone is dying in me. I feel as if I've been hatched, I've emerged, am emerging from my cocoon. A butterfly! I'm very grateful for the container you all have provided.
Jennifer Lakshmi Dove., Poet, Baltimore, MD

The Temple vessel provided everything necessary for the work to occur.  It was the first time I was in a community of women to hold and witness what was unfolding, whatever was unfolding, without any advice or judgment. Every other event, tele-conference, supervision, etc, was an evolution of the sacred vessel we created together.  I entered this vessel after my teenage daughter died. I was held exactly where I was and allowed to just be. It was the direct experience of being allowed to be and being witnessed that led me to allow myself to be.  
The most important thing I have learned is that all that is needed is found in the present moment, in our hearts.  I learned detachment, Being-ness, Not doing.
Sheila provided a sacred space for our work, individual work and our work together.  A safe place where everything is welcome. From Sheila I have learned containment.  She always returns to her heart and responds from her heart.  And by example passes this direct experience to those in the vessel. What really happened is not really able to be fully expressed in words, it was alchemy. I can invoke the community of the Temple whenever I need to.  They are always there, and the field is palpable. 
Nancy Loeffler, Everyday Priestess & Samyama Practitioner, Raleigh, N.C.

Whatever I write will not be enough, but it is what comes now...I am holding the intention of specificity. The Personal Ritual work (PR) of the first two years of the temple cycle were like a spiritual, emotional, physical pipe cleaner.  The energy of being part of a committed circle gave me courage, focus and discipline to engage the PR in all the sticky, blechy places, healing places where I held onto victimhood.  The work of the year of the Feminine and the year of the Masculine brought great healing in my relationships with my mother and father.  
Other gifts of my time in the Temple and my time practicing Samyama with M:
To Love What Is.
To meet life unfolding as Divinity Happening.
I came to love myself as a woman. 
To practice integrity. 
To come to a place of inner-authority.
To be an artist, a healer.
To learn that it is okay to feel.
To feel compassion for myself.
Sweet, real friendships with women in the community.
I could go on. There is not a time that I sit to draw/play with color that I am not grateful for the temple. There is not a time when I work with flower essence clients that I do not invoke and feel the support of the field of the Temple.
With love and buckets of blessings upon what is arising.
MaryJo Boylan, Westminster, MD

Sacred Feminine initiation has taught me how to be a woman.  The work has made it okay for me to be a feminine woman.  I was never shown by my mother or any other woman in my life.  I wanted so much to give a grand "spiritual" response to your request but Truth is that's the essence of what I've received from your work... and it's been a glorious gift.
Now I'm sitting at my desk at work crying...  
Rebecca Maddage, Washington, D.C.

These years spent being part of the Temenos Community and in the company of Sheila Foster have been life changing for me. I have experienced a metamorphosis, which has allowed my wings to unfold, that I might fly to heights that I never imagined possible for myself. Samyama has taken me away from the dramatic stories of life,  empowering me with a practice where I can bring all things to the altar of my heart. Instead of living life from behind my eyes, always knocking me off balance. I now live life from the camera lense of my heart, grounded in the Truth of the present moment. 
 Sheila has always guided by example. I must say, that over the years, I have never seen any ego involvement from her. A sign of an evolved soul. I humbly bow to her and am ever grateful for her love and guidance. I also give thanks for the loving support of the many women I feel honored to call sisters. With much love.
Krishna Kamini, Massage Practitioner, Samyama Practitioner, West Virginia

I am so very grateful for my life, the way it is and express my gratitude daily, especially for the Sacred Feminine and Samyama, for your presence in my life, and for being part of the Temple. My life has been filled with magic, since I have been part of the Temple, in the early 90's and I keep opening to the magic everyday. I live in a community and in a house in the woods that is similiar to the one in my myth.
I am a vessel for the Sacred Feminine. Samyama is a part of my daily life, my Spiritual practice, it allows me to be present to what is and meet it, and to live from my heart with love and compassion.I am no longer attached to my old patterns and thoughts.The people in my life are wonderful. I love the work I do, I help people with nutrition, and lifestyle changes, and of course Samyama and I am an artist, and I walk my dog Magic in the woods every day. I keep encountering Sacred Maculine men.
Sheila, for me, is an embodiment of the Sacred Feminine. Being in the school, the Sacred Feminine, felt like I was coming home at last. With so much love and gratitude,
 I love my life! Thank you Sheila!!! I love you! Dear Sheila,
Willow Salzer, Samyama Practitoner, Reiki Master, Artist, Columbia, MD

What a pleasure and a grounding to read this as I arise and begin the day today. In reading your recent postings, the depth of your connection with Self and the unseen realms reconnects me, too. Thanks especially for Jung's observation about energy needing to move through to completion. Much love to you as you are on your Travels with Rumi!
Sheila, I've read this twice and each time it has transmitted something deeply into into my mother-consciousness. I pray every night that the Ma will fix whatever I've done to my daughter Beki that day. Thankyou!
Marti Thomas, Therapeutic Massage Practitioner, Samyama Practitioner, Gettysburg, PA