Welcome to another fascinating episode of Unclassified Woman. It's a biggie so grab a cuppa and a journal ;-)
Today I'm speaking with a treasured mentor of mine, Seren Bertrand. It's always such a pleasure to speak to her as she weaves together so many colourful threads of wisdom in what she shares.
What do mermaids, swans, Isis, harps, and Cornwall have in common? You might be surprised---and you’ll never know if you don’t listen to this amazing conversation in today’s show.
We’re talking about feminine consciousness, Celtic traditions, the interconnectedness between the human body and the earth, how we tell our stories from generation to generation---and much, much more. Get ready for some major “Aha” moments!
Seren Bertrand is a womb mystic and midwife of feminine consciousness who has been a visionary leader in women’s empowerment for over two decades. She is the co-founder of The Fountain of Life Feminine Mystery School and the co-author of Womb Awakening: Initiatory Wisdom from the Creatrix of All Life, which has been described as a revelation and a masterpiece. It’s an amazing book and I highly recommend that you get yourself a copy!
"Often we are called to a lineage or a place and we don’t know why. We just have to surrender, listen and travel with it." - Seren Bertrand
Seren graduated with a degree in English Literature and Modern Philosophy before embarking on the twin paths of a career in writing as well as journeying deeply into the spiritual feminine traditions. Her writing on female Tibetan refugees was nominated for an Amnesty International Award for human rights reporting.
She is passionate about the practical embodied awakening of women and men in a mystical yet no-nonsense way which calls us into our true feelings, brings us back into the body, and roots us into the wisdom of the earth.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
How the book-writing process felt like a pregnancy with a gestation of more than five years---and then a birth. Receiving the Silver Nautilus Award for the book, which covers many topics that were considered forbidden and heretical for thousands of years: menstruation, lunar consciousness, and birthing wisdom. For Seren, the book’s release has brought deep feeling states of the feminine consciousness. Allowing yourself to become the container for the primordial birthing energy in every part of nature. The next book that she and her partner, Azra are already working on and how it feels like a continuation of that birthing process. The academic reading and research that goes into the writing journey. Listening with your entire body and not just your mind and ears and how oral traditions factored into ancient Celtic Shamanism. Plans to create an audiobook version with harp accompaniment. How a book is connected to your voice and vibration, which is connected to your womb, transmitting waves of energy and sound. Discovering the path of the swan priestess in Celtic mythology The cellular memory in Seren’s DNA of the Druids and Celtic traditions. The tradition of the prehistoric, feminine, Shamanistic, earth-centric womb religion of the faery folk and their history. Stories as a connection and an intimate weaving of “patchwork consciousness”. Seren’s interest from a young age in having a great love for the land and a feeling that different places have different personalities and characteristics. The significance of Cornwall as a sacred site. How to explain ley lines, womb awakening, and the gift of the human body. Understanding that the human body is more than a “mechanical lump of flesh” and why it’s a sacred landscape. The benefit of spiritual lineage in how they transmit through an unbroken thread in epigenetic memory. The calling in Seren’s life of the harp and how she learned to play and find her teacher. Why womb consciousness is the key to all creation. The story of Cygnus and its significance, Seren’s “Star Swan” name, and the swan connections to ancient Celtic traditions. One of the foundations of womb witchcraft: developing a lineage with the earth. Why the swan is the symbol of feminine Shamanic traditions in cultures across the world. The portals of life and death and the common threads between the mermaid and the swan. The mermaid and the swan priestess: not just symbols, but the legacy of real-life women who are our ancestors who are transmitting to us. The significance of the 11th day of the 11th month in Pagan worship and the swan feast, which is based on the migratory patterns of the swan. The interconnectivity of each of us to the earth and the celestial realm. The importance of taking guidance from our ancient ancestors: “You have to connect backward before you can move forward.” How stories can find a voice to reveal themselves in succeeding generations, even in trauma: “If we don’t tell the story, then we pass it forward to the generations after us.” The courage that comes in the gift of going through the shadowsResources:
www.thefountainoflife.org - For more information about Seren and her work.
Find Seren’s book at www.innertraditions.com or www.amazon.com : Womb Awakening: Initiatory Wisdom from the Creatrix of All Life
If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help more women access these stories, then please subscribe and leave us a review or rating on Itunes. For information about more episodes go to: michellemariemcgrath.com
I would love to hear in the comments below what you found most helpful about this interview? Thank you.