The Unveiling Community Celebrates First Anniversary with Gala Party
On Saturday, July 28th, founding members of the Unveiling Community – and new ones as well – gathered at Alay’nya’s home to toast the first anniversary of publication.
As featured in a McLean Connection article on “Pathways for Today’s Heroine”, by writer/photographer Lori Baker, guests each had a story to share about their own “inner journey.”
From left to right, Kim Murray, Alay’nya (Alianna Maren), and Katherine (“Kate”) Hanna. Photo by Lori Baker, McLean Connection. Used with permission.
(If this link doesn’t work, please go to: McLean Connection, click on “McLean” (upper right-hand corner of the title bar), and look for the article (central column) titled “A Pathway for Today’s Heroine.”
As described by Ms. Baker, writing for the McLean Connection:
“Last week, McLean author, Alianna Maren’s living room was filled with fascinating women. There were old friends, and new friends, several of whom edited or contributed to her recent book, “Unveiling: The Inner Journey.”
“The women gathered in her home, on a wooded and peaceful neck of McLean, to celebrate one year of the book’s publishing. Each guest had a unique background, and a special reason for being there. Among them were authors, dancers, a women’s organizational consultant and life coach, and a spiritual teacher, just to name a few. Each had an opinion of the book’s message, and each articulated the need for such a book in today’s world.”
Social commentator and activist photographer/videographer Kim Murray, whose thoughts on the Heroine’s Journey were captured in Unveiling, advocated teaching young women to embrace their life’s challenges. Her own story (for which her nom de plume Kirene is used) is featured in Unveiling’s Chapter 6, “The Hero’s Quest – and the Heroine’s As Well!,” pp. 72-74. As Kirene expresses it:
“If little girls were exposed to the female vision quest, and learned early on that life is full of victories and obstacles that must be overcome … then girls growing into womenhood would be better able mentally and emotionally to navigate … turbulent waters and resolve the perceived insurmountable.”
Unveiling’s editor, Katherine Hanna (seated right in the picture above) contributed to how Unveiling described the role of a Heroine’s Journey, as distinct from the well-known Hero’s Journey. Ms. Hanna offered the character of Lyra, in the movie The Golden Compass, and Sarah, in the movie Labyrinth, as examples of young women going on their Heroine’s Quests. Lyra’s goal was to rescue other children, including her friends. To do this, she had to do something in common with all Heroines – find and heal her most significant ally. Sarah likewise found and ennobled her allies. This characteristic of healing and empowering others is a distinguishing feature of the Heroine on her Quest.
Two other guests, Nicole Cutts, Ph.D., and Barbara Jewell, each spoke of how their lives had Heroic Quest aspects. Dr. Cutts (DC’s “Success Doc”) is a success coach for women who want to bringing their life-vision into reality. She was inspired by Unveiling’s description of how Heroine’s Quests are an important part of how we create our own success stories. She has hosted numerous women’s Vision Quest Retreat, with her newest (the “Social Media Butterfly” event) to occur this weekend.
Nicole Cutts, Ph.D. (left) and Barbara Jewell (right). Photo by Lori Baker, McLean Connection. Used with permission.
Barbara, who has lived abroad extensively, talked about how the experiences of shifting from one culture to another created a Heroic Journey for many young people as they navigated cultural transitions. This same theme resonated with author Charise Hoge, who also attended the event.