Reading Time: 4 minutes Both Kate and Meghan followed Diana’s lead with their veils, bringing this spirit of beauty—femininity and stillness, sacred yet seductive—into the hearts of modern brides worldwide. And, in turn, Meghan brought a fresh modernity to the bridal veil beyond any “fairy princess myth” into something so irresistibly feminine and confident about feeling beautiful and mysterious: Cocooned in sheer silk tulle with her veil floating behind—leaving “princess blessings” in her wake—and being revealed into the eyes of her beloved.
Cornelia Powell
Reading Time: 5 minutes I don’t know what it will take in such wide-reaching murkiness for each of us to keep our hearts open, not act out of fear nor lash out in anger; to reclaim the benevolent “values of the feminine”—to find our “radiance.” But whatever it takes, whatever smallness we have to let go of, whatever feelings of anger or self-doubt we need to transmute into positive energy, it’s essential so that we light the way for our daughters and granddaughters, our nieces and great-nieces, ensuring a chance for them to shine their own unique and powerful magnificence.
It’s time to declare, the wise-woman vote is in: “choosing radiance over retaliation” is the best revenge!
- EngageWeekly
Wedding Vows: Diana, Kate and Meghan, Why Royal Weddings Matter Part 6
by Confluenceby ConfluenceReading Time: 3 minutes I look forward to the upcoming royal wedding, the marriage ceremony of Harry and Meghan—not just for the “glam and glitter,” but especially to be present to the intimate recognition of the other, the deep listening of love in action, and the “set the world on fire” changes possible when wedding vows are made inside a spiritual partnership like both of these modern-day princes and their beloveds have created. All of life, then, becomes an awakening to “love and cherish.”
Certain wedding “traditions”—royal or otherwise—are indeed outdated and need tossing aside; others are keepers in their own right. Then there are those traditions that simply need the wisdom of a woman’s touch!
- EngageWeekly
Why Royal Weddings Matter, Part 5 – A Whiter Shade of Pale: Meghan Markle and Bridal White
by Confluenceby ConfluenceReading Time: 3 minutes Vogue magazine, which thinks Meghan “demonstrates a growing sense of ease and confidence with her fashion choices for royal engagements,” advises the soon-to-be royal bride about her wedding gown choice: “You can’t go wrong with the classics.” (It sounds as if “wearing white” is merely assumed. We, along with the British monarchy, have indeed come a long way!)
- Weekly
Why Royal Weddings Matter” Part 4: Channeling Kindness, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Connect
by Confluenceby ConfluenceReading Time: 3 minutes “Channel kindness” is an apt directive today—and perhaps a reason so many people are captivated by this vibrant couple who are creating such joy in being in service to others. I say let’s all enjoy and celebrate this royal wedding, immersing ourselves in heart-centered energy—and feel the spirit of kindness rising in the world, then pass it forward.
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you know one thing about wedding gown history, I would wager that it has something to do with Queen Victoria beginning the bridal fashion of wearing white. (And now, thanks to her, it has been a tradition of sorts for over 175 years.) But I would also wager that most people don’t know the real reason the 20-year-old monarch chose the color white for her wedding gown, breaking the precedent set by earlier princess brides who considered it their right to be “dressed in the usual cloths of silver or gold.” Victoria even chose a crown of fanciful, yet wax orange blossoms instead of one of her dazzling diamond diadems.
Reading Time: 3 minutes In early Christian lore, the “mysterious” rose was so cherished (despite its sensual past) that it came to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary; red roses symbolized her suffering, white roses her joy. Did Diana intuitively know this? According to the former head gardener at Kensington Palace, the princess always favored white flowers over red ones. Unfulfilled in her own search for love, yet Diana found joy in the love of her sons and encouraged them to be true to their heart’s desire. As though she was leaving them with an inner directive to move thoughtfully through the ‘suffering’, then live gratefully inside the ‘joy’.
The memory of love, indeed—with the lingering scent of roses. ~
Reading Time: 3 minutes By: Cornelia Powell – Confluence Daily is your daily news source for women in the…
- Evolve
A Revolution in Tenderness – The Legacy of Princess Diana is Still Relevant
by Confluenceby ConfluenceReading Time: 5 minutes During Pope Francis’ 18-minute soliloquy addressed to a world sorely in need of reminding that “tenderness is not weakness; it is fortitude,” he also declared that “tenderness is the path of choice for the strongest, most courageous men and women.” Speaking about how one’s power can be a “force for good,” the Pope suggested that “if you don’t connect your power with humility and tenderness…your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other.”