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Reclaiming the Sacred Power of Allure

Jamie Lee Curtis in the movie: The Last Showgirl

Directed by Gia Coppola  ~ Starring Pamela Anderson as Shelly, and Jamie Lee Curtis as Annette ~ Cinematography by Autumn Durald  ~ Song in the video: Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler 

There is a scene in The Last Showgirl that feels less like cinema and more like a confession whispered in the dark. It wasn’t in the script. Jamie Lee Curtis was given only three minutes’ notice. And then she stepped onto the small stage, music rising, and began to dance.

Not for applause. Not for the gaze of others. But for something deeper — the elemental ache of the desire to be desired. It was beautiful and raw. It was sad and wanting. And it was utterly unforgettable.

The Desire to Be Desired

To be desired is to be seen. It is not vanity, but a longing woven into the human spirit — the yearning to be acknowledged, to ignite the desire in another and be cherished for that ignition, it is being held in the gaze of another as a mortal, that is alive, divine and worthy. For women, especially, this longing has always been both sacred and perilous: exalted in youth, dismissed in old age, and commodified when profitable.

Annette, Curtis’s character, embodies that paradox. Once a showgirl in Las Vegas, now relegated to serving drinks as a “bevertainer,” she stands between memory and invisibility. Annette reaches for the right to be witnessed again in her improvised dance — not as she was, but as she is.

When Allure Was Sacred

There was a time when allure was not performance, but power. It was not something painted on or purchased, but a presence that radiated from within. Allure was a form of language: the tilt of the head, the rhythm of footsteps, the pulse of breath. It was the body speaking its truth.

But over time, allure was stolen and commercialised, narrowed, scripted. Women learned to perform for the gaze of others, to contort themselves into what was expected, to believe their worth depended on staying desirable in someone else’s eyes. And in that transaction, something sacred was lost.

The Dance as a Portal

Jamie Lee Curtis’s improvised scene opens a portal to that sacred space. Her dance is not perfect — it is raw. It trembles with beauty and grief. In it, we see:

  • Desire reclaimed as a birthright, not just an urge.
  • Allure restored as presence, not performance.
  • Visibility demanded, even when the world says time has passed you by.

Annette is not asking to be desired in that moment — she is desire itself, alive in motion. The scene is both moving and totally authentic.

Reclaiming What Was Lost

If allure has been muted, it can also be reclaimed. How?

  • By choosing authenticity over performance — daring to be seen as we are.
  • By cultivating desire from within, not waiting for the gaze of others to grant it.
  • By practising solidarity among women, we celebrate one another’s radiance across every age.
  • By creating and supporting art that honours vulnerability, where beauty is found in truth, not polish.

A Closing Reflection

The desire to be desired is not a weakness or a sign of shame. It is the pulse of life itself, the reminder that we are made to be seen, remembered, and cherished. Jamie Lee Curtis’s improvised dance in The Last Showgirl is more than a scene — it is a gift and a mirror.

It asks:

Where have you hidden your own allure?

When did you stop believing in the sacredness of being seen?

And are you ready to step onto the stage of your own life — trembling, radiant, unashamed — and do your dance of desire again?

Heart to Heart, Elizabeth

The Seven Sisters

Guardians of Benevolence

Yesterday, as I sat with my canvas, I felt a quiet but insistent call — an invitation to paint with the intention of Benevolence.

I didn’t know what would emerge; it was only that this piece needed to hold the vibration of love in its most generous and unconditional form.

As the layers built — red, gold, and soft blue — seven figures began to reveal themselves. They appeared not through conscious design but as if they had been waiting beneath the surface, ready to be seen. When I stepped back, I felt an almost electric knowing:

These were the Seven Sisters.

A Celestial Memory

The Seven Sisters have appeared in countless stories across cultures — as the Pleiades, guardians, mothers, guides of light and wisdom. Seeing them take form on my canvas stirred a deep remembrance in me. I recalled my dream many years ago, where a rather large John Lennon was stretched out like the reclining Vishnu. 

It was a succinct dream that had a clear message. He turned his head, looked me straight in the eye, and said, “You are one of the Seven Sisters”, so when they appear in my painting, a quiet grace, a sense that they are not distant beings but kin, intimately connected to the awakening of the sacred feminine on Earth.

Their energy felt maternal, but not in the limited sense of human mothering. This was Mothering as a divine archetype — expansive, protective, and benevolent. They reminded me of the Holy Mothers, the Marys, and the Queens of Benevolence I write about in The Living Goddess Code.

The Holy Mothers and the Mary Lineage

As I painted, I felt the presence of the Marys — Mary the Mother, Mary Magdalene, and the holy feminine lineage that holds the codes of sovereignty, compassion, and restoration. These archetypes are not bound by history or dogma; they are living frequencies that flow through time, calling us back to our original wholeness.

The reds in the painting speak of the sacred womb, the place of creation and transformation. The golds glow with divine light and the holy. The blue veils feel like the etheric bridge between the earthly and the celestial — a reminder that we are always held, always guided.

Benevolence as a Living Code

Benevolence is more than kindness. It is an active, strengthening energy that heals, restores, and harmonises. It asks nothing in return because its wholeness is made visible.

As the painting was completed, I understood that these Seven Sisters — these guardians, these mothers, these holy queens — had offered themselves as an invocation of benevolence for all who encounter them. Their presence feels like a sacred vigil for humanity, holding space as we collectively remember our light.

A Sacred Month

We are in the Month of the Sacred Mother — a time to honour the holy feminine, listen for her whispers, and notice where she asks to be embodied in our lives. That timing was no accident. This painting, this transmission, belongs to this moment of awakening.

I share this now because I feel these Seven Sisters, these Holy Mothers, are not just for me — they are a reminder for all of us:

That we are loved beyond measure.
That we are guided, even when we feel lost.
That benevolence is our birthright, and our gift to the world.

May their presence bless you as they have blessed me.

Heart to Heart, Elizabeth

Princess Diana: 28 Years On

The Goddess Archetype

The 31st of August, is a day many of us pause to remember the life of Diana, Princess of Wales — 28 years since that fateful night in Paris, yet her presence remains profoundly alive in our collective heart. She was more than a royal, more than a fashion icon, more than “the People’s Princess.” Diana embodied an archetype so potent, so timeless, that her story continues to move through us like a living myth: the goddess Diana, protector of the vulnerable, fiercely independent, radiant yet untethered.

Even in her name, there was a destiny. Diana — the Roman goddess of the hunt, the moon, and the wild — a figure of freedom, compassion, and a deep connection to the natural and spiritual worlds. And like her namesake, the Princess could not be confined. She played the roles the world demanded — wife, mother, royal — but she remained, at her essence, unclaimed. Her soul spoke louder than protocol.

The Archetype of the Protector

Diana’s humanitarian work revealed the purest aspect of this archetype. She walked into places that others feared — AIDS wards, leprosy clinics, and the scarred landscapes of landmine fields. With her simple presence and unwavering gaze, she extended to the marginalized what they had been denied: dignity. This was not performance; it was dharma. A sacred duty that arose from her soul, reminding us that love and compassion are the highest forms of power.

The Untamed Spirit

Yet, there was also the wild Diana, the independent force that refused to be silenced or neatly contained. She sought authenticity in a world built on performance. That longing for freedom — to love as she wished, to live as she felt — revealed a universal human ache: to be wholly seen and wholly free. This is why so many of us recognized ourselves in her struggles and triumphs; she was both goddess and everywoman.

From Princess to Avatar

Perhaps what makes Diana’s story archetypal is that she transcended her own life. Through the lens of myth, we see how she became an avatar of the Divine Feminine in a modern era — an icon of courage, vulnerability, and compassion. In her humanity, she illuminated a pathway for others to rise, to love more deeply, and to give more freely.

When Elton John called her “England’s Rose,” it was more than a lyric — it was truth. Roses are symbols of beauty and pain, fragility and strength. And Diana’s rose still blooms in the collective memory, inspiring generations to embody empathy and grace in a fractured world.

The Living Myth

Even now, images of Diana stir something ineffable within us. The tilt of her head, the softness of her smile, the quiet strength in her eyes — they evoke more than nostalgia. They awaken the archetypal field she carried. We don’t merely remember her; we feel her. And in that feeling, she continues her work — teaching us about love, liberation, and the courage to be true.

A Legacy of Light

Twenty-eight years on, Diana is no longer just a figure in history; she is a living myth, a reminder of what it means to be human while carrying the spark of the divine. She was, and remains, an archetype in motion: the goddess who dared to walk among us, who loved, who suffered, who triumphed, and whose light could not be dimmed.

We honour her not as a relic of the past but as a continuing presence — a guiding star for those of us learning to live with compassion, to honour our independence, and to stand in our truth. Diana, the goddess, the protector, the untamed heart, still whispers to the world:

“Be brave. Be kind. Be free.”

The Healing Power of Kindness, Compassion, Forgiveness, and Support

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of witnessing something truly beautiful in my Living Grace workshop/retreat—women supporting each other with open hearts, sharing their stories, giving generously, and receiving with grace. It reminded me yet again of the sacred power that kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and support hold in our lives. These qualities are not merely niceties we offer to others—they are vibrational medicines that restore wholeness to ourselves and to the collective.

Kindness is love in motion. It doesn’t ask for recognition, nor does it seek a reward. Instead, it flows quietly and freely, creating ripples that extend far beyond what the eye can see. Research from Emory University shows that practicing kindness and generosity activates the brain’s reward systems, releasing feel-good chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin, which strengthen our sense of connection and well-being. When we choose kindness, we are not only uplifting others—we are physiologically healing ourselves.

Compassion takes us deeper. It invites us to see through the eyes of another, to feel into their journey, and to respond with presence rather than judgment. Compassion isn’t pity—it’s power. Studies at Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research reveal that cultivating compassion through mindfulness and heart-based practices reduces stress, strengthens the immune system, and enhances emotional resilience. Compassion awakens our capacity to hold space for both the beauty and the brokenness of life. In doing so, we become mirrors of hope, reminding others that they are not alone.

Forgiveness is the great liberator. It is not about excusing what has been done, but about releasing the hold it has on us. Neuroscientific research from Harvard Medical School has shown that practicing forgiveness lowers blood pressure, reduces anxiety and depression, and promotes overall heart health. Forgiveness literally shifts the body out of “fight or flight” and into a state of rest and repair. When we forgive, we reclaim our energy, our peace, and our capacity to love.

And support is the bridge. To support someone is to walk beside them—not to carry their burden, but to remind them of their own strength. Social support has been identified in numerous studies, including long-term research at Harvard, as one of the greatest predictors of health and longevity. When we feel supported, our nervous system relaxes, our resilience grows, and our capacity for joy expands. Being supportive is love in practice—it is kindness extended over time, compassion held with patience, and forgiveness lived through understanding.

Support also has a collective dimension. In communities, especially among women, support becomes a weaving of strength and tenderness that uplifts everyone involved. When we gather in circles of trust, we remember that healing is not only an individual journey—it is a shared one. In my Living Grace retreat, I saw firsthand how the act of women supporting women created a sacred field of belonging, where vulnerability became strength and every voice mattered. This is the essence of collective healing: where each person’s offering strengthens the whole.

Together, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and support form a sacred constellation of healing. They are practices of the heart that dissolve separation and restore coherence. They open the way for harmony—within ourselves, in our relationships, and in the wider world.

This is the alchemy of love in action: a softening, a surrender, a sacred power that transcends wounds and awakens wholeness. And it begins with the smallest of choices—the choice to be kind, to be compassionate, to forgive, and to support.

Because in truth, every act of love is an act of healing.

Heart to Heart, Elizabeth

Reflection Practice: 

This week, notice one moment where you can extend kindness without expectation, compassion without judgment, forgiveness without condition, or support without needing to fix. Feel how it shifts your inner state, and trust that this subtle ripple of love is part of healing the whole.

Listening to the Silence

In an act of creation, there is a moment when the world falls silent. It is here, in this holy pause, that the sacred enters.

For most of my life, I have attended to these three practices — a trinity of presence that has shaped both my creative path and my way of being in our world:

Listen to the Silence—Enter the Silence—And become one with what I am creating or doing.

These are not just steps; they are doorways to another way of being. Each one draws me deeper into surrendering to the present moment — where spirit and matter weave together. Over the years, I’ve come to see that this process is also the key to truly being with people. Not just hearing them… but listening with the kind of presence that can be felt.

In a world vibrating with a digital cacophony and opinion-laden voices, the most radical act is no longer to speak, but to truly listen. Not listening with the mind’s impatience or the ego’s interruptions — but the deep listening that disarms the ego, stills the inner noise, and allows the other person to be fully received.

If the unseen realms kept a karmic measure, it wouldn’t be based on how many hours we sat in meditation, but on how many hearts were spent feeling fully heard. Because listening, in its most valid form, is meditation.

It is the discipline of presence — the art of letting another soul unfold without resistance.

The true alchemy is becoming one with all that is, another human being and discovering the extraordinary in that moment.

Heart to Heart, Elizabeth

Living the Art of Being 

Something is soul-stirring about beginning again. Not from scratch, but from the place within that has waited patiently, quietly—for decades. Recently, I set up a small art studio at home and picked up the brush, beginning to paint—a passion I’ve carried in my heart for years. 

Being creative has always been my go-to for self-regulating and healing. It helps me stay connected to Source and grounds me. Thankfully, my creativity has taken on many forms over the years, including cooking, writing, designing, fashion, and hairstyling. 

Artist Statement: This painting is born from a layered process — a hidden painting rests beneath this one, like an ancestor beneath the skin of the present. Guided by instinct rather than intention, I surrendered to the pull of bold colour and instinctive gesture. The red ground holds a sacred intensity, while the bursts of purple and gold emerge as energetic forms — wings, flames, perhaps even messengers. Eyes or portals appear, suggesting presence, perception, and prophecy. This is a painting about emergence — about the unseen becoming seen, about memory taking flight through colour, texture, and motion.

But painting feels different; it asks more of me. It requires more space—physically, emotionally, and spiritually and invites a deeper kind of surrender. There is a stillness within its vastness, and in that space, something sacred begins to emerge.

In my case, it was born from the whispers of my longing. I didn’t have the space or time to create in the way I truly wanted. My life had asked me to pour my creativity and energy elsewhere. But now, the conditions have ripened, and my inner artist has been allowed to reawaken.

Each morning, I rise with a sense of excitement, passion, and purpose that I can only describe as cellular. My hands are remembering, my eyes are seeing anew, and my heart—oh, my heart—feels wide open to the mystery. I’m not just painting. I’m discovering the rhythm of my process between the pauses and the messes. I’m allowing myself to live in the unknown, safe within the sacred flow, living in a mix of peaceful intention and instinct, and it feels like home.

I reminded myself that artists throughout history have not been remembered for mimicking trends or pleasing the masses. They have been remembered for their truth. For daring to stay faithful to the thread of their soul. They listened inward, not outward. They created not because the world demanded it, but because their spirit did.

However, in a world of algorithms and ever-shifting aesthetics, it is all too easy to drift. Social pressure and external validation can creep into the artist’s world, subtly promising visibility and applause. 

But what is visibility worth if we’ve become invisible to ourselves?

Whether we are painting, dancing, writing, sculpting, singing, or simply dreaming, we must always return to our essence. Our art does not need to trend to matter. It does not need to go viral to be valid. The truest thing we can offer the world is our undiluted presence. Living our inner vision, and heartbeat in our colours, in words, or songs.

My position is to remember what art is for, knowing that it is not to be explained, but to be felt and not created for applause, but to awaken the sacred beauty in others. I have decided to make the kind of art that stirs the soul and sparks the spirit. Even if it’s creating for my own spirit. See, art is both a pleasure and a necessity. Humans are indeed designed to be wondrous and creative creatures. 

Our world needs to celebrate life by lifting one another, not toward perfection, but toward the beautiful presence of being our creative selves.

Heart to Heart and Spirit to Spirit, Elizabeth

Artist Statement – This work emerged through a process of intuitive layering — a painting beneath another, guided not by plan but by presence. What lies beneath still breathes through the surface, echoing a deeper memory or message. The monochromatic red evokes both intensity and intimacy, a kind of sacred bloodline or inner fire. This is a piece about remembering — not with the mind, but with the body and the soul. It is a portal, a pulsing veil, a hidden rhythm revealed.