This month, Natural Awakenings honors women everywhere, as the fragrant blossoms of May signal the fertility goddess at work, and we celebrate the maternal power of life on Mother’s Day.

      Don’t let the gentleness of this feminine energy fool you. It is potent with the power of procreation and nurturing. We’re thrilled to see increasing evidence of its positive effect on the human condition, as feminine intuition, innovation and intelligence lead the way in proving that it is possible to lead a wholly healthy life.

      It can start before conception. In “What to Inspect when Expecting” on page 40, Amy Linn helps moms-to-be find easy ways they can decrease their exposure to harmful chemicals to protect themselves and baby.

      In terms of ongoing livelihoods, author Lisa Kivirist finds that women today are engineering their own brand of business ownership. In “Women Ecopreneurs Create a Better World” on page 20, she explains how they are combining their passions for organic food, healthy lifestyles and helping others, with their company’s mission to leave the world a better place. She also shares a startling bottom-line statistic—that women-owned businesses are increasing at twice the national rate in the green marketplace.

      On the global scale, our Wise Words interview with Margaret Wheatley reveals why she believes women’s leadership is especially vital now. She’s worked tirelessly in this arena for decades, based upon her conclusion that, “The future of the world depends on women.” Author of four books on the subject, she spans continents teaching women how to organize themselves, develop the skills to lead, and create more capable organizations and harmonious communities…starting today. (See page 47.)

      We meet four local women who have taken Wheatley’s message to heart in “Wise Women”. Editor Linda Sechrist found them all demonstrating Wheatley’s leadership principles, each in her own way. From them, we learn how this new kind of leadership includes, rather than excludes, and embraces the values of sharing, supporting and mentoring, in order to bring about change (page 26).

      I feel blessed to be one of these ecopreneurs, at the helm of our rapidly growing family of Natural Awakenings publishers. What started here as my local edition some 14 years ago has now grown to 60+ magazines around the country. I’ve had the satisfaction of facilitating these startups, the greatest percentage of them led by women, who have stepped into this leadership role in their own communities. Thousands of readers have joined me in watching their lives blossom as a result. This month brings the arrival of two additional female publishers, in Boulder, Colorado and Long Island, New York.

      Finally, several of our Southwest Florida readers salute the women who have inspired and informed their own lives, on page 32. In particular, I am grateful to my daughter, Alina, as well as my son, Ziven, for the blessings, growth opportunities and heart-expanding lessons I’ve received in being their mother. I’m always grateful for my mom, Agnes, an 85-year-old mother to eight of us who continue to rely upon her maternal strengths in more ways than she knows.

      Take time to breathe in the sweet fragrances of May this month. And acknowledge the women in your life who have mothered you.

Sweetly,

Sharon