Photo of Lauren Raine by Fahrusha
From April 13 thru April 16th, I was privileged to assist at Lauren Raine’s Masks of the Goddess seminar on the beautiful campus of the Kirpalu. I roomed in a nice facility called Hill House which was about a quarter mile away from the main building. Spring had just barely begun to bloom with the first tender blossoms and here and there, there were tiny patches of snow. The weather was crisp and splendid; the first scents of the awakening Gaia could be detected.
I was frankly very tentative about the idea of a roommate. I was glad to have company but as a light sleeper, I was afraid I’d be disturbed. To my surprise my roommate turned out to be a truly amazing woman named Martha (last name withheld to protect the innocent). She was a tough, strong, yet tender older lady who impressed me more than anyone I’ve met in a long time. Her honesty and wisdom were beyond that of many self-styled spiritual leaders, and here knowledge of nature and survival skills was formidable. We had some very valuable conversations.
The plaster casts that formed the masks
Lauren’s class had seven participants, all female. I guess guys mostly don’t want to make a Goddess mask, go figure. It is their loss. 
The participants had come from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Ontario and included several dedicated craftswomen, a yoga teacher/actress, a midwife, a retired ballerina current yogini, a business woman philanthropist and a housewife.
One participant even wrote me a poem:
