🦁 Attuned Leadership 🐻

📸 by Sumit Munjal at Recess Calgary’s 3rd Annual Show N’ Tell 2025.

Amplifying the Divine Feminine in Our Throat Chakras with 🦋 Butterfly Pea Powder 🦋

Two Sundays ago, I did a presentation with Recess Calgary's Show N' Tell (shout out to Tyson). My presentation oriented around Butterfly Pea Powder, which is blue and I wore a blue t-shirt, underneath a blue sweater and a blue scarf. I had blue makeup and talked a lot about the throat chakra.

And the reason I am sharing this right now is because a member of the audience asked:

What the healing energy or sacredness is around the throat chakra?

🩵 First, it's blue.
🩵 Second, it's communication.
🩵 Third, it's using our voice.

I remember answering, in the moment, it was about the divine feminine and amplifying it.

It’s about leaning into softness but also matriarch vibes.

And it reminded me of Sarah Baldwin's work who talks often about how the parent we all needed and the parent we can give to our younger parts and the parent we can be to our children is the parent that we often see in the animal kingdom.

If you use the analogy of like a lion or a bear, there's empathy and softness and attunement to their young paired with this fierce mama bear protective boundaries. Like if you touch them, I'll kill you.

So I have been thinking about this overlap with the throat chakra and being an amplification of the divine feminine. When I think about it in reference to the animal kingdom, this would be attuned leadership.

Because I really think attunement is part of great leadership.

What does attuned leadership mean to you?
And where would the world be if we had more of it?

P.S. If you are interested in learning more about 🦋 Butterfly Pea Powder 🦋 and my personal fascination with this plant, email me for my latest newsletter that went out on March 19, 2025 – and/or subscribe for the next one here. The theme was Potions ⚗️

Article FAQs generated by ChatGPT:
1. What are other cultural names are there for Butterfly Pea Powder, and what is her significance in those cultures?
Butterfly pea powder, derived from the flowers of the Clitoria ternatea plant, has various cultural names and meanings across different regions. Here are a few notable ones:

1. Dok Anchan (ดอกอัญชัน) – Thailand ~ In Thai culture, this tea symbolizes vitality, relaxation, and protection from evil spirits.

2. Bunga Telang – Malaysia and Indonesia ~ Traditionally, the flowers are used to colour food like Nasi Kerabu (blue rice) and various desserts. The blue hue is associated with calmness, peace, and insight.

3. Aparajita (अपराजिता) – India ~ In Sanskrit, "Aparajita" means "the undefeated" or "invincible," symbolizing resilience and strength. The flower is used in Ayurvedic medicine for its adaptogenic and cognitive-enhancing properties.

4. Pukingan – Filipines ~ While not traditionally used in healing or spirituality, its rising popularity is tied to the Filipino affinity for symbolic colours and meanings in food — with blue symbolizing calmness, creativity, and uniqueness. Butterfly Pea has gained recognition among Filipino plant enthusiasts for its beauty, ease of cultivation, and potential as a natural dye.

These cultural names and their symbolic meanings illustrate how Butterfly Pea is not just a botanical ingredient but a thread woven through various healing, spiritual, and culinary traditions.

2. What is the connection between the divine feminine, the throat chakra, and leadership styles?
The divine feminine embodies intuition, empathy, receptivity, and collaboration—qualities often undervalued in traditional, hierarchical leadership. The throat chakra, as a center of authentic expression and truth-telling, becomes a gateway to expressing these qualities in a balanced way:

1. Empathetic Leadership: Speaking with compassion, understanding others' perspectives, and fostering inclusivity.

2. Assertive Vulnerability: Balancing strength with vulnerability—using your voice to express needs and set boundaries without dominance.

3. Intuitive Decision-Making: Trusting gut instincts and inner knowing while leading, rather than relying solely on logic or data.

4. Nurturing Empowerment: Amplifying others’ voices and empowering teams rather than asserting control.

3. How does the symbolism of animals like lions and bears relate to the concept of attuned leadership and protective boundaries?
Lions and bears symbolize strength tempered by empathy—an apt metaphor for attuned leadership. Lions = Strength + Authority. They represent courage, presence, and assertive protection. In leadership, this mirrors the ability to stand firm while protecting the well-being of a group. Whilst, Bears = Nurture + Boundaries. Bears are fiercely protective yet nurturing toward their young. They embody the balance between care and clear, immovable boundaries—mirroring a leader who is compassionate yet decisive. Drawing inspiration from these animals, attuned leaders practice bold, heart-centered expression, knowing when to be firm and when to be gentle.