Virginia was first initiated into the magic and mystery of her reproductive body through motherhood. Giving birth to her daughter in China by cesarean section, at 24 years young, opened her eyes to many things that would take years to understand and integrate. Her first son was born in California by VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and her youngest came later via glorious homebirth. Each birth brought not only the miracles of her children, but also offered so much to learn about herself.
These experiences inspired a life-long interest in birth and midwifery, which she began to study while raising her young children. When her marriage ended and she became a single mother, the midwifery path no longer felt viable, and she decided to return to school to become a psychotherapist, inspired by a fascination with the psychology of birth.
To her dismay, throughout graduate studies in transpersonal and somatic psychology, Virginia found that there was next to no mention of the central importance of the embodied experiences of birth, menstruation, and menopause, and how these experiences shape and are shaped by processes both psychological and spiritual.
After receiving her master’s degree, Virginia circled back to pursue a course of study with a midwife friend who was beginning to certify Fertility Awareness Educators. It became her desire to integrate the knowledge she encountered there with her path of becoming a licensed psychotherapist.
She felt further called to pursue a doctorate degree with the intention of contributing to the growing discourse on these subjects within the field of psychology. Her thesis explored the liberatory potentials of menstrual/fertility cycle awareness practices, including MCA. To support this goal, she developed a transdisciplinary approach, and considered experiences of menstruation and reproduction across material, psychological, historical, anthropological, mythological, and spiritual dimensions.
In the midst of this process, ten years ago now, the sudden death of her middle child brought Virginia into the most difficult and painful initiation of her life. Through this encounter and intimacy with the dark feminine, the truth of all cycles has carried her into an emergence with the bone-deep knowing that all death gives birth to new life.
Synchronicity and divine timing led her directly into the arms of Red School, even as she found herself in the midst of her own great menopause initiation. The guidance and support that she has received here have been life changing and helped immeasurably with weaving together the embodied and spiritual dimensions of her study and personal heroine’s journey.
In her postdoctoral life, Virginia shares her deep respect and love of menopause with everyone she meets, along with her passion for the reclamation of this life transition as a passage into wholeness.
Today, she is remarried and lives in San Francisco, along the shores of the Pacific Ocean. She enjoys spending as much time as she can with her six year old grandson.