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Welcome back to the Audacious Creative Lives Conversation Series! I started this series to share with you some of the amazing women who have inspired me on my journey.

Michelle Titus is one of the most inspiring people I met on my travels when I left my old life. She is the founder of Cummari in Sicily. As she explains on her website: “Cummari® is a space for women, designed by women. It is the first year-round coliving and retreat house of its kind in Europe.” There really is no other place like it! Michelle had a bold vision to create something new, and it’s amazing to see how it’s grown into a world-wide community of women!

I went Cummari in January 2023 because the journey I was on to reimagine my life felt rather lonely. Michelle inspired me to think about ways to connect with other women in my new life. That was three years ago. Since then, I’ve made met so many amazing women through the Cummari community, I’ve co-hosted a retreat with Michelle in Sicily, and I’ve been a practitioner in the Women’s Almanac online community, which Michelle also created. Her example and encouragement inspired me to host my own writer’s retreat for women in the UK last fall.

In the first part of our discussion, available to all, we talk about the Women’s Almanac, which is now enrolling for its second year. It fosters deep growth in community through seasonal-inspired gatherings and teachings from a wide range of fields, presented by practitioners who have all been connected to Cummari in some way (either stayed at the house in Sicily, attended a retreat hosted by Cummari, or taken one of the courses Michelle has developed). The practitioners’ passions span somatic healing, trauma-informed therapy, astrology, sex therapy, manifestation coaching, business and work alignment, and matriarchal history.

In the second part of our conversation, for paid subscribers, Michelle shares her personal journey from a high-stress corporate lifestyle to building a supportive haven for women in Sicily. She tells about her previous life, in which she co-created a million-dollar business, but which was killing her soul and harming her body. And she describes how she was able to tune out all the noise and find her own inner voice that pointed her towards what she really wanted—to create a supportive community for women. She also describes the risks she has taken in creating Cummari, including closing the house down for a while to relocate it to the sea, and how she has expanded it to host retreats and create online spaces, such as the Women’s Almanac.

We also touch on the significance of ancient matriarchal wisdom and how these teachings inspire us to imagine—and create—new ways of living and connecting with each other. We talk about the transformational power of women’s gatherings and how much women need hope, support, and community in order to transform their lives—and the world.

I hope you enjoy our conversation!

You can learn more about Michelle here: https://www.cummari.com/about#michelle

You can learn more about the Women’s Almanac here: https://www.womensalmanac.com/

You can learn more about Cummari here: https://www.cummari.com/

PART ONE—Cummari and the Women’s Almanac

00:00 Introduction to the Audacious Creative Lives Conversation Series

00:39 The Women’s Almanac: A Year of Connection and Growth

02:07 Living in Sicily: Inspiration for the Women’s Almanac from the Land and People

04:54 The Power of Diverse Perspectives and Practitioners in the Almanac

08:57 Personal Transformations and Healing Journeys in the Almanac

11:18 The Birth of Cummari: A Haven for Women

12:32 Cummari: An Ancient Word and Modern Community

14:23 Creating a Space for Comfort and Inspiration

15:19 Starting a New Life or Traveling Can Be Lonely—Cummari Makes It Less So

15:57 Anne Inspired by the Zingarelle Women of Sicily—Who Have More Than One Home

17:33 More Information About the Women’s Alamanc

PART TWO--Michelle’s Personal Journey and the Power of Women’s Community

18:24 Corporate Success in the Patriarchy and How It Broke Michelle

24:17 Finding Her Inner Voice Again

26:42 Finding Inspiration in More Holistic Living

27:37 Opening Cummari Was Scary but She Was Determined to Create a Safe Space for Women

28:26 The Multi-Generational Community of Cummari

29:30 Taking a Big Risk—Transitioning to a New Space

31:55 The Two-Year Gap and the Birth of the Almanac

33:05 Staying Connected and Building a Global Community of Women

35:24 The Importance of Matriarchal History

37:30 Not Only a Profit-Driven Model, Grounded in Support and Connection

38:19 Inspired by Michelle, Now Anne is Inviting Women to Come and Hosting Retreats

42:49 The Fears Women Have About Travel and Coming Together

46:13 The Importance of Bringing Women Together to Create Change

47:13 There’s Fighting and Then There’s Building

49:10 The Power of Hope and Community