(I was friends with her when we attended Vassar together and I reconnected with her when I went backstage after her performance of 33 Variations on Broadway.) On the New York State Thruway there was a traffic jam that nearly drove me to despair despite the fact that I KNEW I had four hours to get there even though I also knew that my destination was only an hour and a half away.

Finally, I found her house—the house she is staying in for the shoot. I rang the bell. I heard her little dog Tulea barking and then I heard her unmistakable voice saying “Coming!” Suddenly, there she was in front of me, welcoming me, telling me she was so happy I had arrived and giving me a big hug. I was breathless. She looked great. Her elan vital, her life force, was powerful.

She next guided me to “my” room and declared that I was the only person staying with her during these two days. She then told me I was to come with her (if I wanted to) on the set to see her do a scene. “I might enjoy it.” Her driver next appeared in a car (Linda, a very pleasant young woman) and we were whisked off, Jane riding in front with Tulea on her lap, me following in my truck because, as I told her, my truck might be needed for one of the scenes.

We arrived a half hour later at a fire station in Accord, New York, the designated headquarters of the film. Jane started to introduce me to people as the expert consultant in GODDESS RITUALS (!!!). I was introduced to Johannes, the costume designer, who has designed costumes for various operas around the world, as well as theater and the movies, the makeup artist Erin, who had just completed doing the makeup for Eat Pray Love with Julia Roberts in various locations around the world. We next went to the makeup room where Jane had her makeup done. I sat next to her and had my makeup done. Then my hair was “done” by Mark. In came Roseanna Arquette and Catherine Keener to be made up. Catherine was especially warm to me, giving me a big kiss and a hug and welcoming me as the resident Goddess ritual expert. I felt slightly overwhelmed. After that, I donned my costume, two robes and heavy dangling Afghan jewelry. I was supposed to be a high priestess.

Meanwhile, Jane kept introducing me to people as her friend and as the ritual expert. We went to the set, a farmhouse in a lovely tract of land and fields, which had been commandeered and transformed into a hippie dwelling for the film’s purposes. Jane plays an aging and still very beautiful (she is) hippie, an artist, who initiates and takes part in anti-war protests and who believes in free love. Catherine Keener plays her uptight daughter who has come home to Momma with her two teenaged children after her husband announced that he wants a divorce. By the end of the movie, the mother and daughter begin to be reconciled.

I met the director, Bruce Beresford (who made his directorial debut directing Driving Miss Daisy) and the producer Claude Dal Farra from France, who I immediately took a liking to, as he did to me. We had the pleasure of speaking French with each other on the set. (On my departure, he gave me a present and asked me to be in touch with him.)

At around 8 o’clock, the shooting began and we ended at 3:30 in the morning. It was grueling but VERY interesting. When one is on the set and involved in a movie, it’s like being in a parenthesis of life. All your needs are met. I asked for a Kleenex and it appeared. Water, it materialized. Coffee, it was there. Champagne— even that—yes. One could get addicted to this life style.

The filming was very interesting yet hard work. Hard work because we had to do takes over and over from various angles and the weather was getting colder and colder as the night progressed. People were getting tired but we kept on without flagging. We all persevered.

The first scene was a moon ritual. Donna Henes, the Urban Shaman from New York City, had given me a chant which we used for this ritual and which I taught the group. The group consisted of about fifteen women, all of whom were professional actresses from New York City and Woodstock. I was the only non-actress. We started chanting and dancing around the make-believe fire (which looked totally real) and howling at the moon. Then Jane did her invocation and we all howled in response (this was very much like what I had done at Vassar with Gail Dunlap). Shooting this scene from various angles took all night. At one point, at about 1 am, the director announced that we were going to break for “lunch.” So Jane and I and her little dog got into our car and were driven to headquarters where the whole crew and cast were served a very delicious meal. Then we all went back to resume work until 3:30 am when all the shots had been successfully filmed.

We got to bed at 4:30 am and slept until 11:30 am. Then Jane and I had breakfast, eggs and Welsh seaweed, which I had brought her, and coffee. Then we talked for two hours about everything including death, the meaning of life, and some of our most poignant experiences. It was a wonderful conversation and Jane is a fabulous listener as well as an articulate speaker. I was very inspired by our conversation.

At 4pm, we were picked up by Linda and driven to headquarters where the whole process started over again: makeup, hair and costumes. I watched Jane do a scene with her “grandchildren” and then it was time to resume scenes for the moon ritual. We started by re-shooting scenes of the dancing and chanting with Jane doing her invocation and all of us howling at the moon. Then we dispersed, sat around the fire and told stories while drinking tequila and playing a “truth” game. In this game, every person tells about some extreme experience she has had and the listeners decide whether it’s true or false. This time, the shooting continued until 5 am. We were all very tired but inspired by what had been accomplished. Between takes, Jane and I entertained “the troupes” by singing songs from musicals from the 50’s and 60’s. It was great fun.

We got to bed at 6 am and got up at 10 am. Another day and back to reality. What a weekend! I had a delicious, exceptional time with Jane, her cast and her crew and I shall never forget it.

Peace, Love and Misunderstanding starring Jane Fonda and our own Cristina Biaggi is due in theaters August 2011.