native american

Message from Hippo. Welcome Home to Who You Are.

Message from Hippo. Welcome Home to Who You Are.

For over three years I’ve been giving thought to forming a women’s circle, which I’m in the process of preparing for, and gearing up to do, in the new year. I’m also collaborating with another young woman to offer a workshop on a Native American tradition about Talking Sticks. It will be December 21st, on the Winter Solstice.

As I move into this new space in my life I’ve been asking for guidance from the deck of Animal Wisdom Tarot cards and also from my deck of SoulCollage(r) cards I’ve created the past two years.

My question is simple as I shuffle the animal cards and my SoulCollage(r) deck: Please provide guidance for me around facilitating workshops for women.

Shivers ran up down and my spine when Hippo is the card that has revealed itself on three separate occasions in the past seven days when I’ve posed my question and Hippos wise message of Welcome home to who you are. Each time I think of this message it just makes me so happy.

And the SoulCollage(r) cards I’ve been drawing which have not been the same, but they have revolved around what I feel are reminders to follow my heart and are about the lessons I’ve learned around keeping myself grounded, going within often, and trusting in my intuition.

The first time I posed my question for guidance around doing workshops, the SoulCollage(r) card that came up was one of my spirit animals – the animal that came to me during a guided meditation in 2014 – Wolf.  The message I received at that time was to continue to open my heart and follow the fire within.

The other two cards that surfaced during two different occasions are reminders for me that no matter what I may do going forward, it is important to take time each day to refill my own well with time for reflection and meditation in some form.

And so it is. And I’m recalling when I decided to write my first children’s book – how I had feelings of fear and excitement all at the same time – and not sure where it would take me. And how I went on to write another children’s book and now two memoirs. I can’t say as I ever saw that coming or really ever planned it – but followed what felt right.  And oh, what a journey it has been!

And in many ways, I feel like it has led me to where I am today – venturing into somewhat new territory as I give thought to doing more workshops in my studio, Joyful Pause. I don’t know how it will all unfold, but trusting that if it is meant to be, I will continue to be guided.

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When the Bottom Falls Out. Big Mouth to the Rescue.

When the Bottom Falls Out. Big Mouth to the Rescue.

When the snow on the deck melted a few weeks ago John and I were sad to realize our chiminea had, well, for a lack of better words — it’s bottom had fallen out.

We knew it was coming as it was beginning to show wear, cracks, and chunks flaking off the last two years. We are actually surprised it made it this long. But we looked for two years to find a replacement and couldn’t find one. To think of not having one someday was more than losing the chiminea.

If that chiminea could talk, oh the stories it could have told! Many hours around that fire we spent, hanging out on the deck each year.

Which almost didn’t come to be!  I remember when my mom donated the chiminea to us and John didn’t think we needed it. And how it sat in the garage for two years. Until one year John had this brilliant idea!  “Wouldn’t it be grand to put on the deck and enjoy,” he said?

I held my tongue which wasn’t easy. But I didn’t want to jinx what I knew what would be a good thing and was relieved he had finally come to his senses.

The flames of the fire in that clay pot helped us speak our truth, provided laughter when needed, and opened channels of great discussion.

Seeing the bottom laying in a heap on the deck meant no more fire. But I began with earnest to find one as close to what we had as possible.

And I was so happy to have finally found one!  It’s coming from North Carolina by freight and we can hardly wait to welcome it to our deck….just in time with longer days and spring around the corner.

But it will first have to take a solemn oath that whatever happens around the chiminea stays around the chiminea!

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Autumn Reflections

Autumn Reflections

Today I did a search on Google on the meaning of Fall.

It was, in part, prompted by a radio show I listen to often called, the Soul-Directed Life with Janet Conner. All this year she has been studying the Native American Medicine Wheel, hosting guests on her show who share this wisdom. I’ve been learning so much.

I’m very drawn to Fall out of all the seasons as I’ve mentioned a few times here on my blog.

So in my search today from a site called Spirituality and Practices I was drawn to this particular paragraph:

As we watch leaves fluttering to the ground in the fall, we are reminded that nature’s cycles are mirrored in our lives. Autumn is a time for letting go and releasing things that have been a burden. All the religious traditions pay tribute to such acts of relinquishment. Fall is the right time to practice getting out of the way and letting Spirit take charge of our lives.

There was some more wonderful insight too if you are a Fall lover like I am that you may wish to check out here.

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