tree goddess

Synchronicity Chronicles: The Tree Goddess is Alive and Well in Me.

Posted by Barbara Techel
Synchronicity Chronicles: The Tree Goddess is Alive and Well in Me.
artwork by Maria Wulf

“She saw her reflection for the first time.” -Maria Wulf

Earlier today on my blog I shared my tree Goddess paintings that I completed over the weekend.

The tree Goddesses that speak to me of my feminine divine essence. They speak to me of truly embracing and appreciating all the many facets of who I am.

artwork by Barbara Techel

I was a bit nervous about sharing the paintings I did as I don’t consider myself a painter. But these tree gals are stirring things up inside of me — and it’s been interesting to watch it unfold.

And an hour later after I hit “publish” and sent my Goddess paintings out into the world, I walked to my mailbox.

I was about to discover that synchronicity was at work again. I opened a package I found waiting inside my mailbox. It contained a book called “Red Moon Passage” which I had sent to artist Maria Wulf about a month ago.

I had mailed her a copy after reading on her blog some struggles she was having around menopause. We are very close in age and I relate to so much of what Maria writes about. I thought she would enjoy the book, which had helped me and which talks much about enveloping our feminine energy.

She shared with me that she got much out of the book and many of the ideas will stay with her. And though I meant for her to keep the book, I smiled knowing there is likely someone else who needs to benefit from it, and I will pass it along when that time comes.

But it was the card that Maria enclosed that made me smile with recognition of how this universe works when we are in alignment.

It’s the image of the card I share and the quote at the beginning of this post – could it not be more fitting for what I just wrote about and my tree Goddess paintings?

The universe — always supporting us and reflecting back — this was so evident to me with the timing of my finished paintings, the post written, and the card received from Maria.

Indeed… the Tree Goddess is alive and well… and she is growing in new directions, reaching toward the sky, grounding herself in what she knows, and opening her arms to embrace all of who she is, and knowing there is nothing she has to prove — but that be-ing is where the magic and wisdom is at.

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Waiting for My Goddess Painting to Reveal Her Name

Posted by Barbara Techel
Waiting for My Goddess Painting to Reveal Her Name
Waiting for My Goddess Painting to Reveal Her Name

Never did I think I’d paint. And more than that, I never thought I’d say I actually finished a painting!

But I finished this first Goddess in a series of three that I’m working on. They will hang on the long wall in my Joyful Pause Studio where I recently began teaching SoulCollage(r) workshops.

My painting teacher is someone I love dearly…my mom. When I emailed her the photo of my first complete Goddess, I also told her I’d started on the second one. She wrote back and said I should listen very closely and the Goddesses may share their names with me.

I loved it! It actually reminds me much about the SoulCollage(r) process which is also about listening intuitively and collaging images together that speak to you–which, in turn, helps us to better understand ourselves.

I shared with my mom that I’m taking her advice awaiting to hear what my Goddesses names may be. But all I got yesterday after painting for two hours on my second Goddess was hearing this from her:  My arms are too fat and I don’t like the color of my mid-section.

And then I heard my mom’s voice in my head:  It’s only paint and you can paint over it!

And I really wasn’t frustrated that I didn’t have it “right” yet. But it was an interesting thought because I wondered why I get so frustrated with my writing at times. Yet, I’ve not been with painting.

While it was initially scary to put paint to canvas in fear of making a “mistake” I feel better about knowing now I can just go over it with paint if I don’t like what I do.

And aha! Just like I can also delete sentences in my writing that don’t jive right either.

So, indeed, these dear Goddesses are talking to me… boy, are they ever! But, I do hope they will properly introduce themselves soon with their first names.

And ah, once again, a reminder that this is all part of the process. Just add in a bit of patience and perseverance and it all shall come together… just like writing a book or short story.

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Growing with My Tree Goddess – A Curious Unfolding.

Posted by Barbara Techel
Growing with My Tree Goddess - A Curious Unfolding
My tree goddess painting in progress….

I didn’t plan to ever paint. Nor did I think I’d ever start painting and then perhaps want to write about the process.

And I don’t really know where this will all take me. Will I keep painting? Or will I only be interested for awhile and then stop?

I’m thinking I may keep going for at least a little while as now I keep seeing images for ideas of things I want to try and paint!

This has been the most curious unfolding on many levels.

One being that I’ve realized that when I’m painting my mind becomes very quiet.

This is so unusual (but welcoming) since I’m one who is always thinking otherwise (sometimes it can drive me crazy!) — and I think mostly around what I’m going to write about in the book I’m working on right now, future ideas, or what I’m going to write for my blog or weekly newsletter– along with all the many other thoughts that goes through one’s head in any given day.

But when I get out the paints and the brush hits the canvas, it’s like I melt into this silent world.

I painted for a few hours this morning but then the warm sunshine was too hard to ignore and I had to get outside and walk.

And guess who was on my walk with me?  Yup, my tree goddess.

I’ve been so intrigued lately by the goddess archetype and am learning to embrace and honor the goddess in me.

I love that I am more grounded now in my 50s, than when I was in my 20s and 30s. I enjoy that I consciously choose to live in more awareness especially with how nature, when out in it, is such a profound healer.

Like my tree goddess in progress, I too, am a goddess in progress. I’m learning to awaken on new levels each and every day and decade of my life.

I want to be that old oak goddess tree someday that stands strong with the test of time filled with much wisdom.

So I never thought I’d paint. But I’m not going to spend much time wondering why, but just enjoy the process.

I still have much to do on this tree goddess, but it’s fun watching her come to life. And I plan to do four of these which will hang side-by-side on the very long wall in my Joyful Pause Studio (nothing like jumping right in with four 24″x 48″paintings right away!).

But now I’m so curious to see what else this goddess and the other tree goddesses will reveal to me as I continue.