Pink Coyote

Alignment

Yesterday I did some journalling to clear my head about some things-about where I want to go, about SouLodge, about all of the work that I seem to be immersed in...always. I love to work, and sometimes it's an obsession that becomes an obstacle to the higher purpose of my short life. As soon as I became clear about what it is I really want to do, you know, with my life (!) two plants, a stone and an animal came to me. I wrote them in block letters on my journal page and my mission became even more clear.

I always find it rather humorous to discover this need to realign myself. It's kind of like cleaning the dryer lint out of the tray: things/thoughts/ideas just get all clouded together and I find myself walking in circles, but not circulating meaningfully.

I bound the medicine of what it is I'm living up to in a bundle pouch, making something just for me-which is something I haven't done in years. All of this bundling for others, and none had really encompassed all that I wanted to affirm. I think this is why I'm enjoying teaching medicine-making in the Lodge so much. Only *we know* what we need the most, how to bring it all together, not leaving out important parts, when it comes to the overall vision. It's felt so right to teach women how to do this for themselves. Just a few tools and a bit of inspiration, and women are lighting up and recognizing exactly what they need! Community is so beautiful this way. Making the way back to our roots seems so easy when we realize that we're not alone...

For my personal medicine, I chose Yarrow because Matthew Wood called it "natures band-aid" and it's stuck with me ever since. I've experienced this sister as one who is like a balm on fears and ouchies and because reverence for the Earth is high on my list, I felt she needed to be in there. I'm feeling once again, overwhelmed by the amount of waste that goes out of just my home and so I'm renewing my commitment to reduce that dramatically. I've been buying used as much as possible for a long time and it's food packaging that really bums me out. So, YARROW. To keep me conscious about this beautiful place that nourishes us from birth and takes us back at the end of our lives so graciously.

I chose Coyote, which is no major surprise, but when I took inventory of my values, I saw how important this tricky one is. Bringing so much laughter and humor to my life lessons, I've become utterly dependent on the ultimate survivalist who travels fearlessly everywhere, adapting like no other. Coyote connects us all with her warm magic, her foibles, her humility. She parades her right to life in and around the hills, on the shores, and right on the city streets. I truly don't know where I'd be without this companion by my side.

Rose quartz is in there, because the deeper I get into the bones of myself I realize that love is the only thing that matters, and noticing every day that we are more ONE than we are not, this was an easy choice. Healing the world, one heart at a time.

Tobacco is there for gratitude and an offering to Spirit for making this life possible and awakened.

And Butterfly Bush literally called me from across the yard for Beauty and the sweet aroma of existence. Abundantly, she grows and feeds butterflies, skippers, bees, and hummingbirds, expanding her reaches over my neighbors fence and beautifying even his junk pile. She attracts the best- her beautiful equals in the quest for nectar- and I know my life has this blessing on it, too.

I added a couple of other things which I'm keeping secret because superstitious rumor has it that one is not supposed to reveal everything in one's magic satchel. It seems in keeping with the feminine to carry a bit of mystery with us at all times.

The beautiful bundle pouch was made by my sacred sister, Lauren, who creates medicine bags and all kinds of delicious goodies, while nursing her month old baby boy and unschooling her bright light of a daughter. Her store is a bit less abundant than usual, because I am taking many of her medicine items to Squam with me in two weeks to share them on vendor night. I had to have first pick and chose the above pictured pouch to put all of my items into. She inspires me to walk with more reverence, always.

Blessings to you as you find your way, dear sisters.

Holding On

BOGO!

It's the return of the Buy One Get One print sale, which I try to run every couple of months, and I do believe I've forgotten about during this crazy summer! Two prints are better than one, so enjoy this offering from my studio through the weekend, so you have four days to make your selections and get some fresh color on your walls for Autumn.

For the BOGO sale, there is no coupon code. Simply purchase one print of your choice and specify your desired freebie in the note to seller box at checkout.

Autumn! My new year season is coming so fast. Where has the Summer gone? I like to think of it lounging in a hammock with a popsicle, naked baby bottoms browning in the sun nearby, and feeling into the present as it slips into the next bit of present.

Have a wonderful weekend, Foxes. Fluff those revolutionary tails and feel the blessing that is being a Woman walking her sacred road. And I want to offer the reminder that even a messy road is a sacred road. Keep it real.

Yip!

There Is Only Make

Sometimes it's not until I sit down and take inventory, do I really know what it is I've been up to. Isn't it funny how we can run all year long and proects that have finally come to fruition start popping up. When you're busy making, it's kind of a fun game of surprises.

Here's where you can find me these days:

Teaching a mixed-media workshop and at a vendor night table at the sold-out Fall Session of Squam Art Workshops in mid-September. I'll also be celebrating my fortieth birthday while I'm there (on vendor night) so come by if you're in the neighborhood! I'll find some cupcakes somewhere and we can chat.

Inside the pages of the amazing book, Desire to Inspire: Using Creative Passion to Transform the World, by Christine Mason Miller. Which is now available for pre-order! Writing and creating exercises for this project was one of the most important things I have worked on this year. It's dear to my heart for many reasons-and it's packed full of inspiration from twenty artists I'm blessed to be in the company of.

Donating to a giveaway at dandelionseeds&dreams for Lis Hofmann's fundraiser for Half the Sky Foundation. There is a print and a card deck to be scored!

As featured artist this week at Creative Therapy, with a new never-before-seen painting, entitled, Faith.

Special Guest/Interviewee in the upcoming e-Course, by internationally known and phenomenally wild artist, Stephanie Levy, Creative Courage. The interview questions are so very juicy, this course is going to turn the world of art e-courses on it's ear. You may also know Stephanie from artistswhoblog, still one of my favorite blogs ever.

Teaching two days of mixed-media painting and a half day of journeying with totem animals in the mythical Outer Banks of North Carolina at Serendipity Retreats. I just found out that Mindy Lacefield has been added to the roster of instructors- and if you don't know Mindy, well...you might really like to.

Hope to see you face-to-face out in the world because a) I like to hug my kindreds and b) because it's nicer than type-to-type once in a while!

 

Connections

Stained-glass dome at the NHM, Los Angeles.

When I come back from retreat, I tend to blog about it for a day or two, maybe longer if it's a biggie; at the moment, I'm immersed in the full-flavor of a five-week retreat.

Because, of course, the big deal going on for me right now is has everything to do with SouLodge. I'm pleasantly stunned every week, at how our intuition links us infinitely to one another, and to our most basic senses and instincts.

What's coming up for me personally, is that I have a more vibrant and daily practice now that I've created this circle for women who are finding their way back to the roots of themselves, and their vitality (and what was always theirs). I find myself taking as much time to joyfully participate as I spend designing the soulwork lessons, questions, and exercises/crafts. I love this work, and I love having an enormous support system to nurture, and self-reflect in.

So I've been up to my elbows in tobacco and lavender offerings, collecting forked sticks for projects in the woods, cleaning up forest trash, creating altars in my garden, speaking to metaphysicians about the effects of electronics on my body and energy, (try lepidiolyte around your computer or gadgets to immediately reduce heat and radiation-it's working so well for me, plus the stones are beautifulllll), hanging chimes in trees, reading up on the Four Directions, scouting out sitting spots in nature, manifesting a 20' tipi to hold physical lodges in...you get the idea.

Having a daily and palpable interaction with my spirit practice is something that I've wanted more of, too, and these Clan Sisters are full of wisdom and inspiration. The whole experience invites me to stay at my edge (Coyote is always working to teach me things, even when I do not want to learn them *yip*), and to continue tuning into the conversation that is going on within me, as well as among the women around me.

Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next. -Jonas Salk (who discovered the polio vaccine)

Right now, it's all about making those deep connections that light the way.

 

Multiples

Much retreating is happening lately, as it seems the more I do, the more I need to stop and recharge-multiple R's, as it were :). I took the entire day off Saturday, which was big deal, considering I'm a workaholic and my forced weekend happens mid-week now. Yes, I have to be cajoled into having fun with my family. Actually, it's getting easier. Each time there's a big change, I need time to adjust. So I'm adjusting. -ed. For the time being. We took at journey to the Natural History Museum to look at dinosaur bones and also visit their Butterfly Pavilion, which we were all nuts about. I love museums, but at peak traffic, it felt stuffy inside.

We got to see a chrysalis not long after it's butterfly had vacated, as well as several monarch caterpillars. Did you know that they munch up a bunch of milkweed, as caterpillars, so that they'll be able to use the toxins as defense later on? It sits like a slurry in their bellies and transforms with them. Birds tend to steer clear of Monarchs, and other poisonous butterflies, for this reason.

I'm having the time of my life in the SouLodge. I've created more ceremony than I typically do, just by nature of conducting the class. We learn what we teach, right? The babes and I all created a prayer tie to carry in the car with us. Seems we've fallen into a habit of griping at each other on our mid-week adventures to Ojai and now it's coloring our realationships in a way I don't like. So we recalibrated and did some healing work with these little bundles, which I taught my group to make last week. I smudged out the car, and hung these from the rearview mirror. Much more sacred than fuzzy dice, don't you think? It's kept us mindful to communicate our needs peacefully during travel.

Sunday, I created a mini-retreat in the forest to make my video for the Lodge and found that I needed some recalibrating, too. I drove up the mountain with anxiety in my chest, and my heart feeling a bit weighted, and came down feeling much lighter. This is what retreat in nature does for me-and it doesn't take very long. I hiked and sat for less than two hours and it made a huge inner difference.

Blessings this Monday, dear readers. Oh! For those of you who do journeywork, I have a new secret tool that I love... (postscript: it's an iPhone App)

And! I added more card decks to my shop.

xo

Stretching Out: Summer Sun

Every day here is like being on vacation. Wake up. Go back to sleep. Wake up again. Have leisurely breakfast...two or three times. Look around for bird feathers outside the casita. Laugh at frisky squirrels jumping from tree to tree. Pack lunch. Go to violin lesson where teacher adores him and allows Ivy and I play on her kids' swingset. Make tracks to the beach or other soothing body of water (of which there are many). Pick sand out of crevasses. Eat a sandy sandwich. Notice that everyone in the water is wearing a wetsuit but us. Drive home, hose off, and lounge around some more.

Midweek has become my weekend since Operation Ojai has been in effect. It feels indulgent to be at the beach on a Thursday, which I thought was Wednesday for most of the day. These slow days have become epic for my children and I, as we near the first homeschool meet up and also look for homes in the area that we can grow into, and strong in.

My baby in a ponytail makes her seem like so much more a girl. It won't be long before she'll be taking music lessons, surfing the waves, and much more interested in shopping for Fall clothes than her brother. This is a blessed life. One in which we can play hard in the saltwater, eat healthy food, laugh, and enjoy life.Together.

I've been gathering plants to make medicine with in this gorgeous climate, which has, you know, all the really awesome plants. White sage, growing right on the path to the swimming hole, wild fennel, yarrow, sweet peas, toyon, manzanita. Just to savor the essence of summer a little longer. Hawk, Rabbit, Coyote, Bat, Possum, Blue Jay, and the subtle sense of that solar queen, Mountain Lion, are all around. So much symbolism to carry around in my knapsack.

Wishing you a blissful dog-days weekend, Full Mama Moon, and all the ponytails and laughter your heart can bear.

Fox Dreams: Regenerating Our Sacred Tails

Soulfooting, 2010.

I had a dream last night that I want to share. It's one of those dreams that just blasts with rays of incoming light and Truth. Don't you love those dreams? When you wake up and have it all figured out? *wink*

~~~

Miles' birthday party was taking place in my home, and I'd been told by my partner that he'd invited a gentleman from work to come and bring along his family.

My house was flooded with unexpected people, but most notably, the affluent man, who brought many, MANY daughters. All were playing with their children on swingsets and with toys, filling up every corner of my house and garden. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that they all looked rather ill and had whiteheads on their faces. Their eyes were, in many cases, almost swollen shut. They were all sisters, and they all bore a very similar resemblance, they even seemed to all be about the same age.

Down the garden path, happily putting some distance between myself and my numerous odd guests, I saw a red Fox pop up near a bright green tree, standing out in my visual field on the dismal landscape.

She came near me and I saw that her tail had been removed. It was ragged, stubbed and brushy, having been removed in a haste, perhaps. More and more distressed foxes of all colors, some wearing dog collars, came around wanting to follow me out the gate to escape their captor, the gentleman with all of the daughters. I was very unsure of what I was seeing, and it took me some time to come up with a plan. I whispered to them that their tails WOULD grow back, but I would have to come secretly and let them free so that they could get a good lead on him, as he would be coming for them. They seemed so disparaged in their hopes, not unlike shelter dogs, but I provided something for them to cling to. I closed the gate knowing that I would be back after dark.

~~~

If you've ever had the pleasure of seeing a Fox or it's tail, you know that it is her shining glory. It is FAT, FLUFFY and by far, one of the most beautiful and cozy tails in the animal kingdom. She uses it to curl up into, and keep warm, to navigate with like a rudder, to strut her stuff. Her tail activates instinct, kundalini, sensuality, self-sanctuary, mystique, camouflage.

Under the light of the moon, it is time to slip our collars and regrow our tails. The inner dictator, passed down through all of the various outdated systems, is dying. His daughters cannot see, and the last organ in line to detox, the skin, has begun to show it's repressed anger and irritation. The promise of my dream is one of regeneration. These feminine tails are growing back into their lively, fluffy, cozy guidance.

The SouLodge Summer Session began today. It has been an amazing day of transparency, of sharing fear, a willingness to release obstacles blocking the instinctual path, and of great emotional intelligence. My hope is that it is a place where we can continue to grow back our heavenly tails.

If you are currently in the process of regenerating your own beautiful extremities, which connects you to the vitality that soulful undomestication provides, please tell me more. My dream is to see collars on the streetcorners and tails up proud, headed for the forest.

And so I say confidently: I am a Woman. Let me do what I do.

Yip! Yip!

SouLodge: Do You Know Where You'll Be On Monday?

My lovely readers! SouLodge is upon us! If you were not able to gather for this class, fret not. I will soon be announcing the next run, which will begin in October. If you are registered, Yahooo!! Please be sure that you have received TWO emails from me. If you have not, please email me. I may not have your most used email account and pertininent information, and that is very important to make certain that you know how to prepare and show up next week.

I am going up a mountain to do some clearing of my own in my sacred circle of women that I've been so blessed to sit under many moons with, to gain some attunements for what's to come. It seems fitting, considering that what I am offering is so closely related heartwise to what I've experienced in the woods with these women. The sitting, the creating, sharing and feasting will soon begin! And not long after, we'll begin our virtual version, as well.

So much love and gratitude to you, for how deeply you live, for how courageously you connect, for how wildly you howl.

Awroooo!

 

Summer's Offerings at SouLodge

Half way between the Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox sits a little celebratory holiday that the Celts call Lammas. It's been written that the earliest harvest of grain occurs today, and that bread made with todays grain will be a bit risky. It may not be as rich in color as Autumn's wheat, or as ripe in flavor, but that the benefit lies in the possibility of the early seeds. The festival is a reminder that everything has a beginning: ideas, shifts, new ways of receiving nourishment. All change comes from a place that beckons us a little deeper into the full, robust flavor of our lives. The energetic shift can be felt in the in-between seasons, as well as when they appear on the calendar to call us to movement. I even just love sensing the subtle changes in the way the sunlight comes through my windows.

The creatures are slimmer, lighter, and seeking water from different sources now, their babies of Spring finding their own relaxed footprints behind them as they sink into their wild ways, and the instinctual natures that will ensure their survival. Ants are coming up out of every crack and crevasse, showing my children and I how to work communally, and for wholeness, carrying seeds (and bits of dog kibble!) on their backs many times their weight.

Summer's hot breezes, cool dips into swimming holes, ripening fruit, and long, playful days, feel expansive to me. Juxtaposed to Winter-a time of cozying down and becoming perhaps a bit more quiet and inward-Summer is a season to connect, to build campfires together, to feast, to storytell, and to acquaint ourselves in community. It is a time of intimacy and openness of hearts, for guidance to flow in like the sun's rays- warming us up to our potential, readying us for the coming harvest, which will carry us through Fall's crisp drawing down, and Winter's bundled-up months.

Part of the experience in the SouLodge is to gather at the long table of the season and break bread together. The teachings and relevance of the seasons creates presence, and grounds us, binding the medicine of what wants to come in and be shared in the waning days of light.

I'm thrilled to be able to host this sacred space...and to do it online! I am full of hope that the fluid experience of communing together, creating ritual, crafting, journeying, practicing gratitude, and going deeper into ourselves, will secure the lessons that Summer brings for all of us. Please join me in the Lodge, if you feel called, and share this post with someone who you think might love what is being created. Registration closes Wednesday, and Lodge begins on Monday!

So much Lammas gratitude!