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
