Chalice of the Soul

 For over a decade, Shiloh has offered a year long painting journey - the Red Madonna. This is near and dear to her heart, and to the hearts of the women who join in. The offerings are rich, painting, group calls, making cards, writing poetry, .... 

So this year, Shiloh has invited the Sisterhood to submit work from one or more of these journeys to the upcoming show, In Her Embrace. You can find a ticket to this show on our Museum page. 

I am submitting two paintings from my own time with the Red Madonna community. 

I often work on repurposed canvasses, and in 2015, I found a sweet painting (of a Cocker spaniel) at one of the local thrift stores. It had rich layers of thick Acrylic paint, which provided some beautiful texture (I didn't tell the checker I was going to paint over the pup!) She Hears the Stories emerged, and is still one of my favorites (OK, most of my paintings are my favorites!) 

She Hears the Stories and the artist - 2015

She Hears the Stories

Come sit here with me awhile

     Your Golden Heart glowing

          A candle of presence

Bring the Sacred ampule

     To collect the tears

          Of ten thousand osses and longings

     Place it here, on the altar of our lives.

Tend it carefully

     Adorned with such care

          And the scent of a thousand roses

The second canvas is also repurposed, this one a pair from our Habitat ReStore, two 24x30" canvasses, screwed together! (So 48" wide). It was a simple big sky landscape, which made a good under painting, and was less than $10! 

Some of the inquiries over the 13 moons include exploring our connection with the divine presence, making meditative strokes and patterns of light on our ladies' mantles. While painting, we are invited to contemplate our own sense of "divinity," and articulate our thoughts and beliefs. In our 8th moon, we explored Tenderness, feeling into times we gave - and received - tenderness.

We experienced a total Solar Eclipse in August 2017, and the dragonette holds the sun as it's hidden by the moon. Both Mother Mary (blue mantle) and beloved Mary Magdalene (Red) appeared and shared this journey. I gilded with both Gold and silver, which shine in the light. 

Chalice of the Soul - 2017

Sacred Compass

In the space between spaces

     We enter the Inner Temple

         Light the candles

     Fill the Chalice of the Soul

Entering the Inner Temple

     We pay homage to the Sacred

          Fill the chalice of the Soul

     With the waters of renewal. 

We pay homage to the Sacred

     Fly with phoenix and dragon through the cosmos

         Baptized in the waters of renewal

     Finding our inner compass.

Flying along the cosmic Soul Path

     Lighting candles on the altar

          We find our sacred compass

     In the space between spaces.

I look forward to witnessing the beauty from the past decade of Red Madonna paintings.

You can find posts from my Red Madonna 2017 journey are here and here.

Prismatic

 Healing and creativity run through our family line, midwifery, growing and using herbs, color, crafts, music, and my mom and I traded back and foot rubs through my childhood.  My dad and I sang in the choir, and I had piano lessons, and in college I was education, with a music minor.  

Creativity has woven a thread through my whole life, I always identified as an artist, and a healer.  This year these threads of art music and healing came together with the Intentional Creativity practioner training, PRISMA. 

Art Cart

One of the things I love about our Intentional Creativity community and practices is the encouragement to activate our own gifts and bring those to our offerings. The PRISMA training builds on this, and we're invited to include IC into current sessions and offerings. The PRISMA calls and videos include the research and science underlying the use of creativity and mindfulness for healing. 

Scribbly Sketch

While much of our personal work is done with paint and canvas, we also journal about process and insights.  During this course, we're also on a 13 month painting journey. Anthropas. I'm reprising a large canvas which began as Diva X.

Anthropas - moon 1

For sessions with clients, we can use the simplest of materials, watercolors, coolers pencils, markets, a mixed media pad of paper.  I often use Inktense blocks and Neocolor 2 crayons. 

Supplies

I'm fond of using all these materials in my own sketchbooks and processes, and my Juju Journal. 

Fire Keeper

 Lo'oet, Fire keeper is my Alchemist or Soul Fire painting, from my Color of Woman 2015 training.  

I've  always loved the NW tell of Lo'oet, the only one left with fire in her lodge. So after awhile, great spirit asked her to take up residence on the old land bridge over what we call the Columbia River, the Bridge of the Gods ...

Lo'oet - Firekeeper

I encountered her in a visioning to 'meet your inner healer,' retold her story in a creative writing class, and wrote a song about her, Firekeeper's Lay.

On this auspicious day, 2-22-2022, we bring her message:

From Lo'oet, Fire Keeper

Long have I known you

  loved you

    guided you

Little one, little SiStar, Talis Tenas

      Beloved little one

I sit on the bridge, tending the Sacred Fire

  for the people

     for the old and the young

      the sound of heart & spirit,

     for the weak and lonely ones.

       for the free, 

       for those ensnared.

Medial Woman Am I

   On the Bridge between the Worlds

     Tending the Sacred Flame

       Carrying the stories, bringing change & renewal

I hold the Chalice of Pure Water

  During this time of fires, of drought

    This time of Smoke and danger,

      I remind you to guard your flame carefully

   I hold the fire, yet my colours

     Are watery blues and purples

The Chalice brings life, brings renewal,

 Come, share the water of life!

Owl Woman, Woman between the worlds

  Wisdom woman, Keeper of the Sacred flame

    One with Clear vision, who calls sacred the homeland of the people, 

 Who calls us to remember -

Who are you?

   What would you?

      When will you?

    Who do you Ally with?

       What calls your Heart & Soul?

          How will you live from your vision?

Way shower, holder of blessings

  Who are you, in the great world?

     What do you bring

        In your Medicine Basket?

Medial woman, Owl woman

   holding place in the Middle

     Holding Soul Fire stories,

       Which warm the heart & enflame the spirit!

    Watching over the land & the people.

Fire Keeper am I, story keeper, wisdom keeper

    Keeper of the Sacred Flame

      Ever renewing, ever renewed

        Come! Drink from the sacred well!

      Come! Come home to your soul! Come share your sacred medicine!

February Reset

 This is the third year some of my artist friends are offering a month of inspiration for "Reseting Our Spaces as Living Altars" and creating cozy corners, and I'm joining in. Each has her own focus - Angie on clearing clutter, Katy on setting sacred space, and Iréne on sharing tips from Feng Shui, and all three engage creativity. 

As I've written before, I go back and forth with more and less order, and like many of us, these last couple of years with fewer visitors has not helped! It's quite time for a reset! 

Breema and morning practice

I participated in Breema week in January, and have continued with the online self- Breema classes most mornings. For my first cozy nook, I rearranged some things, pulled out the clothes for give- away, and made room for my felted Breema rug in my little upstairs.

Some inquiries as I embark: 

• Why do I want to dethug and reset?
• What an I creating space for? 
• What blocks my process/progress? 
• Who - what matters most to me about my space?
• Who (what items) am I 'renting space' to - do I like the 'tenants?'
• When - what time will I designate, and how much?
• How - what strategies will I employ, and
• Where will I begin?

I already began with the Breema nook, starting small with an easy win always works well for me! I set a timer for 20-30 minutes, and then take a break or reset it - short focuser sessions help prevent overwhealm. 

My goal is a clearer space with more cozy, inviting nooks, and curating items that resonate with my current interests and life. 

As a Virgo, I can get finicky about fine tune cleaning, and ignore the big picture, so I'm saying saying Ø to perfectionism, and 'yes' to progress! 

Assistant testing a cozy space

My LMT friend Kira is also a professional organizer, and I've been enjoying her new podcast, What's Up With Your Stuff? 

For general tidying, she suggests to ponder your own baseline - what matters to you (and your partner/ housemates) Work from that to develops and fine tune your daily routine. 

I make my bed when I get up, wash the dishes and wipe down counters after breakfast, and aim for at least one 20/10 a day (20 minute tidy/ clear, 10 minute break)

We start where we start, and each bring our personal stories as well as stuff to our Spaces - do you know yours?