Harvest Queen and Princess Silver Hands

Last weekend felt like a Retreat, as two of my friends who are in this year's Color of Woman teacher training offered their required 13 step class - virtually! Carol Fairbanks has been a frequent student in my workshops and circles since 2016. I first met Christy Cozby in Sepha's certification class around the same time. 

Carol chose as her theme Harvest Queen, drawng from the HQ class I taught last fall. She scheduled her class over two sessions, so we'll meet again tomorrow. 

Heidi, Leah and Carol, fall 2019

Inquiries:

• What wisdom can I harvest from this year?
• What mature fruits are ready for harvest?
• What is ready to be Clipped?
• How can I make space for the next cycle?

I pulled the card Old man of Stories - Legba - is the story one of healing? What will being balance and harmony? (Rainbow Earth Tarot)

Underpainting - 3 words and 3 colours - centered, (Quinacridone violet and Dioxazine purple) renewal (Green Gold and Yellow Oxide) and gratitude (primary magenta)

Symbols: Apple, (fruitful harvest) spirals of life, wreath - crown, balance and wholeness

This week I revisited her face and expression, bringing in a looked Fae presence - and need to do loved listening/ journaling! We will gather again this Saturday, and delve deeper! 

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Christy's class on Sunday was based on the tale of Princess Silver Hands, or the Handless Maiden - which she told beautifully! (Several of us weren't familiar with this tale)

• what gifts do your hands bestow?
• They are the "tools of tools," enabling you to feel and do.
• What do they hold, feel, grasp, fashion, give and receive? 
• What phases go with hands/restrictions? Sitting on my hands, hands are tied, waiting for a band out ... 
• How do we internalize the patriarchy, make a margin without all the information?

Our creativity grandmother, Lenore Thomas Strauss asked, "what ancient knowing lives within these hands?"

All the great stories are variations on the same story of challenge, journey into the underworld (forest) benefactors (a pear tree that offers its fruit, King, kind mother in law) initiating and renewal.

Sketch on the background

I appreciated the places in the story where in spite of challenges, she is cared for, loved and nurtured. 

 

There's a pear tree in the background, and a cord nesting in her hair (I used reverse stencils on both paintings, the technique we learned in treesisters. One of the themes in the story is a renewal of wedding views with the King after a seperation and misunderstanding, and a big celebration of nine days and nine nights. Our Color of Woman SiStar Anna Corsini, from Florence, Italy, committed to continuing working with her lady overr this time! 

Fun to see the shadows of the birch tree on my lady ... She's continuing to inform me as well. I look forward to what each of these paintings and process have to bring.

Happy Paint Party Friday! 

Musing Around the Medicine Wheel

Everything inside us is held in a web of stories. When we create around stories, we discover juicy new chapters, can begin to hear with new ears, see with new eyes. The creative process engages both sides of the brain, and gives us new access and clarity going forward. Often we discover new paths around old obstacles. 

Over the last five years, I've led circles and taught classes from this perspective of bringing Intention to the creative process, since the reintroduction to my Muse of creativity. I've designed a series of classes around the Compass that can be taken in series, or stand alone. Many of these were first offered at my friend Margot's beautiful rural retreat outside Corvallis. 

Each turn of the wheel offers opportunity to explore different aspects of ourselves, and navigate the terrain of becoming more true to who we are. 

Spring is a potent time as Mama Gaia invites us to stretch out limbs and reawaken. This is the perfect time to listen for her call and tune into fresh energy. The urge is to plant and nurture new life and ideas. East, sunrise, element of air.

She Changes - 2018

Muses light fuses and nudge us to grow. In summer, our creative juices are flowing, and our days are often action packed. The world needs every Wonder Woman to recognize and engage her own Supper Powers, Muse inspired creativi-tea can be the perfect way to harness them! South, midday, element of fire.

Wonder Woman - 2019

In the fall, our Harvest Queen beckons us to go within and discover our inner Queen's wisdom ways. A true Queen is not a diva, or someone who 'rules' over another. She is privy to her own heart centred wisdom, and a steward of resources for the people. West, sunset, element of water. 
(The Harvest Queen class demo is a good example of how far we get in a one day class.)

Queen's Harvest - 2019 

As days lengthen and winter sets in, we appreciate each bright day, and are reminded to Shine our own light more brightly. This is a time of contemplation and renewal, of remembering that, like snowflakes, we are each unique and perfect in our own way. North, night, element of Earth. 
(Snow Queen also began as a class demo - this post shows her in both phases!)

Snow Queen - 2017

I invite you to join me in this journey around the Medicine Wheel, deepening with the teaching of each direction, and into your own true essence. Classes include instruction, time for journaling, group sharing, and chocolate!! 

Harvest Queen, fall 2019

Happy Paint Party Friday!

Harvest Queen and Treesisters

Because of a scheduling *error,* I needed to choose another day for my monthly circle, and decided to offer a little "paint party with a Red Thread Twist." It was my first local class in awhile, ten gals came, and we had so much fun! More classes are in the works, and we're talking about offering little Sip and Paint parties in my friend Holli's MECA gallery.

Harvest Queen in Process

 Two gals who have painted with Shiloh in person and online came from a town about 3 hours away! For many of the others, it was their first face on canvas, and they did so well.

Harvest Queens 

I am on the online support team for the Treewoman class Australian artist Jassy Watson offered a coupe of weeks ago in Sonoma. It's been awesome to see the variety and the wonderful connections with nature women around the globe are making. We began by sketching patterns and shapes from the natural world and human made, and making marks on our canvasses. (I used a square wood panel) Scraps of collage came next, often from pour own writing.

Treewoman - marks collage and sketch

We were invited to begin noticing shapes and forms of trees in our surroundings, plus the season and colors, and even what "season" is prevalent in our lives. I like the process of inquiry and observation in our painting practice!

Tree woman in a Newberg park

Leaves are turning colors here in the Pacific NW, and the rains beginning to come, but it's alternatly sunny, October's Bright Blue Weather! Last weekend's full moon danced into Her branches.

Pearly full moon in Aries

I'm tending in the classroom over the weekend, as some near completion, and others join the journey. I'm thinking of using a tall canvas and having another go ...

Dance of the Treewomen© 2019

What's on your easel or in your journal??
Happy Paint Party Friday!