Reiki and the Red Thread

 While studying to become an Intentional Creativity teacher and coach in 2015, one of our assignments was to offer several Red Thread Circles and events. I included a simple circle as part of a 1st Degree Reiki class, and covered journals in 2nd Degree - the students loved it.

My teacher Maestra Shiloh Sophia invited me to consider the connections between Reiki and the IC teachings, "I know there are connections, explore what they are."

A Chinese legend tells that we are connected before birth with those whom we're destined to meet by an invisible Red Thread. Through out our lives, the thread may twist, stretch and tangle, but will never break.

We each hold, and are responsible for a unique piece of this thread.

With Reiki, we often feel the resonance of connection when we meet other  Reiki practitioners, or first connect with our Master. The teachings and practices of Intentional Creativity® and Reiki support each other in a beautiful way. Over the last five years, I've formulated a Red Thread Reiki curriculum designed to support practitioners on their journey.

Some of the Red Thread Reiki teachings are  included in my classes, others may be taken separately. Most are suitable for anyone, whether they've studied Reiki or not. 

These Circles include a check in, Meditation with self Reiki, and a simple creative project - no artistic ability necessary - really! Creativity is an innate gift inherent in being human, and becoming aware of ourselves as creative beings helps us stay present.

These pieces we create are imbued with Reiki energy, and can be used personally or gifted to others. Most circles are open to both Reiki Practitioners and those interested in healing.

• Reiki Principle Prayer flags 
• Soul Compass cards - rewrite old stories
• Blessing Box - for your Reiki Prayer requests
• Medicine Basket - what are your special tools and gifts?
• Personal symbol - use Metacognative drawing to unlock your unique healing symbol
• Reiki Journal - cover, process pages
• Finger labyrinth
• Symbol practice * Reiki 2 and 3 practitioners

Intentional Painting Classes especially suited for Reiki Practitioners:

• Medicine Painting - turn tragedies into remedies 
• Reiki Guide (watercolor paper or canvas) 
• Soul Spark 
  
• Healing Temple

Have questions? You'd like to work with me in person or virtually, you find information about these sessions and my Reiki classes on my website.

You're invited to contact me - I look forward to our journey together on the Reiki path!

Happy Paint Party Friday!

Red Thread Circle Time

We began offering Virtual Circles as a pivot from the in person gatherings early in the summer, and one of those early circles was Thinking Cap. 

What comes to mind when you hear the words Thinking Cap? 

Some of us had done the process during a Guild members call, and we chose it for our August virtual Red Thread Circle offering.

We did this one during a Guild members call last year, and this week for our virtual Red Thread Circle. 

• What image comes with the phrase "put on my thinking cap?"
• How do you access information and your intuition - do you have different access channels?
• Are there different caps for different purposes?
• What feels unique? What similar to others?

I love our smaller circles - 15 women joined - from nearby Albany Oregon, to as far away as Florence, Italy! It is always a treat to see how our muses interact, and we inspire each other. We began with a couple of readings from my co-host Linda Allen and then a bit of Metacognative drawing - put pen or market on the paper, and  do a free form doodle, while thinking of the phrase, "___ my thinking cap" (activating, accessing, what's ...) we drew for about a minute, then wrote about what we accessed. 

We went on to sketch/ paint an image of our Thinking Cap for 5-10 minutes - and what a delightful variety of images emerged, and then shared during our Red Thread Circle. Cindy recalled doodling light bulbs in her college notebooks when she had "ah-ha!"' moments!

One lady showed up at the base of a tree, with messages in the roots and leaves - which led to a wonderful discussion of how tree communities support each other, sharing nutrients and connection via the mycorrhizal fungi... 

It is such a joy to share time and creative process with this community, 4 of the gals are in this year's Color of Woman teacher training - 

CoW intern Carol Fairbanks led one of our circles last month -Creating Home with Your Heart as one of her IC events - and last weekend Christy Cozby led her own version - I did the first in my Juju Journal

And the one with Christy on canvas - the prompts led to recalling the cute 50s home my dad painted pink, with dark red trim and a white roof (to reflect the Central Oregon sun) ... And the Blue Door of my piano teacher's little back room Bible Bookstore. 

 

Carol is offering her second IC session this Sunday  in a longer session- Tea Time With the Muse - you're invited to join us! 

Happy Paint Party Friday! - enjoy the artsy blog roll! 

Creating With Intention

For several years, I have been using Intentional Creativity to "change stories and change lives," both my own and assisting others as they change theirs. I have shared a number of these adventures on this blog. The question often arises, "What is Intentional Creativity?"

My teacher Shiloh Sophia says, "We are a tribe of creative beings causing our own movement in art and

Dancing Between the Worlds

image created with intention. I have worked in this creative technology for close to twenty years and thousands of women have participated in this work through making their own images and stories. A gathering is happening….the image of the feminine is changing in our own hands. A movement can happen when a quantum mass of people begin to gather and create around a specific theme or intention." 
So how do we go about this quantum field process? 

Shiloh, "I believe that story lives in image inside of our memory banks. So when we experience trauma or beauty, it ‘lives’ there and can be replayed by us by choice, and also not by choice. The ways memories rise for us is often out of control and we form negative thought patterns around these loops, which over time get even more ingrained in US." .... By bringing these stories to consciousness, through a process including inquiry, journaling and art, "We can change how our stories live in us. That is what intentional creating is about – first we get the story conscious and then we ‘move’ how it lives in us. To do this we need to change our relationship to the story physically, spiritually and through ‘form’."

That process of giving the new story physical form can allow us to have breakthroughs without breakdowns. through creativity, the old stories lose their hold, the pattern shifts, change occurs, healing occurs. "Connecting your intention, is like finding a clear signal on a radio that is tuned to a specific frequency that opens channels to the subconscious and unconscious that we are ready to deal with. The layers of consciousness then yield up into the creative process that which needs to be worked with next. Layer by layer new space is created. Once the story is transferred to canvas it lives inside of us differently – the way it used to operate is now dis-lodged and we can consciously choose what to do to work with the space we have now cleared up inside of our internal story pattern."

Now, we can consciously choose what to do to work with the new space created. And the shifts may be quantum! 
One of my "old stories" has been about belonging, about tribe. An only child, I sometimes flounder when figuring out where I belong, if I belong. I've been "voted out" of a woman's group, and have moved away from other loved and loving communities. Part of my healing has been learning to listen more deeply to others' stories of loss, of learning to invite and to create heart home for the new tribe that is forming. To follow hummingbird, seeking to discover the beauty in others, and to match their pace. And to recognize the ebb and flow of friendships, to detach from places I feel unseen as I become more visible. 

I invite you to view one of your old stories, what new space are you creating, as you loosen its hold? 

Xxx 
Happy Paint Party Friday and Express your Creativity 

What's in YOUR Medicine Basket?

In our Color of Woman teacher training, we are constantly weaving between doing our own work, & learning how to share offerings with our community, with our Beloveds. The First Red Thread session was making our Soulful Story Affirmation cards. 

Next up:"This Livestream was recorded during the 2014 Color of Woman and provides two additional themes - "Creating Your Medicine Basket" & "House of the Heart" - which you can use as the themes for your own Red Thread Session Events."

I really enjoyed watching the videos, & crafting my Medicine Basket,  .... I'm still getting the hang of working on watercolor paper again, (have done some off & on over the years) & of course, love the 'adornment' phase (glitter!!  Shimmery paint, spirals, red threads ...
 Some of the inquiries for the phrases in our baskets are:

• What will you be known for? 
• What Healing tools & remedies do you offer? 
• Who will come to your Red Thread Sessions? 
• What is in your medicine basket?

Shiloh affirms regularly that we need to attend to the questions & issues OUR clients, our beloveds come to us for assisting in bringing conscious, & possibly transforming, & to adapt the classes accordingly. 
We used glazing liquid or varnish mixed with a dab of paint to coat & affix the slips of paper, and an overlighting phrase that defines our role "I AM a catalyst for transforming the old stories into New Magic!" The last step was placing a symbol in the space between the basket & the handle. I chose a harp & heart ... and then adornment, glitter! Shimmer, sparkle, shine ....

I am a catalyst for transforming the old stories ....

With my harp in the basket, I'm reminded of a sail boat, & think of being carried by, as 
well as carrying my basket!

Shiloh's did a bit of 'show & tell,' sharing a  selection of paintings from previous Red Thread sessions.

With House of the Heart, I could picture working with youth (including my 16 year old foster (soon-to-be-adopted) granddaughter, who lived in 9 different foster homes over the 9 years before she came to us!!)

There is, indeed, a power in these shorter, 'simple' workshops that transcends space & time!