Shaenalach Retreats...Oct 24th - 27th

I am blessed to do the work that I do...

the following are images capture at a recent 

Shaenalach Retreat.

preparing space

the alter is laid

communion begins

a circle is created

cleansing from the outside world

the table is set

healthy nourishment creates healthy healing

listening, learning and healing

stepping out in the rain to communique with Mother Nature

The Walking Miracle...my sister-friend who walked with and over came stage 4 cancer

finding their tree

a time to reflect

Women of the Wood

returning lighter in heart, with more tools in hand

the Light and dark of our souls...

healthy goodness for the deep work at hand

Sacred Messages

giving back

warrior women

creating a vision

creating and communing

resting in the goodness

This was the first retreat held under the new name

(Shaenalach Retreats)

a name that holds sacred meaning

to my heart...

and it showed.

Taking nothing from my past retreats, 

which held their own magic...

this retreat reflected the growth and maturing

of myself and the retreats own "spirit"

Together we are growing and evolving...

this is very exciting

as this work of women healing

is near and dear to my heart, soul and mind.

This is the road I know

and one I want to share.

Not because I have it all figured out.

As I told my fellow travelers this past weekend

this journey is till the day I die

But I have witnessed, experienced and lived the transformation, transmutation and transfiguration

 that soul work healing brings.

It's a practice.

It requires commitment.

It utilizes love and courage.

It is worth it all.

It is an honour to come together with other women

in healing and sacred circle.

An honour I do not take lightly.

I am not interested in telling someone how to live...

however

I am passionate about allowing women

to discover how they desire to live

and how they want to show up

to their spiritual convictions...

for themselves...

and for those they love.

I bow to these women

and those who came before them

and those who will follow them

with deep gratitude and awe in my heart.

You are the brave ones

the ones who change the world

from the inside out

when you say  

YES 

to 

The Call!

Thank you

I am blessed to do the work that I do...

Love and light

Mondays Offering...a little bit of BiG

The pilgrimage has begun...

with you my lovelies!

Have you seen my total

so far?

Alone I am  lone tree

standing by the vast largeness

of endless needs

but with all of you

I am not alone

we stand rooted and tall 

beside one another

a community

of hearts that give

hearts that are big

hearts that hear the call

and respond...

So many of you wrote to me

"I only have a little"...

look what your little built!

Something so BIG

and that after only one week

I know more is coming in

you've told me so.

beautiful delicate hearts

that you have shared with me

and now in turn

I will share with them...

those who I will walk with in the trenches

those who live on the front lines

in the battlefield of poverty

all the stories

all the digging deep

all the open hearts

all the pure giving

I will take with me

the power goes beyond

what the money can do

the power lines in the purity

that it has been given

and I get to be the one to carry that

I feel so blessed to be a part

of such a brave community of women

you have honoured me with your trust

you have honoured me with your love

you have honoured me with your support

and I thank you

I am giving you each a heart hug

the kind where our heart energy intertwines

when we feel our hearts pumping in synch

the kind of hug that you feel in your whole body

that is the hug I give to each of you who responded

beyond the monetary

your words of encouragement

you belief in giving

whatever that looks like...

You have touched me

and will touch others

I love you

thank you

your little

my lovelies

is so

BIG!

Love and Light

(images take over the weekend

on a family hike)

Today...

today my thoughts were on giving

today my thoughts were not

"what can I do"

but

"this is what I can do"

today I took some time

for others

*

every two months we gather

the three of us

we gather for the women of 

Hanna House Recovery Home

here in our home town

we put together gift bags

for those women 

who are entering the program

they come with an assortment of goodness

that all women appreciate

body creams

lips balms

socks

homemade book marks

sweet treats

hair adornments

inspiring angel message card

tissue

a personal journal

a pen

they are put together with 

love

care

and

intention

letting them know

that somewhere out here

there are women 

faceless women who love them

 and look at them as sisters

knowing full well

it is a fine line

and anyone

can find themselves

were they now are

and because they have found themselves there

it does not mean the end

it means the beginning

one of the special things I make

for the women

are Message Stones

or

Witness Stones

these are stones that I gather

and write affirmations upon ...

as a Witness Stone

they become something more...

*

In so many cultures, religions and belief systems

there are stories about 

the significance of stones in 

ceremony

remembering

agreements made

etc...

For the First Nations people,

there is a story about them that goes something like this....

A long time ago, before there was life on earth, the Creator was contemplating the purposes of each life and how long each life would live. There are spirits attached to everything in this life; spirits are what give everything 'life'. Some spirits saw the earth and everything in it and they asked the Creator to allow them to live forever on earth. The Creator, knowing that every life should have a purpose, and that each life would have a limit to how long they lived, contemplated how those spirit's requested would be honoured. The Creator thought of stone/rocks. Stones/Rocks will still be around even if the earth crumbled to pieces. So, of all that the Creator created, stones/rocks could live forever, but what would their 'purpose' be in life?

The Creator gave these spirits the job of remembering important events in the world, the keepers of records and the holders of memorable events/ceremonies/agreements.

This was perfect.

The Creator was able to honour the requests of the spirits whom requested to live forever, and give them a 'purpose' in life. It was all good.

That is why, when people come together to witness a significant event or ceremony, those people are sometimes given stones to help them remember the event or ceremony, so they can be the voice of the stone and remind the significant people of their agreement or the special-ness of the event at a time, when the significant people seem to be forgetting what had taken place at one time.

As you know, stones do not have a voice of their own, so witnesses are then the stones voice when it is time to remember the event or ceremony and what the event or ceremony meant.

This is the purpose for the witnesses at events or ceremonies that were given stones as a token of remembrance of the event; hence their name: 

Witness Stones

~Fraser River All Nations Aboriginal Society~

*

These stones are given to these women

during a time of great significance

a time of re birth

new beginnings

hope

My prayer is that they hold on to these stones

to remember

this day

and the courage it took

for them to come to this place

to step into recovery

and come home
to

Hanna House
Would you join me in that prayer
my lovelies?

Love and Light

Have you ever been given a Witness Stone at a special event?

If so, you are responsible for remembering and honouring the significance of the event or ceremony 

you witnessed.

This is an honourable responsibility

for someone to be given.