Retreat Reflections#6...a last look

Letting go card....

"Being true to myself"

Today

I will

honour

cherish

and

love myself

When I get confused

about what to do

I just have to remember

that I need to be 

true to myself

I will break free of the hold

that others-and their expectations

have on me...

Soul Coaching: Playfulness

"My joy is the greatest gift

that I give to others!"

*

That was one of the many messages I received 

during our time away at retreat this year.

*

Not all our time was spent on ourselves...

We released prayers for others...

We released gratitude back to Mother Earth...

and we watched as our gratitude grew

just by us releasing it.

We took joy in the simplest of beauties

and listened to all messages coming our way

Receptive to what was being shown...

We marinated in our sisterhood...

and humour in our humanness...

Life is full of many paths

Nothing remains as it is

An Ebb and Flow is forever present

this is the way

Spirit is always with us

In all that is around us

Everything

Everything

Everything

is Spiritual

and to live as such

takes practice

and 

constant re-connecting.

With God

With ourselves

With each other...

It is why we choose this path

of gathering

My Sisters of Light and I

To learn to grow to practice...

It is why I choose to share myself 

in this space

with you

to gather here with you

to learn

to grow

to practice...

morning card

" We are all working toward the same goal: JOY"

Whether  it seems like it or not

you are all working towards the same

ultimate goal of Joy.

You are just approaching things

in different ways,

and all of it is working.

*

When I entered this retreat

I was burdened by my mind

I was heavy with emotions

I needed space to unravel

I needed stillness to hear

I needed time to Be

I was given it all

and more.

*

That is what happens

when we give ourselves Soul Care

When we allow ourselves

Spiritual Indulgence

It is a good practice

to practice

: )

What are you doing

my lovelies

to give yourself

Soul Care?

(Doing retreats with others

is just one kind of Soul Care.

Soul Care comes in all sorts of forms...

whether it be creating, being out in nature, meditating...

what ever it is that speaks to your heart of hearts

what ever it is that makes you heart grow beyond your body

whatever it is 

that helps you hear Divinities voice

speaking straight to your heart,

that is Soul Care.

Love and Light

more on our retreat found here

one day...

In one day

there can be so much

reflections of the heart

over flow

and pour out

and one wonders where to begin

this Life

this Gift

felt in the community of gathering

at the dawn of the day

six women

in an upper room

sharing fears, challenges and victories

standing together

circled

staffs in hand

committed to each other

in love and sisterhood

lifting each other up

in honesty and grace

believing

in what we do

opening a portal for Love to come down

to speak to us

to guide us

to hold us

I am blessed

I am woman

Let me do what I do

the gathering complete

preparations begin

to say good bye

to honour one past

We go

my son and I

Proud is the mother in me

of a young man

open to Love

open to feelings of loss

open to walk that road

his sensitive heart pained

but he will not be afraid

for he has know Love

He has know Caring

He has know what it feels like to matter

And this beloved one

gave him that

ceremonies

so beautiful

traditions 

centuries old

hold the mysteries

of worlds

of the past

words spoken

in our loved ones native tongue

he will go back to his home country

for final resting place

his children 

and their children

will carry him there

and hold Mamas hand

as she grieves the loss of her one Love

the man she spent her whole life with

the man who was the yin to her yang

So loved was he

as the bodies pour out the church

it

too small to hold all the 
 Love

a great man

a man of family

a man of tradition

a man of giving

a man of humility

a man of honour

a man of commitment

a Man of Love

remembered

held close

never forgotten

forever appreciated

loved 

respected

missed

precious moments

shared with my son

joined by this Love

for his Djeda

and for his Baba 
who now remains

caregivers

in a life gone by

so Loved

was he by them

this Gift

this Life

Till the day ends

in the presence of family

and friends

speaking hearts

open voices

contentment

in finding home

with those 

you

love

one day

a gift

Life

Love and Light

Storytelling...of Memorials and Letting Go

A Solstice Hangover...as the sweet Pixie talks about here...lingers around me.

I feel spent and empty, yet full and content.

Yesterday was a full day for me physically and emotionally.

I worked.

Midday I was off to celebrate Alice's Life and document it

via images for the family...

I won't go into detail...

other then to say

working while crying takes something out of you

but

I would do it again...

and

I will

To see the expression of Love

by those left behind...

the heart open up

exposing vulnerability

your own feeling of loss

your own feelings of immortality

your own feelings of fragility

Beautiful Pain...

*

From there it was back to work in the studio

and then preparations for the evening ahead...

Lanterns were lit

Candles frame the way

The fire burns

(thanks to my contributing husband)

and the time draws near.

The time to open the widow

to that which darkens our doors

and to that which will bring it light...

The sisters where lit and waiting

Waiting to hold the flame for those who would come.

A beautiful anticipation was around me

the energy of women

many women

coming together...

If ever the world sees a time when women 

shall come together

purely and simply

for the benefit of mankind

it will be a power

as the world

has never known

Matthew Arnold, 19th Century Philosopher

The women came

they gathered

they poured out

We wrote down what we anted to release,

but we also wrote down what we wanted to replace

those shadows with

My personal belief is that when we rid ourselves

of something shadow

we need to replace it with something Light

if the shadow space is left empty

that shadow will not only come back

it will bring friends...

because the place is familiar

and easy

thus the burden becomes even heavier

So we wrote what we wanted to leave behind on one card

and then wrote what we wanted to bring in on another card.

Then we were off to 

the fire

the cold of the night

the baptism of the darkest day

back into the Light.

for some of us 

this was the first time meeting

for some of us 

it was the first time burning

whatever the story

it did not matter

they came

exposing their hearts

opening their truths

bearing their souls

a beautiful gathering

hands held

prayers raised

voices sang

and we released

into the fire

then in loud voices

we called to us that which we long to replace

in our lives

that which we want to awaken

and bring back

together we surrendered

to Love...

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. ¹ You have searched me, God,

   and you know me. ² You know when I sit and when I rise;

   you perceive my thoughts from afar. ³ You discern my going out and my lying down;

   you are familiar with all my ways. ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue

   you, God, know it completely. ⁵ You hem me in behind and before,

   and you lay your hand upon me. ⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

   too lofty for me to attain.

 ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?

   Where can I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. ⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

   if I settle on the far side of the sea, ¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,

   your right hand will hold me fast. ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

   and the light become night around me,” ¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;

   the night will shine like the day,

   for darkness is as light to you.

 ¹³ For you created my inmost being;

   you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

   your works are wonderful,

   I know that full well. ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you

   when I was made in the secret place,

   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;

   all the days ordained for me were written in your book

   before one of them came to be. ¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, God!

   How vast is the sum of them! ¹⁸ Were I to count them,

   they would outnumber the grains of sand—

   when I awake, I am still with you.

Blessings to all who let go

and to those who have yet to do so

Thank you to Pixie Campbell 

for keeping the Flame.

I sink into my contentment

as reflections of dreams and spiritual encounters

come forth from those who attended

blessings

blessings

blessings

you Brave, Courageous souls

blessings

Love and Light