Release, Receive, Celebrate, Repeat
As I reflect on the teachings that came through in our Spring Equinox retreat this weekend, the image that keeps popping into my mind is one of myself, where I’ve just pulled up in my driveway after a day of adventures and errands with my daughter, feeling exhausted, getting out of the car, trying to carry at least 2 trips worth of stuff into the house all at once, and then my daughter saying ‘mommy can you carry my coat?’ as she drops it on the ground and runs inside. And the feeling that comes up for me in that overloaded moment is one of exasperation. How can I possibly carry one more thing when I’m already struggling to balance the things in my arms? The situation always makes me laugh in hindsight, and it always frustrates me in the moment.
And I mention it now, because this is what spring can feel like. There is so much going on and it can feel frenzied. One of the themes of our retreat was about recognizing whether our arms are already too full to receive the gifts that this new season has in store for us. The earth naturally lets go of the debris from the winter, letting it wash away down the river, or transforming it into compost with nutrients to support new growth. This moment, this portal of equal day and night, is a uniquely powerful time of death and rebirth, in nature and within our own lives. When we look with awareness at the things that are no longer serving us, and focus our intention on letting go of them, we can truly release and transform, allowing space for what’s to come. This takes awareness though, because we can become attached to the things of the past. If we don’t make a conscious decision to release them, they can block us from moving forward in life.
This Saturday, as a group, supported one another, as well as by a series of rituals and a meditation, we went through this process of conscious releasing. And then, from a place of spaciousness, we called in what we want to see- in our own lives and in the community and larger collective around us. We welcomed these new energies, new projects and new solutions, with full faith that they are already coming to fruition or are already here. We celebrated this transformation and joyfully gave a gift in reciprocity to the earth, in the form of a beautiful nature mandala that we created together.
As a way of bringing the truth of our manifestation into the tangible, we spent the afternoon mindfully creating nature mobiles. With our focus on our intentions, we worked with our hands and each created a work of art that embodies balance in a variety of ways. As the people who created them, they were each beautiful in their own unique way.
The group included 6 women, each at different ages/stages of life, ranging from age 19-74, a beautiful and equal representation of the archetypes of maiden, mother and crone. What a gift it was to be able to all learn from each other. The importance of community was like a golden thread woven through the whole day.
For me, it was a great joy to hold space for all the different facets of this day, to honor the land we live on and the many ways that the sacred is manifest here. It was a sacred welcoming of the season, of ourselves. The potency was palpable.
This was the first of a series of one day retreats that I’ll be offering here, at each of the 8 points on the medicine wheel of the seasons. Learning from the earth at the various stages of seasonal change and growth.
The next retreat will be held on Saturday May 10. It’s called Manifesting the Life you Desire with Mosaic Totems. We will come together to bring voice and energy to our intentions and allow the bursting fertility of Mother Nature to assist us in manifesting our desires.
The morning will be spent outside in rituals to honor the earth and all that is happening and available to us in the moment. The afternoon will be spent in the studio creating a personal mosaic totem that will represent your spirit guide, holding these intentions and supporting you as you bring your dreams to reality. I am so excited for this day. There are a few spots left for those who want to join in the magic of the season. Click here to read the full description.
