Exploring your relationship with your resources.
On Thursday, the Sun moves into the sign of Taurus, landing us squarely in the middle of spring. Taurus is symbolized by the bull whose slow but strong presence is a reminder to take one day at a time and to keep a steady pace.
Taurus is the nexus of growth and abundance. This sign is the embodiment of earth: an element which invites us to acknowledge and to care for our resources.
Any time I contemplate resources I refer to…
The gateway to liberation – both for ourselves and for others.
Before I ever heard of yoga or the word shakti, I was drawn to feminine energy. As a young child, I did not have the words to describe what I felt. What I remember is attending Catholic mass as part of my parochial education and wanting to sit in front of the statue of the Blessed Mother. I frequently had conversations with Mother Mary who always listened to me and never judged me. She was so much easier to connect with than the male deity presented to me. I remember asking Mother Mary to run interference for me with God, a father figure who seemed gruff and whom I was afraid of disappointing.
Things changed in my teens and early twenties. After witnessing the power differential between boys and girls, I made a conscious choice to embody masculine energy. I was very ambitious and wanted the advantages that I saw the boys and men around me have. Just like Maureen Murdock describes in her seminal book, The Heroine’s Journey, I too sought to distant myself from the feminine…
Creating an Emergency Box: A fun and extremely helpful activity.
No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. ~ Albert Einstein
Last week, during a workshop at Create Appalachia, I shared a tool called polarity mapping. Barry Johnson, creator of the tool and author of And, called polarity mapping “a wisdom organizer.” (Who doesn’t want a wisdom organizer?) I love polarity mapping because it provides a way to navigate “interdependent pairs” without having to choose one option over the other. (And p.11)
One of the steps when using a polarity map is to…
Ways to prevent burnout or to move through overwhelm.
Last week I had a moment of wanting to sit in the corner and just rock. I’ve had these moments before, and each time, the experience of overwhelm is preceded by story after story of tragedy, violence, and greed. In one week, I sat with the information about…
Allowing your Wild and Wise Self to guide you…
How is everyone adjusting to the new season and the new lunar cycle? This week’s energy encourages not only fresh starts, but also invites us to find the balance between what is best for the individual (me) and what is best for the collective (we).
(If you are interested in learning where this particular balancing act is happening in your life, then consider asking for a 10-minute Astro-Energy Check-In with me. I will need access to your natal chart and can meet in person during Makerspace Open Hours or can schedule a virtual check-in. Donations accepted. Email me if interested.)
I have been sitting with this question for over a week now. Where do I find balance? In addition to meditating and journaling, I sought inspiration from one of my favorite sources…
A Time of Rebirth and Growth + Spring Garden Tips
In less than a week, we officially enter the season of spring: a time of rebirth and growth. As always, Shakti in the Mountains initiates a new schedule for every season. Below is a link to a printable, one-page schedule for this spring. I encourage you to take a look, register early for your must-go-to events, and pass the schedule on to a friend or five. More and more events are selling out, so please do not wait too long to secure your spot.
Since we are entering the season of rebirth and growth, I want to share some tips for the garden. These tips reflect what will be happening soon in the Shakti Garden…
Feeling along the edges of my comfort zone.
As we shift into a new season, I am feeling along the edges of my comfort zone. I wonder if anyone else is feeling similarly? There is some anxiety around pushing beyond the boundaries of what is familiar, and there also is frustration from feeling confined. I imagine this push-pull is how a snake feels before shedding its skin.
As far as I can tell, the liminal space, which generates this push-pull sensation, proceeds all major, if not minor, transformations. It seems both anxiety and frustration are necessary for change. Every time I experience the discomfort which comes from change I tell myself, next time, I won’t wait for pain to make a move. And yet, all major growth in my life has been rooted in a desire to stop my suffering…
Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories
Happy Women’s History Month! The theme for this year’s Women’s History Month is Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories. May we all choose to share stories of women (living or dead, famous or not) who shape and impact our lives.
One special date during Women’s History Month is International Women’s Day which occurs this year on March 8. Shakti in the Mountains is celebrating this day with a craftivism project (drop in between 3 and 5 pm) and a program which includes a potluck dinner (5 to 7:30 pm).
The program is curated by four students from the ETSU Public Health Doctoral Program. These wonderful women have planned an incredible evening for us which includes…
Why accountability is a good thing.
One of the advantages of working with a coach, a therapist, or a mentor is developing a relationship in which you trust the person to hold you accountable to your goals, your values, and your purpose.
I realize that some people may not want to foster a relationship in which being held or holding another accountable is desired. Fair. Not all relationships must include accountability as an important and necessary criterion. I would argue; however, that relationships which do not include being held responsible for one’s decisions and actions is not a relationship in which growth can easily happen.
Why accountability is a good thing: let me count the ways (pun intended)…
I believe there is a community for everyone.
In preparing for this Saturday’s Exploring Our Wild Roots (it is not too late to register), I read the following passage from Dr. Estes’ Women Who Run With the Wolves:
See to it now that you spend less time on what they [family of origin] didn’t give you and more time on finding the people you belong to. (p.166)
…when an individual’s particular kind of soulfulness, which is both an instinctual and a spiritual identity, is surrounded by psychic acknowledgment and acceptance, that person feels life and power as never before. Ascertaining one’s own psychic family brings a person vitality and belongingness. (p.172)
Finding people who acknowledge and accept you is powerful. People who see you as you are and who value what you are provides a confidence that is unshakeable.