The brightest star in the night sky is Sirius. Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Major which resembles the shape of a dog; consequently, Sirius is often referred to as the “dog star.” When Sirius rose in the morning sky (in mid-July), the Egyptians knew the flooding of the Nile would soon occur. The days to follow were some of the hottest days of the year; hence the expression
the dog days of summer. This is where we are now. We are in the dog days of summer.
We just celebrated the first harvest, Lughnasadh, and this Wednesday, August 12, marked the beginning of a new lunar cycle as well as heralded eclipse season. Children are going back to school and universities are gearing up for a new academic year. Gardens are still producing food and there is a push to can and otherwise preserve the abundance. Summer, while not over, is winding down. We are moving toward a new season.
The Shakti community is both recognizing the current season while simultaneously preparing for the new season. Our event, Pasta-bilities, is a celebration of the harvest (please join us for a delicious meal as well as a discussion on slow living), and our College Night reflects our desire to welcome students back to the community. We also are working diligently behind the scenes, preparing the new fall calendar. Expect your favorite monthly events as well as some wonderful, new seasonal workshops.
To support this moment of transition, I created a ritual to navigate this liminal space. As always, please take what works and leave the rest behind.
Wishing you cool breezes, time by the water, and garden-fresh dishes.
Love,
Kim
The Betwixt Times: A Ritual for End of Summer
After the sun has set, go outside and find a patch of grass. Bring a blanket, if you wish, and settle onto the land. Allow your senses to expand. Begin by closing your eyes and listening to the sounds around you. What do you hear?
Now take several deep breaths. Slowly inhale through your nose and notice what you smell. Then bring your awareness to your skin. What do you feel against your skin? Deepen your awareness. What do you sense inside your body?
Continue to listen, smell, and feel with your eyes closed for as long as you wish. Give yourself permission to slow down and to notice the moment-to-moment fluctuations. What is shifting over time? What remains the same?
When you are ready, gently open your eyes. Notice how your perspective changes in the dark. What shapes or outlines are visible? Where do you see flickers of light? What colors, if any, are discernible?
Stay connected to your senses as you reflect on your summer experiences thus far. Sit with the following questions:
- Where and with whom did you experience the most pleasure?
- What activities made you feel the most alive?
- What grew (literally and metaphorically) for you?
- What did you need to weed out?
- What information and practices do you want to preserve as you move toward fall?
After reflecting on your summer, ask yourself: What is my primary focus for fall?
Allow yourself to be with your first impression. Your first impression may be a felt-sense or an idea or an image. Stay with it. Be curious.
If your mind attempts to logic a response, or worse negate a response, reassure that part of you that you are exploring possibilities – not making a firm commitment. Be curious about that part of you too. Underneath the negative or dismissive talk is a fear that a need might not be met. Identify the need without dismissing the original response. This information will deepen your understanding and help shape the direction for your fall priority.
Upon returning to the inside, journal about your experience. Between now and September 22, the day of the Fall Equinox, spend time reflecting, writing, drawing and embodying the feelings, ideas and images that arise when you consider your hopes and dreams for this fall. Use the liminal space to prepare for the new season.
I attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Black Heritage Trail located outside of the Langston Centre. Adam Dickson, the director, gave us a guided tour. You can find a brochure inside the centre and go on a self-guided tour. Highly recommend!
Spent time in the woods and was greeted by mushrooms of all shapes, sizes, and colors. The mycelium web is in full force!
For nearly thirty years, Kim Bushore-Maki has served Appalachia as both a pioneer and champion of holistic well-being and community health.
A licensed clinical counseling professional, she became the first Master level clinician at East Tennessee State University's Counseling Center, where she provided therapeutic services and directed the Sexual Violence Prevention Program and the Alcohol and Drug Prevention Program.
During her tenure at ETSU, she was a founding organizer of the Tennessee Coalition for Healthy and Safe Campus Communities as well as Tennessee's representative for the National Prevention Network. She drafted ETSU's first Sexual Violence Response Policy and coordinated the region's first "Take Back the Night" program and fundraiser (the oldest worldwide movement to stand against sexual violence in all forms), the proceeds of which funded the first SANE nurses at the Johnson City Medical Center. Kim also served as Interim Director of Disability Services for 11 months.
In 2010, Kim followed her intuition and vision to found Shakti in the Mountains, a thriving healing-arts center that draws on somatic expressive therapy, archetypal psychology, wisdom traditions, and regenerative economics. Kim continues to maintain a small private therapy practice and also leads healing programs and retreats, guides the Shakti Stewardship Program, and serves as a community-building consultant to justice-oriented initiatives committed to building safe, inclusive, vibrant, and resilient communities.
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