I want to thank everyone who expressed their condolences last week over the loss of our beloved dog, Lucy. Your kind words and heartfelt messages were a balm to my heart. I am so grateful to be surrounded by people who understand and can express love.
Last Friday, under the light of the full moon, my family received another gift of love. We were with friends and had driven to a parking lot where the high vantage point offered us an unobstructed view of the moon. After dancing to Cat Steven’s song Moonshadow and Van Morrison’s song Moondance, we spied a young white cat walking out of the tree line.
The cat responded to my call and allowed me to pick her up. She, we later confirmed, immediately started purring and nuzzling my neck. We all agreed the cat needed a home and brought her to our house. We named her Moonshine or Moon for short.
Meet Moonshine, the newest member of our family
Moonshine is a sweetie pie. She loves to cuddle and use a litter box! My partner took her to the vet and she was declared healthy and ready to meet our older, male cat Ollie. As a I write this newsletter, there is a cat pecking order being established. I hear growls and hisses but no bloodshed…yet. My hope is Ollie will establish his dominance soon and our feline companions will create a peaceful accord.
As I wait for the detente, I feel the upcoming change in seasons. I sense a difference in the air and have noticed a shift in my activities. The desire to work with yarn, to make soup and bread, and to create cozy in the home have definitely increased. These activities are reflected in the Shakti Fall Calendar.
Please download the beautiful Fall Schedule made by Carolyn Witt and post it in a place where you will see it daily. Extra bonus points if you encourage your friends to come with you. (And, please check out the new offering, Equinox Readings.)
I hope to write a more reflective newsletter article next week. The last several weeks have been very full, and consequently, I have not had the mental space to craft a more reflective piece. I appreciate your patience and look forward to sharing deeper thoughts with you.
In the meantime, please know how much I value being in community with you. I live for Makerspace Open Hours on Friday afternoons. Last Friday I made homemade pizza for everyone and loved hearing the yums. You never know what might happen when folks gather at Shakti and I feel confident in saying it will be worth showing up for.
Love to all,
The Shakti in the Mountains’ Cookbook is almost complete!
This e-book will be available for download in mid-December and is full of yummy recipes and heart-warming stories. All proceeds from the sale of this cookbook go to a new Shakti Scholarship fund, which will provide financial aid to folks who need help attending the Shakti Stewardship Program. Minimum donation of $25 will grant you access to this beautiful e-book. You can now pre-order the cookbook here.
A big THANK YOU to Christen Minnick for collecting the recipes and stories and to all the folks who contributed.
P.S. The Shakti Cookbook makes a great Winter Solstice gift!!
NOTE: Your e-book download will be sent to the email you use to donate. Please be sure this is a working email.
Kim Bushore-Maki is a soul-driven entrepreneur who understands the undeniable urge to create a business and a life filled with meaning and purpose. Her vision of opening a center where people could heal and grow led her to open Shakti in the Mountains in Johnson City, Tennessee: a place where the creative, feminine energy is nurtured and valued.
Kim is a licensed professional counselor and a yoga teacher. She completed the Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy program as well as the Shake Your Soul Yoga Dance program. Kim is very interested in somatic expressive therapy, archetypal psychology, gardening, herbalism, astrology, wisdom traditions, and regenerative economics.
Kim continues to build and to support inclusive, vibrant communities. She spends most of her time mentoring leaders, guiding healing programs, and providing mental health counseling.
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