Greetings Goddess Tribe,
Regardless of spiritual path or religious house one may choose, marking each and every Holy Day gives us the opportunity to embrace the sacred. Viewing this opportunity through the world-view lens of Goddess Consciousness gives a special perspective on how to approach setting intention, making preparations, and planning activities for each Holy Day we choose to celebrate. For me, each Holy Day in the Wheel of the Year allows a much needed opening to step out of normal time and into what I call Mystic Time. This time out of time provides a container for stillness, healing, reflection, and magic. For many of us who live hectic lives in stressful times this ‘break in the clouds’ can be the difference between barely making it through and something else altogether; something exceptional.
As I prepare my altar this weekend for the upcoming Holy Day of Imbolc I pause for consideration on this particular holiday for its uniqueness in that it is one of the holidays throughout the year that has not been impacted by the rise of Christianity as much as other holidays we celebrate en masse in the western world. Because of this, I have more capacity to create a sacred container to commune with the Divine. As this is the first Holy Day/Holiday after the New Year and I’m not much one for setting resolutions I use this time to set some intentions for the upcoming calendar year. Most often, intentions are connected to spiritual life, commitments to myself for growth opportunities, and always include an action plan for artistic and creative inquiry.
I also take the opportunity in preparation for each Holy Day to inquire with an Oracle for clarity, consideration, and introspection. For Imbolc, I use the Gaian Tarot and once again, on this Holy Day, I pulled the 7 of Fire – for the third year in a row. For me, this card represents industriousness, using the power of fire to get things done, and also represents a solitary approach to action. Last year, I pulled the 7 of Fire and the 5 of Fire; indicating a need to remove old structures in order to move forward. I created a Blessing Bead Taliswoman including the cards in the triptych. This type of sacred creativity makes each piece even more special to me.
The Great Goddess Brigid reigns over Imbolc and she also happens to be a personal favorite. As an archetype She embodies resiliency, fluidity, and strength.  She is an icon and has served Her people for centuries. I am inspired by Her to serve my community in the role of priestess.  She is transformative, a creatrix, and a force to be reckoned with. She is the Sacred Feminine.
 
 
 
 

Lammas or Lughnasadh - the blessing of the bread - is today and holds its own in the 8 pointed Wheet of the Year as well as having a historical connection to Christian tradition. Markers of the turning of time always invite reflection and are an opportunity for engaging the sacred and offering gratitude; perhaps time for a little revelry too. I consider this process my spiritual path and as my own wheel of time continues to spiral gently through my seasons I acknowledge the continued blurring of the lines between religion and spirituality. 

Sunflowers, sunshine, and the loaves of bread generated from the first official harvest of the season are symbols of the transition from July to August and remind me of the abundance that is all around us. I recognize the generosity of Mother Earth, still, even in these times of unrest. I daydream of laughing children with high stores of energy, enthusiasm, and wonder while carefully observing the beauty of the heavily laden apple tree holding court in the back garden. This is the eve of August. 

Summer canning, barbecues, and concerts in the park have added depth and dimension to my summer experience and my garden is prolific. Herbal medicine and crafting as well as intuitive painting and creative projects such as my art to wear blessing bead taliswoman(s) have added a sweetness to this summer that I haven't experienced in several years. I've reconnected with my Muse - her name is Vivian by the way - who has opened a path of creativity and collaboration that delights my soul. Two lovely nieces have added their wild hearts and joyful silliness to this summer too.  Of course, they are all about glitter. Everywhere.

My sincerest wish is for you to have a very blessed and beautiful summer harvest. 

​As feminist scholars we have an obligation to work actively and work collaboratively to address the prevalent social issues of our time; especially the oppression of marginalized peoples. One vehicle to do so is the use of art and creativity as a personal and collective mystic practice allowing the sacred to infuse every aspect of the purpose, process and product one chooses to give rise to on behalf of the crusade. Art generated in this manner is a powerful and peaceful form of activism and can act as a catalyst for personal, community, and social transformation impacting awareness and prompting social change in profound ways. This form of activism is intentionally used as an alternative to change initiated through violent means. Goddess consciousness acts as the cauldron for this alchemical process to occur by adding a deep reverence for the Divine Feminine, the ability to understand the capacity and elements of myth to support the process along with a critical analysis of social and political structures. Goddess consciousness is also offering service in the role of priestess, the promise of magic, the invitation for intuition, and the essential circles of women that embody radical other ways of knowing. Every act of kindness and every form of peaceful activism with the collective support of others makes a difference. Every seed planted, every ritual, and every sacred act makes a difference. 

Art spans human history, from prelinguistic cave dweller to postmodern city dweller, and stands as witness to an ongoing creative process, an evolution of worldviews, a historic unfolding vision of nature, humanity, cosmos, and consciousness itself.  Every work of art embodies the vision of its creator and self. Every work of art embodies the vision of its creator and reveals a facet of the collective mind. Artists offer the world the pain and beauty of their soul as a gift to open the eyes and heal the collective. (Alex Grey, 1998)
 
As I continue down the winding path of creative inquiry which is constantly opening doors and provoking lines of questioning all demanding my attention I have a flashback from my master’s program in Women’s Spirituality to courses titled Organic Inquiry taught by Dianne Jenett, Ph.D, and Art as Sacred Practice taught by the Reverend Shiloh McCloud and I can suddenly see that seeds were planted some time ago bringing me to the exact right space at the exact right time.  The mysteries of creativity and a connection to the earth and all of Her inhabitants, all that deserve reverence and awe, is for me, the foundation of Intentional Creativity and I see that creative inquiry is perhaps one of the many beautiful branches that have flowered in my own process of knowing who I am over time.  It resonates in me and feels like a sense of synchronicity. Research, inquiry, learning, and knowing that is actually about wonder, passion, hope and conviviality, and of the sacred is of utmost interest and perhaps these missing components from so many aspects of our lives for so many of us are more remarkable than we can truly understand. 

In the process of engaging in deep inquiry and using art as another way of knowing it is helpful to recognize the impact of the cycle of life on our creative endeavors.  Alphonso Montuori, a college professor specializing in creativity, discusses the need for an incubation period that may very well be uncomfortable. This reminds me of a similar discussion initiated by the esteemed author and teacher, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes who compares this incubation time with what she calls the time needed for regeneration and that perhaps an author doesn’t really experience “writer’s block” but really is in need of time to recover, regenerate or incubate.  Dr. Estes refers to this cycle as the Abuende – like the cycle of life.  Personally, the synchronicities are attention worthy as I often feel the pressure to ‘get things done’.  This incubation period I have found to be absolutely critical and I now make space to let things ‘percolate’ before I come to a plan of action.
Over the years, using the colorful and multi-faceted threads of the sacred, threads of Intentional Creativity, and threads of deep personal and academic inquiry (as if they were different) to weave a tapestry sprinkled with the sparkles of women’s circles and wonderful friends has been deeply gratifying and healing.  In my experience, the inquiry approach to art making also cultivates intuition by creating a relationship with one’s muse, one’s inner and true voice, and helps the artist to acknowledge feelings that may be difficult to articulate.  I have found that a relationship with the Divine is nurtured, aside, inside or outside of religious parameters, and the canvas itself become an enchanted gateway with the brush as a magic wand allowing one’s pain  to be transferred so that she doesn’t have to bear the weight any longer.
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The whirlwind of these experiences are thought provoking, incredibly interesting, and is laying the groundwork for a complete replacement of the current lens in which I am working.  The impact on my ability to deal with the incredible stressors of my profession is positive and the opportunity for personal growth is limitless.  I’m finding my understanding of what it means to be creative has changed so much and I’m focused on putting all pieces into place even though I know it is much more important to access women’s wisdom and let things unfold in due time.  Of course, I also know this will never happen as my inquiry about creativity is going to continue to unfold generating more lines of questioning, more subject areas, and many more observations to inquire about. 
 
 

Our New Year's process is quite fascinating from a cultural perspective.  We celebrate while frantically idenfying the things that we want to accomplish in the coming year.  We say goodbye to the previous year as if the time were an independent entity complete with a personality and power over our lives.  And, of course,  we feel failure when broken resolutions are the reality.  So, consider this your invitation to do something a little different and focus on what delights you.  Focus on care - care for your heart and soul.

For me, this will be a year for art and inquiry. I pledge, to myself, to engage in art as a daily spiritual practice and to listen carefully to what the process is sharing.  I choose to be grateful for the amazing art teachers that have come into my awareness over the winter holidays and truly grateful that I am in a place in my life that I can indulge in such wonder.  I will care for myself by participating in thoughtful eating, belly dancing, yoga and lots of time in nature.  I will be kind to myself as if I were a tender bloom dependent upon love and caring friendship. I vow to immerse myself in the rhythm of life; the cycles of the seasons and the moon.

I will ask the canvas, the sketchbook, the art supplies and the art journal prompts what is it that I really need to know by engaging in the process. What do I really need to know?  I will listen carefully to the art teachers, the art seekers, and Mother Nature in order to gain a deeper knowing. I am just now realizing my word for 2017 is wisdom. I will pay careful attention to how this manifests in my life.

I resolve to use the experience to propagate peace as my form of rebellion against the oppression of all marginalized people and to perpetuate the progress of women, all women, which in turn will better the world for everybody. I will immerse myself in the experience in order to do everything I can to make our world a better place.

It is my sincerest wish that 2017 is the year for positive transformation.

"Yes, friends, the darkness wins, but these short days to celebrate light:
Today the lemon sunrise lasted a few hours until sunset, all day the snow glowed
pink and purple in the trees.  This is not a time of black and white, my friends, outside us.
Among us, too, let's sing what winter forces us to know:
Joy and color bloom despite the night. We measure warmth by love, not by degrees.

Patricia Monaghan

​     Greetings and Happy Summer!  Lammas has its roots in the United Kingdom and is indeed a day of celebration. This holy day is also known as Lughnasagh, the Celtic day of the wake of the God Lugh.  The Wheel of the Year is turning and we start to prepare now for the season of autumn even though the sun is still high in the sky and full of warmth.  Because of the connection to ancient ways we celebrate the bounty of the earth at this time and the Grain Mother who is also known as Demeter, Pachamama, Ceres and Zeme, among many other names around the world.
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     The wheat sheaf is a popular symbol of the season at this time and Lammas is, of course, the loaf mass inviting us to bake magic into bread loaves that are generated from the earth’s bountiful grain fields. For me, symbols of the season include sunflowers, calendula blossoms, the colors yellow and gold and Lammas invites a party!  If you are celebrating this holy day consider creating sacred space, perhaps an altar, to focus your intention. Bouquets of sunflowers, white and yellow candles and other special items can focus your energy and provide a beautiful artistic element to your home.  Give it a try!

Greetings Sister Mystics, 

For the last couple of days I have had a strong sense of the turning of the Celtic Wheel of the Year - a calling to autumn.  My logical side is saying that it is too early to be thinking about the harvest of the autumn even though it is my all time favorite season of the year.  Sitting down to write today, I realize that I am in tune with the clicking of the Wheel - Summer Solstice is almost here.  The Summer Solstice, of course, is the longest day of the year and marks the turning towards the dark.  Each day after is just a little shorter until we reach the Winter Solstice yet again. This amazing cycle is represented, in my humble opinion, by the symbol of the spiral.  I consider the spiral to also reflect women's time, for many reasons. Our bodies cycle monthly, annually and during our lifetime in tune with the phases of the moon; just like the tides of the oceans. The seasons cycle through as well and each time we spiral through the year we look forward to each season's bountiful blessings; always beautiful but never exactly the same as before. This gives the opportunity to learn, consider and reflect; to gain wisdom. 

The summer solstice is filled with an abundance of blooms, aromatic herbs reaching to the sky and lots of summer sunshine!  Lavender is the herb of this solstice so indulge in some lavender crafts or take a field trip to the closest lavender farm. Tuck some lavender sprigs in your pillow case for sweet dreams after you have a lavender themed summer solstice patio party of course!  Start the party late so you can all watch the sunset. Celebrating with your community is a wonderful thing to do.  Of course, this is also a wonderful opportunity to call your community in; great friendships are build on intention. Lavender sprigs can also be added to your creative endeavors!  Put some in your paint water or add lavender essential oil to your projects. My handmade journals always smell of something divine and people notice.  Adding a touch of nature to your creativity is really just beautiful.  Happy creating!

​The theme of this edition tickles my fancy and tempts my imagination even though I have learned tremendous lessons from engaging in the pursuit of mystery.  I had a dream a while back inviting me to consider the place I live, Dunsmuir, California, in ways that aren’t necessarily visible on the surface.  Dunsmuir sits just south of the majestic Mt. Shasta in northern California and is nestled in a steep, forested canyon of beautiful trees and wildflowers. This is an old rail town with old rail houses and a very quaint downtown that looks much like it did several decades ago.
I have a thing for nature and this region is filled with amazing waterfalls, beautiful forests and fascinating wildlife.  We live next to the Sacramento River, just six miles from the headwaters, and I can always hear the river song which whispers her mysteries to those that listen. During wet weather, steams of mountain mist dance along the tree tops in the canyon beckoning the day dreamer to adventures yet unknown. And, on days like today, the town is enveloped in the silence and beauty of falling snow.
And yes, Mt. Shasta is full of deep mysteries replete with the mythology of ancient times.  She is said to house remnants of the great Lemurian people who hold the knowledge of crystal magic.  If you know of someone who has made the trek to this mountain chances are you know somebody with a tale of magic. She tempts thousands of visitors every year yet walking her pathways isn’t for the light of heart. Inviting Her mysteries often results in tremendous life lessons and if you accept, transformation isn’t far behind.
                Often overshadowed, Dunsmuir hosts the amazing Castle Crags; 6000 feet of tall granite spires said to be over 200 million years of age which have inspired many myths and legends. It is believed that Castle Crags is a similar interdimensional vortex of energy, similar but not the same as Mt. Shasta, and a gateway to other dimensions.  People come to the Crags to engage in embodied spirituality – the hike to the top is a challenge.  Exploring the spires at the top of the trail can be a profound experience.
                The Winter Solstice, the quiet time, still holds space for the ancestors to share their wisdom.  In this place, the ancestors that have made their presence known include the oak, pine and cedar trees as well as the great osprey and trout. If I am still enough the murmurs of the peoples of this land can also be heard. They all speak of the need to hold a strong reverence for Mother Earth and to care for each other well. They remind us to be patient, resonate deeply with home, to honor the seasons and to share our beauty regardless of who is watching.
                Dancing with the realm of mystery takes a special person; one with patience as well as a sense of adventure. Entering the ring with mystery promises transformation of one kind or another. Mystery irrevocably keeps things in the shadows where they remain hidden until their time has come. My only advice is to access women’s wisdom and let things unfold as and when they should. Perhaps you might begin with formulating an inquiry about the mystery of your place.