  PILLAR #7: Knowledge. “Teach the children, even the adult children. Lean in, listen, process. Be patient with what you can’t quite figure out. Don’t get your news from only one or two sources. READ! Seek counsel from your elders, your mentors. Appreciate the wisdom of experience, yours and others’–everyone has something to teach you. Light the way for others by representing the wisdom of the Feminine. Technology is winning out over other forms of intelligence, over ways of noticing but it is only a vehicle for information. Information is not wisdom. Wisdom should be a verb. Women inherently know how to make it a verb.” ~ AthenaDear Shining Ones, PROCESS OVER PRODUCT. That’s what I used to tell the freshmen in the English Composition class I used to teach at UNE. Oh, I’d hammer that one into them! Because, well, most of them did not enjoy writing, and writing IS a process. So I tried to convey that it was never about a “great paper;” it was about what struggle did you allow yourself in the many phases of writing, re-writing, revision, peer review, final draft that actually informed your writing but also brought about clearer, more critical thinking. What struggle can you allow yourself? What would be better to experience through trial and error, in order to be better in the end? The hard thing you are struggling through is also your intellect’s inner yearning. It gets you this great gift called concentration, it builds brain matter (especially in those 18 year olds-) and it fights the all-too-common thing called distraction. YES! YOUR INTELLECT YEARNS TO STRUGGLE! I just read a really depressing article in my Atlantic today (Jan 20th) about how lonely and antisocial everyone (young and old) is getting, and I can’t help but wonder how or if the ‘faster-quicker’ mindset might be contributing to the need to isolate. It takes vulnerability to actually go out to an event, take a class, invite a friend for a walk, and it takes vulnerability to accept, and perhaps even desire (!) process, or the act of struggling through something difficult. What do I mean by ‘desiring process’? I think our world is set up these days to make ‘faster-quicker’ superior to other forms of engagement. It’s so easy to click away, behind a screen, mindlessly scrolling or posting something amusing. Takes a lot more work, brain power and even mental exposure to EXPERIENCE SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. We get drawn into our screens, and there’s no patience or space for actual contact and connection. I’m reminded of some wisdom my father shared with me about 2-3 years ago (in Spirit, he passed away over 30 years ago) when I was being very impatient about something, thinking my own struggle would never end: “Change that lasts takes time. Be patient as well as brave.”  Isn’t this the truth? Things that are easily achieved seem to deteriorate quickly, do they not? And then there’s my favorite quote from a right-decent Republican, President Coolidge: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Let’s encourage process, patience and persistence in one another. When you see it in yourself, celebrate! When something is hard, do not give up. Step away, go for a walk, come back to it. This is the work of a great life: you will not have all of the answers, and your mind wants to be challenged. As we continue to outsource our brains (and creativity) to AI, this may be the last chance at being a sovereign human being! Let the natural urge to commune with real things, real people, and real experiences engulf your tired, weary heart. I guarantee you it will serve your highest good! Shine On, Mary Katherine  FEATURED PRACTITIONER and EVENT Natasha Deminey of Pursoma Self-Care Studio At Wellnest Alfred, Maine Do you live in Waterboro, Alfred, Dayton, Limerick, Shapleigh, Hollis, or Buxton? If you do, there is a new Women’s Wellness studio that is absolutely gorgeous located in what was once the Alfred jail. I met the owner, Natasha, over a FB messenger exchange when she was looking for someone to perform some shamanic clearing and blessing of this new space. Yoga, sound healing, teen girls’ circles, reiki shares and ceremony are just a few of the wonderful, nourishing offerings Pursoma is serving up! A bit about Natasha, in her own words: “While managing a yoga studio, I endured a laundry list of symptoms chalking it up to burnout—until I found myself in the hospital. That moment unraveled a deeper journey of healing, self-care, and rediscovery, as I sought affordable, nurturing practices to reclaim my health and spirit. Through my journey, I realized a profound void: a community that honored the wild, rich contradictions of being a woman, celebrating every facet of our lives without judgment infused with a place where self-care was a way of life. Weaving together diverse findings & interests led to forming a community grounded in holistic self-care, connection, and self-discovery. PurSoma Sanctuary is a place where every woman is empowered to take up space and bloom alongside her sisters.” Check out Pursoma’s website here Just a few of the upcoming offerings: IMBOLC ceremony (with me!): SAT, FEB 1st, 1 – 3 PM [Register HERE] Variety of YOGA classes (Mon-Sat!) SOUND HEALING with Jensyn on Tuesdays, 5:15 PM NEW CLASS! with Nine Pillars! LET ME SEE THAT  ARE YOUR HEALING GIFTS “COMING ONLINE”? We’re living in some interesting times, are we not? Of course I could have used more descriptive adjectives than ‘interesting’ but it does cover all shifts and pivots of emotional and psychological experience: scary, inspiring, hopeful, distrustful, confusing, exciting, fearful. There is a discourse in spiritual circles about the incoming energies, the ‘upgrades’ we are getting to our energetic bodies, our DNA and our fields of experience. The word ‘ascension’ has been thrown around for a few years now, as well as the New Earth, the Great Turning, and a host of other metaphors for this global and cosmic shift. BUT HOW are YOU TAKING IT? Have you OWNED it, My Sister? I don’t actually claim to know much about it, although I do read a lot about it as well as follow a few wise-talkers on YouTube and greatly enjoy my friends who are astrologers who seem to understand what’s happening–at least from that perspective. I am also very aware of my own experience, and try to accept the changes as they come. It started with not being able to attend anything with a “big crowd,” where the energy of the room was just too much. I went through a phase in 2022 of unwinding all preconceived notions of myself, ego-identifiers that felt paltry, untrue and in some cases, not-mine. I have gone through some external shifts: moving out to the country, becoming part-owner of an organic farm, getting a full-time gig at UNE, opening up the tiny home known as the Sweet Suite to solo travelers, building my practice out and beyond what I dreamed of…the list goes on! But the changes I’m talking about now are different. I’m at a place where my healing abilities feel like they are on the ‘fast track’ and my intuitive skill set is on steroids. I welcome these changes, but they are coming fast. And as my dear friend Kat said, they are poignant. Lately, I have been fielding a lot of questions from other people who are also experiencing these shifts in consciousness, abilities, ways of perceiving, and ways of being. As my beloved teacher Barbara recently said when I asked her about this, “The Spirits are busy.” [She gave me A LOT of other great advice too!] Are you suddenly speaking light language? Are you becoming ultra-perceptive, intuitive? Do you have angels “sitting on your shoulder”? Do you dream prophetic dreams? Are you tapped into the energy of Gaia, able to feel certain “zings” at certain times, or in sacred places? Do you see things others don’t? Do you feel like you were born special but can’t exactly figure out how to embody that? Do you see Spirits, talk to the dead? Are the intuitive ‘hits’ multiplying in frequency and accuracy? If you answered ‘yes’ to even one of these questions, I want to invite you to a class I will be offering every other Wednesday night from 6:30-7:30 PM, EST, starting on Jan. 29th, the new moon in Aquarius, naturally! We will gather on ZOOM, set sacred space together and simply talk about our experiences. Additionally, I will lead you through a guided journey to gain insight or retrieve messages from your High Self AND give you some simple “spirit homework” that I will ask about in the following class. This is to help you get even more familiar with your gifts. It is not the time to hide these qualities under a bush! Quite the opposite… Imagine this as devotional time to hone, honor and cultivate your “upgrades.” Spirit is urging Light Workers to get focused; this is a message I’ve received more than once, and it is upon my heart to help lead those who are experiencing these quick changes. Are you craving community? Are you wishing there was maybe a little more time spent with other people on spiritual paths? Making sense of our journeys is often best done with caring witnesses. The energetic exchange I will ask for is $20 per month ($10 per class). This needs to be EASY and AFFORDABLE so as to not leave anyone out. I do not claim to have all of the answers, but I yearn to step more deeply into one of my gifts: thoughtful, insightful communication through leadership and space holding. If you’d like to register, simply Venmo your 1st month’s installment of $20; as an added incentive, I will be offering the 1st class on January 29th for free. (If you come on the 29th and find out the class is not for you, you won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t return!) Need a little more detail? Have a question? I’m happy to chat about this! Just email me! ninepillarshealing@gmail.com CLASS WILL MEET in 2025 on WED evenings from 6:30-7:30 PM via ZOOM on the following days: Jan 29th (FREE! Curious? Join me!) Feb 12th Feb 26th March 5th**(I have a previous commitment on March 12th) March 19th April 2nd (our final class will be pay-what-you-can as my thank you to YOU!) ONCE YOU REGISTER (by emailing me or sending your Venmo payment), I will send you the ZOOM link.Stars do not belong in the dirt. They are meant to SHINE in a dark, expansive sky…LET ME SEE THAT star of yours!! (to share with a friend, send the webpage I created for this event) WISE WOMEN TALKING Avalon Acres Next Circle: Sunday, February 9th 12:45-3:30 PM The Wise Women of Avalon are going strong! We had 15 (!) women circling up in my office space last Sunday to reflect on a few interesting topics, some of which we didn’t even get to. It doesn’t matter! Women who come together to share their stories, to listen with their hearts and to experience soulful exchanges with like-minded other women is really the point. We all leave feeling free, light, thankful, and full of joy… Nancy and I will be holding a “partially-outside” circle next month, as it is our traditional month of the year (Feb) to honor water and sing the water song, Neebeewabow. There is a wonderful video of this beautiful song on Youtube, and if you plan on coming to next month’s circle, I strongly encourage you to start practicing the song. Additionally, we will have a group healing circle after we honor the water; my two massage tables will be set up in the office and, if you joined us on 12/15/24, you know that healing together is a POWERFUL EXPERIENCE! PLEASE don’t let the cold walk down to the creek (featured below) scare you from coming to this circle. If you are unable to walk the terrain or are not a big fan of cold weather, you are welcome to pray, sing, hold space from the circle in my office. It is always good to have a few people “tending the flame” at the house. In fact, we will sing NeebeeWahBow to the waters of our bodies, once we are back inside. To find out more, what to bring, what to expect, check out the web page for Wise Women Talking here or email me!  SPRING EQUINOX SOUL IMMERSION At Avalon Acres Thursday, March 20th, 2025 9 AM- 1 PM Spring is a powerful time. The Celts called this awakening the “Green Fire.” Something is wrestling and rumbling throughout the land: Mother Earth is waking up! In Maine, winter is a long one…although I enjoy the cold (and love snow!), I want to offer an outdoor, active ceremony to welcome Spring into our hearts and into the lines of energy which run through Avalon (and beyond). We will meet and greet the energetically vital land of Avalon as we take a tour together of the “power spots,” singing up the land spirits in each, building an altar to the benevolent guardians of Avalon, and making a “wishing well” blessing at the sacred waters. There will also be one full hour spent in silence (and at your own ‘power spot’) for you to fully immerse yourself into the wisdom of Gaia. (If you have participated in one of my Nature Immersion Wanders, this is similar, but with more together time-) Once our welcoming songs and ritual have come to their natural close, we will gather in the barn (or my healing space, depending on the weather), to have council, a few poems, and share our experiences. In closing, we will share a meal together before you depart. This event is an “active ceremony”–walking, singing, communing with nature, crying, dancing, letting Mother Earth know how happy you are to see her. Those interested will be experiencing 3-4 hours outside, and will need to plan/ dress accordingly. Investment: $45 and a small offering to the land of Avalon To register, Venmo your $45 to this link or email me and I’ll hold your spot! *Attendance is limited to 6 participants  YOU HONOR US GREATLY By communing with the land here Don’t forget Avalon is a great place to snowshoe! Or simply be away from noise, traffic, other people… A sanctuary of nature will always feed you Come visit! See what’s happening in these woods of ours… Our mailing address is: ninepillarshealing@gmail.com |
PERSIST, PERSIST, PERSIST
Embodying the Divine Feminine 