How are you feeding yourself this summer? Time to load up on the greens! Our Milkweed at Avalon is being throughly enjoyed by these soon-to-be monarchs!
LUGHNASA GREETINGS FRIENDS!
The fires of Lughnasa, or “1st Harvest” as it is known in Ireland, Scotland and Wales, are about to be lit! Summer, for our ancient kin, was a time of WORK, of toiling under the hot sun, of praying to the weather gods or capital-G god (depending on what century-) to ensure rain would come. But by the first of August, they were ready to celebrate their hard work and start harvesting the ripening fruit! What a wonderful feeling it must have been for them: “Yah, we get to feed our families!”
There’s all kinds of work in the world, isn’t there? Some might think writing is ‘work’ too…and I suppose you’d be right. But as the old adage says: “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” In other words, writing is not work for me. Nor is shamanic healing. Nor is teaching college students how to write more efficiently. Nor is holding the monthly circle we host here at Avalon, Wise Women Talking. Nor is watering all those plants…nor is harvesting! (now weeding: THAT’S WORK!)
But seriously: how many of us get to say we really, truly, LOVE our work? I spent YEARS not loving my work as a medical assistant at a big medical practice. Wow, was that stressful, mentally and emotionally draining, and a LOT OF OUTPUT. However, the doctor I worked for was one of the very best in his field, had patented endoscopic equipment, taught incoming fellows and made A LOT of people feel better. I’ll bet he didn’t see what he did in the world as work but rather why he was put on the Earth.
Is it that ‘work’ has a bad reputation? Might the meaning of work need to be re-cast? Work does not, should not make us miserable. But sometimes our “paycheck work” is not our passion; some of us must do our passion “on the side.” In fact, no matter what kind of work you do, sometimes you have to take one for the team and give up a cushy job for one with health insurance (or to be closer to an ailing parent, or find one where the kids can enjoy a better school system or, or, or-). Maybe you or your partner get ill and you have to stop working. This feels disempowering, even if you “hated” your job. Better to be WELL and go to a crappy job than get sick…and be forced to stay home.
We Americans spend a lot of time working. Working is highly valued in our country. God forbid you be “out of work” and get the glance of pity or, worse, judgment. Why do people automatically assume that if someone is “out of work,” they really must have done something bad. Only lazy people are out of work, right?
No! Really highly motivated, dedicated employees get dismissed or “canned” every day. There are a lot of endings happening right now, both in our personal lives as well as on a much broader scale. And most folks who “lose” a job could share a litany of explanations as to why this befell them. Even though the phenomenon of losing a job happens to nearly everyone, at some point, why do we feel so compelled to defend ourselves, to assert our value, skill, aptitude?
Because the workplace is where most of us gain our value, understand our purpose in the world. But there’s other kinds of work we are also contracted to do. Recently, I was instructed by one of my spirit guides about the nature of the “work you were sent here to do.” As someone who, at the ripe age of seventeen, vividly recalls crying on the bathroom floor at our home in Hope Mills, North Carolina, pray-screaming at God to please, please, please show me how I can serve you, I’ve always wondered what “my work” in the world was. However, Spirit does not paint you a crystal clear picture of how to serve your best self to the world–not at seventeen, nor at fifty-three.
The message I received about the work I was sent here to do went something like this: “All you need is inside of you, in your safe, soul place and in your heart. You can get trampled, pulled in and trapped in any number of narratives out there. But what is YOUR narrative? What is the treasure map of you leading you towards?”
What a wonderful invitation! We DO get to write our own stories! It is so easy to get pulled into someone else’s narrative, hoping to gain approval, acceptance, or even love. How many times did I get pulled into the narrative of a boyfriend, family member or even friend? I’m sure my intention was pure, likely “wanting to help.” But my spirit guide was saying: Let’s look at the map you HOLD, the one that your soul designed. What’s the storyline all about? What plot twists are coming up that might prove extraordinary?
We forget that being gifted a message such as this is ‘work’ too. I feel an obligation to “work the energy” of this revelation and to honor what my spirit teacher has shared with me. But: it feels like a lot of work to turn away from “dependable narratives!” For now, I’m trying to surrender to the wisdom I sense it holds. And to imagine that treasure map with me wherever I go!
If you feel like you’re struggling through your own narrative, make sure it’s YOUR narrative. Sometimes we need to change the story we’re telling ourselves–for it may be outdated, delinquent in its relevance, and even harmful for who the soul is trying to usher out into the world.
WARNING: when you start to tell yourself a new story about WHO YOU ARE, things on the outside will change. Some relationships may drop away; some habits will crisp up in the hot wind and blow off. You may even find yourself ready to quit a (reliable, financially solvent) job that just does not suit who you are anymore.
As Pam Gregory likes to say: Life is an inside job. Consider the work of the evolving soul. There’s no better work than that!! Surrender to the fact that all you NEED is INSIDE OF YOU.
Happy Lughnassa! May abundance and harvest blessings find you…
I was reading an astrology report the other day and it mentioned “since we are now living in the decade of post-truth.” It made me wonder: Will the “decade of post-truth” become the century of post-truth?
The thing is: We ARE in the throes of a great awakening, although it feels like the last vestiges of complete destruction. Dismantling means something new MUST BEGIN.
But…most of us are asking questions like this: Will we have a democracy next year at this time, or will we join a host of other countries in this world that are ruled by a Machiavellian authoritarian?
What, exactly, will we tell our grandkids about what we tried to stop, what we fought for (but lost), what we changed, if anything?
I’m not generally a doom-n-gloom kind of gal. Anyone who has read this newsletter in the past couple of years knows I believe strongly in the adage “Where your focus lies, therein goes your energy” [and this, then, becomes your reality]. I’m a strong believer in “Mind Is The Builder” [Edgar Cacey], and that what we think about, we manifest.
I also believe that our actions must line up with our values. For me, it is the only way to truly live in integrity.
And so, it’s time to review WHERE you are putting your energy. This doesn’t mean we turn away from “what’s happening in the world” –how could we? But I am inviting you to be cautious about how much doom-scrolling you might be doing. Nothing thrives when it is out of balance. Are you balancing your doom-scrolling with long walks in the woods, helping out your ailing mom with her flower bed, writing even a wee little check to MOFGA, so we can ensure quality organic produce here in the state of Maine continues? Align with YOUR values…
I am bringing this up because I was in a meeting the other day with a father of a trans-teen;being the step-mom to a child who identifies as gender non-binary, this father and I always check in to see how everyone is doing, what we’ve recently learned, and new resources we want to share. When he mentioned getting a visa for Canada so he’d know that his child would be safe come election day, I was a bit shocked. Shocked but not surprised…as an alternative healer who could easily identify as a ‘white witch,’ who is married to a Jewish man and has a gender non-binary step child, it’s crossed my mind to worry come election day as well. Because we were in mixed company, I chose not to pursue any follow-up questions. To be completely honest, I didn’t want his fear to infect me. I could feel the vibe of excessive adrenaline, a sure sign of fear-based thinking and “building.” [Mind is the Builder].
Being hyper-vigilant about ensuring the safety of his child was, clearly, a priority. Every parent has that priority. On my ride back to Hollis that evening, I started wondering if Charlie needs to go to Canada. Do they think about running, if the protections the LGBTQ community has worked so hard for evaporate? Would I leave, if I could, to live in a country where these freedoms (among others) might be better protected? Charlie has already told me they aren’t going to vote, seeing that neither candidate is worthy of their vote. (That’s another newsletter-).
Back to my short, shocking conversation with my work colleague: It IS MY PRIORITY to not let people who are operating out of hypervigilance to “infect” me, just as it is HIS PRIORITY to make sure that his kid gets out of the country, somewhere safe. Everyone has their own agenda, their need to make life go a certain way. I’m not interested in putting my head in the sand but I’m also not building a bunker, making my “get-away” backpack full of freezer-dried ravioli and peach roll-ups.
So how do we maintain vigilance for what we think is right and just AND keep the sacred humming in a HEALTHY balance, pursuing in full throttle the things that bring us to wholeness?
To me, for me, the things that “bring us to wholeness” is the only way–what could be superior to WHOLENESS? Democracy, as Cornel West put it so eloquently many years ago, was always an experiment. Countries crumble, and so do governments. Is it sad? Hell yes. I’m sadder for the planet…but I don’t let that suffering debilitate me. I can’t.
I suppose what I really want to say is: Where we put our energy MATTERS. It matters so much for a greater project to take hold. That is why, after 10 years of only showing this download to a select few people, I’m sharing it with a wider audience. It’s called “The Wave” and I’ll set it up for you:
In October of 2013, I was participating in my last session of Shamanic Initiations. Our 4-day closing work and ceremony was being held at my beloved Borestone. I’m forever grateful to my teachers, Dory Cote and Barbara Bloecher, for the opportunity to participate in such deep work and to have the experience of their tutelage these many years.
One of our journeys was to travel through the Void and find a Master Teacher. I don’t know exactly what the journey question was, probably something like “What can you tell us about the nature of the universe?” We were to take a trusted guide with us; my guide at the time was a Japanese samurai named Hoshi.
Below is the information that the Master Teacher shared, and that I’d like to share with you. It has been edited for clarity and conciseness:
THE WAVE
Journey with my upper world teacher, Hoshi, to a Master Teacher, Saturday 10/05/13
We were dropped into the Void, which was both black and full of little light particles. We floated down onto a man working at a big stone desk. He was an old man–long white hair, a long white/gray beard. Although he was sitting, you could tell he was very tall. He also had really long fingers, and was sketching. On closer observation, it was clear it was sacred geometry.
Finally, he began to speak:
‘Circles, rhythms, cycles, orbs. Everything is a circle. All is in a cycle. The sacred walk is walking itself.’ [This is what I recall verbatim; the rest is summary]. He said that Earth was at the end of a long cycle, and that the apex of that cycle was at its breaking point. He then went into the wave analogy:
The Earth’s present cycle was like a wave. The light workers were at the top of the wave; those choosing a dark path at the bottom of the wave. The dark path people were necessary to create the tension that builds the wave up, in a way of pushing the light workers to get focused. There are a bunch of people in the middle however which he called ‘yet decided,’ and they are suffering the most now. He implied that this great cycle would be able to come to full fruition once everyone decided which part of the wave they truly wanted to be part of, and that one end was not ‘better’ than the other. He then said again, ‘The Sacred Walk is walking itself.’ He said that when the Earth community has filled the capacities for these ratios, that is the BREAKING POINT of the wave, and a new Earth can be born.
I asked if other realities can see this happening, and if they were helping. He said there were several other beings watching and sending light to the process in order for the wave-crashing to be more loving to the planet. Then he made this analogy: ‘Like how you people christen a newborn baby? They are sending light to wash the new born Earth.’ He then added that every time anyone drums anywhere on Earth, we are sending a vibrational hello to the other dimensions/realities/beings. [end journey]
I’ll resist trying to interpret too much of this, or add in my 2-cents for how this information hits me now, in 2024.
I hope you find some solace in these sentiments. Afterall, the sacred walk is walking itself.
Are you, too, screaming “FINALLY!” as you gaze upon the crocus, the dandelion, the tulips? Although the tulips haven’t actually bloomed yet, I have the leaves. The leaves have shot up in our perennial bed here at Avalon and there is just something that warms my heart to see them. Something akin to…well, relief. Spring DID come! Did we doubt it would? Well, if you’ve spent at least a few years in Maine, sometimes you do wonder!
Overnight (it seems), the forsythia bloomed and –be still my heart–so did the pink blossoms of the magnolia tree. The chickens appear to vacillate between fussy and punk-ass; Molly and Pippin officially have Spring fever. WE ARE WAKING UP! The world around us is groaning delight in colors, scents and sounds. The heart of the land, the sea, the rivers and the sky finally get to have a coming-home party and ask “Well, now, how have YOU been?”
Where will you meet them, these jesters of the landscape that surround us? Are you stopping–really stopping–to welcome the robin back? Have you eyed that bike of yours, promising to pump up the tires and take a spin but really aren’t sure you’re ready to “get out there”? Is your social calendar exploding? Sometimes, this can be a good thing or a not-so-good thing…
What do I mean by all of this? There is always a ‘flip-side’ energetically to each season. Although Spring does beckon us to awaken, come back to life, be re-born, the underlying message enveloped in those urges is one of ACTION. But maybe you’re stuck. Maybe ‘action’ sounds like a nightmare to you. There is an uptick in suicides in the spring, and there’s a reason for this: the transition is HARD for some. The unspoken (and external) pressure to crawl out of your shell means “bye-bye shelter.” When we no longer have the protective layer holding us together, keeping us “tucked in,” we are exposed, vulnerable to the sights and sounds (and demands) around us.
So I suggest easing into it. EASE yourself into the Spring season with a few markers of self-care, a few mantras that SUIT YOU. Here’s some gentle suggestions:
__Let your no be ‘no, thank you’ and your yes be ‘hell yes!’ As Anne Lamott reminds us, ‘No’ is a complete sentence. You do not need to explain yourself to anyone, if you decline an invitation.
__”My energy is my energy and only my energy” is a great mantra for anyone who is highly sensitive and tends to pick up the energy of others. Spring is a great time for boundary-making because the explosion of life sort feels like it knows no boundaries. Make your own.
__With the increase in light, you might think getting up earlier than usual (or doing more after 5 PM) seems normal. Well, it might be–eventually. But if you feel like you’re pushing yourself, use that early morning sunlight to journal, write your dreams down or take a quiet walk around your yard. SUNLIGHT does not mean “Ok, go!” This is a left-over vestige from the many generations of our ancestors who believed “the sun is up/time’s a wasting.”
__Get accustomed to asking yourself: “What would serve my body BEST at this moment?” We are now in the time of Taurus! The Bull. This energy is one of earthly embodiment, of stability [“four on the floor” like bull], of stillness. Does your body need to shake off a frustrating conversation? Then go dance! Take a walk. Does your body need to REST, unburdened, unbidden, under the covers, all freaking week-end? Then do that.
__Speaking of Taurus, this is the first sign in the Zodiac ruled by Venus (the other, Libra). Venus is all about the beauty of love and the love of beauty. Where do you find beauty? Taurus asks us to name the SIMPLE things in life we find beautiful. Counting your blessings is a sure way to stay in the positive lane and allow this transition into Spring to be one of ease.
Sure, Spring is a time to re-set. But remember: YOU know yourself better than anyone, and your pace might look different than the explosion of color and change around you. As DEER spirit told me at our recent drum making ceremony last week-end, “The relationship you have with yourself is the most important one of all.”
Shine On,
Mary Katherine
PS. The suicide hotline is: 988; if you are hoping to find a therapist, the best way is to: 1) check out this link [Psychology Today] or Better Help. You might also be looking for a different kind of healing and re-set. I recommend the following shamanic practitioners: Dory Cote, Martha Williams, John Moore,Nancy MacPhee or any of the others on my Resources page of my website. I am also seeing clients again, starting on June 1st!
I thought this newsletter would be difficult to write but once I sat down with pen to paper, the words came easily. Why? Because I believe the difficult experiences we have in this life are meant to teach us something, guiding us to a higher expression of our best selves. If you’ve had an experience that was difficult but were able to glean something valuable from it, welcome to your highest expression! The Ezee-Passes are for the toll roads, not life. No one is exempt from the hurdles that this human form requires of us.
My best self is one who inspires and teaches others; it does not surprise me that my Ostara newsletter would come out with a theme of reinvention and renewal…but also assertion. With Spring comes Aries, the 1st sign of the Zodiac and the essence of “I AM.” On March 19th, we will move out of Winter and into Spring, giving our thanks to the elders of the North Direction as we bid them farewell and greeting the new day of the East. This is a time of rebirth, emergence, and even revelation.
And there is no greater revelation than cozying up to one’s mortality.
Now I know a lot of people at this point in my 52 years who have had ‘close calls,’ unfavorable diagnoses and a flush of other 9-Lives type of accidents–myself included. But I want to share a Tale of 2 Cancers with you not so much as a warning tale but rather a gesture of inspiring you to show up and be heard, talk loudly if you think you’re being ignored, assert what you know is true. Because it may just save your life.
In December of 2008, I had a vaginal ultrasound for a diagnosis of ‘pain with sex’ or if you want to get fancy, dyspareunia. The ultrasound revealed a ‘burst ovarian cyst’ and my doctor said we’d watch things, that it was probably a one-and-done. Painful sex continued, and so I sought a 2nd opinion. This time, I wanted to go to an OBGYN, not to the facility where my PCP and 40 other doctors practiced. Luckily for me, at the time I was working at Portland Gastroenterology and we had good insurance–I could go see whomever I wanted. Specialists were covered!
So, in January of 2009, I went to see an OBGYN and had another vaginal ultrasound. This time, the radiology tech took one look at the screen and said, “It’s not your ovary that’s giving you the problem. It’s your fallopian tube.” She was quite candid about describing the ‘hotdog’ size of my fallopian tube, suggesting that it should really look more like a string.
Well they didn’t even let me go home without giving me a big shot of antibiotics in my arm and a 2-week supply to take home with me. The OBGYN said the fallopian tube ‘must be infected.’A follow-up was scheduled in 3 weeks so they could do another ultrasound to assess. Hopefully, this course of antibiotics would treat the raging infection I had.
3 weeks later, another ultrasound. No changes on imaging. Another course of antibiotics, with a 6-week follow-up. Back in 6 weeks, another ultrasound. By this time, I was getting a little impatient and worried. Although there appeared to be a slight decrease in the size of my fallopian tube, it didn’t look like the string formation they were expecting.
“This is a tough one,” the doctor said as she wrote out yet another prescription for antibiotics. I took the script, stuck it in my purse and asked her if we could do a biopsy?
“Well, that would just destroy the tube. I’d have to remove it in its entirety.”
I waited for more explanation. “Is there any harm in doing that? I can live with one, can’t I? I mean, these antibiotics don’t seem to be, you know, fixing the problem.”
She seemed to be contemplating this course although I could tell she wasn’t sold on the idea. Finally, she said, “I suppose we can just remove it. But let’s try one more round of the antibiotics first. And, let’s put you on my surgery schedule now because it fills up, just in case.”
Great. I took the antibiotics (again!), no change. So, on July 29th, 2009, the good doctor who I had to convince to try something different removed my fallopian tube. Results? Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma, if you want to get fancy about it. Fallopian tube cancer.
As anyone can tell you who’s had cancer, you suddenly have 5 new doctors and a LOT of appointments. On October 13th, I had an abdominal hysterectomy with cervix, ovaries, 17 lymph nodes, omentum from both sides of my abdominal cavity and the other fallopian tube removed. Lucky for me, there was not any more cancer to be found. Yah!
I was 38 years old, and it took me a long time to feel like cancer wasn’t going to sneak up on me and shout ‘Boo!’ in my ear. Anyone who’s had a cancer diagnosis and lived through it will tell this.
And then we have Jan 29th of this year. I had been walking around for about a month, noticing that a freckle on my face was bleeding. On and off, no biggie. However, I wasn’t doing anything to make it bleed. My grandmother, who was a nurse, used to say, “Keep your hands away from your face! That’s how germs are spread.” So I hardly ever touched my face, and knew I hadn’t scratched myself.
I called my dermatologist. I love this guy! He is so sweet. I go see him once a year because my mother, who is heavy on the Scottish genes, has had 3 melanomas. He got me in the following week.
A few pleasantries, a few light-hearted jokes. He always asks about the farm, so I told him about the chickens, the new kitty, the Sweet Suite. The whole time we’re having this conversation, he’s looking at my face with one of those magnifying lenses with the little light on it. Finally, he steps away from my face, slips the magnifying glass into his scrub pocket and says, “I’m not worried about this.”
Oh, ok. So, do faces just bleed, out of the blue? And you know what? I almost said “Great, see you at our annual visit.” But something would not let me hop off that examination table. Something would not let me be on my way. Just like with my OBGYN, I had to press for other options.
So often, in uncomfortable moments, it’s easier to make a joke instead of blatant confrontation. So I made a joke. “Well, what should I say to people when they ask me ‘Do you know that your face is bleeding?’”
He smiled and may have said something else but I wasn’t moving. He then said, “Well, let me just scrape a little off. It’ll take 5 minutes. We’ll send it off to the lab.”
This time, it was your garden variety skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma. Very treatable, very common. Great! And last week, I breathed through the cutting and digging and sewing-me-up at Plastic and Hand. I was lucky, again.
But that luck is BECAUSE OF ME, both times. In other words, if I hadn’t pushed, probed, asked for more, asked for something different, it is quite possible that I may not be here. Maybe not so much for the skin cancer but what if I had been satisfied with the supposed ‘burst ovarian cyst’? What if I had been ok with never-ending courses of antibiotics? What if I thought bleeding freckles were no big deal?
It struck me last week that of the 2 times I have had ‘cancer scares,’ I had to advocate for the best thing FOR ME. 100% of the cancer scenarios I’ve experienced in this life were because 100% of the doctors weren’t on point, I WAS. Don’t get me wrong–they get it right MOST of the time. But I am here to tell you that if something doesn’t ‘sound right,’ it probably isn’t.
Doctors do not have crystal balls (no one does). But Creator gives us a voice. We must speak up if we expect to be heard. What you have to say may not always be popular, but it may be the life-saver you give to yourself.
And: it will matter TO YOU TO SAY IT. This Spring, harness your inner Aries! Stand up and protest, assert your will, and make your feelings known. As my daddy used to say, it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.
“No One is Free Until We Are ALL Free” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
U.S. resident, 1787: “Do we have a Republic or a Monarchy, Dr. Franklin?”
Ben Franklin, leaving the Constitutional Convention: “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
Dr King’s declaration about the nature of freedom is almost philosophical in its tone while Ben Franklin’s infamous quote comes with a warning, ‘if you can keep it.’ When I included the King quote in one of my Freshmen English paper prompts, most 18 year olds were not really able to grasp the implication of how ‘no one’ can be free until ‘all’ are free. It takes an immense amount of empathy and awareness to contemplate that, a lot of listening and perhaps asking hard questions; and to Franklin’s point, “keeping” an entity as foundational to freedom as a REPUBLIC is the whole point–a Republic needs good caretakers. These precious democracies do NOT “keep” themselves. Government, civil rights, freedom–they aren’t “ideas;” ONLY in practice do they have any meaning at all. Only in the Good Will of the citizens can they even thrive.
I could wax poetic for a long time here today about the precariousness of our democracy, or as another great thinker among us, Dr. Cornel West put it, “the great experiment called democracy.” We’ve come a long way…and yet. I’m not the first person to observe that things in this country are moving backwards, that progress also could be added to that aforementioned list of ideals. The fight for the rights of ALL people that Dr. King advocated for (and died for) is still our fight. We are still trying to keep our Republic.
Or are we? Many feel deflated, worn out, hopeless. Many believe that politics is a low-vibing arena of bi-partisanship that they really aren’t interested in sullying themselves in. Personally, I trust (and am more interested in) what happens in my LOCAL environment as far as governing goes, and how to affect change. It’s just more relative, more pertinent to my experience.
As bad as it is, many of us are grateful to live here and not some other country. I know I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. And as I grow older, I’m curious about how the application of freedom does, in fact, get carried out. Were we the people Dr. King and Dr. Franklin envisioned as the executors of justice, of civil rights, of freedom? How are we measuring up as the lucky Caretakers of a Republic? Does injustice, oppression and discrimination happen to ‘other’ people or does it have to happen to us directly for us to get involved?
None are free until all are free. Thank you, Dr. King.
Find out today where your water comes from. Find out who is on your school board. Reach out to a neighbor and see if they need their driveway shoveled. Be the Citizen you imagine exists here in our land of the Free.
Shine On,
Mary Katherine
I HAVE 2 REMINDERS and 2 NEW OFFERINGS!
Reminder #1: There is still time to join my Time Machine Mavens class! I can take ONE MORE STUDENT for this class on Past Lives and how to learn from them through the written word. For a fuller description, check out my website page! Starts Jan 24th (6 PM Zoom) and runs for 4 weeks
Reminder #2: DRUM MAKING WORKSHOP with Jane E King! Make your own Medicine Drum with an extraordinary teacher and ceremonialist. All-day event takes place at Avalon Acres on Saturday March 25th; for more info, check out my website page! An incredible experience, if you’ve been wanting a drum
NEW OFFERINGS!
“It is time to gather your tribe”
What is your soul trying to reveal to you? Are you a woman rising up to the occasion of shedding the old and proudly wearing the vestments of a seer, healer, teacher, path-maker, bard or other kind of mover-n-shaker?
Do you crave the company of others who are dancing their inner light for all to see, unafraid, uninhibited, and very-much overdue?
To speak your heart’s desires in a soulful, safe container with others who are setting little fires of bold love in their precious lives is much needed–and from what I have witnessed in my clients–much appreciated when the container is available. That’s why I have designed an opportunity twice a month for women to gather in such a way.
Women in ancient times used to gather to do their work together–washing at the river, pounding wool, grinding corn, sewing and weaving. As they worked, they sang, they talked, they gave advice. In our current technological age where everyone is a broadcaster and memes with Kermit the Frog give us our daily “advice,” it is my belief that something deep inside us women is calling us back to sit together, to share and hear the stories of others. When one or more are gathered in a way that is meant to move us beyond the mundane world, the work of the heart is initiated…and the soul gets its needed floor time.
On The Persian Rug Series will take place twice a month (the first Thursday evening of the month and the 3rd Saturday morning of the month) at my Portland office, 640 Brighton Ave (with the exception of April 6th*); in these circles we will:
Have council to share stories and witness others
Guided meditation if the circle falls near a holiday
Witness triumphs, lessons learned, and downloads
Do energy work for anyone needing a healing boost (*although you do NOT need to be an energy worker to attend)
On occasion, Tarot or Oracle readings
The dates for our circles are as follows:
__Thursday, Feb 2nd 5:30 PM- 7 PM (IMBOLC! Guided meditation to Brigid)
__Saturday, Feb 18th 10:30- 12 Noon (New moon Ritual)
__Thursday, March 2nd 5:30 PM-7 PM (Intention setting for Sacred Discernment)
__Saturday, March 18th 10:30 AM- 12 NOON (Spring Equinox!)
__Thursday, April 6th AT AVALON! (Drum Circle under the FULL MOON! Arrive by 6 PM, end time “until”)
__Saturday, April 22nd 10:30 AM-12 NOON (*this is actually the 4th Sat of the month; Earth Day and guided journey to GAIA!)
COST: Suggested Donation $10-$20 [if you need a spiritual boost and cannot afford this sliding scale, please contact me directly & ask about a trade]
RSVP: is Required! Please RSVP as space is limited (6-7 ppl) at my Portland office. We will sit, well, ON THE PERSIAN RUG! So please bring a back-jack, comfy cushion, pillow or yoga bolster. Tea will be served upon arrival and an altar will be set.
**Sending your PayPal or Venmo donation saves your spot; if you plan on attending, please remit at least 48 hours in advance. Keep these dates with descriptions handy and do reach out with any questions! ninepillarshealing@gmail.com or (207) 939-6863
Our first circle on 02/02 will be IMBOLC! How exciting to commence this series with Brigid, the Celtic Goddess of Healing, Hearth & Home, Smithcraft and Poetry…
Hope to see you in circle!
NEW OFFERING #2:
OUTDOOR NATURE RETREAT
with Snow Shoe at Avalon Acres
Water Song Ceremony by Stony Brook
*followed by lunch!
Friday, Feb 10th, 9am -1 PM
What secret might you hear in the forest of Avalon? Do you know how hungry the trees are for your admiration? Is it time to let the sacred waters wash away the residue of painful memories, signaling the new iteration of human you are becoming?
If you need a forest soak, communion with a soulful community, or to realign your body with the tones and colors of Mother Earth, this Nature Retreat at Avalon is for you!
We will also be learning and singing the Water Song, or as it is known in the Northern New England Native American tribes, “Nee-Bee-WA-Bow.”
A morning spent on the land, a council in the barn, an honoring of the flow of water–the source of life itself–will be what fills your tank. A delicious vegan lunch ends our time together.
WHERE: Avalon Acres, 167 Mansion Rd, Hollis, ME
WHEN: Friday, February 10th, 9 AM- 1 PM
WHAT TO BRING: Snowshoes, water bottle, journal & pen, appropriate clothes for outdoors, and click-sticks if you have them (I have plenty-)
COST: $45 Remitting payment via PayPal or Venmo saves your spot; RSVP at least 48 hrs in advance
Well, happy December! I, for one, never thought we’d see the 12th month. Does it feel like there was like–I don’t know–4 years packed into this one?
One of the hardships and mental drains that defined my 2022 was the brutal but much needed review of who and what I truly wanted in my life, especially in terms of relationships. Recognizing a relationship isn’t what it used to be is difficult. On one hand, you may be feeling the pain of ‘what once was;’ you likely have some confusion around what to do, if anything, to make it viable again. You may feel some horror at the prospects of letting it go. However, from a strictly theoretical point of view, if it’s really not working anymore, letting it go should be a relief, right? Don’t we strive to participate in relationships with people who honor our needs (and we honor theirs), appreciate our quirks (and we appreciate theirs!) and celebrate the trusted, on-going moments of growth that only a loving, respectable relationship can provide?
I wish it was that easy, or even that straightforward. 2022 has been a work-in-progress sorting out which relationships fit into the above-mentioned profile and which ones do not. An utterly exhausting exercise in and of itself, it was a double-whammy to realize some of the relationships I was trying to salvage were with folks who really weren’t that interested in fighting for our relationship or in figuring out why things were broken, stale or unsatisfying.
Or maybe they, like me, just didn’t know how to end it. If you read my last newsletter, then you’ll remember that a massive cleaning-of-my-psychic and spiritual houses has been underway since the end of May. I don’t think I was quite ready to grasp that this sanitation process was to be applied to a handful of friends, some of them very dear to me.
And breaking up with a friend can be as messy and just as painful as breaking up with an intimate partner or lover. In fact, most people really do not have a clue as to how to compassionately have a friend-breakup. Oftentimes, you just slip away from each other, the ‘recognition’ that something has devolved between you not addressed at all. But I think you’ll agree that unspoken words of betrayal and loss still haunt us, even if the slippage feels benign. The effect of not acknowledging something that once stood sacred in our lives will take up residency in our oldest, darkest places of hurt. I think this may be because those shadowy caverns are our childhood places. Places where the little girl or little boy who wasn’t asked to sit at the lunch table with others lives. It’s where the one who wasn’t picked for kickball lives, and the one who did not receive an invite to the party. Our ability to actually ‘grow up’ is based on how successful our social bonds were when we were learning about the world, and we learn early on that rejection hurts.
Because I received so much gratitude and kudos for bearing my soul in my last newsletter, I’m going to try and re-assert some of that vulnerability in this one. With such a commitment to authenticity, some of you might not like what I’m about to say. Please know it’s only my opinion, and my intention is merely philosophical: for you to think about the troubling and nuanced ways of how we all bear or break our relations with other human beings.
I believe canceling someone from your life is a cop-out and naming anyone who doesn’t jive with your energetic reality as someone who is ‘toxic’ is also a grave disservice to your very soul. Relationships happen to be the exclusive penthouse wherein the soul has the opportunity to grow. Without meaningful relationships, life would be miserable! And we’d know nothing of substance about ourselves. Without difficult, sometimes challenging relationships, our hearts would never deepen and our ability to truly build the megaphone of compassion would be lost. Relationships–intimate partner ones, family ones and friend ones–are our lives’ wisepointers. They show us what lessons we came here to learn, what karmic contracts to work through. They stretch us emotionally and sustain us when we need it the most. And they also teach us that the seduction of “getting our way” is a default setting designed to protect and defend. A hardy relationship is one which has seen and weathered a variety of storms…and revels in its own happy container when the seas are calm.
And that’s why ghosting and unfriending and canceling people from your life is dangerous and could result in the upset of a half-realized human. The repercussions are far-reaching but there’s a bigger issue at play: our propensity to avoid people who do not share our particular perspective and to only gravitate to the ones who mirror our own values works to create the deadly polarization we’re presently experiencing in our country (and beyond). Is it possible that the polarization epidemic has given rise to the cancel culture, or is it the other way around?
Just to be entirely clear, I am not advocating for anyone to stick around for abuse, violence, neglect in a relationship or to stay in even an atrophied relationship. But if you do agree with my assertion that relationships are the school teachers of our lives, why then is it so easy to give up on them? I want to also recognize that not all relationships are necessarily forged in the fires of trust, loyalty, levity or even friendliness. With the ubiquitous nature of social media and the dizzying communication tools of texting and email, we are “in touch with” a whole lot of people these days. But do we really have solid relationships with these people? Not likely. It’s easy to surface-feed on “friends” these days. So, perhaps some of the relationship wreckage is due to the fact that the relationship in question really didn’t have good footing in the first place.
I have talked to so many people who have experienced friend break-ups this year, many of them confounded as to what they “did.” If you’re feeling ignored, snubbed or otherwise unsure about a friend, it might not have anything to do with you. It’s 2022! That person is probably just busy/distracted. But it’s human nature to assume that we did something wrong; also, we can go to the dark place with these ruminations. I’ll add that as a matter of checking in with yourself, if you are feeling ignored or forgotten, ask yourself: Who am I ignoring? Who have I forgotten about? If you’re feeling unseen, you might be putting the energy out there in the cosmos. I believe ‘what comes around goes around.’
As a matter of spiritual hygiene, I went to my upper world guide with this conundrum. My heart still hurt so deeply over the two friend break-ups I endured this year and none of my rituals, ceremonies or prayers were really doing much to heal the loss. And so, Athena–the Goddess of Wisdom and War–gave me some very simple but wise action steps to take that I’d like to share with you.
In the event that you (or the person you are in relationship with) have recognized that the relationship is starting to wither or has weathered some uninvited change, then acknowledging this fact is the first step. This can be as easy as saying to them (or texting!), ‘I’m sensing some distance creeping in between us and I’m wondering if you’re feeling it too? Would you be up for a chat?’ [DO NOT discuss or explore what could be going ‘wrong’ over your phone or email! No!]
Athena then explained that one of two likely outcomes after acknowledgment would present: 1) Reassurance, or 2) Reveal.
In Reassurance, the person who sensed that the relationship was amiss is, well, reassured that All Is Well. A classic case of “I’ve been stressed/busy/overwhelmed” might be the reason; reassuring the person that they did nothing wrong is essentially the purpose of this tack.
In Reveal, something is indeed amiss in the relationship. This stage of exchange is for both parties to hear the others’ perspective, explore where the breakdown happened (communication, assumptions, trigger) and to own whatever role each played. Listening with the ears of the heart is crucial. You absolutely want to avoid the defense position here, and it’s best if you have some non-violent communication tools up your sleeve in order for this conversation to be as helpful as possible.
Once the Revealing has taken place, Athena explained that there are then another set of outcomes which will play out: Working Through It or Honor and End.
In Working Through It, heartfelt apologies are the first step. It’s important to not get bogged down with why something happened the way it did, as ongoing explanations do signal defensiveness. Both parties agree to resolve the issue(s) with forgiveness first and clear action steps to act more responsibly in the future. For instance, if it was a communication mis-fire, perhaps you talk about what you will do in the future to change your language choices. Identifying needs–and speaking them–is also a stop to make in this phase, and will help to dictate the needed action steps.
However, there is another option: Honor and End. This stage is appropriate if you both have realized that Working Through It is not an option. There could be a myriad of reasons for this: too much time has passed; respect has been irrevocably lost; positions on what to do to resolve the issue might be in opposition to each other; the karmic contract is up and therefore, the desire to carry on simply is not there. Although not a complete list, it covers many scenarios.
When we are too impulsive to cancel someone in an effort to extract ‘toxicity’ from our lives, we are robbing ourselves of honestly healing from a relationship that ends. This “flowchart” offered by Athena makes the process a little more gentle, and a lot more holistic. Goodbyes are never easy but they are part of life. No one is exempt from loss.
It takes someone brave to capitulate to this process. And I’m fairly certain that the friends I’ve lost this year would still be people who needed to move on from my life even after going through these thoughtful steps. However, we’d have healing and closure to take with us on our respective journeys.
I am so thankful for this instruction from Athena and pray that, in the event that another misfire happens in a relationship I care about, I’ll have the courage to walk through these steps. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.
In closing, I want to wish everyone a very blessed Yule season. It is the time of quiet contemplation, of rest and of dwelling beside the teacher of darkness. May gentle self-inquiry be with you!
So, I’m wondering: Which set of verbs do you resonate with?
__Demolish, Destroy, Dismantle
OR
__Allow, Permit, Watch.
I ask this question today, on May 10th, as we move closer to the powerful Full Moon in Scorpio on Monday, May 16th. I’m no astrologer but the “reports” say to hold on to your hats. And it’s not only a full moon but a lunar eclipse as well. We’re actually smack dab in the middle of a powerful eclipse cycle, having had a partial solar eclipse on April 30th. It’s during these times that truths are revealed, artifice slips away, illusions get shattered.
And thus, my verb groups for your contemplation. One set is obviously masculine and the other obviously feminine. There’s no “right” answer, just an invitation to scan your motivation, and think about what you align with. How are you showing up for life? How do you want your energy to be received in the world?
This morning, I was reminded of the 2nd group of verbs. As Molly and I took our morning walk down Mansion Road, I caught a glimpse of a large raptor flying overhead. The black wings of this creature flapped in the current of still morning air; I fast-walked to keep up with his (or her-) flight. Molly sensed my excitement and was happy to speed up to a trot. This bird was bigger than a raven so I knew it was either a juvenile eagle or a turkey vulture.
I lost sight of it for a minute, my view obscured slightly by a copse of trees. As we crested the hill, right before the dirt road becomes “hot top,” I spotted the black figure perched on the branch of an oak.
Molly and I slowed, trying not to scare him or her off. I was practically standing right under it and noticed the “bald spot” of the bird’s forehead: Vulture.
From a biological perspective, vultures are the clean-up crew for the environment. They can eat anything, digesting rotting flesh, trash, even motor oil! They have a non-discriminatory “taste”–being such, a lot of decay and disease is easily cleared away by vultures.
In shamanic terms, these traits can be metaphorically translated as the ultimate healing medicine: The Master of Transmutation, of taking death and making it “viable” nourishment. To carry the medicine of Vulture is to be not only a walker-between-the-worlds but a healer who does not discriminate (or take herself too seriously).
A man by the name of David Koziol gifted me a vulture feather once. It was June 2015 and Michael and I were on a 2nd honeymoon in the great South West. Our focus was to hit up all of the hot springs; I’d moved to Maine from Durango and wanted to show him that place as well. We’d also received a very generous wedding gift from one of his friends who lives in Santa Fe: a night at 10,000 Waves with a luxurious spa package included.
After leaving the Orient Land Trust (aka, Valley View Hot Springs) in southern Colorado, we decided to change our day trip to Taos into an overnight. I popped onto the Air B-N-B app as he drove our rented Ford Escort down into the pink and ochre colors of New Mexico. I found a place where the host, Julianne, was a “ceramicist” and thought that sounded fun. She pinged me back with a confirmation and we exchanged numbers and info. The last message before we arrived in Taos was an invitation to go see her boyfriend’s band, the Bones of Romeo.
“If I’m not here when you guys get here, I’ll be in town, at the plaza. Dave’s playing tonight. They’ll be at the gazebo–you can’t miss it!”
Michael, who is always up for a night of dancing, was game. He was sunburned from too much “clothing optional” options at Orient Land Trust; I decided if that wasn’t going to stop him, who am I to say no? On the way out of town, it started to pour. A good, old-fashioned South Western summer storm. Lightning lit up the sky, thunder cracked overhead. The Escort slowed to a crawl as the wipers slapped out of control at the torrential rain.
We finally made it downtown and walked into the first Tex-Mex joint we saw for food and a couple of beers. Once at the plaza, Julianne spotted us immediately. I asked her how she knew it was us and she said something about my Air B-n-B profile (but later joked that my Gringa-vibe stood out loudly). We talk-shouted over the music and, after a few pleasantries, turned to dancing.
The Bones of Romeo swept us up into a frenzy. Their playing was tight, and offered a balance of originals with covers of Tom Petty, Neil Young, the Doors, the Beatles. Dave was the drummer and bashed that drum set with passion and pride. The frontman was showy, in a White Snake kind of way and the two guitar players ripped. They clearly had fun playing together and the thunderstorm had not kept anyone at home–the place was packed!
That night, the four of us stood in Julianne’s kitchen and talked. Julianne made BLTs for everyone and we hydrated. We were all quite tired so the conversation was the type that was clipped and casual, mutterings really, peppered with bursts of laughter, jokes. It was also obvious that Julianne and David were crazy about each other, an other-worldly type of connection. Their love made Michael and I even more at ease. I slept like a drugged baby that night. It was by far the most comfortable, restful overnight of our entire trip (yes, even better than 10,000 Waves!)
The next day, after my coffee, I walked out onto the deck and further into the sagebrush with my rattle. I love desert sage, much more than the white sage of California. I’ve always felt a special affinity with Taos, NM; it started when I discovered that Taos was about three and a half hours from Durango, CO, where I was finally able to escape the violence of my first marriage. Putting myself back together often happened on little respites to Ojo Caliente (more hot springs!) and Taos. I’d rent an over-priced hotel room in a historic hotel on Main Street and spend the weekend walking around, eating, sleeping, reading. I’d go back to Durango more grounded, more myself–or the self I was slowly re-inventing.
So, with rattle in hand, I wanted to go sing my song “Morning Sun” to the mountains, the air of Taos and to the sun of course. It was so clear! The sun was so hot. The rays seemed to unlock a feeling of remembrance inside of me. Of those past going-through-a-divore days but also something much, much older…
When I walked back toward the house, I found Dave standing on the deck, smiling a big smile at me. This man had the best smile! It was the ‘best smile’ because he’d put his smile to good use–you could just tell. “I have something for you,” he said, and motioned for us to go inside.
He emerged from the bedroom with a feather. “This is Vulture. It’s powerful medicine and it belongs to you,” he said and handed it to me. “You’re a healer, inside and out.”
I was without words at the sentiment. To be gifted a feather is an act of respect, and of trust in the care-taking of feather medicine. Dave added he’d carried the feather for a long time; I was touched he wanted me to have it and I thanked him profusely.
David Koziol, may he RIP
I stayed in touch with this soulful couple, this artist and musician from Taos, my spirit home, for some time. I even did some distant healing work for them after Julianne told me that Dave had been diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the lung. He fought it hard, was determined–like my Dad–to beat it. Sadly, he passed away on Sept 9th, 2020; he was 57 years old.
After having received Dave’s gift, I always think of him when I see a Vulture. I think about that pronouncement he made about me being a healer and sort of cringe–we’re taught not to use that word, healer. It carries too much weight, and power. I much prefer ‘healing practitioner’ or better yet, ‘energy worker.’
When I eye-balled that turkey vulture Molly and I tracked up Mansion Road, naturally I thought of Dave, and the medicine of vulture. As the black head stared back at me, I asked if there was a message? There was: Let the decay, decay. That’s the natural process. What is decaying means it is in a state of decline and must die.
We don’t always have to go through our lives with a sledgehammer, clearing out the debris with “gusto.” Sometimes, that which is in full decline will take care of itself. When you next see Vulture circling overhead, it might be a sign that something or someone is on their way out.
Let them go.
Shine On,
Mary Katherine
LOTS OF ANNOUNCEMENTS! *I’m so excited*
Featured Practitioners SARAH SOGGS & KATE BATHRAS
Are you ready for a “game-changer”? Are you feeling like the next best thing for your development as a conscious human is to connect with high frequency healing and “jump a track” on your own growth? Our world is full of healing modalities these days, thank goodness! We surely need them. There’s the clinical side–good old fashioned talk therapy. We’ve got polarity, reflexology, acupuncture. I was blown away by the first time I had cranial sacral therapy! Then there’s what I do–energy work, reiki, shamanic healing.
But you have not experienced anything until you find yourself in the very capable hands of Sarah Soggs DPT and Kate Bathras, Life Coach. After some checking in and intention setting, they had me lie down. The room was bright and calm, a few crystals surrounding the biomat I was lying on. Sarah and Kate sat about 2 feet on either side of me. They told me I would be put in an energetic bubble; I was extremely relaxed and yet stimulated at the same time. Their energy bubble was already working!
What happened next is hard to describe. And I’ll leave it at this analogy: My soul felt like it had met Creator. The clarity of WHY I AM HERE and all of the support I need to carry out my work was undeniable. Doubt was wiped out; confidence and joy were restored.
If you would like to know more about this special healing modality offered Sarah and Kate, you can email Kate at kate@katebathrascoaching.com
And! Coming IN JUNE….SAVE YOUR SPOT NOW!
Mayan Spirit Bath Ceremony & Retreat
Where the Natural World and the Ancient World Meet
The flowers of my first bath…Amy’s guidance was very healing for me
Where: Avalon Acres, 167 Mansion Road, Hollis, Maine
Time & Date: Saturday, June 18th, 2022 from 10 AM- 5 PM
Cost: $195 per participant; $100 deposit needed by JUNE 10th to hold spot
Allow your WHOLE self to step into the elements of Water and Fire, to collide with the Spirits of Plant Medicine, to hold space with others on their path to healing and wholeness. As the ancient Mayans called on IxChel, the Goddess of fertility and plant medicine, shamanic practitioners Amy Chaney and Mary Katherine Spain invite you to join them in a day-long retreat of release, sacred witnessing, and spiritual alignment with the natural world and your holy temple: your BODY.
What is Mayan Spirit Bathing? Spiritual bathing has roots in many cultures. We cleanse with water every day without a thought. The practice of Mayan Spiritual Bathing deepens our connection to Water and Plant. Prayer and words of gratitude are offered as we ask the water and plants to help heal and purge what ails us, thus cleansing our emotions, our bodies, and our spirits. We call upon our teachers and the cultural deities of the Maya, honoring the primary deity IxChel.
All you have to do is show up with your whole self. Feel the love of the elements and plants as they do the work. What words do you want to radiate from your soul? Love? Passion? Kindness? Willingness to receive the fruits of life? What are your personal goals you want to achieve? Bring your dreams and step into the cleansing power of water ritual amplified by the loving essence of flowers and plant medicine.
Is this experience right for me at this time? This specially-designed ceremony is for you if 1)you are experiencing an awakening of spirit, inner guidance, or initiation, 2)you are reinventing yourself, your life or your devotional practice, 3)you desire to “let go” and “let Gaia” upgrade your spiritual circuit board, 4) you are craving a sacred experience in a safe, loving container with others on the path, 5)you have any affinity with Central American practice, mythology or ritual, or 6) you have a profound connection and reverence for flowers, water and the Earth; 7) you need a ‘game-changer’
What to Expect: You will learn the history of this ancient rite and its surrounding mythology, be guided to get clear on what it is you are ready to release, be asked to walk in nature and prayerfully harvest several flowers and/or plants which will be used in your own flower essence bath. You will also reflect on your own soul’s healing via your relationship with Mother Gaia and be witness to others’ healing experiences. You will receive energy work as facilitated by Amy and Mary Katheirne as they channel Earth Energies and participate in sacred fire ceremony
Since this ancient ceremony requires utmost reverence and intimacy, SPACE IS LIMITED in the number of participants Amy and Mary Katherine can accept (10 max). Please contact Mary Katherine ASAP to hold your spot if this event resonates with where you are on your journey: ninepillarshealing@gmail.com. A link to remit a deposit as well as other instructions will then be sent to you
Amy and Mary Katherine first met on a vision quest hosted by their beloved shamanic teacher, Dory Cote, in 2009. Since then, they have studied together, played together, and healed together. This ceremony will take place at Avalon Acres in Hollis, Maine–the perfect setting for this divine experience with nature. You will be asked to bring a towel, bathing suit, journal, water bottle and lunch. It is suggested that you may want to fast the morning before. Once you have registered, additional instructions may be sent to you.
And finally…A VERY SPECIAL Joanna Macy Event using her model, The Work That Reconnects!
The Wheel of The Great Turning
The Body of Sovereignty
The Work That Reconnects Event
Sunday, June 26, 2022 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Winthrop, ME
Hosted by Healing Hands Holistic Wellness aka Sara Dostie
&
Co – Facilitated by
Kat Beaudoin, Hope Belief Trust &
Mary Katherine Spain, Nine Pillars Healing
$25 Suggested Donation
The Work That Reconnects model invokes the 4 directions of the spiral of life (from roots to seed): Beginning with Gratitude, Honoring Pain, Seeing with New Eyes and Going Forth.
Utilizing sharing, meditation and personal expression, questions like these will be explored:
In what ways did we feel sovereign in our youth?
What caused our feelings of sovereignty to be chipped away?
How did we make ourselves smaller in order to fit in?
What survival archetypes/personality traits did we resort to?
What belief(s) did/do we hold that forbids the whole self from being expressed?
What is the difference between Power Over and Power With? ‘Does the word ‘power’ hold triggers for you? If so, what are they?
What feelings arise with the memories of losing our sovereignty?
Today, how do we appreciate ourselves?
Today, what boundaries do we set to hold our sovereignty?
Today, how do we express Self Ownership?
Today, what affirmations do we use to solidify our Sovereignty?
What is our commitment to ourselves going forward?
Participants should bring a journal/pen, water bottle, bug dope, sun screen, hat (optional) and a pot luck dish to share for lunch. Swimming will be available so bring a suit and towel if you wish.
**Space is limited as this event will be held at a private residence. If you are interested in attending, please contact either Kat Beaudoin (katbeau50@gmail.com) or Mary Katherine Spain(ninepillarshealing@gmail.com) to save your spot and register
I know it’s a long newsletter! Are you still with me?!
**Are you still with me?
YAH! I have one more NEW, exciting opportunity if:
__You are a student of shamanism
__You are a follower of the shamanic path
__You are a teacher of shamanism
Shamanic Practitioner and Teacher John Moore and I have been hard at work designing a unique community which caters to the “deep dives” of sharing, witnessing, learning, growing and practicing shamanism in a forum that is crafted by all, for all. There’s no trolling, no ads clamoring for your attention and jamming up your feed. The community is membership-based, and it is already growing by leaps and bounds!
We named it Shamanity (Shaman + Community) and if you are interested in joining like-minded souls to discuss, grow and just experience being held in sacred space, then you might want to check out our information page here
Are you ready for EPITHEULIUS, the God of Wind, the God of CHANGE…?
Epitheulius.
[EPA-thu-lee-US]
No, you won’t find this one with Zeus or Hera, Hades or Persephone; you won’t find this with the historical Pantheon because this name, this God, came to me a long time ago, when I was about 14 years old. I stuffed it, not knowing what the “information” or “feeling” was about. I had no idea how to interpret how Spirit was speaking to me back then and so I ignored it.
I think a lot of kids must experience “hunches” of intuitive gifts, abilities to connect with the Spiritual world, heightened sensory aptitudes that all get buried because the world in which those kids live doesn’t reflect back to them value or validity in understanding or experiencing the world in that way.
Which is a shame. Sure, there’s some super cool parents out there who are open to allowing and permitting their child to be permeable to All That Is. I remember reading in Michael Pollan’s book, “How to Change Your Mind” some scientist who had studied brain activity in newborns and 1-year olds. The gist was that ‘basically these babies are tripping,’ meaning that they really haven’t received the dense plaster of the conditioned world yet. Their mental and spiritual follicles are standing at attention. They’re picking up ALL KINDS OF STIMULI, SIGHTS AND SOUNDS. Then, the controlling agents in the form of parents and the predominant values of society creep in, descend on their party, choking out even the possibility that there are forces and energies that dwell “just beyond.”
However, that doesn’t mean those forces are not there. Lately, I’ve felt a strong desire to honor “lost gifts of childhood.” In fact, I spent an entire week-end recently at the Marie Joseph Spiritual Retreat Center in silence to trace back and recapture some of my lost gifts of childhood.
When I got there on Friday afternoon, I dropped my bags in my tiny room and went to the beach. It was very windy–Epitheulius must have know I was coming–and I found myself ascending a rocky path to a peninsula of well-appointed houses, then cruised around the small, quaint New England streets until I found a Maine Audubon trail, which I sloshed down, dodging melting snow and mud. To my delight, there was no one else on the trail.
When I got back to the room, I did what I always do when I check into a hotel: I made an altar. I knew I needed to focus my energies, to have something to pray by, and pray with. Afterall, I was in a prayerful community with devout nuns who had the sweetest smiles and greetings you’ve ever seen. My Goodness, I haven’t been anywhere that quiet in a very long time! I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to get on their station, if you know what I mean. And I did.
“No Candles” the rules said; I did not oblige.
But I did turn my phone OFF and made the altar with the different treasures of nature I’d found on my walk–pine cone, rock, two shells with various dried herbs and flowers from Avalon. I knew that I was to visit with the child of me, the child of 7. The one who still very much believed that her “babies” (aka stuffed animals) heard every word she said. The one who was forever coming up with some elaborate story, some elaborate game or just playing tricks.
I settled into my rocker, conveniently located right in front of the window. I held a crystal I’d brought and an old rock I found in Fort Collins the first year I attended Colorado State University.
The view was pretty sweet…
To my surprise, a guide showed up: My 2nd grade teacher, Ms. Belk. Now, I grew up in a small town (pop.: 2,000) in North Carolina. In 1978, when I was 7, Siler City was still pretty abhorrently racist. My own father was extremely racist. And Ms. Belk impressed on my little soul something that no one else at that tender age had done by doing an extraordinary act every single day.
Before I tell you what it was, I’d like to describe Ms. Belk: Long, ironing board straight brown hair. Bubblicious lip gloss, probably strawberry-flavored. Dangling silver hoops, lots of blue eye shadow. A mouthful of big white teeth that were always in an open laugh, and that laugh was LOUD. Can you picture her?
Now: imagine our little bodies, our faded Wranglers and stained cotton shirts from that day’s jello or pudding we’d had at lunch. There’s a certain smell, too, that goes with one’s elementary school. I’ll not attempt to describe yours but mine was the cafeteria, of fried food and a slight burnt-coffee tinge, some sort of sanitizer to clean up vomit. And little kid-sweat. It makes sense that I can remember the 1st school I ever attended better than all the rest (and there were many-). The first of anything really leaves an impression.
There we are, lined up at the end of the day, about to emerge onto the blacktop, to go screaming off to the bus or to our waiting moms, their Chevrolet wagons idling softly, a long cigarette poised in their fingers.
The bell rings, it’s time to go. Before we stepped over the threshold and into the hall, Ms. Belk kissed every single one of us goodbye, assuring us that she would see us tomorrow. She might throw in a ‘Be Good, now’ just to keep it fresh.
And this struck me as a radical act–that she would kiss white and black kids, girls and boys. She did not see color, or gender. And of course you can’t kiss school children in this day! I didn’t know why she did it but I knew that her indifference to race and gender made me think she was the coolest woman that ever lived.
So when she showed up to guide me back to my lost childhood gifts, I wasn’t surprised. When I was able to thank her for modeling this radical act of acceptance, I was able to drill down on what it was I so admired: She exhibited Love. Radical, fierce Love for ALL OF US. She was a living, breathing example of all the things I learned in bible study about how Jesus said we should act.
And you know what? ‘Fierce Love’ was the first stop we made on my tour of childhood. That LOVING FIERCELY is actually a super-power that gets its light turned down as we grow and mature. It may get tainted by hurt, or side-stepped because we’re too busy trying to secure a sense of safety. Whatever knocked mine out, Ms. Belk said: You can be like me. Let my example lead your 7 year old self right up to this moment, right now.
Because if we don’t need some FIERCE LOVE right now in this world, I don’t know what we need.
My Spring Wish for you is for Epitheulius, the God of Wind and Change, to blow out whatever it is that keeps you from knowing–intimately knowing–what loving fiercely looks and feels like. This break-Down to break-Through we’re experiencing has a purpose: for us to CHOOSE LOVE, like Ms. Belk did, without a thought.
Without any side-stops along the way.
Our children are secretly hoping that’s our top choice. For them, it’s the only choice.
Shine On,
Mary Katherine
FEATURED PRACTITIONER
Troi Boulanger is a LCSW, intuitive guide, dog-whisperer and overall fantastic human being. I met Troi [pronounced ‘Troy’] several years ago at a monthly shamnic gathering I used to co-lead called the Confluence. We became fast friends and began doing “reiki shares” every other Friday with another healer. Troi epitomizes Fierce Love, in every gesture, every conversation, every prayer. In fact, she boldly stepped out and rented her home in Westbrook for a few months to travel in the Southwest, hiking about in New Mexico with her dog Violette. In a few weeks, she’ll return to her therapy practice in Saco.
Troi has been incorporating energy work in her practice for over 20 years. She works with people to identify patterns that hold them back, and then works to develop skills to move forward in their lives as their whole being, bringing healing to mind, body, spirit and life. Troi is also developing a website for Intuitive Guidance where she’ll help people deepen their understanding of their whole selves, while learning principles of energy healing to keep themselves at their highest best.
This summer, Troi will be offering in-home pet services on Rover. You can look for her there for your furry creatures and on Psychology Today for counseling.
For more information about these services and more, contact Troi at: tboulanger1@me.com
ADD ‘WRITING COACH’ TO MY CV!
Need a boost on starting that memoir? Are you struggling with a concept you’d like to commit to paper but need a solid structure and a kind cheerleader to take your vision to the next level? I am happy to report that I can add WritingCoach to the many services I offer. There’s no project too small or large! Here’s a testimonial of a current client I’m helping to launch:
Mary Katherine’s skills as a writer, editor and coach are a perfect match for my needs. She’s helped me to focus my book project and create a supportive structure to move the work forward. Mary Katherine reads drafts closely, provides helpful feedback and poses questions that make me consider what it is I’m trying to say, and how I want to say it. Her guidance and support have been critical!
~ Debra S. of New Gloucester, Maine
It’s not always easy to write. In fact, for some people, it’s torture. Not for me! I love it and will always find the most creative way for you to enjoy it as well! Send inquiries to marykatherinespain@gmail.com
AND SPEAKING OF WRITING…
I’m co-teaching a new writing class! My friend and professional peer Jess Verrill and I have teamed up to offer a new 10-week class that offers you not only writing instruction and feedback from me but energy up-grades and executive coaching from Jess. Together, we will take your project and your confidence to its highest level of poise and professionalism.
To learn more about the class and see if it’s a good fit for you, click here. Hope to see you there!
A FEW MORE TID-BITS…
__My Established Client follow-up rate will be changing from $75 to $85 for follow-up sessions starting on April 1st.
__The Portland Office still has 1 or 2 slots available on Sat 3/26 and Fri 04/01. for healing sessions. Do you need a tune-up? Email me to get booked!
__Amy Chaney and I will be offering the Mayan Spirit Bathing Ritual and Ceremony on Saturday June 18th. This event was a HUGE SUCCESS last September! What better time than the Summer Solstice to meet the Mayan Fertility Goddess Ixchel and learn about ritual bathing? Interested in saving a spot? Email me! (*more details to come in my May newsletter!)
__My ‘Click Your Heals’ class has been a great success; while teaching it, I realized I’d like to gather regularly with Seekers and Light Workers to explore, witness, study and support one another through these changing times. Ideally, I’d like to co-host a ‘Shamanic Share & Care’ twice a month for shamanic practitioners or anyone who has foundational skills in shamanic practice. Interested in being a co-host? Have some good ideas? Email me!
And finally…Meet our new logo for Avalon Acres! Although the website is still being tweaked and fine-tuned, you’ll want to be on the look-out for our up-coming events, workshops, fire circles and more! Make sure you are on my newsletter list to recieve updates!
Happy Spring!
Avalon Acres is the home to many 9 Pillars events!
Embodying the Divine Feminine 