Snohomish Thursday Farmers Market
Full Moon Fires
Soles for the Soul Moccasin Crafting Workshops
Adults ~ Babies
Drum Birthing Workshop
Rattle Crafting Workshop
Wing Medicine Workshop
Medicine Bag Workshop
Talking Stick Workshop
Private – Group – Experiential Workshops
Oh! This set me back on my heels. I trust. But, do I trust absolutely? In all moments? Within days I was given an opportunity, a test of my absolute trust.
These last many months, it feels as though I am, we are, constantly being tested. Absolute trust is required to stay sane, balanced, and right-sided. And action. Many actions. All our attention is needed in every direction. There is no being on the fence.
I write this as a small boat, with duel American flags, slowly motors by on the river below where I sit. What trust is required to be an American, to be a citizen of the world? How does one go on aware that there was not one Treaty ever honored with our Indigenous Relatives, on stolen land where immigrates are unwelcome, while their government systematically destroys people, sacred places, civil rights, and has it’s dirty warmongering hands in the destruction of foreign people and lands globally? To trust that this is all in divine order requires great strength, total surrender, and a willingness to face the terrible facts head-on – it hurts, yet the suffering of other living beings the world over is unimaginable. Rising in compassion and empathy, it is only absolute trust that carries me. I hearing the birthing cries above the commotions and distractions, above the motor of the boat drifting by. #RiseUp #Vote #Divest
One Human Family – Sending Up A Prayer
To you, your families, and your communities… Love…
All My Relations
 |
 |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am created by Divine Light
I am sustained by Divine Light I am protected by Divine Light I am surrounded by Divine Light I am ever growing into Divine Light Swami Radha was my first spiritual teacher some 25 years ago. Her teachings woke me up to myself through the many practices of yoga. I was surprised to discover I wasn’t studying yoga. This powerful path was self discovery – body, mind, and spirit. Until then, I’d been a sleep-walker, in survival mode. I really worked it hard, this union of self/Self. I’m awake. Even with this, it was a medicine way path that brought me fully into my heart. The Bear Nation showed me a way home to myself by way of the heart. A four chambered heart – open, full, clear, and strong – a unified, whole, integrated self. “The mountains have always been here, and in them, the bears.”
~ Rick BassIn the Light |
 |
|
FIRST DANCE
Gratefully, I was commissioned to craft moccasin for a Dancer, she hadn’t worn moccasin before to make her prayer. Prayers of health, help, and happiness, as well as her own prayers were held with every stitch. They came together so beautifully, red buffalo medicine. A brief and sweet exchange over tea, we wished one another off to our respective ceremonies. I returned home to find this photograph and an email in my inbox:
“I hope you’re not horrified,
these moccasin went to the depths and back with me. They were strong traveling shoes and I’m so glad for them.” ~ CE Horrified? Quite the contrary. The sight of the good Red Earth and her words brought me to tears of joy and gratitude. Worn only once, their first dance, four days, sacred shoes, sacred feet, dancing a prayer. So filled with Spirit, they are even more beautiful. It humbles me. It is an honor to be united in this way of making prayers. “What if we All came together
to pray for peace, unity, and justice for ten seconds? Just ten seconds. Imagine how powerful our prayer could be in this sacred place.” ~ BRWhat if? It’s all sacred.Join me, from wherever, however. 10am PST ~ Daily 10 SecondsAll My Relations |
I didn’t seek a vision quest. One sought me.
“Our demons are our own limitations, which shut us off from the realization of the ubiquity of the spirit, each of these demons is conquered in a vision quest.” ~ Joseph Campbell
I’ve been told that this ceremony is one that will bring up my fears. I’m not a particularly fearful person, however, I am a deeply feeling woman. And… if it isn’t love, it’s fear… a phrase I’ve heard often. Believing this to be true, I have no choice but to sink farther into what it is I am feeling. Flipping the feelings over and over to see what’s beneath the surface. How many layers are there before I find fear? Eventually. There it is.
I’ve been told also, this time of inquiry and lead up to ceremony is to empty out. Then I can meet the Mystery, Creator, God, the Universe, Great Spirit – whatever – and be filled back up.
Am I empty? Yet?
All My Relations
Life is one great big learning curve. A spiral dance.
“Energy moves in cycles, circles, spirals, vortexes, whirls, pulsations, waves, and rhythms—rarely if ever in simple straight lines.” ~ Starhawk
I caught myself in fear. Unraveling the tangled thread of it I found judgment, which showed me clearly that even in the kindness of giving a gift fear can have ugly hooks.
It’s the odd thing that sticks in ones psyche that prevents peace in the heart and creates fear and story in the mind. Tis the case with me anyway. Medicine work is always my teacher. It seems the New Ones coming in at this time are Sages or Wisdom Keepers, knowing so much more than me – again bringing me a lesson as I prepared to stitch baby moccasin, inviting me to examine and understand myself more fully, to be more self-aware and to see plainly another layer in the spiraling learning curve of my life.
An aside, my Guides have been talking with me. They are saying, It is the time of Peace Keeping. It’s time now to hold the vision of the Green Grass Walk in bare feet. The Green Grass Walk is a time of Peace Keeping. Even as I write that I feel it as a Circle. I am, we are I believe on a Peace Keeping mission. To be at peace in our hearts, to spiritually awaken to the presence of peace, rekindling our rhythm and relationship to our Earth Mother, to attune to a higher vibration. Peace movements are happening all around the globe. I am gratefully holding this vision, the visceral sensation of bare feet walking on green grass.
Peace. Peace. Peace my Sisters and Brothers. Peace.
Mitakuye Oyasin ~ All My Relations
It’s amazing how dirty feet can be after a sweat lodge. I find it amusing that I cannot stand dirty fingernails but dirty feet during and after any ceremony are totally tolerable. Amazing.
Such a boon! An infant joined the communities lodge yesterday. A sweet purely perfect 6 week old came in the door between first and second rounds. He was passed from hand to hand around the circle, each of us offering our blessing to him. All of us taking delight in the enormous gift of his presence. His tiny toes were altogether clean.
I was guided to make baby moccasin on Christmas day. What? OK, sure, I love to sew for tiny feet. Surprisingly, what came up was not love. I got a little agitated and anxious about people having babies today, these times too awful. Who’d want to bring a child in now? Conscious or unconscious parents, my thoughts rambled on…. what must they be thinking? Such judgment and fear welled up in me.
Ah… Medicine work is such a revealer and healer.
I noticed that my fear churned when I laid the pattern down. This fear has lived in me for a while. The judgment and questioning came as I cut the pieces from the hide – symbolic to me of how separate I was feeling from the Whole. While praying and sewing the little pieces of red Deer hide back together, creating “Winter Girl” moccasin, I was reminded that we are all here by agreement. These New Ones are coming in by choice. And they have their reasons for coming in at this time. They know what they are getting into. This allayed my fears tremendously. I was then and am now, humbled and awed. I bow to the unknown wisdom of the Soul’s path and the Mystery. I stitched such gratitude and love now. These little shoes – the lesson I received that Their enlightenment is my, our, gift and we need them now. There is no escaping the Whole – I needed to be reminded. I remember.
Mother and babe crawled out of the lodge, the door came down, we went on with our prayers. Just now, I wondered about the fire tenders, did they too have their time with the baby? Surely they must have. I hope so. Afterwards, still in our circle, I watched Mom. She was captivated, watching him asleep in the crook of her loving arm. Looking at them with my heart-eyes and not the fear-mind, it was clear that the lesson I’d received that day allowed me to fully be present for the gift of their presence.
Joyfully (my usual way), I had sewed moccasin for this one too a few months before he was born. Mom thinks he’ll be wearing them by the time we go into ceremony to dance the Night Turtle Dance this summer. My heart was so full. My feet needed a pumice stone. 🙂
Happily and lovingly (truly) sewing baby moccasin. They are filled with prayers of gratitude and joyful wonder at the remarkable mystery of it all.
Mitakuye Oyasin
All My Relations
“She’s goin’ shoppin’, shoppin’ for shoes…” ~ Mark Knopfler
I am loathed to say that I used to joke, Imelda Marcos had nothing on me. It feels a bit shameful now to think I related, even in a joking way, with someone such as Imelda – so many shoes and such grotesque greed at the expense of the people of the Philippians. My own abundance of shoes isn’t a fraction of her amassed collection, perhaps 7500 pairs.
Such a turn of events. It is a dazzling personal reflection to follow the course of events that brought me from being what I considered ridiculous and gross in my consumption of all things shoes, along with my observations on greed, materialism, consumerism, and lust, to where I am today. Crafting footwear that is both sacred and everyday wear. Holding space and teaching the crafting of these shoes is a great joy. The moccasin crafting workshops are two-day affairs which allows for sweet sharing and a more intimate experience in a marvelous container where we honor ourselves – our souls and the soles we’re creating.
February 27 & 28 Moccasin Crafting Workshop
March 5 & 12 at the Bodhi Center on Bainbridge Island Workshop
March 26 & 27 Sandal Crafting Workshop
While I admit to being a bit uncomfortable about being “in” this video, I’m excited to share this it publicly. A dear friend and very smart videographer, Amy St. Onge ~ Voice & Vision, created this video. It’s worked out so well that I now have anopportunity to craft a commissioned pair of moccasin for a client in the UK!! I’m thrilled and so grateful to be custom crafting for people who choose to be in right relationship with shoes.
I have to tell you that your moccasins are more than something to wear on my feet. I LOVE wearing them, as they hug my feet, giving a sense of security, tenderness and love. I slow down my steps when wearing them…mindfulness? reverence for a feeling I don’t fully understand? I’ve already had the feeling that I NEED to put them on. ~ Marge
I’ve still got boxes with beautiful shoes in the closet. I don’t begrudge anyone their collections – shoes, teapots, cats, whatever. I do hope for balance though, that excess for one no longer leads to lack for another. The shoes in my closet are for special occasions and nights out, and boots for winter time. And, it’s moccasin that I wear daily, rain or shine, while pushing a vacuum cleaner or attending a Sun Dance.
Madame’s taste is truly exquisite… I wonder if Imelda’s tastes are fine enough to appreciate Buffalo moccasin?
Mitakuye Oyasin ~ All My Relations
https://vimeo.com/home/myvideos
Open ~ Medicine Gift Crafting: Create whatever you wish! How can I support you? Announce your intention to attend, thank you. ♥ Offering ♥ Gratitude
Wing Medicine: Craft a feather fan to cleanse and clear in your personal life and for professional practices.
Drum Birthing: Send up a call, let the beat of your drum harmonize with the heartbeat of our Mother Earth.
Rattle Crafting: Move the energies, call your guides, meditate and journey with these powerful tools.
L♥VE Offering ~ Fund Raiser for Cocoon House
Soles for the Soul: Moccasin are for everyday wear, for ceremonies, moccasin for life!
Medicine Bags: Personal, protective and private – honor the medicine that comes forward for you in a good way for the new year.
Talking Sticks: Are you one who has been called to form a talking circle? Many have in these times and it is good. The talking stick is a respectful way to share and listen to what is on one another’s hearts.
Leather Crafts: Come sew, stitch your best intentions into the leather, create what you have a need for. There will be cake.
Children’s Circle: In a sacred way, each circle date is a unique exploration into the natural world.
Feeding the Fire Ceremony: Celebrate the feminine by feeding the fire with Grandmother Moon.
Looking forward to spending time together working in a sacred way. With gratitude.
Mitakuye Oyasin ~ All My Relations
Commissioned work: hand-stitched, custom fit moccasin.
I’ve been asked to sew a pair of shoes for a woman who is healing herself with nature. In her infinite internal wisdom, she’s self prescribed being outdoors – a lot. While hiking, she realized how important it is for her to actually have her feet on the earth, unencumbered by artificial material. I prefer to use Buffalo hide for moccasins for its strength , stability, comfort and ease. Buffalo gives what is needed.
Fresh ginger tea sweetened with local honey and lemon (yum!) warmed us during our time together talking, tracing, measuring. That she shared what was on her heart, why she felt drawn to walking the earth in moccasin was a generous gift of authenticity and vulnerability. Delighted and naturally drawn to buffalo without knowing why, she had done a little reading – there are plenty of intellectual sources extolling wisdom about the medicine for which I am grateful. When she asked, “what is the medicine of the buffalo?”. I paused to reflect.
Medicine is far more meaningful through experiential work and practice. I have been working with and worked by Buffalo in really good ways – I shared a bit knowing that we are all worked individually as needed – the books and websites cannot begin to know how Buffalo works its magic. Just this morning in my prayers of gratitude for Grandmother Buffy Pté (who lives with me) and in preparation for these moccasin, I found myself offering up prayers for the Buffalo Nation – that they have room to roam, they way they deserve to. This lead to prayers for peace with the Ranchers who are resistant to the Buffalo so their cattle have the landscape to graze. And I then realize these Ranchers are the good guys in spite of the deeds done to the populations of buffalo – their animals are not pinned into feed lots on factory farms. Again the prayer within me is moved by the good medicine of Buffalo. Now I’m offering up prayers for these practices to stop – no more poisoning the earth and the residents nearby, no more inhumane treatment of these animals (cattle. hogs, chickens, any others raised in these ways), for the greed to be at an end. Then prayers too for those who are driven by their greed. And on and on it goes with the Buffalo. Their medicine opens my heart wider and in surprising ways.
The Buffalo is guardian medicine, constant in generosity, offering themselves and their powers unceasingly.
May their needs also be met.
The patterns made and fitted properly, and are now taken apart and laid up on the hide. I have prayed for and with the spirit of this Buffalo – listened and received messages for the woman who waits for her new shoes. She’s given me her prayers and intentions to hold while I sew for her. The moccasin will be sewn with my love and gratitude for the Buffalo Nation and the way our Mother Earth will heal this woman and she will heal herself – it is all a mystery to me and I trust fully these medicine ways, the prayers, the process.
Soul Proprietor is always available for commissioned works of all sort. Any object for ritual – personal, sacred and ceremonial, tools for healing practitioners. A full schedule of workshops for DIY crafting is also always available. The next moccasin crafting workshop is November 21-22 – it is richly rewarding and fulfilling to sew with the Buffalo. Consider a pair of new medicine shoes for yourself or perhaps as gifting, the holiday season is quickly upon us. These moccasin are a worthy and unique gift that will surely carry anyone wearing them a long way on our Mother Earth – leaving prayers with each step and every footprint on her back.
Mitakuye Oyasin ~ All My Relations
