Category Archives: Workshops

Medicine Objects, Wing Medicine, Workshops

Birds of a Feather

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“It’s not enough to have the feathers. You must dare to fly!”                   ~ Cass van Krah

My life is filled with circles.  I live within circles – the trees, Echo Lake, the communities I serve, the spaces where I pray.  I’ve studied in several circles and I am guided teach to many as well.   This weekend I have been invited to mentor to a circle of women  – Sisters,  Regine della Luna, in the craft and use of feather fans.  Their beautiful and graceful teacher entrusts me with imparting this wisdom knowing that I am guided by my Ancestors, and that they always lead the way.  Our co-creations together have always been a gorgeous blossoming forth.  I am deeply grateful for this opportunity and the gifts the day will bring.

This group of 8 women have been studying together for some time now.  It’s my understanding that they are bonded with deep integrity and respect for one another.  I can hardly wait to meet them.  My drum is talking, he too is eager.  Drumming for a journey to make the introductions is quite often a part of the teachings here at Soul Proprietor.  I am guided to suggest to them that they tell the spirit guide of the medicine “who they are and why they are coming” to this medicine.  And to ask, “what does the medicine of the pheasant want them to know?”.    This is only the beginning, the crafting follows and the relationships begin to solidify.  Sometimes it may take a while to find the footing and comfort in working with a feather fan – learning to receive the wisdom of the pheasant and how to integrate the wisdom into ones life.  And it may well come easily for these women as they have been well prepared by their teacher.

“It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.”
~ Aesop

The feather fans crafted today may be for personal work or possibly for work in the community, both – either way, the medicine of the pheasant makes for a strong transmitter of energy.  the clearing potential and intelligence of the bird will now within the grasp of these women who are claiming their place in the world as healers – of themselves and potentially others.  A relationship will be forged for doing good – the Four Winds, Earth and Sky, and the Mystery to support them with only the highest good as our intention.

Pheasant medicine teaches patience, confidence, enjoyment of variety and new experiences.  Open spaces without boundaries are most suitable for Pheasant – suggesting a desire to roam, literally and metaphorically.  Color.  Vitality.  Sexuality.  Creation.  With Pheasant, it is best to stay grounded yet discover and explore the esoteric and spiritual, to investigate past lives.

“Life is a full circle, widening until it joins the circle motions of the infinite.”    ~Anaïs Nin

The sun is shining on golden leaves, still on the maple trees.  The Douglas fir surround the maples, like arms around the shoulders of friends.  Gray clouds hold them both.  All are mirrored onto Echo Lake – the sun sees to it the reflections are cast long and far.  Many Mallard, Hooded Merganser and American Wigeon are on the water, scattered among the reflected colors.  It’s always a good day at Echo Lake.

In Gratitude  ~  Aho Mitakuye Oyasin

 

Ceremony, Drums, Moccasins, Workshops

3M

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The Medicine of Moose a Moccasin Workshop.

I’ve been drawn to work with moose medicine for some time.  I am  eager to birth a sweat lodge and a community drum of moose hide.  It hasn’t been right timing just yet.  I’ve used a thick tanned  moose hide with an unusual finish as inserts between the inner and outer layer of moccasin sole leather, cushioning the steps very nicely.  I hadn’t worked with moose hide quite like the one that came forward last week for a pair of moccasin.  OMG!  Sumptuous, butter soft, caramel color leather.

* I just got scolded by Steller’s Jay.  I have hides – deer, elk and horse – hanging on the deck railing, it’s such a gorgeous October day. This mornings fog, a cozy blanket, gave way to the sun and now the hides are soaking it up.  I offered ceremonies to honor their spirits.  These hides have given as much as they’ve received already.  Wopila!  Saturday they will be birthed into drums at the Bainbridge Island Bodhi Center.  Today, Steller’s finds them in his way.  Too bad!

Back to the moose, Alces alces.  I watched the moose in this photograph a few years ago while at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado .  There were several in a loose group, cows and juvenile, who kept my attention for hours – they were browsing casually through the grasses, willows and aspen twigs, paying no mind to me.  Moose are such massive animals, beautifully muscled, they were quiet and graceful as the moved their hulk with ease within the branches and briars of the meadow. They came so close I felt I must be invisible, holding my breath I backed away as silently as dry grasses and shriveled leaves will allow giving them the space they deserve.  I’ve been fortunate to see moose in Washington, Idaho,  Alaska and Canada also.  Rare sightings that thrilled me.   While the population of moose in Colorado seems to remain stable, their numbers are markedly diminished in across North America yet the species as a whole is still consider of least concern in efforts to conserve their population and habitat.  As the reach of climate change deepens, while mining permits are still being issued and habitat loss continues, the threats are increasing to the wellbeing of the majestic moose.

“Moose are in jeopardy across the U.S. – from New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine; to Minnesota and Michigan; and even Montana. One of America’s most iconic animals is at risk of becoming just a memory. It’s time to take action on climate change.”  National Wildlife Federation

The fact of this makes working with the medicine of moose an even greater honor.  Rather than getting lost in the conflict that accompanies these disturbing facts, I embrace the opportunity to be present with the needs of this magnificent creature.   What are the tangible and concrete practical measures that must be taken allowing their numbers rebound?  And to keep their environments are healthy and abundant?  What are the prayers that are needed so the needs of moose are met?  What apologies need to be made to the moose nation for the acts of mankind can I make on our behalf?  What other ways can I be involved in the conservation of habitat or protection of the overall ecosystem in which the moose resides in North America?  I remind myself that my vote counts despite what seems a dismal political landscape.

The Athapaskan would pray to Raven to assist in their hunts of the moose.  Thus when the moose appeared, it was a special and sacred gift.    The moose can teach invisibility, shape-shifting, depth perception, acute judgment and ability to negotiate landscapes.  Moose carries a feminine energy from its association to water and great maternal energy.  There is a primal strength with moose.  Their ability to dive into the depths of water reflects the ability of an individual who aligns with moose to go into the depths and draw new life and nourishment from it. When moose comes into your life, the primal contact with the feminine force and void of life is being awakened.  It is an invitation to learn to explore new depths of awareness and sensitivity within yourself and your environs. ~ Paraphrased excerpts from Ted Andrews Animal Speaks

Moose hide moccasin
Moose hide moccasin

Join in and attend a Moccasin Workshop October 18-19. In this workshop you will commune with the spirit of the animal – moose, buffalo and elk are available, each carrying their own powers to support your walk in the world – your everyday and any ceremonial needs you may have.  With every stitch you can call on the wisdom of the four-legged and your ancestors who walk with you.

“Barbara 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, and once felt they were on, when they weren’t! Thank you for sharing this medicine. I will continue to try to be mindful every time I wear them. In gratitude.” ~ Marge

Reserve your seat and confirm your hide preference.

Deep gratitude for the moose’s medicine!  Aho Mitakuye Oyasin!

 

 

 

 

 

Creating for Creating's Sake, Thoughts About This and That, Workshops

Taking A Wellness Day – What’s Yours Like?

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“The part can never be well unless the whole is well.” ~ Plato

Sleeping in.  Waking to my natural clock.  Greeting my posse.  Coffee and the birds.  My  journal, reflection.

“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back and choose the path that leads to wisdom.“ ~ Buddha

Stretch.

“Our bodies are our gardens—our wills are our gardeners.“                    ~ Shakespeare

“Some of us think that holding on makes us strong, but sometimes, it is the letting go.” ~ Herman Hesse

Computer time (optional).

“I am not the only person who uses his computer mainly for the purpose of diddling with his computer.”  ~ Dave Barry

Outdoor time (required).

“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.”          ~ Edward Abbey

Work. 

My work is my inspiration in life.  It is the seed to my growing wellness within.  I am blessed with a vocation that fills and uplifts both myself and those who come to be guided through their own process with the creation of a medicine object.  Never has there been a single person to come into the studio who has left unfulfilled.  What a blessing!  The Mystery is ever present in the medicine.  It doesn’t matter if I am working alone or with others, Spirit is always present.  The essence and organic nature of the materials used is very much alive, it speaks volumes in subtle ways.  These objects come at  their own pace as well – always teaching me what in need in the moment with grace and ease.  Working with and for others in the various capacities I am privileged to work in – feathers, four-legged, plant and mineral – it seems my entire life is about wellness.  Wopila!

I always cook – healthy food too is good medicine.  I find it so satisfying to eat well.  I feel the wealth of healthy food (wishing everyone could eat well).  I like to sit on the dock to eat my dinner when the weather is nice, watch the minnows and the birds.  This time of year, the last place the sun touches in my yard as it sets is the very end of my dock – I am often there for that moment.  Like the sunrise, the sunset seems like a holy moment – I hear angels sing.

Oddly, I’m a Jeopardy nerd.  I’ll take “Trying to get smart by osmosis for $1000 Alex”.

And I allow for rest.  I don’t feel I need to cram some sort of effort into each minute of the day – rest brings wellness.  A slower pace, as Char has said many times, “medium to slow” it works best for me.  A good book.  A comfortable bed.  Starlight or clouds.  My dream stone.  Gratitude for whatever the day held – especially if it included talking with my son or sisters – my family, blood and marriages, chosen ones – they are my wellness too.  Prayers for what is needed, prayers for what has been received.  Wopila!

“Each man is good in His sight. It is not necessary for eagles to be crows.”  ~Sitting Bull

 What makes for wellness in your day?

 

Creating for Creating's Sake, Drums, Medicine Objects, Moccasins, Moms and Kids, Rattles, Wing Medicine, Workshops

Workshops & Circles ~ Autumn 2014 Schedule

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The Ceremonialist Children’s Circle

September 13, 2014 ~ noon to 4pm
Join in this open circle to celebrate the coming Autumnal Equinox.  Open to girls and boys ages 9 to 13, both moms and dads are welcome.  We will honor the abundance of the season and the turning of the wheel here at Echo Lake. Email Barbara for details on what to anticipate and what to bring for sharing.

Rattle Crafting Workshop

September 14, 2014 ~ noon until complete
In this workshop you will learn to craft a rawhide rattle that will be perfect for clearing energy, for meditation and journey work, for calling up your allies.  Craft with horse, deer, elk, bear or buffalo hide, using cedar, fir, driftwood, bone or antler as your handle.
Register to attend this workshop or email Barbara for details.

Wing Medicine Workshop

September 20, 2014 ~ noon until complete
Learn to use smudge for clearing and cleansing with a feather fan. Craft a medicine wing to use in your personal or professional practice that serves your needs at this time. Wing Medicine is a powerful way to tend to the energetic needs of the mind, body and spirit of the individual, family, office and community.
Register to attend this workshop or email Barbara for details.

Drum Birthing Workshop 

September 27, 2014 ~ 10am until complete
What is calling you – deer? elk? bear? buffalo? horse?  Each voice is unique, the power of the four-legged is immeasurable.  The Standing Ones give us a sacred hoop that holds the hide yet it does not contain it – instead it is a vehicle that gives rise to voice and one of its purposes in the world.  Use a Shaman style hand-drum for journey work, for meditation, for the joy of it. Register to attend this workshop or email Barbara for details.

New @ The Bodhi Center on Bainbridge Island       

Drum Birthing Workshop – October 11, 2014

Rattle Crafting Workshop – November 23, 2014

These workshops are being taught at the beautiful and tranquil Bainbridge Bodhi Center on Bainbridge Island, WA.  These two workshops are being offered at a special reduced rate.  Space is limited.  Register to birth a drum and register to craft a rattle on this website or email Barbara for details.

The Ceremonialist’s Children Circle

October 12, 2014 – 11am – 4pm

Hard to say what sort of fun and adventure we’ll have this day but we will for certain!  There’ll be sweetness and ceremony, outdoors and discovery.  Come and see for yourselves!

Moccasin Crafting Workshop       

October 18 & 19, 2014 ~ 10am to 8pm each day
This two-day workshop is a great time in community sewing moccasin that are just for your feet!  These hand crafted one of a kind moccasin are sewn from the hide of the buffalo who will support your walk in the world with sweet guardianship. You will have a pair of moccasin you won’t want to take off. Register to attend this workshop or email Barbara for details.

Feeding the Fire Ceremony   

November 7, 2014 ~ 4pm until 9pm
This circle is a celebration of the feminine open to any girls that are nearing their moon time and beyond.  Invited are Mothers, Aunties, Grandmothers or any other Woman who is supporting this girl as she grows into a young woman.  Our time together is a common narrative of what it means to be in the skin of a woman, a sacred feminine being.  We share a place at the fire with stories, songs and respect. A simple and healthy shared meal honors our ceremony.  Email Barbara for details.

Ceremony, Drums, Workshops

Sweat Lodge Drum Workshop

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A few minutes before 6am the rising sunlight touches the crowns of the hemlock, cedar and fir trees that stand in the south, part of the hoop of Standing Ones on Echo Lake.  They are illuminated, golden, I hear them singing a morning praise song.  Osprey is already fishing – his cries seem in response to their song.  Within 20 minutes the sunlight kisses the earth with good morning.  My own yard is in shadow still while the trees that live here – Lewis, Carlton and Freeman to name a few, all have golden rays that dazzle in their crowns.  So slight the breeze, the lake is still, many Swallow skim the surface for their breakfast.

Sweat lodge drums will be birthed here today.  I am eager for this workshop, both buffalo and elk medicine have been called for.  The hoops are deeper than a hand drum by more than double, made of cedar wood to withstand the moisture of the lodge.  These Chen Chegas, the drum, are double sided with hide and extra energy is required to bring them into being.  It strikes me that the added physical effort to birth a lodge drum is in keeping with the depth of an inipi ceremony.  Birthing these drums is ceremony.  The keepers of these drums walk in a reverent way, deeply understanding the responsibility and meaning of carrying their drums.  With the drums come the songs – which are prayers sung for the People.

“Since the drum is often the only instrument used in our sacred rites, I should perhaps tell you here why is it especially sacred and important to us.  It is because the round form of the drum represents the whole universe, and its steady strong beat is the pulse, the heart, throbbing at the center of the universe.  It is as the voice of Wakan-Tanka, and this sound stirs us and helps us to understand the mystery and power of all things.”                        – Black Elk

The Buffalo medicine is a strong guardian, ever giving of all that is needed.  It teaches us that there is always enough and reminds us of our obligation to act –  our way in the world is supported and still it is incumbent upon us to shoulder our own load .  Elk offers steadfast stamina – we can easily get from here to there.  Elk teaches self-reliance as well as balance within a community.  This medicine will carry one far.  The Cedar tree spirit will strengthen the inner potentials of these four-legged spirits and the two-legged who will carry these drums.  Cedar offers a protective healing energy.

These drums are not yet born but already so very powerful.  I look forward to this day and to the day when I sit in a lodge and hear their voices beating with my own heart song and the heartbeat of us all – sitting in the Center of the Universe.

Two Great blue Heron are flying over, side by side above the lake – I don’t recall ever seeing two at once here before .  I feel their gift and selfishly bid them to stay, wad in the waters, fish, build your homes here – it is always a good day on Echo Lake.  Pilamaya, Pilamaya!

Creating for Creating's Sake, Drums, Medicine Objects, Moccasins, Rattles, Wing Medicine, Workshops

Experiential Gifting

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In our consumer driven society, where most of us truly have far more things than we need – an experiential gift is both meaningful and worthwhile.

A Soul Proprietor Learning Workshop is a gift of significance.  Each time we come together to craft, we create purpose, intention and substance.  Whether for a celebration occasion like birthdays and anniversaries or to deepen time with family and community – a children’s day, girlfriend time, male bonding, new babies, emotional and spiritual healing or for no reason at all – schedule a time to immerse yourself and your intended  in a positively influential endeavor.  The time spent together creating is a lasting gift – wing medicine for smudging, a talking stick for council,  a drum to journey with, a rattle or custom fit moccasin crafting – a gift that can alter life in a good way for many years to come.

The experience of a medicine gift nurtures the mind, body and spirit of the one receiving as well as the one who gives the gift, the medicine working in subtle and mysterious ways.

Gift for the joy of it!

Blessings for your good health, happy and whole hearts and all the help you might need…. Aho Mitakuye Oyasin!

 

Medicine Objects, Thoughts About This and That, Workshops

The Missing Link

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What am I called to do?

At this time – I am hearing, feeling, seeing like never before the energetics that holds us all together.  Life, energy, tensions have heightened yet again – it appears to me like the sensation of a spinning top on the verge of careening off the surface of a table.   I am aware of the external energy’s tug and pull.  Yet I remain calm internally, I am grounded in something deeper.

This definitely has not always been the case for me.  I can relate to angst or dread, chaos, discomforts both real and imagined.  Freeing myself  from the frenzied dynamics of the world came to me at a glacial pace – imperceptibly slow at first and now accelerated, just as the glaciers of the world are melting away before our eyes.   Coming to this Medicine Way as been my deliverance toward peace of mind.  Everyone needs to find their own way of course – the ways are many – this way works for me.  I feel supported, guided, uplifted, no longed tangled in the obstacles to my own centeredness.

There is still more to do.  At this time, I am being called to clean up the karma of my past – in this lifetime and in others.  There are amends to make for myself and for my ancestors – reparations and apologies to make that stretch beyond the boundaries of skin or time, culture and species.  There is forgiveness offer.  Forgiveness to receive.   I am the missing link in my lineage.  We are all the missing links.  We are what links the past to the future in our heritage.  We are all connected.  We are all the same energy.

One way forward for me is by connecting into the limitless power of new medicines secreted safely into a Medicine Bag.  Medicine Bags are personal and unique to each of us.  Still, the guidance I am receiving is that we are all being asked to step up our energetic responsibility – clean our closets if you will on all levels – physically, emotionally, spiritually, ancestrally.  By tending to our personal and karmic debt, we make ourselves whole, alleviating our suffering and keep ourselves out of the fray.  Doing our work also creates goodwill enough to share.  Imagine… if there were no more fractures in the mirror that is the external world reflecting back at us.

Saturday, July 19 from noon until 6pm, Soul Proprietor will be offering a workshop day for you to come journey – making new relations and reaffirm old allies that are offering their medicine to support you in your process.  Receive the wisdom with presence of mind and a clear heart.  Stitch your intentions and prayers into a Medicine Bag.   Find what links you here and now, from the past and to the future.

RSVP your intention to join in this workshop by commenting on this post or email barbara@soulproprietor.org.

Aho Mitakuye Oyasin!

 

Moccasins, Thoughts About This and That, Workshops

Light Revolution

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It is true that there is a lot of darkness in the world.  In this  country alone, the homeless population is estimated to upwards of 3.5 million people – half of which are children.  An estimated 38 million people in America are food insecure.  22 young veterans commit suicide every day.  The United States of America isn’t united – the delta between political, philosophical and spiritual beliefs is wide – fear fills the gap.  Chemical poisons are fouling our rivers and drinking water.   The number of countries globally involved in some sort of conflict or war is staggering.  Species of all sorts are in radical decline for a vast number of reasons.   The list is long, easily overwhelming and depressing to think about.

This is why I am constantly called to speak up.  There is light in the world too.  Not just the heart warming clips on the evening news but real live people in our everyday lives that move and inspire us to believe in a  renewed faith that goodness is in the world.

That’s how Toni appeared to me recently.  I was at a bank cash machine when she came up to me and asked me where I got the moccasin I was wearing.   I told her I had made them.  I offered that I could make her a pair.  Trusting me, a total stranger, she gave me $100 cash before she even knew my name or phone number!  Sewing a pair of moccasin for her was much more than meaningful work for me.  Toni showed me that there are people other than myself who still believe in the goodness of a stranger, that the darkness and skepticism that is so pervasive isn’t the sum-total of beliefs.

I realize too, I am open to this sort of exchange with another – light attracts light.  Light also extinguishes the darkness, only taking one person to turn on the light in a darkened room filled with thousands.  It isn’t naiveté, there are solutions to hunger and homelessness.  Use your voice and vote to demand protected and clean water – people over coorporations.  Reach out to those who have served and whose lives have been so fractured by war, lend your helping hands and hearts.  Light is revolutionary – it’s time for a revolution.

Toni3Pilamaya Toni!  Pilamaya!

Soul Proprietor custom fits each moccasin to the individual foot (I traced and measured Toni’s feet in the parking lot). These hand stitched moccasin hug your feet.  I also offer learning workshop, teaching you to sew your own moccasin – scheduled conveniently between us.  I hold any intentions, needs or prayers I am asked to by you while I sew.  Each stitch has the presence of love and light.   Three styles to choose from – how would you like to walk through the day?