Moon Woman Rising

Emotional Protection

Recently, I've been thinking about protection - emotional, spiritual, energetic. Its come up for me personally in my life, and also for many of the women I work with in herbal medicine, which isn't surprising given that when we are sapped and drained of our emotional and spiritual energy, often our bodies respond by letting us know energetically. I find that many women cope for long periods of time, even years, with emotionally draining situations and relationships, and unfortunately become very good at it, because they have innate strength and stamina, however it is being directed outwards instead of inwards. Protecting ourselves takes a great deal of strength as well, but with a much happier and healthier result. So where do we start?

I have spent a good portion of my adult life tackling a difficult family relationship, only to find that it has gotten to a place where I must now focus my energy on protecting myself from its negative effects. I have tried, in all the ways I know how, to make the situation work for me, and I have finally come to a place where I had to look the relationship squarely in the eye. I think I had been avoiding doing that for some time, because I was afraid of what I might see.

See the truth. It took mustering up the courage, which I did slowly and steadily, to finally look at this relationship for what it was and how it affected me. I think prior to doing this, it was actually easier to look at the illusion of what I wished it was, rather than its truth. The truth hasn't been easy - it hurts, but without it, I don't think I could have moved forward with healing.

Set your boundaries. Once I knew what I was facing, I had to decide what my personal boundaries where. For me, this was the step in which I set the intention to be open hearted, but clear on what I would and would not accept from this relationship. This step takes a certain fierceness and committment, which again, are not always easy. But once I went looking for those traits inside myself, I was surprised to find them.

Protect yourself. Just because we do hard emotional work, it doesn't always mean we can affect change in others. Despite my own best efforts to be honest and truthful and communicate clear boundaries, I have still found myself in positions where I must protect myself from negative situations and people. Protecting yourself can take many forms - speaking up, getting support, or replacing those negative situations or relationships with joyful, nourishing ones.

Fill your well. I have come to find that the best form of protection is maintaining a full well so that I have the energy and stamina to work through those first two steps. I think they have come to be the most important aspects of emotional protection. When we are nourished in a sacred, soulful way in our everyday lives - through community, health, healing and spiritual support - we have what it takes to face the truth and meet it with our own boundaries in place. We are then able to protect ourselves and our hearts.

 

Moon Woman Conversation: Toko-pa

"Dreaming is a kind of archaeological process where we enter the landscape of the soul to unearth the forgotten or undiscovered parts of our selves.  As we begin to do away with unconscious, habitual behaviour, we awaken to a new way of being in the world.  We begin to walk the dream – turning inspiration into action" - Toko-pa

I am very excited to share my interview with Toko-pa, a dreamworker, artist, musician and healer. I think of her as a dream shepherdess, guiding us people through the rich imagery and unconscious landscape of dreams in order to help them find their purpose and live a soulful life. Enjoy Part I of our conversation below and visit back Wednesday for Part II and a special giveaway to work with Toko-pa! 

 

Aja: First, I want to thank you for giving your time to this conversation - I know I am not alone in wanting to know more about the sacred work you do in the world. The dream world is so wonderfully mysterious. So tell me, did the dream world find you or did you find the dream world?

Toko-pa: Thank you so much for playing with me, for honouring the moon with your reverence, and for always sharing in such wild and wonderfully witchy ways with the world. As usual, both is so often right answer to either/or questions :) I had epic dreams when I was a kid, even more so than I do now because I was less indentured to the rational world. As well as being vivid, my dream life rarely ended when I woke up. As it is for many children, the veil between the worlds was so thin, that I could also lucid dream and astral travel with great ease.

Being raised in a Sufi commune meant there were lots of alternative influences in my midst, including great books on Dreaming by Carlos Castaneda, Carl Jung & Robert Monroe. But while Dreaming clearly found me, like many teenagers I rebelled pretty fiercely and abandoned all that woo-woo stuff for punk rock. It wasn't until I was 20 that I read Man And His Symbols by Carl Jung and felt like I'd discovered a planet of people who spoke my soul's language. It was then that I began to find Dreaming, and we've been finding each other ever since.

Aja: So for those who are completely new to this realm of engaging with one's dreams - can you tell me how this kind of practice has served you in your own life and how you have witnessed it help others? 

Toko-pa: So many of us feel a deep longing to offer our gifts to the world, to contribute something meaningful to the deficits of our time, but there are so many sources offering spiritual guidance that it can be hard to know who to trust. But as a student said recently, "The beauty of Dreamwork is that it connects me to my inner teacher, who I know is guiding me to live my life according to me!" 

And that's just it - we can think of dreams as Nature, naturing us by way of symbols and stories. There is no outside guidance more creatively genius, or tailor-made for our personal growth - we just have to re-learn the language dreams are speaking, which is the mother-tongue of the soul. Despite the richness of the Sufi tradition, my own family home was very troubled and I left at a young age. With no parental guidance I was, in a sense, forced to turn to my inner world and very quickly learned that it was a source of powerful wisdom and it was rooting for my greatness!

People are often blown away when a dream tells them that they are a writer, or a healer or whatever their vocation may be - because it confirms their greatest hope. The dreams show them that it isn't fanciful - they must follow that secret passion with a life-or-death commitment. One of the first things that happens when people get into this work is the releasing of shame around dark dreams, which seem to contain perverse or violent images, but which are often speaking to the ways in which we are being violent or dismissive of our own hearts.

Aja: Is that part of the work you do, helping people release the shame around their dreams? Could you talk a little more about your role in working with others - your hopes and intentions for your work?

 Toko-pa: Releasing shame is a central practice in Dreamwork. When you consider the origin of the word shame, which means "to cover," you begin to understand that, however misguided, we hold a secret and painful conviction that certain parts of ourselves are so ugly and unworthy, that unless we mask or cut those pieces off, we will never belong or be accepted. 

Dreams, on the other hand, go straight for those things and throw off the covers. They work tirelessly to retrieve our forgotten, neglected and rejected soul-parts. It can be threatening to the ego at first, whose whole existence depends on keeping those things hidden, but the deeper self - the soul - is desperate to be seen. Like a garden growing in ever-widening spirals, the psyche is never content to live a partial, or split-off life. Dreams are that thing which incline us to integration, embodiment & wholeness.

Being a Dreamworker is like being a midwife for the soul. Because I am so familiar with the language of dreams, I am able to support the dreamer in recognizing the meaning of their symbols and handing back those lost pieces without the shame-distortion. As Joni Mitchell once wrote of love, Dreamwork is like "touching souls.' It is deeply healing for both Dreamer and Dreamworker. It is like speaking with Nature herself: Every dream is unfathomably beautiful and wise. As you can imagine, I witness miracles every day in my practice - people healing their long-standing wounds, activating their latent abilities, and forging a lifelong relationship with their inner guidance. It's nothing less than amazing.

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Visit the blog on Wednesday for Part II of our conversation and a VERY special giveaway for a chance to work directly with Toko-pa!

Life, right now..

Life, right now is...

:: about fullness - of the days, love, ideas, inspirations. And life is so much like this growing belly of mine - I look down and think, "well, there is no way that can get any bigger",  and yet there is big, beautiful growth.  

:: about readiness - for the arrival of our little being. There is the practical readiness, where I ask myself, do I really need that? But even more enjoyable are the times when I just sit and think about creating our little family and how that feels. 

:: about savoring - savoring moments like when I curl up in my partner's arm when I first open my eyes in the morning and our baby moves and stretches in my belly greeting us. 

:: about organization - . I often live in the emotional, spiritual realm, but I also love a good system of organization. I am using what tools I have to their fullest and love every file, every calendar and every reminder that helps me do the work in the world I feel called to do.

:: about knitting  - whenever I can find a spare moment, as sparse as those are.

:: about love - for our faithful pets. People have been offering me the sentiment that I won't care so much about our pets when the baby arrives, yet I couldn't disagree more. I have never felt more connected to our animals - they are part of our growing family and they are a deep source of love.

:: about beauty - because I have never felt more beautiful.

:: about community - because I am lucky to have a big one that I love so much (Aho moon women! Aho mammas! Aho neighbors! Aho artists, yogis, herbalists and dreamers! Aho to those of us who want to live a sacred life fully!) 

:: about gratitude - always.

:: about commitment - to my ideals, to my goals, to making dreams a reality, even when they feel risky, strange, far-fetched or unpopular with others.

:: about truth -  and speaking my truth a loud. The other day I said a loud something that surprised even me in its truth. I was asked what I needed and I answered "I, like many people in the world, have had terrible things happen to me and a disturbing childhood. But I need the people around me who care about me to know and trust that I have worked so very hard to get where I am today." Acknowledgement of pain carried and the strength gained.

...and that is life right now.

X.Aja

 

Moon Woman Conversation: Nikiah Seeds Part II

My conversation with author, artist and priestess Nikiah Seeds continues, with rich insights into her creative process. As a jewelry and drum artist and creatress of ceremony, Nikiah shares her thoughts on what makes her work (and life) sacred. If you missed PART I, read here. Otherwise, settle back in with that cup of tea and enjoy...

Aja: I completely agree about the spiritual and practical often coming together in a woman's life. I loved that your book mirrored that so thoughtfully. I also love that you say honoring your moon time need not be a huge production and that simple acts can be transformed into a small ritual. Which leads me to wanting to know more about your gorgeous jewelry - I love wearing jewelry and find that adorning myself each day is a simple, but important ritual especially when the pieces are infused with sacred power. Can you tell me a little about your creations? About your creative process and how you hope they move through the world once they find an owner?

Nikiah: My creations, whether it is jewelry, drums, smudge wands or crafting a ceremony are all heart centered and soul driven. I find wild inspiration for my surroundings and from other women. I think it is extraordinary what women get up to in terms of creation! When I first started to make sacred jewelry it was for myself and then for a few friends who wanted something sacred to represent what they were going through at that time in their lives, something that they felt good putting on and powerful in. This inspired me so much that when I sold my business I used some of the money to seed being able to make sacred jewelry for others as well. The stones I choose are all from the earth, I do not use anything synthetic in my jewelry, and I believe this plays a huge part in woman's experiences with them. Over the past few years some of my pieces have begun to reflect my shamanic path. I added pieces carved out of bone and antler with power animals on them. Women connect deeply with the animals in their lives both spiritually and those whose real presence has affected them, so to be able to have a sacred medicine piece that reflects these animals is also very powerful.

Once they are out in the world, either up at Red Moon Designs or in a store, I know that they will find the perfect owner for them. This became apparent to me when I nervously left my first set of necklaces in a store knowing that I would never have any contact with their new owners. Later that day I got a call from one of the women working there telling me about the first sale. It was to a woman with Parkinsons disease who saw the necklace meant for her and had a very powerful and healing experience with it, and bought it right away. Since that time I have received many e-mails and met many amazing and wise women, who when they find the right piece for them know it in their bones, know it is for them, and exactly why. All I have to do is get out of the way, because at that point my job is done. This fills my heart and soul and it is in these moments I know I am doing the right thing.

Aja: What a wonderful story. It leads me to ask your thoughts on what it is that makes something sacred. Also, what are some areas of your life that you placing sacred intention on these days?

Nikiah: I love your questions - What makes something sacred, and it took me a moment to reflect, as it is so easy to take for granted this work. For me personally, when I am working on jewelry or any creative project that is sacred, my intent is the first thing that I set in place to make it so. All it really takes is intent and energy to create either sacred space or a sacred object. For my own personal objects I work shamanically with my guides and together we will create a sacred object for my shamanic work. However since I also create sacred necklaces, talismans, amulets and drums etc... I will explain how these become sacred.

I begin with intent and creative inspiration; often I call in my guides to assist me in keeping the space sacred and to support me in my work. Then the imbas, or creative energy, flows and once I begin I am not happy until the necklace or drum or whatever I am working on is done. Before each of my pieces goes out into the world it is cleansed and hung up on a beautiful wooden stand I had hand made for my necklaces. This way when a customer receives their necklace it is clear and ready for them to add their own energy to it. The same goes for the drums and other sacred objects I make.

Some of the other areas that I am placing sacred intention to are my ceremonial work. I just launched a new web-site Red Moon Ceremonies.com that I am really excited about and I am so happy to be doing this work alongside my jewelry. The ceremonies allow me to get out into the world and work one on one with women and their partners as well as to sit in sacred circle making drums. This sacred work fills me right up!!

Aja: What advice or suggestions would you give to women seeking to instill more sacred energy into their everyday lives? 

Nikiah: Keeping the sacred in our lives is often hard to observe when everyday stress takes such a toll on our spirits, but even lighting a candle in the morning while you get dressed or eat breakfast can be a sacred act and can be very grounding.My best advice is to simply remember that everything they do and touch is sacred, if intent is added. Taking a bath can be transformed into a sacred ritual with intent, candles and mindfulness. We are all spiritual beings first and have great capacity for spirituality, we just get caught up in the how's and when's, but honestly light a candle in the morning and see how you feel!

Many Blessings to you Aja and to all your readers, it has been a delight!

Thank you Nikiah, for sharing your beautiful creations and sacred work. X.Aja

Nikiah has been working in the realm of woman’s spirituality and healing for the past 14 years. She is a jewelry and drum artist, sacred beekeeper, and writer, having co-written the book Moon Mysteries: Reclaiming Women's Menstrual Wisdom. Nikiah is also an Ordained Spiritual Minister and life cycle Celebrant, specializing in creating unique wedding ceremonies and handfastings for couples. Nikiah lives in Vancouver B.C. with her husband their 2 children a few thousand honey bees, 4 chickens, and a cat named Solstice. Visit Nikiah online for more information on her jewelry,ceremonial work and everyday life. 

Moon Woman Conversation: Nikiah Seeds

I am so very pleased to be sharing the life and work of artist, beekeeper, writer, drum creator, priestess and mama, Nikiah Seeds. Somehow, we two busy moon women found the time to have a bi-coastal conversation about sacred living, the divine feminine and life - which left me inspired and in awe of the amazing work Nikiah brings forth into the world. I will be posting our conversation over the next several days and I hope you are inspired by her words as much as I was. Get yourself a cup of herbal tea, relax and enjoy!

Aja: You walk a number of paths; as a ceremonialist, writer, priestess, jewelry artist and bee keeper - is there a common thread or passion underlying all that you do?

Nikiah: Yes there is both a passion and a thread that pulls through everything I do and this is my dedication to the divine feminine. What that looks like is whether I am outside working with the bees or writing for my blog or books, making jewelry or writing a ceremony I carry the essence of this commitment deep in my bones and it spills out into my work, which in turn is also my passion!

The other thing I will add that is more of a practical answer to your question is that each year I donate my time, money and my work to fundraising for a group called Shanti Uganda. This is a non-profit group that works with HIV women in Uganda as well as women who are giving birth. They have created an incredible income generating group with the women who have HIV and have built a birth house equipped with midwives and life saving equipment for women who otherwise would be giving birth with nothing, no help or support and certainly nothing sanitary to safely birth their babies in. The maternal mortality rate is simply unbelievable in this part of the world, but Shanti is doing their small part to help and it is part of my passion and dedication to helping and supporting women. It is my hope to get there with my family in the next few years as this is also where my husband's father's family is from.

Aja: That sounds like an important and worthy cause! 

Nikiah: Thank you Aja, I feel the same way, and because there are so many causes out there to choose from, it can be overwhelming!  I found though that once I dedicated my time and energy to Shanti, the overwhelm seemed to dissipate a little. The saying "Do what you can with what you have" really works!

Aja: When you say "divine feminine", can you tell me what that means to you?

Nikiah: What the Divine Feminine means to me is such a deeply personal and tender question.  The divine feminine, I believe can be found in all humans, male or female, and not all of us are in touch with it as much as we could/should be. To me, being in touch with the divine female part of ourselves is to allow an honoring of every aspect that the feminine has to offer, from being tender and sensitive to strong and powerful. it is to and have an inner knowing of oneself, and this includes our shadows. The divine feminine to me is also mysterious and intuitive, and she is sexy and honors herself in whatever form she is in that moment. She is fluid and changing, and she is also strong and full of life.

Aja: It is a tender thing isn't it? Sometimes I want to hold it close, like a conversation in a whisper. But then I have moments when I get brave and want to share it with others, which can be hard when it is as you say, ever changing and fluid. This is why I think the work you are doing in the world is so important! It makes that conversation louder than a whisper. You co-wrote one of my now favorite books "Moon Mysteries: Reclaiming Women's Menstrual Wisdom" with fellow moon woman Nao Sims. In what ways, both spiritually and pragmatically speaking, does your book offer support for women?

Nikiah: I am so glad you asked this question, because it was our intent to have the book be a balanced combination of both. We wanted women to make the connect between their bodies and emotions, to have a deeper understanding of the spiritual aspect of menstruation while learning that there is a science and physiology behind it as well. A body-mind connection if you will. The practical aspect is that bringing the two together need not be a huge production, but rather honoring your moon time can be as simple as taking the time to prepare yourself a cup of herbal tea that nourishes you, or drawing a bath with the intent of creating ritual. The practical and spiritual can come together quite well for us modern women, it's true!

 

Visit tomorrow, as the conversation continues. X.Aja

Nikiah has been working in the realm of woman’s spirituality and healing for the past 14 years. She is a jewelry and drum artist, sacred beekeeper, and writer, having co-written the book Moon Mysteries: Reclaiming Women's Menstrual Wisdom. Published in the fall of 2011.Nikiah is also an Ordained Spiritual Minister and life cycle Celebrant, specializing in creating unique wedding ceremonies and handfastings for couples.Since 2006 Nikiah has also been been a devout student of shamanism and this deeply informs her work as a ceremonialist and priestess. Nikiah lives in Vancouver B.C. with her husband their 2 children a few thousand honey bees, 4 chickens, and a cat named Solstice. Visit Nikiah online for more information on her jewelry, ceremonial work and everyday life. 

Full Moon | Blue Moon

FULL MOON INSIGHTS FOR AUGUST 31, 2012

Today is the second full moon of August - the Blue Moon, in sign Pisces. Pisces is the sign of water and fluidity and full moons represent the opportunity to uncover deep truths and sacred knowing that we have somehow lost on our path. 

To honor the sister moon at her fullest and to work with the energy for your greater good, commune with water today. Let your psyche and unconscious be fluid and open like the ocean, so that deeper truths can float to the surface. Once they arise, notice them. You don't need to do anything with them. This is an opportunity for insight, not necessarily action. The real work is uncovering your deep and hidden self-wisdom.

I invite you to embrace a Full Moon Visualization today or in the next few days, when the full moon energy is at its highest. It's simple, yet powerful and will support your opening up to personal truth. You can do this before sleep, during meditation or just when you have a moment to rest quietly. If you can make time to be in water, a bath or swim outside, that would be beautiful. You can also work with a friend, taking turns reading the visualization to each other.

FULL BLUE-MOON VISUALIZATION

Close your eyes and picture a body of water that soothes you - the spaciousness of the ocean, a woodland stream running over rocks, a quiet pond or perhaps rain falling softly in a puddle. 

Bring that body of water into your mind, imagine your thoughts swimming gently in it, all together.

Touch down on some of those thoughts - what is arising? Just notice. There is nothing to do here. 

After touching down and noticing each thought, no matter how big or small, let each thought float down below the surface, until you are no longer able to see it.

Let your mind become calm like an untouched surface of a pond. No ripples, no current. Just the smooth, mirror like calm of the water's surface.

It feels peaceful and still. The calm of water envelops your entire body and you are floating inside the fluidity. There is nothing to do here except just be. 

It is here in this place of just being, that you open yourself up to deeper knowing. As the water supports you, simply state to yourself "I am open to my sacred truths".

And then float. The mind is fluid. Small thoughts may intrude the surface of your mind, but the water helps them float back away. 

And then, perhaps in that stillness, truths emerge - as symbols, words, pictures or even colors. Whose to say what form your sacred knowing takes in this magical space of the mind?

Simply notice without evaluation. Stay here for 5-10 minutes if possible.

When finished, perhaps you are moved to write down what emerged, which may help uncover more meaning. Or simply write down what emerged so that you are able to process it later.

For now, you can stay in the watery realm of the Pisces Moon - fluid and open to your feminine sacred spirit.

X.Aja

 

 

Sacred Nourishment

"It may be that some little root of the sacred tree still lives. Nourish it then, that it may leaf and bloom and fill with singing birds." -Black Elk

During my pregnancy, I haven't had many cravings for specific foods. After a month or so of not really eating very much at all in the beginning, its such a joy to be nourishing myself fully with the foods I love - lots of fresh local greens and vegetables, local meats, homemade yogurt, nuts, seeds and healthy grains. And cherries. 

This is the summer of cherries. Bing and Rainer are my favorite. One day I will look back at the experience of my first pregnancy and the taste of cherries will entwine with the memory. The ritual of washing them and eating them and saving the pits for the garden. I love their sweet, tart taste and that they remind me of home, where they are grown and where I grew up. The Pacific Northwest is far from Rhode Island and each little fruit brings me back. 

A woman's relationship with food is sacred, complex and sometimes challenging. The act of sacred nourishment can get entangled with fraught body issues, deprivation of the body and soul, along with outside expectations that we too readily consume. To break free of these issues and let the body speak to us through its needs and desires is what allows for a healthy body and spirit. 

For me, this is a changing time. My body is changing. My eating habits are changing. The ways I nourish myself are fluid and responsive. It feels almost primal, as if my animal instincts are most present. I am nourishing my growing body and my growing baby in ways that are intentional, but also instinctive. Coincidentally, I have never eaten better. Better as in a total nourishment. The definition of "nourish" is to "supply with what is necessary for life, health, and growth." But the definition also includes: 

to cherish, foster, keep alive, and to strengthen, build up, or promote

What if women where to cherish themselves through their food? What if our relationship with food was a doorway towards promoting and strengthening our soul path? If our animal instincts are free from outside entanglements, do they help us make the most nourishing choices for our body?

As I cherish and foster this little being inside me, I am connected to how I must do the same for myself, one cherry at a time. X.Aja

Women as healers

image: cherokeeblood

“Women have always been healers. Cultural myths from around the world describe a time when only women knew the secrets of life and death, and therefore they alone could practice the magical art of healing… The emergence of women whose consiousness blends with the ancient themes of healing is the single most promising event in health care…” -Jeanne Achterberg, Woman as Healer

a breath as big as the ocean

“I must be a mermaid, Rango. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living.” 
― Anaïs Nin, in her novel The Four-Chambered Heart

This past full moon felt like just the expansive opportunity needed to create the space inside our hearts that allows for the intuition to flourish and grow. This energy has stayed with me and there is no place I feel this possibility more than when I am by the sea. The sea is an expanse, large and full and spacious. It has a breath that inhales and exhales on the earth.

I always find small treasures by the ocean. Little bits of magic, fragile and ephemeral and very real. If there wasn’t so much space, where I can idly roam the shore and breathe in the salty air, I might not see those gifts.

I believe the feminine soul, that sacred part of each woman also contains special gifts not seen unless we open up space to breath them into being.  Then we can hold them and nourish them, tenderly and with care.

August is here and with it an invitation I offer myself and to you: do less. Feel more. Embrace whatever space means to you. If there is a suffocated part of your soul, send it your breath – even if it is painful, just keep breathing. The breath will not leave you. Life starts with the breath and so it is with the parts of us not yet birthed. Space to grow. Space to breath. Space to be.

X.Aja

Celebrating the Seasons: Summer Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice sisters! Its the longest day of the year and a hot, hot 96 degrees here in little Rhode Island. Here are some of my favorite summer inspiration images from my Moon Woman tumblr and pinterest pages. Scroll down for some inspiring words on honoring the solstice from a variety of wise women!

"Midsummer is upon us! As we revel in the long daytime hours, the Solstice pause reminds us that nothing lasts forever... within the bright light of the most brilliant Summer Sun lies the unseen conception of Winter's longest night. And so it goes... season after season... on and on as long as our dear Sun continues to shine.

In celebrating these moments of seasonal transition, we recommit ourselves to the everchanging present, with gratitude for the opportunity to do so and deep appreciation for the cycle itself, this magnificent rhythm that is who we all are." - Guiliana Serena 

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"Summer Solstice marks the peak of the solar cycle. In the midst of the longest day of the year, we simultaneously begin our return to the dark half of the year. Summer Solstice is active: it's about doing and expanding, living the dream we envisioned in the dream-time of Winter. The Earth is fertile, and the womb of the Earth Mother grows ripe with life. 

In the mythic cycle of the Goddess, the Maiden Goddess experiences the joy of union with Her creative, sexual, sensual Self and begins to manifest Her creations. Thus, this holiday begins the Maiden Goddess's transition to the cycle of the Mother Goddess as Maker/Creatrix. 

Honor and celebrate the many ways you manifest the creativity in your life. Regardless of whether a woman physically gives birth, she becomes "Mother" when she nurtures, sustains and protects life, human or other species, through her life's work and activism. Where is your passionate energy focused in your life? How do you feed your creative fire? How are you a "Mother/Maker/Creatrix"? How do you nurture, sustain and protect your creations?" - Ruth Barrett (via The Spirit That Moves Me)

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The energies of the plants are throbbing as the longest day of the year floods us all with warmth and sunshine. It’s a good thing the days are long, there is so much to do.- Susun Weed

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Thank you wise women, for sharing your needed wisdom on this joyous day! X.Aja