Getting your New Moon on!
A New Moon in Libra has been birthed . How are you going to direct this potent new energy. Today the winds are wild and full of electricity - what messages are coming to you? Blessings on all your New Moon wishes.
Inspired by the Kalash
Hidden within the Hindu Kush mountains is a mysterious and ancient tribe of people called the Kalash Kafirs, translated literally as the 'black-dressed infidels of Pakistan'. Some believe they are the legendary direct descendants of the armies of Alexander the Great and that they are a living link back to Ancient Greece. There are also legends that they are part-fairie and part-human and the ethereal green-eyed beauty of the women is said to 'make a man lose his religion'. When I look at these mysterious women I see truth and an ancient and yet futuristic beauty.
I love the wisdom and presence in the sage-eyed Kalash Herb Healer below.
björk: crystalline
Choice and Freedom at the Spring Equinox
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| Tree of Life by Mark Ryden |
Happy Spring Equinox to you all today! This is Luna, a beautiful white speckled pigeon that has taken up residence with us in the week leading up to the Equinox. She is wild but eats from our hand - and nothing could please or teach me more at the moment: a wild creature that chooses to live with us and comes and goes as she chooses. I hope that this Spring Equinox brings a new sense of freedom and choice as you embrace the balance between the security of home and spreading your wings in the wild world beyond.
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| William Holman Hunt, Tuscan Girl 1869 |
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| Spring by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema 1894 |
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| Spring by Frances MacNair 1897 |
Fox-fire
The Gaian Tarot - Interview with Joanna Powell Colbert
The Gaian Tarot website.
Last night as we stepped into the second step of The Path Within we looked at the beautiful new Tarot deck created by visionary artist Joanna Powell Colbert, The Gaian Tarot. I have also begun reading for clients with this beautiful Tarot deck and have already noticed that it's imagery and message of connection to Mother Earth has brought a wonderful new pathway to hope for many.
Last year I had the pleasure of interviewing Joanna about her creative process:
Well known for her Goddess portraits and mythic art, Joanna Powell Colbert has created a Tarot deck dedicated to Earth Spirituality. Just looking at The Gaian Tarot images makes me feel instantly calm. I am forever inspired by Joanna and her ability to juggle her work as an artist, writer, teacher and deep love of Tarot & the Earth. The Gaian Tarot took Joanna nine years to complete - 9 the number of completion - and the 9 of Earth features Joanna herself in a field of lavender. Often it's hard for us to keep inspired about our creative projects & so I asked Joanna how she managed to keep up her ‘fire’ during the long and necessary gestation of her Tarot deck.
What was the first 'seed' of inspiration for your deck?
Joanna: ‘I was at a festival in late 2000 where a dozen or so people came up to my vending table, looked at my Goddess art, and said: "Didn't you do a Tarot deck?" It felt like a divine message to me. As I went out for a walk one day, trying to choose a theme for the deck, it hit me all of a sudden: I needed to merge my love for my naturalist studies and my love for Mother Earth with my love for the Tarot. That was a theme that would interest and sustain me over the long haul.
How did you 'fire' yourself up to create your deck over such a long period of time & what were the benefits of taking your time with it?
J: ‘Well I never intended to take such a long time with it. Life just got in the way — earning a living, caretaking my elderly father, etc etc. Plus I chose a medium (colored pencil) that is extremely time-intensive. But every time I started a new card, I did get fired up — very excited by the idea behind the card, the symbolism, the color scheme and composition. I always said that my favorite card is the one I just completed. I was always a little bit in love with the most recent one.
I grew into my elderhood during the nine years that I created the deck. I moved from my 40's into my 50's. I buried my father and became a grandmother. I left my beloved island home and moved back to (small) city living. I dealt with some significant health issues. So there were major life transitions that took place during the time I created the deck. All of my life wisdom up to this point is wrapped up in those cards.
What beliefs or old patterns did you have to cast into the fire of transformation to embrace such a project?
The feeling that I was a fraud as a professional artist because I work from photographs; the belief that I wasn't good enough to pull the project off and that it wasn't good enough to be published. The community of people that followed the evolution of the deck on my blog really helped me to stay focused and excited about the deck, because they were all waiting for it and gave me such great feedback on it.’
Thank you again Joanna!
I look forward to teaching and sharing this deck with you all in our classes, healings and Tarot Readings. May the Gaian Tarot inspire you to have trust in your own heart's dreams and patience as as they take root at the Spring Equinox this Friday.
Patagonia's Sculpted Azure Caverns
Healing Past Lives Weekend Intensive
Once thought of as mysterious, Past Life Regression has now been embraced by counsellors and therapists as a tool to heal and assist clients on the Soul’s journey towards awakening and self-empowerment. By exploring Past Lives, we can bring profound healing and understanding to our current life situations, behaviours and relationships.
Celtic Star Goddess Arianrhod, will guide us in this 2-day workshop of Past Life exploration & healing. Please read below for the full details, this weekend intensive will be the only one of it's kind this year so let me know as soon as you can if you wish to join us,
Warm Wishes, Julia
to the waters and the wild...
We'd love to see you in the circle at Spring Equinox to help us raise money for the gorgeous koalas at the Southern Ash Wildlife Fund. Please bring along a small bottle or jar to take home your very own healing water and a small strip of cloth or ribbon to create your 'clootie' (wish or prayer ribbon).
Waterfalls of abundance to you all,
Julia and Tony