Thresholds - drawing water from the forest well

Are you ready to take a wee trip to Wombat Forest and to Hanging Rock country? Yesterday we journeyed into the forest to collect the healing natural mineral spring water from the Spa Country wells for new essences for the Red Tent Dreaming event next week. You can see all of the photos here.
I am about to immerse myself in water witching with the essences & will be charging them up under the full moon. A deep well of love for your Full Moon creations this weekend x

A Swan Blessing Remembering

I have begun receiving recollections and stories from those who have experienced The Swan Blessing for our book: The Swan Blessing - Releasing the Ties That Bind. They are so very potent and beautiful. Here is Jane's memory of her journey with the Swan. 


I saw her, old, long scraggly hair, wrapped in tanned animal hide for protection, by the river, in the forest, alone, very alone, sad, resigned, quiet.She'd been banished from the village, or maybe she'd run away and been hiding, either way it was because she'd been found out or would have been and that meant she'd had to leave or die.  

I saw her, young, she was writing furiously, long feather quill, hiding somewhere in a corner of the attic of the dwelling, in the dark, a lone taper burning. She was scared, fearful of being seen, yet she wrote and she wrote, pausing only to hear more to write.The words were coming to her from others, words she couldn't see who spoke, yet the words came and she wrote them.The Grandmother who lived in her hut in the forest had told her that the voices and their words that she heard were important and that she must write them down and give them to her. She taught her to write and read and told her to keep it a secret, not to tell anyone and to keep on doing it.On the Grandmother's death bed, she made her promise, make a vow, to never let anyone else know about the words she heard and to not let anyone see her writing, otherwise she would be killed. She wrote and wrote and the words soothed her soul. She shared them with her mother and her sisters because the words spoke of a different way, a way where they would be honoured and respected, it was so different to how it was for them.... The vow she made to the Grandmother kept her scared, scared of being seen, scared of being found out and scared of what would happen should she be discovered and the vow kept the words secret, but the words wanted to be shared and read.....  

The vow she made stayed with her until another lifetime when she went to the Blacksmith's cottage and met a Witch who flew with Swan. The Witch helped her find a way to cut away the web that was the vow, that had stuck to her, that was stuck in and around and all over her. And Black Panther came then, to be with her, to protect her and guard her. She was safe now, the vow was released and the words could come freely and be shared.    

Jane, Sydney 2012

Sacred Familiar Koala Sponsorship

As many of you know, the koala is a sacred animal to Tony and I and we thank everyone who has helped us raise money for these beautiful creatures in the past. This little sweetie is Amanda a recently orphaned baby koala who is being cared for by the amazing Colleen Woods and her team of volunteers at The Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter. Amanda is available for immediate sponsorship - just $40 a year and 100% of every donation goes to the koala and it's care. We have visited Colleen many times over the years and we are always awed by her courage, determination and her huge heart that keeps giving despite facing some really horrible realities about the challenges koalas are dealing with in our modern world.

Tony and I will be visiting Colleen very soon to take up funds raised through donation at our drumming circle. If you would like to give a donation we will gladly take your assistance up to the Shelter. We have been told that they have named a koala Sacred Familiar! So you can be a vital part of this koala's care if you feel called.  You can also contact the Southern Ash Shelter at: southernash@live.com.au to find out how to sponsor Amanda or the many other koalas that arrive daily into Colleen's care. Colleen's intention and aim is to give the koalas a safe sanctuary to heal and recover so that they can be returned to the wild again.

The koala is a beautiful and unique Australian animal and they really need help from the us, the new humane guardians of the land.  Every dollar truly counts so if you can give, please get in touch,

Oceans of love, Julia & Tony

Colleen Woods and a beautiful koala now released back into the wild
Southern Ash on Facebook
Tony & Becker one of Sacred Familiar's sponsored koalas


Kindling for your Fire - Night Flower the Life & Art of Vali Myers

It's here - it's real!  
YES!!! The new book: Night Flower - the Life & Art of Vali Myers has been birthed at a beautiful launch and exhibition at Outre Gallery in Melbourne on the Eve of the Spring Equinox. Thank you to everyone who turned up to celebrate Vali and her extraordinary life & art, what a fantastic night and it even included a visit by the cops - Vali would have loved that, she would have disarmed them with her fox ways and invited them inside. The biggest hugs in the world for Nicole Karidis & Ruth Cullen of the Vali Myers Art Gallery Trust and Martin McIntosh & Gemma Jones of Outre Gallery & Publishing. Wow - it's really here. I remember the first day years ago when all of sat around my dining room table and the seed of this dream was born and to hold this luminous, golden dream of a book in my hand right now is so exciting. 
It was an honour to be asked to write the foreword for Night Flower, to express in words the magic & wisdom that Vali gifted to me during our friendship. This gift is a creative 'quickening' that is open and available to you all in this book and I encourage you to READ IT, SPEAK OF IT, SHARE IT and then let it inspire you to CREATE. Wild, flaming love to you Queen of Foxes and to you all - THE DREAM IS REAL. Julia xxxx.
Night Flower is available from Outre Gallery where you can also see for a limited time Vali's original drawings, personal diaries and talismans in a current exhibition. Go and see it!!!
Inside the Outre Hive before opening with 
Nicole Karidis & Ruth Cullen of the Vali Myers Trust
with Gemma Jones & Martin McIntosh from Outre in the background

Night Flower with Vali's personal diaries and talismans
Original painting: Queen of Thorns Vali Myers
Original painting: Stella Maris by Vali Myers
love you Vali 

The Weekly Familiar - Kangaroo

The Weekly Familiar - an Animal Message from Tony

This Week's Familiar is KANGAROO.

Kangaroo: The kangaroo has come through this week to show us how to let go of stress. We can often let stress build up in us over issues and events that aren't as important as we think they are. Here is an exercise taught to me by kangaroo: imagine a large kangaroo standing in front of you and focus on what you are feeling stressed about. Begin taking very deep breaths. With every exhale see the kangaroo in front of you growing larger and larger as you let the problem go. When the kangaroo has taken the feeling of stress from you it will turn and jump in enormous leaps - releasing the energy of the issue with every jump until it is completely clear. This is kangaroo's gift to you.

Be Wild!

Tony

Joan of Arc and the Swan

Joan of Arc by Jonathan Blair

Recently I have begun to gather personal stories of The Swan Blessing from healers and artists who have come forward to clear past life vows and contracts over the last 6 months. These personal stories are so fascinating and illuminating that I have decided to include them in a new book about the blessing that will go deeper into the many kinds of Past Life Vows we make over lifetimes and the effects that they can have in our current lives.  

A crucial point of The Swan Blessing is when we realise the promise, vow or contract we have made in our past life and get ready to release ourselves from it. At this point of the healing I ask clients to call forth a powerful healer to stand beside them and assist them in cutting the ties that bind. It has been many times now that I have been told by clients after their session that it was Joan of Arc's essence and presence they felt come forward to support them.  I should not be surprised that a woman who suffered such extreme persecution and who was also burnt as a witch at the stake would come forward to release the soul memory of similar events for others. 
If you would like to share your own personal journey with the Swan to be included in our book please get in touch with us, we would be honoured to receive it. 
Joan of Arc by Gaston Bussiere