(If you subscribe to my newsletter, you’ve probably already read this . . .)
I’ve been mulling over the idea of contemplative, creative seasonal e-courses for a couple of years now. I wanted to create a guide for myself that would help me to go deep into the mysteries of each season – both in the way we experience it externally, with changes in the natural world, as well as its inner, mythic resonances.
I wanted to make art that reflected the effect the season had on me — to write and sketch about it in my journal, to take photographs, and to visit special secret spots in nature, observing the seasonal changes. I wanted to completely absorb the season until it leaked out my pores. And, I thought, it would be so lovely to do this with companions along the way. But, for one reason or another, I didn’t act on the idea.
Then one day this fall, as I was planning my offerings for 2012, I read this “tweet” by Jennifer Louden (one of my “she-roes”):
You are always being offered the exact medicine you need (hint: it shows up in what you are teaching / offering others).
And I metaphorically slapped my palm on my forehead. Of course! I need to teach what my soul is calling me to learn. It’s the exact medicine I need!
So I created a series of eight e-courses, Gaian Soul Seasonal Practices: Diving Deep with Creativity, Contemplation, and Connection, structured around the Wheel of the Year.
Each one is five weeks long, with a week or two between each one. Each one begins a week to ten days before the “holy-day,” like Winter Solstice, Candlemas or Spring Equinox. You can sign up for all eight (and get a price break) or take individual courses as the spirit moves you.
The structure is really pretty simple. Each week you’ll receive a PDF of a reflection written by me on a different aspect of the seasonal tide. There will also be suggested art projects, nature activities, and other practices (like tarot!). Then, five days a week, you’ll receive a short email from me with an inspirational photo, quote and journaling prompt. There’ll be a forum where you can connect with others taking the course, but no teleseminars as there are in my other e-courses. It’s entirely up to you how much you do.
These courses give you a reason to carve out time for yourself, to nurture your spirit and your creative self-expression.
And we begin with . . . Midwinter.
I’ve said for many years that the deepest gifts of the midwinter holiday season are the twin companions of Solitude and Community. We need both. But our contemporary culture tends to over-emphasize the festive aspects of the season, and rarely sanctions the honoring of silence and solitude.
Yet that is exactly what Mama Gaia is calling us to do. . .
“Gaian Soul Practices for Midwinter” will help you make room in your busy holiday schedule for personal creative expression, silence, and stillness.
The course starts on Sunday December 11th, and goes through Friday January 13th.
We already have a lovely, large circle forming for this course. I hope you will join us!
>>> EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION is happening now through December 5th!<<<
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