Contemplations

New Old Things…

Posted on by sue boardman

If you’ve been reading along for a bit, you’ve probably noticed that I like learning. I especially like learning mystical new kinds of things. The kinds of things that make new space among all the “absolute” kinds of things I learned in nursing school and a whole lot of college.

This is one of those moments, for a couple of reasons.

First, it’s the annual mystical time known as the Lion’s Gate Portal. Actually, it peaked yesterday, on 8/8. It has a lot to do with the cosmic alignment of the Earth, the Sun in Leo, and the star Sirius.

Those who follow such events view this moment as a kind of doorway connecting the physical and spiritual/mystical realms, representing personal empowerment, high frequency energy, and deep manifestation potential. (And, yes… I had to look all this up!)

As it happens, I’m writing about Aslan’s story in my book-in-progress. That’s Aslan, above, with his warrior archetype partner, Matilda of Tuscany. And, as long as we’re being real, this world feels like it could use a whole bunch of that kind of energy, replacing the other kind of warrior crap we’ve got going on!

Astrologically, Leo energy is thought of as courage, heart-centered leadership, strength, and proud self-expression.

Here’s the thing… all of that kind of wonder requires making space!

Space in our beliefs. Space in our routines. Space in our calendars. And, yes… it’s time for me to make some space! So, Vacay!!! Time with our kids. And, this coming Wednesday, August 12, is likely to be time off from blog day. (Gulp!) It’s also a big day in the Intentional Creativity® land of Red Madonna!

And, yes… you are most assuredly invited! Just click here for an all access pass to our special intro event… 2-Hour Complimentary Guided Ritual With Curate Shiloh Sophia and Havi Mandell!

Archetypal Feminine Power

Now IS the time!!!

ps… love to hear what ah-hah’s are appearing for you in this Lion’s Gate time! Big questions, too!!!

#Magic!ContemplationsGrandmothersMedicine BasketOffering

Of darkness… and light!

Posted on by sue boardman

First, let me apologize to my Southern Hemisphere sisters! I didn’t learn much about Moon Magic in school. Back in those days, we “smart” kids – read that “college-bound” – didn’t have time for such things. (Though I did memorize the entire periodic table of the elements as we knew it in those days!)

Fortunately life is for learning, and that’s just about my favorite part of the journey, so I’m declaring this to be Moon Post Wednesday! Specifically, in this hemisphere, the night before Crone Moon just before the total eclipse due on August 12.

Spiritually, this night could be considered an “ultimate cleansing” opportunity for letting go of toxic patterns or clutter or things that drain us, rather than fill us.

What comes to mind for you as you’re reading along???

The clearing, of course, leaves Owl – or Athena – space for truths that have been hidden. For planning and for winning through wisdom.

In this moment, though, we’re having contextual darkness of a different sort. I’m going to assume that you know as much about the news as you’re choosing to handle and not add any of that here, except to say that I did notice a smidge of hope earlier today!

Fortunately, space for practical creating also goes along with Crone Moons, and I have lots of that to do! The photo at the top is currently directing some major plastic surgery on my #wip painting. And I’m heading back to that, as long as the power holds out in the storm that just began rattling our neighborhood.

First, though, a message from a #wip glimpse at my #RedMadonna 2025 painting, Mother Nature. She – and Athena of the Crone Moons – are so hoping you’ll come check out the adventure with Primordial Waters that’s about to begin. Just click here for all the info… A safe circle of wise women, new perspectives, community, and actual medicine for your basket!!!

#Magic!Art JourneyContemplationsRed Madonna

Words for this moment, from a special guest…

Posted on by sue boardman

Today it is my great joy to share these deeply magical and poetic words from my sister, teacher, and friend, Shiloh Sophia McCloud, with YOU! Fix yourself a cuppa and settle in…

Do you know Her?
The One who carries creation?

The One from whom we arose?
The One that nursed us alive?

Her Milky Way feeds us sweet milk

Do you know Her?

The Protector of Animals

The Protector of Children
The Protecter of Trees

Her Milky Way feeds us sweet milk 


She is Our Lady of Creation

The Great Ma of all Great Mamas

The Great Mystery of the sky, the land,

the primordial watery womb of all creation 

Her Milky Way feeds us sweet milk


Will you lift your face to drink?

Will you lift your mind to love?

Will you let Her in?

She is standing at the door of your heart

The Divine Feminine isn ‘t returning –

She never went anywhere

It is us who are returning.

-Shiloh Sophia

 

Click here for all the info… Join us for Red Madonna – Womb of Living Waters 

 We open with a professionally filmed Live Stream from MUSEA in Sonoma with Curate Shiloh Sophia and Havi Mandell. Here is a message from Shiloh to each of us…

Dear One…

In 2011, I found myself on my knees. You could say I was in prayer, but it fel more like despair on the hardwood floor. The lowest I have ever been in my life. I prayed to the Blessed Mother – show me what to do – how do I get out of this place I am in?

I heard a clear instruction – to gather women around Her. To tell Her story. To paint Her. Who she is – lives differently in all of us. Since then thousands of women have painted Her – she who appears in your heart. 

The Red Madonna sisterhood was born from my tears. Women from all spiritual traditions gathered to answer the call and we have not stopped gathering since then. Red Madonna is the longest standing membership circle in the community. Because – we need it.

A creative spiritual path rooted in the practice of painting, prayer, poetry and community. This is sanctuary and sisterhood. 

What happens when a Jewish Shaman, a Reluctant Priestess, a Mystical Christian Reverend, a Queer Storyteller, a Elemental Ceremonialist and a Magdalenian put their hearts and hands together? Red Madonna.

Who we are is different each cycle we gather – and it will be different again because of you. We will be painting the womb of primordial waters, the Sacred Feminine through your eyes. If you are seeking solace and circle – you found it. 

Perhaps it is your time to join us for this 13 moon path. I look forward to Havi, who has been with us since day 1 – travelling to the ranch to paint with me for the live opening weekend. We will begin with a blessing of the waters. Everything is instantly recorded so you don’t have to join in real time – but the energy is real time. I hope to see you in this sacred circle. This is the only consistent circle of painting for our community until 2027. Hop on in – we have been calling you in – perhaps you have been calling us too!


Shiloh Sophia 

This next bit is me… Sue. It is my huge joy to be preparing for my seventh journey in the land of Red Madonna and my deep honor to be part of the team. I honestly can’t think of a place I’d rather be, in the midst of this moment! Come wade in the waters of the courage and community to go on!

My watery friends and I are so hoping you’ll say yes!!!

ContemplationsFiltersGardenRed Madonna

How do you feel about surprises?

Posted on by sue boardman

As the theory goes, some of us love them. Others… not so much! I’m kind of a one foot on each side of the stream kind of person. I really like the good kind. The safe, happy, exciting kind. The sad, scary, painful kind… not so much!

The surprise we’re going to talk about today is one of the good kind. Paint is part of the reason for that!

It was flower class in progress. I got all set up to start the new adventure. You know, blank canvas and all. Then, I watched the first video and started to hear another voice. My #wip known as #I Am Legend/#Threshold insisted on playing, too!

The glimpse you see, above, happened after a long night of tossing and turning. You may know the type… It’s SUPPOSED to be flowers! That’s not what I dreamed! But, you like flowers and you’re not really good at them, yet, so work harder!

You get the drift…

And, I did start painting, again, on an old, scrap canvas. Lots of buff colored paint. (Don’t ask me what all the lumpy stuff was from. I don’t remember!) Time to dry/dream. That was about the time that the paint started whispering.

Roses and lilies, of course.

Chakra colors!

Dots!!!

And, that was about the time I gave up any notion of being in charge and just joined in for the fun. And it is fun… in a mysterious sort of way.

The mini practice canvas which you glimpsed, above, was perched across from me as I took a break for lunch, when I saw the face! The teal-ish sort of paint near the bottom, and toward the left. Take a breath, please, and look deep. Eyes. Nose. Lips. Gazing downward.

At first they felt sad. Then I realized that I was being invited to pray!

Let’s just say that tea and tissues were involved.

INVITED to pray!!! Right in my studio. Deep in my heart. And that feels like a huge ah-hah at this moment in this world.

For this next moment… a nap is likely.

ps… when I woke up, and looked at the practice canvas again, I saw something new. It’s a #Filters thing… and feels like an even bigger blessing!

pps… there’s still a bit of time to check out our new year of #Red Madonna! It’s a water-y kind of thing, too… with huge space for wonder! (And for you being you!!!) Just click here for all the info…

#Magic!ContemplationsOffering

BIG Questions…

Posted on by sue boardman

Yep! I’ve been pondering, again. Musing. The waking kind and the sleeping kind. (Also, the writing kind!) And, yes, I’ve also been watching the news.

Don’t go! The rest of this is musing, NOT newsing! I promise!!!

As you probably guessed, questions are in order! The kind the world wants us to forget to ask!

What do I need?

What do I want?

What is the next right thing?

And I’m inviting you to actually ask yourself those same questions – in YOUR voice – out loud, if at all possible. (Read on now, if you need to, and come back here, if you need to, when the out loud thing works.) And, yes… you can, indeed, have more than one answer to each question!

For demo purposes, I’ll start with answers that both matter and don’t go on for 14 pages!

My first deep inner response about what I need came quickly… I need to take care of my body! It is, afterall, the doorway to all the other things on my list!

Next came… I want my book-in-progress to matter to as many people as possible! And, yes, that means dealing with the mythical deadline dragons! (I’m on it!)

Then the one that really goes to meddlin’… that whole next right thing thing!

My inner answer came in a dream and it surprised me. A lot! Flower Class in the land of Intentional Creativity®! And, yes… I signed up!

Full disclosure… there is, indeed, a logical back story to the whole flower thing right now. My head knows what I’m trying to accomplish – and why. I just need some muscle memory to help it along! So, I’m going to add exactly that to my Medicine Basket!

Now, since we’re being real, we need to acknowledge that not all the things we need and want can be solved with a gathering of paint sisters making flowers.

And SOME of them can, if we’ll just take the next right step.

I’d love to hear what comes up for you as you follow along… Here’s a piece of the puzzle you might not have learned as a Little:

It IS okay to need and want. To claim what we need and want. To do something that gets us closer and helps us learn along the way. In fact, that’s probably why Daphne and her buddies decided to show up today, too!

I am able to choose.

You are able to choose.

We are able to choose. And the world need us to choose with all our being and wisdom!

ps… August is going to be pretty wild around here so I’m going to practice the whole choosing thing! I’m going to wait until September to invite new clients into my circle so I can really show up! And, if you have a big dream, some magic to manifest, a sense of the place where you are called, stay tuned! This world needs all of us on the road to that place where we are called and it helps to have some experienced company along the way! For this moment, be sure you’re signed up on the mailing list pop-up thingy!

pps… one more thing! The book is officially un-stuck. For real!!!

#Magic!ContemplationsGrandmothersRed Madonna

A different kind of family reunion…

Posted on by sue boardman

Dear Blog Relative,

We lived in Wheaton, IL for a bit, when I was in 4th and 5th grades. Lots of my dad’s family had deep roots there, and they were big fans of reunions. What I remember most was pie. Also Baptist churches and school playgrounds. And about a zillion cousins!

Today, I spent time at family reunions, too. Different than the ones I grew up with! Today, July 22, is known by many folks as the feast day of Mary Magdalene. (And, no… most of those folks aren’t Baptists! Or Presbyterians, either, for that matter!)

I have another “reunion” meeting coming up shortly so I’ll keep this quick.

Question: What do Mermaids and Mary Magdalene have in common???

Answer: Magic!

Now, this is where things get tricky because there are lots of people with lots of widely differing notions of all those “M” words. And the one thing I know for sure is that we all have to sort issues this big out for ourselves! Images have been very helpful to this word person along the way!

The one we began with was a huge door for me. I painted her during the Red Madonna journey @ 2019. Officially, she is Our Lady of Fierce Compassion. She was one of 5 paintings we did that year and I was really new at all the art stuff. While I was working on her, there was a huge crisis going on at the US/Mexican border. Well, a huge crisis for people who care about people! My Lady materialized sheltering Mexican children, separated from their families, within her embrace of compassion.

About 3 years later, I – in the midst of learning more new things – realized that she is The Magdalene!

You’ve probably met my friend, Destiny Joan, along the way… the Mermaid part of the family!

Then, there’s my current #wip! Officially, #Threshold. The official title, according to my dreams is “I Am Legend” and she says she’s me! (That’s more to sort than we have time for just now… and, as you might be reading this story for the 2nd or 3rd time, recently, you can assume that I, too, am still sorting all this!)

This is, indeed, where we are in this moment and it feels like huge progress even though it doesn’t much look like it, yet. She and I are so hoping you’ll stay tuned. (We are also making big progress on the tweens and teens book-in-progress!)

My next reunion, for this day, begins in about 20 minutes. More stories. More cousins. More magic!

ps… if you’re ready for some magic, too, check this invitation out! And, hurry!!!

#Magic!ContemplationsGrandmothersMedicine Basket

Dear Grammy Sue,

Posted on by sue boardman

It’s me. Your inner Little! Let’s fix a couple cups of tea and chat a bit, please…

I’m worried about you! You spent all last night doing that thing called shoulding on yourself! (You know, the one you’ve tried to help me NOT to do???)

All that stuff that’s not really sleeping. And, yes – I heard those questions you were asking! The ones about, How do I not __________________________________________? You know… that really long list of things that aren’t helpful! And the partner question, too. How do I focus on Peace and Hope?

Fortunately, I’ve actually listened all those times you helped me, when I felt like that! And I’d like to help you for a bit. (I really was listening!)

Let’s start, as you taught me, by changing the question! You know… from “should” to “could”! Like, we could get our journals and favorite pens! And then, we could put our very own hands to work. I’ll go one step at a time for those reading along who haven’t tried this before…

Take your pen or marker in you dominant hand. The one you generally write with. If you happen to be ambidextrous – like using both equally – just pick one to begin with. Write this in your journal…

What could YOU do – in this moment – that would help in your world???

Great! Now wait and listen a bit. Notice and wonder. Have a sip or two of tea. And, when you begin to hear or feel the response, switch hands and write what appears with the non-dominant (other) one. Really! The one you might have gotten in trouble for using when you were really small.

You already know you’ll be able to read it!

Breathe. Listen. Sip. It’ll come!

Get it all out…

Three words. Five minutes. An hour and a half. More if you need it. You – like you always tell me – do you!

And remember how you promised we could do this again and again? We can. You can! For now, though, the special, secret ending you showed me!

I am enough!

ps… thank you, for being my Grammy and yours! All those Grammies in all your stories are happy-dancing with us!

pps… can we paint, now???