Mixed Metaphors… and TRUTH!

Today is Work-in-Progress Wednesday. And yes, dear friend, I am the work-in-progress today!

But, first, a bit of context…

Last night was the free preview webinar for the Medicine Basket your way! journey my sister-in-magic, Natalie Moyes and I are about to begin!

Kind of an invitation with benefits event. You see, actual magic happened!

I know… the photo, above, doesn’t look like much, but it really is a lot.

It’s the image of my work in the spiral adventure.

It’s also a reminder that power-full change can happen in about 15 minutes with a willingness to try something new and a couple of markers.

I suspect that adventure has something to do with the fact that I (literally) woke up this morning humming an old Livingston Taylor song called Railroad Bill.

Frankly, much of the song is not particularly useful for our discussion. Here’s the part I love:

I’ve got the pen in my hand, and I can do whatever I want to!

Last night, what I wanted (Intention!) was to reframe some of my anxiety about tech stuff. Live time. In the midst of the biggest, most complex Zoom adventure I’ve ever hosted.

And I did!

Even though, to borrow another metaphor, I already knew how the trick works!

And you can make some magic, too. There’s a video! (And a link below…)

First a confession and a bit more magic.

I am a recovering camera-phobe.

It’s taken me a long time to get to the point where I can handle sharing pics I actually like!

Which might suggest why this freeze-frame beginning of that video felt momentarily horrifying…

And then I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I have 2 granddaughters growing up in this world and I really do believe in the Medicine Basket magic enough to let you in on me becoming my own work-in-progress.

And I’m so hoping you’ll join us!

IF THERE REALLY IS SOMETHING YOU WANT ENOUGH TO TRY A NEW THING!

But first another seemingly – but not – mixed metaphor…

These prayers appeared in my email this morning, while Railroad Bill was still singing in my head.

The email came from a new friend and Wisdom Keeper, a Shima, named Maria Yraceburu on the occasion of the Eagle Full Moon.

It’s a long email, filled with ancient tales and ritual and dancing. This bit was near the end. I’m hugely grateful for Maria’s blessing to share.

Dance the World
Curing Soul Sickness
Prayer before dance: We have seen the prayer!  All stories carry the need to be honored and forgiven.  Furthermore, compassion fills the heart when forgiveness and noninterference have been accepted as the path to peace.
Dance the World Coming Together
Prayer before dance: We have seen the vision!  Grandfather Sun, Changing Mother Earth and Grandmother Moon, shield and hold us.  Everything breathes.  Everything grows.  With the Earth changes, we have been caused to accept our sacredness.  We have crossed the Edge of Reality and the Winds of Change have brought us here.  Time undivides.

These traditions are new to my conscious mind. They feel deeply familiar to my soul.

And they are, in ways that amaze me, the truth underneath Medicine Basket your way…

So.. the link! View the recording. Bring your markers! Read all the info.

Whether you’ve checked out this journey before, or you’re curious enough to check in this moment, you’re invited! We begin on 02/22/2022 and the price will never be lower than it is right now!

There is, in fact, a path toward…

unsticking your stuck stuff now

ps… if you have questions, jump on my calendar and we’ll sort them out!

pps… sign up for a 4-week Medicine Basket journey. (Or all four!) If, after you do the first week, it’s not your thing, we’ll graciously refund your investment.

From magic to creation… without Penn & Teller!

If you’ve been reading along for a while, you’ve noticed that I am, perhaps, the world’s biggest fan of The West Wing.

One particular episode has been tickling my consciousness for a couple of days.

It was Zoey Bartlet’s birthday and there was a big party at the White House.

Penn & Teller brought their magic act to the festivities.

I loved their performance. (It did create a bit of a political storm for the President, but that’s an issue for a different day.)

Let’s it boil it down to a big debate over whether they actually burned something or it just looked like they did.

Magic is like that. And I, word nut that I am, have been pondering magic as Natalie Moyes and I move closer and closer to the beginning of our Medicine Basket your way… journey.

So, in an effort to transform all the stuff swirling in my head into something I could actually share with you, I did a bit of clarifying. (aka research!)

I’ll spare you the rabbit trail and go right to the prize. (A prize which I’ve loved for quite a while but didn’t necessarily expect to bump into on this journey!)

We’re going to move from the notion of magic to the Hebrew word, dabar (or davar) – which means word – to one of my all time favorite revelations… the Hebrew word abracadabra – which means something pretty close to I will create with the word!

In fact, according to The Jewish Chronicle, “the kabbalists tell us that reality itself is forged from combinations of the 22 Hebrew letters.”

That article goes on to say that, “We, too, create our world and the things of our lives through words.”

And all of that creating happens… wait for it… in context!

So, back to the notion of medicine baskets and magic.

There really are simple, accessible tools which regular folks like us can use to alter the stories – the actual words – we’ve toted from one context to other vastly different contexts so that those stories can work for us rather than against us. We just have to get our brains involved in new ways!

And, no, I’m not messing with your mind! In fact, I’m helping my granddaughters learn the same adventures!

Natalie and I are ready for our part of the magic.

Your part is to show up with something that’s holding you back. With an argument in your head that’s been keeping you stuck.

And we’re making it as easy as we possibly can with a free preview call on Tuesday, February 15.

You’re invited!

In the interest of full disclosure, we won’t be handing out millions of dollars. But, assuming that there are some things in your world which could be better and you’re actually ready to risk doing something different, all you have to do is click the link. From there, you’ll be magically transported to the land of the elves, where the special information/registration page lives.

Get all your questions answered. You know… materials and such.

Fill in your name and your email address and click the sign up button.

And, just in case you’ve already signed up… Yay!!! (Once works!) We’ll send you reminders.

Click HERE to be part of the magic!

ps… yes!!! Invite your friends. As you’ve no doubt heard me say, I have 2 granddaughters growing up in this world, and I’m way past serious about transformational magic.

pps… curious? Season 6, episode 8 of The West Wing.

Trying things on…

Aren’t they fabulous???

And they fit, too!

I looked at them online for ages and couldn’t quite bring myself to hand over the plastic because I have what my family refers to as Stephen’s feet and ankles.

Just between us, I have no idea who Stephen was. Somebody in my Gramma Elsie’s vast cast of characters suitable for illustrating, well, anything.

Apparently, though, Stephen had wide, flat-ish feet with oddly high insteps and undependable ankles. So do I.

Buying shoes has always been a challenge. And I’ve fallen for the cross-your-fingers-and-pray thing before.

I am, however, nothing if not a learner!

So, I didn’t buy them without trying them. In fact, if there hadn’t been a Fluevog store in Portand, Oregon, I never would have gotten them. And I love them!

They’re good for walking. They’re really warm. They hold up in the rain. They pack well. And they add some real zing to anything from a fancy black dress to my more typical paint spattered leggings.

And, no, they’re not for sale.

They are, however, a big part of the reason Natalie and I are holding a preview call for our upcoming Medicine Basket your way… unsticking stuck stuff program.

A FREE preview call for you to try on one of our amazing transformative tools and see how the journey fits you.

The fun happens on Tuesday, February 15 at 7:30pm ET. We’ll spend an hour on a change you long for, with a bit of time for next steps.

Here’s the link to save your seat for the preview call!

For now, here’s to fabulous shoes that fit and journeys full of hope!

Dream Buddies!

Wait, please!

Yes, I am going to invite you to Medicine Basket before we’re done.

But, FIRST, I have a story that might be really useful to you in this moment. A story with a couple of perception shifts that feel like gifts to me.

Yesterday morning, I actually slept until there was light in our room. (This is something of a miracle lately!)

The reason I know I slept that long is that, when I opened my eyes, I could see the magic surrounding me. Just like in the photo!

I spent a bit of time in that dozy, between-the-worlds place, doing one of my favorite things…

Yep! Noticing and wondering.

Well, in this case, maybe more like wondering and noticing.

You see, I’ve been wondering about something really big for quite a while. Consciously, for exactly four and a half years… since July of 2017, when I first encountered the land of Intentional Creativity®

I didn’t dip my toe in. I dove. Deep.

The Black Madonna Pilgrimage.

I was so new at the whole “art” thing that I’d pretty much only ever painted walls… mostly with rollers. I had to ask the home team how to wash paint brushes!

Little did I know that journey would shift virtually all of my filters. That I would begin to see and hear and explore things which had never managed to make it through my list of extremely well educated shoulds and oughts.

Or, perhaps, should nots and ought nots would be more accurate!

Here’s what I know in this moment… my faith has become way more about offering all who are seeking company on the path of life some new ways to see and make choices, than it is about blocking out things – or people – which don’t seem to follow the rules.

Or, to put it another way, I’ve decided I’m able to choose without needing to block out big chunks of things that are useful just to claim new ones that also work!

And all those Divine Feminine images on my walls – who’ve helped Natalie Moyes and me hatch up the Medicine Basket your way journeys – are inviting you to join us on the path!

This next bit is all you!

The answers to all the regular questions are waiting for you and all you need to do is click the big, colorful letters near the bottom to discover them.

There’s also a link to my calendar in case you have questions we haven’t yet imagined!

Here’s the thing… Our whole world has become a lot like my deep dive into the Black Madonna Pilgrimage… a place most of us never imagined.

A place we didn’t have strategies for.

A place filled with a great deal of loss and – in a way that’s much harder for many of us to see – some new opportunities.

And, for all that newness, we need new tools! That’s what Medicine Basket is all about.

Finding and claiming the tools we need going forward. (Which is the only way we can really go!)

A safe place to experiment and ask big questions.

Guides who’ve been on the path for a while.

The path which leads not so much out as it does beyond.

Here’s the thing… the journey won’t be the same without you. So click… just in case you hear the paintings on my walls whispering your name.

Click HERE for new perspectives, answers to questions, and a power-full choice!

ps… this journey is not about “art” as in the stuff the High Museum would hang on their walls. It’s about using new tools for changing things that matter to you!

pps… who might you be able to help if you were less stuck???

Let’s go to the library…

The old fashioned one!

Take a deep breath… you can probably summon the mysterious, dusty scent of books. Old ones. Shiny, new ones.

Picture books. Fairy tales. Encyclopedias. Mystery novels. And, in my case, lots of books about dogs and horses!

Mom took us to the library when we were small. I suspect it was a combination of loneliness in perpetual new neighborhoods and the fact that she thought she should read to us.

She did, a lot. Mostly when my dad was away on business, which was also a lot.

I’m glad she did. And I loved the library!

It felt safe and exciting to me. And it probably felt sacred, too, though I didn’t know that word back then.

Signing up for Medicine Basket your way… unsticking stuck ___________________ stuff will probably feel a lot like an early trip to the library.

And, like the library, Natalie Moyes and I have planned for variety!

From contextual challenges like the Covidian Era to money stuff and body stuff and relationship stuff, there are lots of things to check out and explore.

Lots of tools, too. Like reading!

Also symbols and filters and a bit of ink – perhaps red like the thread – for editing some things that aren’t working as well as you’d like. (Shoulds are a good example of such things…)

Experiences, really, to soak in and claim as your own.

I know… there’s a lot of flap about libraries and books these days. And a whole lot of yapping from people who want to choose for you.

Medicine Basket is like libraries and books. Filled, not simply with information, but with new questions. Questions that can make a whole lot of difference. Especially in a place that most of us weren’t ready for.

Here’s our promise…

YOU get to choose what to check out. What to keep. What to return for someone else.

YOU get to choose which tools are crooking their fingers at you and offering to head out with you, handy in your basket, on the road to the place you want to be.

There is a bit of simple packing for you to do. The list is waiting, just on the other side of the big link. Along with the magic sign-up button.

And we promise that no one will make you stand up in the Book-Mobile and read a couple paragraphs of Tom Sawyer out loud in front of all the other kids. We already know you belong and you’ve got this!

Take a deep breath and click! This is where the magic starts!

ps… yes, the rumor is true. The elves are busy with surprise bonuses!

pps… Luther and Phoebe can’t wait to meet you and are resting up in the library! Phoebe wants you to know Luther is hogging the dog bed!

What did you do before breakfast?

Yep… it’s Alice time!

Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said; “one can’t believe impossible things.”

“I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” – Lewis Carroll

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I do most of my impossible things well after what would generally be considered breakfast time.

And, of course, they’re not, technically speaking, impossible things. At least not here in Actual-land.

As a matter of fact, for a long time I thought this quote was pretty silly.

I no longer do.

You see, I began to see differently.

I’ve learned a whole lot lately about the difference between things we believe are impossible and things that simply haven’t worked the way we’ve always done them.

And, I’ve learned some really powerful new ways to do things!

So has my dear Intentional Creativity® sister, Natalie Moyes!

And, even better than that… so can you!

I know. New can feel scary.

That’s the voice of the inner Critic. And here’s the thing… she’s not trying to mess up your dreams. She’s simply trying to keep you safe because she loves you.

Unfortunately, her version of safe has a lot to do with only doing things we’ve done before which we “know” are safe because we’re still here.

And, if you’re like so many of us, in this moment, safe seems like a really big challenge.

BUT, there’s another way. The way of the Muse.

She’s in favor of new things, at least within reason and, often, with support from folks who’ve been practicing for a while.

That’s what Medicine Basket your way… unsticking stuck______________________ stuff is all about!

And you’re invited… IF you have hopes and dreams. Needs, even.

AND… you’re ready to try something new. Or even something familiar in a new context.

Listen to the whispers of the Muse.

Let yourself be curious about what could actually be possible especially if we decided that impossible might just be an old way of keeping us from trying…

We’ve got you!

Click here to learn more and sign up now!

ps… you may be wondering why we’re doing this. That’s fair. And the answer’s easy. This world needs all the curious, hopeful, open-to-impossible people it can get right now! And, if you’re still reading, you are one of us!

pps… the rumors of the early-bird price expiring were premature. There’s still time! (But not forever…)

Shhhh…. how the magic works!

Years and years ago, when my business card said MDiv, DMin, Pastoral Counselor, I was already busy learning about things like neuroplasticity and magic. I just didn’t know it then!

One client I’d worked with for a while helped me learn a lot. She was a bright, caring young woman who wanted to make a difference and kept getting stuck.

Not stuck, in a general sense, but in a very specific old story.

Every time she told the story, she’d fold into the same curled up posture on my sofa. Shoulders pulled in. Chin tucked to her chest. Trying, in many ways, to disappear.

One day, a light came on for me.

She was accessing this story stored whole-chunk in her brain with auditory, visual, and kinesthetic patterns and the patterns were so deep that the story was the same for her, every time. Carved in stone, if you will.

So, one day, with huge thanks to some NLP teachers of mine, I interrupted her gently, and asked her to trade places with me.

Literally.

I went and sat on the sofa, while she sat in my magic rocking chair. The one that helped me help others through all the years of knee surgeries. The very same rocking chair in the photo!

You’ve already guessed what happened.

She couldn’t curl into the story in the same way, seated in the magic rocker, and so she could actually tell the story differently. And hear it differently!

And, yes, in that moment, change became possible!

Little did I know, all those years ago, that the magic would also work with paper and markers. With red thread. With images and symbols. And with questions that make all the difference.

Yep… with stuff that fits a lot more easily and flexibly into a (virtual or literal) medicine basket than that very antique, very heavy chair!

Now, in case you’re curious, that young woman from years ago and I have both kept learning new things.

So has my very talented Intentional Creativity® sister, Natalie Moyes.

And we’re thrilled to have an accessible way to share those things with you in the adventure known as Medicine Basket your way…. unsticking stuck_______________________ stuff!

The mysterious blank space in there is, indeed, to create curiosity. To get you to click the big link, below, and find out what kind of stuff you might unstick if you decide to join us. And we really hope you will!

And, yes, we know we’re kind of filling your email box with a bit of a Medicine Basket blizzard lately.

Here’s why… this world could, in our opinions, use quite a bit of healing and hope. This is our way of doing the most we know how to co-create a future that works better and better… for all of us!

(Especially since a good American Empire antique oak rocker is pretty hard to come by! And really, really heavy!!!)

So, uncurl yourself from wherever your stuck place is. Take a deep breath. And…

Click HERE to learn more and sign up NOW! (The early-bird discount is still active!!!)

We’ve got you. And the world needs you!

ps… if you have questions, ask them! Here’s my calendar link Let’s discover! 15 min. No charge. Just hope!

pps… Daphne, the recently re-christened bear in the chair, is a story for another day. Soon!

ppps… many, many thanks to The Legendary Husband for heroic assistance with the photo shoot!