Category: Offering

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Honor Your Process!

Posted on by sue boardman

Really!!! That was the exact message I received from the elves/universe at 4:44 am. I know that it was 4:44 am because my phone said so when I reached for it to type those word into the message gizmo.

There are a couple things I need to share about that. I like the number 444! The Angel number 444! Depending on one’s beliefs, it might carry different meanings. For me it symbolizes divine protection, stability, and reassurance.

If you’re guessing that this is among my more recent learnings, you are totally correct. We did not cover angel numbers in nursing school or seminary. Fortunately, we did cover always keep learning!

Back in the old days, when I was first serving as a pastor, there used to be a stack of index cards on the table next to the bed. And a pen. That was how I kept track of the messages which appeared in my sleep before cell phones. Notes for Wednesday’s bulletin. Especially an official title for whatever sermon was hatching. (I was the church secretary, too, back then!) On Saturday nights, volunteer key words for the sermon. Things that weren’t ready until they were. Usually 5 words. Then, back to dream-land and time for the connections between those words to become clear. (It worked!)

Here are the rest of the words from early this morning…

Solstice. Rainbow Hair. Cousin Angela (Juneteenth). Mother Nature – CC wall – purple & green.

In case you’re curious, they didn’t appear all at once. More like each thought making space for the next.

And, yes… this whole thing really is about honoring our processes, even now. Especially now!!!

How might you do that???

Really! How might you claim intentionally honoring your process? I’d love to hear!!! (You can leave me a comment, below!)

I even have a possibility for you to consider! A possibility awash with hope and sisterhood and newness! You see, it’s time for the journey known as Red Madonna to begin again! (Well, almost time!)

I spent most of Saturday communing with NASA moon phases, working on our calendar for Red Madonna 2026.

Ready for a deep dive? Just click the link to read all about Red Madonna Sisterhood: Womb of Living Waters… a 13 Moon Painting & Initiation Journey into the Primordial Waters of the Divine Feminine. REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!! https://musea.org/red-madonna-womb-of-living-waters

We even have a free way to dip your toes in – Come Home to the Waters: A Mini-Retreat to Connect With the Living Waters of Your Life. This adventure is offered by the Red Madonna team for each of us to touch into our sacred flow and experience a taste of our year-long Red Madonna 2026. It’s happening Friday July 3, 2026. Enroll in Come Home to the Waters Now!

Red Madonna has been part my of honoring my Sacred Journey since 2018. It’s gentle and welcoming and diverse. It opens new doors into my understanding and practice. I’m honored to be part of this team and so hope you’ll consider joining us. The world needs more of us on this path!!!

ps… the painting, above, is indeed my Red Madonna 2025 work, Mother Nature. She says she’s finished. We’ll see!

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Old Adventure… New Perspective!

Posted on by sue boardman

If you’re just joining us, welcome!!! Fix yourself a cuppa and pull up a comfy seat. We’re going on a journey… long ago, for me, and right now, I suspect, for most of us!

The journey in question involved a 40-foot sailboat, a rapidly building hurricane, and the Bermuda Triangle. Really! My Presbytery Young Adult buddy and I were doing the midnight watch… actually sailing the boat through the storm with no navigational equipment but a compass and the stern lights of our buddy boat.

Terrifying, for real! And I was a young single mom at the time, with a 6-year old waiting at home for me.

The question of the moment was Which Direction???

I realized, as I was dreaming along last night, that Which Direction??? is also my question in the context of this moment! Perhaps yours, as well…

As is often the case, paint had a lot to do with my musing!

On Friday, we Intentional Creativity® types began the 10 month adventure known as Stardust Initiation. Frankly, I have no clear idea of where we’re going. What I do know, from lots of past experience, is that things will get different inside me. Well, they’ve already begun, with a big batch of input from the news.

The question, in my dreams, boiled down to this:

Am I sailing toward myself or away from the chaos of this moment???

I’m going with toward myself. I just don’t have the strength or energy to try both directions at once!!!

I’m sailing toward living my Promise. Honoring my body and my path and those who walked it before me. And, yes, it feels like a huge #Threshold!

The work-in-progress we began with is a huge hint about the chaos!

What’s happening now is making meaning out of the chaos! You should know that there are many layers of paint going on here. Somebody keeps changing her mind!!! I’m listening to her voice, though… stay tuned!

ps… I’d gladly listen to YOUR voice, too, if you could use a bit of focus and strategy on your path! 45 min. My gift. We’ll name your vision, claim your next right thing, and muse together about how we might work together on making it real. Just click here and ask the calendar elves to hook us up. Then, gather your dream, a cuppa, something to write on & with, and a piece of Red Thread, if it’s handy. As Josh Lyman, my old buddy from The West Wing, reminded a wandering friend one day, “I’ve been down here before and I know the way out!”

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The paintings are getting more insistent!

Posted on by sue boardman

Today is primary run-off voting day at our house… aka Good Trouble day! Last night, in my dreams, the artwork decided to help, along with the voices of the two actual Grandmothers I grew up with.

The first thing you need to know is that I come from long lines of Republicans, pretty much as far back as there have been political parties in America. Let’s just say I grew up with huge doses of the way we’ve always done it…

Things got really interesting when the paintings got involved. #Archetypes and #Legends and even a deeply personal Magic book cover, all trying to help. Finally, the image you see above cleared her throat rather assertively, and raised her hand to speak. I literally felt my heart beat faster. This was exactly the answer I needed!

Not the answer for which boxes to check on the ballot, but deep, deep claiming of why.

Her official name is #Taliswoman. A representation of core identity in symbols on canvas! MY core identity!

Since you’re reading along, I’d love to have you join in! Take a deep breath, please, and see what comes to mind when you muse about a symbol of the deepest, most real YOU! Just one, for now. No judging. Just noticing and wondering…. (And, yes, you can change your mind as we go along!)

Let’s begin with the Universe, way up top… Sun and Moon. El and Asherah. Masculine and Feminine. A tiger star glyph for courage. A unicorn, said to call up the true teaching of Yeshua. And, if you squint, a dove for peace, of course.

The crow, for wisdom, was huge fun to paint and she’s a very handy reminder on days like this! Generations, with family symbols everywhere. Roses. Blue grapes. An ancient Red Book.

And one you might not have noticed. The rainbow triangle quilt pieces on her stole. Liberated wild geese quilt blocks are Celtic symbols for the Holy Spirit.

What else do you notice? I’m guessing the Red Thread feels familiar. An ancient connection among all of us who choose to be included. And, yes, this is where my book-cover-in-progress friend, Glinda, found her magic wand in the gold circle which calls to mind the ancient wisdom of As Above, so Below.

Many things to ponder! And reasons to vote like the world our Littles are inheriting depends on it!

That, dear heart, is the place my dream Grammies and I are connected, still and always, even if I am voting blue!

ps… searching for a way to live your core identity in the world??? Let’s talk! 45 min. My gift. You bring a cuppa, something to write on & with, and a bit of Red Thread if it’s handy. We’ll name your next right step and talk about ways we might work together. Just click here and the calendar elves will hook us up. And, yes… Glinda will bring her magic wand!

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Acting “As If…”

Posted on by sue boardman

This, as you may well have heard, is a therapist trick for helping folks get un-stuck. Specifically, it’s from the school of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The basics are simple… we behave, intentionally, as if our longed for feeling, outcome, or way of being is already ours.

Here’s a timely example… What would I do today if I wasn’t terrified by all the craziness in the world?

And, yes… me doing this – crunchy fingers on the key board, thinking of you, is one example! Words of perspective and hope in the midst of the crazy.

Here’s another example… push the button to trade news for Joan Baez and all my hippie-dippy summer camp song buddies! For real!!! (At the very least, it’s better for my blood pressure!)

I’m actually writing about this sort of “As If” in my upcoming Tweens/Teens book, too. You know… the difference between choosing and claiming our own beliefs -vs- feeling stuck with what THEY insisted we believe!

This is where things get complicated. THEY are not all the same! THEY have different desired outcomes! My mom was a THEY. Well, actually, she was a WE! And she firmly believed that the way WE stayed safe was by doing everything the way Granny did it. The way we’d always done it!

(Ironic that this post is insisting on appearing so close to the holiday known as Mothers’ Day!)

It took me a long time to realize how much of my lifetime, Mom spent being scared. We moved – a lot, while she had essentially lived in one home until she married. Her experience was that the way Granny did things worked.

Here’s what I learned along the way, though… it wasn’t really the fruitcake cookies that kept us (mostly) safe. Nor the notion that we didn’t talk about the things which should never have been happening. And, in this moment, I can only speak for me.

Acting as if I could do things differently than the way we’d always done some of the ones that really, really weren’t working is a big part of how I got here. And why spreading the word matters to me!

Or, as Carl Jung phrased it…

We are not what happened to us, we are what we wish to become!

So, here’s my question… if you did a bit of acting as if what you wish were already true, what might be more likely for you? What kind of mattering might begin happening???

And, yes… it’s going to take a whole bunch of us!

ps… don’t tell, but the shortbread cookies that come in the red plaid wrapping are pretty close to Granny’s butter cookies 😉 😉

pps… there are about 87 things in the portrait of Our Lady of Fiercely Compassionate Abundance that are NOT the way “we’ve” always done them… and they help! Wanna talk??? 45 min. My gift. Your dream. And some big possibilities for as if, now! You’ll want a cuppa, something to write on & with, and a bit of red thread if it’s handy! Just click here and the calendar elves will hook you up!

#Magic!ContemplationsFairy GrandmothersOffering

The up-side of fear…

Posted on by sue boardman

Yep… the walls are whispering again. Well, more like still! Lots of very scary dreams…

I’m guessing I’m not the only one!

I woke this morning with a hint of reassurance in my ears. Not a whole quote… just a familiar sense. Hunting was in order. Hunting for a sense of courage. And, I found it!

Before I share, let me say first that I grew up believing that both of my emphatically Republican grandmothers would probably threaten to wash my mouth out with soap if they even suspected I was thinking such a thing, let alone admitting it!

The times, however, have changed! So…

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.

– Franklin Delano Roosevelt

I’m claiming that, now! And, yes… you do detect a book chapter sprouting like the inspiring dandelions in my front yard!

In fact, you could help!

I’d love it if you’d leave me a comment below – or email me at suesvoice@gmail.com – and tell me about something in your world that’s carrying the magic of scary/hopeful newness!

For now, Mother Nature, in my #Red Madonna painting, is busy calling for another coat of glaze. I’m also supposed to let you know that details of our upcoming journey for 2026 will be available soon and we’d love to have you join our circle of Dangerous “Old” Women! Stay tuned…

ps… Check out the fun… WingedEye Wisdom.com !

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Of Anxiety and Archetypes and Apothecary!

Posted on by sue boardman

You know how sometimes it helps when you learn that somebody else is feeling something pretty close to what you’re feeling? Well, in case this might be one of those times, I’m feeling pretty anxious, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one!

My imaginary friends on The West Wing help. Not only are they a break from actual news, they’re kind of like archetypal witnesses that more intelligence than what we’re currently seeing is actually possible.

In fact, I’ve been kind of obsessed with the notion of archetypes, lately. The three beings you see in the photo are some of my very favorites. They appeared along the way to my children’s book, A Creation Poem…

Let’s begin with the bird! According to Gramma Elsie, Cardinals are ancestors, returning to check up on us. This has been one of my deeply held beliefs since I was 5 or 6 years old! Turns out they’re year-round residents in this part of the world and are more active and visible during mating season which is, apparently, now… at least near Atlanta. If we want to take that literally, I’d say it’s a very romantic moment for a whole lot of ancestors, which I find hopeful!

Next, the warrior archetype twins. Aslan, from C.S. Lewis’ Narnia. And a cousin of mine named Matilda, who fought for justice and truth and peace in Tuscany, about 1000 years ago. And yes, I mean fought… on horseback with swords and armor, as well as by preserving stories considered by many in power to be heresy.

One of the meanings of the Greek word, heresy, is able to choose!

All of which, when you add it up, just might be a sign that we’ve been through very anxious times like this, before, and we’re still learning. (Well, hopefully!!!)

Then, #Apothecary – my current painting adventure – which is all about learning from the hard stuff. Here’s a glimpse of what’s going on at the moment…

The fingerprint dots that appeared are new. My version of the suggested random marks in the still unfolding texture layers. And, yes, I dreamed them.

First, their location, on the patches of green. A heart chakra color, representing love, compassion, and empathy.

Then, the dots, themselves. Yellow, for the Solar Plexus chakra, located above the navel, and representing a person’s constant power, confidence, and mental clarity. They originally thought they should be brush marks (like the painting demo) and I was going to make them in the form of the Hebrew word for hand or power.

My hand, however, objected! Too small and controlled. Too much dexterity. So… I made the dots with my hand. With my power. Right there, amidst all the compassion. Maybe you had to be there, but it totally works for me. In fact, I had fun!

Because I’ve walked this road before, I know what’s coming next, and I’m going to roll around in the fun some more, before I dive into that!

ps… drop by WingedEyeWisdom and Daphne will be thrilled to tell you more about A Creation Poem… (In stock, now!)

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Post Cards from Wonderland!

Posted on by sue boardman

As Tuesday morning dawned, I woke, wrapped in the magic weighted blanket, and trying to figure out how a whole book skeleton had appeared in my dreams. Then I decided to just be grateful for the gift! And really excited!

You’ve Had the Magic All Along® lives! (Again!!!)

Most of my day was spent graphing out the design, listing chapter titles, and matching them with art to create wisdom cards for tweens & teens. Talk about huge fun!!!

Next came a meeting with my publisher buddy who asks really good questions. All things considered, it beats the socks off the news!

Then, the magic went on. I woke this morning, humming Somewhere Over the Rainbow! Literally!

A bit of research was in order. Turns out that song (which you are quite possibly humming, too) was written for the film, The Wizard of Oz, in 1939, which just might have felt much like today feels! This was the first time, by the way, that one of my paintings has serenaded me in my sleep!

And the magic went on…

My #Apothecary paint videos which, mysteriously, weren’t working yesterday, were feeling much more cooperative today. It was time to ponder a sigil (sort of like a symbol) for the presence of my sovereign self in the world! That felt like an enormous question, especially now!

I watched and wondered and doodled. I mused and muttered and doodled some more. And then, I knew! I couldn’t think of something to add to my canvas because that exact symbol was already there! (Well, my version of it!)

Yep… I’ve shared it before, when I didn’t know why it had appeared. And, I’m counting on you to understand that I didn’t follow the directions so much as I noticed and wondered!

That’s it! The thing that looks rather like a purple eyeball. Technically, it’s my I Am Here! mark and it’s located next to an upper case “E” which is the last letter of the word Courage, deep in the under-layers of paint. The red “pupil” is my thumb print. An ancient sign for I Am Here!

That feels like the clearest thing I can possibly claim in this world, now. I suspect Dorothy would have related!

Glinda, who graciously volunteered for art duty on the upcoming book cover, gave me high fives for listening deep!

ps… as it happens, listening deep is one of my favorite things! Especially with folks like you, plotting magic in the world. If you’re ready for some help along the way, let’s talk! 45 min. My gift! You bring your dream, a cuppa, and something for notes. A Red Thread might be handy, too. We’ll ponder next right things and what it could look like to work together… Just click here and the calendar elves will hook you up. And hurry… my calendar is filling up!