Cultivating Resilience and Joy in Turbulent Times

The global pandemic has touched the lives of every person alive today. The losses we have all experienced, both great and small, have forever changed us individually, nationally, and globally. How do we begin to heal ourselves, our families, and our communities?

Throughout human history, the wheel of the year gave meaning and structure to daily life. One of the few things that remains as true now as it was in ancient times is the path of the earth around the sun.  Our ancestors instinctively knew that by following and honoring the changing seasons, their individual lives were woven into the greater fabric of Life allowing them to feel the connection, awe, and joy that is the soul speaking to us.  

The intimate partnership of working with Nature was absolute because survival depended on it.  If the weather was favorable, if the harvest was good, if you were healthy enough to do the work of the day, you were grateful and gave thanks for all you were given.  Regardless of time and culture, rituals of celebration that followed the seasons were carried out because they have always been portals for the soul to be nourished and give meaning to life. Western culture has forgotten many of those rituals, given them up to religious institutions or they have been distorted by the ubiquitous materialism of our time, leaving us feeling a profound emptiness. 

In modern times, what we know of many of those rituals seem, quaint, superstitious, even a little foolish.  Yet if we understand these rituals as a way to connect with the Mystery, that which is greater than ourselves, the force that elicits awe in the presence of an especially amazing sunset, then we can appreciate and admire how that connection and nourishment was woven into the everyday lives of our ancestors. 

While life here on earth has changed radically in the last few hundred years, those portals are still there if we take the time to slow down and look for them.  It is vitally important in these turbulent times for us to find new ways of weaving our modern lives into the greater fabric of Life so that our souls can be deeply nourished in a way that is all but impossible otherwise.

When weaving a basket, the weaver needs sturdy, upright material, staves, to work the flexible vines around.  The ageless Solstices, Equinoxes and the mid-way points are the sturdy upright staves around which we can weave the threads of our lives during the 12 months of gathering. 

Together we will create a sturdy, resilient basket made of connecting, sharing and learning with embellishments of glittering bits of magic to hold and carry us on our journey.  I hope you will be able to attend most, if not all, of our once-a-month meetings because each of us brings a beautiful, vital strand to our weaving which becomes stronger and more resilient in community.  We will meet on the third Sunday of each month starting near the Autumnal Equinox in September.

Beginning September 19th: 

Laying Down the Staves

We will start by understanding how the earth actually moves around the sun, and how we are affected by the changing energies as we move through the seasons.  We will learn how to better align ourselves with the rhythms of Nature to promote healing for ourselves, our loved ones and ultimately for the Earth herself.  Chinese medicine offers eight branches through which health and healing are brought about and many of them are things you can easily incorporate as part of everyday life. Following the seasons, we will focus on weaving seasonal foods, celebrations, herbs, meditation, movement, and bodywork into our lives to cultivate connection, balance, resilience, and joy. 

And if you have any questions, you can always contact me at amy@amyjenner.com