New Moon Gratitude 1: Body

Tonight is the first new Moon of Autumn 2014; a powerful time to set sacred intention for the upcoming season of harvest and release.

To honor passage from my Heart Chakra Summer into my Throat Chakra Autumn, I will be expressing (chakra 5) gratitude (chakra 4) each day during the waxing phase of this moon cycle. This is a great way to cross the bridge from my heart up into the expressive channel of my throat.

To initiate this process I start with the Root Chakra. I am thankful for my body. It is healthy. It is strong. It is durable. It is flexible.

I am thankful for the cells in my heart that have their own proactive rhythm that keeps me alive and active. I'm grateful for the white blood cells coursing through my veins that fight off infection and help me heal quickly.

I'm thankful to have my limbs, my organs, my senses and my flesh to protect and hug me to my core.

There are so many people in this world that have debilitating illnesses and minimized capabilities for movement. At some point I may be one of them. So right now, and as many moments as I can bring my attention to, I honor my body as an amazing vessel for spirit.

I am thankful my body evolved from sperm and egg, into an organism that can breath air, absorb nutrients and expel wastes. I am thankful for the strength of my muscles to propel me through this world, so that I can move towards things that bring me pleasure (and away from that which brings me pain).

What a gift, this flesh being I get to ride around in. Thank you body for all that you are, all that you support and all that you embody in this world. I bow to you and intend to treat you with deep respect, honoring the animal of your being through my fullest living.

Private SoulCollage Readings

Over the past several months I've been expanding the services I offer through E3 Alchemy. When I moved from San Diego to Denver, I took a break from teaching and focused on landing in my new home and creating community. Now that I am entering YEAR 5 of living in Denver, it is time for me to engage my passions, skills and soul purpose and stand more fully in what I want to do.

Many of you know me as the SoulCollage lady. I've been offering Intro classes and Creative Studio along the front range for the past 3 years and have grown a sweet little community here of SoulCollager's here. I have started offering private SoulCollage readings - amazing journeys that use Sacred Symbols as access points to your own wisdom. I love offering these adventures and would love to book one with you!

Since I am kicking this new service off, and getting the word out there, I am offering a sweet cost structure for this service throughout Summer. I do readings around Body, Mind, Spirit, the Medicine Wheel and the Chakras.

Knowledge of SoulCollage is not needed to participate. You will have access to many powerful imagery stations to work with in your private session. Those of you already creating SOulCollage, bring your cards to your reading and dive deeper into your creations.

Soul Work

SoulCollage creation by Raven Shree

Over the past year I’ve been deeply craving to live my Soul Work, and have this be the primary focal point of my life. The more I become attuned to my gifts, and my desire to be of service, I yearn to engage these forces on a more consistent basis. As I contemplate how to manifest my Soul Work, I have fears come up around not being able to make enough money to support myself living my dreams. 

Last night, in my pre Rhythm Sanctuary ritual, I pulled a series of tarot cards for guidance in this area. The images I pulled opened me up to a new way of seeing my desire. I saw how my vision of Soul Work has solely been tied into a revenue equation. I’ve been exploring the theme of Soul Work only through the lens of a career path. In realty, my Soul Work is something deeper and wider then a job. It’s something I am destined to live, every day, every moment, in every interaction, with self and other. 

On some level I knew this, however, it was only a mental understanding. My deepened embodiment of Soul Work made living my Soul Work unconditional. I do not need to wait to find the perfect job to do my Soul Work, living my life is the only foundation I need. 

This epiphany inspired me on the dance floor at Rhythm Sanctuary. Embodying conscious presence, I stood in the power of my gifts, and engaged them in every interaction I had. Each dance partnership I entered into was an act of service; holding space for other to be seen, felt and honored in their fullness, while at the same time, opening up to receive love, grace and the divine through other. 

I am honored to be a conduit for magic, and am excited to deepen to my commitment to living my Soul Work in all the moments of my life. And maybe, just maybe, by living my Soul Work as the foundational standard of my being, an amazing career will emerge that feeds my passion and supports abundant living in ways that are vibrant, aligned and amazing. 

So Be It. 

Dancing Tree Lessons

On my recent road trip through Utah, I connected with Tree, an old teacher, one I am remembering and reconnecting with. Click here to read mytho-poem I wrote as I apprenticed to Tree. 

I took this lesson from Tree into ceremony space 
and community Ecstatic Dance. Here is how the medicine flowed through...

I started out exploring my various purpi 

(is that plural for purpose?) 

I embodied the purpose of my roots 

and my animal purpose to live. 

I expanded into the bark of my being 

embodying my purpose 
of being support and shelter for others. 

I extended my arms up and out into the world 

baring fruit and blossoming outward. 

I explored and embodied the theme of absorbing; 

absorbing the vitality of my community, 

my dance partners, my breath, the vitality of others. 

I explored and embodied the theme of releasing;

and in this practice, 

came to see I defined releasing as something bad. 

I noticed that I had shame around having things that need released. 

I mean...shouldn’t I be more evolved by now?

My understanding of releasing transformed through this dance.  

I was able to better understand the ebb and flow

of giving and receiving

of absorbing and releasing. 

They are both necessary parts of the cycle

if I did not have anything to release, 

I would be dead. 

the exhale is just as necessary as the inhale! 

As I danced with others, 

I received their vitality, and my inhale. 
I also released anything that prevented me 

from being in the fullness of that moment and connection, 
and honored the exhale as part of this process. 

oh how I love releasing now! 

I bow in gratitude to the trees of our planet, 

the elders that provide shelter, food, 

wisdom, oxygen, inspiration, company

and entrance into deeper embodied experiences. 

Inner Child Healing

Yesterday I shared the SoulCollage card I pulled from the Direction of North in my final Medicine Wheel reading of Winter 2014. Today I share the card I pulled from the direction of East. As I step into Spring, calling in vital, passionate infused intimacy with the masculine, this card speaks beautifully to the new beginnings of how my inner child will engage in this process too.

SoulCollage Card and Poem by Raven Shree 
There are parts of my little girl calling to open 
calling to trust 
parts of me that were stunted from growing 
that are now ready to stand upon the welcome mat of life 
and say YES! 

I open the Feminine in me 
and reach out to the masculine 
knowing the same love of the divine 
beats in both our hearts.
I am a grown woman now 
and no longer fear the masculine's attempt to kill me, 
control me, consume me, annihilate me. 
That is in the past; that little girl is no longer in physical form
however she still has an energetic place in me - 
I reach out from this place and trust that man can love me.

I offer myself as joy and light 
knowing some stag out there would hop with joy to have me ride him 
There is man out there that wants to take care of me,
protect me, love me, and cherish me as the soft feminine being that I am.
I will allow this and cherish;
not as a broken little girl needing daddy, 
but as a woman with a little girl 
open to receiving and cherishing love and affection. 

2014 Begins

It's 2014!!!!  I'm excited about what the new year holds. So many threads in my life are lining up to come together this year, and I'm excited to see what new blossoms emerge this new year. 

2013 was intense. It ripped me open, laid me bare at the altar of death, and insisted on transformation. I guess that's what's needed for evolution to happen; old forms must die for new forms to emerge. 

In October I passed the one year milestone for legally changing my name. Releasing my complete birth name (first, middle and last) and claiming a new name has so many layers of transformation in it. It is not just a name change, it is a complete metamorphosis of being. 

So much of 2013 was about dying to my first adulthood, while at the same time, seeding so many aspects of the second adulthood birthing through me as I claim the archetypal power of my new name.   

As I moved through this dying / birthing process, all the aspects of my old life that used to fuel, nurture and distract me no longer had space in my world.  SoulCollage, photography, dancing, hiking, nature, teaching, journaling....all these activities fell away. I found myself sitting in the center of no-thing-ness with only me, God and the current breath of the moment. 

As I moved through this portal of transmutation, and slowly found my footing on my new foundation, I started to engage with my passions again, however, this time there was something different. I no longer wanted to do them alone (which was my old tendency). I now wanted to engage in art and nature with friends and loved ones. Having spent so much of my first adulthood enjoying solitude, I am finding that Raven Shree is a much more social animal. She craves intimacy, connection, union and community. What a wonderful understanding to take with me into the new year as I continue to flesh out this new being I am becoming. 

May 2014 bring you deep felt connections, with Yourself, 

with Loved Ones, with God, and with the Wild Divine Nature of your Soul. 

Ecstatic Dance in Portland

Here is one of the SoulCollage cards I created
that represents Rhythm Sanctuary Medicine for me.
I am so blessed to have the Denver Tribe in my life.
I have grown so much from this weekly dance.
 

Last night I went to an ecstatic dance event in Portland.  This event was going to be an important influx of information for me in my decision process about moving. I had quite a bit of anticipation and curiosity about what the evening would hold.

When I arrived at the location I found it interesting that the ballroom was above a restaurant and the building looked quite small. I was concerned there would only be 10 people there (I am used to about 150 people). I decided I was going to stay for the whole event, regardless of what happened. I wanted the full dose of experience.  

When I arrived, there was no welcome sign, directives where to put my shoes, or instructions not to talk on the dance floor. There wasn't even anybody there to collect the money, just a basket to drop your money in. Entering into the space was not welcoming, however, I knew I could create my own way into the experience, so I dropped my money in the basket and proceeded onto the small dance floor. 

The first thing that struck me when I entered was that there were no altars. I could feel there wasn’t a container for the dance, and that I was going to need to be extremely self-sufficient in creating something sacred. The next thing I noticed is that there was no DJ.  Music was played from a laptop and speakers, and it was not journey music. Wow! This was not going to be what I am used to. 

At Rhythm Sanctuary (my normal weekly Denver dance), the warm up period of the dance is the most powerful for me. I get a download of medicine and set my personal intention for the evening. I was hoping the warm up in Portland would provide me that type of space, however, that was not the case. I found myself agitated at all of the people talking on the dance floor (that is a big no no at RS). People talked throughout the warm up about mundane, ordinary things, and it got to the point that the hum of conversation was louder than the music! 

I started questioning whether I would stay for the dance. I could get this type of energy from a regular dance club. I wanted a medicine journey, a shamanic tribal trance dance. I was starting to realize that was not what I was going to get, however, I was already there, and had nothing else to do, so I recommitted to my intention to stay. 

After the warm-up, the facilitator brought the group into a circle to set intention for the evening. Although the welcome was not as colorful and evocative as what I am used to, I appreciated some form of unification in the group to transport us from the talking casual warm up into what ever was going to be next. 

And then dance began….with a song that had lyrics!  Oh my goodness! Is every twist and turn of this event going to trigger me? I can get pop music at a club, I want my journey music (which has a build up, a release and wind down - and no lyrics!) Once again, I asked myself, am I going to stay? Yes, I can do this. I worked at releasing my ideas, attachments, and preferences and simply strived to be in this moment...in all of the edges and frustrations this opportunity was presenting me. 

I looked around and everybody was dancing solo, there was no partner dancing, no contact improv. This is way outside of my comfort zone and I didn’t think I could make it through the whole dance without any flesh. I moved through the dance floor feeling in to the energetic vibrations of the dancers, feeling is there were any portals into contact. It felt as if everybody had barriers around them.

The music was slow, then fast, then slow, then lyrics, back and forth in a haphazard way. It made it difficult to get into a rhythm, with myself or those around me. I gave up my desire for a journey and simply strived to be in my body as much as I could be and make the best out of it. 

In my haphazard dance, I brushed up against a man, he lingered and that second gave me a moment to initiate something, and that led into partner contact improv, finally contact. It was a sweet soft connection, he lifted me several times and we got a little groove on. More people started partnering, and touching, and sounding and I found some relief. 

All in all, it was a challenging dance for me. The music did not support a deep dive, and the community as a whole was having a hard time diving in. I found myself sitting on the stage watching the 50 or 60 people on the dance floor, and tears started to flow. The thought of moving to Portland had been building up for me, however, I knew this could not be my medicine circle every week. It was simply not enough. Leaving Rhythm Sanctuary will be one of the hardest parts about leaving Denver. What we have there is splendid on so many levels, and this Portland dance is so amateur in comparison. 

The thought occurred to me that where ever I move, I may need to rise up and contribute more to the community and offer what I have as a resource to create the medicine space I am used to, and that so many souls are hungry for. What I have access to in Denver is fabulous, and it's improbable that I will find something of that quality right away where ever I move. I may have to invest time and effort into the foundation of where I move to cultivate it. 

When the dance was done we gathered in circle and some people shared from their dance. I was one of them. I shared commentary about my experience and also honored the beauty of  the ecstatic dance community. That I can travel someplace new and immediately have access to conscious community, and through the soulful language of dance, access something meaningful. Even though I had frustrations and attachments and a lot of stuff show up  for me, I am blessed I had space to land in when I arrived in Portland, to dance and experience my edges in community space. 

I was invited to hang out with several people from the dance afterwards at the restaurant downtown. We hung out for hours, having amazing conversations and connections. They made me feel welcome, and part of the tribe. They shared with me that Sunday morning is the best dance to go to, there are a couple hundred people and more partnering. On my next trip out here, I will schedule my time so I can attend that event and get a wider view of the dance community in Portland.