Category: Divine I Am

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Divine I Am

Discipline

Discipline

Discipline comes from the Middle English (in the sense ‘mortification by scourging oneself’): via Old French from Latin disciplina ‘instruction, knowledge.

Self Discipline

It is interesting how the Middle English meaning was to scourge oneself. As if exercising your will power was some sort of punishment.

I suppose it tends to be a little difficult to self instruct or have self knowledge. Difficult meaning it takes time, and experiences… both good and bad. It is a road full of learning and growing… expanding past all we ever thought we were or could be.

Discipline

Co-Creating

Having co-creators in this reality is really all about learning about who we are through different lenses. To see ourselves through others eyes, but also to see the world through another’s eyes. The world speaks to us all differently, and so we have different things to share with one another.

Self vs Other

Though the other seems to be outside of ourselves. We know we are all connected, micro-cosmicly, we are all of one source energy, however we perceive that energy to be… no matter what labels we choose to give it. We are all here to remind one another of the fact that we are all connected, and here together… reflections of source, of self.

Having that realization, I think self discipline becomes straight forward. Doing what we will, which is aligned with who we are. When we are aligned in our authentic truth, then we know that in every moment we are being self disciplined.

Migwetch.

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Divine I Am

Healing Perspective

healing

One of the hardest things about healing from trauma is changing our perspective.

As a society our perspective on trauma is that it is bad and needs to be stopped. However the word trauma really comes from the root word injury which comes from the Latin word that means – a wrong. This denotes that there is a wrong and a right way of being.

When we are living in duality, we are living in world where momentum and awareness are created by friction. Life happens in the moments… moments are accumulations of different energies interacting.

Society usually says to experience life and decide IF it resonates with us. Instead we should be questioning HOW it resonates with us…. what it’s trying to show us? What treasures can we uncover from the experience? What learning can be gained?

Trauma Healing

Healing

Most people see trauma as such a horrible thing. When really it just wants to be loved. To be seen for its true essence…not how it makes us feel. Our emotional response to trauma is a signal to really sit with it and question it. Reflect and realign. Our emotional response is our responsibility, not someone else’s fault.

That’s hard for most people… because we feel like that other person should pay for what they did to us… or we feel like we didn’t deserve the bad thing that happened to us! The Anishinaabe say – never say sorry to someone for what they’re going through… that is like saying they are not worthy of their journey. That they’re not worthy of the beautiful treasures and gifts waiting to be received. Each experience has a gift to help us grow in our awareness of self!

Changing how we view trauma is the answer to healing. If we can say, I love and appreciate ALL parts of my journey, and truly feel it… we are healed… because the experience is no longer being seen as wrong, but rather we have found the gifts and treasures in it.

It takes compassion for yourself and others. Unconditional love through gratitude and trust. Realization that your higher self is aligned with your deepest passions and desires and is simply waiting for you to resonate with receiving them!

#reemergence #reawakening #recreating #selfawareness #creativebalanceinc

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Divine I Am

Grateful for Gratitude

Gratitude comes from the root word for Pleasing and Thankful.

I am so grateful for the ability to have gratitude in every moment. To find things about every experience that are pleasing and that I can be thankful for.

Its so important to always find things to be grateful for. Living a life of gratitude is the way to true happiness.

Grateful for the little things

There are so many things to be grateful for, but most recently I have to say I am grateful for the ability to share my story with the world. Being able to travel to South Africa and work with the people there has really been such a blessing.

Being apart of the TAI 5th Annual Artizen Conference on Art for Social Transformation has created new whole new perspective to my reality. It has shown me new ways to interact, and to help others to create and share their stories.

Simply spending time in another country has given me deep gratitude for all of the things I have been blessed with in America. Even though my ancestors have been through trauma and are still healing… I have a deeper appreciation for all aspects of the journey and for where I am blessed to be today.

Since being home I’ve found myself grateful to be able to simply walk outside my house and see the street from my yard. To not have gates and barbed wire fences all over my community. To be able to have consistent electricity and water, as South Africa participates in “load sharing”. Load sharing is when certain areas have their electricity and water shut off for hours, sometimes days at a time. A lot of people in America take for granted things like this.

Grateful for Partnerships

Grateful

The trip to South Africa has opened up many doors to new partnerships! I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with Disele May Foundation to help woman who are survivors of gender based violence.

I am also excited about partnerships with a few others where I will help translate a book of poems from Tanzania to English, have my students in Maryland work with schools in South Africa, and work with other artists to share Indigenous knowledge through creativity.

I am also grateful for the relationships that were created while on the trip. Being able to problem solve, build and teach with so many amazing individuals really develops a strong bond.

To the ladies on my team…. Jennifer, Linda, Raisa, and Shanna… I am so grateful for your being. I really feel we have created a strong bond that will will only grow as we continue our work together. Great things to come for sure! I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with me, about ribbon skirts, the medicine wheel, and performance art! I am better because I know you and have spent time with you.

Thank you TAI

Thank you Teaching Artist Institute… for all the hard work you put into facilitating this opportunity. Thank you for being steady, centered, grounded and flexible. For being a beautiful example of how to handle things when they don’t go as planned. Your ability to remain focused on the mission, in light of whatever came your way, is an example of authentic and true leadership.

Migwetch to all who supported the trip

Migwetch is Anishinaabe for “I am grateful for you.”

The trip would not have happened without the support and love from my community, friends and family. Thank you all for your continuous generosity! Together we can do amazing things…we can change the world.

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Divine I Am Intuitive Henna

Kids Yoga Love Festival

The first ever Kids Yoga Love Festival was held at Amethyst Retreat Center in July 2021. Chelsea Parcels created a wonderful event for children of all ages!

Every child is an artist, the problem is how to remain an artists once they grow up.

Pablo Picasso

Kids Festival

This was more than just a Yoga festival, it was full of experiences that allowed our inner child to play, dance, create, and explore!

The event offered Yoga inspired classes for all ages, Vendors, delicious food, ice cream, hiking, dancing, drumming, community art, beginner friendly. Kirtan, henna, forest meditation, friends, kittens for adoption, magic show, super hero martial arts class, Qigong, nature + SOooo Much More!

The day began with an opening ceremony with Chelsea Parcels & Emily Turin who performed of her very special song, “Send Out A Smile.”

Photo taken by Emily Zebel
Photo taken by Emily Zebel

Nicky Yesser lead us all in dance time.

I truly felt my inner child filled with joy as I danced along with the kids! You can feel her heart as she leads the kids to express themselves through dance!

There were many yoga classes held, Jennifer Lynn Teens Yoga Class, Kids Yoga Class with Erika Malorzo, Holly Keich, Kids Yoga with Suzi Zappile, Nat Aiello Yoga for Toddlers, Jennifer Lynn, Erika America Family Yoga Nidra, and Amy Necci Tween & Kids Yoga.

Photo taken by Emily Zebel

Rickie with Reiki by Rickie lead workshops for kids. It was so wonderful seeing Rickie work with kids and teach them about Reiki! So powerful to see children taking time to slow down and listen and feel the energy around them.

Dani & Shelley Herlihy played Kids Kirtan for us. Their music is beautiful and all the kids enjoyed sharing in song with them!

Julie Niblett read her book “The Talking Stick,” based on a true story of a boy who was bullied, and utilized the native American traditional talking stick to communicate and overcome obstacles.

Photo taken by Emily Zebel
Photo taken by Emily Zebel
kids
Photo taken by Emily Zebel
Photo taken by Emily Zebel

Participants were able to make their very own talking stick, followed by a traditional circle discussion about effective communication. This was such a powerful experience for kids to have! We need more of this.

Photo taken by Emily Zebel

There was a Magic Show with River Barry, who has been immersed in the entertainment world for over twenty years. One of the most original and in-demand acts out there, River’s style of entertainment emphasizes moving beyond the present moment to help find an equal balance between self and nature, allowing the individual’s movement to be inspired by the moment. A magician, bubble artist, and rock balancing artist, River is committed to sharing the expression of the four foundational pillars of physical, mental, spiritual and financial.

Emily Turin, read her book “Herbert likes Sherbert.”

About the book: It seems at first to be a story about a child’s reluctance to try new things. As the story progresses, he learns that while cherishing memories is beautiful, sometimes holding onto something for too long can hold us back! Share in Herbert’s discovery as he braves the outcome of making new choices.

William Autore shared, ”Finding Your Future”

Photo taken by Emily Zebel

About the book: Finding Your Future written by author/artist William Autore, featuring his son on the books’ cover, is a comprehensive guide to self awareness and discovery of one’s purpose. Debuting in 2017, Finding Your Future is currently in talks of becoming a school based curriculum in New Jersey and an independent short film.

Kathy Conners Bucher lead everyone in Super Hero Training where they practiced their special powers and talk about what makes these super humans special. They finish the class learning what special powers they possess and how to bring them forth to help humanity. Experiences like this set the stage for a more self aware child!

Photo taken by Emily Zebel

Tammy & Jack Bray Yoga “Sacred Silliness” is always a favorite of mine. We did group giggles as we stretched, moved, and got our joy on playing in Laughter Yoga. So amazing… to show kids its ok to be silly and be you!

Photo taken by Emily Zebel

For the weekend I offered Intuitive Henna, and sold prints of my artwork.

I also hosted a Flower of Life workshop for the kids, allowing them to co-create in completing flower of life murals. This taught them the importance of our choices, and being tolerant of others choices. Also it was a nice lesson in the idea that sometimes things don’t always go the way we expect them to… the universe sometimes throws new things in the mix.

There was also William G Pagan Live Performance with his Didgeridoo, which were out of this world! Qiqong with Kathy Conners Bucher, Chad Brown live music, Forest Meditation with Erica Jo Shaffer, and a community fire with music, and s’mores!

Thank you Emily Zebel for capturing the day so beautifully!

Chelsea did an amazing job bringing together people from different backgrounds to create a safe and magickal environment of creation, exploration, experimentation, questioning, expressing and reflecting.

Her next event is the 2nd Annual Yoga Love Festival. (this one is for adults.) The first Yoga Love Festival was an amazing success! I am so grateful and honored to call her friend and be apart of these amazing experiences!

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Astrological Insights Divine I Am Spirituality

Summer Solstice 2021

Summer Solstice

This years Summer Solstice was a powerful one, being that we are coming out of such transforming energy… into a new way of living.

Summer Solstice Ceremony

We began the weekend with a clearing ceremony, potluck and bonfire drum circle! In the ceremony we spent time with the altar, setting our intentions for what we wanted to draw in to our lives for the remainder of the year.

We also acknowledged and let go of that which no longer served our divine self. Jumping the fire is an old tradition for celebrating the fire of the sun!

Sunday morning started with a cacao ceremony lead by Josh Maurer. The ceremony really opened my heart which prepared me to receive beautiful energy from the sound meditation he took us on. Josh’s passion for ceremony and sound are evident in his reverence and grace.

After sound, we ate brunch and went into discussion about the use of art as a tool which manifests that which you desire; which generates energy into a state you wish to embody. We each worked on creating sigils that embodied the energy of that which we desire.

The weekend was a perfect celebration of life!

Blue View Farm

I wanted to give a special shout out to Jen at Blue View Farm, who donated beautiful arrangements for our amazing celebration. Her flowers were the perfect touch to our summer energy.

Blue View Farm offers monthly bouquet memberships, $10 daily bouquets, arrangements for special events and more!

Migwetch to everyone who attended, I am grateful for your presence.

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Divine I Am Earth Spirituality

Earth Love 2021

Earth Love is gathering created by Nicole Sharkey, of Nicole Naturally, to celebrate the love vibrations of the earth. Everything is energy and vibration! Through the foods we eat, the sounds we hear, and the sights we see…. our bodies and minds can become healthier and feel more uplifted.

The Earth Love weekend was built to deeply connect us to our senses; to clearly remind us of the beauty all around, and to open us up to the unique beauty inside. This is the 3rd annual event.

This weekend was a wonderful experience. Grounding to mother earth, and tuning into the divine through sound and art at Amethyst Retreat Center.

It all started on Friday night with Sarah Fiore with The Big Sky Quartet, previously known as Indian Summer Jars. The sound of her voice and the lyrics to her songs feel like beautiful earth. <3

Earth Love Festival
Earth Love

Sarah Fiore is the founder and songwriter for Central PA’s original folk/roots quartet Big Sky (previously known as Indian Summer Jars). With songs that evoke the mystery and deep joy for life, she aims to inspire people to remember their dreams and follow their hearts in walking their own life’s paths. Big Sky has many great accomplishments, including their recognition and award by Central Pennsylvania’s Music Hall of Fame as ‘Best Trio’ 2020. The band has become well known for their beautiful three-part harmonies and the energy they create together on stage. Sarah’s solo work invites you to an intimate view of these long standing folk blues anthems and stories. Her new album, ‘Back to the Heart’ was recently released.

Earth Love Vibrations

We started the days activities on Saturday with a vocal toning circle lead by Lana Ryder. Lana has been sharing the healing power of sound, voice and music for 50 years.

We used our individual and group vocal sounds to create a portal to journey within, to connect with earth and with one another through simple toning sounds used by shamans, indigenous healers and sound medicine practitioners throughout antiquity. Now more than ever we need to use our voices for transmuting negative energy into healing, peace and love. We chanted, hummed and sang our own songs together. The cicadas added another level of vibration to our song as well!

After the toning circle, we shared a delicious lunch before I presented on sacred geometry. My talk felt so good, it was fantastic how it all fit with what Lana had mentioned about sound and creation. How our voices are one of a kind and the world needs us to use them! We are meant to create in this world and when we do not create … the world is missing out.

Everyone helped create our flower of life community mural, while they worked on their own mandalas to focus their energy on the desire they wish fulfilled.

After artmaking John Protopapas played the sitar, taking us into a journey through music.

Immersed in the study of yoga and Indian music for over 35 years, John will share and offering of classical Indian music on the Sitar. This music takes you to a deep contemplative space beyond words and ideas. In most ancient traditions, music is approached as a sacred path, leading the listeners and musicians to deeper states of being and nourishing our hearts and minds.

Nicole created an amazing event, with a delicious menu of music and food! Breakfast on Saturday was crafted yogurt, a spring fruit selection, hearty home made granola. Lunch featured the finest spring vegetables in a healing broth accented by locally made baguette and home made dessert. Breakfast on Sunday was delicious sour dough bread, local eggs, veggies and a lil something sweet.

Amethyst Retreat Center

This land is such a beautiful and magickal sacred space. So grateful for its presence in my life. <3 Thank you everyone who made this weekend so magickal!

An inspiring environment dedicated to discovering innovative and meaningful ways of living, learning and healing.

They are dedicated to offering information, experiences, and programs that inspire innovative approaches to wellness and living in ways that are nourishing and sustainable.

Amethyst offers wellness retreats, educational workshops, classes, nature programs and camps for children, gatherings for women, for men, for the public and weddings for 100 guests or less. Their weekend gatherings typically feature music, art, movement, hands-on workshops, incredibly good food, time in nature, and optional camping.

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Spirituality Divine I Am Education Existence

Music as Medicine

Music as Medicine

The Singing the Bones class with Lydia Violet, and Leah Song from Rising Appalachia, was a deep dive into the history, stories, songs, and cosmology that came before me…. that made me who I am.

Music as Medicine

They guided us in exploring the cultural inheritance of one of our ancestries through researching myths, folktales, archetypes, musical instrumentation, and song. By the end of the 6 week course, I had a deeper understanding of the cosmologies/myths/stories held within my cultural lineage. I saw so many connections to my Annishinabe heritage and my Scottish Celtic heritage. I was also able to redefine what having a relationship with my ancestors means for me. 

Music as Medicine

The Music As Medicine Project (MAM) was created by Lydia Violet Harutoonian, M.A, lifetime musician and dedicated student of Joanna Macy’s. While pursuing her Masters in Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness at the California Institute of Integral Studies, Lydia entered an in-depth study of some of the history and perspectives that have generated our current planetary crisis. For the past 9 years she has studied closely with deep ecology elder and Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy, learning how we can metabolize our pain and care for the world into profound resilience and energy for action. She is also an accomplished musician who is deeply inspired by folk, blues, and protest music traditions. 

We are a collection of all the actions, thoughts, and experiences of those who came before us.

I decided to research my fathers heritage, Scottish Irish German, as I have been very much involved with digging deeply into my mothers heritage, Ojibwe. I have always felt like the magic in me comes from my native heritage. Though I have learned a lot through researching Scottish Irish and German heritages… the Celtic people were very magickal.

Uncovering more information about the cosmology of the Celtic people, I found so many similarities to Ojibwe teachings. From drums, rattles, turtles, and ceremonies. It was a huge realization again, that we are all connected and everything comes from within.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the class, it was so amazing hearing everyone’s journey and being inspired by everything that was uncovered.

“People do meditation to find psychic alignment. That’s why people do psychotherapy and analysis. That’s why people analyze their dreams and make art. That is why some contemplate tarot cards, cast I Ching, dance, drum, make theater, pry out a poem, and fire up their prayers. That’s why we do all the things we do. It is the work of gatherings all the bones together. Then we must sit at the fire and think about which song we will use to sing over the bones, which creation hymn, which re-creation hymn. And the truths we tell will make the song…

…The old woman sings over the bones, and as she sings, the bones flesh out. We too ‘become’ as we pour soul over the bones we have found. As we pour our yearning and our heartbreaks over the bones of what used to be when we were young, of what we used to know in the centuries past, and over the quickening we sense in the future, we stand on all fours, four-square. As we pour soul, we are revivified. We are no longer a thin solution, a dissolving frail thing. No. We are in the ‘becoming’ stage of transformation.”

– Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Women Who Run With the Wolves

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Divine I Am Existence Spirituality

Hierarchy: Sacred Ruler

Hierarchy

I recently read an article on how Maslow got it wrong when he developed his hierarchy of needs. Learning that Maslow spent time with the Blackfoot tribe was a new discovery for me.

Hierarchy of Needs
Hierarchy of Needs vs. Siksika Perspective

The Blackfoot belief is not a triangle. It is a tipi where they believe tipis reach to the sky.

Self-actualization is at the base of the tipi, not at the top, and is the foundation on which community actualization is built. The highest form that a Blackfoot can attain is called “cultural perpetuity.”

Hierarchy

The world Hierarchy means: SACRED RULER. The earliest sense was ‘system of orders of angels and heavenly beings’. This idea of a system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority.

The word sacred means connected with God (or the gods)… it comes from the root word for consecrate, which is dedicated or devoted. So hierarchy truly means a system devoted to God that organizes an arrangement or classification of things according to relative importance or inclusiveness.

What if we envisioned a hierarchy of our individual needs as as sacred way to connect with the divine! That is how the indigenous cultures saw it.

The Siksika tribe perceived existence in fluid way. They viewed time as cyclical and saw how each aspect of life was related… aiming to restore balance through their actions.

The idea of community actualization being based off of the fact that we are already born with everything, already divinely ourselves… is so powerful. It speaks to the idea of how important a creative, explorative, supportive and imaginative community actually is to self awareness!

In order to flow in the cycle of duality it is important to see that we must return to self awareness in order to remember the importance of self actualization. This can be done through cultural awareness. Once we have that cultural awareness, we can then start to have more self actualization, which will perpetuate our basic needs and safety, and cultural actualization. So it was important for Maslow to get it wrong in order for us to be clear on the entirety of the topic.

The way indigenous spiritual leaders took care of their tribe makes so much sense for the survival of their people. To create a safe space for the tribe members to be be their best selves. This relates so much to the Celtic tradition of the king marrying the land! The king married the land which showed his loyalty and allegiance to the land that supports his people and his life.

Another thing about this article that is interesting is the idea of wealth and how it was not about accumulating property and possessions. Sometimes I think people forget that money is simply a physical representation of their own current.

Money is not the root of all evil but rather the flow of the current of self actualization. If we stop connecting the idea of wealth to money, and allow money to be a manifestation of the wealth of our own energy… then we open ourselves up to receiving that which is divinely ours.

The word WEALTH comes from the root word for WELL or HEALTH. It has nothing to do with the idea possessions or money, though our current definition is simply that…. an abundance of valuable possessions or money.

What if we saw our will and our health as our most valuable possessions? When we hold that perspective we receive the flow of “money” as a physical manifestation of that awareness.

We are sacred rulers of our own design, our own life. We have the ability to create a hierarchy that resonates with who we truly are. Perhaps its time for a new hierarchy to be envisioned. <3

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Most Popular Art Art Class Divine I Am Education Existence Spirituality

Fierce Courage

Fierce Courage

Another thoughtful creative challenge… the word mood comes from the old English root word for MIND, or

Fierce courage…

perhaps when we get in a mood it is to remind us to have fierce courage.

Mood… mind… I see this one as realizing that everything comes from within. Our mood is set by our mind… Mindset. How we choose to see the world. How we choose to respond. Do we let our mind control us or are we actively being the awareness outside of the mind.

Having a growth mindset is one of the best ways to maintain awareness of self, and take all challenges as learning opportunities. This keeps our moods in check and allows us to have that fierce courage to step into our authentic selves!

<3

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Art Art Class Divine I Am Education Existence Most Popular Spirituality

Illustration

A recent creative challenge word for my students was Illustration. After looking into the root of the word, I was fascinated that it comes from the world for illumination! Spiritual or intellectual enlightenment.

As I thought more about the context of this word and its meaning, which is … a picture illustrating a book, newspaper, etc. An example serving to clarify or prove something. The action or fact of illustrating something, either pictorially or by exemplification.

An illustration is a decoration, interpretation or visual explanation of a text, concept or process, designed for integration in published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, video games and films.

We are enlightened because we see.
When there is light, there is illumination.
When there is illumination there illustration.
When there is illustration there is enlightenment.
Art is the key to the divine.
To be enlightened, one must see this
<3