Dear Departed Drawings ~ Alice 14

Finally back at it again!  Lucia is complete and will be revealed soon!  I've been working on Alices fur and Vaydas hair the last few days.  There is an immense amount of detail in the bright sun on them both.  I look forward to getting back into a routine with drawing again.  As of late I've decided to only post my progress every two or three days rather than every day.  My intention (or resolution as you might call it) for 2015 was balance.  I am striving to balance my time equally with my husband, children, friends, tie dye, drawing, homesteading and housework.  (Note: Housework is last on the list)  I realized that an every day post while initially was great for getting me back on track with drawing, it is now time to thin out the work load by not making a daily post.  I will still draw daily or as routinely as possible, just not post on the blog every day.

Other things I've been up to includes healing my inner child.  Three months ago I attended a New Moon Circle at Alta View Wellness Center led by Angie (Lucias mother).  We crafted Native American medicine bundles to hold and help manifest our goals and dreams using herbs, crystals and totems under the new moon.  This sacred work tested me in ways I had not dreamed. Since I was 18 years old and realized there were some things I needed to change about myself, things I did not like and did not make me feel good about myself, I set out to make changes.  I went out and made discoveries about life and relationships.  Experienced new people and places.  Soaked in wisdom from all types of people, observed behaviors and mannerisms.  Then later in life, nine years ago, I spent two years in marriage counseling with my husband and started learning about my inner child or shadow warrior.  The voice that was getting increasingly louder since the day my husband and I married.  Four years ago my first child was born and my inner child was continually getting louder and becoming increasingly protective as time passed.  At the beginning of 2015 I attended a class and meditation about healing the inner child.  It was an amazing experience where I was able to find out at what age my inner child formed and began protecting itself.  For me it was at age five.  During the meditation I was able to disconnect from past hurts, connect with my loved ones who provided me comfort and even hug myself at five years old.  I felt the warmth and love radiate from the Virgin Mary and the journey to healing myself was well underway.  Then the New Moon Circle in March kicked off intense inner work.  I was faced with all this emotion I had pushed aside and deep down inside myself was now brimming and overflowing.  I traced all this back to old fears I had developed as a child.  I released at every new moon and full moon cycle for the next three months.  And even opened my medicine bag and added to my original intention.  During these past three months I have turned very much inward to look deep into my emotions to find the source, acknowledge, thank my inner child for protecting me and tell myself I got this.  While I will be faced with these situations again in the future, I can now react with more wisdom, clarity and patience.  Last night we released our medicine bundles in the New Moon Circle.  It felt sad and happy at the same time.  This little bundle full of my intentions, herbs and crystals I had carried with me every day, slept with under my pillow every night was now finished.  I couldn't have done this serious intense inner work without help from Angie (Lucias mother), my husband and my friend Gabi.

It is so amazing to be helped and healed by the same people I am healing with my drawings.  I can honestly say every single person I've drawn a portrait for has taught me important lessons, inspired me deeply in so many ways.  I am grateful for you.

Dearly Departed Drawings ~ Kole {day 382}

Today I worked on the spindles, I still see more work to do on them and the crib rails.  I still have details on the bedding to finish and tones to darken.  Not finished yet but the end is in sight.  I can almost hear his giggles.

Today I attended a Blessingway (another great Blessingway site).  A Blessingway was traditionally a Navajo ritual created to spiritually support and empower the new mother for her journey of birthing and motherhood.  In recent times, this beautiful ritual has been adapted as an alternative to Baby showers, where the focus tends to be more on the gifts and the baby, rather than on the mother and her experience.  This ceremony helps the woman to prepare herself for the birth, emotionally, spiritually and mentally, for the all important role of a new mother.  She feels "held" and supported by those she loves and respects - a great way to help her release any blockages she may be feeling and allow her to embrace what's to come.  Hearing other womens birth stories as you share around the circle can be surprising, exciting and heartwarming to hear.  A mother blessing can be very affirming, empowering and uplifting.  This is the explanation on the back of my invite.  I was very intrigued and luckily I was able to attend!

When we arrived the mother to be was receiving a henna tattoo being created on her pregnant belly. Then we as a group, first washed our hands in rose water (cleansing ourselves), then we sat in a circle.  We introduced ourselves, named our mothers lineage and each lit a candle.  We meditated together and sent positive, uplifting energy to the new mother. We also read aloud our wishes, poems and blessings to the mother and with a bead we had chosen, placed the bead on a necklace the mother would wear while she labors.  We also wove a web with hemp around each persons wrist, then cut between each person and we tied our string on the candle for the mother to take with her to the hospital.  Then we ended in prayer.  To end it we feasted together!

Everyone was asked to bring a offering from nature, I chose to make a dream catcher for the baby.  Each item from nature will be made into a mobile for the baby to hang in the nursery. 

Traditionally, Native Americans believed the night air was filled with good and bad dreams. The legend of the Dream Catcher is that it captures the bad Spirits and filters them. Protecting us from evil and letting through only the good dreams.   It is believed that each carefully woven web will catch bad spirit dreams in the web and disappear by perishing with the first light of the morning sun. The good spirit dreams will find their way to the center and float down the sacred feather.  Dream Catchers are believed to bless the "sleeping ones" with pleasant dreams, good luck, and harmony throughout their lives.

Dream catchers were given to newborns for good dreams. The larger sizes were hung in lodges, for all to have good dreams.  The dream catcher that you have received was made by me with your new baby in my thoughts, while sage was burning and a prayer said at each knot in the web.  Many prayers were made for health, happiness, love, growth, inspiration, honor, kindness and all things beautiful.  At the finish I saged the dream catcher and said prayers of protection and sweet dreams for your baby.  It is a sacred object.

All the parts of the dream catcher have meaning.  To begin, the web made of hemp represents the spider our brother of life for ever repairing the eternal web of life.  Thus weaving your life dreams and energy in the universe when you dream.  The grapevine ring represents the earth mother and the humble walk we do upon her.  The beads on the web are turquoise, stone of sky, stone of water, stone of blessings, good fortune, protection, good health and long life.  The feathers are Pheasant and symbolize balance, family, aspiration and protection.  In your Dream catcher, I have finalized the eye with turquoise again.  May your new baby have a happy, dreamful life with this dream catcher and good Karma.