2023 Offers
Tending Your Inner Garden: A Journey through the Cross Quarter Celebrations of the Year
I: IMBOLC (FEB 1-2) this one is self-paced this year, the rest (see below) will be on Zoom, I am working on changing the format and organization of this "in-person" retreat
An Invitation to Reconnect with the Internal "Greening" within Yourself as Winter Awakens into a New Year:
E-book with instructions on creating an Imbolc altar and other celebratory rituals. Over the two weeks you will receive inspirational emails with more suggestions on diving into this liminal time.
Important dates:
Official Launch: January 26, 2023
Dates of self paced course: January 30-February 11, 2023
Imbolc is a Celtic Holiday that occurs on either February 1st or 2nd. Imbolc celebrates that time in mid-winter when the shift from darkness to light just begins to make itself known. Symbolically, at this time of year, the dark crone of winter, Cailleagh, makes room for the spring maiden, Brigit, goddess of fertility and creativity. Associated with this holiday is rebirth and rejuvenation. The fairies of the earth are busy at this time whispering encouragement to the buds of flowers and trees to begin to poke out their heads. Imbolc literally means "in the belly" and is also connected to a time in history, when people lived close to the land, where the birth of baby lambs were a tangible sign of the beginnings of spring.
For you, Imbolc can be a time to turn into a place of deep rest and connectedness. It is a time to tend to your inner garden as it is just beginning to sprout and as a new year begins to unfold. Or it can be a time of much needed rest and tending to the clearing out of any weeds and brambles that might be in the way of your inner garden's healthy growth.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stay tuned for more about Tending Your Inner Garden for the rest of the Cross Quarter Holidays*
In each of these afternoon sessions (if you are in the EST time zone) we will spend time in making a simple talisman that embodies the key elements of this time of year. There will also be some ritual, poetry and sharing. We will see how it evolves.
* What are the cross-quarter holidays? These are the quieter holidays that mark the time of year equidistant between the solstices and equinoxes. I could say a lot more about how these are celebrated as Celtic holidays but you can look that up if you are interested. Some say these markers of the changing of the season were celebrated by the ancient Celts. Others say they were invented in modern day. I just love that they give us a chance to tune in, take quiet stock and reconnect to the seasons, to the earth and to our bodies.
I love these holidays for many reasons, (none the least of which is that each of the members of my family gets to celebrate their birthday at one of them!) This year I am going to offer an afternoon on Zoom that will be low key and will give us a chance to recognize and tune into the more subtle changes in the weather, orientation of the sun and moon and what might be happening in our bodies at these times of year.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For now, stay tuned for sign up. Once I get it set up, you will be able to sign up for all three at once if you choose. These will be afternoon Zoom sessions.
II: MAY DAY (May 1)
tentative date: Zoom session, Sunday, April 30, 4-6 PM, EST
III: LAMMAS (August 1)
tentative date: Zoom session, Sunday, July 30, 4-6 PM, EST
IV: ALL HALLOWS (November 1)
tentative date: Zoom session, Sunday, October 29, 4-6 PM, EST
|
Befriending Our Shadow VI, 2023 Eight Weeks Dates: October 10th /11th-December 5th/6th, 2023 Sign up begins Friday, August 26, 2023 An Invitation to Accept and Love Yourself More Fully by Befriending those often Rejected "Shadow" Parts of the Self A doll-making e-course about befriending our shadow, using tenderness and compassion to connect with all parts of ourselves. Flip dolls are two sided dolls connected at the waist. These two sided dolls have the capacity to capture divergent views of reality, dark vs light, joy vs sorrow, love vs alienation. In this course you will have the chance, through exploring and befriending your shadow, to discover hidden strengths within. And at the end of the course, your doll will represent and unite both shadow and light. And, important note, you do not need to know how to sew beforehand. This class is open to those at all levels of sewing ability. This eight week course meets once a week for two hours. You have a choice of Tuesdays from 4-6 EST or Wednesdays from 2-4 EST. The sessions combine informal learning about the shadow from several different perspectives, making time and various prompts, tools and guides for inspiration. The course comes with an e-book that provides instructional videos on how to make a flip doll and lots of additional material to supplement what goes on in class. There is also an option of self-directed participation, where you would have access to the e-book but not the Zoom sessions. Stay tuned for more information as the date gets closer. You can also sign up for the waiting list by clicking below. Please indicate your interest in Befriending Our Shadow VI. |
Next Year, 2024
Note: I am deferring this course till next year, 2024. Stay tuned.
Maiden, Mother, Crone, Death II
An Invitation to Take a Deep Dive Maiden, Mother Crone, Death: Journey to the Fierce Feminine to Reclaim and Honor the "Juice" of the Transition into Mid to Late Life, Revisiting and Integrating Previous Life Milestones
Four month course
Sign up begins January 2024
Early bird sign up deadline, February 2024
Final deadline, March 2024
Tentative Course dates: March-June 2024
Second and fourth Thursdays of the month, 3-5 PM, EST.
You are at the crossroads of mid to late life and living in a society like ours, which does not value old age, especially for women, it is necessary to forge a new path ahead. This three month course takes a deep dive into the question, what must I dig deep inside myself to find, in order to face the challenges of this stage of life?
In this doll-making course we use the study of the Maiden, Mother, Crone, Death archetype as a doorway to explore the deeper and more powerful meanings of mid to late life for women. We will look at topics such as examining meanings of old age within the overculture of patriarchy, as a means of shedding the ways we have internalized these toxic meanings. We will look at goddess stories about the maiden, mother and crone, from various cultures, especially stories of the "crone," and reclaim the "juice" within these stories.
We will look at all of this within the framework of the seasons and cycles of nature, with which we as women are deeply connected. In this way, we reclaim our selves as part of the web of life, integral parts of the world around us. We will discover a new vision of what it means to grow old.
We will create a doll (or more than one) celebrating this theme. Course also includes warm up exercises, such as intuitive painting, guided imagery, journaling and more.
Resources:
|
Other Doll Artists Gallery:
This space showcases the many artists who have created flip dolls in Transformative Healing doll classes and other ventures. Many more to come... |
|
Mini E-Books, and Free Videos
Two mini books about the doll-making process (more to come), very reasonably priced. And doll-making instructional videos here, especially how to make flip dolls. |
Resources for Sculptural Needle Felting Techniques and Supplies
Many of my earlier dolls, see gallery page, are done with a technique called sculptural needle felting. I used to try to teach sculptural needle felting techniques and will still give guidance on occasion but here are two resources for artists who are much more patient and skilled at teaching these techniques. As Stephanie mentions below, needle felting can be quite challenging and takes time but if you are willing to commit time and effort, there is so much you can do with this technique. Stay tuned for more resources here.
Stephanie Metz, sculptural needle felting course online.
Her course is very comprehensive and covers all different aspects of construction, materials to use and lots of tips.
Here's what she says about herself on her website:
I'm Stephanie Metz, an internationally-exhibiting, classically-trained sculptor involved in a long-term relationship with wool and felt. It all started when a friend shared an article about wet felting. When I went to a yarn shop, introduced myself as a sculptor, and announced my intention to try felting, the proprietor took one look at me and instead directed me towards a book on needle felting. I went home to try it and was instantly hooked (or maybe poked?)!
19 years into needle felting I'm still excited and amazed by the process and possibilities of this art form-- and I love sharing my knowledge and experience. My goal is to demystify needle felting and make it accessible and understandable.
As a working artist (www.stephaniemetz.com) and mom, teaching in-person workshops is a luxury that happens only a few times a year, but I know from my waiting lists and online community that there's a huge desire to learn about my approach to needle felting-- and a lot of shared frustrations that I can help remedy. Needle felting isn't fast and it isn't easy, but, with patience and knowledge, it is incredibly satisfying. Welcome to my video school!
Kay Petal, also has several free sculptural needle felting courses. She focuses more specifically on doll making and has a wonderful free self paced course on her website. She specializes in quirky needle felted dolls of famous people and also does commissions.
Her website, Felt Alive, is also a great resource for needle felting supplies. This is where I learned to needle felt my dolls and where I ordered many of my supplies when I was doing more needle felting. Lately I have been doing more stitching and sewing but I know I will go back to needle felting when I am called.
Her website, Felt Alive, is also a great resource for needle felting supplies. This is where I learned to needle felt my dolls and where I ordered many of my supplies when I was doing more needle felting. Lately I have been doing more stitching and sewing but I know I will go back to needle felting when I am called.
