A gift of a hundred years of sleeping and much more! Exploring Life and Archetypal Themes through Forest Stories
It’s been a while since I've written here. Summer has been late-summering to the max , with lots of offerings and events coming your way from The Soul Shed, and it has been a blooming time of fullness and riches.
As the wheel of the year has been a-turning, The Soul Shed has been following the lunar cycles by marking the New moon, with Sunday Openings, exploring the universal themes of the enneagram points through the lens of the natural world around us, and the Full moon, with a deep dive into Forest Story and archetype as a way of connecting you with your intuitive knowing.
It’s these full-moon offerings Id love to share with you about here, since we are right in the middle of the series, at a wonderful still point offered by the tale of Sleeping Beauty….who you may remember, sleeps on the forest floor for one hundred years!
Each monthly full-moon gathering is an opportunity to gather in a group to explore together, I have also made each of these offerings available as a bookable one to one offering after the event, so that you can experience it as a solo deep-dive into self-discovery, if you would like to. I am going to make these available until Christmas, so you can pick the ones that appeal most and book them as a series, spaced as you would like them, using a community offering of £10 off each one to one session you book using code.
Now, in the spirit of story, I will take you back to the beginning of this journey, which began in the Spring, and you can follow the path we have taken so far.
Little Red Riding Hood
Back in May as the great greening was unfolding in the northern hemisphere, just as as the southern half of the globe was slowing down ready for Autumn, we went into the imaginal woods, with little Red Riding Hood.
This story offers powerful imagery and archetypal characters to explore the journey you have taken from innocence to experience. Explore the instinctual knowing of the wolf, the curiosity and playfulness of Little red, and the capacity to be a safe custodian of life force embodied in the Woodcutter.
To get you back in the spirit of this tale you might like to watch Heather’s powerful retelling of the story from the point of view of the Forest itself.
Join me on this offering as a one to one session if you would like to become more connected with the wisdom to be found in the forest and connection with yourself as a being with at least three centres of intelligence!
The Green Man and Green Woman
In June we went deeper into the meaning of growth and foliage! These curious carvings, carved into architecture, point us towards an archetype of human connection to nature, growth and renewal, stewardship and responsibility, cycles of life, wildness and freedom. They appear world wide, dating back as early as the second century BC in what is now modern day Iraq
There can be something very powerful about tracing the ways that this archetype appears across culture, and in your own life. Trace the timeline of your connection with nature over your life so far, and with the significant trees in your square mile of belonging.
For a stronger sense of the modality of Deep-mapping underpinning this session, you might like to read this article.
Woodcut -original artwork from Roz in our community.
Book this offering one to one to come to know the power of the part of you that refuses to be disconnected from nature, knows wildness, and needs the deep soul templates that the trees can offer us.
Rapunzel
In July, our journey tool us to a tower, deep in the heart of the forest, and to the story of Rapunzel. Maybe she is a green woman in waiting since she is named after a kind of salad leaf! However through experiences of neglect and cruelty, Rapunzel spends years trapped in a tower without a door, until life finds its way to her, and she comes of age. This poem will reacquaint you with the story.
It’s a powerful one for looking at your own life and themes of enfoldment and freedom, and exploring your locus of authority. What towers might you be unconsciously trapped in? Has self- neglect played its part in your life and if so, what inner resources might you create for yourself now, and how might you extend yourself to others in new ways in your relationships?
Book this offering to take a deep dive into SoulCollage® and to create cards with oracular wisdom for you, through a story with many layers and significant moments.
Sleeping Beauty
This brings us up to date, as our most recent gathering explored the story of Sleeping Beauty. There are many things which might cause a human to go asleep to parts of our lives. Overwhelm, grief, a difficult situation, or a need to conserve energy, are all experiences that make shutting down or withdrawing from life an important survival strategy.
In this session we celebrated the wisdom of psyche and Soul that knows when its needs are protection and rest. And the things we will need to coax ourselves gently towards new avenues of life force, already potential curled up within ourselves.
Book on this session as a powerful one to one opportunity to explore these themes of withdrawal and awakening, and take stock of your own life by receiving an imaginal gift of one hundred years in the middle of the forest.
For all of these one to one sessions, book them at a time you know you can be undisturbed, and bring your curiosity and open heart, a candle, a journal and your phone camera.
............................................................
On September 22nd we will have our next group gathering from this seven part offering: 'Who will you meet in the forest clearing?' The clearing in the centre of the forest is a magical place of transformation and one where new contact can be made with the creatures and characters of our inner world. Supported by the energies of Little Red, woodcutter, Wolf, Green man and woman, Rapunzel Prince and Sleeping Beauty, we will find this space and take our time here, discerning which of these beings wants to share their wisdom with each of us.
As with all of these gatherings, you'll be entering a creative space of curiosity and respectful companionship, with opportunities to try out new practices and creative possibilities, to resource your life force and your inner and outer worlds. All you need to bring along, is a candle a journal and yourself. I will supply the rest.
Book on this offering if you would like to explore your creativity alongside other like minded people, and you'd like to try out one of these offerings in the most affordable way.
I look forward to creating with you soon.