June 9 – July 12, 2013
“I kindle my soul at the shrine of the Sun,
Flame of light, flame of love, flame of life . . .”— Caitlin Matthews, The Celtic Devotional
“Everything grows towards this moment. From the middle of night, light has been growing. From the heart of winter, light has been growing.
Everything is at its peak. Seeds have sprouted and grown, flowered and been fertilized. Flowering women, full of life, make life within themselves. This is the moment towards which everything yearns. . .
Summer comes to women more than once. It opens, a wave of green energy, driving us to productiveness and passion. Summer can explode upon a woman at any time, whenever the force of life rages through her, whenever life’s ache opens her eyes to the magic and beauty in each moment.”
— Patricia Monaghan, Seasons of the Witch
Ah, Summer! It’s time to surrender to sensuality, in this season of ripe peaches and berry juice that dribbles down your chin. It’s time to feel the shock of jumping into cold river water, then soaking up the radiant heat of sun-baked rocks. Mmmm . . . let’s deeply inhale the scent of wild roses and the tang of salt-water breezes.
How do you celebrate Midsummer? Do you dance and drum around a bonfire late into the night, then watch for shooting stars? Do you gather herbs at the peak of their potency on Midsummer Eve, and keep an eye out for the Fair Folk?
Do you toss garlands of flowers into streams as offerings to the Queen of Summer?
Do you cultivate your garden in the noonday heat, watering, mulching and weeding? Do you prowl your farmers’ market for the freshest fruits and veggies to make luscious picnic feasts?
Summer Solstice — the longest day of the year — is the peak of the sun’s power, even as the Wheel tilts and turns its face toward the slowly growing darkness once again. In Summer, we exult in our own ripening too. We embrace the long days that give us time for both productivity and play.
How will you express your passion this summer? What great brilliance is peaking within you? Come dance, laugh, and play with me!
The “Gaian Soul Practices for Summer Solstice / Midsummer” course helps you make room in your daily life for mindful creative expression. You’ll align yourself with the rhythms of nature as you revel in your own ripening, and dance, laugh, and play late into sun-soaked evenings.
“I got exactly what I most wanted out of the Gaian Soul Practices course: a renewed connection to the rhythm, beauty, and pulse of nature, both outside and inside myself. Because of the wealth of ideas and inspiration that Joanna poured out for us in her reflections and journal prompts, I feel I truly welcomed in the May and bonded with the land where I live. To guide us, Joanna used a beautiful palette of ‘colors,’ including humor, philosophy, ecology, history, folklore, mythology, biology, and botany, blended with her own warmth and experience. In three words: valuable, empowering, and delightful!” - Kate Chadbourne
“I fell in love with myself this Beltane. This course unlocked some key issues for me on how to love. I knew this was gonna be a good one the moment I signed up! Thanks Joanna, your connection to the Earth and the Divine Mother is amazing!” - Kaira Sherman, Temple of the Goddess
Each week, we look at a different motif of the seasonal tide:
Week 1: Peak of the Sun’s Power (June 9th -15th)
Week 2: Fire & Water (Celebrating Summer Solstice) (June 16th – 22nd; Solstice is June 20th)
Week 3: Fertility, Ripening, Cultivation (June 23rd – 29th)
Week 4: Magical Herbs, Magical Folk (June 30th – July 6th)
Week 5: Community, Festivals & Retreats (July 7th – 12th)
My hope for you is that, through this course, you will:
- Become more in tune with the rhythms of nature as you mindfully experience the season of Summer Solstice, or Midsummer.
- Create the habit of reflective journal writing and art-making (including photography).
- Learn to be present and alert to the deeper, hidden messages of the festival of Summer Solstice / Midsummer’s Eve & Day.
- Spend regular time with Mama Gaia, allowing Her to heal and nourish you.
- Cultivate your own self-expression through creative practices that lead to self-discovery, healing and wisdom.
“Joanna has the eyes of a visual artist and the soul of a poet. Intuitively I was drawn to sign up not only for the first of her Seasons course — Midwinter — but for all of them. And I am so very glad I listened to my intuition. Each posting is instructive, thoughtful and thought-provoking, wise and well-rounded. She prompts reflection through art, spirituality and deep connection with the natural world in postings every week. I feel myself leaning into the new year with renewed hope and fresh expectancy. Joanna has once again gone above and beyond in creating these courses.” — Mary Montanye
Here’s how it works:
Each Sunday you’ll receive an email with a reflection written by me on that week’s theme. The same material will be available in video and audio formats, so you can choose the learning style that works best for you.- There will also be ideas for an art project, a nature activity, and a contemplative practice. Choose one that calls to you. Do the others if the spirit moves you.
- Each day (Monday through Friday), you’ll receive a short email with an inspirational photo, quotation, and journaling prompt.
- You’ll be invited to join a private online discussion forum where you can share insights with other companions on the journey. You’ll be able to post photos of your art projects or your photography, and share any writing you might do.
- When the entire course is over, you’ll receive a printable PDF handout with all of my written reflections, plus the daily inspirational quotes and journaling prompts.
It’s entirely up to you how much you do.
This course gives you a reason to carve out time for yourself, to nurture your spirit and your creative self-expression.
I hope you give yourself the gift of self-nurturing time, and join me!
Brightest Blessings,
Registration:
The Spring course fee is $127.00. But wait! there’s an EARLY BIRD PRICE of $115 through Wednesday, April 18th!
Course starts Sunday, June 9th.
- Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard, or PayPal.
- We will email you as soon as the discussion forum is open. Then look for your first course email on Sunday, June 9th.
- Please email me at joanna AT gaiantarot DOT com if you have any questions about the course at all.
People are talking about the Gaian Soul Practices courses . . .
“This course is truly food for the soul. There are many prompts and creative suggestions which enable you to engage at whatever depths feels appropriate. Joanna’s wisdom is profound, gentle and generous. It is the kind of material you can return to again and again and always find something wonderful. I thoroughly recommend giving yourself this creative spiritual treat.” – Fran Riley, artist. www.franriley.com
“Joanna has the eyes of a visual artist and the soul of a poet. Intuitively I was drawn to sign up not only for the first of her Seasons course — Midwinter — but for all of them. And I am so very glad I listened to my intuition. Each posting is instructive, thoughtful and thought-provoking, wise and well-rounded. She prompts reflection through art, spirituality and deep connection with the natural world in postings every week. I feel myself leaning into the new year with renewed hope and fresh expectancy. Joanna has once again gone above and beyond in creating these courses.” — Mary Montanye
“In the midst of the busy holiday season, Joanna’s online course provided quiet time just for me, whenever I wanted it, and inspiration via words, images, and music that led me to be creative in ways that fed my soul.” – Cynthia St. Clair
“This is a gift to give to yourself — a chance to connect to the rhythms of the season, a chance to kindle your soul and your creativity.” – Shelly V.
“Thank you so very much for developing and presenting this wonderful course for the seasons. I have absolutely loved the Midwinter and Candlemas sessions. Receiving the daily email with the beautiful photographs and your journal prompts made “getting up and going” a joy each day. I counted the days until Sunday when I would receive and listen to all of the lessons in the weekly sessions. I loved the audio/visual component. I am looking forward to the rest of the year and truly glad that I have enrolled in the program for the whole year.” — Lori Jordan
“Dear Friends,
This New Year’s Eve morning, I awoke to a glorious peach-and-turquoise pre-dawn sky in the East—and I got up and made a quick painting of it. Would I have done this without Joanna’s Midwinter class? Maybe. Maybe not.
But with Joanna’s encouragement through the Gaian Soul Seasonal Practices: Midwinter class—I did it! And I’m so happy that I did.
I’ve found the Midwinter course full of pleasures and treasures that:
• Enliven the mind
• Touch the heart
• And nourish the soulI can’t decide which I like better:
• When I open my e-mail to find a daily message, complete with photo, quotation, and writing prompt (how often do you get a message that is addressed to your soul?)
• Or when I’m in my kitchen, click “Play” and sit back to welcome Joanna into my home via the video. What fun to see the images and hear Joanna’s wise voice reminding me of what reflections, soul practices, and great art projects I might do during this season.What part of all these riches might you enjoy the most? Which might bring the most delight to your soul? There’s only one way to find out!
Love and blessings, and I hope you join us soon,
Thea, Santa Cruz, CA”
About Joanna . . .
Joanna Powell Colbert is an artist, author, and teacher who inspires and helps lovers of Mama Gaia to lead wholehearted, creative, and soulful lives.
She teaches e-courses and workshops around the country on earth-centered spirituality, tarot as a tool for inner guidance and self-exploration, and these Gaian Soul Seasonal Practices. She also hosts the Gaian Soul Retreat, in March and September each year, just before the Equinoxes.
The Gaian Tarot, nine years in the making, combines Joanna’s love of symbolic, archetypal art with the mysteries of the natural world. Visit her blog at www.GaianSoul.com.