How medicine drumming became part of my life?

My main use of the medicine drum is through Drum Journeys. It's when a drumbeat is played at a rapid rate allowing your brain waves to harmonize, dive to a deep state of meditation and receive messages from a deep wise inner place. The benefit of these inner journeys took full meaning for me during my birthing journeys.

I came across the School of Shamanic WomanCraft when I was pregnant with my first baby, and a new path opened to me. I’ve learnt to use and understand deeply the benefits of the medicine drum thanks to the Four Seasons Journey where I have connected and continue to learn about womanhood, honoring the rites of passage of birth, menarche, childbirth, menopause and death, and connecting with the Cycles.

Drumming is one tool, amongst many others, I’ve learnt to be very familiar with and I found it very useful in my life journey especially in time of crisis.

For example, one difficult time was when I went though the experience of my second miscarriage. I was 10 weeks pregnant, and it was very painful emotionally as I had to face myself again in the grieving process.

I’ve reached for the first time for support, and during a drum journey I have been able to connect with my baby, I saw her, I received a name and important messages from her. I’ve been able to have a better sense of clarity and being able to say goodbye and let go. This experience totally shifted my experience of a miscarriage because I didn’t feel guilty or victim of a loss but I felt gifted with a story and a strong sense of connection with my baby. She existed. Her birth was really beautiful at home and for the first time of my life I truly felt like being a goddess when she was born and I was proud to bring her to my hands and heart. I am grateful for that honoring and healing experience, made it possible thanks to an amazing trustful support.

We live at a time where natural birth has become “endangered”. My first experience of giving birth in a hospital with an unexpected pre-eclampsia condition, was a real waking up call for me, realizing the impacts and reality of the hospital policies, routine, and way of communication to the birthing mother. Since then, part of my personal journey has been to reclaim trust and surrender with birth and it's mysteries. For my last pregnancy, I chose to receive regular drum journey sessions as a way to check in and connect with my baby. My baby gave me clues on how he wanted to be born. He always told me about a straightforward birth at home, with our little family, me being the one who catches my baby in my hands. I chose to trust those messages. It was actually huge to follow this guidance and act accordingly to prepare for birth while facing doubts and fears. It felt like a huge inner battle between the rational mind and the heart. I was blessed that the birth unfolded exactly as my baby told me.

So the drumming and the messages I got from it, showed me a new way and informed clearly my decisions. From fear, I’ve learnt to connect, trust and surrender. This has transformed my life completely. It’s why I’m now sharing that amazing tool with women.

For this reason, you have now the possibility to make your own medicine drum. 
Sarah  (shamanic craft woman, dancer and creator of :  www.embodimentsdance.com.au), and myself (shamanic craft woman, dancer and creator of womb connect) are so honored to work together to offer a sacred space and to hold you while you are birthing your drum.

If making a medicine drum calls you, feel free to contact us for more info or book in your place through that link:
https://www.embodimentsdance.com.au/product/shamanic-drum-making-two-day-workshop/
 
Blessings to all!

Finding balance at the equinox

We had a gorgeous sunny day for our Spring Equinox gathering and it was great that we were joined by friends from the Valley and from town. The ritual was about acknowledging and balancing the masculine and feminine within each of us. This whole year 2013 has been a journey to balance the masculine and feminine in me. I feel like I have come a long way with this work, partly from my own inner exploration, and also with some valuable help and insights from Arion Light.

The women and girls gathered in the women's space to connect with and honour the sacred feminine while the men met on the other side of the field to connect with the masculine.

"Let go" mother earth told me during the meditation.  Most of  my life I have felt unsafe to fully surrender, and have stood firmly in my masculine so as not to appear too weak or vulnerable.  Now I can find strength in my vulnerability. I am held by the sacred feminine and protected and loved by the noble masculine.

We met the men in the back paddock.  We did a tantric kundalini chanting meditiation and acknowledged what we loved about the other.  And ended with a song.

And a delicious shared picnic back up at the house.

Thanks to everyone for making it a special day.

Celebrating Imbolc

For each change of the seasons I like to connect with what it brings in my life, and simply do a little ritual that helps me to set my intention and prayers. 

This little flower mandala symbolises for me the new life, smells and colours present around me, and in the middle under the candle is a rock with my prayers written on it. 

Emilie

"At Imbolc we see, feel and hear the beginning signs of Spring. Winter is over, Spring cometh. It may well still be very cold but the energy has shifted. It is the time we see new growth following the seeming dormancy of Winter. Imbolc is a time of hope, a time filled with the excitement of new possibilities for the future, either brand new possibilities or those we’ve dreamed up, ‘seeded’ over the winter. Imbolc was traditionally a Celtic Fire Festival dedicated to the Goddess Brigid.

At Imbolc, the seed, held in the dark Earth over the Winter has germinated, it finds it’s way through the Earth’s surface to see the light, to show itself, to grow. 

Aligning with the Imbolc energy - taking our cues from Nature, we can now ‘see’ the beginnings of our plans and dreams that have been gestating within us over winter. ‘See’ these dreams as ‘seeds’ and see what’s ‘sprouting’ after the months of incubation. "  
Jane Hardicke Collings/Moonsong.com.au

Introduction: Emilie

Bonjour,

My name is Emilie, married with Travis and mother of Matis, my almost 3 years old son.

Being involved in the farm is really rich of experiences!!!

The last month things have changed in me. Travis and I went through a vivid tornado regarding the way we were relating to each-other. I really felt “death” and rebirth from it. It’s a huge time of growth and learning for me. Relearning how to be with myself and others in a more truthful, open and balanced way.

Since, I feel that new light growing in me, and a sense of confidence.

What I love about living here is the mountain facing our farm. I love our sacred women circle we made not long ago. Having a space to retreat where I feel held by nature, by a circle and by the directions feels wonderful and very special. The east is marked by a bushy area, the north reveals the mountain, the west is where our dam is, and in the south we can find a fox den and further away, our homes. Since we've opened that circle I’ve finally started to found in love with this land and the farm, and all its potential. I start to feel my potential on what I can give and offer from that place. Today I played my drum in the circle for the first time, and felt very grateful of the simplicity and ease to just do it! I’m at the moment studying shamanic midwifery, and part of the course is to have made our own shamanic drum, and to play it as a tool to heal and journey within. I love it! And this is a big part of what I would like to share with the farm…