Paper Altars. a how to, recipe for tipsy cherries and giveaway.

I had a beautiful evening. Watching these women create and dream and leave with pieces of themselves captured on paper reminded why these gatherings are vital for our souls. The making, the circling, the giggles, the moment when someone discovers their ability to create something beautiful; it is change and joy and magic. And I got to see some of my Magic Making Circle members in person and they are stunning.

 

I knew the event would be called Paper Altars as I looked around and saw how much of my altars included secret messages, textures, fortunes, cards, vision pages. I just had no idea exactly what we would do. Enter Bernadette (pictured next to me above) and her creative ways. Bernadette made these paper altars that held three sections for us to work in.

 

Our prompts were around our past self, she was (but only about 6 months back) and our I am and our becoming, the self who is guiding us and shaping us. I asked everyone to bring a picture of themselves that they loved, that felt a bit like the spirit guide of self. The creation of the altars felt like prayer mixed with girls night. Bliss really.

 

Here is how you can create your own paper altar ::

 

 

Photo #1- We used an 11” x 14” sheet of poster board.

Photo #2-Fold the poster board in half 11” to 11” side.

Photo #3- Rub the folded edge to create a crease.

Photo #4- Using a ruler, draw  2 lines: 2.5 “ from each side edge, 3.25” long from folded edge.

Photo #5- Using scissors or a ruler with an X-Acto knife, cut along these two lines. Be sure to cut through both layers of poster board.

Photo #6- Open poster board and pull center cut piece towards you, reversing the existing crease on itself.

Photo #7- Keeping center piece on the inside, refold poster board on its original crease.

Photo #8- Rub on new fold to create new center crease.

Using words, images and textures we played with color story and where we were being guided. There were flowers and glitter and messages from past self to present. The altars are gorgeous.

There were also tipsy cherries. I found a jar of maraschino cherries with no food dye in them and drained the liquid from the jar. I replaced it with bourbon and let them sit for about 12 hours. Then I took the cherries and placed them on parchment paper. I drizzled melted dark chocolate over each one and then placed in refrigerator until we gathered. It made the perfect one bite treat as we circled at the end of the night with story, laughs and maybe a couple of tears.

Bernadette and I have a special surprise for 2 people. Your own paper altar form and a bag stuffed with fun fabric and texture and paper to start to create your own paper altar. I will include the prompts to play with also.

To enter the giveaway here is what you can do ::

Leave a comment on the blog, down below. Tell us three words or phrases of who you are becoming. Let your self that is in the future be a guide, spend time with her, listen and dream together.

I will choose the winners on Sunday, April 6th. xo

This space for visioning.

Months of slowly gathering furniture, fabrics, dishes, twinkles. Pieces that felt as though they were showing up just for this time and space. The antique store finds - blue glass and old crates, the oversized Target lights, white rocks from the beach and rugs from Ikea. Letting this gift of place come alive in those last few days and hours and hours of preparation. Standing back and watching the lights glow and that moment of knowing the deep trust that I found, the huge risk to have this space to heal and bring joy to myself and my tribe.

Circling with women I hadn't seen in a month or 17 years or was just meeting for the first time. This circling, my spirit's calling to gather us. To sit women down in a space together and show them how safe and gorgeous and divine our shared words can become.

The visioning workshop held at The Loft came from my personal vision work in January. The prompt 5 beautiful dreams. I wrote, "Physical space to discover my layers. Disco ball." In February a gift from the man who is helping me discover my layers and freedom, a disco ball. The prompt following the 5 beautiful dreams, find the feeling inside the dream. I wrote, "To feel free." My visions manifest so quickly now because I always know how I want to feel and go find a way to feel it. I call it magic making.

Circling for me always involves the nurture and rhythm that sharing food and drink provides. I love 'breaking bread' with others. And doing so under twinkles in a warm space fills me. Fills me.

When I guide circles I feel my soul whispers. This is where I was meant to stand, sit, be. Allowing others the safety of getting a bit uncomfortable and holding the truth of the future they may not be able to see yet. I am hungry for this work.

Words spill out from pouches in my purse, letters, vision books, magazines, every area of my life. The guiding words, images, visions of where we want to go, who we are. Feeling stuck, vision yourself through it. #likewhoa

And trusting that I don't have to do it alone. That I can ask for support. Another of my 5 beautiful dreams that I manifested in about 2 hours after gluing it into my book. Women who I could call in to be my guides along these journeys. It scared me to ask for help. To be needy in that way. To receive is my practice. So that I may continue giving and circling.

At The Loft.

Please join us June 6th for the last class in the Spring Series, Tastes of Spring, In the kitchen with Persephone Brown. The summer series will be announced soon with so much for you to enjoy. Thank you for being here in this virtual circle.

***

(Ruth and Persephone and Chelsae, thank you, love you!)

Yesterday I cried.

It took some Prosecco.

And a letter that stirred my emotions about connections and money and feelings.

I've been claiming space. Making space. Allowing space. And gifted with space.

Inside of this space I've felt less raw. More open.

I'm not crying as much. I am still always close to tears but in that delicious HSP way.

This space I've been searching for, searching for years. This knowing, this knowing that I've got this.

My dreams vivid, full of colors I never see in waking life.

There are days when I get in the car with a friend and we drive and plan and eat and lift our faces to the sun. Space. Pulling myself away from the computer where I've created deep love and success and giving myself permission to start living those things.

Feeling. Less raw. Filling in the gaps of times that never were.

The necklace I was wearing around my neck with the word light fell off the other day. It broke. And I set it down to fix it. I let it sit there for weeks.

I met a woman recently and I kept thinking of wrapping her in light. So I will fix the necklace and I will let the light carry forward.

Because when I cried yesterday I knew that I was already there.

In the light. In the space that I visioned forth. In the space that is rolling me in her beauty and guiding me in faith.

Tears of affirmation. Floating inside of fears and still paddling.

So that I may guide.

In the light.

The Loft Workshop Series:: A night of visioning

When: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 7pm - 10pm

Where: The Loft, a community workshop and retreat space for women in Rhode Island, Hope Artiste Village

What you’ll need if you are a new participant: Two or more magazines, and wine if you want to sip some while you create! A vision book will be provided for you.

What you'll need if you have taken The Spirits of Joy course: Magazines, wine if you desire it and your vision book

Sold out!!!! Thank you.

Spirits of Joy comes alive and The Loft welcomes you to feel its magic….

A night of circling, exploring, creating, expanding, visioning.

In Spirits of Joy we spent 30 days bringing prompts to life in our joy books, finding our desires and creating pages filled with the words and visions and feelings that surround them. We harnessed our manifesting magic through visioning, so we could love this life now while creating a future of our dreams.

During this visioning workshop we'll work on 3 or 4 prompts together, sharing our pages and intentions. Women holding dreams for one another is one of the most powerful forces!!! The pdf for all 30 days of prompts will be sent to everyone attending.

We will circle at The Loft and journey together through magazines, finding the words and images and feelings contained in our dreams and create pages for our joy books. Together, we’ll provide a gorgeous container for our energies and maybe sip some wine, too. It will be a night of manifesting and magic, circling and expanding.

Snacks will be provided but bring a bottle of wine to enjoy while you create and vision. There is plenty of parking, on street and in an assigned lot for the Hope Artiste Village. If you have a vision book from the online course, Spirits of Joy, please bring it!!! If this is all new to you, a vision book will be provided.

Limited, limited space available. Make sure to grab your space!