As we have just passed the spring equinox, and I’ve managed one day in the garden to assess what needs decluttering and composting outside, I’ve been thinking a lot this week about death and renewal, composting the old and making space for new growth. It’s a delight to see the new shoots peaking up through the cold soil and the carpet of primulas in the grass.
I’m participating in an Introduction to Ecopyschology course and this week we discussed the notion of unearthing and composting old narratives that get trapped in the sediment of our psyche, to recycle them into nutrients for our own evolution. Just as the earth moves (think shifting tectonic plates) to recycle nutrients from deep in it’s crust, so we can and need to shift some of those centuries old narratives that have calcified within us and society. It reminded me of a dog digging up long-buried bones.
I’ve been thinking about all this in relation to the workshop I’m hosting with the Land Art Agency next week on Wednesday March 27 at 6pm UTC. There is still space if you would like to join us. https://www.landartagency.com/mythstoryfolktales
The aim of the workshop is to explore the bones of our indestructible spirit. The narratives that bring us alive, the traits and the values that form the foundational skeleton of our life. The bones that are strong and growing. We might also find some that are calcified and brittle that we can now release, but the focus is on the bones we want to keep.
We might find these bones in all sorts of interesting and creative places. For example, in objects that have specific resonance for us. I have a collection of turtles - wooden ones, ceramic ones, a jade one and one that reveals a compass when the shell is turned. There is a very specific story attached to a turtle that I was given when I was a little girl. And there are specific values and attributes of turtle that I align with: groundedness, persistence, commitment, steadiness. The hard shell of protection and the soft underbelly of vulnerability. I have never felt drawn to a tortoise as a pet, but the symbolism and ‘medicine’ of the turtle is a bone for sure.
There are poems and quotes, books and authors, that also form foundational bones for me and that I come back to whenever I need inspiration or comfort. There are traits and qualities in these authors that I aspire to cultivate or that I already have.
Places, people, music, experiences, losses, heartbreaks, joys, etc - all these can be fundamental bones for our creative and daily life. So we will go dig for our bones and see what we find.
I’ll also be sharing the story of La Loba, old bone woman; we’ll be discussing the symbolism within the story and how it relates to each of us.
And we will get creative, using an image treasure hunt and collage-making to create a visual representation of our bones. It’s going to be a fun couple of hours of excavation and play. I really hope you can come along. Details and booking here: https://www.landartagency.com/mythstoryfolktales
If you know someone who might like to come along too, the please share this post or the link above. All are welcome.
Until next time… with love from my soul to yours.
Revisiting La Loba
I wrote two posts about La Loba and the bones back in October 2023, which you might like to revisit.
Good luck with your workshop! You’re helping me remember why we have a collection of Buddha figurines all over our house. So interesting!