It was quiet and peaceful upon entering. The patient and kindly approach of the facilitator, Kathy Stanley, greeted one with open arms and a subdued, gentle voice. The Creating the Sacred with Gaia Workshop offered a connection with an entity that the majority of people could only presume to be none other than soil, “earth,” dirt, dust. Gaia – Mother Earth – is more than that. What the writer does not completely recognize, not initially, anyway, is that Gaia embodies the beginning and endless circle within which living organisms thrive, from the minute ameba to the torment that is released from a writer’s refuge.
Ms. Stanley commenced the small group by honoring life through connection with Mother Earth. From there, free expression, with or without prompts, laid the foundation of an intimate experience. There were poems about love and reincarnation, stories about caverns, essays about bravery imparted from a mother’s delicate demeanor to her little boy who would one day be a man. There were prayerful letters written from the writer’s window about wisdom that Mother Earth would lay upon one’s hands that would absolve frightened hearts and once feared territories. A solid synthesis sprouted from this group of humble writers, enhanced with clear direction and a giving gentle soul of its facilitator. From here, tendrils tried their ways and won. The writers discovered and rediscovered long forgotten voices and memories, as well as instant expressions. Mother Earth was present, her doors opened.
The workshop gave way to mountains of leaves, colors, words, and imageries, recompense sought and borne from within. So when the writers walked into the open space after having communed with Mother Earth, her tendrils trailed with them, connected.
– Diane P.
Participant
