Every retreat has its own unique personality. This one was no different. While I always have faith (and know deep in my heart) that the perfect people for the composition of the perfect group will come together, it’s always a thrill for it to unfold before my eyes.
And I’m pleased to report that yet another magical weekend is ‘in the can.’
I think what I’m most excited about this weekend is the level of guidance received by everyone in their journeys. Many of the participants had never journeyed before and a few ‘thought’ they ‘couldn’t.’
By the end of this weekend, everyone had discovered or received messages that were directly and in most cases succinctly and obviously applicable to their unique questions and lives.
YCMTSU
There’s an acronym that has reliably emanated from every retreat and extended program I’ve offered. That acronym is YCMTSU.
Let me be clear: I’m not taking credit for that by any means. It is a function of Spirit. It’s a function of the willingness of those who attend and participate to embrace the unknown.
And the coolest thing is, I know that if the Listeners I spent this past weekend with honor the messages they received and continue following through with their new skills, a whole new world stands ready to be explored.
The Vista at Amadell – LR Day One – Photo: L. Weikel
Listening Retreat Day One
I have exactly eight minutes to write a post this evening.
This is what happens when a Listening Retreat’s magic begins. Time folds in on itself.
We begin listening to the call of the voice that resides deep within. Deep, deep within. And we realize we may recognize that voice – and maybe its message is conveying a mystery – but it’s a mystery whose key lies solely within our own grasp.
The question is: are we willing? Are we willing to discover what our souls yearn for us to remember about our very own selves?
I think we are.
And I think this group is in for some seriously amazing experiences.
Tonight I want to alert you to an absolutely golden opportunity that you should. not. miss.
Beginning Sunday, September 1st, my great friend and world-class numerologist, Alison Baughman, will be starting her comprehensive, five week Numerology Course. For five straight weeks, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. EST every Sunday, you will learn an amazing amount of information on numerology that will stand you in good stead, regardless of whether you use it for yourself or find that you want to dip into this field with an even greater commitment. (And you just might be surprised by how much all of this resonates with you!)
As I’ve mentioned in other posts, Alison knows her numbers. She knows her stuff and she is a great teacher. And this is a golden opportunity (and perhaps the last) to study with her first-hand.
Personally, I know she’s on a quest to write some additional books which, given her wry sense of humor and no-nonsense style, could be hilarious. (The books, not the quest – although the quest could end up being amusing in its own right.)
I’d by lying if I didn’t admit that it freaks me out a bit when I see Alison state things starkly, like, “This could be my last offering of this class.” That’s because she does not mess around. And she does not make comments like this cavalierly.
Photo: jenthejd.com
Believe Her When She Says, “This May Be it”
I didn’t believe it when she announced a few years ago that she was going to stop doing private readings for people. The reason I didn’t believe it was because her readings are a-m-a-z-i-n-g.
I’ve listened to mine over and over, probably at least a dozen times, as well as the periodic updates I was lucky enough to have with her when I needed to know ‘what was going on’ in my life ‘by the numbers.’
It just didn’t seem possible to me that someone with such an extraordinary gift could mean it when she announced she would be stepping away from it. But she did. And she has.
Which is why I feel it is incumbent upon me to highly recommend you take her course in September. It’s an opportunity that you could easily regret if you don’t take action now. I can tell you unequivocally: I intend to take the course. Heck, every time I listen to my readings with Alison, I learn a ton. (And you know I enjoy bringing into my posts at least some of what I know just by hanging around the woman.)
Yes, I’m going to take the course – and you should, too.
Lastly: Don’t Forget to Retreat…and Listen
Finally, next week at this time I will have wrapped my first Listening Retreat at Amadell. If you’re still flirting with the idea of allowing yourself the exquisite gift of disconnecting with the outside world and spending time with yourself, Mother Nature, and an amazing group of like-minded people (with whom you’ll probably remain friends for who knows how long – forever?), then jump off the cliff. Take the plunge. Come. To. Amadell.
Join us! $395 for the weekend (program plus meals), with $50/ night lodging in absolutely adorable, well-appointed rooms. Email me (lisa@owlmedicine.com) to register, and contact events@amadell.org to reserve your room.
There’s so much to learn and experience in life. These two experiences are not to be missed and will give you skills you’ll use forever!
A Bright Spot Amongst the Gloom – Photo: L. Weikel
Listening (Retreat) Reminder
Sometimes being a one-woman-band has its downsides, and one of those is paving the road to hell on a regular basis with all my good intentions (and even better ideas).
I know I need to send out a Hoot Alert announcing my upcoming Listening Retreat at Amadell the weekend of August 9-11. I’ve become so used to ‘talking out loud’ to you, my faithful followers of my 1111 Devotion posts (have I mentioned lately how much I love and appreciate you guys?), that I tend to forget I have an entire other mailing list of people who’ve asked to be kept in the loop on my retreats and other offerings.
Need For Silence
The thing is, like pretty much everything else I do that involves writing, my Hoot Alerts require silence for me to create them. And sometimes silence is in short supply.
But lately, even if and when silence arrives on my doorstep, the hour may be so long in the tooth that I fall asleep within its embrace as soon as we connect.
I’ll blame the heat.
Lots of Heat This Coming Weekend
Speaking of the heat, it looks like we’re going to really need to take care not only of ourselves but each other over the next few days. Good grief! The heat index may potentially reach 100 to 105 tomorrow (Friday), 105 to 110 on Saturday, and 100 to 105 on Sunday.
That’s nuts. But it’s also a call to pay attention. If you know you have an elderly neighbor, especially one who lives alone, and they pop into your mind over the weekend – listen to your intuition. Check on them, even if you aren’t one to usually pay a visit.
Listen to the Call to Care
Even if they’re perfectly fine and have hunkered down in their living room with a bowl of popcorn and their tv’s remote in hand to ride out the heat wave, imagine what a ‘cool’ thought it would be to realize somebody cares enough to just check in.
I have a feeling that even the most reclusive among us yearn to know, deep down, that somebody else gives a hoot that we’re ok. That other people think about us occasionally. That people, even if they keep to themselves and don’t intrude on our daily lives beyond the occasional wave or neighborly nod, care that we’re alive and will help if we’re in need.
So yeah. I started this post out with the intention of reminding everyone of the upcoming Listening Retreat. I guess it only makes sense that I end it by suggesting that, if someone pops into your mind this weekend and you wonder if they’re doing ok or might need something, listen to yourself and your intuition. Honor it; and most importantly, act upon it.
View of the Smokies from Amadell’s Vista – Photo: L. Weikel
Listening Retreat at Amadell
Just in case you haven’t planned a getaway for yourself yet this summer, I’ve got the best suggestion: a jaunt to North Carolina in early August!
But not to the Outer Banks, as many vacationers might think. No, I’m thinking the completely opposite end of the state: the mountains of western North Carolina, near Hot Springs, where water bubbles up from deep within Mother Earth and creates places of healing pools. The Smokies. Amadell.
I’ve not been shy about sharing how that land feeds my spirit – I wrote about it here, and here, and here, for instance, when I was there just this past May. Not only did I attend a wonderful workshop with Peter May, but I also held a gathering of my own.
Friday, August 9th – Sunday, August 11th, 2019
This time, from early evening Friday, August 9th, to mid-afternoon Sunday, August 11th, I invite you to spend time with me and 11 other like-minded, open-hearted, and curious individuals, learning how to listen.
This is not a ‘silent’ retreat, although there are times during the weekend that we pay particular attention to the necessity (when we choose to open our mouths and allow words to come out), and then the quality of those words when they are expressed.
We also don’t focus upon solely listening to people. Goodness no – there are many more Beings desiring to be heard, paid attention to, honored and respected, especially on Amadell’s special mountain, than you might initially expect (or imagine in your wildest dreams).
And that doesn’t even count the messages that might be encountered when we learn a new and distinctively precious way to listen to the guidance that is available within all of us.
Drive or Fly
I’ve made the drive from Pennsylvania on my own several times. Now…I will admit: I love to drive. So making the trek on my own, in my precious Prius (also known as “Good Girl” or the “Grey Ghost”) has been lovely. And even when the red triangle of death raised its ugly head, it was still a great drive.
But if you’re not into driving like I am, you can get astonishingly low price fares on Allegiant. They fly out of Newark, direct to Asheville, and very reasonable service can be arranged for your transportation to and from Asheville Airport. I encourage you to check the fares out. They’re so low they’re almost obscene.
Nurturing
Probably the most amazing thing about Listening Retreats is how nurtured people feel when they slow down enough to actually reconnect with and listen to Mother Earth and her children.
But don’t take my word for it. Check out my website and read the testimonials. Better yet, take a look at the photos both on Amadell’s site and in my various posts that I wrote while I was visiting there in May. Look at the lovely accommodations. They can’t be beat.
Amadell ‘finned ones’ – Photo: L. Weikel
Full Disclosure
The program cost is $395 ($350 if paid in full before 7/26/19) and includes most meals during the weekend. Delightful and extremely reasonable lodging accommodations are arranged separately through Amadell directly.
Perhaps I should write more about what we do on a Listening Retreat to tantalize you into attending. I am reluctant to share too much, though, because part of the fun is allowing each weekend to generate its own life and vibrancy. What does that mean? It means I have a plan that I’ve developed, but I always talk to the Beings of the Land (wherever I am) and ask them to come co-create with me.
And they always do… So I listen!
Consider allowing yourself to come and experience the magic of Amadell. Combined with the intimacy of sacred listening, you will emerge from your weekend feeling refreshed and reconnected to what’s truly important.
I’ll admit it; I got distracted this evening. I became engrossed in trying to edit my Listening Retreats page on my website, and when I looked up, I was (am) appalled to discover that it’s 12:41 a.m. Even worse, I could not for the life of me manage to substitute the photo at the top of the page!
I don’t know where the evening went tonight. Well, yes, I do.
Karl and I took an amazingly wonderful walk this evening.
In spite of the rain that fell sporadically throughout the day, the air just kept getting thicker and hotter. So much so, that we knew we weren’t even going to bother walking until the sun was much lower in the sky.
As a result, we didn’t set out until 7:30 p.m. or so. Since we took the walk-about route (4 miles), by the time we got home the clock was pushing 9:00 p.m.
Oh, but can I tell you? It was SO worth it!
The mists of the Faerie Kingdom – Photo: L. Weikel
We Walked Into a Magical Kingdom
It was as if we walked through a magical storybook. At first, high swirling clouds and the setting sun painted messages in the sky. About half a mile later, we encountered fields where everything was muffled under a blanket of light fog – which even, quite eerily, crept out onto the road.
As we continued into the shelter of the towering trees near High Rocks, darkness started seeping into our consciousness and we became quiet and pensive. But of course, this quietude lasted barely an eyeblink because – of course – the lightning bugs started their evening ascension, which never fails to bring delight and a light-hearted joyfulness to our time together.
I must try to get those photos uploaded right now, so I can share them with you. The lightning bugs, though – they are elusive, at least in the eye of an iPhone’s camera.
Trying to see the forest for the trees – Photo: L. Weikel
New Moon/Total Solar Eclipse
Considering what’s been going on in the heavens today, I’m wondering how your day went. I heard from a handful of close friends and it sounds like the day, for them at least, provided opportunities for experiences that completely changed their perceptions and attitudes.
That’s not something you can say every day. And it’s exciting.
I’ve barely had a chance to think about how this eclipse season is impacting me. I suppose I may not have felt any direct effects yet.
I can’t tell you how many sentences, even paragraphs, I’ve written and then deleted. I think I’m over-tired. As a result, pretty much everything I type looks odd to me. For instance, I don’t like the way the words line up when I allow myself to just talk through my fingers. I start second-guessing comma usage. I start doubting word choice.
Ha – just reading that last paragraph makes me laugh.
Planting Seeds on this New Moon
One seed I know I want to plant today/tomorrow is recommitting to my writing. Thanks to my 1111 Devotion to Karl, and the discipline I’ve attempted to bring to my life through this Act of Power, I feel like I’m getting closer to seriously making time for the book. One of the reasons I know this is true is because of the anticipation I feel even when I just write that intention.
Another seed I know I want to plant today/tomorrow is announcing my new “Walk Your Talk” Sessions.
And yet a third seed is announcing a Listening Retreat at Amadell the weekend of August 9-11. I’ll write more about that tomorrow.
There are other Listening Retreats taking shape as well, but I’ve not yet set firm dates. I’ll let you know when I do.
Here’s hoping that any revelations you’re experiencing in your life are rocking your world in a way that will make you smile, maybe even laugh, and will bring you the insight and change you seek deep within.
As many of you know (those who are already on my “Hoot List”), I’m honored and delighted to be participating as a presenter in an online gathering of 24 fascinating people from all walks of life who have faced great loss or major life challenges and not only survived, but also discovered truths, approaches, perspectives, and strategies that serve them well in moving forward with their lives.
The “I AM Symposium” began two days ago, on Monday, October 12th – and if you sign up today for the entire program, you’ll still be able to hear the first presenter’s talk for free. Each day a single presentation is broadcast, and those who have signed up for the event have 72 hours to listen each one.
If you can’t manage to snag the time each day to listen – or if you miss the talk of someone you’d love to hear but didn’t catch them within the “free” 72 hour window – or if you just find you would like the opportunity to listen to each presentation at your leisure, as many times as you would like, you can purchase and download the entire 24-speaker package for $47. (Just scroll to the very bottom of the sign-up page.)
Sorry for such a detailed explanation, but details are helpful. And no matter which way you look at it, either “completely free” (but requiring a somewhat disciplined listening approach) or 24 unique presentations for $47 – it’s a pretty sweet deal.
I started this post out by saying that today is a big deal for me because my “story” airs today. It’s personal, it’s real – and this is the first time I’ve ever participated in such a venture, so I have no baseline as to what to expect. And even though I often write with stark honesty, direct from my heart, about personal issues, I rarely “speak” of such things. So, this was a stretch!
If you’ve come to my website because you just heard me on the “I AM Symposium” broadcast, welcome! I’d like to offer you the opportunity to receive a free chapter of my book, Owl Medicine, in thanks for signing up for my Hoot List, if you choose to do so. (And I’m trying to figure out how to do this on my own, without bugging my most revered Web Master, Mark. If I don’t figure it out within a day or so, I will ask him to set it up!)*
As I mention (a lot) in my presentation, I feel listening – true, deep listening – is one of the greatest gifts we can give both ourselves and other people in our lives. And as much as I am a fierce advocate for the necessity of listening as a part of a healthy and fulfilled life, I also know how very, sometimes uncomfortably, challenging it can be to really and truly LISTEN to the messages we’re receiving. The chapter from Owl Medicine that I’m offering you shows you just what I mean (and how I’ve sometimes had to learn the hard way).
I hope you enjoy the I AM Symposium! Of course, if you love it, please do not hesitate to share it with your friends.
Finally, I urge you to “stay tuned” if you’re interested in perhaps attending a Listening Retreat with me…
*And if anyone who already is a part of my Hoot List would also like to receive the free chapter, just send me an email and I’ll get it out to you!
