Explorations of Astrology through Creative Practice (a sample of artwork)
I'm not really crazy about calling the participants in my program IN THE STARS 'my students.' Because I learn so very much from them, and because I consider myself a student as well... a perpetual, enthusiastic and inquisitive student of this miracle of Life.
And for me, that includes a voracious appetite for topics like creative practice, spirituality as a way of seeing and navigating relations+actions, healing (not because we're broken, but because we're whole AND we all suffer at some point), and, of course, astrology.
While I am often wearing the hat of 'teacher' for IN THE STARS, I am no 'expert' at creative practice OR astrology. I know that is counter-intuitive to what I'm 'supposed' to say as someone guiding a class on the topics, but I see myself as more like a practitioner. And I see my online courses and programs more like circles.... I bring the 'guts' of the tour into the creative cosmos, sure, and we each have a unique inner and outer experience along the way, but we make the overall journey what it is together.
As for astrology... well, I've just been compiling my own immersive astrological studies over the past few years, seeing so much inspiration and connection within its language of symbolism, and how it can help, celebrate and guide people back to center within themselves. I love exploring the wonder and beautiful questions that arise as we look at our own personal birth charts... like a crystallized moment in time that speaks to our soul's nature and calling from the Creator who made each of us.
I suppose I actually serve more as a messenger, or translator in IN THE STARS. A messenger full of ideas to share and questions to explore. A translator who sees the big connections and loves inviting others to their own holistic-creative exploration of what lies beyond first impressions and outdated stories, the illusion of absolutes, and rigid patterns. (In case you're wondering: I have Mercury in Aquarius in the 5th house, along with my Pisces Sun, and among other chart indicators that make this make sense...)
My hope for my participants is that they finish (or continue) their exploration IN THE STARS knowing, accepting and loving themselves a little more clearly, including how they relate to and love others, what they need and how they innately shine in their unique nature of giving, receiving, expressing, and being conscious.
Consciousness about the fullness of our wholly-ness - about life as an active living relationship to engage with, and our unique natures as a call to participate - can offer landscapes of possibility and perspective, as well as simply the blessed space to BE who and how Creator made us.
So today, I'm sharing a 'gallery' of sorts from just a sampling of participant work IN THE STARS so far this year.
Each month IN THE STARS, participants listen to audio and video reflections & lessons, accept guided invitations to explore their personal birth chart, journal their responses and reflections to prompts, and engage with creative practice invitations in their art journal.
Each month has a theme to explore planetary, sign and house symbolism, how it relates to our own chart placements and what it means to them in the practical reality and inner/outer experiences of their life story. We get together for questions, inspiration, support and sharing, too.
What you see in today's post are visual 'stories', or moments of responsive expression, of participants' personal explorations, used with permission.
I'm keeping the works anonymous here in this public space... because sharing in IN THE STARS is totally optional and our process is not about outcome focused art-making. It's about developing a meaningful relationship with one's chart, intuition and creative practice... and how we can listen to our own personal process and life, and trust what we discover when we do so in a way that does not evoke performative expectations within us or inhibit our truth from revealing itself.
So I share these today as an offering of inspiration - that each of us can have a creative practice unique to ourselves, whether we ever share it with anyone else or not.
We do a lot of exploring instinctive impulses and how things feel when we create IN THE STARS, not what we would necessary like things to look like or what they might look like if we exercised our usual patterns of control. We do a fair amount of imagining and dreaming in color and line, too!
I'm wildly grateful for the wisdom and creativity of ALL the participants in IN THE STARS, whether they ever choose to share their pages, paintings and insights, or not. For how they have bravely, honestly looked at themselves and their lives in ways that are not always easy as they've explored.
I hope by seeing a sample of some of their colorful pages today, you may feel inspired in your own creative practice and journey of knowing yourself, keeping it real, seeking, dreaming and discovery as well.
You can join us for the second journey IN THE STARS in 2018 - learn more and sign-up by clicking here to reserve your spot!
