.I'm staying at The Abbey House in Glastonbury, a truly beautiful retreat House with a wonderful energy. The house is huge, the grounds rambling with lovely hidden spaces and walkways to explore; majestic trees everywhere.
Last night, quite late, the group were sitting in the garden under some trees setting our values and intentions for the weekend. Jackee saw a badger running across the lawn we entered into a discussion about the medicine and symbolism of brother badger. Jackee explained that badger has the medicine of courage, from the French ceour age, meaning of the heart. This was especially pertinent, as the group member who'd been speaking her intention had expressed the need to be more courageous in her writing.
We went on to talk about badger being both black and white, representing duality ; both the light and dark aspects of ourselves.
This really got me thinking, I've been aware for a few days that I have anger rising in me' I know where it belongs, who it really belongs with, but am very uncomfortable with it.
I spoke to Jackee privately, I guess I was afraid that my anger could come out badly and spoil the weekend for the others. Jackee reminded me of the importance of writing my morning pages, a way of dumping the feelings so that they don't get in the way of my creativity. She also reminded me that anger can be a positive force for change and transformation.
Once in bed I reflected more on this and realized that I've always feared anger and seen it as very destructive. Hence the block.
This morning very interestingly enough, we talked again about the shadow side of our natures, she shared some pertinent quotes with us, then got us engaged in writing, using pictures as a prompt.
I took my selected pictures, a beanbag and my writing materials into the garden, all the time ideas for this piece forming in my head.
When I put my pen to the paper, what flowed was something quite different, and the ending was certainly very different to anything I've written before. To me, the ending is dark, revealing the shadow side, yet I felt quite okay with it quite at peace in fact.
I've since been writing more, reflecting on what it means for me to be in touch with this shadow side of myself, to be expressing some very deep and primal feelings, that I'd previously feared; feared because I was afraid they'd overwhelm me, consume me alive like some monster from the deep.
But by revisiting those dark places, I am bringing them into the light and embracing them. I'm giving it a voice that it didn't have before, and in doing so, am releasing in a safe and creative way that won't harm anyone.
For when we revisit the darkness of the past, we reclaim the power that we left there.
Maybe I'll pen more short stories in time, and publish them as a collection. So continues my healing journey.
And the title of this short story? 'The woman in the red shoes'.
Last night, quite late, the group were sitting in the garden under some trees setting our values and intentions for the weekend. Jackee saw a badger running across the lawn we entered into a discussion about the medicine and symbolism of brother badger. Jackee explained that badger has the medicine of courage, from the French ceour age, meaning of the heart. This was especially pertinent, as the group member who'd been speaking her intention had expressed the need to be more courageous in her writing.
We went on to talk about badger being both black and white, representing duality ; both the light and dark aspects of ourselves.
This really got me thinking, I've been aware for a few days that I have anger rising in me' I know where it belongs, who it really belongs with, but am very uncomfortable with it.
I spoke to Jackee privately, I guess I was afraid that my anger could come out badly and spoil the weekend for the others. Jackee reminded me of the importance of writing my morning pages, a way of dumping the feelings so that they don't get in the way of my creativity. She also reminded me that anger can be a positive force for change and transformation.
Once in bed I reflected more on this and realized that I've always feared anger and seen it as very destructive. Hence the block.
This morning very interestingly enough, we talked again about the shadow side of our natures, she shared some pertinent quotes with us, then got us engaged in writing, using pictures as a prompt.
I took my selected pictures, a beanbag and my writing materials into the garden, all the time ideas for this piece forming in my head.
When I put my pen to the paper, what flowed was something quite different, and the ending was certainly very different to anything I've written before. To me, the ending is dark, revealing the shadow side, yet I felt quite okay with it quite at peace in fact.
I've since been writing more, reflecting on what it means for me to be in touch with this shadow side of myself, to be expressing some very deep and primal feelings, that I'd previously feared; feared because I was afraid they'd overwhelm me, consume me alive like some monster from the deep.
But by revisiting those dark places, I am bringing them into the light and embracing them. I'm giving it a voice that it didn't have before, and in doing so, am releasing in a safe and creative way that won't harm anyone.
For when we revisit the darkness of the past, we reclaim the power that we left there.
Maybe I'll pen more short stories in time, and publish them as a collection. So continues my healing journey.
And the title of this short story? 'The woman in the red shoes'.
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