July 1^st,2010

Sitting outside today—it’s very warm, windy, the kind of day that would be a good day at the beach.  I’m sitting in my backyard, behind the garage, in the space that hopefully will one day be a screened in porch.  I sip on a gin and tonic, and feel the wind blow over me and around me in wonderful swirls of energy.  I feel relaxed, welcomed and nurtured by the wind spirits.  The birds are singing beautiful songs today in harmony with the wind.  A little wren, that at first sight I thought was a hummingbird it was so little, is flying between two little birdhouses I have in the backyard.  One little cedar house hangs from the branches of a blue spruce pine tree.  The other house is a red and yellow painted birdhouse, perched on top of a 4 foot high stump, remnants of a crab apple tree.  In the distance I hear the caw of the crow, very loud and excited and insistent.  As I wait in between bird sounds I hear the primal song of the bamboo wind chimes that echo toward me. 

I sit in front of my medicine wheel.  I sit in the west of the wheel.  Perhaps it is time to see the beauty and release the fears, the grief, the not knowing of what is to become of me and my life.   So many deaths this year I have experienced, and this beseeches me to look at my own life and seek the meaning of it all.  What is it all about?  Does that little wren question what it does or what it should do every day?  Do the bamboo wind chimes wait expectantly for the wind each day so it can play its song?  Is it sad when it is silent, when the wind does not arrive?

Everything is so alive, so filled with beauty and so sacred.  As I sit here I feel the power of the oak tree to the east of my medicine wheel.  It is sheltering and strong.  It is a guardian of the circle and the fairy kingdom which lives beneath it.  Little mushrooms circle around the tree, creating the barrier between this world and the other.  The oak tree is a guardian of both worlds and I feel its comforting strength.

Ted Andrews states that in Pagan traditions, wrens were considered sacred to the earth gods and goddesses.  Wren “holds the medicine for using what is available, and it can teach you the most effective means to build within your own environment.”  Thank you wren for making me aware of all that is available to me every day of my life.  Each day is a choice that I make.  Now I just need a clear vision of what I want to create in my environment.  I will be bold as you are wren!  With the power of oak tree and the resourcefulness of wren, I will move forward.

“May you  know today that nature heals you, that nature loves you, that nature is you—you cannot be separate from it.  It lives in your heart and soul and you live in its heart and soul.  Know your divine nature, know that you have the strength of the oak,  the power of the wind, the song of the birds, in your heart.”   Such is my message from nature today.

May you walk in beauty and sacredness each day of your life,

Jeanne

As most of you already know, my dad passed on May 9th, Mother’s Day, this year.  So this is my first Father’s Day without my dad, and I have spent some reflecting on dads. 

As I was preparing for my dad’s funeral service (I was the officiant), I was remembering back through his life, mainly concentrating on the kind of husband, father and man my father was.  And I realized in thinking back, the kind of mom my mom was too and the home and family I was brought up in.  I remembered that when the TV show “All in the Family” was on that I was shocked how much it was like my own family.  My dad was an Archie Bunker and my mom was most definitely Edith.  Throughout my adult years, I tried to “train” my dad not to treat my mom like a servant.  “If you want a cup of coffee, go get it yourself” I’d tell him and I’d tell my mom to “sit down.”  The women’s movement had made me strong in empowering women and speaking up for myself.  And while I thought I was bringing power and equality to my mom, and teaching my dad not to act like a male chauvinist, in looking back, I realized that something else was going on here that I had truly missed and what is missing in today’s society.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think the women’s movement was a good thing.  But I think we threw the baby out with the bath water.  What am I talking about?  I’m talking about service.  We have forgotten the sacredness and the importance of service.  In our rush to equality we have forgotten that to truly be of service to one another does not put you “beneath” them.  To give to one another because you want to, is a holy, sacred, heart-felt act.  My mother was raised with the knowledge that women serve men.  And she did wholeheartedly.  I’m sure there were times she did this begrudgingly with my dad, but I’m sure beneath it all she did it because she loved him.

While my dad didn’t “serve” my mom in the same way, he did “serve” the community.  My dad was the guy in the neighborhood everyone would call if something went wrong and they needed help.  He could fix anything, and when a neighbor called he was out the door to help.  He did this without any expectation of being paid (I don’t think he ever was paid), because that is what you do when a neighbor needs help.  You “serve” them with your knowledge, expertise and skills. 

We seem to have lost the sense of community and service in our world today.  We have gone from “how can I help” to “what’s in it for me if I help?”  We have forgotten the true, sacred meaning of service.  To give selflessly.  And along with service goes compassion.  Compassionate service is what is needed today in our world, which is in chaos and turmoil.    People readily “give” to disaster causes, it seems to be the only time we come together to help.  But I’m asking you today, in honor of my dad, and all the dads who help and fix and share their talents, that you reach out to those in your own community or family who need help.  Don’t wait for a disaster.  And you don’t need to join an organization.  All you need to do is open the door for a person at the grocery store, make someone their favorite food, spend personal time with someone giving them your full attention, ask a grieving friend or sick neighbor how you can help them, just reach out!  Just open your heart and reach out! 

I love you Dad! 

Jeanne

Jaime Meyer is a phenomenal person and I know he will be an inspirational and incredible leader for the weekend.  I’ve known Jaime for over 10 years, having met originally in Tom Cowan’s Celtic Shamanism training.  Jaime has just recently written a new book called, Drumming the Soul Awake.  It is a must read as it is so creative in its message and in its style.  Just go to Jaime’s website to get a sense of his unique perspective on the world and his vast creative spirit.  DrummingTheSoulAwake.com   He leads phenomenal drumming circles in the cities.  You won’t be disappointed if you attend this retreat—you will be inspired, empowered, and filled with joy!

jaime meyer retreat flyer

Wednesday, April 7th–Intro to the Chakras with Jeanne, 6:30-8:30pm  $20.  Come and learn about the energy system of the body.  We will discuss the colors, attributes and affirmations for each of the chakras.  Learn how to balance and unblock  blockages in your energy system.  We will discuss the use of stones and essential oils in working with the chakras.  We’ll also move through a guided meditation on the chakras.  Please call or email to register.

Wednesday, April 14th, New Moon Intentions will be facilitated by Jeanne. 6:30-8pm, $10. At this time of the New Moon energies come and create your intentions for the coming month. We’ll empower those intentions through drumming and ceremony.

Wednesday, April 21st, Creating Sacred Space with Jeanne  6:30-8:30PM, $20. This class is for Energy Workers who want to create a sacred space for their clients that fosters healing for their clients. We’ll discuss many ways of doing this and if you have found ways that really work for you, please come and share those ideas with us.

Wednesday, April 28th–Come and Celebrate the Full Moon with Jeanne. 6:30-8pm $10. Bring your drums and we’ll drum and dance and work with the lunar energies in celebration and introspection.  We’ll honor the Celtic Moon Goddess in her many forms.

The spring time brings new life back into our world—the Goddess Brigid brings her fire back to the land to warm and awaken the earth again.  It is often a time of renewal and new life for us as well.  I am offering this special to you all to bring new information (new fire) into your life.  Do you have an issue you’d like more information on?  Do you have a question about where you’re going in life or how to improve your life, etc.?   Just ask Jeanne and she will go on a journey for you seeking spiritual information.  She will email her journey to you  with the information she received.  This spring equinox special is just $20 and is an online special only!!!  Just email your information to Jeanne at earthdrummer@hotmail.com, and make payment through paypal to her email address and Jeanne will contact you.

Many spiritual leaders are now saying that women need to wake up and take the responsibility of saving our world.  We are so out of balance–too much into the masculine essence of competition, aggression, war and harshness.  Time to go into the softness, the cooperation, the diplomacy, the intuitive, feeling senses and develop compassion and humanitarian actions in our world.  Priorities for women are different than they are for men.  Women would make sure that the children are fed.  17,000 children die every day of starvation.  Women, the whole world is our family and we need to bring our talents and skills forward because our world will not survive without us.

In our Saturday morning meeting it became evident to me that women and men together need to talk about these issues.  We again need to honor the intuitive knowing of the feminine. I would really like to start a teleclass online book/discussion group around two books:  The Return of the Feminine and the World Soul by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee which discusses the global issues, and the book Wild Attraction which discusses the man/woman relationship issues.  Both of these books bring awareness to our roles as men and women and how to work together to literally save the world.

If you are interested in  participating in an online teleclass  book/group discussion group please let me know.  This is important work, and the time is now!  I will gladly facilitate and make it happen!  Just email me earthdrummer@hotmail.com and  let me know if you’re interested.

Blessings to you all,

Jeanne

So what am I talking about?  New classes!  In the past few days I have had questions and comments from several people, even from people who just emailed me that I don’t know.  It all started with a person telling me they thought I taught “earth drumming” classes.  I don’t teach earth drumming classes and I was sure they got my earthdrummer name mixed up with that.  However, yesterday and today I’ve received emails from people asking me if I teach drumming classes.  The interesting part of this is that I had talked to a friend who had gone to a drumming class in Moorhead and they stated how great it was.  So all this information seems to be pushing me to create a drumming class.  So that is in the works!

Another class that is in the works and almost ready is one for energy workers on how to create sacred space in doing energywork so that your client feels they are safe within a sacred container where healing can occur.  While teaching my celtic shamanism training it became apparent to me from my student’s questions that it would be helpful for beginning energy workers to have a class that addreseses creating this sacred space.  So I will also be teaching this class!

I am looking at teaching  2 hour classes on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm.   I am also open to teaching daytime, weekday classes if there are any of you who would be interested in that.  Please let me know what works for you and what you might be interested in learning.  I’m always open to teaching new classes!

I think Spring is in the air—I can feel the juices flowing again!

Blessings to you,

Jeanne

Greetings!
I just want to thank you all for all the prayers, light, love and healing that was sent to my sister and my family.  It was a journey for us that ended with Carol’s transition and I feel so humbled to have been with her at her time of transition.  Your thoughts and prayers supported us all through this difficult time.  I thank you from deep within my heart.

Right now I am trying to play catch-up and re-schedule classes so there will be a shake-up in the previous class listings that you have received.  Within the next few days I hope to have the current class offerings on the website.  Please note that I am only speaking of the classes I am offering.  Everyone else’s classes will remain at the same date and time.  So if you have an old class calendar you might want to check the current class listing on the website before registering.

Thank you all again!  Blessings upon your hearts,
Jeanne

The shamanic path is not a path traditionally intended to achieve enlightenment. It has never been typically a path for self-improvement. It has been a path followed because people cared for other people and felt compassion for them and wanted to help them through healing and alleviating their suffering. In following that path, gifts were then given them that were totally unexpected. By working the way that spirits seem to want us to work, they help us in alleviating suffering and pain, and give the healers gifts to help them work even more successfully. This then changes them, and they are never the same again; they are indeed enlightened. But that was not the intention; it was just a result. And as the shaman works to heal others, the shaman himself or herself is healed because of that desire.”  – Michael Harner, Foundation for Shamanic Studies, California From the Newsletter by Shaman’s Portal (www.shamanportal.c0m)