August NewsletterCelebrating Lammas : the time of first harvest and gathering in

Lammas the first harvest Blazing sun in my back garden on Friday as I gathered with friends again, in common humanity, on the grass.

We freely offered our contributions to the space.

I made cacao, created a simple ritual & altar on the earth & offered a grounding meditation, another brought tartlets, oracle cards, & an offering of cornflowers for the land, another brought a tub of raspberries & blueberries, posies of wildflowers & a reading.

And we talked & we listened & we were heard.

Truly, open heartedly, heard.

With reciprocity, in relation.

This is what we are meant to do in communities. In our families, organisations, schools, workplaces, services - as part of our mundane routine - meet our very human spiritual needs together, free of charge, regularly.

Without pomp, performance or elaborate ceremony.

Without transaction (not buying, not selling, not extracting, not owing - just SHARING)

We have forgotten how to be human, humane & humanitarian.

We have forgotten our interconnectedness & interdependence on each other & the earth.

We have forgotten the WEALTH & HEALING & POWER of that.

AND, we are one step away of RE-MEMBERING it

and, when we do everything will change!

#educateevolveembody #changeiscoming #wisdomablaze  #decolonial #embodimentspirituality #naturebased #earthbased #spirituality #embodiededucation #fleshyknowing #community #reclaim #interconnectedness #interdependence #communitycare #humanity
#humane #humanitarian #bringandshare #love

Highlights of my summer break

One of the highlights of our recent trip to Northern Ireland : facilitating @the_goat_house_retreat (Insta) inaugural residential test Reflect & Renew Retreat

Pictures say it all. Fantastic venue! Owners & hosts Lorna & Heather are just gorgeous & the collection of women who gathered were the bright joyous souls.

If they'll have me - I'll be back. The land of Mourne is perfect for #embodiededucation & #embodimentspirituality plus, nature based spirituality is a seamless fit for the area with it's celtic & shamanic origins.

Thank you for offering me the opportunity @mourne_yoga  @tellyhevbrown 

And thank you @lightfoot_bangor for food ​

Another highlight of our recent travels to Northern Ireland. Connecting with a fellow nature based spirituality practitioner, Willa, who facilitates over there, drumming & holding a fire ceremony together in an ancient orchard, honouring the land & elements, drinking cacao outside & journeying shamanically.

Creating #connection #collaboration #friendship & weaving a #network of #meaning #purpose & #belonging

Sharing common #humanity & fulfilling our very human, spiritual, needs.

Bridging worlds

This week I returned to work and found myself bridging worlds Presenting an 'EDIB & Me' session on 'Nature-based Spirituality: The Wheel of the Year' at Cambridge University Press & Assessment @cambridgeuniversitypress focusing on the festivals of Beltane, Litha & Lammas.

EDIB = #Equality #Diversity #Inclusion #Belonging

Education breaks down prejudice. Sharing lived experience creates belonging.

'EBID & Me' : what a fantastic initiative this global organisation offers staff & I'm honoured to be part of it.

What I harvested on the calendared date of Lammas

For me it feels appropriate & fitting that this has been published today, on the calendar date of Lammas - the festival which marks the first harvest & gathering in the fruits of our labour this year.

Embodiment Spirituality and No Words Theology. Is this what was resurrected? Journal entries and theological reflections from Holy Week 2024 is my offering to the Practical Theology Hub. It's an honour to be included.

This is a space for anyone with an interest in practical theology to share their reflections and explore new ideas. The discipline of practical theology explores the dialogue that takes place between experience and belief and unites the social and physical sciences and the arts with theology in a conversation about experience and meaning making. 

Check out my published piece which has been categorised in the auto ethnographic, body theology and journaling categories clicking here

In it I draw on my published @girlgodbooks book Making Love with the Divine: Sacred, Ecstatic & Erotic Experiences, traditional academic theology studies & crucially my lived #embodied experience

Looking ahead to September

Simultaneously nervous & excited to be a presenter at this conference in Oxford.

My presentation is part of the Transformative Education Track, & the Embodiment & Transpersonal in Education session on the Thursday afternoon.

I'll be speaking for 20 mins on our book, Embodied Education Creating Safe Space for Learning Facilitating and Sharing, which Dan & I researched & co-authored, & which was published last year by @girlgodbooks

Creative Bridges, 2024 : Embodied Consciousness, Psyche and Soul in Research & Practice 4-8 Sept in Oxford @aleftrust @eurotas.world
 
Interested?  Click here
​

Excited to look ahead to Fri 13th Sept @yorkstjohn to the Neurodiversity in Higher Education 2 #NDinHE2 where I'll be presenting:

* a poster on the Neurodiverse Connection Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach Training as the NdC Development Lead

** a creative workshop on our published manual Embodied Education Creating Safe Space for Learning Facilitating and Sharing (written by Dan & I, published by @girlgodbooks June 2023)

Both presentations centre body first, bottom up, neuroinclusive, trauma informed, sensory friendly, nervous system informed, relational & embodiment paradigm shifting approaches - which support ALL neurotypes.
 
Interested?  Click here
​

And, from Neurodiverse Connection

​Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach (NdWA)
is a holistic, Neurodivergent-friendly well-being curriculum that offers education and  practical strategies for Neurodivergent individuals, their family members,  friends, caregivers, and professionals who support them.
The programme is based on the concept of
‘experience to share’ and is designed to promote the wellbeing of participants, which they can then share with those they care for and support.
 
Course A
4 x  half-day sessions  Weekly at 9:30AM, Tuesdays
10th, 24th September, 1st, 8th October
 
Course B
8 x 90 minute sessions Weekly at 6PM, Tuesdays
1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd October, 5th, 12th,19th, 26th November
 
 
Interested?  Click here
 
 
Printed coursebook  available
 
A printed coursebook with all models, exercises and content from the course (plus spaces to fill in the reflection tasks) is available to purchase for an additional £20 fee, including UK postage.

​May this first harvest serve you well, as we begin to gather in the fruits of our labours this year.
 
I’ll write again later this month with details of the new Girl God Books Anthology, Wounded Feminine: Grieving with Goddess
I have two pieces published within.  
 
Its a deeply moving and important publication.
 
Best wishes, Kay x