REGISTER

The movement into the dark half of the year – from November 1 through the end of April – brings rich opportunities for self-reflection and deep inner listening. When we stay close to the changes within us with the new cycle, we can more fully embody the possibilities of the seasonal and cyclical shift. Our willingness to engage with the gifts of the darkness invites us to know ourselves more fully when we say yes to the exploration available to us – think: imagination, mystery, the dreamtime, psyche, myth, metaphor, the womb-space of creation and infinite potential. From here, we listen for the inner movements of meaning and purpose that guide our way to more intentionally creating the vibrant lives we want to be living. This is what it means to grow our relationship with soul.

Our journey begins on November 1st, the festival of Samhain (pronounced sah-when), which marks the start of the new year in the Celtic calendar. Along with many other traditions, this is a time of honoring the ancestors where the veil between the physical world and the spirit world is considered thinnest. In the Celtic tradition, darkness itself is revered as an essential part of life; the womb of winter as the beginning of a new cycle where what ordinarily remains hidden in us becomes more available to be witnessed and worked with. Through our six months together, we will be engaging these liminal spaces, remaining attentive to what is on offer for us to explore individually in this cycle. As we ask into this inner landscape – what growth and insight am I ready for? – what is just right for us at this time will become available. Gratefully, we don't have to make this growth happen, we simply need to be curious and willing to explore what arises.

Coming together with a community of kindreds at this time in the spirit of creative exploration offers an opportunity to tune into the soul’s longing for this next turn and to prepare your response to it – what is available to us when we give the soul space to inform this next cycle? Together, we will create a rich, welcoming space where all of who you are and who you are becoming belongs.

What the world needs now is more of us taking deep, tender loving care of ourselves every day, and bringing that transformational healing energy of wellness and love into the world. Joining together in creative exploration with the intention of healing aspects of our experience that are available to be explored is a way to create and share the energy of belonging that becomes an offering to the Earth and all of her inhabitants.

Creative process, not product

Healing lies within the space of self-expression; knowledge of self within the curiosity to engage. A writing group of this sort is not about product, but about the process of being willing to explore our inner landscape. No writing experience is necessary -- just a willingness to engage and explore your own experience.

Format (see further details regarding Zoom dates and structure below)

Each Monday between November 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023, you will receive a brief email with a reflection and a creative prompt/inquiry to play with in your writing and contemplation throughout the week. We will have an opening gathering together on Tuesday, November 1, 2022 from 4:00pm-5:30pm (central time) via Zoom, as well as one more each month through April 2023, with a closing circle at the end of April – seven gatherings in total. Our time together will consist of a reading to center us on the topic of the evening, a grounding meditation, a writing prompt for exploration, time to share discoveries or insights with the group, and Q+A. These gatherings will not be recorded except for the 11/1/22 opening Zoom, which will be recorded and shared with those not able to attend.

You will have the option, if desired by the group and numbers allow, to pair up with a partner for encouragement throughout the six months.

You will also have the option for discounted one-on-one guidance with me.

Cost

The cost for our creative exploration together is $222 (USD) payable via Venmo (@Christy-Marek-1) or PayPal (@tendinglife). If a payment plan is needed, or if you are interested in participating but don't use Venmo or PayPal, please let me know and we will work out the details. The fee covers all six months; however, you are free to participate and engage with the content as you are able.

About your guide

Christy Moe Marek is a lifelong writer and lover of the creative process for its ability to gently drop us into the truth of ourselves, fueled entirely by our own willingness to engage with what shows up as most important at any given moment. Following the flow of what comes is at the heart of her creative inquiry groups.

Christy is certified as an Anamcara (“soul friend”) Spiritual Companion, as an End-of-Life Doula, as a Meditation Instructor, and as an Intentional Creativity Teacher + Guide. She draws from her wealth of training and experience to facilitate sacred space for creative self-exploration and to cultivate capacity for being with what emerges from that exploration.

To register or for more information, fill out the form at the top of this page.