Story is Medicine

Listening for stories, voices of nature, and 16th century women shamans from the Philippines. Author Mary Grace (“M.G.”) Bertulfo shared her writing practice and asks, “What stories serve to heal the world? How can stories focus your fire within?”

Mary Grace Bertulfo has written for children’s education, television, and conservation magazines in venues such as Pearson Education Asia, CBS, and Sierra. Her fiction and essays are published in various anthologies and her poem “Bridges” launched Story Studio’s Voices Amplified series. Mary Grace works from Calypso Moon Studio in the Oak Park Arts District and teaches creative writing to children through her program, Taleblazers. She is currently at work on a novel.

A sampling of her works:

Seeking Refuge by Mary Grace Bertulfo

Love at the 7-11 By Mary Grace Bertulfo

Globe-trekking. Internationally, she and her family have hiked, snorkled, and sailed in the Philippines, Greece, Japan, Mexico, England, and the Galapagos Islands. Locally, Ms. M.G. was founder and organizer of “Talk Story,” an Oak Park children’s reading series produced by Families and Friends of Asian American Students (FAASt) and sponsored by the Oak Park Library and the D97 Multicultural Resource Center. She is the founder of Banyan, Asian American Writers Collective.

In her spare time, she climbs trees, plays guitar, dances, plants vegetables in the moonlight, snuggles with books, and snoozes.

Workshops

SESSION 1 - 1:30-3:00 pm

Introduction to Tarot Workshop – Kathy Riley
Interested in Tarot Cards, but don't know where to start? This workshop will cover a brief history of Tarot and review the standard cards modeled after the Rider-Waite format. You will learn Minor and Major Arcana meanings as well as meanings for Suit cards. Basic layouts will be covered and we will practice reading and interpreting the cards. Oracle cards will also be covered. If you have a deck, please bring it!

Keynote followup workshop

SESSION 2 - 3:30-5:00 pm

Making a Grimoire, Magick Book – Deb Czarnopys-White
A grimoire is a book of useful tools, pictures, and mementos to help you on your path of positive spells or actions. It can be a scrapbook, a notebook or anything that would be of a useful and practical size to you.  It can be a book of spells, a journal, a pocket reference, a book of dreams, a writing of your tarot guidance or anything you choose.  You may bring written thoughts to begin your grimoire or just bring special items or artwork.  The class will NOT furnish your grimoire as you must bring your own uniqueness to its creation.  We’ll provide items for personalizing it.  Come and create together.

Singing for Justice – Patricia Hyams
In the midst of the difficult times in which we find ourselves, I want to do something positive that will make a difference, but often am at a loss. Singing with other women for a common cause can be a healing balm for our broken hearts and a link with a larger community. Join me to learn songs for justice, songs for right action, and songs for ourselves. We are a part of the whole.

BONUS! Evening Drumming – Kathy Salzano
Women have been drumming for thousands of years. Just look at those cave drawings! Drumming is empowering. Join the ancient lineage of women drummers. Kathy will teach the basics of drumming.

Registration costs:

No lodging, no meals $75
No lodging, lunch Saturday $105
No lodging, lunch and dinner Saturday $115
No lodging, Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and dinner $125
With lodging, Single occupancy $285
With lodging, Double occupancy $265

Minimum deposit is $75

June 1-3, 2018

We were all sorts of excited about our keynote speaker, Carley Mattimore! Carley’s keynote was “Awakening Shamanic Consciousness: A New Birth.” Our element for the Spring Retreat is  Air and the direction honored is East.

Carley teaches shamanic breathwork. She is a reiki master. How best to honor our element of Air than with Carley who shared with us her knowledge of becoming an important part of this element.

We are in heightened times of great change amidst great chaos where all we have known seems to be crumbling and dismantling before our eyes. We may feel panic, fear, futility or numbness as the turbulence unfolds around us. Yet there is higher perspective that can support us in trusting the unfolding as we prepare for a new birth of humanity. This perspective is symbolized by the Air cycle of shamanic consciousness; a deeper understanding of how we move through change. Carley Mattimore guided us in exploring the cycles of change using our breath to support us as we assimilate this death and rebirth in our personal and collective consciousness.

About Carley Mattimore
Carley is a Shamanic Psychotherapist who midwives others on their spiritual and psychological path towards healing and wholeness in their lives. She is a gifted practitioner with 30 years of experience working with children, adults and families in both pubic and private practice.

Carley is a Shamanic Breathwork Facilitator and Shamanic, Usui, Tibetan Reiki Master as well as a Healing Touch Practitioner and a Practitioner of the 13 Laws of Lionhearted Leadership. Carley is the co-founder, along with her husband, John Malan, of Aahara Spiritual Community, a 501c3 congregation of Venus Rising in the “Heartland” of Springfield, IL offering psychospiritual workshops in the Midwest. Carley’s first book, Sacred Messengers of Shamanic Africa, co-authored with Linda Star Wolf is due out in July 2018.

Carley Mattimore has been on a shamanic journey from the moment she was born into this lifetime. She has a Scorpio Sun, Capricorn Moon and Cancer Rising and has five Scorpio planets in her fifth house, which is Leo, the Lion. Her life course is a shamanic journey and as such she has experienced many shamanic lifechanging events that include the tragic deaths of her father, sister and husband in car accidents. Early in her adult life, she invested her creative life force energy into raising five daughters to be independent, strong, unique women, all following their own soul path. In addition, she is a shamanic grandmother to seven grandchildren ages 17 to 2.

Information about Carley can be found on several websites:

• www.heartlandhealingartscenter.com
• www.heartofjoyreiki.com/about-carley.php
• www.aaharaspiritualcommunity.org/who-we-are
• www.simonandschuster.com/books/Sacred-Messengers-of-Shamanic-Africa/Carley-Mattimore/9781591432913

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