Journals

As we remember Her, we remember ourselves-who we really are on the level of the soul, repairing the frayed threads between the inner & outer, the past & the whole.” Llewellyn Vaughn-Lee

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Journaling has been a significant part of my life for 50 years. Each morning, I sit in silence and write my heart upon the page. Healing is rooted in reverence for Her, and the Earth upon whom I lean as the many cycles of life converge to light the path before me, instituting change as it moves through the days of my life. Saraswati, the flowing sacred river of creativity, and Shakti, the creative life-force together bring forth my thoughts and feelings to enlighten my soul as I reread them and remember my place in the world.

We Are Remembering

The landscapes of our bodies

are beginning to sing

the wild song of the living Earth.

She is calling us home.

Home to the shelter of the Mother Tree,

teaching us to stand in her magnificence,

to spread our arms wide,

and reach for the hands of our sisters,

as we grow a forest of the Feminine

to restore balance to our planet

and honor the sacredness of life.
Rosalie Kohler

My journaling process embraces spontaneity and compassion: Letting the words flow unencumbered by worries or plans and holding compassion for the me I once was and am becoming. Most of my journals are bound rather than spiral, and small rather than large, making it easy to carry them with me. The paper must meet the ink with a welcoming texture. A Pilot G-2 .05 is my favorite pen, letting the words slide onto the pages with an ease that allows thoughts to flow beautifully. Quotes and proverbs add depth and validate ideas. Washi tape, photos, images, and stickers keep my mind connected to the work I am doing. Every other page has an affirmation I want to remember so that when I turn a page, I am greeted with an idea I am incorporating into my life. I use colored flags to mark pages with powerful ideas, or ones I want to be able to find easily. Seriously, a flag dispenser was my favorite Christmas gift!

Every year I read through my journals for that year and write out the significant and life-changing ideas or happenings so that in reading the review later I can see the path I have trod, through muck and mire, lifting and coalescing my path. When I am working with my astrology I can go back to specific dates and see what an aspect meant and therefore understand myself with greater compassion and determination to bring forth my greatest attributes. Reading biographies has always fascinated me because I have a thirst for understanding people’s motivations. Reading my journals clearly shows me my own, and that can only assist me in my growth. I often tell students that our future selves are shining a light on the path before us, and yet, our past selves are signposts on that path. Who knows me better than I know myself?

I have written journals while traveling abroad, noting experiences along with photographs and ephemera.

I completed a year-long garden scrapbook, taking a daily photograph of the trees, paths, and flowers in my garden. It reminds me of the beauty I have created and treasure so that when I inevitably move away, I can remember.

For 15 years I have dreamed of writing a book, I think I have been doing that all along.