Anara
Suggested donation: €1.50 DECEMBER EDITION
Fundraising Ezine for La Palmilla Retreat, Seville
love s equality s truth s growth s harmony s sustainability s healing
Interview with Renato Alvarez: Permaculture Expert Kundalini Yoga Ancient Languages: is Gaelic worth using? Celtic Animal for December: The Raven
2014
an open gateway Latest instalment in the free for Ascension… kids’ book
With thanks from Anara…
About La Palmilla…
Especially to our brilliant contributors! This publication was produced by Ellen Long-Common www.theuncommonwriter.co.uk Proceeds from the sale of this Ezine will help us achieve our goal of raising enough money to purchase a retreat centre to make it a permanent sanctuary. You can also become part of our community in the following ways:
Investing We are looking for investors who share our vision and ethos. Each investor will be commemorated as a part of our sacred geometric earth mandala which will be created by Mark Golding.
Book your weekend or 7 night break or host your own holistic event for up to 14 guests
Fundraising We are looking for experienced fundraisers. Suggest a fundraising or investment option of your choice, and we will be happy to discuss it with you.
Hosting Why not run your own course, retreat, or workshop in a beautiful Spanish setting? Enquire today for details.
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Enquire today for details on advertising within this publication to take your business to a wider audience. Contact Anara for further details:
Discounts are available - so don’t delay! Contact Anara today. 0034 722 482218 | anara.lapalmilla@gmail.com
anara.lapalmilla@gmail.com www.lapalmillaretreatseville.com
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lapalmillaretreatseville.com December 2013 2
Contents 4 - Weekly Events at La Palmilla 8 - Interview with Renato Alverez 10 - Crystal Alchemy for December… by Candida Townsend 12 - Is the Gaelic language worth using… by Henry Rowan 14 - Ogham - the Wisdom of Trees… by Edward Durand 15 - A Haywarisqa Ceremony for the Winter Solstice… by Katie Creuynni 20 - Holy Mother… by Cheaya 24 - Celtic Animal Signs… by Edward Durand 26- Part 4 of Children of the Diadems… by Sonia Braithwaite
Don’t miss Christmas Carols and Solstice Celebration at La Palmilla Retreat on December 18th at 7pm.
Winter in Southern Spain is the time for planting seeds and for flowers to come into bloom. We have the most beautiful scented Tudor red roses in our plaza, which for us symbolise the sovereignty of all beings: Equal and yet One. We have been planting organic fruit and vegetable seeds from our collection of 33 different varieties such as kale and asparagus and we also have been gifted seeds from a seed swapping day at our friend Renato’s Eco farm, Huerta Los Seises. The children have been planting what they think will be beneficial for our kitchen garden and, being a salad greens lover, I was pleased that they chose to plant these first. We have been designing our forest garden and would like to invite any permaculture designers to come and stay with us for 2-4
Call 722 48 22 18 for more information. www.lapalmillaretreatseville.com
weeks to implement a collective design. If you are interested, please send an email to anara.lapalmilla@gmai l.com. Winter Solstice will soon be upon us and heralds in 2014... Not only will it be the return of the sun as the daylight hours become longer, it will also be a time when we can take the opportunity to realise and bring to the fore of this dimension our higher light-self in full potential and expression. I chose the image of the Unicorn for the front cover because for me it represents this potential made manifest in all dimensions of reality and all levels of our being. A Unicorn has the body of a horse rooted within the earth yet it also has a horn which points towards the celestial heavens. Like the Unicorn, we too are connected to the core of the earth via the gravitational
receptivity of our physical DNA which matches the Earth’s quantum biological makeup. At the same time, we are also anchored in spirit body to the central sun, the stars and the cosmos, by an equal force of expansion towards the infinite light. Like a Unicorn’s horn, our spirit is a beacon of light which receives and gives of itself the original keys or symphony of creation in harmony and love of all beings. So I invite you to create a reality you choose for 2014 with this in mind, remembering that harmony and love are binding forces for matter and manifestation in the 3D of a fully open heart. In Lak ‘Ech
Anara xx
Taken at Huerta Los Seises Seed Sawp day with Renato Alvares
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Weekly Events at La Palmilla Retreat, Seville Eventos Semanales en La Palmilla, Sevilla
Mon Storytelling for the family in English and Spanish Tue 4 week Oil Painting Art course Dance Alchemy Wed Chi Gong (ancient Chinese Yoga) Sacred Songs from around the world Thurs Egyptian and Nomadic Belly Dance Fri Reiki and Sound Healing share
Lun Cuentos para la familia en Inglés y español Mar 4 Semanas de curso de Arte Pintura al óleo cuatro Danza Alchemy Mie Chi Gong (antigua Yoga Chino) Canciones sagradas de todo el mundo Jue Danza del vientre Egipcia y Nomadic Vie Reiki y la curación de sonido
Also, holistic daily therapies, retreats and certified courses in: Solfeggio Sound Healing, Permaculture, Shamanic Dance, 5Rythmns, Yoga, Crystal Healing, Red Tent, Nomadic Belly Dance, Merkaba Tree of Life Reiki, Meditation, Hypnotherapy, Raw food, Juices for Health
Terapias diarias también holísticos, retiros y cursos certificados: Permacultura, Danza Chamánica, 5Rythmns, Sonido Curativo Solfeggio, Yoga, Cristal Curación, Red Tent, Nómada Danza del Vientre, Merkaba Tree of Life Reiki, Meditación, Hipnoterapia
Red Tent Womb Lodge Seville, Andalucía 13 Moons
Come gather for our Winter Solstice Red Tent with Sacred Ceremony* Shamanic Dance and Journey Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd December We have a monthly luna Red Tent Womb Lodge and retreats each year Holding a space for women to reconnect with their primal source In a circle of Sisterhood Breast fed children are welcome in the circle If you need to bring older children an arts & creativity space will be held for them by a child care provider during the times of our sessions
“In the red tent, the truth is known. In the red tent, where days pass like a gentle stream, as the gift of Innana courses through us, cleansing the body of last month’s death, preparing the body to receive the new month’s life, women give thanks – for repose and restoration, for the knowledge that life comes from between our legs, and that life costs blood.” – Anita Diamant, www.lapalmillaretreatseville.com / 0034 722 48 22 18
KUNDALINI YOGA works quickly to give you grace, balance and the ability to remain calm, centered and clear through life’s challenges. Best of all, you don’t need any previous experience in yoga to achieve results in your very first class.
SHAKTI DANCE embodies the intuitive flow of dance and the ancient wisdom of Yoga. Transforming dance into a yogic practice has resulted in a discipline brimming with creative vitality that awakens the divine feminine within. In Shakti, you can return to simple joy of dancing.
Kundalini Yoga & Shakti Dance Retreat Spanish-born Maite trained in Shakti, the Yoga of Dance, in 2009 and has been teaching e v e r s in c e . Shakti Dance c o mb in e d her passions of yoga, dance, meditation, music and healing in one practice, in which she feels at home. She is a trained Kundalini Yoga Teacher. Maite also works as a complementary therapist. Email: maite_alonso@yahoo.co.uk
Belgian-born Karamroop has teaching since 2010. She teaches weekly classes to adults in Totnes and children in school settings, as well as running her own raw food business, supplying local health shops and detox retreats with raw treats. Karamroop would love to share her experiences of raw living with you on this retreat!
with Karamroop Kaur and Maite Alonso @ La Palmilla Retreat Seville - Spain February 28th - March 3rd 2014 £355 all-inclusive except for flights and travel insurance To book yourself onto this nourishing retreat or for more info send an email to anara.lapalmilla@gmail.com or call 0034 722 48 22 18
KUNDALINI YOGA Kundalini Yoga is practical and powerful and the best part is, you don’t need any previous experience in yoga to achieve results in your very first class. It works quickly to give you grace, balance and the ability to remain calm, centered and clear through life’s challenges. It gives you the tools to direct your own energy. As you practise Kundalini Yoga you will grow. You will gain new perspectives and capacities, as well as habits that support a healthy lifestyle. You will strengthen your immune system, vital glands, nervous system and circulation. You will gain awareness of the impact of your habits. In 1968 Yogi Bhajan came to the West and taught Kundalini Yoga openly for the first time in history. He shared a body of teachings to empower the emerging planetary consciousness. For thousands of years, this practice was exclusive to rulers and sages in India for whom it brought greatness and prosperity. Bhajan said that the time had come to make this sacred technology available to everyone. “The beauty of Kundalini Yoga is that in one kriya you can immediately achieve a complete physical, mental and spiritual balance and energy. Since any method that helps you achieve universal consciousness, from prayer to dance, must eventually raise your Kundalini to accomplish it, why not start with Kundalini Yoga directly?” – Yogi Bhajan - (www.kundaliniyoga.org.uk) MORNING SADHANA is the daily spiritual morning practice from 5 - 7.30am as it was given by Yogi Bhajan to help humanity through the consciousness shift. Sadhana means your own personal, individual spiritual effort. It is the main tool you use to work on yourself to achieve the purpose of life. It can be done alone or in a group. Sadhana is whatever you do consistently to clear your own consciousness so you can relate to infinity within you. During what are called the “ambrosial hours” (the two and a half hours just before sunrise), when the sun is at a sixty-degree angle to the earth, the
energy you put into your sadhana gets maximum results. Your world is quieter. It’s easier to meditate and concentrate before the hustle and bustle of the day begins The Aquarian sadhana includes the recitation of the sacred words of Guru Nanak in Gurmukhi script called Japji Sahib and is followed by a Kundalini Yoga kriya (completed action), followed by a relaxation. It finishes with sixty-two minutes of meditation through chanting mantras. In the evening, we will be enjoying KIRTAN – chanting of devotional mantras – and making music together. SHAKTI DANCE embodies the intuitive flow of dance and the ancient wisdom of Yoga, in particular Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. Transforming dance into a yogic practice has resulted in a discipline brimming with creative vitality that awakens the divine feminine within. In the West, dance has mostly become a form of entertainment, but historically it served as a way of connecting with ourselves and to each other and bringing communities together in celebration. In Shakti Dance you can return to this human interaction and the simple joy of dancing. A Shakti Dance class is woven around a compilation of mantric music of different styles and tempos. A class starts with an opening mantra and builds through floor stretches to standing exercises and into free dance. Flowing asanas (yoga positions) gently stretch and deeply relax the body before leading into rhythmic, breath-coordinated standing movements and dance steps that induce high-energy states. The exercises work with the body’s natural geometry and adhere to principles of harmonious movement, such as surrendering to gravity, working with rebound force and leading with the navel. The free dance is followed by a deep relaxation and the class rounds off with a moving meditation accompanied by a mantra.
To book yourself onto this nourishing retreat or for more info email anara.lapalmilla@gmail.com 0034 722 48 22 18 www.shaktidance.co.uk | www.kundaliniyoga.org.uk www.karamroopkaur.wix.com/kundalinirawyoga
Interview with Renato Alvarez From Huerta Los Seises Renato will be teaching courses in Permaculture at La Palmilla Retreat, including a 9 month diploma course in Ecological Horticulture in 2014 www.lapalmillaretreatseville.com
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Anara: What was it like growing up on an Ecological Farm? Renato: It was an amazing experience that every child should enjoy. The beginning it was not easy, we worked hard together at a time when organic farming was in the minority. I realise now that work kept the family together!! Anara: What inspired you to follow in the footsteps of your parents? Renato: Their wisdom, courage, patience and intuition: four values I feel are very important. Anara: What types of things do you harvest and make on the land? Renato: We grow a variety of fruits – figs, plums, grapes, loquats – and vegetables. Also herbs, both culinary and medicinal, including edible wild herbs. We also sow old varieties of cereals and maintain a small seed bank with local varieties being constantly exchanged for reseeding. We encourage the fertility of the land through vermi-composting and composting processes, feeding the chickens with red worms... and finally creating a positive interaction between different agro ecosystem microspheres. Anara: When did you start teaching and which area of your work you are most passionate about? Renato: I started when I was 18 years old, as an assistant to my father during our family’s first courses. I
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worked in school gardens, as part of educational programs on climate change, consumption, reforestation... I've also worked at farm schools during the summer for many years. It was an amazing experience, because they were the same farm schools that I went to as a child. Now I teach ecological horticulture, permaculture and other garden related workshops: canned vegetables, bread and beer making, growing in pots (creating urban gardens is one of my specialties), natural cosmetics, conservation and seed extraction. Anara: What can we do as a human race to assist the planet from the ground up and what are the gifts you wish to leave for humanity? Renato: From my point of view the human being should re-synchronize with the rhythms of Mother Nature. We should revive ancient knowledge to face the future with wisdom. Self-sufficiency cannot be achieved without a genuine spiritual fellowship among people who are reconnecting with the land. We have much work ahead, but certainly also the result is an invaluable gift that we will leave our children: love, fertility, biodiversity and applied knowledge. These are the things I wish to leave for humanity. For more info visit: www.huertaloseises.es FACEBOOK: HUERTA LOS SEISES
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Crystal Alchemy December - Carnelian by Candida Townsend Carnelian is a member of the Chalcedony family. Its colour ranges from pale orange-pink to deep redbrown and all the shades of bright orange and red in between. It reminds us of rich and fertile earth, of autumn leaves, of the setting and rising of the sun. Carnelian resonates with the first three chakras: the root, sacral and naval. It is grounding and gives strength and courage, endurance and stamina. It stimulates healing in the lower back, legs, testes, ovaries and womb; it has a purifying effect on the blood and intestines, bladder and kidneys and helps with addiction. The amazing, fiery colour of carnelian reflects its ability to charge up and energise us on all levels. It is helpful for forgetfulness and for banishing negativity, helping us see the brighter side of things. It is used to aid fertility and birth and brings vibrancy,
magnetism and passion to our being. Carnelian is a great protector and enhances personal power. It was worn in the breastplates of high priests, warriors and the master architects of Ancient Egypt. Children usually find they have a natural connection with carnelian. Its warm, almost glowing softness is supportive and gives the confidence to voice thoughts and feelings, especially when a child is shy and cannot speak up. If your child is going through a bit of a difficult phase at school, pop a little polished piece of carnelian in his or her pocket.
Candida Townsend has been a crystal healer for 20 years. She studied with Katrina Raphael in Hawaii. She is also a Clairvoyant and Astrologer. Candida will be leading Crystal Healing Weekends at La Palmilla Retreat throughout the year.
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Connecting with Carnelian Meditating with Carnelian brings us into a deep connection with the perfection of our soul’s journey in a physical body at this moment in time. It takes us back to the magic of our mother’s womb. It reminds us that our essence is love and creativity. From this place anything is possible and we can manifest our dreams.
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FREE Presentation
The Mystery of the Bosnian Pyramids Jan 25th - 26th 2014
This is a FREE event. For an affordable contribution, food and accommodation can be provided on Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening for those travelling a long distance or from overseas. Contact: anara.lapalmilla@gmail.com The Bosnian Valley of Pyramids is the biggest complex of pyramidal structures in the world, yet it is only in recent years that these ancient, colossal structures have been subjected to serious scientific investigation. In this illustrated talk, Nigel Grace will present the evidence that these pyramids may be 25,000 years old – which would call for a re-write of European history. Who could have built these pyramids, with their precise orientation to all four cardinal directions, and remarkable concrete materials? It is still a mystery. Researchers have also detected strange electromagnetic phenomena, both above the pyramids and inside the vast labyrinth
of underground tunnels, which emit exceptional concentrations of negative ions. Nigel will explore all of this and describe his own personal experiences – of healing and awakening while working as a volunteer – in the tunnels and on the largest of the structures, the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun. Nigel will also be leading us on a journey which goes deeper into the meditative aspects of the resonances recorded inside the pyramids. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers and an invitation to visit the pyramid with him during the Spring Equinox 2014.
Nigel is a researcher and volunteer for the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun Foundation. He has presented the remarkable discoveries of the Bosnian Pyramids to audiences across the UK and USA. Working closely with a dedicated team of archaeologists and geologists, he hopes to further uncover the secrets of the Bosnian Pyramids. Nigel has studied the development of human consciousness for 40 years and has worked with Dr Deepak Chopra to promote healing centres for He is a spiritual intelligence coach, businessman and author of the forthcoming book, Bridge to the Worlds of Light. www.nigel-grace.com
Is the Gaelic language worth using? Asks Anraí O’ Ruadhain aka Henry Rowan Various mystics attribute subtle effects to mantra, sacred chant and speech sound.
Can it enrich heart mind and spirit?
If we are affected by sound vibrations and if different languages sound differently, we could expect that our daily language has an influence on us.
The language we speak influences the way we think. So claimed linguists Sapir and Whorf in the 1930s when they developed their hypothesis on linguistic relativity. An article in Scientific American – How Language Shapes Thought – reaffirmed Sapir and Whorf’s theory that language shapes thought as recently as 2011.
The Gaelic language (Gaeilge in Ireland and Gaedhlig in Scotland) and the English language have differences of sound and resonance. You could expect the Gaelic and English languages to have different subtle effects. Tá brón orm meaning ‘there is sadness on me’ exemplifies how emotions are referred to in Gaelic. It’s better than defining oneself as sad, for what is on me now can be off me later.
Speech is sound and sound is energy, in a universe where everything seen and unseen is interconnected intelligent energy. Appropriate choices of music and sound are known to have therapeutic effects over a period of time. There is now an extensive range of literature available on music therapy and sound healing. Various mystics attribute subtle effects to mantra, sacred chant and speech sound.
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Why does Gaelic sound different than English? Gaelic speakers use twice as many 'a' and ‘i’ letters as the English. Gaelic also has half as many 'e' and 't' letters
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compared with English. 'I', the second most frequent letter in Gaeilge, is said to enhance intuitive awareness. The frequency of ‘e’ and ‘t’ in English cultivate a greater sense of living in a univerrse of separate material objects. Gaelic uses around twenty percent more vowels than English. It also has a greater percentage of words ending in a vowel or the letter ‘n’. 'A' is the most frequent letter in the Gaelic, Welsh, Basque, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Hawaiian, Aramaic and Maori languages. The sound of ’a’ is natural and energising. It’s a baby’s call. It’s the sound of lover’s bliss and laughter. When chanted, it is believed by mystics to have a purifying and heartwarming influence. It may reduce stress levels. The ‘a’ sound occurs in many sacred names and words e.g. Daghda, Isa, Yeshua, Allah, Wakan Tanka, Ahura Mazda, Pacha Mama, Paraatman, Saraswati, Brahma, Tara, Shiva, Ra, uQuamata, Aten, Yahweh, Asherah, ‘amen’, ‘alleluia’ and ‘namaha’. The organizers of World Sound Healing Day encourage people to chant ‘ah’ for at least five minutes at noon on Valentine’s Day. We have the wholesome meaning Gaelic words – glan, bán, naofa, grá, carthanacht áthas, sásta (clean, white, holy, love, charity, joy, happy). Abroad we have amour, viva and alegria (joy).
Gaelic lovers use a ghrá (‘O love’), a mhuirnín mo chroí (‘my love my heart’), or a stóirín (‘my darling’). Is it not more heartfelt than saying “Hi, Breege,” or “Hi, love”?
Gaelic, with its qualities of energy and resonance, can better facilitate a sense of mystic unity and connection with the continuum and unified field of energy and intelligence as understood by physicists and mystics.
Gaelic speakers may have a better chance of seeing the big picture and making wise decisions. Gaelic speaking saints, druids and poets were renowned as wonder workers, Gaelic (and Welsh) verbs, which healers, scholars and prophets. Under normally precede subject nouns and duress from London and Rome, the pronouns in verb-subject-object Irish forsook a language and an syntax languages, provide a stronger ancient mystical tradition more deeply sense of energy moving, flowing and connected to all pervasive energy, life being. and being. Are not present frustrations of spirit compensated for Gaelic’s extra vowels and word by excessive use of alcohol and drugs? endings with the letter ‘n’ enhance the “Spiritus contra spiritum” – in the energy and resonance even more. words of Carl Jung – ‘against the spirit Compare the sounds of arán (meaning of the spirit’. bread and pronounced ‘arawn’) and 'bread'. To address someone using English tends to place the mind in the Gaelic, 'a' is added before the personal material realm of the finite and of name e.g. a Sheáin or a Bhríd. In egos. Gaelic resonances tend to enrich addition many different greetings wish the sacred, poetic, loving realms of divine blessings upon the listener. spirit, heart and mind.
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Many Gaelic songs are enchantingly beautiful. Gaelic song and drama, if added to school curriculums, would make learning the language more enjoyable, besides raising children’s self esteem. Bilingual books and CDs can assist learning. Gaelic wonder and fairytales have multiple metaphoric meanings. Those tales can infuse listeners with moral principles and insights that help later in life. Gaelic’s many proverbs, with 5325 recorded by T S O’ Máille in Connaught, are also a valuable source. Gaelic speakers comprise a higher percentage of high income earners and a lower percentage of the unemployed when compared with non-speakers in Ireland. Gaelic speakers produce a wealth of creative writing and song. Gaelscoil children tend to outperform at Maths and English and bilingual children often have higher IQs. The idioms, word inflections and strong varied resonances of Gaelic can excite extra neural pathways. Gaelic makes an ideal mother tongue, sowing the seeds of greater potential. Let parents take note: We can inflame the inner muse and enchant the universe with Gaelic song magic. Fluency in Gaelic as well as in English is a win win strategy. Either language is equally good for counting the beans. Gaelic can better help you awaken the inner bard, poet, lover and mystic. The Gaelic language is well worth using.
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Ogham the wisdom
of trees
by Edward Durand
Ruis - Elder R November 25 to December 22 Each month we bring you the wisdom of the tree of the month. In Celtic Astrology, those born during this time are likely to have these characteristics. Each of the trees in the Celtic Zodiac corresponds to
a letter of the ancient Ogham tree alphabet. December is the time of mists and darkness, with the shortest day of the winter solstice an important festival. December is a time for staying in by the fire and
telling stories. The tree is of the month is Ruis the Elder. In Celtic Astrology, those born during this time have Elder as their tree and are likely to have the Elder-like qualities of healing, mystery and transformation.
Grandmother Elder, tree of the fey, Her time runs to the darkest day. Healing crone of the waning moon, Her stick can be hollowed to pipe a tune
When they’re fully ripe the summer is out, She heals the cold, rheumatism and gout, She helps with judgment and transformation, Symbolizing death and regeneration
Used to undo evil spells Her fragrance transports you to the faery realms She’s sacred to the White Goddess You may find her there, she may bless
Delicate flowers emanating bright Can help you to be alright She’ll grow from a cutting, into the ground Or as a wand if a stick you found
She’s full of cures, this Queen of herbs Helps breathing, measles and the nerves Her berries are full of vitamin C Help the flu and feeling at peace
Live and die with dignity and honour And she may shower petal blessings on you If fate brings you to her prosperity She may give you visions and prophecy
This poem is from the book ‘Tree Poghams: Poems Inspired by the Wisdom of the Ancient Ogham Tree Alphabet’ which has a poem for each of the twenty trees of the letters of the Celtic Ogham tree alphabet. It is available at http://www.lulu.com/shop/edward-durand
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A Haywarisqa Ceremony for the Winter Solstice by Katie Creuynni to give gratitude for the present and our past as well as setting wishes and intentions for the future. They are also worked with to grow ayni: ‘right relationship’ of our inner selves with our outer world around us. Working at the energetic, soul, mind and physical levels, they can also bring these aspects of ourselves into ayni. These ceremonies, though having the same precepts and general structures, are free flowing and can be (and are) adapted to a number of occasions. This haywarisqa ceremony has been adapted for the winter solstice. Feel free to explore and experiment with and enjoy. Ingredients: Ÿ A large piece of paper, for example a sheet of wrapping paper, folded into thirds one way, then the other, so that when opened out, the outline of nine squares can be seen. A haywarisqa is also known as a despacho (the Spanish translation for the Quechua word). Worked
with in the Q’ero tradition, despacho ceremonies are held for a variety of reasons. Many are given
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Ÿ A collection of small, natural burnable and compostable materials. These are to represent
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our gratitude and wishes for the ceremony. There are lists available about what certain objects can represent, but it is beautiful when individuals find materials that represent for them their offerings of gratitude and wishes.
these to the leaves, placing them on the paper, offering these as a gift of thanks and wishes to the sun. These intentions, gratitude and wishes can be voiced, or shared silently. It is beautiful to hear those that are voiced and shared with the group.
Ÿ K’intus. These are three leaves, held together in an open or closed fan shape, representing the inner, middle and upper worlds and also our past present and future.
Ÿ Then we work in layers connected with the elements and then of Source or Great Spirit (or whichever name you choose to utilise for this creative energy). Each layer provides a guiding focus and structure for our honouring, but are permeable layers… that is, if we are working at the air layer and it comes to us a wish of thanks for something connected to say, the earth layer, or source layer, or something outside these layers, we can still blow that wish in at that time.
Ÿ Our intention. The intention for this solstice haywarisqa ceremony at the time where the earth’s axis is such that the sun appears to stand still, is to give gratitude and honouring of the sun, and of our journey to tilt again towards the sun. Ÿ Our gratitude and our wishes that align with our intention. These can be prepared ahead of the ceremony and they also occur naturally through the ceremony. Process: Ÿ In our tradition, we begin each ceremony by ‘opening sacred space’ – calling in the directions, asking universal creating energies to hold us in sacred space. It is beautiful to be held with this protection and love and intention, especially in this work, so I do recommend it. Our way of doing this is on my website, but this ceremony can also be done as it is. Ÿ Laying the paper, unfolded, on the floor, we gather around. Ÿ A layer of k’intus is then placed on this paper. We blow into these leaves our intention for this ceremony, our love and honouring for the sun. To ‘blow in’, these intentions and gratitude, we gather up our gratitude, our wishes, our love, on our in-breath and blow this out into the leaves on our outbreath, informing and releasing
Ÿ We begin these next layers with a layer connected to the earth. In this layer we choose and blow in to our chosen natural materials (just as we did with our k’intus) our gratitude and wishes for the sun that are connected with the earth. These can include our thanks for all the sun does for our earth, and the benefits that has for us too. We can also blow in our wishes and intention for the coming time of our returning our movement towards the sun. In doing so, we can also release the past, clearing the way for the future and, with our wishes, we can set our intention for what we would like for our future and release these too into these materials (allowing for something even more beneficial to come in). Ÿ We we then follow this with a layer of natural materials informed with our breath our honouring of the sun connected with water. Then layers giving gratitude and wished for the sun connected with fire, then air, and then source, creative energy.
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Ÿ Then we can, if we choose, follow with another layer of K’intus, giving thanks to the sun for its effects on our inner, mid, and upper (‘higher’ divine consciousness) worlds. Then we take a moment to look at what we have made. Drumming, music, song and pure breath can be added at this time (or indeed any other time during the ceremony). Ÿ When ready, we fold the paper in its folded lines into a parcel. Ÿ This parcel can be tied with string or ribbon as a gift. Ÿ If you choose to do so, this parcel can be wrapped in a cloth and each person ‘smudged’ with this haywarisqa – that is the package – by moving it from crown to feet over the body. This cleanses and clears the energy field of the individual and informs the energy field with the thanks and intentions we have offered to the sun. Then, we give the parcel to the earth, water or fire. Fire is particularly appropriate for this Winter Solstice haywarisqa, but it can also be buried in the earth or released into a river, stream, the sea or similar. When doing so, we often turn away, to signify the letting go of our offerings and letting go of the outcome. Follow this how you like, for example more singing and drumming is great. Then we close sacred space, giving thanks in turn to each of the directions and the universal creating life force energies that held us in such beautiful sacred space. Any questions, suggestions, sharings related to this are welcomed. I can be contacted on creuynni@yahoo.co.uk and via www/facebook.com/creuynni. My website for more information on this is www.openingsacredspace. wordpress.com
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healing | insight | growth | transformation | reconnection This Journey of the Healing Winds is based on a program of a journey round a medicine wheel working with four directions to symbolise this journey of healing, insight, self –growth, transformation and reconnection to self, nature and source energy. Journeying with the winds of the south we can shed stories that have held us, unhooking them from our energetic field to free us from the unwanted patterns they created in our lives. Here, we transform our wounds of our stories into gifts, assisting us release the stories while keeping the gifts we learned form them. As we do this we begin to form medicine bundles known as mesas that can assist us on our own and with others healing journeys. We also increase our awareness of the energetic fields; energies within ourselves and within nature. With this, we learn and experience processes to clear heavy energy from the energy field, and to clear the imprints that attracted and caused the heavy energy to accumulate. These processes assist the bringing in and allowing that lightness of energy to flow again. In the South we are also gifted the traditional rites to assist us and holds us in our work, the kawak rites, the chumpi rite, the ayni karpay rites and the healers mesa rites.
Journey of the Healing Winds with Katie Creuynni April 5th – 12th 2014 @ La Palmilla Retreat, Seville £550 all inclusive (except for flights) This course is based on a journey around a medicine wheel. We will work with the four directions to connect with this journey of healing, insight, self-growth, transformation and reconnection to self, nature and source energy. In journeying with the Winds of the South, we can shed stories that have held us, unhooking them from our energetic field to free us from the unwanted patterns they created in our lives. Here, we transform the wounds of our stories into gifts, assisting us in releasing while keeping the gifts we learned from them. As we do this, we begin to form medicine bundles known as mesas that can assist us on our own and with others’ healing journeys. We also increase our awareness of the energetic fields; energies within ourselves and within nature. With this, we learn to clear heaviness from the energy field, and to clear the imprints that attracted and caused these heavy energies to accumulate. This allows a lightness of energy to flow again. In the South we are also given the traditional rites to assist us and holds us in our work – the kawak rites, the chumpi rite, the ayni karpay rites and the healers’ mesa rites. – Katie is an energy medicine worker from North Wales. Working at the levels of the body, mind, soul and the energetic field, she assists individuals and groups as they walk their healing and visionary journeys. She is a graduate of leading author Alberto Villoldo’s Healing the Light Body program and Masters Classes, as well as Chris Waters’s Medicine Wheel training. Katie blends ancient indigenous wisdom such as that of the Q’ero Laika in Peru, with the common sense approach of her own experiences. Katie offers sessions, workshops and training to assist with self-healing and inner growth. The Journey of the Healing Winds (Medicine Wheel training)will be held at La Palmilla Retreat centre in 2014. For more information visit www.openingacredspace.wordpress.com E-mail: creuynni@yahoo.co.uk | skype: creuynni | www.facebook.com/creuynni
Advanced Hypnotherapy Course with Valerie Austin valerieaustin.com Book now for May 11th - 17th 2014 at La Palmilla Retreat, Seville and receive 20% off Learn one of the most advanced systems of hypnotherapy in the world – with internationally recognised hypnosis expert and author, Valerie Austin. With proven results from over 20 years’ experience and over 10,000 clients, the Austin Technique is a stepby-step method that anyone can learn. This dynamic, hands-on course includes live therapy demonstrations in which Valerie will help you unlock the key to your personal and professional success, while teaching you to overcome future obstacles. You will leave with complete faith in your abilities as a highly successful Advanced Hypnotherapist.
Become an Advanced Hypnotherapist in a luxury setting. Places are strictly limited - enquire today. Course Fees Early bookings: £12,500 all inclusive Next year’s fee: £15,000 all inclusive
0044 207 7024900 | valerieaustinhyp@aol.com
Hypnotherapy is widely recognised as a powerful tool for improved physical and psychological health. This course provides you with all the tools you need to treat yourself and others. La Palmilla luxury retreat centre, Seville, Spain Treat yourself to a fully-inclusive getaway in one of Europe’s most sought-after travel destinations. Enjoy organic food, holistic pampering packages and, of course, our stunning Andalucian location. Use of our swimming pool and other guest facilities is included, as is full-board accommodation and transfers to and from the airport. Receive a 20% discount when you purchase in advance. Flights not included.
Testemonials “A very interesting, stimulating and unconventional course. Many valuable tools were taught for rapid and effective therapy. We were amazed at just how much we learned and could put immediately into practice.” James and Donna Hitchens – couple on course “I never thought I could do it. With little knowledge of work behind me I have set up a busy local practice.” Gillian Winship – former housewife When Gillian came to train, she was a housewife who had focused on bringing up her children and had not worked outside for many years. Her family didn’t believe her capable of learning a new career, but she proved them wrong.
Valerie Austin is a Harley Street therapist, trainer, lecturer, author and journalist. Generally, her clients come to her on a word of mouth basis, and she works with them on a luxury London yacht.
She passed her exam and immediately opened up a practice that became very successful. Her success in using hypnosis for weight control enabled her to become quickly established.
Valerie is known for quick techniques and a high success rate, which she puts down to her 20 years’ experience around the world. Contact her today to learn more about this fantastic course.
Her story is an example of how the course creates a remarkable standard of therapy without the need for any academic background.
Places are strictly limited - enquire today 0044 207 7024900
Holy Mother by Cheaya I love this time of year. It’s a time of ceremony and blessing, remembering all the sweet moments of the year as it passes into yesterday, reliving some tender moments and hearing the echo of laughter inside me as I journey in my mind through the year’s unfoldings. I smile now to sweet tears of release and surrender, knowing that ‘this too shall pass’. I surrender to grace all that still lingers untethered in the winds of my life to the Holy Mother, giving thanks and gratitude for all the days now passing that I lived well, laughed often and smiled for no reason. I also hand over all the other parts of me that felt the alignment of all that’s leaving and departing from our worlds, the old ways, the chaos, the unknowingness, the stagnation. I see so much movement and change, flowing into the prayerflags of today’s consciousness, being lifted into the high mountains of our own surpassing, the lifting and exaltation at holy divinity arising through us and spilling out onto the earth, like a great avalanche of love, nothing left behind in its all-encompassing power to cleanse and renew.
We sweep into all hearts now with our sacredness of being and our stories, journeying, our blessing shining out now and bestowing wisdom, these are the days that we silently remind each other that compassion lives and is alive and well in us and in our worlds. All other reflections are a reminder now of what we are leaving behind, the echoes of all that has existed being exposed now, naked, unmasked, not allowing any of us to hide behind our own illusions, the untruths of I didn’t know, someone else will do it, that’s nothing to do with me, I knew something but I didn’t speak up or out. Our contribution to the world is what we leave behind, as we learn to dispel the shadows that have been lurking in our own consciousness and turn to the light, following our way back through the heart and the corridors of illumination into the chambers of love, compassion, courage, strength and holy power.
elixir of life and angel song singing gently into those spaces where we forgot to remember all that we are in human form. Today, right now collectively we contribute, hold, support and carry the prayer of love, the song, the wisdom into the prayer-flags of our own life, swaying gently in the winds of time, passing moments of forgetting and remembering, silent voices arising in the sharing of laughter, holding hands, positivity and goodness. Graciousness and happiness are dancing their way into our thoughts and our worlds again, the ever increasing spiral of a mother’s heart and a mother’s love. She is dancing upon our hearts, singing into our souls. She is always loving you. All love, Cheaya Call Cheaya on 00447896966320 for sacred sessions, groups, bespoke prayers and angelic spiritual lifecoaching, one-to-one blessings, ceremony, spiritual enquiry & events.
It is here we all find the mother inside, the part of us that is born of grace and gratitude, humbleness and affection, a place where the ego cannot dwell comfortably, the light within guiding us to gentler shores, where the waters of life cleanse our souls in the soothing balm of healing, presence and divinity, the
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Meditation Link to source, connection and light. Sit in your inner sanctum. See the womb of life within you, sense its tenderness, its delicacy, its gentleness… fill that place with source light now. Sense how well you are nurturing this place of creation within you. Send some love to the love inside you and honour all that that you have "birthed" into the world through creative endeavours, words, support to others, all the ways we feed and nourish from that place that is mother inside, and give thanks for your contributions to life, to the great support network at work in our worlds, the web of life, the stream of light consciousness. See your egg now alight with light, a million of them or however you sense it, awaken your wonder as a part of that wholeness and return to wholeness on the Earth realms, see it birthing out into your life. One family on Earth. One family. One. Send our united love everywhere, wherever you feel inspired in this moment to plant a seed of light and love, compassion and grace. Be the mothers for one another, giving your seed of life to life. See the light flowing all around and through you, carrying your eggs to wherever God and your own inspiration will it. See light rooting into the Earth realms, carrying seeds of your light into Earth Mother, feeding and supporting her womb of creation and becoming one. Gently sit in love’s presence until you are ready.
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Conscious Juice Fast Retreat The path of the Essenes with Peace Ravenwood & Anara Detox Mentor Peace Ravenwood invites you to our sacred space, La Palmilla Retreat Seville, for a week long Juice Fast. Enter into a Deep Heart Space for our Juice Fast retreat for one whole week of cleansing and supportive liquid Elixirs, meditations with the elements, inspiration from the Essene Gospels of Peace & journeys to the heart. We offer you the freshest of organic local produce each day to lighten your body mind and soul as we journey deep within to explore more of ourselves and our limitless potential. Fasting with fresh pressed juices enables us a deeper and more direct communion with Source Energy, removing our dependency on solid foods which keep us grounded in our mortal body. Energy pathways and old patterns are cleared and lightened during our fasting bringing much clarity, focus and inspiration to discover our true life purpose. During your week you will experience daily fresh green juices, herbal elixirs and tonics as well as fresh coconut water, chi gung, guided meditations, a Lomi Lomi massage session with Peace, swimming in our pool, reflexology and one to one support.
May 19th - 26th 2014 £750 December 2013 www.lapalmillaretreatseville.com
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Awaken your Spirit… A kind of light spread out from her. And everything changed color. And the world opened out. And a day was good to awaken to. And there were no limits to anything. And the people of the world were good and handsome. And I was not afraid any more. – John Steinbeck, East of Eden “When Anara asked me to create a fragrance for La Palmilla Retreat, I jumped at the opportunity to create something for her gorgeous venture, so I got started straight away. I am used to creating complex fragrances with a variety of concepts behind them, but Anara wanted something versatile that could be used as a room fragrance and as an aura spray, and that would convey a simple yet powerful message, that of ‘awakening’ or, as we say in Spanish, despertar, the name Anara chose. I decided then to create a scent that was beautiful in its simplicity, but with enough complexity and depth to take the person experiencing the fragrance on a short and meaningful aromatic journey. If I may, I’d like to take you along… Awakening is a fresh fragrance with citrus opening notes of may chang and fresh floral nuances provided by neroli. These lighter notes rest on a soft cushioning of sandalwood with balsamic, sweet woody notes. Organic orange water adds a freshness and lightness to the blend, rounding off its scent. I chose neroli top notes not just because Anara loved the scent of orange flowers, but also because neroli is a fantastic oil to calm and soothe the nerves. This top note prepares the mind for the journey that is Awakening, relieving any feelings of anxiety and relaxing us into the next stage of the experience. The refreshing citrus notes of may chang have a brightening and stimulating effect that wakes us without distracting us from the relaxed state neroli helped us achieve. May chang is known as the ‘oil of tranquillity’ and it provides clarity of thought, mental calm and physical relaxation.
Once relaxed, calm, bright and with a clear mind, we are ready for sandalwood’s harmonising qualities. This sacred oil has been (and still is) used by ancient spiritual traditions in ritual and meditation. It focuses the mind and releases anxiety, stress, depression and fear, promoting stability and grounding. These three oils reflect the Awakening journey, from its playful beginning when we start to relax and open our minds, through finding our own inner calm and strength, and to the moment when our minds awake to the full reality of the world that surrounds us. When fully awake, we connect both worlds, and are ready to face our lives and our purpose. This exclusive product is only available through La Palmilla Retreat Seville. By purchasing it, you will become part of the vision that is La Palmilla, whilst helping some of the poorest people in the world, as £1 from each and every sale will be donated to The Tulsi Trust Health and Education Project in India. If you would like to find out more about The Tulsi Trust project please visit our website www.thetulsitrust.org So… are you ready to be awakened?” With love, Marina Marina Barcenilla is a Natural Perfumer and Natural Perfumery Teacher working in Glastonbury, UK. She is the founder of The Perfume Garden where only natural ingredients are used to create her perfumes and toiletries. To find out more please visit her website www.theperfumegarden.org. Marina is also a Trustee and Chair of The Tulsi Trust charity, which won the Kindred Spirit Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
Buy Awakening~Despertar and contribute to The Tulsi Trust
Made from pure, ethically sourced essential oils blended in orange flower water ÂŁ25 including postage & packaging (30â‚Ź) To purchase, please email: Or email: anara.lapalmilla@gmail.com ÂŁ1 from every sale goes to The Tulsi Trust, a registered charity working with Bengali resettled refugees and the indigenous Adivaashi aboriginals of the interior area of Madhya Pradesh, India.
Celtic Animal Signs by Edward Durand
In Celtic Astrology, animals are associated with the months of the year. Those born under the sign of an animal are likely to share certain characteristics with their animal totem. December’s animal is the Raven… The Raven is a messenger of the gods, seeing beyond the veil between this world and the otherworld, and bestowing the gift of prophetic sight and seership. Ravens are patient and persistent, until they can scavenge for matter to break down like compost, to give way to the birth of something else. They are wise, crafty and stealthy, knowing both this world and the otherworld. Ravens also represent healing and initiation, bringing the curative, initiatory and creative powers that can help us to transform into ourselves, resolving internal conflicts. They are sacred to Morrigan, Lugh, Bran and Badbh/Bobd. The Ancient Druids divined by their flight and cries. People born at this time often share these qualities of seership, craftiness and healing, as well as the connection with the otherworld. Ravens are often seen as an omen of ill-fortune or death, but this is a modern interpretation. They were always connected with the
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goddess in her death aspect, often seen scavenging remains on battlefields, but they were not seen as a bad omen. Ravens also represent protection; one of the reasons for this is their connection with Bran the Blessed, whose name means ‘Raven’. The ‘superhuman’ Bran asked that his head be cut off and buried on the White Mount in London, facing the direction of France. As long as the head remained buried it would protect the kingdom. This became a prophecy. King Arthur heard of this prophecy but believed that he was able to protect the kingdom so he let Bran’s head be removed. Arthur did manage to protect Celtic Britain but when he was gone the Saxons and Angles took over. The Tower of London was built on that sacred hill. Winston Churchill brought ravens there to honour the prophecy, Raven being ‘Bran’ in Gaelic. To this day, the ravens have their wings clipped so that Bran’s protection remains at the Tower of London.
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Heart of the Goddess Erzulie~Venus~Hathor Jan 31st - Feb 3rd 2014 Join Anara by the sea in Andalucía, Southern Spain, for a journey of rebirth, love and self empowerment with the Goddess of Love ~ Erzulie Venus Hathor
A long weekend of loving thyself Immerse in the arts of abundance manifestation & ceremonial rites of passage Luxurious Turkish baths ² Holistic Luxury pampering ² Tantric Goddess Belly Dance Transformational Re-birthing ² Womb Blessing ² Sacred Sound Baths We will visit the sea at the Costa de la Luz for a traditional Sea Ceremony & Water Blessings – we ceremoniously cleanse & imbue ourselves within the womb of beloved ocean mother Erzulie You will be gifted with an indulgent sacred love oil for self anointing, made uniquely for each sistar, and an Erzulie Venus Hathor Talisman £550/£495 Concession 3 nights all inclusive (except for flights & travel insurance) Come to her that is love - let her awaken the love within you – you are her daughter
Awaken the Goddess within Manifest Love, Experience Love, Be Love www.lapalmillaretreatseville.com
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Children of the Diadems Part 4 of 13 When a sixth kitten is born unexpectedly to Tom’s Egypt, and relates to them the myth about the Egyptian goddess Bastet. cat, Hildegarde, it is weak and may not survive. Two of the children, Carl and his sister Gula, really want a kitten, and need to persuade their parents to let them have one of Hildegarde’s kittens. But their mother Eleanor is reluctant, as she has had a terrifying experience with a creature she fears was a vicious cat. Tom shares his anxiety in class about the sixth kitten. The class teacher, Mrs Townsend, tells the children how important cats were in Ancient
Later that evening the vet, Mr Hixson, has his doubts as to whether the sixth kitten will live. Carl’s family visit Tom’s home to see the kittens. Whilst they are there, a miraculous event takes place. The Children learn that the sixth kitten may not be an ordinary cat after all. They were also told of a special quest, which they must fulfil. However, evil forces start to oppose them. Fortunately, they are helped along the way by Bastet, the Egyptian goddess, and others on the side of good.
First published by Author House 9/12/2008. Revised by Sonia Braithwaite. 21/04/2012. ISBN: 9780957274006 No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author. © 21/04/2012 Sonia T. Braithwaite. (All rights reserved.) Book cover illustrated by Joe Chen
Available to buy from Amazon with this link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-DiademsBook-Beginning-ebook/dp/B007X5HIBO Chapter Four How Many Kittens Tom wasted no time that afternoon. As soon as Hildegarde was comfortable in her basket, he trotted the half a mile down to the shop. “Mary, Mary,” he called from the gate, then paused, panting to catch his breath by the front door. Mary opened the door, her large brown eyes widening even more at the sight of Tom. “Did you get my message? I left it on, to-” “Stop breathing so heavily, sit down and calm yourself,” interrupted Mary in a gentle manner. She pointed a stout finger at the chair in the hallway. “Mum got it ready for you, look!” she exclaimed, and pointed again, but this time to a large cardboard box beside the telephone table. Her eyes twinkled as she spoke, and Tom remembered how Craig regularly teased Mary because of her beautiful eyes, by singing, ‘When Irish Eyes are smiling’, over and over until he laughed. At that moment Tom understood why
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Craig reacted so childishly in Mary’s presence - he was besotted with her, just as he, Tom, was. He felt like singing the same tune to Mary, to let her know how much he admired her and her eyes, but then he recalled how Carl would become offended by it and, for a second, Carl’s unsmiling face flashed before him. Tom also remembered that Mary found the teasing irritating, and at times would become cross. “You boy who’s overgrown and as fine as a beanstalk, as my father would say, I find you most infuriating right now. I just want you to know that,” she would add with a nod of her head. Tom also recalled how dignified Mary would look, just as she looked now standing before him. Mary would wave her hand to dismiss Craig from her presence, which soon snapped him out of his thoughts. He didn’t want to be dismissed! Mary was short for her ten years, but full of personality. She spoke with a slight Irish accent. Her father, Noel, had travelled from the Caribbean island of Barbados to County Cork in Ireland, where he had studied business at the university for five years. It was there he had met Siobhan, and, despite many objections from family members on both sides, because of their own prejudices, they married. Within a year, Mary was born. They lived in Ireland until Mary was seven years old when her parents moved to England. On the first day at her new primary school she befriended the three boys. They had been best friends ever since. “Oh, thank you, thank you Mary,” said Tom, and within seconds the box was in his hands and he was heading for the front door. “Tom,” called Mary after him, “please let me know how many kittens she’s had. I have already asked mum if I can have one.” Tom turned with a broad grin. “By the sound of it, everyone has claimed all my kittens before they are born and I’ll be left as before, with just Hildegarde.” “Oh, I didn’t think that you’d want another cat, Tom,” said Mary apologetically. “Yeah, perhaps one other,” replied Tom. “I am glad though,” he added, looking pleased. “Glad, glad about what?” asked Mary, relaxing. “There are at least two good homes, so far, ready for Hildegarde’s kittens, and I won’t have to worry that they might be neglected in any way.” Tom’s smile made him look even more attractive. “That’s nice,” Mary replied cheerfully. “I’d better hurry,” said Tom, “mum and dad, are waiting. Why don’t you come along? We are preparing, you know, getting everything ready for the birth. I mean the deliveries. Mr Hixson said there could be up to five kittens in all.” Mary gasped. “Five kittens. Goodness me! In that case, you will have more than one extra kitten to care for, and Lady H.” “Yes, I suppose so. I was hoping that Carl would have one, but he doesn’t think that his mother will allow him to have a pet cat. His mum dislikes cats.” “Why?” asked Mary in disbelief. “How could anyone not like a little kitten? That’s silly, but why?” she asked. “I don’t honestly know. He wouldn’t let on, but he did say later on, that he and his sister would be working on their mother,” replied Tom, sounding hopeful.
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“Working on their mother?” “Yes, to try and win her over, persuade her to change her mind and let them have one of Hildegarde’s kittens. That way there will be three safe homes ready for a kitten.” “I bet you he will tell me,” said Mary, sounding sure of herself. “Okay you are on. If you get it out of Carl, I will let you choose the kitten you like best, and you Mary Stuart, will have first choice, how’s that?” he asked, with a broad smile. “That’s great! Thanks Tom. Wait just a minute please,” she added with growing excitement. “I’ll come with you, just for a little while, if mum will let me.” Tom looked curious. “I won’t be able to stay long,” said Mary. “I have to finish my homework every night before bedtime - if not, no kitten.” “Oh,” said Tom frowning. Mary ran along the hallway and into the living room calling out. “Mum! Mum! Where are you?” “Here dear, in the kitchen, what is it Mary?” Siobhan turned to face her daughter, a half-peeled potato in her left hand and the potato peeler in her right. “Mum, can I go to Tom’s for a little while, please? He said I could. I just want to help him get things ready, you know, for the birth of the kittens, and I promise I’ll not stay longer than half an hour, three-quarters at the most,” she assured her mother. “You’d better not stay so long! Go on then,” smiled Siobhan, whose eyes shone like Mary’s. Looking at Siobhan, it wasn’t hard to tell where Mary got her good looks. “Thanks mum, you are the best,” said Mary. In no time she was walking briskly along with Tom and holding on to one side of the box. The fact that it was a cold Friday evening did not seem to bother the two youngsters. They were used to the British weather. Although given a choice, Mary might have preferred the hot weather. She had not stopped dreaming of a hotter climate, ever since basking in the tropics for three weeks, when she was nine years old. Apart from Mary and Carl, no one else in their little circle of friends had ever visited a hot country. One day, in a religious education lesson, the class was having a discussion about the different islands in the West Indies. The teacher, Mrs Townsend, knew a lot about the Caribbean Islands. She had been born and bred in St Vincent, but had visited several other islands with her father who was a government official. She had also lived in Egypt for many years in her late teens. “All those who have ever been abroad, particularly to a hot country, please raise your hands,” she said to the class. Craig was the first to raise both hands in the air, but he also announced his impending journey to the class. “We are going for a whole month to see my grandparents in Australia, next summer,” he said. “We are going for so long because it takes almost a week to get there,” he exaggerated. “We will be suffering from jet lag, which will take days, if not a whole week to get over,” he said, his eyes widening. “So,” he continued unembarrassed, “for us to appreciate the country and to benefit from the large amount of money it will be costing my parents, I mean costing
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mostly my father, we are going for a whole month, which could be longer, who knows,” he ended his little speech and looked delighted. Mary informed the class excitedly that her parents had taken her to Barbados, and were planning another trip, this time to Trinidad. “I wish we could live there,” she said dreamily. She further informed them that it was now called Trinidad and Tobago, adding, “I don’t know why, so please don’t ask me. My dad told me it is not far from Barbados. I believe that the two islands were once joined until the British split them up, or so I was told by my father, I mean my father told me,” she added, and feeling a little foolish, turned her head away from the teacher’s questioning gaze. As for Carl, when it was his turn, he spoke quietly and modestly. “I visited Jamaica twice,” he said and gave a timid little smile, “and I had a boring visit to Barbados once. My parents are now planning a holiday in Egypt, and in a way I wish that I could get out of it because, I don’t think I am going to like it.” “And why is that Carl?” interrupted Mrs Townsend. Carl’s voice went even quieter. “Oh, because I don’t like what I already know about Egypt.” The teacher tried to ask another question, but Carl continued quickly. “I am sorry, but I don’t want to explain what I have read that I don’t like about Egypt, it’s just too much to put into words.” Carl’s reluctance to go to Egypt was nothing to do with anything he had read. The real secret reason was the frightening image which kept flashing through his mind. As he sat there in the classroom facing the teacher, the vision came into his mind again forcing him to hold on to the desk in front of him. In his vision, Carl saw himself living in a palace in ancient Egypt, dressed in royal clothes. He had first seen the images in a dream, which became more and more vivid and detailed every time it returned to haunt his sleep. There were other people in the dream, but they remained vague apparitions, and he would always wake up startled and perplexed. Forcing his mind back into the present moment, he told the class, “On the other hand, this holiday was planned to coincide with the Easter school holiday, so once I get there I might just like it, especially if mum and dad take me to the Valley of the Kings, but I will refuse to enter any of the pyramids.” Mrs Townsend smiled at Carl. Craig and Tom, who were seated nearest to him, whispered. “Good, Carl.” “I am glad you think so,” he replied. The children began to whisper amongst themselves, so the teacher gave them a few minutes to talk before she stood up. She was a tall impressive figure, and this movement brought instant silence. She briefly told the class about each of the countries, occasionally playing with her long curly hair as she spoke. She then told them to bring in for the next lesson a souvenir from a trip. “I shall expect each of you to talk about the meaning of your item. It doesn’t matter whether your item did not come from a Caribbean island, as long as it is from a different country. Perhaps you or your parents bought back a religious relic…” She paused. “What is a relic? A relic is something of importance, interesting because of its age and use, something from the very distant past, is the best way I can explain the meaning of the word at the moment. Do you all understand what a relic is, class?”
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“Yes, Mrs Townsend,” chorused nearly all the children, except for Nikhil and Naomi. “Nikhil, and you Naomi, of all the children here, should know all about relics. Your parents’ countries of origin are full of interesting and priceless relics.” Nikhil, whose parents had come over from India in the early sixties, beamed with pride, while Naomi, who had been brought over to England from Japan as a baby, by her Japanese mother and English father, looked bashful. “As an idea,” continued the teacher, “you may bring in a musical instrument, and I don’t mean that everyone should bring one either; we want a variety of objects to talk about. Is that clear?” “Yes, Miss,” chorused the children for the second time. Luke, who was looked upon as a comedian by his friends, whispered to Tom. “Another boring lesson ahead.” Unfortunately for him, his whisper wasn’t soft enough. “In that case, Luke Reid,” said Mrs Townsend in her calm voice, “you will bring to the class, together with your item of interest, 30 lines, written on lined paper, explaining to everyone else why you find the lessons boring.” She smiled and Luke blushed. “Good afternoon class, remember to go straight home now, no loitering. See you all next week, and have a good weekend.” Mary shivered a little then she looked up at Tom. She blew warm air from her mouth, which mingled in with the white fog that was slowly forming in the air. She looked at Tom again and they smiled at each other, instinctively tightening their grip on the cardboard box, a confirmation perhaps, of the task ahead, which was more important than worrying over a little cold weather. The two youngsters walked briskly along, smiling and talking. Evidently contented, they appeared to embrace the cold winds that began to blow. The wind died down as swiftly as it had come, but it left a dense fog, which seemed to be getting thicker and thicker as the two youngsters journeyed along, and it became difficult to see ahead. They were oblivious of the large, thick dark shadow that suddenly appeared some distance away. The street lights flickered and went out. Tom’s left foot missed the pavement and he stumbled.
“Gosh!” Mary exclaimed. “Are you okay, Tom?” “Yes, I’m okay,” Tom replied. The street lights flickered again and came back on, but they were much dimmer than before. Tom looked ahead and saw a large shadow surrounded by the swirling whitish-grey fog. “What’s that?” he asked. Mary looked to where Tom was pointing. “Where?” she asked. “Look straight ahead, in the middle of the road. It looks as if the fog is changing colour,” suggested Tom, staring. “Oh yes,” agreed Mary, in a quiet voice. “I have never seen black fog before, that’s strange.” She frowned. As they continued, the solid dark shadow remained large and visible, but appeared to move further away.
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“It doesn’t look like fog to me,” said Mary. Tom strained his eyes to try and discern what it was. The strange shape was drifting along way ahead of them. “No, it doesn’t,” he agreed. “It looks like a large elongated figure of some kind, but I can’t say what it might be.” “It looks like some sort of animal to me,” suggested Mary. “What kind of animal could be so large?” asked Tom. Mary shrugged in silence. “There is a bus stop ahead,” said Tom. “Shall we wait for the bus?” Mary asked timidly. “You aren’t afraid are you Mary?” “Yes, I am a little,” she admitted, as the hand holding her side of the box began to shake. “You’re trembling!” said Tom. “Yes, I am beginning to feel rather cold,” said Mary, sheepishly. Tom knew the source of her shivers was not her cold hands, but the dark shadow lingering in the fog. “We can wait for the bus if you like,” he suggested, “but we’ve nearly reached the bridge. Look, there it is.” Tom pointed to their left. Mary looked and saw the bridge looming up across the sombre waters of the River Thames. They instinctively looked ahead again at the middle of the road. The dark shadow had almost disappeared, but it had left behind a menacing sound, which reverberated through their heads. “No animal I know makes that kind of sound,” said Tom. “I agree,” said Mary, anxiously. In the distance the fog was still dense, but whitish-grey again. Both Tom and Craig lived on a man-made island, just off the busy high street of a Middlesex town. To reach the small island they had to walk across one of the bridges across the River Thames. The island’s main business had been boat building, until publishing, art and crafts and a few other companies became established. The homes were mainly weather-boarded shacks, terraced cottages and bungalows. Some houses close to the banks would flood when it rained heavily, despite the high protective walls. A few people lived in boathouses on and off the river, and barges regularly sailed up and down its waters. The quaint little place was dimly lit at night, and many overhanging tree branches heightened the mysterious atmosphere. As Tom and Mary were crossing the bridge, Tom noticed that Mary’s hand was no longer shaking. He smiled at her and she smiled back. He took a large torch from his rucksack, switched it on, and the large circle of light brightened the path leading to his home.
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g L i n a Sp y n i c u d o r r t n I ns’ workshop fa ou cilit e r d creative alchem at l i o h d i s n c a t r Creative workshops for children and teens
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Poetry
Songwriting
Face painting vement
Singing, stretching & sounding
Themed children’s parties
Workshops for c hildren and adults with spec ial needs
Lina is a qualified Life Coach, Sound Healer, Reiki Master and Shamanic Healer. She offers one-to-one healing sessions in Holistic Life Coaching, Sound Healing, Reiki and Shamanic Soul Retrieval. Visit: www.linaspyrou.com
Tom and Mary walked along the torch-lit path and through the garden gateway to his home. The house was surrounded by lots of black and white cats, all snarling, growling and howling. Mary was frightened and ran to the door. She did not wait for Tom to open it. Instead, she kept her finger on the doorbell until Lesley opened it. “What’s all this in aid of? Isn’t one ring enough?” he asked, frowning. “Sorry dad,” said Tom. “Yes, I am sorry Mr Harper, but-” Tom interrupted grinning. “Mary got scared dad because there are about 12 cats surrounding the house.” “Oh, they must be here because of the impending birth of one of their own kind. That’s nice,” suggested Lesley. “I don’t think so dad. They sounded pretty awful,” admitted Tom. “Creepy and scary is more like it,” said Mary. “Never mind about the cats outside,” said Lesley. “They didn’t hurt you did they, Mary?” “No, I guess not,” she replied. Lesley looked down at the cardboard box in Tom’s hand. “You’ve got the box. That’s good. Let’s go and prepare Hildegarde’s bed,” he encouraged. Craig was allowed to stay over, at least until Hildegarde gave birth, although his mother, Stella, had hinted that since Monday would be a bank holiday, which meant no school, she wouldn’t mind if he stayed a day or two. Stella was always dumping Craig on other people so she could go dancing with his father. His parents loved ballroom dancing, and the tango was their favourite. Craig didn’t seem to mind. He enjoyed being with his best friends, unless it was a family gathering and his favourite grandmother, Evelyn - who always brought him a present - was coming, then he would be happy to stay at home. Craig had already chosen a name for his kitten, and everyone had laughed when he announced it rather loudly, in a posh accent. “I am going to call my kitten Cleo if it is a girl but, if it is a boy, I shall call him Tigger.” Mary refused to let on what name, if any, she had chosen for her kitten. “That would be telling, and wouldn’t you like to know,” was her reply when asked. Carl, who hoped his mother would let him have a kitten, made his announcement timidly. “I would call my cat Clovis, if it’s a ‘him’, but I don’t know yet what I would call it, if it’s a ‘she’.” “I like that name Carl,” said Craig, in a pleasant tone of voice. “Yes,” chorused Tom and Mary. Lucy smirked.
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Carl looked at Lucy and gave a confident little smile, as though to say, ‘Those who really matter to me didn’t smirk; they liked the name I have chosen and have said so. So you can smirk all you like, it doesn’t bother me’. “If Carl is not allowed to have a kitten, and I choose a male, I would like to call him Clovis, to honour Carl, of course,” Mary announced, to everyone’s surprise. “Of course,” Craig mimicked mischievously. Mary had a crush on Carl, but Carl was too shy and innocent in his ways to encourage her. Like Mary, Carl wasn’t permitted to sleep over, but he had been allowed to stay until 10pm that night. Phillip would pick him up in the car. Craig and Tom had promised to keep Carl informed about further developments. Early that Friday evening, Tom and his friends, Craig, Carl, Mary and even Lucy, helped Pollyanna and Lesley with the weekend cleaning. They all made sure that Hildegarde was as comfortable as possible, and that everything was ready and in place for the multiple birth of the baby kittens. It was an excited household, but the excitement was mingled with Tom’s concern for the mother cat, as Hildegarde was either lying down exhausted, or hobbling around slowly, looking grossly overweight. They all followed Lesley’s instructions, and in no time they heard the alarm on Mary’s watch go off. She had set it to make sure she kept the promise to her mother to leave for home on time. She was determined nothing would hinder her from getting the kitten of her dreams. She had also vowed that she would be the nicest, most obedient daughter anyone ever had. Immediately the alarm went off, Mary stopped it and waved goodbye to the others. As soon as she stepped out of the house, she rang her mother. “Mum,” she said, “it is exactly 5.30pm and I am on my way home.” “Good girl,” said Siobhan. “See you soon, darling. Dinner is ready and daddy is home. We won’t start without you, sweetheart.” “Thanks, mum, here comes the bus, I’ll see you in 10 to 15 minutes. I love you, mum.” Mary cut off the phone and jumped on the bus before her mother had a chance to respond. Lesley and Pollyanna knew that pregnant cats were quite capable of taking care of themselves. They had read a lot about labour and birthing, checking and rechecking every detail to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible for Hildegarde. They had already kept her away from other pets and strangers, especially children, due to the fact that female cats can become aggressive in the last stages of pregnancy, but all those gathered nearby were no strangers to Hildegarde. She had jumped on their laps many a time before becoming pregnant. They were the same humans with whom she played ball and string games. They had also taken turns to take her food and fresh water, and to make sure her basket was always dry and clean. They had cuddled and groomed her, and had fretted whenever she wandered off with a friend, and would go searching for her, calling her name until they found her.
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“Lady H, Lady H, where are you?” They loved her and she knew it. On this special occasion, Tom was worried whenever Hildegarde attempted to walk. “Please, dad, help me to keep her calm. She is not supposed to become so active, and don’t you think we should put her in her bed, mum?” he asked. Everyone looked at Tom with sympathy. They understood his concern because, to him, Lady H was no ordinary cat. She was a blue blood, a pedigree; her mother was taken from the royal household of cats in Egypt. Tom did not voice it, but somewhere deep inside him, he feared that he might lose his special and precious pet. They had created a maternity bed out of the large cardboard box that Tom fetched from Mary’s mother, after Lesley had checked to make sure the box had a lid, because it would help to keep the newborn kittens warm and safe. Lesley also cut a hole in one side of the box, large enough so that Hildegarde would be able to crawl in and out. Lucy was allowed to place the shredded newspaper in the bottom of the box, which Carl covered after he folded a rather large blanket in two; Craig’s mother made it from three of his old shirts. Finally, Pollyanna and Lesley lifted the box and placed it not too far from the radiator in the living room, even though the room was quite warm. They also had a lovely log and coal fire blazing. They made sure that the box was away from any draught that might escape into the room, as they were going in and out quite frequently, before they finally settled down. Earlier, Lesley had explained to the group that without all the preparations, Hildegarde might find a place of her own to deliver her kittens, which could even be in the bottom of a wardrobe or another of her favourite spots. There was every possibility that Hildegarde might still choose to do just that, since they had only just got her box bed ready. No sooner were the preparations finished, when the doorbell of the Harper’s house rang. It was Carl’s dad. “See you later Tom,” said Carl. After thanking his friend’s parents, Carl left with his father. That whole weekend, Carl’s sister Gula, prayed a lot, and surprisingly, even Carl, who had never liked to say prayers, joined in. There were several Holy Mary, mother of God prayers and even angels of God prayers, which ended with, ‘In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit’, and ‘Dear God, please take away the fear of cats from mummy and let her say yes to us having one of Tom’s kittens’! Carl never forgot to add, looking up at the ceiling, a big, ‘Thank you, wherever you lot are up there. I do hope you can all hear me, and I will never pray to you again, if mum and dad, don’t let us have one of Lady H’s kittens, amen’.
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The prayers could be heard both mornings and evenings coming from two of the bedrooms in the McKenzie household. They were said so loudly, that Eleanor and Phillip could hear every word except for the last part of Gula’s prayer. Those were the bits she whispered to an Egyptian goddess Bastet, and they made Carl frown. The kittens were not yet born, but Carl’s anxiety was growing. He feared that his prayers would not be answered and he would not get the pet cat he longed for. On this rather nice sunny day, Eleanor had organised a garden party for Carl and his friends. Whilst enjoying a treasure hunt, which Gula arranged, Carl saw something glowing at the bottom of the garden, behind a tree. He rushed towards it, believing that he had found the largest and most important hidden present wrapped in gold, but as he got closer, he saw how large it was. He stopped suddenly, seeing that it was not a large wrapped parcel, but instead a glowing bush. “Wow,” he whispered, “the bush is on fire!” Carl, not believing what he saw, reached out towards it, but quickly pulled his hand back. The bush blazed, but with no heat. In the middle of it sat a tabby cat, looking up at him. Around the cat’s head, was a golden diadem adorned with priceless gems of different colours. Carl tried to turn away, but could not, so he opened his mouth to call the others, but his tongue felt heavy and he could not speak. “Step inside the bush, Carl,” said a voice from the bush. Carl’s tongue suddenly became loose. “I don’t know who you are, but you must be crazy,” he replied. “Is this your cat?” “No, the feline does not belong to me, but to a higher order. Boy, step inside the bush,” the voice commanded. “No, I will not step inside that fire. I don’t want to die,” said Carl. He tried to step backwards, away from the fiery bush, but his legs felt too heavy to move. “You must overcome your fear Carl, and step inside this bush. Or one day your fear may become your weakness, and a mission set for you, will fail, unless you conquer it now. Yes, this bush burns, but there is no fire. Reach out Carl, reach out now and touch it.” Carl obeyed. He reached out slowly and pushed his hand into the bush, smiling because it did not burn him. He felt no pain and when he looked at his hand, it was golden. He walked into the bush. He could not believe what transpired then. His whole body became golden, even the clothes he wore that day changed colour. “You will not understand now what you have seen and heard, but in time, it will all become clear to you. Carl, a day will come when you will be forced to remember important things from the past, about who you were and what you were called. You will need to remember these things for a good reason. The creature standing beside you is about to be born to the cat, Lady Hildegarde. His nobility, among other things, will be revealed in good time.”
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Carl turned and looked around, but he could not see the garden with his sister and friends. He opened his mouth to speak once more. “Carl,” came the voice before him, “you will name the kitten, Clovis. Keep up the prayers and your mother, Eleanor, will overcome her fear of cats. You and your sister will have the pet you desire, but he is to be your pet, Carl. Remember also that in the future there will be times when you will need my assistance. No matter where you are, find a place where there is greenery outside. Call out the name Bastet, and the burning bush will appear. Remember that the bush will only answer to your voice and no other.” Carl then closed his eyes and rubbed them with both hands. When he opened them again, the golden cat had disappeared, the bush had ceased glowing and he and his clothes were no longer golden, but in his hand was an unusually large golden egg. He quickly walked away towards his friends, but turned to look behind him before he ran shouting and holding up the golden egg. “I have it!” he exclaimed. “I have won the best prize,” he said, smiling. “Where did you get that gigantic egg, Carl,” asked Nikhil. “It’s amazing,” he added, looking at Gula. “I found it down the back, by that clump of green bushes,” replied Carl, pointing to the bush behind the large tree in his back garden. “I didn’t put that there, perhaps mum did. Go and ask her,” said Gula, staring at the large golden egg in surprise. Carl was holding it in his hands, as if he cherished it. “It’s mine. I found it so I’m keeping it,” said Carl rather defensively, walking away. Carl said nothing about the encounter, but it was a day he would never forget. With the prayers came offers to accompany their parents to Mass on Sundays. There was no grumbling either when the children were asked to run an errand or to do a little housework, such as dusting or washing the dishes. In fact, many of the chores were done before they were even asked! They would take turns to wash, dry and tidy away the dishes. They would sweep and mop the kitchen floor, and even make cups of tea for mummy and daddy McKenzie. All the arguments over whose turn it was to do this or that stopped. That Friday evening, Hildegarde lay in her maternity bed, but as the night drew on, she became restless and began to pace around the room, like someone desperately looking for a lost object. The concerned group knew she was ready to give birth, so no one bothered to go to bed that night, and it wasn’t too long afterwards that Hildegarde became vocal and began regular trips to her litter box. Those visits continued for nearly an hour before she finally settled down in her maternity bed. “Isn’t Hildegarde good?” said Lesley softly. “I really thought she would have a problem with the box, and choose one of her usual corners to have her kittens.” “She is a special cat,” agreed Pollyanna. The children looked at each other and smiled. Tom had a proud look. Hildegarde closed her eyes as if asleep, but within a few minutes her unusual behaviour told everyone the kittens were on the way.
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A bowl of warm water was put in place together with clean towels, cloths, dental floss, and petroleum jelly, just in case it was needed. It wasn’t long before poor Lady H’s whimpers became cat screams, as she began to push out the first kitten. Tom could hardly bear to witness his beloved pet in such discomfort and, although he had been forewarned, tears welled up in his eyes. But he didn’t leave the room. Lucy was less stoic. She ran out of the room, up the stairs and into her bedroom. She pulled open her drawer, picked up her Walkman, pushed the earphones into her ears and curled up on her bed after covering herself with the duvet from head to toe. Downstairs, Hildegarde was giving birth to her first kitten, a male, who came out head first. After the first birth, she stopped screaming, and one after another, over five hours, she gave birth calmly to four more kittens. It was a sight to behold, and witnessed at a distance by Tom, his parents and Craig. Everyone was delighted to see the five kittens. After each birth, Hildegarde fussed around her baby, licking it clean and doing everything a mother should, to form a strong bond. Lesley and Pollyanna were glad she was so attentive to her litter. It meant they didn’t need to lend a hand to make sure the kittens could breathe. It was in the early hours on Saturday, November 26��. Pollyanna and Lesley went into the kitchen to make some tea, leaving Lady H to tend to her babies and get some well-earned rest. The boys remained at a distance, in a state of awe. But Lesley eventually called them into the dining room for tea and toast. Lucy, who by this time was asleep in her room, did not know the kittens were born. They spent half an hour eating, drinking and discussing the past five hours’ events. Then Tom’s parents said they were tired and would go for a shower and a lie down. They also suggested the boys should get some rest too. But Tom tiptoed back into the living room quietly. He didn’t want to disturb Hildegarde, but he also wanted a last peek. Hildegarde shifted in her box as if trying to find a more comfortable spot. Tom’s anxiety mounted when he realised that his cat began to push again. He hurried back into the dining room. “Mum, dad, come back, hurry, I think another one is coming!” “Another one? Good heavens!” remarked Lesley. They tiptoed back into the living room and sure enough there was brave Hildegarde, giving birth to a sixth kitten, a male. He was tiny and feeble-looking compared with his three brothers and two sisters. He looked so poorly that Lesley glanced at his son and shook his head. He was afraid to voice his fears, not wanting to alarm Tom. Hildegarde looked at the kitten, a mirror image of herself, but she wasn’t showing quite the same solicitous treatment for the sixth kitten as for the first five, which was a worry and a mystery to all the onlookers. Instead, she curled up quietly with the kitten still attached to her. Lesley and Pollyanna now stepped in to do what Hildegarde had neglected to do for her last baby kitten.
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Hildegarde had failed to break the sack to enable the kitten to breathe. As quick as a flash, Pollyanna picked up a clean towel, tore the sack and gently cleaned the kitten’s mouth and nose. This last arrival was a surprise for everyone, but especially for Tom.
Don’t miss the next instalment of coming in the next issue! Nomadic Belly Dance for fertility birth & post pregnancy ‘Anara's teaching and inspired energy is beautiful to be around and so infectious!!! The bump and I are so looking forward to spiralling these hips again very soon, Lucky Lewes!’
'La enseñanza de Anara y energía inspirado es hermoso estar cerca y tan contagiosa! El golpe y yo estamos tan ansiosos de espiral estas caderas de nuevo muy pronto,
Sera, East Sussex
Strengthens the pelvic floor, deep abdominal muscles and all those muscles specifically used for giving birth, facilitating the process of giving birth and especially the recovery and improves stamina. Assists correct breathing, posture, positive self esteem and can relieve back ache. La danza del vientre durante y después del embarazo proporciona los siguientes beneficios:
Sera, East Sussex
Lucky Lewes! '
Belly dance during and post pregnancy provides the following benefits:
Fortalece el suelo de la pelvis, los músculos abdominales profundos y todos los músculos que se usan específicamente para dar a luz, lo que facilita el proceso de dar a luz y, especialmente, la recuperación y mejora la resistencia. Ayuda con la respiración correcta, la postura, la autoestima positiva y puede aliviar el dolor de espalda.
Tuesdays / Martes or Thursdays / Jueves 11am- 12pm Bollullos de La Mitacion, Sevilla Sessions are sold in blocks of 4 @ €32 One to one sessions are also available De uno a uno sesiones también están disponibles Call Anara: 722 48 22 18 ‘Anara’s dance form is a great initiation into self discovery, to be able to express and harness a special medicine that emerges from our genetic global heritage.’ 'Forma Danza de Anara es un gran iniciación en auto-descubrimiento, para poder expresar y reunir una medicina especial que se desprende de nuestra herencia genética mundial.' Children of the Diadems by Sonia Braithwaite – Part 4 of 13 40
Dedicate a long weekend to celebrating your sacred womanhood Experience sensuous belly dance, fierce flamenco, good food, excellent accommodation and pampering at our beautiful Spanish retreat March 14th - 17th 2014
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s women, we do not need permission to tap into the resource of our passionate and wild natures. We were created with the innate ability to express ourselves through the tidal waves of our emotional bodies, our sensual biochemistry and our ability to deep breathe in situations of spontaneous pleasure. Our journey may have taken us through spaces and landscapes of archaic constraint, but despite the historical imprints‌ we can find in our dance the ability to break through!
A Flamenco & Belly Dance weekend with Carmen De Torres & Anara Durand in Seville & Estudio Flamenco Carmen De Torres
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Fire in the Blood
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Join Lisa Lister - author, creatrix, gypsy priestess - for a weekend of sacred stories, untamed truths, and practical magic. This gathering of girl-kind will align your SASSY - Spiritual, Authentic, Sensual, Sensational YOU - and unlock your sacred super-power, the innate awesomeness of the most badass wise women who have gone before you, your SASSY SHE. All that is wild, cyclical, fierce and untamed. It will be real, raw and roaaaaar. Together we will share stories. Embrace our imperfections. Awaken a delicious relationship with our body through SASSY Shakti flow - a combo of freeflow yoga, bellydance and divine movement for women of all shapes and sizes. (No crazy shape pulling or fancy yoga pants necessary, promise.) We’ll sing, dance and heart riff. We’ll seek pleasure. We’ll re-discover ancient female traditions. We’ll connect with mumma earth, the moon and our cycles. We’ll eat dark chocolate. We will get real. As members of girl-kind, our stories, our voices have been deleted from history, they've been repressed, censored or re-told, which is why, during our two days together, you will connect with your SASSY SHE - your feminine superpower, cut through the bullshit, gain clarity, and unfold, unfurl and reveal your very own you-nique-to-you SASSY story. Through creativity, story-telling, shamanic drumming, divine movement, and SASSY sorcery all lovingly crafted and delivered by me, Lisa Lister, you will discover your most beautiful, heart thumpin' uncensored truth, access and reclaim the full power of your untamed voice - rarrrr - in your relationships, your work and your life. Your investment in your SASSY SHE: £595 Includes 3 nights’ accommodation in the divine retreat, Seville, plus transfer to and from the airport, all meals (if you have any dietary requirements, please let us know), dinner and flamenco dancing on the Sunday evening, choice o’ massage or pamper treat, and a SASSY SHE goody bag. Instalment plan available. To book your place please head over to: www.lapalmillaretreatseville.com or send an email to anara.lapalmilla@gmail.com
About Lisa Lister: Crowned ‘the defender of female awesomeness’ by Cooler magazine, Lisa Lister – author, creatrix, gypsy priestess – works with girls and women to connect with their body, their cycles and their big beat-y hearts, to tell their truth and claim their untamed voice in badass Boudicca style – rarrrrr!