Hello! I'm Shannon.

As a soul specialist, radiance amplifier and inspiring guide, I help people bloom bigger into life through 1-on-1 Stargazer sessions, bespoke flower essences,  inspiring talks, transformative circles & retreats & keepsake photography books.
 

This is my virtual home. May you discover precisely what you need, to unfold into your fullest potential.

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Every threshold in life is a portal to initiation — a flower, unfurling with energy.

Let's connect via your inbox with my occasional Substack newsletter.

Healing invitations, lovingly curated tools, real-world rituals & practical sense for blooming through life.

It's also where I announce upcoming events and current offerings.

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Monday
Sep152008

Inner Wisdom

 

 two of my SoulCollage® cards

Last Saturday, I attended a SoulCollage® playshop with Chris LeGrand and Kathy Morgan at the Joyful Living Center. It was a wonderful gathering of women, so much creative flow and energy and such fun.

Of course, I loved choosing images, and then cutting them out and gluing them down. That's true play for me, and I was completely immersed in that joy of creating.

But what was unexpected was the new opening it created for me around accessing my inner wisdom.

According to the official website, SoulCollage® is "a creative and satisfying collage process. You make your own deck of cards — each collage card representing one aspect of your personality or Soul. Use the collage cards intuitively to answer life's questions and participate in self-discovery. Joyfully deepen your understanding of the relationships between your personality parts, you and your family/community/world, and you and your dreams, symbols, and Spirit."

Part of my journey of late is learning to trust and listen to my inner wisdom. And after many years of ignoring, stuffing or receiving guidance and then doing the opposite, I am learning to honor my inner truth. 

I really wasn't sure what these SoulCollage® cards were. I hadn't realized that these cards can be compiled into a deck, complete with suits, and then used to do readings, much like tarot cards. Cards are typically read by beginning with the prompt "I am the One who…" and then reading into the card images through that statement.

For the card on the left above, I haven't completely settled on the title yet, but one possibility I'm playing with is, "I am the one who finds the key by going inward (through my keyhole)  to reach the world beyond."

With the six cards I did create on Saturday, I can see some themes that are emerging: trusting in the support of the universe, opening up myself and shining light into what's hidden, the duality of life and myself, and being connected to both nature and my true nature.

If you are in the Milwaukee area, I highly recommend taking a workshop with Chris and Kathy, both art therapists. You can also check out to see if there is a SoulCollage® facilitator in your region or buy the book and try it on your own.

It's also fun to visit the SoulCollage® homepage, where it randomly generates a personal reading for you from its database of cards. You can click on each card to see what the card represented to its creator. Cool stuff.

Tell me, what do you do to access your inner wisdom?

Sunday
Sep142008

All the Colors Are Needed

A cornucopia of beads — from Beanwad at the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago today

 

Such an inspiring weekend: Awesome Soul Collage playshop (more on that tomorrow!). Connecting meal with friends. Dining room dancing and yoga with my daughter. Family sushi dinner on Saturday, and during the car ride to and fro, family clap-and-sing--a-long to some new music. (Thanks, Patty & Julie.) And a fun roadtrip today with my fun, creative and stylish friend Nancy  for the Chicago edition of the Renegade Craft Fair.

Even though it was raining nearly the whole time, it was so worth it to see the handmade goodness from nearly 300 cool-a-riffic crafters and artists. 

After surveying all the yummy eye candy, I decided on a beautiful pendant necklace from Erin Costello of Beanwad, some lovely letterpress cookbook marks from Tartella, and two recycled and very reasonably priced pendants (both naturally with flower prints) from Mitzi Weiland of Pretty Theory.

As much as I love finding some new trinket, my favorite part of such fairs is seeing what others have created and marveling at their unique vision and talent.

I love that there are infinite ways of expressing ourselves and our creativity — and that our way is uniquely our own and one-of-a-kind.

A few years ago, a writer friend of mine was considering writing a book on depression, a topic widely written about. She was sharing how she felt like giving up after walking into the Barnes & Noble and seeing a whole self of books on the topic. I reminded her that her book… her unique story… her way of seeing depression had not yet been told — and that her story was needed on that bookshelf, too. (She's since written another book, but I hope that someday she writes her book on depression.)

I often say in my writing classes that the writing table has an infinite number of spaces for everyone to pull up their chair and sit. There is always space for one more. And you are just as deserving as the next person to take your seat. 

Just like there's always room in the world for one more star, one more smile, or one more blooming flower. (Who would ever think of saying, "You know, I really think we've had enough with you roses. Stop blooming! Enough with the beauty! No more, our vase is full!"?)

I hold that there is always room in the world for one more voice and one more person's unique expression. And more importantly, your unique voice and expression is vitally needed. 

And for me, it is this diversity of voices, gifts and talents that makes the world so beautiful. 

It's like the photo of the beads above. To me, the beauty and possibility for the jewelry that Erin creates comes from having such an amazing collection of choices. 

All the colors and shapes of the beads are needed to create her art. 

And so it is with the world of creativity — and all of life —, all of our colors are needed and necessary.

Friday
Sep122008

Walking With Others

Mr. Spider stepping out on the salvia in my garden.

I sent out an Inspired Writer newsletter today. (You can read it here.) My question was: 

Where do you want to step into more fully in your life?

I enjoyed a lovely dinner tonight with three wonderful women — Amy, Sally and Mary Ellen. The four of us formed the core of a group that Mary Ellen led this summer. We met for 12 weeks on Thursdays to uncover our authentic selves, using a variety of materials and exercises, including The Artist's Way. (Which is one of my Holy Trinity of books on creativity and becoming the artist/writer/creative person you are born to be. The other two are Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.) 

I am so grateful to Mary Ellen for holding the space and leading all of us. It was a powerful few months for me. It wasn't the first time I had worked with the Artist's Way, but this time I went even deeper.

I experienced some wonderful shifts in re-connecting with the sheer joy of creating and in exploring some of the resistance I have to being with the process (and letting go of my perfectionist tendencies).

Part of what came to me as we were talking at dinner tonight is that the steps I'm currently taking toward honoring — and achieving — my creative dreams is because of the community that supports my stepping into bigger shoes.

These women are part of my community of support. There are many others, too, who support my stepping more fully into my life. And to all of them, I'm so very grateful. 

More and more, I find walking into my future is more expansive, more reassuring and more, well, fun knowing there is a community walking along with me, every step of the way. 

And speaking of stepping out…Part of my "stepping out" includes becoming a passionate student again and taking classes to hone my skills and expand my experiences. (Being both a teacher and a student.) Tomorrow, I'm going to enjoy participating in a Soul Collage workshop at the Joyful Living Center. So excited for that.

Tell me, what or who supports you in stepping out more fully in your life?