Untitled

[ellensauer]

Dissonance

Several months ago, I wrote a blog about keeping the peace and what that phrase has come to mean for me. I feel the most peaceful when I remember that we are all connected in the deepest, most intricate of ways – each of us to every one and every thing, seen and unseen. There is not one thing we do or action we take or belief we hold that doesn’t affect the whole.

It’s all about connections –…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

An Interview with MacKenzie Sanders

An Interview with MacKenzie Sanders

I recently wrote a blog about how I see the Sacred Feminine walking in the world today– in real people, in me. She walks with an open heart, willing to witness and connect; allowing and healing in all sorts of ways. I know so many folks who embody and express all of those attributes. And so I was inspired to connect with some of them to chat, both to strengthen and to expand my perspective.

I met…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

An Interview with Dr. Ruby Cain

An Interview with Dr. Ruby Cain

I recently wrote a blog about how I see the Sacred Feminine walking in the world today – in real people, in me. She walks with an open heart, willing to witness and connect; allowing and healing in all sorts of ways. I know so many folks who embody and express all of that. And so I was inspired to connect with some of them to chat, both to strengthen and to expand my perspective on it all.

I met…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

An Interview with Summer Lydick

An Interview with Summer Lydick

I recently wrote a blog about how I see the Sacred Feminine walking in the world today – in real people, in me. She walks with an open heart, willing to witness and connect; allowing and healing in all sorts of ways. I know so many folks who embody and express all of that. And so I was inspired to connect with some of them to chat, both to strengthen and to expand my perspective on it all.

The…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

I used to shy away from the term Sacred Feminine. Two reasons. One: it so often seemed to elicit only religious connections for folks. This is fine if that’s your frame of reference for viewing the world and expressing your truth. But if it isn’t, then the term doesn’t resonate and you read no further. And two: Sacred Feminine can be considered New Age-y. Remember New Age? Again, it isn’t wrong…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

Women's March and Sister Marches - January 21, 2017

Women’s March and Sister Marches – January 21, 2017

There is a long history of gathering en masse to shift energies and paradigms, legislation and belief structures. Wherever there has been oppression and injustice, there has been protest – sometimes via the oppressed and sometimes their allies, sometimes peaceful and sometimes not – but always with the intention of being seen, heard, understood, respected, and perhaps most importantly, welcomed…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

Mom

My mom turned 94 years old yesterday. 94! If you caught a glimpse of her now, you would see someone doing simple puzzles, reveling in sing alongs, loving her sweets, repeating the same questions. A little confused or a lot. Perhaps quieter during conversations in recent years, content to just be in your presence for a moment. Forgetting you were there moments later. That’s what you would see.

But…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

In Summary...Keeping the Peace

In Summary…Keeping the Peace

This week was all about Keeping the Peace, or rather, keeping the connections, or rather, seeing where we’ve forgotten the connections and illuminating them. That might make more sense if you read this blog and this poem.

And Rumi entered the building with his wise words that I tried to incorporate into this blog. You can never have too much poetry.

The artwork for the week was one of my own and…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

When a Three-Minute Writing Challenge Turns Into a One-Minute Poem

When a Three-Minute Writing Challenge Turns Into a One-Minute Poem

Keeping the peace at all cost

means peace is lost

to a sincere

respect for fear.

  Smoothing over hurt, anger, hate –

Just see and wait.

Normalizes.

Compromises.

  These shadowed oppressions need voice.

I choose this choice.

No more hiding.

Done dividing.

  (Note: The Minute Poem consists of 12 lines, 60 total syllables formatted into 3 stanzas of 8, 4, 4, 4 syllables each, with each pair of…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

A Community of the Spirit

A Community of the Spirit

Rumi. I always come back to Rumi. A poet who lived so long ago with words that make perfect sense now. This time it’s A Community of the Spirit. Every phrase of this does indeed make sense to me. This one – ‘feel the delight of walking in the noisy street and being the noise’ – calls me to be willing to speak up when called upon. And this – ‘close both your eyes to see with the other eye’ –…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

Keep the Peace

That phrase – Keep the Peace. It’s been something I’ve done all my life. I’m a mediator. A Libra. One who seeks balance and consensus. I meditate and pray. I hold spaces for love and hope and healing. Rocking the boat makes my heart race and not in a good way.

For a long time, peace meant balance for me – quiet, still, conflict free. Shhhh.

But these days it means something different. It means…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

Enséñame I periodically pick up the very full and alive book Untie the Strong Woman by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés…

[ellensauer]

Calling All Angels

I spent the afternoons this week in my art studio with k.d. lang. Her voice so soothing and deep and her tempo smooth – just right for my creative mood. I had nearly exhausted her Spotify playlist when I stumbled upon this one – Calling All Angels – a duet she did with Jane Siberry.

I stopped what I was doing and just stopped. It was written five years ago, but it feels like it is for right now.…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

I rented a movie last night – a documentary called Intelligent Trees. Did you know that trees actually prefer to grow slowly in groups rather than quickly alone? And not homogeneous groups. Rather, groups of varied species together like birches with elms and firs. We often put them in a position of growing alone when we plant them in our yards willing them to grow fast so we can enjoy some shade,…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

Believe them - then start healing them

Believe them – then start healing them

I used to think this quote from the beloved Dr. Angelou was about me. I guess for a long while I was in a place of feeling misunderstood most of the time and thus wondering why it felt like nobody was hearing me, seeing me, believing me. “Believe me when I tell you who I am the first time, damn it!!!”

And then I gravitated to feeling these words as warning signs from others. If someone showed…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

One Step at a Time

One Step at a Time

“As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.” ~Rumi (Photo courtesy of Rudolf Rinner)

Whenever I embark on something new, my very first, knee-jerk reaction is to plan the life out of it. Whether it’s teaching a class, writing a blog or a book, creating an art piece, unraveling a pattern in me – I envision the end product. How will it look? How will it make me feel? How will it affect…

View On WordPress

[ellensauer]

If You Want to Change the World, Love a Woman

If You Want to Change the World, Love a Woman

We’ve endured months of incessant denigration of women with this campaign cycle – both from a candidate who has no true regard for women and toward a candidate as she seeks a position of power. It’s been deeply painful to feel as a member of this collective – as a woman.

There is a lot of silver-lining awareness that comes from these extremes that allows all of us to see what still needs to be…

View On WordPress