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Listening to the Heart Blog

Living, exploring, expressing, spiraling the journey of womanhood one breath at a time, one day at a time, one achievement at a time, one blessing at a time.

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Bead By Bead: The Day Finally Came

1/30/2014

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PictureSienna's first bracelet. Photo by Sienna Summers.
I began creating beadwork twenty years ago. I first saw daisy chains being sold at a Grateful Dead show in Buffalo New York, and decided I wanted to make those. I went home to Plymouth, Massachusetts without a clue in the world. I found a craft store, purchased a sewing needle, sewing thread, and two different colors of seed beads. I decided I was going to learn to do this. I mean, how hard could it be? Right?

Fearless, and determined, I began clumsily stringing beads and attempting to weave them together. The beads kept breaking. The inflexible needle would not bend the way I needed it to. The thread would stretch, or snap. Finally, after hours of struggle, the piece that I willfully created barely held together. I realized I needed to learn more. 

Not long after this, I began traveling across the country. I packed up my needles and thread, a desire to learn beadwork, and a soul hungry for adventure. I still remember the warm Colorado day, and the patient young woman who gave me a flexible beading needle, and showed me how to wax the beading thread. She taught me the pattern in the picture above, and I was hooked. From there, others taught me peyote stitch, and with the information I gathered I began stringing my own creations riffing off of basic patterns. Once I began flowing with the magic of creating beadwork, I learned there was more to learn. Beadwork had much to teach me: patience, introspection, when to rest, how to dream, and when to let go. 

The rhythm of beadwork lends itself to introspection. More  times than I can count, I recall beading and dreaming, or working other thoughts out in my head. I would find myself wondering, contemplating, journeying to different worlds. Then a bead would break, or my thread would get tangled, and I would find myself frustrated, and that is when I learned that there was a time to rest. A time to close the tin and take a walk, or sing a song. And after a project was created, it would be time to give it away, or sell it. Keeping this idea of making the piece for another always in my mind, I would weave my work with intention and prayers for the receiver... whoever that turned out to be. In some way, it made it easier to release.

When my first daughter was born, I made her a beautiful medicine shield with a peyote stitch necklace. Last year, I gave it to her so she could wear it. Ever since she was born, I dreamed of the day when she would be eager enough to want to learn. For years, I have patiently waited, and dreamed of my daughters coming to me, and asking me to learn beadwork. 

Last week, the day finally came! It was later in the evening, before bed, and I found myself on my bed with my 18 year old, and my, soon to be 12 year old, teaching them beadwork. They both chose beautiful colors, and as I saw them bent over their tin of beads, carefully selecting each colorful glass bead, I had the realization...The day has finally come! 

More than anything beadwork has taught me patience. After all, the piece is created bead by bead. One bead, after another bead, woven together and through each other, building a work of art. And that is how life works, how motherhood works. Each day is a new day. A new color you are stringing along onto a collection of other days. Some days are vibrant, others are pale. Each contrast creates a sharper image. And finally, you realize after stringing the days together patiently, lovingly, that a piece of work is completed. Not all of the work you will ever do because there is always more to work on...always more to create. 

Bead by bead, day by day, I built a relationship with my girls. I built the opportunity for them to come to me, to learn from me, to share with me. They have watched me create. They have worked with me, and I with them, on various projects. Over time, our collective experiences brought us to the moment I have waited for for many years. Thank you Sienna and Sharlotte. Thank you for letting me be your mother, your teacher, your guide, and your friend. I love you so much, and am incredibly honored to be your mother, and to pass along my love of beadwork. I hope it teaches you, as much as it has taught me. 

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The Give Away

1/25/2014

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Picture
The Give Away

I am the cave
who cradles the sacred
embers from the frigid momentum.

I am the embers
who patiently wait for spirit's
breath to stoke a flame.

I am the breath
who weaves a story
with its rhythm.

I am the story
who transmutes
all things given away.

I am the give away
reborn again,
and again,
and again.

I flow like water.

Each day.

~Words and sketch by Suzette Winona Summers©

I have been feeling the pull of the earth... the call to hibernate...to gather my strength and compost my experiences... It is that time... and soon it will be the time for new shoots to sprout forth from a dark nest. 

Synchronistically, I read this today on the Facebook page ShamanTube after I had already begun this poem:

 "It is in the Underworld...that seeds germinate and prepare for spring. Myths of descent and rebirth connect the soul's cycles to those of nature.”
― Terri Windling

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Blessing The Waters

1/21/2014

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PictureWater Blessing at the Ohio River (Photo by Paige Waggoner)
Mother-Father God, Infinite Great Spirit that moves through all things, I pray that you bless the sacred waters that cover this Earth. I pray that you re-awaken our hearts and minds to the powerful healing that flows through them. Guide us, and lead us, in the ways we can bring change into the minds of those who do not see, or have forgotten the sacredness of water. Water is life. We give thanks for the loving water that flows through this world for the healing and survival of all living things. Bless the waters. Bless our hearts. Bless our minds. Show us the way. May your will be done. So be it. So it is.







Yesterday, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I was honored to share a blessing for the Ohio River, and all of the sacred waters of this planet. The way in which this came about was truly divinely orchestrated, and I am still in awe of the way the sacred moves within us, around us, and through us. 

Last week we were made aware that there was a chemical spill in the Ohio River, and that the chemical plume was headed toward Louisville. Of course, my heart was sad hearing of this, but I also know that we are not unique, and that the poisoning of the Earth's waters are happening every day. Water is sacred. So many have forgotten. 

The posts of local people on Facebook were sad, angry, and fearful about the chemical spill, and the way the water company was handling the situation. Although my heart was sad too, and that familiar fear and helpless feeling was creeping up inside of me, I felt that we needed to respond with a higher vibration. And with that inspiration, I wrote the above prayer, and shared it on Facebook.

A day, or so later, I became aware that a local woman, Melissa Rue, was working on organizing a Community Blessing For the Ohio River, so I contacted her asking for more information because I would like to attend. I told her that I was feeling a similar inspiration and had  written a prayer on my Facebook wall the other day. The universe  is a funny thing... She responded immediately, and saw our connecting as fate, and asked if I would be willing to lead the blessing. I was honored and in awe of the orchestration of the universe... of how when we allow spirit to guide us, wonders continue to unfold... and they continued...

My passion is to bring the ritual and participation of circle to people, and I was able to do just that. Women, men, and children stood close together in circle. A woman stood in each of the four directions and called in the spirit of that direction, with the support of the entire circle. I then said a prayer for the water, for our hearts, minds, and spirits, and asked that the Great Spirit that moves through all things would transmute the emotions of fear, anger, and helplessness into confidence, inspiration, strength and steadfastness. I prayed that we would be directed by Spirit rather than our egos as to the best ways we can work to protect and heal our waters. As I was praying a dear friend, Tara, held a bowl of water, and after the prayer, each person in the circle was invited to share their blessing with the water. 

One by one, people came to the bowl of water cradled with reverence by Tara to offer blessings. Women. Men. Children. Oh, the children. My heart bloomed with hope as I saw young girls with somber faces placing their hands upon the bowl, and speaking their blessings into the water. There–is hope. There–is power. I was in awe. What a blessing. 

What a powerful, amazing gift the creator gave me to be an initiator and a witness to such power housed in such gentle authenticity. And this is what I live for–to bring ritual, ceremony, and participation to the world. To teach our children the power of community, authenticity, prayer, and blessings.  I live for the moments when I can be a catalyst and a witness to women (and men) claiming their power, and using that power for the healing of this planet. 

In gratitude and abundant love,
Suzette

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Journeying Into the Darkness (poem for the New Year)

1/21/2014

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Journeying Into the Darkness

Nails packed full with earth from digging
a nest in the breast of the mother,
I curl into the tightness of darkened space
where I surrender to dreams and nightmares
whose ribbons of teeth strip my spirit 
like flames through a hollow 
bone, burning off the remnants 
of curled flesh and ragged fears. I turn
into the shadow, nuzzle
into the warm oblivion, and wait
like a seed for the spring rain,
and the singing sun. The tiger turns
a circle, swooshes its tail
and pads away into the distant forest,
its glowing eyes alight with indifference.

By Suzette Winona Summers© 1/1/2014

This was a poem I was inspired to write in the early morning hours. A new year. After being ill on New Year's Eve, after diving deep into fears and anxiety, I awoke both physically and symbolically realizing that the "Tiger" of torment was working to set a part of me free. The mystery unfolds, and though it may challenge us, and push us to the limits, I choose to believe that it is love working to set us free. 

~ In love,
Suzette
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    Suzette Winona Summers M.A. is a mother, writer, artist, and circler of women following the call of her heart to empower herself, her sisters, and the world. Suzette embraces her purpose of birthing a new world through one breath at a time, one step at a time, walking through fear, disappointments, and difficulties into the light of a new day. 

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