WELCOME!
Ostara: We Are Water
Come in, come in! I’m so happy you’re here. The season of Ostara, also known as the Vernal Equinox, marks the first day of spring and the halfway point between the solstices. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, Ostara falls on March 20th. This ancient holiday honors creative flow, deep noticing, resurrection, and renewal.
All Creative Alchemy Cycle bundles are self-guided. I’ve created this landing page as a home base for us as we journey through the season of Ostara. We’ll also meet in person on the fourth Sunday of each month (scroll down for links.) Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
Table of Contents
PART ONE: DIGITAL CONTENT
Story of the Season: a Homily for Ostara (audio & PDF)
The Great Wide Open (video)
In the Studio (video)
Collaborative Alchemy Podcast: Episode 13 with Marla Teyolia (audio)
Fuel for the Fire: Writing prompts, links, reading lists, Spotify playlists, etc.
Further Connection: Monthly Community Zoom Call / Recording (links)
PART TWO: FOR FULL SUBSCRIBERS
CAC Network: Online communication platform
Altar Box: Description of your seasonal care package
NOTE of ENGAGEMENT:
Please do not share the link to this page with others. This content was created just for you. Thank you for your respect and understanding.
PART ONE: Digital Content
Seaonal Focus — Sketchbook Practice
This season we’re going to start a sketchbook. A sketchbook is a place where we can explore and expand the boundaries of what we see and how we see it. At it’s core, a sketchbook practice is a tool for deep noticing. If you are new to sketchbook practice, breathe into the excitement of being a beginner and remember that it’s all about process. And if you are already a keeper of doodles and drawings, then allow your practice to deepen your relationship with the physical world around you. Your sketchbook is a creative laboratory for creating your own visual and imagistic vocabulary. It’s a place to play and explore.
Calling You Home — A Homily
This is a great place to begin. For each of the eight bundles that make up the Creative Alchemy Cycle, I write a seasonal story to set the container for the bundle. These homilies are my way of practicing alongside you and using the creative alchemy tools to create my own work. You can download a copy using the button below and/or listen to the audio.
The Great Wide Open
My creative process always begins outside. This is where I weave the outer landscape with the inner one. Eastern Oregon is in a rapid state of thaw and animals that have been hibernating are returning to the valley. We’ll begin our journey creekside with our sketchbook and talk about the legend of Cailleach Buí, an Irish Witch. Then we’ll go searching for eagles and visit a flock of swans taking a momentary rest at a local bird sanctuary.
In the Studio
After viewing The Great Wide Open, let’s head into my studio. This is where I metabolize, incubate, and process all the elements which make up my current state of creative alchemy. This season, we’ll discuss the why and how of a sketchbook practice. We’ll also explore the dynamic themes of this watery season through sacred natural objects and enjoy the art of deep noticing by sketching feathers, leaves, botanicals, and more.
Collaborative Alchemy Podcast
Collaborative Alchemy is a series of conversations with artists, thought leaders, activists, farmers, educators, creatives, and other polymaths where we tell our stories, expand our histories, and hold space for new ways of being. In this episode, I talk with leadership coach and facilitator Marla Teyolia about spiritual mentorship, reclaiming our power, and why liberation is an inside job.
Fuel For The Fire
Writing prompts and further exploration, links, reading lists, spotify playlists, etc. Click on the images or buttons below to view, visit, or download.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Invitations for Further Connection
Our monthly Community Connection Calls usually happen on the fourth Sunday of each month from 10:00—11:15am PST. These gatherings are come-as-you-are meet-ups, facilitated by Sarah. They are recorded and posted right here the day after. Sarah will send a reminder email the week before and the day before each gathering.
RECORDING OF APRIL COMMUNITY CONNECTION CALL
Sunday, April 24th 2022
RECORDING OF MARCH CONNECTION CALL
Sunday, March 27th 2022
PART TWO: For Full Subscribers
The Ostara Community Network & Gallery
The community network & gallery is a communication platform just for us! It’s like Facebook but WAY better: no advertisements, completely private, and built collectively. As a member of the Cycle you received an invitation to join our Creative Alchemy Cycle (CAC) online network via Mighty Networks. The button below will take you to the network.
About the Ostara Care Package
For those of you subscribing to the full Cycle, your care-packages will be arriving between March 13th and 17th. These love-filled packages contain natural objects, local Eastern Oregon flavor, and art ephemera to inspire your journey, and adorn your Ostara altar.
CONTENTS of the OSTARA PACKAGE:
✦ Welcome Letter and poem by Octavio Paz
✦ Packet of Poppy Seeds
✦ River Rock from Eagle Creek
✦ Organic Walnuts from Eagle Creek Orchard
✦ Art Postcard of Sarah’s “Testing Pine Creek”
✦ Quote Card by John O’Donohue
✦ White Votive for your altar
ABOUT the RIVER ROCK:
These river-worn stones have spent years and years, tumbled by natural moving water. All their rough edges have been smoothed over by the miraculous motion of the earth. They have endured, just like you.
Source: These stones are from Eagle Creek, the waterway that cuts through the center of Eagle Valley in Eastern Oregon. They are the perfect size for altar displays. I also love to slip them in my pocket as a handheld “worry stone”, rubbed between the fingers to reduce stress.
ABOUT the WALNUTS:
Walnuts are the oldest tree food known to man, dating back to 7,000 B.C. These are delicious for eating if you feel like cracking one open for a snack, but I’m using them this season as “eggs” on my Ostara altar.
I love walnuts because they are actually seeds: a symbol of intelligence, wisdom, knowledge, and inspiration. The walnut is the perfect altar object, representing clarity and focus, gathering of energy, and beginning new projects. They are also synonymous with intellect and mental aptitude – even the nuts resemble the brain!
Source: These are from Eagle Creek Orchard, a local organic orchard where I work on a thinning and harvest crew (May-October).
ABOUT the POPPY SEEDS:
These wild poppy seeds were harvested from the seed pod husks that I sent in your Mabon package last September. They are annuals.
Sowing: Poppies grow well from seed sown directly in a garden bed, field, or fence line. Sow seeds in early spring and early summer, or wait and sow seeds in late autumn in zones 7 and above for winter and early spring flowers.
Germination: Poppy seeds germinate best in cool, well-draining soils in a full-sun location. Cover the seeds with a one-eighth-inch layer of loose soil or peat moss. Poppies require some light to germinate. Poppies typically germinate within 15 days if the soil temperature is near 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Water as needed.
Gratitude.
“Be like water, my friend.
You shall find a way around, or through it.
When nothing within us stays rigid,
We decide the shape we're in.”
— Beautiful Chorus