As I am determined to start being more devoted to getting the word out about many of the subjects I am passionate about, I am noticing I have many descriptors.
Artist. I believe this is one of the parts of myself I have been the longest. I cannot remember a time that I wasn't creating something. I love the rush and excitement that comes from the ideas and inspiration of new fabric art projects. I have been sewing & stitching since I was a young girl. I have some frustration though that I am afraid that I have so many Ideas for fabric art projects I want to create and not enough time in my life to actually complete them. I have started trying to keep the ideas together in a folder and to stop working on more than 1 project at a time. My current project is sort of a fabric art & spiritual experiment. I watched a video about Indigenous Peruvians purposefully wearing magickal & Spiritual symbols on their clothing. Doing so with the belief that these symbols could concentrate the energy of those symbols into their bodies for them to utilize. I have no desire to copy their designs because I have no right to do so, but I was inspired to use the symbols of my own ancestors as my expression of this technique.
Permaculturist. This has become a central point in my life. As using the Three Ethics of Permaculture are now affecting every decision in my life. I am so passionate about sharing the wisdom I feel is a gift from the Creator. Now I feel obligated to share this wisdom with everyone I can.
Master Gardener. Getting the Master Gardener certification under my belt was very important to me. I think I was struggling & feeling like I was treading water in my career path and that I would not advance without this certification. I am proud of this accomplishment and the sacrifices I had to make in my life to get this training done. Having worked in the green industry most of my adult life I felt I already knew a lot. Taking the course showed me I still had a lot to learn. For any gardener who really wants to understand their local soil, plant species, disease & insects this is a very important education resource. I also suggest not waiting until your retired to take this course. Your local county extension office has this program no matter which state you live in.
Teacher. Following my professional education through the Permaculture & Master Gardener courses definitely refined my own knowledge & skills. It also inspired a desire to share with others in larger groups. I continuously have the one-on-one education experience through my work. Being able to teach in a classroom environment is so much more rewarding for me. I feel I can help and engage so many more people at once. I feel like I am able to spread the wisdom that I am driven to share faster and on a larger scale. I am also looking to start classes that are geared more towards Pagan Traditions. Not just gardening.
Shaman. This has been a slow and arduous process over many lifetimes that is finally coming to fruition for me. Even in this lifetime I have felt so lost and unable to make the "right" connections for my personal Spiritual path. I feel confident that my lifes adventures & exploring has finally found a home. Now I just have to ground, breathe, pray and start the devotion. Making myself honor the importance of this in my life has now has become my center.
Pagan Activist/Community Organizer. During my personal Spiritual journey I encountered many others who were seeking community & support. Most folks in the Pagan Traditions seek this community without a traditional structure or church to go to. Seeing this need in myself and others I co-founded Pagans in the Park. We are Pagans from all Traditions who literally Gather together in community Parks. These are family friendly & fun weekly Gatherings where we discuss our individual paths, struggles, inspirations and celebration. We have chapters in Joplin, Missouri, Aurora, Colorado and Aberdeen, Washington. Being a leader or organizer in the Pagan Community is very rewarding for me as a facilitator of friendship & community. I really enjoy learning from others & sharing my own traditions as well. If you are interested in starting a chapter in your area please fel free to contact me.
Small Business Owner. As a natural result of my Artwork, Gardening Classes & Pagan Community work I needed a venue to share my work with others. My websites have had a few incarnations over the years. First as Mystic Motherwort and now Native Peace Healing Garden & Gifts. My website is continually being updated & worked on but it is a great way to share my work while I lack the ability to have a brick and mortar store. This is my eventual goal, but it will come to fruition when it is the right time & place. http://sheiliacanada.wix.com/nativepeacegifts
These are the overall broad definitions. I feel there are a few more that are very important to honor.
Author. This is a new incarnation that has developed out of my Gardening path. I have had the honor of writing several articles on the subject of gardening. I have found myself very comfortable writing and I hope to continue to have these opportunities. I believe that my attention and devotion to regular weekly blog posts will help me polish this skill.
Mom, Wife, Daughter, Sister. My devotion to my family and Ancestors is also a very important part of who I am. I hope that they are all proud of the work I have done so far and have yet to do.
Steward. This is probably one of the most important definers of who I am. I now consider myself a Steward of all of these different aspects of myself.
I hope sharing the different aspects of myself will help you look inside & see the many wonderful aspects of yourself or think of new definers you would like to have attached to you.
It is time to go outside, ground & plant something so I will check back in next week.
Warm Blessing to you
