Green Heart Ecotherapy

We are looking forward to our day in nature, with spaciousness and self to mark the the Winter Solstice. Come and join us.

https://events.humanitix.com/winter-soltice-forest-immersion-and-art-for-wellbeing

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Come and join us...

The days are getting colder and the darkness is getting earlier. I know I've been feeling the call to slow down and create spaciousness for myself as the Winter Solstice approaches. I'm happy to have the chance to do so in good company - both human and non-human in the beautiful Organ Pipes National Park next weekend.

If you're thinking of joining Eva Vani and I (Evani Art Therapy & Counselling and Green Heart Ecotherapy ) at this upcoming event, you'll be pleased to know there are still a few places left. It's time - return to nature, creativity and self as we let go of the old and embrace the seeds of the new.

See you next week!

In solidarity
Amy x

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Winter is upon us, the mornings are crisp and the nights are getting longer. Come and join us in marking the Winter Solstice at Organ Pipes National Park, just 30 minutes from Melbourne.

The Winter Solstice is a time to slow down and turn inward, to help release what is ready to be released and make way for the seeds of change that might come as the flowers of spring emerge. We will be exploring nature connection practices and playing with nature art to help us mark the shortest day and longest night.

This event has been running since 2020 and Eva from Evani Art Therapy & Counselling and I are excited to be back with this half day event to mark the cycles of the year at this beautiful spot together.

We hope to see you there.

Amy 🌿

Send a message to learn more

Thanks to those that came to our autumn equinox picnic. It was a spacious and relaxing afternoon that felt truly nourishing. Stories of gardens, summer nature adventures and our lives flowed easily as we ate food made with love.

We reflected our nature mandala reminded us of balance and the four directions. We had the sounds of Persian new years as we gathered, another type of equinox celebration. As the world continues it's turbulence, I hope you are able to find some time to mark the balance in your life, as nights lengthen and we begin to turn inward.

The Kulin people call this season Monomeeth, where mornings become cooler and rain comes to re-enliven the parched earth. Enjoy this season and what it brings

Thanks to all those who came and celebrated the Solstice with us on Friday! It was wonderful to be amongst the trees as the sun dipped below the horizon, with others keen to tune into the cycle of the Sun. Thanks as always to the wonderful Evani Creative Therapies for co-facilitating and bringing all her summer energy to lead us in art and reflection together.
Happy Solstice and happy holidays to everyone.
x

Tomorrow is the Spring Equinox here in the southern hemisphere. Again, we are invited to celebrate the equal balance of day and night. I'm here on a nature connection camp with the Firekeepers Community and made a beautiful nature mandala with some of the children here this morning. I invite you and your family to do the same between now and Sunday evening, and post in the comments here. Happy Spring equinox to you all.

Welcome to Spring everyone!

PAREIP (Spring) is here 🙂 and flowers are opening everywhere. Keep your eyes out for the BARROWORN ( Magpie), they are protecting their young now, as it is the season of the nesting birds.
The GARRONG (Black Wattle) slowly begin to flower, dropping their flowers in the CORINELLA (Running Water) to let the Bunurong who are now down in the low lands know that the KOON-WARRA (Swan) eggs are ready to collect. It is the return of the EOKE (EEL) which brings much celebration and YAIN YANG ( Dance). The BAGGAROOK ( Women) decorate their hair with the flowers of the murnong and the kangaroo apple, the Murnong and yams are beginning to flower indicating the tubers are nearly ready to eat. MURNALONGS ( Bees) are swarming and the BEEK(Country) is filled with the sound of movement as the birds and animals awake with the return of the NOWEENTH ( Sun). As the days warm up the beautiful BOLLAM BOLLAM ( Butterfly) emerge and the Bunurong begin to set up WILLAM ( Camp) closer to the WARRAIN ( Ocean), here they can enjoy fishing from the rocks and eat an abundance of green leafy foods that are now available. It is now time where day and night are equal and colour to the land has returned. PAREIP my favourite time of the year. All of the seasonal stories are available in my book https://danceoftheplants.org/books… stunning artwork by Judy Prosser

Thanks to all those who attended the Winter Solstice Forest Immersion yesterday in the sunshine. Eva and I had a great day. The Winter Solstice itself is this Tuesday and we hope you all have a beautiful day marking it in your own way. Fire, darkness, release... Fertile soil for planting the seeds for what's to come.

Thanks to Eva Vani Art Therapy for co-creating the day. Check out her Page and give her a like to see what she's dreaming up next.

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=eva%20vani%20art%20therapy

What's emerging for you this year? The first year out of a very long cocoon, where our caterpillar bodies disintegrated and reformed?

For me, I find myself in community, offering and participating in projects with others rather than solo. One of these offerings will be in July with Nature's Apprentice. Others will be offering similar free/pay as you feel 'Soul Councils' in May and June also. Have a look at the events and see if they call to you. And don't worry, Green Heart events will start to trickle back at just the right time, wind spread 🦋

https://fb.me/e/1lE6wZAGV

A wonderful opportunity to learn from ancient wisdoms...

Would you like to come and sit with me and learn. I have 2 places left for a personal mentorship course. Spread over 2 full days on Saturday 9th and 16th April. Only 4 people attending so we can really get to know each other and not be overwhelmed in a large group. You will spend the days with me learning how to make all medicines from a tincture,to a bush rub,as well as an oxymel and a tonic. You will take all products home with you. We will work closely with plant medicine and spend a lot of time in the garden identifying plants, learning the Kulin names and uses. If you love plants and want to learn how to work closer with them then this is the class for you. Cost $400 which includes products and notes to take home each week. Please message me if this is something that fits with you.

Plenty sun, Early summer, a time of abundance for the Bunurong. In what ways are you living this still on these lands?

Just a reminder as we sit in this beautiful season right now for it is ..
Bullarto N`Yo`Weenth Plenty Sun November/December
We are now in the season known as BULLARTO N`YOWEENTH ( plenty sun)(early summer).

Bunurong people begin to welcome their neighbours to the coast, people would swim and gather TUYANG(shellfish) and PIDDERON(periwinkles) from the rocky platforms or fish for snapper at the mouth of the mangrove inlets and mix the days catch with the fruit of the KARKALLA ( pigface) and sweet tubers that the "BAGGAROOK"( women) had gathered..
The COOLEENTH (men) could be found sitting together making bark canoes so they could travel to the islands to catch KOORMAN(seal). The Moonbird (muttonbird) have arrived and soon they will lay their single egg. The Kulin people gather together, their camps getting ready for the coming of age ceremonies, there are many YAINYANGS(corroborees) and WEENTH( fires) burn brightly across the landscape.
It is an abundant time for the Kulin people, native grasses grow tall and seed now and MURRUB (lerps) can be collected from WURUN ( manna tree) bulbs are ready for harvesting and the BOLLAM BOLLAM (butterflies) add colour to the fields of wildflowers. DOONBURRIM(lizards) and snakes are active and EOKE(eels) are starting to come down the river. People stay near the fresh water sources now as the N`YOWEENTH(sun) begins to heat up. Kulin BEEK ( country) is bursting with life. Written by Sonia Marie Bunurong Woman

The beautiful Rachel Des and Michael Norton are hosting this event. I highly recommend the space they hold for those who wish to be seen in their love of nature, and experience where that love can take you.

When we slow down, notice and listen, there are so many beings who are beside us, communicating with us. How do we learn their language? and share ours? Can we create a shared language? What happens when we play, explore and share these experiences? Find out by joining and I as we go out into the wilds together from our own wild places and meet back on zoom to share stories of what we experienced. Walking with Earth and Story was born from a love of story telling and story witnessing and also a sense of how special and healing it can be to share our nature connection stories.
As I write this I watch a father blackbird in the garden collecting worms and being met by his two baby blackbirds begging for food. He doesn't feed them and hops a little way away and they start pecking at the ground to find their own worms too. Who did you meet today on your wanders or by looking out into your garden? I am curious to hear. Link in the bio or below in the comments if you'd like to join us.

Time to sprout!

New Blog! Check it out... https://greenheartecotherapy.wordpress.com/2021/10/16/the-joy-of-service/

The Joy of Service The Joy of Service I slept and dreamt that life was joy.I awoke and saw that life was service.I acted and behold, service was joy.- Rabindranath Tagore There’s a certainty that flows from me these …

Come and join us in creating some Nature Mandalas for the Spring Equinox tomorrow and over the long weekend! Link below~~~>>>
https://fb.me/e/17e7Oy68n

Look at these amazing creations from the Spring Equinox last year. Come and join us in your own time over the Equinox weekend, 23rd-26th by sharing pictures of your creations to the event discussion page.

https://fb.me/e/WHPEfxRn

I'm so excited to share that the beautiful Rachel from Forest Immersion Walks Victoria will be joining us next Sunday 29th August for my next event - The World Is F***ed: Honouring our world pain in the Pandemic. Rachel is an experienced Forest Therapy guide and comes with a wealth of wisdom and experience that will make our Sunday together all the richer.

Have you bought your ticket? If the news has been getting you down recently this afternoon together will hold what we've been carrying and find our way back to 'active hope'. There are still a few tickets left - I hope to see you there.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-world-is-fed-honouring-our-world-pain-in-the-pandemic-tickets-166150640037

Have you heard the magpies call?

I lay in the dark and listen to the song of my beloved BARROWORN( Magpie) I hear his melodic call, awakening the sun. It is his voice that gives us the signal for sunrise.
He is the head communicator and you will find him on the council of the wise. BARROWORNS dreaming story begins a long long time ago, when the sky covered the BEEK(Earth). When the Kulin people crawled around in the dark. BARROWORN being so smart and proud gathered together and worked to raise the sky so everyone could move around freely. The gathered some long sticks and fighting hard they began to lift the sky up, they placed the long sticks on small and big rocks and they slowly lifted the sky high. They lifted it so high that the BOORURN(sky) split open, showing the first beautiful CARMUGGIE N`YOWEENTH (sunrise). BARROWORN was so happy to feel the light and warmth of the sun that he burst into a beautiful song.
BARROWORN sings to remind you to be grateful for the sun. You will hear BARROWORN alot right now, it is his time to not only greet the sun but to also sing his song of pride for his wife and children. It is WYEEBOO PAREIP( early spring), the time of many QUEEOP QUEEOP (bird) babies. Now is the time to respect BARROWORNS territory, learn from him and his wisdom.
Learn his story and Love your gift of a new day and the sunshine it brings.

Some lockdown nature time in the inner 'burbs with these three loves of mine.

I am continuing to explore nature despite not being about to venture far - on this trip I foraged edible weeds, neighbourhood lemons and lavender for some calming tea when we got home.

I am finding ways to be curious and invite in awe despite the mundaness of lockdown. How is your local nature helping you through this lockdown?

In solidarity 💚

Celebrating the Winter Solstice last month with some beautiful people, gorgeous weather and art therapy with the lovely Eva Vani.

What luck to be able to have this day, in light of recent lockdowns.

I hope to see you all again on the bush in the near future.
Until then, find awe in nature wherever you are # # #

How do you cultivate your own belonging?

As we settle into to the winter season, we have been invited by the land to slow down in cosy hibernation. Sometimes circumstances don't allow for this, sometimes there is stress and upheaval. But here we are again in lockdown, another forced slow down in the midst of upheaval. How can you utilise what this time is for you to foster your own belonging to self, community and land? What tendrils can you follow?

In Claire Dunn's new book "Rewilding the Urban Soul", she quotes Toko-Pa Turner about belonging - "Most of us think of belonging as something outside of ourselves, that if we keep searching for maybe someday we'll find it. But what if belonging isn't a place at all, but a set of skills, or competencies that we in modern times have lost or forgotten?".

These may be the simple act of growing or fermenting your own food, to more ancestral skills of shelter building or fire making. Or maybe it's the simple fact of listening to how the seasons reflect the seasons within you.

Nillumbik U3A says this about the current season in their document The Kulin Seasons... "[It is named] the ‘Cold West Wind and Artefact Making Season’ which occupied the next three lunar months from May 11 to August 2. This was again a more indoors time... and time was particularly spent in educating children and preparing the older ones for their coming initiation. The end of this season was signalled by the flowering of silver wattles."

What is drawing you towards the deep sense of belonging that is your birthright?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0sWIVR1hXw

The Land Owns Us Bob Randall, a Yankunytjatjara elder and traditional owner of Uluru (Ayer's Rock), explains how the connectedness of every living thing to every other living...

~~~ Women are rising!!
Wild, windswept, born of ocean, aflame with light,
rooted as trees, we are rising.
We are re-wilding ourselves.
Emerging from Earth, clad in moss and bark.
We are unrecognizable, except to each other.~~~

Thanks to Emma Jade for the re-share xx

Women are rising!!
Wild, windswept, born of ocean, aflame with light,
rooted as trees, we are rising.
We are re-wilding ourselves.
Emerging from Earth, clad in moss and bark.
We are unrecognizable, except to each other.
We move in the shadows of forests and the deep, cool undercurrents of streams.
We reach out our arms to the mountains.
Dare to stand, cracked and dry and dust-whorled like deserts.
We green ourselves with grasses, root ourselves in moist soil.
We are wondrous. We are rising. We are wild.
We see each other, feel for each other, hold each other up.
Like waves in an ocean we are a celebration of nature’s powers and impulses.
We ebb and flow according to our own rhythm. We will not be dictated to.
A woman no longer separate from the flesh of Earth, becomes her, speaks for her,
lifts her throat and sings of fire below and stars in her hair.
We are granite and grandeur, full-fleshed and woven through with wildflowers.
We bloom according to our own ways and whims and wants.
False things fall down in our presence. We are pregnant with new birth.
A wild soul woman is a woman of belly and breath and boundlessness.
She makes her own way through ancient lands.
With soft footsteps, lays down fresh tracks.
Barriers break apart before her.
Instinctively she moves, on fin and wing and prayer.
She listens to the wisdom of stone.
She is the echo of a deeper voice that speaks from the fiery cave.
She is molten, flowing, shape-shifter.
She is living proof of a language that banishes all sense of loneliness.
The Earth warms her, welcomes her, enfolds her.
She grows tall amid the fields, greets the wind and the grasses, the soft grace of rainbows.
She is fire woman and rain woman and earth and air, with plenty to spare.
We are wondrous. We are rising. We are wild.”

~ Mary Reynolds Thompson, teacher of A Wild Soul Woman
www.maryreynoldsthompson.com

Art by Amalia Rachel
www.amaliarachel.com

The winter solstice is upon us - the time to honor the longest night of the year. Marking the solstices means the tuning into the cycles of nature both without and within. The cycle of the earth around the sun mirroring the cycles of our own breath.

It's a time for turning inwards, honoring the darkness and shadows within us and welcoming them back home, of letting go what no longer serves us to make way for the new seeds that may be tilled in our soil.

It's been a strange year since the last Winter Solstice - pandemic and climate grief teaching us about collective traumas, throwing our personal lives up in the air in different ways. What has changed since last year's Solstice for you? What have you stepped towards? And what seeds are calling to be planted next?

Happy Winter Solstice everyone. I hope there is warmth and fire to fuel you in your next chapter as we begin to welcome back longer days and invite in the light again!