Susun Weed's Wise Woman Forum

by **Jayne Bond** » Wed Jul 09, 2003 1:14 am

Hi cybersisters,

I just returned from the Green Witch Intensive, and it was really amazing. Although the weather was hot, the company of women were so [8D] that I barely noticed. The company of women due to the workings of the cosmological matrix put the number at 13. The food was wonderful although all vegetarian, so I was amazed that I was not ravenous as I had imagined. It is making me rethink my diet, I have been still eating this high protein diet left over from when I did excessive exercise. The women who took part were all very wise and knew a lot about herbs. I felt like a babe in the woods, literally. The weed walks were, as always, very informative and inspiring in me a new level of respect for the level of knowledge that Susun maintains as her herbal database. I think she reitterated that you need seven lifetimes to become a really good herbalist, which I assumed Wise Women. She must be close to completion. We went over a diverse amount of plant species, so very INTENSE. Definitely worth the cost of admission just for the science. Compared to college classes in biology you get quite a great deal, and hard science, something you can use even if you don't decide on being an herbalist. But the magic of the event for me wasn't just the fantastic primer I received, but the magic of the Wise Women Center.

I love the Mesa to sleep on because you can lie out in your tent and see galaxies spinning overhead, if the weather permits, and on July 4th weekend skyrocket strobes light the sky like a constant storm, which helped me to choose my magic name. It has rained for months so I was thrilled that we had clear skies with cottony clouds, but it was very hot, in the nineties and sunny. We all got to try some herbal sunscreens and natural repellants such as Lady B's tick repellant, and a yarrow mixture, but we still wound up dubbing ourselves the Mosquito Clan. We doused the afternoon heat in a nearby river on class days and then howled with the coyotes in our singing and dancing circles around the fire at night. A wide range of lessons were supplanted with the herbal ones, on astronomy, astrology, geology, animal husbandry, mythology, fairies and devas. The ceremony for initiation as a Green Witch was very magical and I knew when I saw the snake that I had stepped on a new node in the Spiderwoman Matrix, jumping from one strand to an inner one, towards the central void, towards the truth and it felt right, IT FELT GOOD. Although I think everyone is anxious about change, I have always found that change is essential to my personal evolution, and I have been stuck in a rut. I needed to leave a lot of baggage in the wicked cool winds of the Catskills so that I could clear my mind and make it empty, ready to be filled again.

On one of the magical nights the fairies came to my tent. The heat was getting to me, along with the bugs, and the goats, and the geese, and I was feeling pretty low because I'm so unsure about which direction to go in. I thought maybe somehow attending this intensive would unlock some gate into my inner consciousness that the monotony of existence was inhibiting. One of the coolest things on Susun's property is that she has all this shale, as it was a mine before. I enjoy working with rock and altars, and her property was just filled with altars created from the blueshale. In a maze of rock walls greened with moss I found this wild stone throne. It had an altar next to it I thought must be for the dwarven kings. I fixed up the altars in the area of the mesa and burned incense, made a sundial and went into the marshy woods where the Fairy altar was. I requested that I be given some guidance at the fairy forest altar and placed some mushrooms and offerings.

I felt like there was some sort of biting insect in the tent because I kept getting bitten or pinched, it woke me up. I guess I should be careful what I wish for, they are mischievous always. I was like, "O.K. fairies, I have got to sleep, meet me in the Dreamtime." And sure enough I dreamt I walked through the shale maze that was kind of spooky in the light of the Witches' sliver moon. But I continued and then I was kneeling before the elven queen of all fairy land who was sitting in the stone throne. She was beautiful, with long, curly, strawberry blonde hair and all these tiny fairies were sitting and alighting on her arms and legs, lighting her beautiful visage in the night. They were also either making or alighting on her tiara of flowers and then she engaged me in this long conversation. I wish I could remember what she said to me, but she did ask me all these questions that I just spoke truth on, and I think I answered them correctly. At the end of it I remember that my final answer was, "I make this commitment to myself." And then I awoke. Perhaps someday I will be able to access the rest of our conversation and understand it, but for now I feel so blessed to have had such a wonderful dream.

I want to thank Susun, all the apprentices, and the atendees including Marie for making it a awesome experience I will never forget.

namaste,
JB

by **Leaf** » Wed Jul 09, 2003 12:57 pm

Hi Jayne,
Just wanted to thank you for sharing this magical powerful experience with us all ~ just wonderful!
Thank you,
Lieve

by **karen joy** » Wed Jul 09, 2003 4:52 pm

Thank you Jayne! The first intensive I want to go to once able is this one. I can only take one day classes now but am glad to experience a little of the Green Witch through you.

karen joy
nourishing wholeness anywhere

by **Jayne Bond** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 12:59 am

I'm so glad to offer...feeling [^]witchy. I think all things happen when they are supposed to Karen. I have been putting off going to this intensive for about 6 years! Your time will come.

namaste,
JB[:p]

by **Anonymous** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 9:57 pm

JB,

That is interesting about "proper timing". I had just got my course welcome pack and felt (very) compelled to go to the Intensive. Even though my knowledge going in was nill, I still gained, gained, gained. It has intensified my awareness on many levels as well as opening my eyes to some of the things I am currently reading (from reading list of GW course). If I can make it next year I have no doubt it will be entirely different.

For one thing, I'll be up on the Mesa the whole time, [8D]. I am still amazed that things in my life I was struggling with so much just last week are simply gone; aren't a struggle or even a problem anymore. I picked up Marie's CD while there and have been chanting whenever I am in the car. Now I find myself whistling them while shopping at the grocery store!

by **Jayne Bond** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 11:40 pm

[:D]DRaceana,

That's why they call it an INTENSive! I think that removing yourself from the daily grind and putting yourself in an intense circumstance is kind of the same as going on a Vision Quest, in many respects, and this is why it creates such a disharmony in people, altering their moods and generally unravelling them. So you weren't the only person who was "shifted" as many people call jumping from one frame of reference to another. It means that you were accessing your core, and that is the purpose. I think you have excellent instincts and when you learn how to focus these through your studies they will really pay off for you. So good luck on your CC!

[8D]JB

by **Anonymous** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 8:58 am

I want to write, not exactly about the Intensive, but what has been happening as a direct result of it...

My garden:
I started 5 new herbs in addition to what I have already been growing, among those are my Green Ally: Stinging Nettle. I now know that she is Urtica Dioica from the Urticaceae family [:D]. I have allowed my "weeds" to grow in and have been identifying them as they flower discovering, to my delight, great qualities about each. One, yellow wood sorrel, is quite tasty! I've developped an intense feeling of "relationship" with the plant world in general and find myself chatting to them wherever I go. I even created a faerie playground, so to speak, in one corner of my garden.

Knowledge:
I finally understand the difference between (plant) species, groups and families. The gals at the Intensive can only know how confused I was about that whole issue [:p]! I am beginning to look at plants and see them thru their scientific names and such. I walk by this one weed in my driveway and think, "Oh, your are in the polyganaceae family." I see Nettle as Urtica and St Joan's Wort as Hypericum, my Corn Plant as, hahaha, Dracaena. I think the womin who shared the "sunday going on's" will see the resemblace: http://www.greenflora.com/greenflora/se ... acaena.jpg [;)].

Nutrition:
I learned much about nutrition, especially very specific needs I have which happened to be an issue for me while there. They helped much I have to say and showed me foods that I can eat that significantly increase my options. I also learned a great deal from a certain someone else (JB [;)]) who helped me have much more peace about my protien intake as well as exercise, attitude, etc. I learned much from ALL the women there; enough to say that I gained equally all the way around. Oh, among everything else, I learned about Kale and Swiss Chard, am growing that as well and have been eating it in abundance as well as drinking lots of infusions, as is mentioned on other posts in other forum topics.

Personal:
I am far more relaxed and confident in who I am. I am no longer afraid to be who I am. I used to walk in fear though I would never admit it, now I walk in the strength of that Wild Womon within. I have made some valuable friendships with womin who allow me to be who I am. Living most of my life in a male dominated envirnment has had a negative impact on my life. Experiencing 4 days in an all feminine environment (Intensive) was enough to set that straight. There are too many personal changes that are taking place to list here so will leave it at that.

I am not sure if my experience is unique but it is unique to me. I was ready for a major change in my life but couldn't seem to take that final step. All that has happened in the past month has been the catalyst. I am so grateful the Wise Womon Center, for the womin who attended this workshop at the same time I did, this forum and to the inner guidance I am increasingly listening to.

E> E> E> Dracaena <3 <3 <3

oh, also...

I never really understood why I chose dracaena till I returned. I then knew that Corn Plant had a lesson. I am drawn toward the Aztec Goddess: Great Corn Mother, Chicomecoatl. I want to learn more of her. What I do know is, in brief that her season is the time of fruit, flowers and abundant growing things; is a nurturer; is competent and sure of her body, taking good care of herself (something I didn't used to do); has the ability to learn, teach and recognize talents in others...

by **karen joy** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 10:34 am

Thank you Dracaena! I love hearing people's personal experiences

karen joy
nourishing wholeness anywhere

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