Earth Day Work Weekend in the Arbor! Friday-Sunday

Morels are making an appearance on the land at Spirit Canoe Lodge! Join us at the work weekend and spend some time hunting for these amazing mushrooms.

April 22-24 & May 7-8 Work Weekends for Eagle Dance: Lend a hand for a few hours or stay the whole weekend to assist in preparing the land and ceremonial space for our first Eagle Dance! There will be stonework done on the altar, native plants to be put in, and drainage work. We will also have time to help dancers with their preparations and regalia for the ceremony. Contact Kelly to register for Eagle Dance or lend a hand over the work weekends. Much gratitude to our community for helping to make this happen. May 20-22 Eagle Dance! An Eagle Dance is a one day ceremony.  Our personal and collective prayers are danced to the center tree.  The “tree of life” acts as an antenna to spirit as we pray for guidance from the Universe in the coming year.  Drummer singers maintain the heartbeat on a pow-wow drum from sunrise to sunset and maintain the energy for us as we dance back and forth to the center tree.  We will be fasting, and drinking water is optional and recommended.  The dance is a meditative experience.  Dancing keeps us in our bodies and out of our head so we can receive “with care and with clarity” messages from spirit.  The people of Grandmother Earth need our prayers.  We have chosen to be alive in this special time and humanity is calling us to participate as we bridge the old world into the new one currently emerging. Eagle Dance is an irreplaceable experience and well worth your careful preparation. We highly recommended to attend a Craft Day at SCL to make some of your items.  The first time participant will need several items and dance regalia. Contact Kelly for the Eagle Dance preparation list.

Vision Quest Weekend April 29-May 1 We have room for one more participant! One of the first ceremonies on our path is “Night on the Mountain of Fear”. This intensive ceremony is open to all seekers as a way to gain maturity, self discipline, and return to your naturalness…..The higher self wants to make choices and decisions that bring about our potential, increased levels of consciousness, perception, and objectivity...risking the unknown for a better happier life...ceremony creates a shift in our perceptions that lead to new productive patterns enabling us to manifest the change and beauty we long for. Contact Kelly for more information or to register.

May 7-8 Arbor preparations continue. Kelly is also offering craft time to help first time dancers prepare by making their whistles and plumes, a shield of intent, a Hokkshideh-protection bundle, and to learn about the dance regalia needed to dance! Bring a lunch potluck to share. Let Kelly know if you would like to attend or need the Eagle Dance preparation list.

May 20-22 Eagle Dance!

SCL’s Open House & Native Gardens Gala! June 5th 10-4pm Come visit our native plant and forest medicinal sanctuary. We continue to plant a series of new native plants each year and are excited to see what comes up this spring. We planted 200 new goldenseal rootlets last fall and we want to share this magical space with you! Details will be coming soon.

 Join us at this fundraising gala for garden tours, enjoy a serene sit spot in nature, and meander through our sacred forest. 

• Have a product/service, or time you can volunteer for this event? Contact Kelly. kelly@spiritcanoelodge.org

 Our goal is to expand the native and medicinal garden each successive year by creating forest pathways with unique plantings.  We need your donations of time and funding to make this happen.  If you cannot attend our event and are interested in making a tax deductible donation to Spirit Canoe Lodge:  

https://www.paypal.me/SpiritCanoeLodge501

Spring Greetings from Spirit Canoe Lodge!

Spring Greetings! Mid February brought the Wood Frogs to the pond for mating. They left behind large clouds of fertile eggs clinging to the pond edges. Frog medicine bridges the water and earth element and helps clean up emotional imbalances. Water brings fertility so that things can grow. Frog is a fecund messenger of metamorphosis, the power of rebirth, and connecting with one’s creative source. Use your instinct and make the jump you yearn for this spring!

This Saturday March 12th Craft Day! 10AM-4PM In preparations for the Eagle Dance in May we are adding a few craft days in to our schedule to help first time dancers prepare by making their whistles and plumes, a shield of intent, a Hokkshideh-protection bundle, and to learn about the dance regalia needed to dance! Bring a lunch potluck to share. Let Kelly know if you would like to attend.

Craft Day in Raleigh April 9th 10AM-4PM Dianne Cougar Warrior Woman is hosting a craft day at her home in Raleigh for those of you on that side of the state. Contact Dianne if you would like to attend and work on your Eagle Dance preparations!

Friday March 18th Drum Practice @ 5PM Join us as we practice and drum in preparation for our upcoming Eagle Dance in May. The March 19th, Full Moon-Spring Equinox Ceremony had a big response from community and is now full. We usually have a few cancellations so let Kelly know if you’d like to be added to the wait list. Covid considerations are still in effect and we will all be doing a health assessment and waiver to attend.

Vision Quest Weekend April 29-May 1 One of the first ceremonies on our path is “Night on the Mountain of Fear”. This intensive ceremony is open to all seekers as a way to gain maturity, self discipline, and return to your naturalness….. to learn how not be at the affect of situations, tyrants, negative internal dialogue, and social conditioning that often keep us running in the same old karmic patterns. The basic self wants to keep everything the same and live in the comfort of what is known...living life through subjective filters of projection or past experience. The higher self wants to make choices and decisions that bring about our potential, increased levels of consciousness, perception, and objectivity...risking the unknown for a better happier life...ceremony creates a shift in our perceptions that lead to new productive patterns enabling us to manifest the change and beauty we long for. Contact Kelly for more information or to register.

April 22-24 & May 6-8 Work Weekends for Eagle Dance: Lend a hand for a few hours or stay the whole weekend to assist in preparing the land and ceremonial space for our first Eagle Dance! We will also have time to help dancers with their preparations for the ceremony. Contact Kelly to register for Eagle Dance or lend a hand over the work weekends. Much gratitude to our community for helping to make this happen. May 20-22 Eagle Dance! An Eagle Dance is a one day ceremony.  Our personal and collective prayers are danced to the center tree.  The “tree of life” acts as an antenna to spirit as we pray for guidance from the Universe in the coming year.  Drummer singers maintain the heartbeat on a pow-wow drum from sunrise to sunset and maintain the energy for us as we dance back and forth to the center tree.  We will be fasting, and drinking water is optional and recommended.  The dance is a meditative experience.  Dancing keeps us in our bodies and out of our head so we can receive “with care and with clarity” messages from spirit.  The people of Grandmother Earth need our prayers.  We have chosen to be alive in this special time and humanity is calling us to participate as we bridge the old world into the new one currently emerging.

Eagle Dance is an irreplaceable experience and well worth your careful preparation. We highly recommended to attend a Craft Day at SCL to make some of your items.  The first time participant will need several items and dance regalia. Contact Kelly for the Eagle Dance preparation list.

Enjoy the unfolding of spring……

2022 Greettings from SCL and Crone Retreat!

2022 Greetings! Winter has finally come to the holler, 9 degrees early this morning. Snow has a purifying energy that blankets the land and brings peace and stillness. You can really feel it. Allow it to sink in and cover up any of your worries. It’s a new year with new possibilities! Here is a link to see our 2022 calendar.

Crone Gathering Retreat @ Spirit Canoe Lodge, Friday January 14 @ 6PM- Sunday January 16 @ 3PM

As we age the elders of our tradition say that “our beauty steals inward”. The wise blood time can be our most creative birthing time of all! Women 54+ are welcome. Our work is to dream the success of future generations and begin re-establishing the importance and value of the elders within our cultures. The magic we do as grandmothers is deeply needed within our communities. We will plot and plan within our wise cauldrons over the weekend through ceremony and brainstorming. Our weekend opens Friday evening with a one hour zoom introduction from Janneke Tateshina, an elder leader from the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path. You may attend the zoom only portion if you cannot attend in person 25$ donation and I will send you a link.

Meet Janneke Koole:  Janneke is our most senior teacher from our path.  She gets to the heart of the matter with a compassionate yet direct manner that makes it clear your life... is your experience...so how will you stay connected to your will to make something happen even when you meet perceived blocks.  She has shown me time and again my beauty and where I have chosen to give up :)  She is an experienced Sweet Medicine SunDance Teacher, member of the Hereditary Lineage Leaders. Known as the “keeper of lineage knowledge”, Janneke’s eternal love for learning sparks hope in others to find their joy in living, the meaning and purpose in adversity, and creative solutions within all forms of relationships. She invites others to take another look at life with a tender boldness.

To register contact Kelly

Womb of Winter Women’s Retreat Fri, Feb 18, 2022 5:30 PM - Sun, Feb 20, 2022 4:30 PM

Fully enter into the WOMB of WINTER by giving yourself a “special winter time-out”...This gathering is intended to hold sacred space for each other - to pay attention to the serious inner work we are longing to do but often resist. The agenda is open and will come into focus on Friday evening as we design our time together. A Sisterhood Purification Lodge may be part of our weekend to release unnecessary resentments and patterns in order to free up our energy and be open to attracting our present desires. Many women have a personal vision they are seeding in coming together...so perhaps this is an intent we each share. Women that come together with focused intent create magic!

Retreat Costs:  $195 -2 nights lodging with bed  or $165 -2 nights bring your own sleeping gear or $145 without lodging . RSVP to Kelly for more information and to register. This one fills up fast.

Welcome Rachel & Brian Crawford! Our new help exchange couple here at the Lodge have settled in to Winter chores and will be here while I’m at Gold Lodge in Arizona. They’ve made good friends with Loki the lodge cat and I’m so grateful for the help so I can do things like write this newsletter and a zillion other administration tasks needed to keep the place running. Thank You Brian & Rachel!

Our Holiday Fundraiser! We made 600$ for SCL at the end of this year. Many thanks to those of you that donated items this year! There are still items for sale including this lovely talisman already blessed and empowered through ceremony visit the SCL Shoppe.

SCL November Happenings

November 20th Full Moon Craft Day & Evening Fire Ceremony: The November Moon is often referred to as the Beaver Moon. A time to prepare the home for the winter months. This full moon also has a near total lunar eclipse late Friday night. Eclipse energy can bring massive and immediate change. Learning how to direct the energy that is present in our world right now so that it supports us is an important skill to learn. Our collective is undergoing historical and much needed change. Together we are more effective. By supporting one another in the personal changes we each desire creates a jump in collective change.

Craft Day Saturday, November 20th 10AM-4PM: This is a time to work on projects that have been on your back burner. You can get advice on how to make a fan or work on items needed for our Eagle Dance in May, like your first ceremonial shield or make a protection bundle. RSVP Kelly for more information.

Full Moon Fire Ceremony, November 20th @ 6PM: We did this ceremony last year in November and it was highly effective and back by popular demand. The format is much like our purification lodge. We will gather together for a brief exploration of male/female balance, a talking stick sharing time, and make tobacco ties to be burned in the fire. Individually we will go to the firebox to pray for ourselves, for others and the collective, give away what blocks our beauty, and listen to spirit for direction and clarity. We conclude as a group and share a potluck meal. RSVP to Kelly

October Forest Medicinal Work Weekend: Thank you Susan our sanctuary director and our many volunteers that lent a helping had over this very productive weekend! We planted roots of trillium, black cohosh, lily of the valley, yellow lady slipper, seeded stratified ginseng, and planted 200 golden seal rootlets. Good company, good food, and best of all restoring our forest with Appalachian native medicinal plants. If you would like to be involved contact Kelly.

Winter Solstice Full Moon Ceremony December 18th @ 4PM: RSVP Kelly for details

SCL Holiday Fund Raiser Party December 19th @ 10AM-4PM: We’ve been collecting wonderful items to sell. Maybe you still need a few more Christmas gifts! Bring a dish to share during the day. Have something to donate to help us raise funds for SCL operating expenses in 2022? Contact Kelly to RSVP or donate items, or make a 2021 donation now!

SCL 2022 Calendar:

• January 2, New Moon Drum practice

• January 14-16, Crone gathering, women age 54+

• February 5, Winter Craft Day to support Eagle Dance preparations

• February 6, Drum practice

• February 18-20, Womb of Winter Women’s retreat

• March 18, Full Moon Drum Practice

• March 19, Full Moon Equinox Ceremony

• April 3, Drum Practice

• April 22-24 Earth Day & Work Weekend Eagle Dance Prep

• April 29-May 1, Vision Quest Ceremonial Weekend

• May 14, Craft Day to support Eagle Dance prep

• May 20-22 our first Eagle Dance!

• June 5, Native Forest Sanctuary Garden Open House

• July 15-17, Women’s Juice Fast Retreat

• August 10-14, Rites of Passage for children and adults

• August 13 Kelly’s 60th ROP ceremony

• August 27, New Moon community ceremony

• September 10 Fall Craft Day

• October 9, Full Moon Harvest ceremony

• October 21-23, Forest Medicinal Work Weekend

• November 19 Craft Day

• December 17, Winter Solstice Ceremony

FALL GRATITUDE & FOREST MEDICINAL WORK WEEKEND

View from the Lodge Fall beauty is building. Now is the time to begin pulling in and aligning with the force of nature and it’s ability to instinctively change. Change is natural and prepares us for the next season. Let us take a cue from nature and listen to the whispers of our higher self guiding us onward.

Forest Medicinal Work Weekend October 16-17 Join us in putting the native medicinal gardens to sleep for winter. We will be preparing new beds on the forest hillside and planting seeds, native rootlets, and much more for spring sprouting! Contribute a few hours or come for the weekend. Let me know if you would like to lend a hand. Susan, our new Sanctuary director will be leading our work and sharing her knowledge of forest natives. Read more about Susan below. RSVP Kelly@spiritcanoelodge.org

Click here to view the SCL Calendar through the end of the year

Work Weekend Gratitude Thank you Richard, Zach, Fred, Sybil, Erica, Tia, Taylor, Micki, Carol Anne, and Jenny Jean for coming out in August to help construct the Drum Arbor in the future Eagle Dance space! We also laid out the arbor design, marked where the outer trees will be planted, marked the east altar, and dug out the children’s fire pit. What is an Eagle Dance? A dance from sunrise to sunset to the tree of life. You pray and intend your desires for the coming year. Much like a mini sundance the drum beats the entire time we are dancing, lifting our spirit to keep us going and connected with the stream of life where there is no separation only the present moment and the potential of what we are dancing for! More info about how to prepare will be shared as we move closer to this dance. It’s not too early to intend your presence :) I am so grateful for community that lends a hand so that the lodge can continue to offer new events and thrive. The space will also be used for large gatherings and Tai Chi-QiGong with Sybil.

The Arbor space is taking shape. It was such a relaxed and enjoyable time working together.

Jenny Jean was the kitchen queen during our weekend with her gourmet on! We ate it up!

Richard gave us chainsaw safety lessons on this locust trunk with his rechargeable Stihl…..I’ve got to get one of those for the lodge!

Taylor goes hillbilly packing the Amigo with our tools.

Please welcome our new Native Sanctuary Garden Director! Susan Turman Susan’s involvement with plants and the natural world is a journey that began over 20 years ago as an apprentice on a permaculture farm in Maui. Susan went on to become an organic farmer for 10 years, growing vegetables and producing pasture-raised meats for the high country community. She has most recently finished her degree in natural resource management specializing in wildlife and Silviculture. Susan has been involved with Spirit Canoe Lodge since 2016 and has danced as a Sundancer with the deer tribe. She loves connecting with nature from the trail, spending days or weeks at a time with nothing but a backpack. Her great interest is in habitat restoration and regenerative forestry of Oaks , native chestnuts, and longleaf pines. She lives in Todd, NC on her organic farm.

SPIRIT CANOE LODGE AUGUST WORK WEEKEND 2021

Eagle Dance Arbor Update, Work Weekend, Call for new SCL Board Members & new Native Plant Sanctuary Director, and September Work Exchange needed @ SCL see below for details!

Eagle Dance Arbor Update: The center tree was planted on May Day. An auspicious day for pagan celebrating and dancing! A Dawn Redwood (once thought to be extinct), was chosen for the tree we will be dancing to in our future Eagle Dances. This variety is a deciduous conifer known for their long life and height and grows well in our mountains. The spiritual medicine of a redwood tree includes: wisdom, longevity, protection, renewal, and the interconnection of roots within a community. The element of fire is closely associated with western redwoods and their ability to survive fire. The Eastern Redwood is called Shui Shan (water fir) by the Chinese where the Dawn Redwood was discovered to be living in remote mountain forests. Trees are communicators and bring healing to the earth and her inhabitants. Dancing to a tree awakens our human dream and seeds the earth with beauty…. We will dance in the next year! The above image is a mature dawn redwood at the Bailey Arboretum in NY. As our tree grows with us through the years it will express it’s own unique and wise character becoming a magnetic community symbol of a world re-imagined through our dances.

Work Weekend August 20-22! Please join us as we work together to create this dreaming space! Come as you are able for an afternoon or the whole weekend. There will be beds for those that come to help. We will be finishing the final design of the Eagle arbor space. Marking the location of the outer circle of trees, constructing the drum arbor (4 poles and simple roof), creating the east altar and children’s fire pit, pulling weeds, marking the space for the medicine wheel stones, and working on drainage. Covid considerations: If you are not feeling well or may have been exposed do not attend. If you have concerns about being at risk do not attend. Community ceremony will be offered Saturday evening or Sunday morning. Contact Kelly to RSVP and reserve a bed. A Sound Bath Healing with Christian may also be offered! see info below.

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SCL Board of Directors needs to fill 3 seats in 2022. As a non-profit we must maintain a volunteer board that meets and has recorded minutes concerning our goals, operations, and fund raising. Becoming a board member is a great way to use your talent to help make things happen in a community you care about. Giving your time and energy to a worthy cause is a form of Tithing. Giving in balance opens the stream of attracting abundance in your own life. Responsibilitiesfor these positions include brainstorming, following through with tasks, and committing to service at SCL events as you are able. We meet 4-6 times a year for about 1.5 hours on Zoom or in person. Tasks we take on individually have not been laborious but we may up our game in the next year as we take on events again. Courtney Stiles, Christian Lannie, and Micki Nyman will be rolling off the Board at the end of this year. Thank you Courtney for your expert accounting of all the board minutes and the files meticulously posted on our Google shared documents! Christian thank you for the time you gave and the presence of the “man” energy. Thank you Micki for hosting the vice-chair seat! Positions needed are: Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice Chair. We also need help in our sub committees as we plan events. Contact Kelly for more information or to recommend someone! Prospective Board members will attend our final meeting in December 2021.

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Sound Bath Healing is another way to cleanse and renew! When bathed in resonant sound, different areas and systems of the body respond as the waveform travels through the body to the cellular level, creating alignment. This will take you on a sound journey that will relax and de-stress you, and bring your whole being back into a state of harmony on all levels; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Donations suggested. Christian Lannie 336-682-7492

Our Native Plant Sanctuary Director Sidhe Kirk has moved on to focus on her herbal business Hedge and Hollow. We are grateful for the time she gave and wish her all the best success. She pioneered our first 2 years and got us off to a great start. Now we need a new Sanctuary Director. Please see our SCL native plant sanctuary page for more information about our sanctuary mission and the opportunity to manage our native plant program. While this is not a paid position there is opportunity to charge and host your own events at the Lodge and teach community about this precious Appalachian resource.

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SCL Work Exchange needed September 8-25!

A helper is needed at the Lodge during September while I am traveling. Responsibilities include taking care of Cat Loki #1, AirBnB guest services and housekeeping. Enjoy staying at the lodge with a view! I’ll cover food and expenses during your stay. Contact me to discuss details! Kelly

Charitable Contributions & Tax Changes for 2020 & 2021

The Covid Care Package has increased charitable donations for the 2020 and 2021 tax year also. This means that singles can deduct up to 300$ and couples 600$ for donations to qualifying charities like Spirit Canoe Lodge. Please contact your tax advisor to confirm. If you desire to donate to Spirit Canoe Lodge to help fund our projects like the landscaping and purchase of trees for the Eagle Dance Arbor, please click DONATE. You will be sent a receipt for tax purposes.

HAPPY SUMMER!

Summer Greetings, I'm on my way home from a most unusual SunDance ceremony. The message I most would like to share is the dreaming of how the fifth dimensional world might look like for humanity. How many of us have actually taken the time to put energy into imagining the beauty of the New World that is emerging with or without our input. We dream our reality into existence. Let us dream forth a new world of male-female balance, let us talk less and listen more to each other, let us make peace with our differences, and unleash the beauty and light within us to make the world a better place. Let us stop giving energy into divisive polarizing chatter that does not move us into this fifth world dream. Create beauty in your life, and before you know it, the outer world will BE a mirror reflection.

Get a boost from the group dynamic to change your food habits at the Women’s Juice Cleansing & Ceremony Weekend. July 9-11 will be filled with juicing, lymphatic shaking/dancing, meditation, sharing circles, and personal ceremonial time on the land. SCL is offering one scholarship to each event to participants in financial need. See calendar and RSVP for more information.

Sound Bath Healing opportunity on August 8 is another way to cleanse and renew! When bathed in resonant sound, different areas and systems of the body respond as the waveform travels through the body to the cellular level, creating alignment. This will take you on a sound journey that will relax and de-stress you, and bring your whole being back into a state of harmony on all levels; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Donations suggested. See calendar for more information and RSVP to Christian Lannie 336-682-7492

Charitable Contributions & Tax Changes for 2020 & 2021

The Covid Care Package has increased charitable donations for the 2020 and 2021 tax year also. This means that singles can deduct up to 300$ and couples 600$ for donations to qualifying charities like Spirit Canoe Lodge. Please contact your tax advisor to confirm. If you desire to donate to Spirit Canoe Lodge to help fund our projects like the landscaping and purchase of trees for the Eagle Dance Arbor, please click DONATE. You will be sent a receipt for tax purposes.

SPRING EQUINOX & FINDING BALANCE

Spring is Imminent! The Equinoxes are a prime time to re-evaluate balance. The day and night are the same length. Our balance or imbalance may feel more acute than ever given current events in the world right now. How are we managing or resisting the energy upgrade (opportunity) that is happening? What is the state of our inner masculine (active) energy and our feminine (receptive) energy. Is it time to put into action what we’ve been dreaming about this winter? I’ll be hosting an Equinox Ceremony March 20 @ 6pm. This will be a small gathering RSVP asap to Kelly. Hard to believe it is one year later…many of us have not even seen each other and I look forward to the pleasure of your company once again as you feel called. Visit on your own or join us in a gathering in the coming year. Kelly Jumping Mouse

Our Zoom Series will begin Sunday March 14th @ 4-6PM The Sweet Medicine SunDance Path of the Twisted Hairs of Turtle Island is one face of a contemporary shamanic practice. Its varied Teachings and Ceremonies weave into a cohesive whole.  This series of Zoom gatherings will provide deeper insights into the fundamental knowledge that forms the foundation of this Path.  You will learn how these teachings accelerate your desire to grow and evolve, and how they will make a difference in your everyday life. For more information and To register contact Kelly

Session #1 March 14th @ 4-6PM: Where do these Teachings come from? How to relate to the Teachings. The nature of circular thinking. The Medicine Wheel as a tool to deepen our learning & understanding. The elements of creation in relation to our human aspects, the powers of the universe and what these have to do with our everyday life. 

Session #2 March 28th @4-6PM: The Worlds of Grandmother Earth and how to gain their insights. Living our daily life in harmonious balance, the consequences when we do and what happens when we don't. 

Sessions will be 2 hour Zoom meetings. Cost 25$ each teaching.

Carol Anne, a longtime SCL supporter will be gifting her daughter Kiera one of her kidneys. Their surgery date is March 23rd. Many of their expenses will be not be covered by insurance please consider sending them a monetary donation or let us know if you can spend some time bringing food or helping with their post surgery care. https://gofund.me/08ce8f75

Lodge Rebuild & Work weekend - April 9-11 Even though our lodge has not been used much this past year it is time to rebuild it. As we work, we pray for the return to balance and the freedom to worship in community again. As we imagine it will be so. A variety of tasks are needed from wood splitting, landscaping, and the new lodge construction. Please put this on your calendar and RSVP to Kelly.

SCL is in need of a new work away helper! A significant date is May 10 - July while Kelly is traveling. Contact Kelly for more information Kelly

Vision Quest Weekend is happening this year! April 23-25 RSVP early Kelly.

There are several online Deer Tribe Events happening soon! Please visit these links for more information and to register. List of online events from DTMMS

Share Your Story There are many wonderful experiences to share from those of you who have done ceremonial work at Spirit Canoe Lodge. Write from the heart and know your story can make a difference. We are seeking inspiring stories and testimonials how ceremony has changed your life to add to our newsletter and website. Contact Kelly to contribute! Kelly@spiritcanoelodge.org

Spirit Canoe Lodge, PO BOX 111, Warrensville, NC 28693, USA

WINTER SOLSTICE ZOOM & HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER

Closing out 2020 & Holiday Fundraiser Zoom, December 20, 2020 @ 3PM. Contact Kelly here to RSVP for the necessary link! Cov%#*! struck again and we are moving our fundraiser online. You will be able to see the items during our Zoom 3-5pm. We will be creating a store for the lodge on our website and you can contact Kelly to purchase an item during the Zoom or at later date. Donations include: art, pottery, tinctures, fans, cabin vacations, wild sustainable organic Angels, body work, syrup, clothing, and more! Thank you SCL community for all your generous donations. Many thanks to Carol Anne for coordinating with donors! As we open the Zoom Kelly will honor this most important Winter Solstice energy with prayers for collective healing and our community family. See below message from Kelly and please tune in! 

Blessings from Grandfather Sun! This photograph truly shows how we are blessed each and every day with life. There is a rainbow in every ray of sunlight. We are not always present to the gifts happening in every moment…but they are there in the best and worst of times. This moment was a 2020 highlight for me and I’ll be sharing the full story soon. Please join us Sunday when we open our Zoom @ 3pm We’ll start with a prayer and a calling in of the directions, honoring the Solstice and prayers for Humanity to move forward into the social/political/personal changes being demanded. Next, I’ll share a review of the year at the Lodge and some of the things we actually accomplished! Then I’d like to hear from all of you that show up on the Zoom your own experience of 2020. This really helps me get a sense of what is needed in our community as we plan the new year. Before we close we will show the products donated for our fundraiser! You can contact me directly to purchase any of the items and we will list them soon on a store page on the SCL website that will always be open! We have chosen to be alive at this critical time on Mother Earth to cultivate and share our Dharma (our gifts) in a world that needs it more than ever! I look forward to the pleasure of your company! RSVP here Kelly

There are several online Deer Tribe Events happening soon! Please visit these links for more information and to register. They are all 20$ or less or free but you need to register to get the link!

December 19, (Australia timing) The Four Doorways to Regaining Balance with Janneke Koole

December 19, 3-5pm Re-Wire for Dharma with Sara Register

December 19, (Australia timing) Welcoming the Journey with Kristin Viken

List of online events from DTMMS

Share Your Story There are many wonderful experiences to share from those of you who have done ceremonial work at Spirit Canoe Lodge. Write from the heart and know your story can make a difference. We are seeking inspiring stories and testimonials how ceremony has changed your life to add to our newsletter and website. Contact Kelly to contribute! Kelly@spiritcanoelodge.org

HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER

Get some Holiday shopping done and donate to a great cause! Funds are still needed for our Eagle Dance Arbor. The tractor work continues! We are creating a FB page to show our wares, updating with pictures as things come in. If you are able to make a donation please send Kelly a photo and recommended minimum bid price so it can be posted. Items will be available for purchase right away or you can make a minimum bid. Thank you to those who have already made donations! Open House December 19-20 @ 10-4pm. Stop by over the weekend to purchase an item, make a prayer bundle (intentions for 2021), and say Hi! Our craft day was sensational and we made several items some of them will be for sale!

• Jewelry

• Smudge Fans

• Pottery

• Bodywork

• Original paintings

• Clothing

Check the SCL FB page for more information or contact Kelly to make a donation or purchase: Kelly@spiritcanoelodge.org

Covid considerations: If you are at risk or have possible exposure do not attend. This will be an open house drop in event with people making short visits to see the items. You may purchase online and pick up later if you don't feel comfortable attending. Please wash your hands often throughout your time here and use hand sanitizer.

Welcome Simone! Our new Lodge work-away, Simone is standing in front of a painting she just finished. WOW! Also an amazing cook and creative in many other ways. She is here for the winter and studying midwifery while helping out at the lodge. I’m so grateful for the help which enables me to focus on other things and feel good about traveling. Please welcome her and stop by to meet her!

Welcome Loki! (AKA Crazy Cat) So far he doesn’t answer to any particular name… He is about 7 months old, has a bobbed tail, came from a rescue center in South Carolina, I dated him online for a couple weeks before we met, and felt good about sleeping with him on the first night home. He is starting to create mischief everywhere but is currently taking a nap on my desk whew!

Share Your Story There are many wonderful experiences to share from those of you who have done ceremonial work at Spirit Canoe Lodge. Write from the heart and know your story can make a difference. We are seeking inspiring stories and testimonials how ceremony has changed your life to add to our newsletter and website. Contact Kelly to contribute! Kelly@spiritcanoelodge.org

FALL CRAFT DAY SATURDAY OCTOBER 24TH

We are adding Seasonal Craft days to the SCL yearly calendar. Our first is this Saturday! Here is what we will be doing: 

• Kelly will give simple instructions on how to make your own shamanic shield. You will learn your circle of birth sitting place animals to create your first shield.

• Guidelines for making fans and honoring the give away of the birds.

• Hokkshideh (protection) bundles. These align you with the worlds and powers of Grandmother Earth and protect your own essence when wearing. See below for an example of bundle coverings. Some will be available for purchase. 

• Bring a talisman for ceremonial blessings that can be used for protection when worn. The item goes through a 28 day blessing performed by Kelly.

Cost: Hokkshideh Bundle materials & Talisman ceremony 20$ Donations to Kelly/lodge for crafting advice.

Bring your own materials for fan making, shield making or any other craft project you would like to work on that day! You may cut saplings from the land to create a hoop for the shield. We do have a leather punch, glue, and other simple supplies to share.

I’ll send more info when you RSVP. Kelly@spiritcanoelodge.org

Covid considerations: If you are at risk or have possible exposure do not attend. Because we will likely be on the deck or indoors people will come at their own risk and if you don't feel comfortable sharing space with others at this time it's best to wait to visit. Please wash your hands often throughout your time here and use hand sanitizer.

Visit Friends of the Deer Tribe to register for Michael Star Dreamer’s free Zoom event October 31st & to see other teachings available to the public: 

Share Your Story There are many wonderful experiences to share from those of you who have done ceremonial work at Spirit Canoe Lodge. Write from the heart and know your story can make a difference. We are seeking inspiring stories and testimonials how ceremony has changed your life to add to our newsletter and website. Contact Kelly to contribute! Kelly@spiritcanoelodge.org

FEELING LIKE FALL & NATIVE GARDEN WORK WEEKEND

Our Sanctuary Display Gardens are really taking shape!

Native Garden Work Weekend September 26 & 27 Join us in putting the forest medicinal garden to sleep for winter. We will be preparing new beds on the forest hillside and planting more seeds for spring sprouting! Contribute a few hours or come for the weekend. Let me know if you would like to lend a hand. Stormie Kirk will be doing her magick and sharing her knowledge about the forest medicinal plants we will be putting in as we work. RSVP Kelly@spiritcanoelodge.org

I’m heading out to Arizona tomorrow for a week of personal ceremony. I’m feeling glad for a change of environment and to get out from under the usual to do list. When approaching ceremony there is a feeling of un-easiness….. Am I ready for what’s next? I never “feel” ready but I just do it anyway and I’m always so glad I did! I’ll see friends from SunDance, sit with the beautiful desert sunsets, stars, and see what I need to see about myself! and let go of what I can’t do anything about…. I’m here to help community so if you feel the need for reflections or a personal ceremony to help in current transistions just drop me a line…. there is a ceremony for everything!

Upcoming event you’ll look forward to: Enjoy wearing a mask! Come dressed as your favorite dead person! There will be prizes, fortune tellers, creepy stuff, and a bone count. If you’d like to volunteer for the planning committee contact Ann Newberry or Carol Anne!

Our August Work Weekend was a big success! When we begin running lodges again we will be ready! Thanks to each of you that came to give your time to the Lodge and continuing the improvements that increase our efficiency and beauty of the land! Here are the things that got accomplished: New fence around the ponds! (keeps the guests from backing into the pond...it has happened) Richard, Jesse, Nate, Ronnie, Davis. Raised garden borders and mulch same guys! Graveling sanctuary garden paths so we don't slip...same guys all that gravel lugging!!! Sweat lodge (thanks Micki for chiefing) n new stone children collected, ashe/coals removed (Stefi), stones retired and moved, re-painting the stepping stones(Taylor) new garden border around the lodge for flowers (sybil), mulching shrub plantscutting back the spice tree (Carol Anne/Micki), clean out the SL shed and re-organize the boxes micki, Repairing the canvas door with new red ribbon (Carol Anne/Stormie) Pantry and linen organizing Diana Splitting wood same guys!! New light over the kitchen bar! (Joe) this really improves light in the kitchen at night...a long time coming. Continue the staining of the Hobbit House Joe & Stefi Cut up fallen tree behind Hobbit House (Nate) So much was accomplished and we shared some good times and good food in between. Thank you again!

Share Your Story There are many wonderful experiences to share from those of you who have done ceremonial work at Spirit Canoe Lodge. Write from the heart and know your story can make a difference. We are seeking inspiring stories and testimonials how ceremony has changed your life to add to our newsletter and website. Contact Kelly to contribute! Kelly@spiritcanoelodge.org

SUMMER GREETINGS & AUGUST LODGE WORK WEEKEND

Beauty at the Back Door! Read on for announcements and gatherings…

Deep into summer…flowers are bursting and fireflies are lingering! I’m home from SunDance and visiting my mom in Oklahoma. A long, at times strange, but awesome trip. We did much needed ceremony for ourselves and the collective. Truth Lightening was the child we birthed. It is time that we really look at the truth whatever it is …it must be met head on. We can no longer avoid what is demanding change in our individual lives and out there on the world stage…divisiveness grows and must be accepted for the paradox it is as WE make the world a better place…. so it will be…. and when you can’t take anymore… the blueberries need picking, so come on over!

August 21-23 Lodge Work Weekend Want to have a fun weekend outside at the lodge? Drop in for an afternoon or stay the whole weekend. Let me know if you can attend and I’ll save a bed if you wish to spend the night (no charge). There are many things to be done so that when we open back up to ceremony we will have done all our spring cleaning early! We will be clearing the old logging trails, collecting new stone children, beautifying the sweat lodge area, re-organizing the ceremonial shed, splitting wood, working on the garden, prepping forest medicinal garden space, and sharing time together, my favorite! I’ll send more info when you RSVP. Kelly@spiritcanoelodge.org

Apprentice Resources & Friends of the Deer Tribe: Apprentices there are many resources, products, and articles on our home lodge website. Are you accessing these tools of assistance during these challenging times? You will need a log in password from the office if you’ve never logged in. Once you have a password you can log into the apprentice section of the website. There are many free lectures and recordings of Swift Deer already downloaded. It’s so good to hear his voice! Friends of the Deer Tribe website has many great resources also. Monthly Zoom teachings are scheduled with several A-Road teachers and the summer newsletter has a wonderful article about the grieving process written by Janneke which also includes a simple teaching! Read this blessing from her to all the Rainbow Warriors who are agents of change at this time on the planet!

I look forward to being in community again!

Kelly Jumping Mouse

Eagle Dance Arbor work continues. In an effort to get our 100’ dance circle we will need to put in a retaining wall on one side. The next goal is grass seeding in the fall and the first dance spring 2021, stay tuned! Donations are appreciated to continue this work!  Click here to donate now. 

Welcome “the Amigo” SCL’s new Kawasaki Mule to lend a hand!

Share Your Story There are many wonderful experiences to share from those of you who have done ceremonial work at Spirit Canoe Lodge. Write from the heart and know your story can make a difference. We are seeking inspiring stories and testimonials how ceremony has changed your life to add to our newsletter and website. Contact Kelly to contribute! Kelly@spiritcanoelodge.org

SANCTUARY GARDEN OPEN HOUSE A BLESSING & SUCCESS!

Our Sanctuary Garden Open House raised 1,250$! 

The weather was stellar as was the company! Nicky above at the plant pressing station making a flag to take home and one to hang in a banner inside the medicinal forest garden to “flag” away deer and other foragers! About 40 folks meandered throughout the land over the course of the day and was good to see community with virtual hugs and exotic herbal cocktails and mocktails. Beth Sorrel won the SCL basket full of goodies and certificates for massage and SCL events/Hobbit House stay! Thank you to our fundraiser staff and volunteers for creating such a great day. Ann, Stormie, Carol Anne, Diana…you out did yourself! See pictures below!

We look forward to being in community again!

Kelly Jumping Mouse

WELCOMING TRANSITIONS

Welcoming Transitions

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Spirit Canoe Lodge Newsletter!  In order to better serve the interests of our participants/readers, we have created a platform to keep everyone informed of our ever-expanding calendar of events and news. Our next events are the Fall Equinox Community Purification Lodge, Sept 21, and a Community Work Weekend, Sept 21-22. Please see below to RSVP.

Spirit Canoe Lodge is now a Non-Profit Organization

Beginning a project or dream is often the hardest part, but our initial creative vision has been set. Spirit Canoe Lodge is now a 501c3 nonprofit organization and we have an official Board of Directors! Thank you to the new Board of Directors for saying yes to my dream and helping get it off the ground: Micki Nyman, Christian Lannie, Courtney Stiles, Sybil Harmon, and Brook Walker. The “Charitable Contribution License” has also been approved and you are now able to make tax-deductible donations! I also offer heartfelt thanks to Kassie Shining Otter Woman for updating our logo and Sybil for giving our newsletter a fresh new look!

I look forward to the pleasure of your company,
Kelly Jumping Mouse

Our Mission 
To provide space in nature for those who seek self-development and mastery of life. 

Our Vision 
A self-sustaining community that nurtures the human spirit and brings balance into the world for generations.

 The How 
To create sound economic footing and to maintain what is already in place, we will: 

• Develop structures of financial support via fundraising, grants and personal endowments
• Create new streams of income through organic farming and forestry products, and increasing retreat rentals
• Develop a volunteer network, workaways, interns, and Community Work Weekends to extend membership
• Build additional ceremonial gathering spaces, map out walking trails, and establish camping areas
• Create a community mentorship and training program to ensure the mission of Spirit Canoe Lodge continues forward.

Key Projects for 2019-2020 

 ·      Create an Eagle Dance Arbor by hiring a crew to clear several trees and level the land; (What is an Eagle Dance? The Eagle Dance ceremony takes place in one day. A pow-wow drum beats the entire day to mirror the heartbeat of Grandmother Earth. Participants dance their prayers to the center tree of life within the circular Eagle Dance Arbor from sunrise to sunset.) 

·      Phase one of planning and planting forest herbs this Fall

·      The formation of small committees to get our “HOW” started

·      Clean up old logging roads and identify trails

·      Level spaces for new camping sites

·      Remove the old barn

We Need Your Help and Expertise

By lending a hand or making a tax-deductible donation, you can make a big difference. As things get rolling, we need help in specific areas: community outreach and marketing, non-profit grant writing, fund raising, accounting, and more. Does anyone have Twitter skills and want to tweet for the Lodge? If you have any of these skill sets and are willing to be part of manifesting the Spirit Canoe Lodge dream, please email Kelly. We will be planting medicinal herbs on the land this Fall, and there are many other tasks to help ready the lodge for winter. Our next Community Work Weekend will be during the Fall Equinox September 21. Please consider joining us or email Kelly a time you can help. 

Spirit Canoe Lodge has a new caretaker!

Please join me in welcoming Ronnie Simmons as our new caretaker! Ronnie is originally from Texas and has recently done workaways in Colorado and Mexico.  Through serendipitous timing—Ronnie’s meeting Sybil in Mexico and my prayers of intending over the last year—I now have the extra help I have needed. With expertise Ronnie prepares the guest rooms for AIRBNB and lodge events. Plus, Ronnie’s passion has transformed the vegetable garden into the more productive crop we are now enjoying!  I am very grateful to have found such an earnest and warm person like Ronnie to assist me at the Lodge.

Rent Spirit Canoe Lodge for your retreat!

Please consider using Spirit Canoe Lodge (SCL) for your private workshops and trainings. When you rent SCL, you enjoy acres of privacy in a beautiful part of the Blue Ridge, a spacious and unique home, and a spectacular view of Three Top Mountain. Your event is widely promoted on SCL's website, FB page, and MeetUp site. In addition, your event is included in our newsletter reaching well-over 500 contacts. Best of all, your rental supports this beautiful land, facility, and our vision of nurturing the human spirit.