Crystal Tapestry
by JoAnne Dodgson
excerpt from: Walking the Spiral Path: Awakening Power and Passion
As the orange glowing sun rose up over the horizon, a hint of magic filled the air.
A chattering flock of ravens surfed wildly on the winds, landing high in the trees and soaring to the ground to hold council among the frozen cornstalks in the field beside our house. I wondered what they were up to, besides calling me out to play.
I ventured into the woods, delighted by the beauty of the vibrant green forest dusted with sparkling white snow, all embraced by the brilliant blue sky. Our spirited dog, Jasmine, romped through the underbrush, sticking her nose deep into animal tracks imprinted in the snow to determine just who had been by and how long ago and if there still was a chance of catching up.
When I stopped beside a creek to breathe in the deep woody silence, I noticed the thread of a spider’s web swaying slightly in the breeze. Hanging in a graceful arc between the branches of a cedar tree, the delicate fiber was lined with snowflakes. Each individual snowflake was clearly visible, such intricate starry crystals of all different sizes and shapes gathered along a shimmering thread.
Enchanted by this discovery, I looked around with heightened awareness and more discerning eyes to find the woods filled with snowy spider webs. There were sparkling threads strung from broad cedar branches to the tips of the neighboring pines. There were glittering fibers dangling around the spindly bushes beside the icy creek. There were ornate strings of tiny snowflakes stretching all the way across the path I walked along, crystalline fibers reaching out and connecting tree to tree to tree to tree.
The glittering tapestry of snowflakes woven in the woods was a vivid reminder of the extraordinary web of life, that vast array of diverse life on the planet, the countless unique and intricate beings all connected yet distinct. Balance and harmony thrive in the connectedness of the web, in the honoring and understanding of the relationship among all beings, in the fertile knowing that we all are joined in the circle of life.
Boundless potentials come alive when we explore with awakened awareness the worlds within us and all around, leaving behind the well-ingrained habits that cloud our vision, bury our passions, disguise our gifts, and shape us into something other than who and what we really are.
There’s such beauty in sharing our unique distinctive songs as we dance with the grand web of life, each of us embodying particular forms, energies, and rhythms, bringing into the world our unique purposes, passions and gifts. The tapestry of our lives is colored with freedom when we are guided by our own creativity and knowing. There’s magic in weaving the webs of our lives with shimmering fibers like those among the trees, reaching out with curiosity, unconditional love and compassion, connecting heart to heart to heart to heart.
Copyright ©2008 JoAnne Dodgson
JoAnne Dodgson, Ed.D. is a healer, teacher and medicine storyteller in ancient Peruvian medicine ways, Ka Ta See.
She has a doctorate in counseling psychology and over twenty years experience offering counseling, ceremonial gatherings, holistic healing and workshops. JoAnne lives in the enchanted desert mesas of New Mexico.
JoAnne's writings include medicine stories and five books: Unleashing Love, MoonDance Journal, Walking the Spiral Path, Gifts of the Grandmother, and Cocooning.
Stories by JoAnne Dodgson.
Online Courses by JOANNE DODGSON
Shaman's Circle: Earth Spirits and Guides
taught by Mentor: JoAnne Dodgson
'Shaman's Circle' offers opportunities to deepen your understandings of the path of the shaman and to integrate these ancient ways into your everyday life. 
Each lesson offers discussion of unique aspects of the shaman's path such as bridging the varied dimensions of reality, living in balance with natural cycles and creating sacred ceremony. Each lesson guides you in opportunities to discover and enrich your innate connection with the web of life on the mother earth and in the world of the spirits.
Price: $49.95
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Manifesting with the Moon
taught by Mentor: JoAnne Dodgson
'Manifesting with the Moon' invites you to explore the unique energies and opportunities in each moon phase during one complete lunar cycle, one mo(o)nth. With the moon as a guide, you will engage in an organic manifestation process which begins with claiming your intent, giving voice to your visions and dreams.
Price: $49.95
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