The Thin Veil
Exploring the liminal with a group of fool-hearted adventurers in the wilderness.
This past Sunday my collaborator, Wade (Uncanny Means), and I gathered with some open-hearted folks in the Santa Monica Mountains to explore the notion of identity. Our workshop, Unveiling, gave us the opportunity to draw inspiration from this time of year when the veil between all realms is thinnest, so they say. Can you feel it?
"I had a wonderful experience in Ilana & Wade's Unveiling Workshop in October, and highly recommend both facilitators. This workshop helped us explore the concept of personal identity, engaging us with the natural world as a way to help strip away the "masks" we wear on a daily basis. I especially loved the variety of techniques they used (group work, individual work, physical movement, internal reflection), and the way they created and maintained a safe and sacred space for us from the very beginning. I left the experience feeling revitalized and validated in my ongoing personal reflective practices. I look forward to their future offerings!" - Liz, workshop participant
We asked the question, “Who am I?” in a variety of ways. We allowed ourselves to pause, wait for the answer to come, not from the brain, but from a whisper of the wind, or a raven flying overhead, or our future self in the form of a sapling. When we can release the boundaries of identity beyond our societal roles, and we can listen to language that is not tied to the spoken word, we open ourselves up to the possibility that, perhaps, who we are is limitless.
During our workshop we sat on land composed of rock that formed 3 million years ago. A small slice of the North American plate which is floating on top of the Earth’s magma. What we feel as solid ground is also moving and changing. Mother Earth is alive. And so are we.
Did you notice the hummingbird who just flew past? It sees colors we cannot. We perceive the same world through different lenses. What else do we not perceive about our world? What else can we learn from another’s perspective to help us broaden our concept of identity? Let’s use every opportunity to find out.
Hummingbird Gaze
Twice this week, the hummingbird hovered
inches from my face.
I imagine that in its gaze I become
an ultraviolet rainbow.
Beauty standards especially hollow
when considering our limited perception.
I accept the hummer’s gesture as flattery.
May this season bring insight and a sense of possibility to you all, you ultraviolet rainbows.
From my foolish heart,
ilana
Journaling Prompt*
Think of an element or being in nature (a tree, water, fire, a flower). Write down qualities that describe this element. Then use those same words in the form of "I am...".
Leave a comment below or email ilana@fool-hearted.com I'd love to hear your reflections.
*Journaling tips can be found here.
If this tickled your fool's heart, you might also enjoy https://www.fool-hearted.com/post/the-infiniteness-of-identity