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Joanna Powell Colbert - Sacred artist. Creator of tarot decks. Earth mystic. Moon lover.
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autumn

squirrel in the tree
Posted in Collective, Seasonal Lore

Reflecting on 2020 in the Season of Nourishing Darkness

When I woke this morning and opened my blinds, I was surprised by bare branches. Overnight, a windstorm stripped almost all the golden-russet leaves off…

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Hermit / Usnea from the Herbcrafter's Tarot
Posted in Collective

Life on the Corona-coaster

I’m thinking of my readers today, here on the edge of autumn and winter in the northern hemisphere. I’m wondering what you’re feeling in the…

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Apples
Posted in Personal Journey

Maine + Autumn + Grace

My heart is full with granddaughter love. We had a most wonderful time, picking apples and making apple crisp; taking Shelby the new puppy for…

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Morning moon
Posted in Earth Wisdom

The Moon and Me, in Three Parts

This moon — the Full Harvest Blood Lunar Eclipse Super Moon — came in three parts. Not Maiden, Mother, Crone. Not Waxing, Full, and Waning.…

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autumn leaf
Posted in Seasonal Lore

Blessed Autumn Equinox! Welcome Harvest-tide!

I have news for you. The way to one beach was blocked by a fallen tree today, but the narrow winding path to another was…

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bike & blackberries
Posted in Seasonal Lore

Shifting, Changing, Summer Turning to Fall

Have you noticed a shift in the wind?  I sure have. Yesterday after I came back from riding my bike by the bay, I sat…

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ancestor angel
Posted in Seasonal Lore

The Parting of the Veil on All Soul’s Night

(Joanna’s note: I originally wrote this piece in 1991, and it was first published in The Beltane Papers in October 1992. The “Helen” in this…

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Autumn altar with candles
Posted in Retreat

Retreating at Autumn Equinox

The third Gaian Soul Retreat has come and gone, and once again I am blessed beyond measure by this work I am called to do,…

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Posted in Seasonal Lore

Make an Altar for the Ancestors

An altar is a place of serenity and peace within your household, where you make an arrangement of objects that embody what is sacred to…

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Posted in Retreat

Report from Aldermarsh: A Nourishing, Magical Gaian Soul Retreat

I hosted my first Gaian Soul Retreat last week, and I have to say that it was one of the most remarkable experiences of my…

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Slipping into the opening between the worlds, neit Slipping into the opening between the worlds, neither here nor there, the pause between tender petal and icy blast, creativity and contemplation, fatigue and energy, winter and spring. ::
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I’ve been such a hermit lately, coping with health challenges, nesting into my cozy space. I feel the flicker of spring fever, taking delight in the call of red-wings in the marsh and the flash of primroses and daffs in my garden, planted by a friend last week. Still the snow falls silently and steadily, calling me to mugs of tea and blankets on the sofa, as I pick up a pencil to capture the grace of daffodils in the snow.::
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#walkingthewheel #winterturningtospring
I’ve celebrated Brigid’s Day for decades now, I’ve celebrated Brigid’s Day for decades now, this poignant holy-day, this liminal time of Winter-Turning-to-Spring. Neither one nor the other, but both: snowflakes one day and blossoms the next. ::
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I shared some recollections of past Brigid’s Days in my e-letter this morning (link in profile). Here are 3 images I created over the years. In 1985, I drew a pen-and-ink rendition of “Brigid at the Forge.” In 2014, I was swept away by Brigid’s fire and created one of my favorite pieces in watercolor, oil pastels, and colored pencil. A couple of years later, the colored pencils came out again for the Adelita of Earth / Knight of Pentacles in the Herbcrafter’s Tarot, showing a young woman crafting a Brigid’s cross out of yucca … the marriage of ancestry and place. ::
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Blessed Brigid’s Day to you!  May you glow with sacred fire. ::
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#brigid #brigidsday #imbolc #candlemas #herbcrafterstarot
Today I turn seventy-one-derful. (Thank you Liziah Today I turn seventy-one-derful. (Thank you Liziah for that yummy phrase). Ruminating on all the paths not taken, all the ones I did take, all the paths that still beckon me. Life is brutal, and so beautiful. Grateful for it all. 💚 #capricorn
Two Capricorns walk into a cafe… and one brings Two Capricorns walk into a cafe… and one brings a bouquet of flowering witch hazel. Thank you @kathiehardy 💚
Oh those winter sunrises! Starting out the day wi Oh those winter sunrises!  Starting out the day with awe & wonder. And coffee. ✨
A waterfall of New Year’s blessings … may all A waterfall of New Year’s blessings … may all beings be happy, healthy, safe, and kind. 💚🕯🙏🏼
Setting goals and intentions for the New Year no l Setting goals and intentions for the New Year no longer lights me up like it used to do. I've slowed way down this past year, in part due to ongoing health issues. I'm asking for help more often and finding the practice of letting go to get easier every day. ::
::
My priorities are pretty simple: Spend time with people I love. Make lots of joy-inducing art. Call the circle and collaborate with others; ask for help. Get my health back. Read good books. Move my body. Love the land. Love my community. Make a difference, even in tiny ways. ::

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And (because it's always "both/and", not "either/or") here's a golden oldie New Year's spread from the Gaian Tarot book that I created 20(?) years ago. Still a good one. ::
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:: New Year's Spread: Out with the Old, In with the New ::
1. What do I leave behind in the Old Year? 
2. What do I open up to in the New Year? 
3. Key Opportunity of the New Year 
4. Key Challenge of the New Year 
5. Hidden concern (pull from bottom of the deck) 
6. Deep Wisdom / Counsel (pull from middle of the deck) 
7. Key Theme of the New Year
::
Happy New Year!
May you & your beloveds nestle into the comfort of May you & your beloveds nestle into the comfort of nurturing darkness and the joy of returning light. Happy Solstice! #wintersolstice
From my porch: Good morning snow! Good morning pon From my porch: Good morning snow! Good morning pond! Good morning blackbirds! #wintersolstice

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Winter/Yule • Candlemas • Spring • Beltane • Summer • Lammas • Autumn • Hallowmas • New Year
Gaian Tarot • Herbcrafter's Tarot • Pentimento Tarot • Tarot Spreads • Ancestors • Goddess • Mama Ocean • Death & Dying • Grief • Spiritual Practice • Activism • Aldermarsh Retreats • Circle Way • Community • Place  • Family • Island Life

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Content, Artwork, & Photos © 2023 — Joanna Powell Colbert (unless otherwise noted)