Wow! Our Red Lodge Board is happily expanding in 2009, from 5 to 10 women.  At our Board Retreat on January 16-18 our imaginings for 2009 will come into focus.  Conflict Evolution Council members will join us on Saturday that weekend to offer Board members a mini-workshop on Byron Katie's Work (an inquiry tool for resolving stressful thoughts and beliefs). This is the first of many steps we'll take to keep the promise we made to Therese at the Annual Meeting--to take as good care of ourselves as we do of Red Lodge!

 

There is a well
in the center of this Lodge
Let yourself
Be drawn here to drink
Its waters will fill and
change you to the core
Let yourself
Be drawn here some more

There is a well
in the center of our world
Let yourself
Be drawn here to drink
Let yourself be drawn
To the center of your Soul
Let yourself
Be drawn
here
Some more

 
-Ayla

GETTING STARTED WITH WEAVING THE HOOP
Free Meeting
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2 - 4:30 PM
At Catherine Place
923 South 8th Street, Tacoma, WA


"Co-facilitating our Enumclaw hoop was my first experience leading a women's group" said Deb, "and it was great!"  We were going round the circle at the North Gathering, sharing highlights of Red Lodge 2008.  Then, Willow shared what refreshing and inspiring personal rituals women created during recent hoop meetings--great to be reminded how ceremony can look so different and wear so many beautiful garments.

Weaving the Hoop That Connects is a Red Lodge service program that gathers women once-a-month to share in deeply meaningful ways.  Weaving the Hoop Handbook is a free guide (digital format) available to Red Lodge Members to help you start a hoop in your own community. On January 10th in Tacoma, women interested in starting hoops are invited to come ask questions, share intentions and experience a mini-hoop meeting.  To receive your free copy of the newly revised handbook, and/or to register and get directions to the upcoming meeting, contact: weavinghoops@wwrl.org

The Monthly will arrive 8 times in your inbox this year, bringing news of Medicine Wheel Gatherings, classes, sweat lodges, drum circles, hoops and more.

The Red Lodge Online Calendar is a great way for members to list other classes and events of interest.  Thanks to all the members who have recently discovered how easy it to list events!

New in 2009 starting in February, The Quarterly Hearth Letter, edited by Mary G.L. Shackelford, will share reflections on the sacred inner workings of Red Lodge. 

Ringing in the new means letting go of the old--we have decided to discontinue our magazine-length Quarterly eNews.  Heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this labor of love possible for three years! 

Communications Council also envisions upgrading our website this year. We dream of Photo Galleries and a new easy-to-browse Articles Section with categories like People, Sacred Ways, Sustainability, Reviews and Recipes.  We'd like to add a search-box, an online database, and links to member's businesses, kindred non-profits, and resources members want to share.  Now we need a new web-programmer to help our dreams come true!

Drai suggested we contact Rob--a friendly professional website-developer who might be willing to help us. We called and he made a generous offer to upgrade our site in January, with Drupal-- state-of-the-art, user-managed software.  With excitement the board approved a proposal to hire Rob at his non-profit rate. 

However. . . .roll over, dreamer. . .  flurries of work have stirred up Rob's world. On the verge of the New Year, he e-mailed that he needs to postpone our project indefinitely, until he gets his other work under control, adding we might want to look for other ways. . . .

Listening for right timing, I remember that winter wraps us in her blanket so we can dream. Under layers of mulch, Mother Earth holds her tiny seeds whispering "Not yet... dream on. . . ." So, in Communications Council we are back to dreaming.  Timing is clearly in Spirit's hands.

Ever curious what's next and
Looking forward to connecting in 2009!
Kristina Turner
Editor