JoAnne Dodgson

A flowing river of Elk leapt over a barbed wire fence. Awed by the sight, I pulled my car to the side of the road and rolled down my window to listen and watch. The herd was made up of at least one hundred elk, a multi-generational group, still adorned with thick furry winter coats. A couple other vehicles pulled over and parked. Motors were turned off. As if entering a sanctuary, we instinctively quieted. We were stopped in our tracks by the beauty of wild elk finding their way through snowy mountain lands. Once over the fence, one by one, the elk climbed up a hill and regrouped in a meadow.... Continue Reading

Elders say the wheel of life is turning in the direction of regeneration, a birthing time to rebuild our world with love, harmony, and balance. The out of balance ways are coming undone and falling apart. We are standing in a threshold between worlds. How can we move with these currents of change to re-vision, re-member, and reset balance in our world? In a recent ceremony, spirits are showing that we’ve barely touched our toes in the waters of healing. We have limited ideas about what healing and transformation are, how these processes happen, who is involved, and what the outcomes should... Continue Reading

In the threshold between our earth’s seasons, we gather the gifts of what is and has been while moving with the momentum of change. Each step we take, every choice we make, each thought we think and word that we speak, shapes what’s coming alive in our inner landscapes and the outer world.   When wintertime settles into the red rock mesas of northern New Mexico, the blue skies grow still after geese and sandhill cranes fly by boisterously celebrating their migrations south. I rarely cross paths with coyotes and rabbits, though their tracks may be found in the snow, mud, and sandy soil.... Continue Reading

Today I saw a butterfly her blue speckled wings glistened in the sunlight the magic of her metamorphosis danced around in the winds She flew over the sagebrush and landed on red sandy soil resting awhile opening and closing her wings a silent rhythmic drumbeat sending wave after wave of the knowledge she holds about naturally transforming I’m following the path of Butterfly together we can join the dance of the butterflies in the passionate pursuit of becoming fully who we are here to be We too can create space for transformation sheltering dissolving dismantling what has been shaping new... Continue Reading

Solstice, Equinox, and New Moon are my cherished holidays. I’m drawn toward these transitional passages, awed by their essential part in creation, curious about the purposes and effects of such vast and ancient natural cycles. The shifting of seasons, the turning of the times, opens space for transformations to come alive. I love the wonder of opening into new cycles, finding my way in the mystery and unknowns, honoring the dying away of what has been, exploring and seeding and holding potentials for the birthings of what can be. A sense of belonging, the knowingness of home, the spaciousness... Continue Reading

I’m heading west on a roadtrip to visit an Elephant Sanctuary. For years, I’ve told friends I might leave everything behind and go to Africa and live with the elephants! Though I haven’t made that leap, elephants have taken up residence in my heart. I’m thrilled to have a chance to get a glimpse of these majestic animals, even if from afar. The elephants, tigers and bears living in the sanctuary have been freed from circuses and zoos. The public is only allowed to visit a handful of days each year, and just a small group of people each time. There is no direct contact with the animals.... Continue Reading

  We are in between Equinox and Solstice, a passage between seasons, a transitional space that bridges what has been with what is coming into being. There are diverse cultural traditions that mark this transitional time with ceremonies and celebrations, recognizing the power and beauty that live in the in-betweens. In-betweens are sacred spaces filled with mystery and wonder, with questions and quests. You may feel you’re in the currents of a flowing river. What direction are you heading? Pulled off balance by turbulent waters? Floating in gentle eddying pools? In-betweens are inherent in the... Continue Reading

  “I don’t think I can do it,” I whispered, tears stuck in my throat. Jaguar stirred, yawning and stretching. She leaned over the tree branch, glancing toward me. “Can’t do what?” she asked. “I don’t think I can change. Again.” Weighted down by exhaustion and embarrassed by my words, I tried to explain myself. “I wish things were different. I’ve been trying. But I’m afraid. It’s hard to step out of my comfort zone.” Jaguar leapt to the ground, landing gracefully without a sound. She walked in a circle, imprinting the earth with a trail of massive paw prints surrounding... Continue Reading

  This is the Bridge Time, according to the elders. The out of balance, unsustainable, upside down world is taking itself apart. Bridge Time is a passage between worlds. We are standing in the midst of flowing rivers of change. How will we get across to the other side? We are the Bridge People, according to the elders. Bridge People make pathways shaped by visions of a thriving, peaceful, equitable, heart-centered world. Bridge People take steps to reset the balance, guided by the remembering of what lives in our human hearts, our ancestral knowings, our natural ways of being. Bridge People redesign... Continue Reading

Soak in the medicines and doctoring from the spirits, a clip from our Throwing the Bones Ceremony, August Full Moon Gathering… Originally Published on https://joannedodgson.com/blog Continue Reading