Welcome to our December newsletter. One of the aspects I love about Waiheke at this time of the year is the mass flowering of the kanuka, some hillsides are coated in white blossom. Last week I received a small gift, with a card that said “E iti noa ana na te aroha” meaning a small thing given with love. I love these words, they fall like a poem, they help make a pathway to how a gift is given and received. Christmas here in Aotearoa is an intense dash towards the end of the year, the height of summer, a need to complete, a rush to attend. Whilst I talk to people in the northern hemisphere they are settling into the depths of winter, the counting of the days down to christmas. Going through the shortest day and emerging, the days slowly growing longer the new year, the celebration of the sun, the formation of intention and potential. Here I would like to celebrate the height of the sun, the long days, the plums just ripening, the early morning walks. May your summer be flourishing and may you find joy in your days. May you receive and give the small things given with love. As we look back, we see how much has happened, both in the publishing, and development of the Lasavia courses and workshops. On the publishing side, we have successfully launched Mike’s novel Hold my Teeth While I Teach You to Dance at a buzzy little Waiheke event, which also featured Jazz saxophonist and flautist Jim Langabeer. We are getting some great feedback from readers who are appreciating the humour of the book, which you can catch on the lasavia website. We are lucky to have secured the services of Tara Young of Nelson to work as Marketing Manager. Tara is actively developing her own writing, and so brings a lovely mix of interests and skills to Lasavia publishing. Meanwhile Mike is working slowly on new project pulling together the writings and drawings of Leila Lees, for eventual publication at the end of next year. More on this as it develops. Our website’s active poetry thread has not been very active, although it was lovely to see Mike’s sister’s poems from great barrier island. We would like to invite contributions to the poetry thread. Writing, especially poetry, can be an integral part of our spiritual development as we seek to find words to fit our experience. Please email Tara on info@lasavia.co.nz. for further information. The Lasavia course continues in Nelson, Otaki and Auckland we are doing the second year of the two year course. We begin the new course in Otaki and Auckland. The Otaki course will be three live in workshops per year at waihoanga centre for wellbeing by the otaki river. Charmaine Torrington and Meggan Young will be assisting and supporting. The Auckland course will be at Huia Lodge in the Waitakere ranges with teacher and facilitator Chalice Malcolme. http://www.lasavia.co.nz/lasavia/courses/ We are also beginning a course in nature and alchemy with Leila Lees, assisted by Meggan Young. This course is specifically about the use of and working with vibrational medicine. We cover an exploration of what are vibrational remedies, weeds, plant spirit medicine, understanding alchemy and creation of remedies. The drum making workshop is in July 17th, 18th and 19th and is being held at Riverslea Retreat, Otaki Teachers and Leadership workshop is being held at Whakapapa, Tongarairo National Park. February 4th – 8th. Due to the development, teaching and writing for the Lasavia courses I will not always be available for one on one healing work. Please contact Chalice Malcolme chalice@lasavia.co.nz or Meggan Young meggan@lasavia.co.nz.
Christmas is here in Aotearoa
