Dear Friends,

Spring has sprung in only one place so far in Mt. Shasta, on the calendar. The winter has prolonged its stay and despite that the snowfall was not very substantial this year, making our lives a little easier. We have been blessed with plenty of rain to replenish our water supply. Living on the mountain for 26 years I finally understand why the bears hibernate in the winter, they hibernate because instead of fighting the "elements" they stop their "business" to go into the dreamtime to create new life in the safety of their cave. So this long winter I copied the lifestyle of my friend the bear and hid in my cave, dreaming my "spring" and planning my future, standing in life as a single person again.

When something “bad” happens to us, it is very difficult to find positive, sustainable comfort at all times in the everyday world. The most creative thing to do in such cases is to stop our "business" and take the time to go to the core of our being to reconnect with the person we know we are, the person we have lost because of circumstances outside of our control. I know that loss (any form of loss) pushes us to reach into the depth of our soul to gather the strength and confidence to be reborn to our fullest potential again.

Experiencing changes on all levels is part of the human condition. We cannot run from or avoid change. We can, however, discover that home and safety live within; we can learn how to stay centered in the midst of great changes and create a sanctuary of peace that allows the transmutation of the disorder to take place. What I learned during this long winter of my life is that when we gather our spiritual energies with others as we do in our Peace Lodge every New and Full moon, we can create harmony within and without, no matter what our circumstances are. In thankfulness for the lessons learned and for all the women and men who have supported my work and fed my soul during this trying time, I turn to the four directions and send my voice to Spirit that they might be protected and blessed always.

In this funny picture of our "Chat-Man" Milou the cat is waiting for spring to return in a very leisurely way. I even think that during this long winter he has learned to read. Milou was near death in November 2011 and survived a very challenging ordeal. He is now doing very well and supervising with great interest the birds' feeding time every morning. Miracles happens if we only take the time be present with our circumstances and Milou is the living proof of this reality, but that story will be for next time.

May you live a soulful life and experience the wonder of "being" at all times.

Many blessings to all,

— Josiane Antonette