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Dear friends from near and far,
Please join us on Zoom this full moon, Saturday, April 16, 2022
at 6pm Pacific / 7pm Mountain / 9pm Eastern time
for the Earth Treasure Vase Global Healing Meditation
On this month’s call, we welcome Earth Treasure Vase Stewards,
Valeria Felsi, Rick Jansen & Nikole Manieri who will share their story of initiating the Italy ETV through pilgrimage in Sicily on the Spring Equinox (Read story below).
Please join us to hear this powerful Vase’s initiation story and what is on the horizon! After the meditation ceremony, we will invite you, our community, to offer your prayers and blessings for Italy into the growing Earth Treasure Vase Mandala.
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The call information will be sent upon registration.
A recording of the live call will be sent out to all who register.
Note: You do not need to register again if you have already registered previously.
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CONTINUING OUR PRAYERS FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE
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We continue to send our prayers to empower peace in Ukraine, and to support Cynthia Lazaroff who is stewarding the Earth Treasure Vase for the Bering Strait in Russia. In her Mandala post to our community she states:
"I feel us all together as one, holding the vision for a ceasefire, holding the vision for peace in Ukraine. May we Be the Peace! May we shine the light in the darkness! May we have the capacity to see and go to the place where it is already done, hundreds of years from now in the future where our great, great, great grandchildren are playing on the beach and thanking us for a world with clean air, clean water, restored soil, a world without nuclear weapons, a world at peace. May it be so!"
Please visit her post in the Mandala, where she offers specific and tangible ways you can support the Ukrainian people, pathways to effectively advocate for an end for nuclear weapons, and links where you can find trustworthy news sources on the conflict. A treasure trove of resources for us!
Here is our conversation with Cynthia Lazaroff on the last Full Moon where she offers her reflections on what is happening and specific ways that we can support efforts towards de-escalation and peace.
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WE SEE YOU! WE THANK YOU!
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 We would like to take this space to give acknowledgement to YOU who are making monthly contributions to support our collective work. You, like the Sun, offer your support with a constancy that sustains us, and we are so grateful! At the organizational hub of the Mandala, we receive donation notifications in our inbox, we see your names, and we feel you with us, shining upon our efforts. There are just a handful of us here tracking, writing, organizing, researching, working the tech, to facilitate the spaces we share together. Thank you for seeing US, and for acknowledging the nonprofit vehicle that carries us in this work. You might never know how much it means to us, during our busy workdays to see you there, so we want to make sure you know! Thank you, friends!!
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INITIATION OF THE ITALY VASE
By Nikole Manieri
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“In the sinusoidal waves of a radical new future, fragments of our divided world cohere into a more complete whole.”
– Thomas Hubl, Healing Collective Trauma.
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I dropped the Earth Treasure Vase for Italy.
She broke in 2,
… 3, 4. The top separated from the bottom. The offerings that we had ceremonially placed inside this vessel the evening before remained nestled in the bottom half. Cynthia and I were in shock. What did this mean?
Three days before this, I had landed in Santa Fe from Ohio to initiate my new working relationship with Cynthia and the organizational hub of the Gaia Mandala, and to consecrate this Vase for Italy and then deliver ‘her’ to Valeria, her primary steward.
The night before, Cynthia, Elizabeth Christine, my soulsister Marybeth Wolf, and I placed our heartfelt prayers, offerings, and visions into this Vase. These women taught me how to pray boldly, radically, and precisely. We prayed for the waters that surround Italy and connect to the Middle East and Africa, for healing and harmony restored; for the residual energies of hatred and despair from WWII be laid to rest in peace. We acknowledged the seeds of dominance from the Roman Empire to the Vatican that have impacts from global colonialism to nuclear arms, and we envisioned seeds of sovereignty and repair across timelines. Elizabeth Christine prayed:
“[…] for Pope Francis to dissolve the papal decrees which hold the Doctrine of Discovery in place. May he use his position as Pope to begin a rapid dissolution of all empirical forms embodied in “the church”. … Thus releasing healing back through the times of the Roman Empire and out into the future… allowing healing to spread around the Mediterranean and around the world as effectively as colonialism was so spread.”
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We topped off the offerings with some passionate Southern Italian drumming and dance for good measure. The next morning, on the day of my departure, Cynthia and I rushed out the door. As I handed her my suitcase, the Vase travel bag slipped from my shoulder and onto the gravel driveway.
POP!
For a sliver of a second, my fearful mind pondered, “Am I too un-mindful and broken to be worthy of this task? Was Cynthia mistaken to hire me? Is Italy doomed?!”
We looked at each other, both of us shaken. The only thing we were sure of was to STOP. Breathe. Be with what is, kindly, completely. After a time of contemplation and confession, we humbly began the slow, incremental work of repair. We drew inspiration from the Japanese tradition of Kintsukuroi (金繕い, "golden repair"). Cynthia had gold dust from South Africa that blessed this Vase’s seams. Our tears, songs, and prayers also blessed her seams.
This is how the Pilgrimage of the Italy Vase began.
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 On Feb 21, 2022, I landed with the Earth Treasure Vase in Sicily, the land of my ancestors and the southernmost region of Italy. Within the same hour of our landing, the active volcano Mt. Etna erupted.
She is called “La Senora” by locals, or Mungibeddu in Sicilian dialect. When I landed in my new apartment in Palermo, I turned on the news and her eruption was the first story I heard. I smiled, this Vase might have a dramatic flair to her, very Italian.
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 The Italy ETV remained with me in Palermo, Sicily until the end of March. During that time, I felt strongly called to bring her to one sacred site: Il Sanctuario di La Madonna del Tindari, in Messina. This Madonna is located on a cliffside sanctuary overlooking the Lakes of Marinello and Tyrrhenian Sea. She is a Black Madonna, who mysteriously arrived from the African shores, and contains the inscription: Nigra Sum Sed Formosa (“I am Black and Beautiful”). This Catholic sanctuary, like so many others across the south, is built upon an ancient site of devotion, whether it be Diana, Venus, Isis, Cybele or Astarte. In every village and town, you have a local Madonna/Holy Mary/Ave Maria who offers her miracles near springs, lakes, and seaside caves. The devotion and sacred power of a site remains through time, but the names change. When I visited La Madonna del Tindari, I found this image of Her in a mosaic of shattered pieces, seamed back together with gold. I felt reassured.
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At the end of March our small group gathered for pilgrimage with the Vase. The protection and embrace of La Madonna, with her ancient and mysterious roots in this land, continued to accompany us. The pilgrims included Valeria Felsi who had originally requested a Vase for Italy and would be its primary steward, her sister Simona, my Gaia Mandala co-worker Rick Jansen, and myself. Valeria and Simona are from Le Marche in central Italy, and Rick is from the Netherlands.
We met for the first time in Palermo, Sicily for the Full Moon Meditation call with Cynthia Lazaroff. That night the Italy Vase ‘Pandino Pack’ was born, as we sat with all of you in deep prayers for peace and de-escalation in Ukraine. The next morning, we began our sacred journey. The four of us squeezed ourselves into a tiny, cramped Panda car, named “Pandino” and spent most of our time together in there travelling the winding roads of Sicily.
We had two destinations clearly in mind for this pilgrimage in Sicily: to Lake Pergusa and to La Senora. In the end, we had four very special encounters with native Sicilians who offered their prayers into the Vase for Italy.
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First, we were greeted at Lake Pergusa, the ‘Womb of Sicily’, by a Grandmother guardian of that land, Maria Cimino. Lake Pergusa is the site where the Greek myth of Demeter, Persephone and Hades takes place (Ovid: Metamorphosis). It is here where Persephone makes her mythic descent into the Underworld, becomes its Queen, and then re-emerges in Spring. Many of the folk arts and syncretized Catholic traditions in Sicilian villages contain residual threads from these ancient rites. Sicily is “Persephone’s Island”. By following intuition and synchronicity we landed in Maria’s care precisely on the Spring Equinox. Without knowing anything about the purpose of our journey, Maria said she “saw the signs” and invited us into ceremony at a sacred site next to the Lake. This Grandmother was the first Sicilian to pray into the Earth Treasure Vase for Italy.
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 Maria arranged a place for us to stay with her dear friend Santi, who had lodging on his land. To our surprise, Santi introduced us to his Tibetan Temple that he and his wife, Yvonne, had built. Her beautiful paintings of Tibetan deities, including Tara, empowered the space. In addition, Santi had a consecrated Tibetan Vase on his altar, and so our sacred journey required no explaining. He embraced us and the Vase with deep reverence and gratitude for our service to Gaia, and for blessing his beloved Valle Grande. This Grandfather was the second native to this land who prayed into the Earth Treasure Vase for Italy
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 There we were in a tiny village in the womb of Sicily in a Tibetan Temple with these two consecrated vessels communing. You can’t make this stuff up!
From here, we prepared to meet La Senora, the seat of primordial power on the Island of Sicily. Santi told us that La Senora is like Shiva – She creates, and She destroys. A snowstorm had hit the day before our arrival. We worked together to get the Pandino through the foot of snow covering the road! Our snow chains broke! This felt like the trial at the gateway before She finally let us pass. We slept well that night.
 The next morning, we were drawn to sit at the edge of a crater, away from the tourist crowds. We were in awe and truly humbled by the power of Her presence. We laid offerings, spoke our prayers, and let ourselves be nourished by the vital energy She generously offers to the land and to the people. Just before we closed the Vase, a young man, indigenous to the landscape arrived, Francesco. There was an inner quiet and depth to his presence. He seamlessly attuned to the devotional space we had created. Francesco was the third Sicilian to place his prayers for Italy - and the world - into the Vase. After this precious encounter, we felt complete for this leg of the journey.
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 We were all supposed to part ways at this point, but through forgotten keys and re-scheduled flights, it wasn’t to be so. I find these journeys sometimes include what feels like logistical chaos to humans but is a larger re-ordering of plans inside a more coherent field, guided by a vaster intelligence. So, the Pandino Pack stayed together and completed our journey full circle in Palermo, where we had begun.
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The Vase is continuing to open up unexpected pathways and connections. We look forward to sharing with you on the Full Moon Meditation call. We are grateful to all of you holding the Mandala in your heart and in your prayers, as we walk together as holy vessels for Gaia!
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ANNOUNCING:
TARA GAIA ONLINE RETREAT with Cynthia Jurs
Teachings & Transmission
APRIL 21-24, 2022
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 “I am offering the practice of Tara Gaia as a summons to facilitate our awakening in relationship to Earth in these times of evolutionary change. I hope to welcome many new spiritual friends into our practice community and look forward to sharing the teachings with you very soon!” – Cynthia Jurs, Guiding Teacher Gaia Mandala Sangha
This retreat is open to anyone with a sincere interest in cultivating a personal spiritual connection to the Earth. Once receiving the teachings, you will be welcomed into our online monthly practice group where you can deepen your experience of the practice within the context of a dedicated and supportive community.
To learn more about the Tara Gaia practice, you can watch this video interview between Cynthia Jurs and Vanessa Fourcaudot, “Cultivating a Sacred Relationship with the Earth”. In this beautiful conversation, Cynthia shares her story of how she formed a relationship to Gaia and is now teaching this new meditation on Tara Gaia to help us as sacred activists dedicated to waking up and engaging the great work of our time. The recording includes an introduction to the visualization of Tara Gaia and a short meditation-recitation of Her mantra.
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Tara Gaia Online Teachings & Transmission Retreat
Thursday April 21—Sunday April 24, 2022.
Time: 10:00 am Pacific time daily for 2 hours. Cost: $222
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The retreat includes a transmission ceremony, teachings, group practice and discussion. We meet at 9:00 am Pacific time/5:00 pm GMT for 2 hours a day for 4 days. This is a live retreat based on direct transmission. Full attendance is required. Recordings will not be available.
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NOTE: If you have already attended this retreat, you are welcome to return by making a donation to our nonprofit, Alliance for the Earth here. A percentage of all registration fees will be donated to TreeSisters.
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Full Moon Earth Treasure Vase Global Healing Meditation
2022 DATE CHANGES
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*We have changed some of our 2022 Full Moon dates to be in closer alignment with the waxing energies of the Full Moon. We are sorry for any inconvenience in changing the dates. We feel these adjustments will offer optimal support to our practice together. Please adjust your calendar*
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PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS with these NEW 2022 FULL MOON DATES:
April 16, May 15, June 13, July 12, August 11,
September 10, October 8, November 8, December 7
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Full Moon Earth Treasure Vase Global Healing Meditation
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Inspired by an ancient Tibetan Buddhist tradition, our monthly Global Healing Meditation lives at the center of this community where once a month on the full moon we invoke the locations of all the Earth Treasure Vases that have been buried around the planet to bring healing and protection to the Earth and imagine our prayers radiating out to activate the global healing mandala that has been created, embracing all of Gaia in our love. Each month we focus our intentions on a particular treasure vase that is in the process of being accomplished.
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 Our Monday Mindfulness Meditations provide the opportunity to enter into a quiet place within, catch our breath, center ourselves, let go of anxiety and reconnect with our true source of being within the context of a supportive group or “sangha”. Cultivating mindful awareness, we can meet these times of collective crisis and opportunity with calm and clarity. During each session, our practice centers simply and effortlessly on the breath as a way to anchor our minds and return over and over to the present moment. There is a wealth of wisdom in this circle. Teachings and reflections are offered by various Sangha members along with two 20-minute periods of silent sitting meditation interspersed with 10 minutes of slow walking meditation. We close with a poem by Cynthia West and then open the circle for sharing. The group meets on the 1st and 3rd Mondays at 5:00 pm MT. Our next session is April 18th. Suggested donation $10/ session.
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Please consider a gift to Alliance for the Earth
Our small nonprofit, Alliance for the Earth, is an organization that makes a world of difference. And although it is the job of many, we are just a few. For 30 years we have been doing the work of turning prayers into action in eco-systems and watersheds, diverse cultures and communities around the world, embracing the planet with our love. We deeply appreciate your support!
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Alliance for the Earth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Federal Tax ID: 85-0378387) that is dedicated to bringing healing and protection to the Earth and supporting a global movement of collective awakening. Donations to Alliance for the Earth support our peacebuilding work in Africa, temple rebuilding in Nepal, sacred activism through the Earth Treasure Vases and ongoing group practices, pilgrimages and teachings. Become part of our alliance by making a one time or recurring donation.
Thank you for your tax-deductible gift to Alliance for the Earth.
May All Beings Benefit!
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La Papa Francesco at the Vatican!
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