Dear <<First Name>>,
On November 1 dozens of participants came together in the virtual stream for a global Water Blessing. From the Pacific Ocean to the Nile River, each participant moved in resonance with a cherished body of water.
While we were geographically dispersed, our collective practice unified us as we slipped magically into the guiding currents of water's elemental nature.
The poetry of Judi Bachrach and Beth Riley, included in this newsletter for you to absorb, invited us to explore water's multitude of qualities. Musician Cory Blake bathed us in glorious live music so that we might "move like water."
We welcome you to immerse in the photographs, quotes, and videos from this culminating Water Blessing event, along with all the Water Blessings of 2020 - our year dedicated to learning from water. A special thank you to all who attended on November 1 and to the myriad contributions documenting Water Blessings worldwide.
I wish you well as you surge, drift, bubble, melt, and more...
Elaine
PS - Our next and final newsletter for this year will feature WaterSense, the Watermark Arts 2020 Journal.
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Water Blessing
June 2020, Kingston, NY
with Sangi Van Den Nouweland
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FLUIDITY
WATER BLESSINGS FOR OUR TIMES
by Judi Bachrach
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Chaos begets
rigidity
for containment
Rigidity begets
chaos
for freedom
Beneath our skin
fluidity dances and ripples
for life in between
Fluidity rises
to the evocative coherence of Love
Track
the gentle ebb and swell
Become
the terrifying
curl of a monstrous wave
Breathe deep
Dive within
the boundaryless ocean of being
Judi Bachrach, 2020
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Water Blessing August 2020
Guanella Pass, South Clear Creek, Georgetown, Colorado
with Kori Tolbert, Continuum Teacher
"Dedicated to the waters of the rivers and streams of the Rockies
that then flow out into the rest of the US,
and to the oceans of the world.
I’m also dedicating to the waters of my own eyes."
~ Kori Tolbert, Denver, Colorado
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Water Blessing November 2020
Pacific Ocean, Santa Cruz, California
with Val Leoffler, Continuum Teacher
"Thank you for the Water Blessing.
I was moved by the beauty that was created by the ritual,
also being on the Day of the Dead,
honoring all those before us.
In preparation, I gathered flowers for the offering.
Moving together,
blessing our waters together,
and being blessed by them,
I was touched by the power of shared ritual.
Later that day, I offered to our
beautiful blue Pacific ocean the gifts of the flowers
and then immersed myself in the water."
~ Val Leoffler, Santa Cruz, California
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"E’ stata un’esperienza rigenerante…sono sta fiume, cascata, oceano ed ora il respiro è libero e più ampio……grazie"
"It was a rejuvenating experience
...I am a river, waterfall, ocean
and now my breath is free and wider
... thank you"
~ Cinzia Russillo, Ferrara, Italy
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Water Blessing on the Po di Volano, Ferrara, Italy, June 2020 (4.15 min)
Led by Simona Arbizzani, Continuum Teacher
with Laura Balbi, Mirco Dondi & Cinzia Russillo.
Photographs: Marco Dalboni Music: Morena Boschetto
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"I find the Water Blessing sequence extremely calming and relaxing.
It renews the energy inside me.
I plan on diving into this exploration more often. In this particular period, I believe it will help me to slow down, and pause."
~ Mirco Dondi, Monteveglio, Italy
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In our garden,
The seasonal change comes with the wind,
Heralding the storehouse of Spring’s promise:
Winter’s enclosure approaches.
Bright red apples hang on branches like ornaments.
Leaves begin to release earthward,
dissolving once more
Into loam.
Sap water shifts from its upwelling surges
To the drawing down invitation of roots.
I, too, yield to the changing seasons and tides of living now –
My cellular water calls me into root and rest.
Liquid rising and falling inside,
continually baptizing
The shore of my bones,
the season of my heart, this life we are living.
Water is everywhere, always coming when called.
Here is the essential gift
Touching our toes as we stand
At the edge of a future we cannot envision.
Water is Everywhere.
Offering new nourishment,
Fresh eyes - A gaze of utter equanimity and mercy,
The very movement, nature and truth of water
Opens us to a constant presence of
unceasing aliveness
from an infinite well.
Water is Everywhere.
Calling back to the garden and to us:
Be Fresh. Be Strong. Yield and Rise Again.
Beth Riley, 2020
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Water Blessing, November 2020
Gufieallodole, Monteveglio, Italy
Alessandra Cacciari & Mirco Dondi
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Water Blessing, Long Pond at Omega, Rhinebeck NY October 2020
with Amy Davis
"I felt companioned by the land and the elements.
I am open to change, I am flowing."
~ Amy Davis, Schodack Landing, NY
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Water Blessing Virtual Gathering
November 1, 2020 (60 min. video)
We received requests for a recording from some of you who were not able to attend the November 1, 2020, Water Blessing.
Without visibly filming the participants, Prue Jeffries created this archival one hour video so you can follow along whenever you wish.
0 - 6 min - Welcome and introductions
6 - 10 min - Open attention meditation and dedication: What body or bodies of water would you like to dedicate your water blessing to?
11 - 21 min - Water Blessing sequence demonstration
21 - 23 min - Judi Bachrach reading Fluidity, Water Blessings for Our Times
24 - 48 min - Cory Blake's Water Blessing music
48 - 50 min - Check-In: What does your water body have to say; begin with "I am..."
50 - 53 min - Beth Pettengill Riley reading Water Call
53 - 58 min - Closing gathering and invitation to create and document your own Water Blessing
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Moving Art Cards
By Elaine Colandrea & Prue Jeffries
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Created by Elaine Colandrea and Prue Jeffries, each card offers an image and a somatic practice to deepen awareness to your felt, sensed experience. Enhance your personal practice and increase your embodied presence, artfully!
When ordering Moving Art Cards as holiday gifts,
please allow one week for us to pack and ship.
Thank you for ordering Moving Art Cards!
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Photos: Prue Jeffries. Header: Floris Sea. Fluidity Poem: Drop, Effulgence.
Water Call Poem: Floating Leaf, Spiralis Sea. Footer: From my Pond.
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Find Watermark Arts online
Our galleries serve as a grateful tribute to the beautiful
creative expressions of our community.
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Follow Watermark Arts on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Visit our artists and their works on our site.
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