My final Passion Portfolio is a celebration of women. As I embark on a journey of my own, slowly peeling back years and layers of self doubt and programming, I wanted to connect with others who are going through similar journeys of their own. I wanted to explore their vulnerabilities, their passions, and their fears. I wanted to build human connection and community in a world that is growing ever so distant. I wanted to celebrate our magic and our strength, our intuition and our grace as we learn the greatest love of all—unconditional love for ourselves and others. We are mothers, sisters, spouses and friends. We are creators. We are divine, we are wild, we are energy. Women are power and nurture, compassion and beauty and my hope was to capture some of this essence as we unapologetically return home.

She is "Inspiration Beyond Words"

Fighting for and protecting a son locked inside his own world but who is beautifully whole. She knows heaviness and sacrifice and joy and community. She embodies resilience and strength all mixed in with the most infectious laugh.

She is "Amazing Grace"

The mother of the moon. She is power, and beauty and hope. Her roots reach deep anchoring her strength as she prepares to bring forth life.

She is "A Mother’s Connection"

The comfort of her touch. The reassurance of her presence. Her hand held in mine as I see her with new light and realize that soon it will be my turn to protect her.

She is "Provoking The Divine"

She is sacred. She is compassion. She is unconditional love. She is imperfectly perfect. She is enough.

She is "Educating The Warrior"

She is the fuck you in the face of cancer as she brings awareness to its grip. She is learning that although she is scarred, she is still whole.

It took me a long time to decide how I wanted to approach my shoot this week. How could I do justice to such an important topic.

Over the years I have learned about Residential Schools and the treatment of Indigenous people in this country but I have always read the information as facts. I never allowed myself to contemplate and sit with the emotion and the horror, likely out of guilt and shame and coming to terms with my own privilege.

This week I took the time to read their stories and to sit with the pain and the hopelessness and the anger and the despair. I imagined my own children being ripped from me and not knowing where they were or how they were being treated. I felt the terror and the pain and the confusion of thousands of little faces as their identity, their souls and often their lives were stripped from them. I confronted some of the biases I have held and the impact of intergenerational trauma and how I can be an ally as I challenge and work towards breaking down barriers that continue to violate Indigenous communities.

With my image I wanted to show the juxtaposition of what was and how it should have been. I imagined all those children sitting at a desk far from comfort and everything they knew. I imagined the forests and the land mourning and weeping their loss as she too was their mother. I imagined her holding them in her embrace. I imagined the ripple effect and what was taken from them. I imagined their spirits coming home.

SOURCES

https://www.strongnations.com/download.php?https://legacyofhope.ca/wherearethechildren/

https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/land/meaning-of-land-to-aboriginal-people

Soul Magazine

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 13, 2022

REDISCOVERING ALTERNATIVE HEALING WITH THE POWER OF MOTHER EARTH

More and more individuals, particularly teens, are now suffering in record numbers from the debilitating effects of anxiety and depression. As these numbers soar, many are turning to alternative and holistic methods to reconnect with themselves and mother earth as a means of healing. Once considered kooky or even reserved for witches and the like, crystal and stone lithotherapy treatments and sound vibrational healing through the use of singing bowls are now benefiting from scientific studies backing up their medicinal benefits. “These methods of healing have been around for thousands of years and have been lost in our modern times through stigma and traditional Western medicine. As we research and discover more about vibrational frequencies on brain waves and the power of earth’s minerals on our energy centres, we are rediscovering a world of natural healing and the power of our souls that is very promising for those suffering right now.”

#ENDS

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ABOUT Rediscovering Natural Healing

Anita Vacay

PHOTOS ATTACHED

Sanctuary. A place of refuge or rest. A place where you can feel at peace protected from danger or a difficult situation. In today’s reality, as weary souls battle with the uncertainty of the future and ups and downs and open and closed, finding sanctuary and that slice of peace and solitude is more important than ever. For some, that might be a good book, a long walk, or a hot bath. For others, it might be listening to your children giggle, movie night in with the dog, or leaning into the comfort of a warm embrace. Then there are people who find sanctuary huddled in a little pup tent on frozen water as the wind violently whips snow around and those capturing that moment of absolute simplicity and peace really, really wishing they hadn’t forgotten their gloves at home!

I didn't have access to a human model this week and after a few moments of sheer panic, I took a deep breath, looked around the house and my eyes settled upon Slothy who I thought might just do the trick. This week was a learning experience for both of us and I truly hope I did right by Renee's gorgeous photo.