Passionate Soul

Passionate Soul
Shiloh Sophia McCloud


Once she found her dream
she followed it with all the
passion in her soul.
She spent considerable time
searching
calling
digging
sourcing
and
praying
for her dream to come.

She knew she had one
there just seemed to be
so much space
between it and her.
Sometimes she felt it nearby
like a cloudy whisp brushing her cheek.
Oh, there you are! she would exclaim
And it was so familiar that she wondered
how she could have ever lost it.
But dreams are not ever lost,
she thought,
just
missing
forgotten
suppressed
disregarded
feared
hidden

And finally she found her dream.
Or her dream found her
as the case sometimes is.
And it was more than a whisp.
It felt like a river that flowed through her.
Full of life.
And it had been there all along.
Like a garden that grows within
ripe with fruit, flowers and birds.
Finding a dream is a light that shines brilliantly
and never dims again.

When her dream came to stay
she immediately felt joy.
Jubilation
Ecstasy
Bliss
Wonder
Possibility
Then...compassion.
For all those
who cannot find
or follow their own dreams.
Then she said,
This is my moment!
I will focus on my own dream first.
Then others.
(Like on the airplane, she thought
secure your own life vest first.)

Then she felt relieved.
Victorious
Grateful
Blessed
Encouraged
Transformed
Committed

She began to take immediate action
on her dreams behalf.
For she knew
that it was in the fulfillment of dreams
that the true miracles emerged.

She is a passionate soul.
One of the ones who loves life.
One of the ones who will not give up.
One of the ones will stand for others,
Not To Give Up
on their dreams, hopes, desires.

And the greatest thing
about her dream come true
-that she could possibly imagine-
was that her dream
was to call others to their dreams.
To remind
Inspire
Encourage
Invite
Witness
Educate
Empower
Love

So she decided
that to be unreasonable
about things like
love and dreams and visions.
And she started about her work
as the priestess of dreams.

It is not uncommon to find her these days
sitting in the garden
in a circle of women and children
and fathers and grandparents
asking them about thier visions,
and sharing ideas
about how to make them come true.

She is a passionate soul.
And passion must be expressed.
Soul must be shared.
And dreams must be lived.
"Live Your Dream Out Loud!"
She calls to us from her garden,
Can You Hear The Voice of Your Dream?

Shiloh Sophia McCloud
2008


Greetings to you! Well it is almost midnight - which is the time I usually start these newsletters. They may as well be called loveletters. I like the peace and quiet of this hour - the fire crackling, the wind blowing, the kitty snoring softly. I am leaning up against my red velvet coach and a soft light is around me. And a big glass of water. And a heart full of the sharing spirit.

Last time I wrote it was about Grandma Eden. Well she passed into Paradise on May 2. Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and warm wishes. I leave tomorrow with my brother and sister (very early) for Seattle for the Celebration Service this weekend. I will take part in the ceremony. And I have ordered a three layer lemon cake with raspberries and fresh flowers.

Hospice spoke of parting gifts. For some time, we wondered just what that would be. There were several, but one in particular I would like to share with you. Grandma showed us how long you could go without food and be strong. To the end, she could hug us hard, squeeze our hand and look us right in the eye. So my Mama and step-Papa and I set about doing a fast and cleanse journey. There was a health issue that needed to be resolved, and so the other two of us said we would get on board the green drink highway to health. It has been 27 days now and we are all still cleansing. I am so inspired that I am planning a five day workshop with painting, walking and green drinks at my studio in Mendocino. I will keep you posted! Grandma gave us the courage, a family member in need gave us the cause, and the desire for wellness continues to encourage us to move forward. By they way - the health issue - which was quite serious - is resolved. It is so amazing how life offers inspiration in the most unusual ways.

I am going to have a tiny piece of Grandma's cake though! I am sure I have told you about cake communion! For those of you who want to read her obituary - my mom wrote it and it describes her legend so well. http://www.cosmiccowgirlsink.com

When I got home from Port Townsend I painted this painting, Passionate Soul in my Awakened Heart Workshop - and it represents the group soul. You might remember the Bountiful One, that was the one from the last workshop. These paintings are so wonderful for me because they are the demonstration painting that I use to show students what to do next - what is possible!The painting always ends up looking like the energy of the group and it is a testimony to the beauty of working together. And so I dedicate this painting to Jill, Cyndee, Heidi, Marcia, Sue and Carolin. Thank you for the sweetness of your passionate souls!

Each painting represents a transformation in me, as well as my prayers for the world. So when this painting came and was all about the dream - I have allowed it to teach me. I have allowed myself to consider my dreams with a fresh perspective. Especially in the light of the suffering, the hardships from earthquakes to tornadoes to polar bears - our world is feeling the effect of our neglect. Our lack of insight into what was/is needed to sustain a healthy balance. I wonder, how do we go on? When so many are suffering (this is clearly a recurring theme for me) and we have so much? I do what I can do. I share what I can share. I go out of my comfort zone all the time to do work that I love, and that is needed. I believe we can find a balance between the needs of the world, or others, and our own needs.

When I was in seminary in Boulder, CO, I made a parallel between the o-zone and our own energy zone. I remember thinking how hair spray and toxins damage the o-zone - and that damage done by toxins/trauma to our bodies/souls, creates a tear in our own personal energetic o-zone layer. The class was called Subtle Body Anatomy. I was 25 then, I wish I could read that paper now! And the reason I mention this - is because I feel that we can do work to repair those tears. It would be better if we can prevent them all together - but for now - I consider myself a mender of the tears. (I just looked in the dictionary twice to make sure that 'tear' - as crying and tear and is rip - is spelled the same. It is.) And the way I go about that mending - is through unreasonable love, and creativity.

I have seen with my own eyes, a woman wounded by years of personal trauma, be transformed through creativity. I have seen and felt, girls gain instant renewed confidence when using creativity as tool for self discovery. Does this mean "art" will heal everything and now it will all be good? Certainly not.
However, it does provide a CONTEXT in which to live our lives.
For example, my last paintings were a part of my grieving process for my grandmother. And since her passing my mother has been working on Grandma's scrapbook album. Made with hand-written poetry, photographs, William Morris print paper,
greeting cards, birth and death certificates, photos of my great grandmother on a horse. That is one of the things she did with her grief. Tearing and tearing all the way through her work.
My sister is writing about it. We create through our pain.

Granted, this does no address the kind of pain that comes from other kinds of trauma, like what is happening all over the world right now. I made CNN my home page and so I am constantly in touch with, one version of news anyway, what is going on. My work is continually informed by the suffering, and the victories of others - folks I do not even know - who live in my heart with me and those I do know.

There are different forms of activism. And I think that those on the front lines of suffering, and those suffering, benefit in some metaphysical way from those us who dance for healing - who paint for transformation - who make chicken soup for family members - who garden to bring healing to the earthy - who do yoga bring world peace. Does it sound -oh-so-california? Well, I don't care - because I believe in the power of prayer. I believe in the power of the artists and the visionaries keeping the fiber of beauty and possibility flowing through the tears.

In the great shawl of humanity, the wharf is the art and poetry and the woof is the suffering and despair - and together - we make the world. And together we shall heal it. I don't know what that looks like. I think we have some idea. But I imagine a world where there is enough to eat for everyone. And war is no longer an option. And loving kindness is the highest ethic. And art is in every school, every day.

I send you strength for your days
I send you rest for you nights
I send you abundance for your lives
and I send you courage for your dreams.

Reverend Shiloh Sophia McCloud


The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...


And he, Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,


The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

And he closed the book, and he gave [it] again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.

Luke 4:16-22

p.s. I am now in Port Townsend - it is time to meet my family for church, it is Sabbath and my mother and step-papa are teaching. I will read the scriptures. Then we will hang Grandma's art show. Forgive the raw un-edited version of this newsletter - but I am off to Celebrate Grandma! The sun is coming up on the Puget Sound and the scent of flowers float in the air. And yes, the birds are singing. And the mermaids are singing too - each to each, and I do think they will sing to me, T.S. Eliot, and to you too.