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“How does a Forest Memorial work?” is one of our most common questions. The basic steps are: 1. Start by finding a Memorial Tree that fits your needs and budget. Explore available trees online or schedule a free in-person tour with a Guide.  2. When it’s time, ashes are integrated with native forest soil at the memorial table. Guests are welcome to participate.  3. Wildflower petals are added to the vessel - a symbol of new life. Hands-on guests are often surprised by how healing the experience is. 4. The ash and soil mixture is placed at the base of your tree, cradled by a nest of forest floor. Share readings, songs, and memories. 5. When the earth has settled, our Forest Guides place a customized Memorial Marker at the base of your tree. Talk to one of our Guides to learn more about the natural, healing experience of returning ashes to the earth in a forest: https://lnkd.in/gngP3vz3 

🌑✨ Winter Solstice: Embracing the Dark and Light ✨🌒 The winter solstice, the longest night and the turning point toward light, carries profound symbolism. It invites us to pause, reflect, and embrace both darkness and light—within nature and ourselves. 🌿 The Darkness: A time of rest, introspection, and stillness. Like seeds in the earth, this is a space for quiet growth, for nurturing what lies beneath the surface. 🌞 The Return of Light: The solstice marks a shift—the slow lengthening of days, renewal, and new beginnings. Light points us toward hope, warmth, and all that is emerging. Notice your own relationship with Light and Dark and what is evoked as you pause to feel what is present in you on this Solstice? ✨ Pause to reflect on the wisdom found in stillness. ✨ Celebrate the light that begins to return, both literally and metaphorically. The winter solstice is a sacred moment to align with the cycles of nature, to rest, and to reconnect with what truly matters. As we embrace this balance, we hold space for transformation—both within and around us. AND, a shout out to our southern hemisphere community who is out there celebrating the Summer Solstice. How are you honoring the solstice this year? 🌑 Share your reflections below.

Birds Remind Us to Find Joy in the Simple Moments: Discover the wonder of birds and their significance in our lives. Explore the beauty of nature and find joy in the simple moments. https://lnkd.in/eVzMH4qQ

While the summer solstice often holds the spotlight with its celebration of abundance, warmth, and vibrancy, I’ve always been drawn to the quiet promise of the winter solstice. There’s something deeply grounding about its invitation to pause, reflect, and embrace the longest night of the year—a time when the darkness reminds us to trust—the light will return. This promise feels especially meaningful and hopeful in times of great uncertainty, like so many of us may be experiencing right now. It can feel like the shortest-day's shadows are obscuring our individual and collective clarity about what tomorrow holds. I continue to be awed by the history of the winter solstice—celebrated for thousands of years, with evidence tracing it back to the Neolithic period. Sites like Newgrange in Ireland (my homeland), built around 3200 BC, stand as evidence—a telling testament to humanity’s enduring connection to the cycles of light and darkness. This ancient passage tomb was designed to receive the first light of the winter solstice sunrise, illuminating its inner chamber—a moment of awe and wonder that continues to inspire—over 5,000 years later. In much the same way, the winter solstice still reminds us that even during these uncertain days and long, dark nights, there is the promise of light returning. For any of us facing uncertainty or feeling unsure of what lies ahead, this is a moment to pause and reflect. It’s not about feeling we need to have all the right answers right this moment—it’s about taking this time for deep rest and reflection—quietly considering what we might be best served to leave behind and what we might choose to carry across the threshold into our new year. Even if our path ahead isn’t clear, taking this time to rest and reflect is what the winter solstice invites us to do—resting in faith that following the darkest night, the light will begin to emerge. Always has—Always will. *(if you know anyone who may be encouraged by this viewpoint, please do share) #RestAndReflect #WinterSolstice #NewWaveLeadership #TheseUncertainTimes #KeepTheFaith

Winter Solstice: Time to Reflect and Reset Tomorrow marks the Winter Solstice (December 21st), the shortest day and longest night of the year. From here, the days grow brighter and longer—nature’s gentle reminder that even in our darkest moments, the light will always return. For me, the solstice is the real time to reflect, reset, and start fresh. While many wait for New Year’s Day, I prefer to align with nature’s rhythm: ✨ Saying goodbye to what no longer serves us. ✨ Thanking the darkness for its lessons. ✨ Looking ahead with clarity to what we want the next six months to look like. Fun Solstice Fact: Ancient cultures celebrated this day with fire and feasts to honor the rebirth of the sun! The Romans held festivals like Saturnalia, while the druids gathered at sacred sites like Stonehenge to mark the turning point toward brighter days. Ready to reflect and reset? Click the link below for your FREE guide: 📖 Journal prompts for deep reflection. 🔥 Simple rituals to release & embrace. 🎁 A special bonus gift to help you step into this new season with purpose. This is your new beginning… https://lnkd.in/evRXuCA4 Hugs Tara xx #WinterSolstice #ReflectAndReset #EmbraceTheLight #SeasonOfGrowth #WinterVibes #NatureWisdom #NewBeginnings #SolsticeMagic #MindfulLiving #YearEndReflections #GratefulHeart

We launched SANCTUARY: The Inner Life of Home at Book Passage on Saturday. Some highlights: HOME IS BIGGER THAN YOU THINK: Home is more than a comforting set of rooms. We can also find a home in nature, sports, art, and travel. Home is anywhere we feel enlivened, enlightened and engaged. HOME IS A SOUL JOURNEY: This is a major theme in Western literature from Homer’s Odyssey to The Wizard of Oz. At some point, we feel lost or disconnected. To get home again we must endure certain tests and challenges, and allow ourselves to be fundamentally changed.  IN HOME LIES THE PRESERVATION OF THE WORLD: How can we provide sanctuary for those in need of food and shelter? How can we stop our assault on nature and protect this small blue planet we call home? Join this in-depth conversation about reinventing home. WATCH HERE: https://lnkd.in/gf3eyhPt BUY THE BOOK: https://lnkd.in/gbr-k5mW

🌍 The Symphony of Nature: Sparrows in Harmony 🌍In the grand orchestra of nature, sparrows play their part beautifully. Their presence, though small, creates a rhythm that adds to the peaceful melody of our environment. These little birds, thriving in their natural habitat, are a testament to the wonders of nature that surround us. As we go about our busy days, let's remember to pause and appreciate the harmony that nature effortlessly creates. After all, it's in these moments of stillness that we find true inspiration. 🕊️🌿 Nature’s Gentle Reminder: The Beauty of Sparrows 🌿Sparrows, with their quiet grace and lively spirit, are a reminder that beauty often lies in simplicity. Watching them flutter through the trees, basking in the soft sunlight, we're reminded of the peaceful moments that nature offers. In our fast-paced world, these tiny birds encourage us to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with the natural world. Let’s take a moment today to appreciate the small wonders around us and find joy in the simplicity of life. 🌞🕊️ Sparrows: A Symbol of Connection and Community 🕊️Sparrows are more than just birds; they are symbols of connection, community, and resilience. Watching them interact in their natural surroundings reminds us of the importance of coming together, supporting one another, and finding strength in unity. In the same way, our communities thrive when we nurture our connections and work together towards common goals. Let these small, yet mighty creatures inspire us to build stronger, more connected communities in our personal and professional lives. 🌱 #SparrowWatch #BirdLovers #NatureBeauty #BirdConservation #WildlifePhotography #UrbanBirds #FeatheredFriends #BirdWatching #SaveTheSparrows #SparrowSpotting

Just because you plant a beautiful flower, doesn’t mean the weeds won’t grow. I always have new dreams I’m working on, new ideas that start out weak, like a young flower trying to make it in the heat of Phoenix. But as I learned from Napoleon Hill, the beginning is when they’re most vulnerable—just like our dreams. Now, here’s the thing: the weeds are gonna come. They’re the doubts, the self-judgment, the limitations. I’ve been there, trying to fight off every weed, but I realized the best thing I could do was nurture my flower. When I focused on feeding my dream and taking action, the weeds started to dry up on their own. We need to stop feeding the weeds and put our energy into the dream. Remember, focus on your dream, not the weeds. Because, just because you plant a beautiful flower, doesn’t mean the weeds won’t grow—but they don’t have to win."

Sacred Sunday Act #31 Summers ripeness is growing...🌸 Listening to many of you it feels like a challenge to keep going with your sacred practices.Keep your practices simple. Don't forget to breathe. Be gentle. It takes energy to heal , change habits, and deeply held negative beliefs that you have been taught about yourself. To live an animistic and shamanic life will bring healing , rootedness within, and wholeness. Connection. Tend to your heart friends. Let us hold peace in our hearts for all the worlds of the Earth that does not know it at this time. #peace #summervibes #roses 🌍 Suggestion; Today, take a few moments to go out in nature. Hands on your belly and breathe. Feet on the Earth, whether through soil or pavement, and say 'Hello Grandmother Earth '. Wiggle those toes in your shoes and say hello to the hidden realms, the guardians of place. Let yourself imagine/visualise yourself as a tree putting roots in the Earth, "grounding.""Do this as often as you need. Life in its many forms, we are all connected. 🌍 🌟 #ecology #plants #earth #sustainable #consciousness #spirituality #connection #pollinators #bees #harvest #nofoodpoverty #gratitude #peace #heart #breathwork #trees #grounding #sacred #animism #shamaniclife #woodlands #trees #breathwork #ceremony #climatechange #love #healing #guardians #otherworld #dreaming