A Note From Reverend Shiloh Sophia McCloud

Dear One,
I send you greetings from Mendocino, California! You have been much on my mind ever since I started speaking with Deb Reis at Toledo Hospital. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of the struggles, the victories, the challenges, the overcomings, the fears and the joys that we as women face.

And I ask myself continually, HOW can we help each other get through this life? And I ask the women I work with on a regular basis, how do we get through, and have peace in the midst of the chaos? How do we respond in grace instead of live in reaction? When the pain is so great, the dismay even greater, how does one proceed? And not be swallowed up by feelings of despair?

Here are two possibilities.

We get through this together. We love, we share, we encourage, we witness, we forgive, we illuminate, we create, we cry, we laugh, we get mad, we push through, we fall down, we get up, we act mean, then we overcompensate, then we get fierce on our own behalf. And because we ALL do this, we can be compassionate towards one another on our journey. And some of us then feel called to translate our journey into work on behalf of others who are suffering.

And what a journey! As I was preparing to write this letter, I was struck with, how do I say how much I care, to women I don’t even know? Then I thought, well, because you too are a woman, doing everything you can to thrive, survive, and create wellness and beauty in your life. We are also on a shared journey!

The book you hold in your hands is the result of many years of working with women, and asking this question of them, and always of myself:
How does healing really happen? How does transformation of the heart and soul happen? Even if the body can healed, how do we heal our thinking? How do we get from our dreams, and ideas of what we want and who we are, to our realities? And how do we shorten the distance between them, consistently? Why is it so hard to change, when we know we want to so much?

Our hearts are burning within us to access the deep truth of our existence, our true path. From within any traditional, religious or cultural, each of us has a space and longing to access the true core of ourselves. The place within us that will enable us to experience wellness of spirit no matter how we feel. The place where we can have true temper tantrums and anger bursts that actually leave us feeling more whole instead of bad about acting out. (all of us need to act out sometimes!) The place within us that creates boundaries and distinctions, that grants access to intuition, “is this right for me, or not?” “can I trust this person or do I need to talk to someone else?” ” something is not right about this, let’s see, what can I do? I can ask for space, for time to think.” Each time we powerfully and mindedly choose what is best for us, we learn about who we are, and about what our stands are.

Well, the only thing I have really come to believe is that personal change and transformation is something we practice, not just something that happens because we know it is good, or we want it, or we choose it. We choose it, then we back it up with action after action after action as much as we are able. And eventually, we start to see a new pattern emerge based on our practice. It could take a long time or it could be short time – and I think meditatively, if we do art, if we create, if we take time to learn about ourselves, however long it takes, will be the right amount of time. Creating awakens us to who we are underneath all the stories. And invites us to create new stories. Our truths cannot help but come out when we engage in deeply creative acts. Which leads us to the second answer, creativity.

That is what this book is about, a woman’s spiritual creative practice. It provides a template for self expression and reflection. It creates an opportunity to examine our stories and beliefs within the safe container of a journal. Remember when we were girls, and we had our first diary – how delicious and yet how risky it felt. That time is here again. Only instead of listing the hotties we kissed – now we will list the ways we will forgive ourselves, and behaviors we want to surrender – and make affirmations of giving up guilt and shame. And get really clear on how good we are going to be to ourselves!

This book can be a place to practice wellness. And I hope it will be that for you. Of course, it can ask us lots of things that make us feel vulnerable, but when we create through that space, new life emerges on the other side. By articulating where you are now and where you want to go next, in writing, image and color, it will be that much closer to to us. The clearer we are with ourselves, the clearer the path will become. Even in the midst of extreme hardship, we can live the path or the path can live us. What is this letter/book/process really about? About consciously choosing.

I know working on and through our challenged and limitations together can help. I would really like to create a book just for women who have gone through the journey that you have gone through. And to learn from you what kind of book, text, images, practices can help. I have not revised the text in this book for some time, and I know it does not all speak to the work you are doing directly. This edition has been sold out for a few months, so the book you have was literally made up from the previous edition just FOR YOU. And my hope is that you will be inspired to help us create a book for women who are on this journey after you!

I would be honored to have your input and design ideas for how to make a journal that would really work for women on the recovery journey.

I pray that your path becomes clear. I pray that you be guided by the Great Spirit of Love. I pray that this book, this time to nurture yourself, will be the continuation of journey that is not just worth living, but one that brings vitality and joy to your life.

With Love and Bright Blessings,
Shiloh

“Each woman has potential access to Rio Abajo Rio, this river beneath the river. She arrives there through deep meditation, dance, writing, painting, prayermaking, singing, drumming, active imagination, or any activity which requires an intense altered consciousness. A woman arrives in this world-between worlds through yearning and by seeking something she can see just out of the corner of her eye. She arrives there by deeply creative acts, through intentional solitude, and by practice of any of the arts. And even with these well-crafted practices, much of what occurs in this ineffable world remains forever mysterious to us, for it breaks physical laws and rational laws as we know them.” Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes