Ep. 14- Embrace Your Mystical Side: Transformative Retreats With Poppy & Quill
EPISODE 14-
Embrace Your Mystical Side: Transformative Retreats With Poppy & Quill
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On this episode, Lisa Fonville, Kelley Lotosky, and Mrs. Hard invite you into the mystical world of Poppy & Quill Retreats.
You will receive an exclusive sneak peek into the transformative experiences that unfold within these sacred spaces.
We delve into the significance of female connection, the rejuvenation of your soul, and the art of tuning into your inner wisdom—equipping you with valuable tools to lean in and listen to the whispers of your authentic self, right here, right now.
To kickstart this mystical journey, we draw an Oracle Card, igniting a transformative exploration within.
So, prepare to embark on a voyage of self-discovery with us.
It's time to get wonderfully weird as we explore the magical and the mystical.
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Full Transcript:
Speaker 1: 0:00
Hey everyone. Today I have two very special guests with me on the show Kelly Lotosky and Lisa Fonville. Kelly is a Reiki practitioner and mystic photographer. Lisa has been a previous guest. She is a photographer that welcomes all the uncanny and supernatural to her photography sessions. If she was a Barbie, she'd be weird Barbie. Together, kelly and Lisa form Poppy and Quill. They host retreats that call in unique and meaningful experiences that help women connect with their authentic selves and create more harmony in their lives. Today, you get a sneak peek into what goes on during a Poppy and Quill retreat, because it's almost impossible to put it on paper. In this episode, we share about the importance of creating sacred spaces and receiving support from other women to help us navigate hard times. We also share tools for you to lean in and listen to what your deepest self is trying to tell you right now. Their next retreat will be on December 14th and 15th in Calistoga, california. You can find out more information and register in the show notes. Get ready to take a mystical journey on today's show. Let's dive in. Hi, I'm Allesanda Tolomei-hard, aka Mrs Hard, and this is Hard Times no More, a podcast for people who are tired of struggling with boundaries, people pleasing and relationship problems. I have overcome some hard times. Within three years, I stopped drinking, my mom died of cancer and my house burnt down in a California wildfire and those are just the highlights. I have a lot of reasons to be miserable, but I'm not. The truth is, life was more challenging before these events happened. If you are tired of waiting for your circumstances to change to find happiness and peace of mind, you are in the right place. Join me as I share the tools I use and love to transform challenges into assets and interview others about their relationship journeys. Together, let's learn how to have a happy life full of healthy, meaningful relationships and say goodbye to hard times for good. Do you want to start with a card poll, kelly? Sure, because I feel like that's very on point for the three of us.
Speaker 2: 2:24
We get lifting the veil, questioning everything. Anything unaligned must go. I've never pulled this one.
Speaker 3: 2:34
I've never really looked at that photo or the card itself. It is so freaking beautiful.
Speaker 2: 2:41
Show me again For those listening. How would you describe it? It's very.
Speaker 3: 2:46
It's like a silhouette of a female figure pulling apart almost sheer curtains, surrounded by like rainbows and light and like crazy magical shit.
Speaker 1: 3:03
And then, for those listening, we're looking at the deck the Starseed Oracle.
Speaker 2: 3:08
Yeah, by Rebecca Campbell and the artwork is by Daniel Noel. Rebecca's got a lot of decks. They're all very cool.
Speaker 3: 3:16
Oh, it does, and all three of us have this deck, and this is definitely a go-to for me as well. I love this deck. Like during our last retreat, I pulled so many cards that I'd never seen before. It's so awesome. They always come when you need them. You want me to read it for us.
Speaker 2: 3:36
Yeah, things aren't always as they seem. This era is one of uncovering myths, truths, so we can remember ancient truths. Everything is in a state of recall and realignment. Anything that isn't in harmony with the planet will not survive. This goes for society in the world at large as well as our own lives. If you pull this card, you're being called to energetically scan your life for things that may no longer be a vibrational match for who you are and how you've grown, to dismantle the system's own ways of being that once served you and others but no longer do. Some star seeds are here to lift the veil between the seen and unseen worlds, to shine a light on things that are inauthentic or unaligned with the survival and well-being of earth, to stand for and protect those who don't have a voice, to look deeper and question everything that previous generations did not. Some star seeds cannot tolerate things that aren't congruent. They're here to bring society and humanity back into harmony with the planet and the creator at large. If we tolerate things in our life that aren't aligned and congruent with it, we add to the misalignment of the planet. You're being called to trust yourself, notice what's out of alignment and then take the baby steps required to bring it back into harmony. This is no easy feat, but it's so worthwhile, both individually and for the planet. And the inquiry with the card is what isn't congruent in your life and how are you being called to bring it back into harmony? I think that's a lovely segue into the retreats, though. Right, I mean that space is yeah absolutely.
Speaker 3: 5:21
It is no easy feat, they're correct you know, but why is it no easy feat?
Speaker 1: 5:28
Because sometimes we're holding on to things because it's comfortable, and other times those things were once a coping mechanism and we don't awaken to the fact that we're in a new season in life and that those things are no longer serving us and that it's safe to let it go.
Speaker 3: 5:45
Yeah, I was reading something this morning about the changing of seasons and about being able to recognize where you are now in comparison to, even, like, six months ago. It's a year ago and who are you surrounding yourself with and the energies that are, you know, may have once served you or no longer. Yeah, I was thinking about that too when I was just about to post on Poppy and Quill a picture from our last retreat that gives me all the feels. Every time I look at it I get chills. It's one of the ones, it's one of our attendees. In the pool when we did a, we did some movement with Shauna Mox, the founder of Bomboody, which you should look up immediately because, oh my god, it was amazing. She facilitates healing and so many things through movement and dance, and we had done some water exercises in the pool together as a group and I really loved what you were talking about, kelly, for water being a conductor that was a big focus of our last retreat and a conductor of energy, and the photo just completely encapsulates that vision. I guess I don't know a better word for that, but you know, you just see hands and then a single woman in the middle and you can feel the energy of this collective group of women all holding the same intention for this person, and the gift that the person in the center is receiving is just. It just makes me cry every time. It's so freaking amazing and I want to be back there, like today in that pool.
Speaker 1: 7:41
Yeah, I feel like healing in groups happens at light speed because, especially with a bunch of women around you and creating like a trusting and I love the word that was used courageous space.
Speaker 3: 7:56
Me too, I've been using it.
Speaker 1: 7:57
Yeah, instead of a safe space. It's like you have that support. You need to trust your inner self, because you're looking at all these other people who are reflecting it to you and saying like it's okay to feel what you're feeling or experience what you're feeling, and then it transforms and lets you go hyper speed through releasing whatever it is you want to let go of or illuminates whatever you want to move towards.
Speaker 3: 8:25
Yeah, and there's a lot of unexpected things that come up in that space, which is always a favorite for me as a host, because I never know what's going to come up for me, even though, like, I know everything that's going to happen or I don't know everything that's going to happen, but I know what we've planned, and I'm always so shocked at the things that come up for me personally and how it's so far from what I expected.
Speaker 2: 8:56
I mean, but that's how many have we done now? Four or five retreats and we're just never done, like there's always just another layer of introspection to be found.
Speaker 3: 9:07
Well, that's what I love about it so much, and I love it. I think we compliment each other well in that.
Speaker 2: 9:13
Oh, absolutely. I think the like we, I think also like co-hosting together makes us braver and weirder. Like, I think, 800 times throughout the retreat we're like this is real, this is really happening, this is real. Oh my God, oh my God.
Speaker 3: 9:28
I know. And then, after everyone that just happened, oh my God, that was amazing. Every time, every single time.
Speaker 2: 9:38
And it just is the beginning. Like I love the thread of all the women, like posting all the synchronicities that are still happening, like yep.
Speaker 3: 9:44
I have chills again. What were you going to?
Speaker 1: 9:46
say, alessandra, that you two feed off of each other. Like I love watching it. Like one of you has an idea and it's like the other one can read the mind of the other one. Or like you both have set up this amazing experience and then you're watching it unfold before your eyes and you're both seem to me to be such creative people, especially because, like one of my favorite parts of the retreat was like during the workshop, when you both did your meditations, and then we're describing them. Because, like I'm a very feel person, like I feel things, especially being a massage therapist for a long time Like my attunement is towards like feeling energy, or feeling shifts in the room, or feeling like how people are doing, and you two can describe these like visual experiences you have like so intensely. And like I like loved Kelly was like swallowed by a whale and then you were in the whale's belly and we were doing a meditation on like connecting with your higher power and what the higher power was, and the two of you just had the most amazing experiences, like what was it? Again, repeat it.
Speaker 2: 10:54
If you remember, yes, like it was a disc, the disco ball was then in the whale with a rider mouse in the corner.
Speaker 3: 11:03
I named him Bernard, got his little typewriter with his little glass.
Speaker 2: 11:10
And like the little Newsy hat Like yes, he's so serious.
Speaker 1: 11:15
And was the disco ball your higher power or Bernard's?
Speaker 3: 11:18
mouse.
Speaker 2: 11:19
Yeah, and I have a disco ball now and I moved it into my office. Oh my gosh, it reflect on me as I work here.
Speaker 1: 11:26
That's amazing. And then, lisa, you were like surrounded by animals, like snow white or something, and then, like people, swooped in and hugged you.
Speaker 3: 11:34
Yeah, it was amazing.
Speaker 1: 11:38
And like, just like I loved hearing you two vocalize the like creative energy that runs through your head because, like on retreats with you, like I've seen you both like interact in a way where it's like I can tell there's like the energy between you two and it's like playing out in real life whatever you had imagined and like you just have both, you just both have such amazing imaginations.
Speaker 2: 12:06
Well, it's interesting too. Like each retreat, I think I get more courageous and like say the thing out loud, cause it's giving people permission, but also, like this is no stranger to me my mind is wild. There are a million things in here. Speaking them out loud has not always been well received.
Speaker 3: 12:25
Yes, yeah, right.
Speaker 1: 12:28
So it's like people think you're nice, or like they don't have to do with it. Like what? How is it not all that?
Speaker 2: 12:34
Like I definitely. I just identify with feeling misunderstood most of the time or having a fear of not belonging based on what I speak. So, yeah, I think that's a big part of even my third chakra is like firing right now and you're like it's like do you know? This is going on a recording for people to hear you for speaking these weird things right now, like alert, alert, alert.
Speaker 1: 12:58
And you're giving them permission to feel that Right and you know as soon as you said can you?
Speaker 3: 13:04
as soon as you asked us to like replay that vision, that meditation vision, I immediately was like and this is where everyone stops listening.
Speaker 2: 13:17
This is where the people that hang on like they're going to be our people that are going to come and hang on.
Speaker 3: 13:22
I know there's clearly like this fear on my part too, but you know what, if someone came up to me as weird Barbie and was like I had a meditation this morning and I was like snow skiing on Saturn's rings with like, and I was holding a monkey and like this, I'd be like, yes, let's go to lunch, let's hang.
Speaker 1: 13:47
Yeah, you are my. Yeah, we're calling them in right now. I love it. Yeah, I feel like after the retreat, everything like sped up in terms of healing too. I had a client after the retreat that had an emotional release and I hadn't experienced a client having an emotional release in a couple of years and it was on this client's shoulder, like it wasn't even like a deep like. It happens a lot with like so as release, but it was really interesting that happened with this client's shoulder and an emotional release for people who don't know during a massage, like sometimes people will just start crying and they don't know why they're crying and they even like look confused and they look to me like is this okay? What is happening to me? And I say like yes, it's okay, cause I was like very much in retreat space still, like that water song was still stuck in my head that Shauna played and I was like just let it go, like let the tears go, let them flow over you. And this client had had like an injury for a while and was just like releasing all this stuff and to me that was like still part of the magic that happened there with other women and the connection there and the receiving and the. I can't describe it other than magic. Like I love how you two have talked about, like. How do you put this into words? Like what happened?
Speaker 3: 15:18
Hard. It's so hard. That is our number one road bump at the time, because we feel so intensely and when you're in front of us we will tell you all the things and you will. Even if you've never experienced anything like that, I think that you will feel part of what we're feeling because we're so passionate about it when you're just really hard to stick that onto paper or a screen, you know, but I love what you were talking. That's so cool about the emotional release and in one of our, in our first event of 2023, kelly, I think so, she has a book that's really cool about kind of where, because our body holds trauma, it doesn't forget it, you know, is it? The body keeps score, I think. So I don't know, is that oh, it's Healing your Body by Louise Hay.
Speaker 2: 16:22
It's more of like a reference book, like you look up your body part or ailment and then there's a complimentary mantra, or like it just has. It's just a few lines of like what might be going on.
Speaker 3: 16:37
But it's never wrong for me. What's associate like, what emotions might be associated with that body part, that where you're feeling ailments or pain, and that was a pretty mind blowing experience as well. There are just so many really cool tools out there and you know, the people that we bring in to these spaces, you know, often have different tools than we have, and it's just, it's so educational and beautiful for us to experience these as well and just to add to our little emotional toolbox, because you know, life keeps going on, shit keeps getting thrown at you. I will take all the tools, please.
Speaker 2: 17:40
And there really are so many like. It's just, I feel like these retreats are really an entry space, like you don't have to know anything about anything metaphysical, but it's like no, come and we're going to like, try a couple things and like, and even for me, like I have tools that sometimes resonate, like sometimes I'm pulling cards every day and this, and that sometimes like and I'm doing Reiki instead, or it's just there's so many, so many ways to learn about yourself, I guess. Like I feel like the more I get to know myself, the easier it is to stay in balance and harmony every time a season changes or something new comes up. And it's kind of surprising that I'm 41 and I still feel like I don't know myself very well, but I'm always there and it's always kind of fun to study it right, like. And then in the group spaces like you will, it's so easy to see it like when we do the group card work or something, and people will pull a card and in that it'll be there, like I mean, I think this resonates, but I don't know. But everyone else in the group is like you are so clearly meant to pull that card, like because you just there's a fog. You know too much about yourself, right, you can't see yourself at a distance, so it's like beautiful the reflections that come back to you from other people in the group and these are often people you've just met right Like there is something so interesting about like a quick, quick bond that's formed by like they see you so clearly and I think it just reinforces for me like, oh, you can be understood. Like for someone that always feels misunderstood, like, look, people understand you right here, right now, and you're speaking like your full self, like your candles turned all the way on instead of like dimming it according to the crowd. You're holding space in, right, even if it's a little uncomfortable. But also, when are you in a space where someone calls you out, like and being like I don't know, you're kind of, you're saying unkind words to yourself and you don't even hear it, right, and you're like, oh God, that doesn't need to be true, you're right. Thank you for telling me that.
Speaker 1: 20:04
Yeah, I love that. And it's funny to hear you talk about that, because I've only really known you in the retreat space and so I only know you with your candle fully turned on and also only know you as like feeling comfortable, being uncomfortable and being courageous and like being creative and saying what you need to say. And so it's so interesting to hear you speak about those parts of yourself, because I feel so lucky to know that part of you in the retreat space. Because, you're right, it's like something happens where we all make a soul agreement in that moment to like hold space for each other and to support each other through whatever we're going through, because we're all coming together to understand ourselves in a more deeper, authentic way. I love that so much.
Speaker 2: 20:57
It doesn't mean that I don't want to like speak myself and be myself in spaces, but you know, like in the carpool line, we don't need to like cry to right now. I'm just picking up the kids.
Speaker 3: 21:13
I don't need to come home and tell my husband that you know, and a golden eagle was hugging me earlier in the day.
Speaker 2: 21:27
Baby, we have to challenge these things to. I'm just going to fully dip my toe in now.
Speaker 3: 21:32
He actually would probably just be like that's cool babe, like he wouldn't even think I was weird. He would roll with it, which I love. I love that about him. I found someone to match. I have weird Ken, you know it's great and he is Kana. That's from the movie too.
Speaker 1: 21:56
I need to see the movie man. So you're thinking about doing another retreat in December, right the same location.
Speaker 3: 22:05
Yes, we are doing it. We're doing it on December 14th and 15th, which is a Thursday Friday.
Speaker 1: 22:14
And it's going to have the same water energy, same water intention.
Speaker 2: 22:17
I think we will always I never say always we will definitely work with water. I it will be probably using the mineral baths out of the pool. Just because it's a December, cold month, there will definitely be water magic incorporated. But we also almost never run the same retreat twice because there are just so many endless like amazing things. We're dying to try Doesn't mean we won't circle back, but that's just how it happens and it changes based on, like, what the group is. So it's almost like you set it and then you call in the people and then it starts to form itself.
Speaker 3: 22:57
Yeah, there are always some elements that will be present throughout every one. I mean, we'll always have cards, we'll always be taking pictures, we will probably always have some meditative, meditative work.
Speaker 2: 23:17
Some type of movement.
Speaker 3: 23:19
Yeah, it's definitely not your typical like yoga retreat or something you know.
Speaker 1: 23:28
Yes, it is a unique experience in the most positive way.
Speaker 3: 23:33
I kind of want to touch on the receiving part in these spaces and how like difficult that can be sometimes, because I think as women, we, you know, we give so much. It's just in our nature, you know, to nurture and like. I think to be in a space where you're receiving from multiple people with shared intention can be like really, really hard and that might be the scariest part for some people. I don't know what would you have to say to that, kelly. What would you say to people that are curious but like kind of scared to not scared but hesitant to like be in a vulnerable space like that?
Speaker 2: 24:27
The first thing that pops in my mind is like maybe just try it. That seems to be my like people are. What is Reiki? I'm like, just try it, I don't know.
Speaker 3: 24:38
Just go for it.
Speaker 2: 24:39
I try to put into this is going to be, but you can see it. You can see in the group some people come in with their like heart right on their sleeve and other people unfold a little slower and I think that's, you know, part of our space, like why we share. Like no, when I get into meditation I get crazy visuals sometimes, and not always, but like I'm going to speak my whole thing in case someone else was like, oh, I had a really weird visual and I didn't trust it. You know, like that's half the time in a meditation, like until I've done it enough or worked with cards enough, like the first thing, I resist and like no, no, that's not right. And then I'm like asking my brain to change it and it's like won't change it. I'm like fine.
Speaker 3: 25:27
I'll do it.
Speaker 2: 25:30
And so I think I'm like that can't be right, that can't be what's coming in right now. That's very annoying, Like I want something different, I want to focus on something else and it ultimately knows like better right? I don't think it's a requirement that people have to come in like ready to say all the quiet things out loud.
Speaker 3: 25:53
Yeah, there's no wrong way.
Speaker 2: 25:54
I think they could still get such a benefit, even if a lot of it was internal dialogue.
Speaker 3: 26:00
Yeah, I don't think there's no wrong way, there's no doubt.
Speaker 2: 26:05
There's like just come be, you know well, and it's a cool space to try on something different. Yeah, sometimes sometimes in different groups, like, are you quiet? Are you like, are you the talkative one, right? So like sometimes not when we're hosts, but sometimes I, even just in a meeting space, I'm like I'm going to try on like just the listener today, or I'm going to try on the like raise your hand and speak first, so I'm not influenced by all that went before me. Like I think that's it, and we often speak to that a little bit in opening circle. Just like the permission of it. I mean, I think it's kind of we get permission even for people to be like radically listening to themselves. Like you're in a retreat space and you probably initially are like they've set a schedule. I want to be on it, but I kind of like want to see someone actually leave and take an app instead, right, like put their needs above what we have planned. Right, but also what we planned is like so good, I get it, you don't want to miss it. Right, fomo's big, but that's kind of radical too. Like when do you ever, I mean, I can sit and hold like my pee in a meeting for so long because, god forbid, I'd listen to my body and disrupt the flow of the group, right Like that's such a weird thing to try on. Not weird, interesting thing to try on.
Speaker 3: 27:29
Yeah, I love that. And, Alessandra, you, you host, you held two workshops in our last retreat and you've done body work and some of our other ones and see, yeah, you've let us in meditations which clearly are amazing because our visuals are bonkers and so good, and that's what I, what I love about. I mean, I love many things about your workshops, but you come from a very grounded space and it's very and you allow space within your workshops for things to come up. It's not just. I love the spaciousness that you allow there and the prompting questions, because I mean, for someone like me who is thinking about 18,000 things at the same time all the time and is looking at the shadows on the wall and the birds flying above the house and that dust bunny over on the floor and all of these things at the same time, to like be focused on like a singular question is really helpful for me and, a lot of times, really difficult, but in like the best way, I just love, I love, I love what you do and I love how different you are from me, because you bring out really good parts of me. I think. Let's hope, let's hope you feel that way.
Speaker 1: 29:17
Thank you, I really appreciate that that's so sweet.
Speaker 3: 29:22
Yeah, I love that, you know it's. It's funny, this little like triad, because you have Kelly and I over here like and I love how you were talking about us feeding off of each other, because that it's true I mean Kelly will be like, oh, look at that light, you know, and I'm immediately running over there and we're like together in this. Yeah, we kind of leave our bodies in that creative space and I love coming back because you can, you ground us back, back down and I love just the juxtaposition of the two.
Speaker 2: 30:01
Yeah, they compliment each other so well. But I think every everything we offer, just feel it. It's so approachable. I think I've been so curious about like so many retreats. Like yeah, I want to go dance in Stonehenge on Solstice with a group, but like I don't know, like I don't know what I'd be stepping into there. Like I feel like this is a really good way to like softly test things out, to work your way up to maybe something a little more out of the box. No, I don't want to say that we wouldn't do that at a retreat, but you just like follow.
Speaker 3: 30:39
Never know.
Speaker 2: 30:40
Group energy never know and I get asked a lot. I'm like is it a requirement that you're naked in photos in the retreat? And I'm like it's not a requirement but it does seem to happen.
Speaker 3: 30:54
You know there's just this freedom, that that. And you know, like every time I've done it, I haven't had one drop of alcohol or anything. I'm not even like drunk, I'm just like, oh yeah, it feels really a really like a really brave space for me to just like rip my clothes off right now and like there's no judgment and it's awesome. It's awesome. Yeah, where do you?
Speaker 1: 31:24
ever feel that. Yeah, and I love how it seems like some of the women that have been called to your retreats are moms and they have busy lives and they're looking to make time for themselves and they're learning, or they're looking to connect with other women and they're looking to fill their cup or be inspired and connect with creative energy. And some of the women it seems like have had experiences at different retreats and some haven't, and some get a dose of women connection in their life and some don't. Like it was shared at the last retreat that there was a participant who didn't really trust female friends or didn't have a lot of female friends and in this space, like she, it sounded like she felt more comfortable being open to having female female friends because of the experience she was having, which reminded her of, like, how important that connection can be.
Speaker 3: 32:28
That's just what I was writing about when. I was going to post that picture because I feel very similarly, or I did. It felt for so long that it was just easier to be friends with men, less dramatic whatever, less emotional, and I was missing out on a lot of things that my soul really, really needed in this connection space with women. And it's just about finding the right women. I think you know the ones that are going to build each other up and, like you said, kelly, you know, call you out, hold you accountable, tell you when you're being an ass to yourself and truly want to see you thrive and grow. And you know there's the, you know the whole women, women empowered women, empowered women, women supporting women. But to see it truly happening in front of you, like in action, is something very different than just like reading a post about it, and it truly makes you believe that that is happening and real and it's really effing magical.
Speaker 1: 33:50
What are like other things you want women to know or people to know who are like? Considering your retreat that?
Speaker 3: 33:57
you're just that.
Speaker 2: 33:59
We're like weird and we're weird, but it's also a practical it like. That's the interesting thing about it. Like it's. It's spiritual and practical and a lot of the, a lot of it is just noticing these things that happen all the time and you're in a space where you're actually looking for and sharing all these synchronicities and I think you get a sense of like, oh, every day can be magic when you're looking for it, I think. I think, like I always hesitate to like, be like, it will be so life changing and transformative, but it will be because you will have a different lens of like hunting for magic. Do you know what I mean? Like we're not going to part the seas, but we did make like a very magical soup and swimming it and you could feel the power. And I believe you will still feel the power in the images that you will get after when you like start to doubt like, was that real? I don't know. Did I really change? Did I integrate those things? You know, when you leave these beautiful spaces and you're back in your daily routines and it's like no, you can go, look at those photos and call back that power. It was real, we were all there, we all witnessed it. Believe it. It's right here, you know. Yeah, I think my photos will always be part of it for me. I do think they physically hold memory, just like water.
Speaker 3: 35:37
Yeah, me too.
Speaker 1: 35:38
And then will you share the story of how you two came up with the name Poppy and Quill.
Speaker 3: 35:45
You're up.
Speaker 2: 35:47
Like looking at each other. So the Poppy is the Matilla Hop Poppy, so it's those big floppy white ones that you can see all over California in certain seasons. So it's not our beautiful like orange California Poppy that we do love. That's not our Poppy. And the Quill is sort of a feather and we can get into the feather finding story too if you want, but it's writing right. So it's. The Poppy seeds are when I tried to grow some in my own garden because I was like I just love this flower, you have to actually burn. Like they need scarification to burn or to grow on the land. So it makes me just think of a Phoenix like rising from the ashes. And I think we're trying to hold like transformation spaces for people like come, take off your armor, plant something new, leave what you don't need and take what you need with you when you go, kind of, but it's not not something, you're going to go buy it. Like this plant has been through something and it's still blossoming. And then the Quill is you're writing your stories, like in that mean, even if you're just vocalizing and you're sharing them, you're writing them down like we learn through stories, right. So like, what story are you telling about how you're blooming. So I believe those fit together and that could just be how you are in the world, right, how you speak the person in the line at the grocery store. You don't have to be writing your memoir here, but I do think it's all connected. And then we originally met at a photography shootout and we both realized that we had a love of finding and following feathers to inspire us of where we photograph, and I find them every shoot I'm sure Lisa does too. They just feel like little little guideposts or you know, I don't know what you think of it. It feels like a divine's like go this way or slow down, or I don't know. I just get so excited when they show up on shoots and a lot of little kids will be like and I'll tell them that I'm like, okay, we're going to look for feathers and that's where we'll go, and then it's just a feather hunt for the whole photo shoot. I had a little girl was so shy at a session recently and I told her that because I was like how are we going to connect? And I have never seen so many feathers and such an assortment by the end of the. I think she's like holding a whole thing. And then she was in once we were finding feathers together. It was like, oh, it's on. I'm like, oh, you get that you speak the feather finding language. I see, yeah, I always do.
Speaker 3: 38:37
That's so cute. How old was she?
Speaker 2: 38:40
Maybe three. I don't think she even spoke a word the whole time, but she like understood the assignment and was like pointing Yep, let's go, let's go Awesome.
Speaker 3: 38:52
Yeah, you always just feel very connected with something bigger than myself whenever I see one, and I'm just such a bird nerd so I get really excited about that. But I love that idea. I've never asked the kids to go feather hunting.
Speaker 2: 39:08
Well now, everyone can, everyone can.
Speaker 1: 39:12
Is there anything else that you feel like you want to express that has to do with the card that we pulled, with letting things fall away that aren't serving us, you know we're all going through.
Speaker 3: 39:23
We all go through Major shit and some of that is really hard to look at. Some of it is, you know, could be generations old, that we're trying to break these cycles and like we don't know how to do it. Or we're just now realizing that this is something that is not ours and we've been holding on to it for a really long time and now everything is making sense and like that can be really overwhelming and to have a support system around you going through that is incredible. I also wanted to talk about cards a little bit, because we reference cards all the time and I just wanted you know, for anyone that's unfamiliar with terror or Oracle or any sort of cards, you know I personally use them as a tool simply for self-awareness and learning more deeply about myself and bringing things to the forefront of my consciousness. That may have been in the in the back for a while, but man, they always, they really are never wrong. I don't believe that they're telling the future or things like that. So I grew up with a lot of resistance to that, to cards in general. You know it took a while for me to feel comfortable utilizing in that way and everybody uses them a little bit differently, and there's no wrong way. It's just whatever works for you. So I just wanted to throw that out there because I get asked about it a lot and that's one of the things that a lot of acquaintances and people that follow our retreat spaces you know. When they see the word terror or cards, they're like, yes, I want to do that and that's a big draw because there's a lot of curiosity out there.
Speaker 2: 41:27
I think it's a beautiful introduction to cards too. Some people bring their own decks and it's like a beautiful spread that you can pick from, but also there's always one or two that have like I just bought my first deck to come here and they've never even opened it right. But like to. If I had had my first experience with cards like not shy in my closet, like not telling anyone I was pulling that right, like to see how everyone shuffles or interprets or uses them different it would. It would have been very different. I mean, it all happened. It was a beautiful way to build my personal relationship, but I was definitely skeptical of them for a long time.
Speaker 3: 42:08
Yeah.
Speaker 1: 42:10
Yeah, I agree, being raised Catholic, it was like that's the bad thing, that you don't do, you don't try to connect with a source outside of yourself, or that it's evil. And for me, I feel like my higher power, or God, speaks to me through other people and through tools and different resources, and especially when you have good intention of making that connection and seeing what something wants you to see. Because I believe my life has become so much more calm because I am asking my higher power what is its will or its perspective or its path for me, or, like, how can we come together to collaborate what's best for my highest good, instead of thinking that I'm in control and running the show at all the whole time? Because, like, for me, that makes life feel so much more challenging, because if things aren't going well, it's my fault, and then if things are going well, it is my fault and, like, I better keep the plate spinning, you know so it creates so much more stress as opposed to, like, leaning into the universe or whatever you believe in, to like help. You see breadcrumbs that are guiding you towards what's for your highest good, and I think the cards are a great tool for that.
Speaker 3: 43:28
I loved that you pulled a card on your story this week. Like I'd never seen you do that before and I was going through your stories and like you're like this card's for you and I was like I'm so excited.
Speaker 1: 43:47
Yeah, yeah, I've been really resonating with them since the retreat.
Speaker 2: 43:53
And it feels like it's circling back. But when we're talking about a group experience and we always have, like we're never just taking photos it's building up to a whole experience. So this last one, we did underwater portraits and you know water is a great tool for memory holder and conductor. Each person selected an intention to add to the waters and it was a perfect example of each one was very powerful, but by the end, like the entire soup that we were all swimming in was like exactly what I needed and I maybe wouldn't have thought to call in every other piece. But I think the outnaming names, like the things we called in, were like some cash, money, like because we all need to, you know, make the planet spin with money, energy, so you can talk all about money. We love you, money and strength and joy, healing, rejuvenation I mean, it was just reclaiming.
Speaker 3: 45:05
Reclaming the childlike wonder of our world. Wonder who that was. That was me.
Speaker 1: 45:16
And then Shauna's energy of movement was just so amazing, especially like movement after a workshop. I like never want to have an intentional meditation workshop without movement afterwards again, because like and I loved how she had us moving into like our hip space, which was so connected to, like the feminine, and like releasing and letting go what isn't serving you in terms of, like keeping those areas tight, and then like the movement that that brought into the water too and like the hype circles that she had for us all.
Speaker 3: 45:49
I just want to say like yoga bores me, like I'm bored with so much movement and I feel like I need to be like moving, and so this movement was not only so fun, but it was. It was insanely healing and I actually had a lot of weird stuff come up afterwards, like what Please elaborate. I was actually going to call you Alessandra, because when I first met you I couldn't even lift a camera and I had this really strange injury and that came back for a day and I was like what is happening, like? And so I really like leaned into that and was was really focused on, like what that area was holding for me, because that wasn't even a big part of the movement. I didn't think and I had. There was like two other parts of my body that I hadn't experienced pain in or like connected with in a while. That really popped up and was like I'm here, like pay attention to me, and I was like, oh, okay, that I'd been neglecting some things and they all worked themselves out. But I wanted to also just talk about the water thing again. Like when we were doing Kelly was doing underwater portraits and I was shooting above the water and it was I just had a unique vantage point and perspective, being the only one out of the water. And then when I got in the water after all of this was taking place, the energy that was being held coming, because it gradually changed when you guys were in it and when I came from out of the water directly in. It was mind-blowing the energy that I felt within that water and like that shit is not like. That happened Like, and that was awesome.
Speaker 2: 48:06
Oh that happened. I was so energized I could barely sleep for like three days. I'm like, let's go. Oh, it was incredible.
Speaker 3: 48:15
It was incredible and I just I almost like immediately felt very like dizzy, like dizzy, but so energized at the same time, and I was just whoo, it was this giant wave. So, yeah, I am a believer in that water business. That was just so cool.
Speaker 1: 48:38
And for those listening, what we're talking about is like the finale event on the last day was we each got into the pool and we had our reword that we were dancing out, we had chosen a song to dance it out, and that other participants held space in a hype circle for us, while we were kind of dressed up, kind of in swimsuits, dancing to our song, embodying whatever we wanted to embody or releasing whatever we wanted to release. And then we did our. We had our underwater photography session with Kelly in the pool afterwards, and that was the rotation, and so everyone's energy, what they were calling in, what they were releasing, what they were bringing to rejuvenate them, was in the water, and we were all in the water for the whole time, but each participant took a turn being focused on.
Speaker 3: 49:33
And receiving which is awesome. So, yeah, the giving and the receiving is really a powerful thing, and it's something that we've definitely started focusing more on in the last couple retreats, just intentionally giving time to give to the person next to you or someone else, as well as getting in that space and being able to receive it, which, yeah, brings up a lot of stuff.
Speaker 1: 50:11
Yeah, because for most of us it was more uncomfortable to receive than to give. That's what we all agreed. Yeah, I'll share that.
Speaker 2: 50:20
It's such a conundrum. We all want to be seen, but it's quite intense to be like seen and held.
Speaker 1: 50:26
Or we like the idea of being seen, and then, when the spotlight's on us, we're like ah, don't look at me, and we should also say so.
Speaker 2: 50:37
I do send Reiki to the entire retreat experiences and all the attendees before and after, so you might even start to experience a shift the minute you say an internal yes to a retreat. And you spoke about like it speeds up. In my experience, reiki does speed things up All in the service of restoring balance, like back to our card. That's what Reiki does, so it's also there. We can't not give it credit. It's like hands are like heating up just talking about it.
Speaker 1: 51:15
It's like, ah, so intense, yeah, I could feel a lot of energy in the house the night before, like it was becoming a vortex.
Speaker 3: 51:26
But for more information, yeah, where can people find you? They can find information at poppinquillcom as well, as we post a lot of stuff on Instagram page.
Speaker 2: 51:39
And we do have a newsletter. So if you're worried you're going to miss like an Instagram post like that, would be great to give us your email.
Speaker 3: 51:47
There's a spot to sign up for our email list on the website and there's also you can DM us, slide into our DMs. That's spread beauty and I am Hemlock House Photo. And you can also slide into Mrs Hardtimes no more DMs, and she was like that.
Speaker 1: 52:06
Yes, and people who signed up early get an early bird special. If you're interested in the poppinquill retreat in December, there also will be a referral discount.
Speaker 2: 52:18
So if you bring all your friends, like you will you will be calling us for your tickets. Hey, you bring enough people, you might even get there free. That's amazing.
Speaker 1: 52:31
Cool. Well, thank you so much for coming on the show and it was so amazing to be a part of that retreat and I'm so grateful to know both of you.
Speaker 3: 52:41
We are grateful for you. I'm so glad that you're going to be there with us. Yeah, me too, and you have a beautiful face and a beautiful spirit and a beautiful aura, and I hope you have a beautiful day.
Speaker 1: 52:56
Love you. I hope you do too.
Speaker 3: 52:59
Oh my god, you guys are the best. You, you are the best.
Speaker 2: 53:05
Thank you, ladies.
Speaker 3: 53:06
See you later.
Speaker 1: 53:08
Bye.