Consulting the Oracle Retreat Kit

Description

These booklets are folded and stapled, black and white xerox on paper, with paper covers. Some booklets have cardstock covers with colored paper pages. Where indicated, covers, and covers only, are in full color. I am selling a process, not a product. The booklets are not the "thing", but rather house a virtual workshop using my process. The real "thing" is your own expression, guided by my assignments.

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“Consulting the Oracle:
A Visual Journalist’s Archetypal Deck & Companion Guidebook”
A Self Expression Retreat with Juliana Coles

(Retreat Kit contains retreat Handbook- this is a two day retreat) See samples images to see how cards kit right in book!

Learn to become your own guide into unknown territory and develop intuition, intention, self dialogue, and uninhibited self expression. Creating a deck of cards with unique personal symbols and translating that information into a precious journal to develop the authentic voice can be a powerful tool for transformation: much like decoding the mysterious symbolism of our dreams for self awareness, initiation, development, and enrichment. With each day of this retreat we deepen and enrich the mystery within.

You are the Oracle that you seek.

In this weekend initiatory journey that focuses on process and self expression, we will create a unique “deck” of book sized cards using the radical mixed media techniques developed by Juliana Coles designed to access inner information and activate our inner Innocent, Orphan, Wanderer, Warrior, Martyr, and Magician who all live inside us and can either help us on our journey or hinder pilgrim‘s progress. Mixed media is the bridge or causeway that will allow us to activate these internal spirits, energies or archetypes that reside within. We will also alter a found book as our Companion Guidebook. This Guidebook, broken down into designated “chapters” for each card, will also house or contain our deck of cards! This is a unique aspect of the workshop: that our tools for expression and our cards for intention and focus are all in the same safe place. Then utilizing Juliana’s Visual Journaling techniques that combine free form journal writing exercises with image making assignments, we will learn to access the images and voices contained in our cards for further dialogue and expression in our new Companion Guidebook or Visual journal. We will begin this journey with an old library book, text book, or any other all ready existing book form that can be altered to become our Visual Journal of Archetypal Chapters. The first day will be spent creating the foundation of our books by making more space to protect the spine, setting up our chapters using all different kinds of techniques for “tabs” ( I love tabs and things that sneak out the sides!), creating the house for our deck of cards, and preparing our books for the exciting work we are about to embark on. This is a process and expression oriented class. No art or writing experience necessary to consult the oracle- for all levels.

Each student will be required to bring a “Mystery Bag.” A plastic grocery bag or smaller will do. Some suggestions are collage items, paper, an old paintbrush that is all glued together, that orange paint you hate, stickers from when you were 14, Artist tools and supplies you no longer use or never liked, torn up pieces of your artwork that didn’t work out (no recognizable artwork, please) books to cut up, magazines, office supplies, sticks, markers, 2 inch chewed up pencils, you get the picture-sort of a grab bag. We will be using these mystery bags as part of a mixed media warm up assignment. What, and how much to bring, is up to you. Don’t worry about trying to include nice things- we’re looking more for garbage items. We all ready have our own nice supplies-we want your cast offs to really make us think!

You will need: a book to alter any size ( or two or three!) BUT THICKNESS of your book or spine must be at least 1 inch!!!!!!!!!! also keep in mind that the width and height of your book will be the W and H of your card., You will need some personal collage items and copies of photos to begin documenting your life, and your favorite mixed media supplies. (suggestions following.) Bring your favorite glue ( I recommend at least 3 large UHU glue sticks so we can work quickly!), scissors, an exacto or mat knife and a self healing cutting board- slim and easy to travel with!- you probably all ready have this in stuff in your traveling kit! some brushes for your paints, a rag or two. Bring your rubber stamp letters ( and numbers if you have them!) You may want some needles and thread or some other alternative method of attachment for tabs so you have plenty to experiment with. Bring some ribbon, string or leather straps to make ties or closures. See if you can come up with any ideas to make tabs or sections ( ideas might be plastic folders, plastic sleeves, little plastic tabs or colored stickers that attach to the side of paper, cardstock attached with eyelets and wire, found objects....)
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Supply list: This is your weekend- bring what you love and we will make it work! Please bring your favorite supplies as well as collage items (use copies of things that are precious to you) , and I would like you to bring a few photos of your self that we can add to our collages - you might consider different sizes ( like blow some up and shrink some down- these do not have to be color- they can be black and white) but at least bring a photo or copy of you as a baby, and you as a young girl about 9-11, one or two magazines and the following supplies: at least two acrylic paint colors ( you do not need a whole set of anything)- one light & one dark- (the cheapy craft kind at Walmart are fine- Anita’s brand is the cheapest! )
Please bring at least 2 markers in any color-try two different kinds and thicknesses ( like a brush marker and a permanent-these will probably get ruined), one black permanent marker, 2 colored pencils( a light color like white or peach or light blue plus any vibrant color or your favorite color, a regular graphite pencil( a number 2 is fine or get yourself a graphite stick or an ebony or 6b), at least two stamp pads- a light color like white and a Staz on ( any color) the rest is up to you....bring some of your favorite things. Bring some things you’ve always wanted to try but never got around to it- like some precious paint or inks. Just make sure you have a few wet items, and some dry items to experiment with in a few different colors. You may want some rubber stamps in strange symbols or borders to decorate your cards. Whatever calls to you, bring it.
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Please email me if you have any concerns or questions: meandpete [!at] msn.com

Added on Oct 26, 2009