Blessingways - Rites of Passage with Elizabeth Theriault

MENDED HEART DRUMS

Transformative Healing Journeys

Vision • Teaching Series • Personal Drums

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THE VISION
My friend Jenny lost her son Isaac in a traumatic way. Witnessing Jenny while confronted with this loss, the impression was that of her spirit completely fragmenting…. spreading out like the seeds of a dandelion flower. In inspiration, it came to me to take all the little pieces of hide from my drum and rattle makings over the years and stitch them together with prayer, love, and support in a shape of a woman coming back to her SELF and serenity.
7 years later, still holding the vision close to my heart, her drum and others have begun to come into form. These drums represent a wide range of heart fractures, from co-dependent loss of SELF, to innate heart fractures developed in the womb, natural loss of family members, or for individuals who lost friends or family members to suicide.
This healing art modality uses a variety of skins, be they elk, deer, bear, buffalo, or horse hides, and offer natural expressions of color, translucence, patterning, and texture to express emotion, occurrences of trauma, dream imagery, memories, guidance, or intentions. Natural but unusual shapes are gleaned from previous drum and rattle makings cutouts and offer a shamanic approach, uncontrived to support the individual as they journey, recall, grieve, story tell, discover, sing, pray, stitch and stretch in sacred ways, finding and bringing their ‘pieces’ back home to self. I invite you to be touched or inspired by the healing stories these creations intimate through witnessing their medicine.
Handle with Prayer.

Additionally, Mended Heart Drum making is now available to individuals or groups.
Please contact me to explore the possibilities that are right for you.
It would be my honor and privilege to support and facilitate your healing journey as you bring this big-medicine tool, your external mended heart, into form and into your life. Blessings to you in all ways always.

With Aloha, Love, and Light,
Elizabeth Theriault

FOR JENNY AND ISAAC

Starting in the center, the white wave represents Isaac, it is Deer hide…represents his innocence, purity, and precious heart.
The hide below it is also deer in a cradling way, honors Jenny and her unconditional love for Isaac.
Horse hide is at the top on the drum, I picked a piece when looked thru intimates a storm…stormy whether, emotional tension, struggle, depression, and difficulties.
At the base on the right bottom is Bear hide, with a hole and scratch marks…it represents Jenny’s multitudes of efforts to root out cures like the Mother bear…
scratching and searching deeply and endlessly. Supporting him with every way she knew how, in every direction and avenue.
The slit/whole on the left side acknowledges with all the efforts on both parts, sometimes as was in Isaacs case,
there is nothing more that could have been done….he just slipped through the crack.
At the top side rim, a mother of pearl star is mounted, honoring where he is now…in the heavens.
The driftwood drum stick handle gathered at Kaloko fishponds hangs touching the star grounding his presence within her heart.
Drum frame is maple wood for the sweetness of their relationship.

HONOR DRUM For Dawn Barnett

Inscription: Pualani-Dawn Taught me how to make my first drum in 1994. Blessings to you for seeding this incredible journey that is my spiritual path. May you be showered with abundance through your open, strong, full, and clear heart all-ways.
Honor note: The 3 holes represent Dawns 3 major losses….Her father, sister, and brother.
They are naturally occurring on the bear hide, intimating the image of a wolf (for teacher).
Skins are buffalo, elk, deer, horse…… and bear which is Dawns ‘aumakua.

TEACHING SERIES

A circle of drums created and dedicated for instructional use.

FOR COUNCIL OF 1000 HUMMINGBIRDS

First year womens gathering. April 2009
Cultural restoration; Honoring Ohlone & all nations.

Prayers for fresh water. Horse skin intimates murky water, deer suggests pure water, and elk fresh water.
The intent of this drum started with an honoring of clean water and to bring awareness in support of the Hummingbirds mission. The inherent question for us as women is to ask “What is it that we allow into ourselves to pollute our feminine waters, and what do we put out into the world that may be polluting to the emotional bodies of others?” This was the starting point.
Additionally the abalone shell is to honor the Ohlone to whom we were gathering and praying for, and a fishing weight to remember the gilled ones and water creatures, and plant life who need our support.
A surprise happened when I traveled with the drum in my car on the way to the gathering. As it was leaned up against my seat in an upright angle, a tap, tap, tap, began…. unexpectedly I heard it “drum itself” with the weight on the back. What an awe-some experience that was, to hear it present its own voice!
Whether this drum remains in one location or becomes part of a traveling altar for your council meetings, we offer this prayer; May the truth and wisdom of the one heart be revealed to you in each gathering, meeting, and sharing for clarity, forward movement and in honor of the strength and mending of the Sacred Hoop. Blessings to the 1000 Hummingbirds for all your work for the waters of the world. Inscription: Hummingbird fly to me, fly by me, fly in front of me…please, heal my fractured heart with your speedy wings and stitchery beak.

FOR AT RISK YOUTH

... and all people considering suicide.

Back of drum….prayer inscription reads:
Healing occurs from the calling back of ourselves from the jump point…the edge of our pain, strength come in the practice of that.…..a figure is woven in the handle with a feather on one foot and weight on the other, a crystal for clarity is held in one hand.
Last night as I was sleeping, I dreamt that I had a beehive here inside my heart. And the golden bees were making white combs and sweet honey from my old failures. Love is.

FOR MY GRANDMOTHERS

and all beings who are helping on the other side...

Prayer inscription; Manapulelehua-the spiritual power of the butterfly, one who sees
everything in its fullness, witnessing from the beginning of time, a blessing in change.
Life, death, and life. Love, birth, rebirth, creativity and fluidity. The passing between the worlds.
Thank you for your spiritual partnerships, wisdom and guidance, for allowing me to receive
and use your messages. May the crack between the worlds be ever present and available.
Aho Mitakuye oyasin.

CO-DEPENDENT LOSS OF SELF

... pulling at our heartstrings.

This drum honors the path of healing from all addictions…..coming back home to our Self,
to our source and center. Each tab has deer hooves that when played rattles medicine
for courage and unconditional love. Elk hide and hoof offers prayers for the strength
and stamina that comes from spending time with ones own gender.

A SPIRITUALLY HEALTHY HEART

... completing the journey in a good way.

Prayer Inscription; Transformation….
Being wholehearted in a four fold way.
Open hearted & trusting Love.
Strong hearted with courage and authenticity.
Full hearted …..with gratitude.
Clear hearted in integrity

FOR CHARLENE SUL

... portals of time eternal.

Thank you for your strong, clear, full and open heart.
Your innate challenges have become your strength,
your path of healing has blessed so many.
Your presence is a guiding light and compass.
Blessings to you always sister.

FOR BENJAMIN BENEDIVES

... mountains, rivers, and snakes.

A’ole E Olelo mai Ana ke Ahi ua ana ia.
Fire will never say that it has had enough.
The fire of love or of anger will burn as long as it has something to feed upon,
be aware of the energies you fuel. Keep forgiveness and release at the forefront of your heart.
To my brother the singer and bringer together of many skins, races and cultures with
your good medicine songs, healing voice and heart. Mahalo !