ama's Minstrel? Gaia's Grrrl? These were the two names I thought of calling this website. You might guess from these monikers that I love the Earth. And you'd be right. I see Her as sacred. You might also guess that I'm a feminist. I believe that men and women should be equal, and I've worked for years to make equality a fact. You might finally guess that I'm a musician. Actually you can figure that out just by reading the banner above. I honor Gaia with stories, songs and sacred play. If I step back to allow an overview of my work, what I see is that I want to Awaken a Creative Vision. I want to inspire new ways of seeing and hearing so that together we can transform the false polarities of our culture and create a more holistic and compassionate understanding of the world. I want to awaken a creative vision that connects and reconnects us to the earth, to each other and to the many ways of knowing ourselves and our Mother Gaia. Through play? Through stories? Through song? Aren't these the tools of a child? Yes, exactly. I believe that we tap into our deepest selves through spontaneity, humor, fantasy and a sense of wonder, all childlike qualities. From the inner wisdom of our deeper selves -- accessed through stories, songs and sacred play -- we create the visions we need of a just, earth-loving, sustainable future. The concretion "Beauty One" pictured here is a sculpture of the goddess created by the earth herself, a fitting symbol for my work in the world. I honor Gaia with SONG I recorded Chants for the Queen of Heaven, a tape of goddess chants from around the world with a 9-woman singing group and a dozen ethnomusicians. I recorded Singing the Promise, a live CD with 3 other pagan musicians. I honor Gaia with STORIES I'm writing a book called Embracing the Dragon, which includes 7 re-told dragon myths (in progress). I use stories as the basis of my workshops. I honor Gaia with SACRED PLAY I'm creating a divination deck — called The World is Your Oracle — that compiles over 150 oracular techniques. My workshops and retreats are really PLAYSHOPS, utilizing ALL of us -- our hearts, minds, body and spirit -- to discover our deepest wisdom and the next step on our spiritual paths. Song to Gaia Gaia, you who unite earth, air, fire and water on this beautiful blue-green orb, Mother of us all, bless us today! You who birthed the two-leggeds and the four-leggeds, the creeping animals and those who swim and fly, Remind us that we are one with all our relations as we live our lives today. Come through us in male and female flesh, in all we touch and feel. You who are literally the ground of our being, the source of our life and our welfare, Root in our center until we live as moving trees on your surface. Reunite us, we who so often feel separate and alone, with our brothers and sisters, the animals, the plants, the mountains, the clouds, and all of humanity As we bring a new world to birth. O Mother Gaia, we welcome your presence. Blessed be! Home | Calendar | Workshops | Music | Writings | Bio | Contact Mama's Minstrel Nancy Vedder-Shults, Ph.D. nancy@mamasminstrel.net