Sophia's Portico

10/21/2026

"We are learning that healing
is not about becoming perfect.
It is about becoming more aware,
more connected, and more compassionate towards ourselves."

A Healing Journey of Growth and Transformation

Our healing journey begins
when we give ourselves permission
to acknowledge what hurts,
to listen to the parts of ourselves
that have longed to be heard.

It is a journey of letting go,
of recognising the patterns
that no longer serve us,
and meeting ourselves
with compassion and understanding.

Along the way,
we begin to realise
that healing is not about returning
to who we were before the pain,
but discovering who we are
beyond our experiences.

Transformation happens
when we begin to choose differently.
When we honour our boundaries,
embrace our vulnerability,
and recognise our worth
without seeking validation from others.

Some days, growth feels gentle.
Other days, it asks us
to face what we have avoided
and sit with what remains unresolved.

Yet every step invites us
to understand ourselves more deeply,
to release what we can no longer carry,
and to create space for new possibilities.

We are learning that healing
is not about becoming perfect.
It is about becoming more aware,
more connected,
and more compassionate towards ourselves.

Our healing is not a race.
Our transformation is not a destination.

It is the courage to keep growing,
the willingness to embrace change,
and the freedom to become
who we are truly meant to be.

We are not simply healing from our past;
we are creating a different future,
one rooted in self-awareness,
acceptance, and hope.

~ 'A Healing Journey of Growth and Transformation' by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art Unknown, via Pinterest

10/19/2026

🌳🍁Our Inaugural SINGs gathering on 10-18-26 was a SUCCESS!!🍁🌳
👣🐦We had 16 people in attendance and the birdsong was AMAZING!
(Feel free to tag yourselves or anyone else in the pics!)

🗓️Our next SINGs gathering will be Sunday November 15 at 10am (Location TBD)🌞

10/18/2026

10/21 🪘Drum Circle🪘

10/08/2026

Attention artists! Our annual Women's Winter Art Fair will be Saturday December 5 this year! Information and a registration form have been emailed. If you've been a previous part of our Fair and didn't receive the email please contact us at [email protected]. If you are a new artist interested in joining the Fair you can contact us at this email. We are looking for fine art rather than crafts. New artists are vetted so please describe your work and email photos too.

10/08/2026

😢🌳For the 250 year old Grandmother Cottonwood Trees cut down in Lochiel, Arizona on 10/5/26 for a new border wall . . .

"It is enough to make one pause, take a deep breath, and contemplate the social nature of the forest and how this is critical for evolution."

For the 250 year old Grandmother Cottonwood Trees cut down in Lochiel, Arizona on 10/5/26 for a new border wall . . .

“This Mother Tree was the central hub that the saplings and seedlings nested around, with threads of different fungal species, of different colors and weights, linking them, layer upon layer, in a strong, complex web . . .

The older trees are able to discern which seedlings are their own kin. The old trees nurture the young ones and provide them food and water just as we do with our own children. It is enough to make one pause, take a deep breath, and contemplate the social nature of the forest and how this is critical for evolution. The fungal network appears to wire the trees for fitness. And more. These old trees are mothering their children. The Mother Trees.

When Mother Trees—the majestic hubs at the center of forest communication, protection, and sentience—die, they pass their wisdom to their kin, generation after generation, sharing the knowledge of what helps and what harms, who is friend or foe, and how to adapt and survive in an ever-changing landscape. It’s what all parents do.”

~ Suzanne Simard, Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest

Art: Amalia Rachel
Amalia Rachel