I came up with the name of this blog post on retreat.

In fact I am writing these first  view paragraphs in my favourite seat in the house I stayed in;  Sharpham House in Devon, UK.

I have been to these grounds, this land, a total of five times in the last five years.

This was the first time I took pen to paper and sketched a kind of log of my time here.

We turn our phones off on retreat, my phone is also my camera so I just organically at one point started to sketch things, mostly views.

I don’t know where this urge came from, I have not attempted to draw anything since school.

I always wanted to be good at art but was discouraged by low marks and teaching that was not great at cultivating artistic freedom.

I took much more naturally to words.

Over the years I have felt the urge to draw  – only to stop myself.

On this retreat it just felt right.

So here we go…a sketchy New Year retreat!

 

‘Winter at Sharpham – Outside My Window (Imagined)’

 

Let me start by saying that sharing these sketches is a little vulnerable for me, I know they may not be ‘good’ but I really don’t care, I felt a part of me come alive when I started sketching, my child self. I just wanted to do it for the fun of it! It gave me such joy!

We begin with the sketch above, this is an imagined view from my bedroom window at Sharpham.

There were no actual sheep that day, that is why it is ‘imagined’ – plus I’m pretty sure I sketched this at night with my curtains drawn!

 

‘The Scribble Dance – ‘actual’ View From Window At Sharpham’

 

‘The Scribble Dance’ is the actual view from my bedroom window, I think I convey a lot of movement with the way I seem to sketch, hence the ‘dancing’!

Looking at it now, it looks a bit like a ski slope which is not inaccurate, around the house there are many hills, slopes and curves.

 

‘In The Library – At Sharpham’

 

Next we have a sketch of a guitar and plant in the library.

The Library is unsurprisingly my favourite room in the house and I spend a a lot of my time on retreat in here.

It has two amazing windows that look out onto the same view from my bedroom window.

Here I think about how different people retreat, I very much stay inside the house and rest in between meals and group meditation.

I would say it is about half and half between those that stay in, and those that spend most of the free time roaming the land outside.

 

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‘Hold Me – Tree From Window In Library At Sharpham’

 

On New Year’s Eve we held a fire ceremony in order to let go of anything outdated in our lives, and welcome in the new.

There were 30 people on this retreat, and we talked a lot about how it feels to be ‘held’ energetically and lovingly by each and every person, even if you didn’t get the chance to talk to everyone.

The sketch above is about that feeling, I imagine the trees feel held by the ground, in much the same way that we feel held by trees if we let ourselves experience that.

 

 

This is a sketch of the fire ceremony.

We each were given a leaf and a candle.

The leaf we held in our left hand, and the candle in the right.

We imbued the leaf with the energy of that which we wanted to let go of and infused the candle with that which we wanted to let in.

The picture above is of the leaves and candles, with spheres for where I imagine the Angels to be watching from in the room.

It dawns on me now that even though the drawing is supposed to be of the candles and leaves, it is also of the circle we all sat in.

 

 

I asked to let go of Doubt, and let Love in…

 

 

When I got to my room, this was the time on the clock:

 

 

Angel number 2222 means:  (cited from Joanne Sacred Scribes’s Website which I love!)

 

Number 2222 is a powerful number that vibrates to all of the attributes of number 2, amplifying and intensified. Number 2 resonates with service and duty, balance and harmony, adaptability, diplomacy, co-operation, consideration, receptivity and love, understanding, personal will, the ambition, sensitivity, just and justice, selflessness, sociability and support, attention to detail, decisiveness, intuition, caution, flexibility, grace, devotion, mediation, partnerships and relationships, encouragement, faith and trust and serving and living your Divine life purpose and soul mission.

Angel Number 2222 encourages you to take a balanced, harmonious and peaceful stance in all areas of your life, no matter what the circumstances. Trust that everything will turn out for the highest good of all in the long-term, so do not put your energies into negativities such as fear or worry, but rather, be aware that all is being working out by spirit for the highest good of all involved. With positive affirmations,visualizations and a firm belief in yourself, you will manifest the best of outcomes in all areas of your life. Maintain your connection to the angels and the Universal Energies, and listen to your intuition and angelic guidance.

Angel Number 2222 reminds you that nothing happens by chance and everything happens for a reason. Maintain a positive attitude and a strong connection with your higher-self and you will find that everything will have positive results and you will receive abundant blessings of many kinds in Divine right timing. Keep up the good work you are doing as the evidence of your manifestations are coming to fruition. Keep the faith and stand strong in your personal truths.

Angel Number 2222 also reminds you that love is the most important thing of all. Loving yourself is the key ingredient for good health and wellbeing, and love of the self, others and of life connects you with the energies and prosperity of the Universal Energies. Self-love brings self-expression and allows for creativity and fulfilment. Love yourself and love your life.

 

Don’t you just love synchronicity?

 

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This is shaping up to be a very long post and I don’t want to rush sharing my wonderful experience with you all, so there will be a Part Two coming up shortly.

 

I hope you enjoyed Part One!

Much love Txx