Strong Foundations for Steady Growth

People, plants, animals, buildings — we all need a steady foundation if our aim is to thrive, grow, or expand our reach. Whether that foundation is roots digging into the soil, growing stronger with each intake of nutrients, water, and sunlight, or concrete dug deep underground supporting the tall building above, or our human types of foundations - bodies nourished by hearty food & vitamins & motion & rest - personal energetic awareness through self-inquiry and spiritual practices - and the support of trusted friends and community.

Here at Firebird, we have been blessed to be building these types of interpersonal and energetic foundations for the past several years - and specifically for the past 3+ years that we’ve been in Portland, navigating a global pandemic, welcoming in new community members, and doing our best to provide safe(r) spaces for healing, magic, and authentic connection.

I remember in January of 2020 - having such hope for a year of magic to come! & then in March - being completely humbled, and having to go back to the drawing board. Learning lessons about releasing control, adaptation, and building resilience in a new & more challenging world. In September of that year we launched our first online events - the foundation of which would lead to our thriving Magic Makers Coven community & other online offerings. In September of 2021 we started offering in-person events in Portland again - the foundation of an INCREDIBLE community of like-hearted souls that have been able to find a sense of belonging in our circles and spaces. We could not have anticipated how much our Portland community would grow! Less than a year and a half later, we are blessed to know so many of you, create collaborations, and offer events and ceremonies multiple times a month.

As this growth was happening, it never felt sudden or overwhelming. It felt real, slow and steady, growing our roots, and building the containers that would allow us to serve you. Each of you who joins us for an event or session, a beautiful new branch on our tree, and each of you spreading the word, bringing a friend in, a new twig sprouting off of that branch to grow stronger, with time.

For trees, time is a felt sensation - measurable by growth, heat, cold, rain, sun. The times when leaves are gone and the times when new ones bud and emerge. Bigger time measured by how many new neighbors you have, how far your branches can reach, who’s roots you can feel intertwined with yours, sharing secrets and plans that us humans will never know. Trees don’t care about who is growing fastest or tallest - there is a place for everyone, and everyone contributes to the ecosystem and community at large. If space gets crowded, they can become interdependent - leaning on one another, with the shared goal of reaching the life-giving sunlight.

What foundations do you already feel you have in place? Where can they deepen, strengthen? What kind of support and resources do you need? What kind of people and relationships feel nourishing and supportive to have in your sphere? How can you cultivate interdependence and reciprocity to encourage mutual growth and thriving?

For us, we find a lot of comfort and inspiration from our Firebird community that has been slowly-but-surely building. We see the possibilities ahead, and we are steady making our way there, but not in any particular rush. We trust in the divine timing, and trust that our folks will find their way to our particular forest. With this solid community laying the foundations for our magic, we truly believe that anything is possible.