Anne Heck

New Virtual Women's Circle

You're joyfully invited to participate in this upcoming event. This is the last women's circle offering for 2022 and it's FREE -- priceless ;)

Women's Circle: Inspirit the Women - Nov/Dec 2022

These are challenging times. But challenging times are not new. Throughout history, one of the ways people have navigated life challenges is by gathering together in a conscious way, and holding space for themselves and others as they journey toward greater truth. Together we cultivate strength, hope, and resilience.

Inspirit means (1) to put spirit or life into, (2) to fill with vigor. Inspirit the Women is inspired by years of support I received in spiritual circles. Early in life, as I was facing grave challenges, I sought support through many avenues. Sitting in spiritual community helped me know myself well, and cultivated a self-confidence and a faith in Spirit that I needed to bloom into my authentic self.

I've facilitated many spiritual circles face-to-face. Now with the power and convenience of meeting virtually (over Zoom), I'm grateful to provide this service to a wider audience.

Inspirit the Women is a place for conscious truth-seekers to meet for heart-storming, resilience-building, grounding, and reflection. It's not a place for answers so much as a safe space to be heard and held, to inquire and listen from the heart, to access tools for strength and resilience, to harness our wisdom, and to have access to greater truth.

If this resonates for you, I hope you'll join me. Here's how it works...

1. Complete the circle application HERE
2. I'll provide you with a link to a Zoom meeting which will take place on Wednesdays (November 9, 16, 30 and December 7, 14, and 21). All meetings will be at 7 pm Eastern U.S. time (New York City time zone).
3. You will receive an invitation to join our private FB group to access updates and support from me and our community of women.
4. This is my last women's circle offering for 2022, and space is limited. If spots fill, there'll be more offerings in 2023; please be sure you're on the newsletter list for early announcements.

 

Treasures from the Trail - Get Your Copy Today!

Treasures from the Trail will immerse you in the bounty, diversity, and seasonal changes of the Bent Creek Watershed, a beloved hiking and biking destination in the Pisgah National Forest near Asheville, North Carolina. 

This book has been in the making for over ten years as morning hikes and nature observation have been my daily practices. This book guides you through the seasons and changes of a small area of southern Appalachia to inspire your love and appreciation for the bountiful treasures found in our woodlands.

If you’re seeking the beauty and peace so generously provided by nature or if you simply wish to slow your daily pace, open this book to any page, and you'll be transported to that meditative space.

Purchase your book(s) using the link below. Please be sure that you email me your preferred mailing address unless you live locally and prefer to pick up a copy from me. I also accept Venmo @Anne-Heck-2, so if you prefer this method of payment, you can send me the appropriate amount from the options below and inform me of your shipping address. 125 pages full color paperback.

Book & Shipping Options

1 Book + S&H $36.00 USD 1 Book (local pick-up) $25.00 USD 2 Books + S&H $61.00 USD 2 Books (local pick-up) $50.00 USD

 

Botanical Art Book

I've been taking an art course with Australian mixed media artist Tara Axford. Her teaching has inspired me in many ways.

As many of you know, I've been photographing nature for over eight years, sharing my Treasures from the Trail on social media and elsewhere and creating watercolors from my photos. I'm now taking it a step further, collecting local botanicals from the Pisgah National Forest and utilizing a gelli plate as a home printing press.

For this book, I cut out each botanical print and glued each onto an accordion-folded piece of watercolor paper. Book ends were made from cardboard covered in gelli-printed papers.

This was gifted to my older brother for his 61st birthday.  Shhhhh! Just postmarked today!

 

 

Resources for Healing

For those of you who attended my talk about healing dolls and who are stepping into this process on your own, here are some resources you may want to utilize as you process and create:

• Anne Reeder Heck  A Fierce Belief in Miracles 
• Barb Kobe  The Healing Doll Way
• Maureen Murdock The Heroine's Journey: Women's Quest for Wholeness
• Louise Hay Heal Your Body
• Ted Andrews Animal Speak
• Steven Farmer Animal Spirit Guides
• Pierre Pradervand The Gentle Art of Blessing
• Kim Hermanson Deep Knowing
• Anne's Blessing Practice
• Presence Practice Teaching Video

Treasures from the Trail Notecards

A great gift for yourself or your nature-loving friends!

Beautifully illustrated with original watercolors by Anne Reeder Heck, these 9 assorted notecards are inspired by hikes in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Cards are blank inside and printed on a natural white paper. Included are 9 matching envelopes. Cards measure 4.25" x 5.5" and are packaged with their envelopes in a clear plastic box that can be easily gift-wrapped or stored safely in your desk drawer.

$25 includes shipping & handling throughout U.S.

 

Chrysalis

 

We are evolving into something new. The interruptions to routine, the isolation, the slower course of movement -- all of this is serving the essential work of quieting ourselves so that we can more easily follow the wisdom of our inner knowing. 

I’ve been tucking in for long periods as I listen to the still small voice, which, for me, often comes in the form of dolls. It’s an interactive process -- the dolls guiding me through their own creation and feeding me insights and reflection as I bring them into form. They are the receptacles for my emotion and visions, and they become my teachers, my guides.

 

This video highlights my newest doll “Chrysalis” who is giving me hope about what’s to come. Here's a snippet of her message:

 

. . . and as our world leans increasingly into instability, become silent, listen to your inner truth, remain open to unimagined possibilities, and take heart-powered action to create a new, supportive and sustainable world. Stay grounded and pay attention; good things are happening! You are growing your own wings . . .

If you’d like to learn more about my intuitive doll process, read “A Fierce Belief in Miracles.” Available here.

Stillness Is An Action

I was recently asked to quiet myself--not by another human, but by a small voice within me. I resisted. I was enjoying facilitating online classes and was actively involved in my own learning and growth circles. But the voice was persistent, and I could feel a growing turbulence in my center that was urging me to slow down and to pay attention; something needed tending. 

So, I've been taking a break from my activity, and I'm listening closely to those inner nudges, paying attention to the messengers who are guiding me to my next steps. Pushing into life, for me, is taxing; its results dissatisfying. Pushing rarely feels in tune with my soul's music. Listening--allowing myself to be lured by the sweet notes that feel in harmony with my inner wisdom--is vitalizing.

I remember a time years ago when my inner and outer lives felt severely out of sync. Nothing seemed to speak to me; I couldn't find a direction that felt right. I was pushing the river, rather than flowing with the current. My teacher offered, "don't just do something, sit there" -- an encouragement to wait and listen until I was certain of my next steps. This "not doing" is counterintuitive, especially in our culture. We've been domesticated to believe that meaning and purpose come from taking clear and directed action steps, not from stillness. But the necessity of stillness is inherent in nature: there's calm before a storm; there are still lakes and quiet afternoons. The frogs and insects hush, winds whisper, and the sun silently retreats.

Meanwhile, we're all figuring out how to be in our re-opening world. In many places, masks are being removed; we're stepping into social situations anew, and navigating the awkwardness that comes with relating in a not-quite-the-same manner. This requires presence, asking good questions, gaining clarity, and being true to ourselves. This requires listening. And yes, stillness is an action.

Healing Doll Journey

Dolls have been used for thousands of years and across many cultures to hold intense emotion and doll making as a way of doing deep healing work.

Join me as I share slides and stories of my healing journey through the making of dolls. Here I explain how I've used the medicine wheel - a transformative symbol from indigenous cultures - as a map to navigate my creative healing journey.

Learn how intention, creative expression, and listening can facilitate your healing.