Dear friend💜,
Can you imagine being a seventeen-year-old peasant girl and leading the French army to victory at Orléans?
I can’t.
I try to imagine the rooted depth of Joan of Arc's strength. The certainty that she was being led by the voices of the saints and of God that she alone could hear. In the middle of the Hundred Years’ War. In the 1400s. As a woman in the Catholic Church, growing up in a world where men held every inch of power.
And somehow she carried a divine flame within her that she believed was from God, a direct conflict with the teachings of the church.
Joan of Arc had an absolute rootedness in her own divinity, in the power of her voice to speak truth. And she must have had insurmountable passion, drive, and dedication to use her voice and actions to influence the world. That is what astonishes me.
I get fearful over such small things. I cannot imagine having enough fire within me to stand in a world of men and influence kings and leaders and then lead them into battle.
But lately, I have wanted to channel that Joan of Arc energy. That divine flame that burns so bright we cannot help but shine our truth.
There are too many voices trying to convince us we are not worthy as we are. That our voices are not meant to be heard. Or that instead of speaking our truth, we get pulled into arguments about things we cannot control.
For me, that means dwelling on the things I can control within me.
We can choose not to give our power away to all the forces constantly telling us we are not enough. Media. Noise. Chaos. The endless messaging that we need the right supplement, the right schedule, more of this, less of that. That something outside of us will fix what is flawed. That we are not enough.
This lesson is so hard for me to learn and often I pay a price for my lack of trust in myself. And I am learning more and more that what is the most valuable to me is often the opposite of what is valued in our society.
At the historic society’s anniversary auction in town, I saw this wooden Santos statue and felt compelled to bid on it. I was the only one who did. Its origins are uncertain, probably 1800s, possibly Latin America. I cannot prove it is Joan of Arc.
But she is Joan of Arc to me.
She feels like a reminder for me this month. Do not listen to external forces. Do not shape myself around what others say I should do or be. Do not be tempted to take someone else’s path or think less of myself because I am not "succeeding" in tangible worldly ways.
We are each on our own unique journey. Only we know, deep down, what is true for us and what our next step should be.
Yesterday I was meditating in the light and looked down at my hands. They were open, resting together in the sunlight. It struck me how different that felt from the posture of prayer I was taught, hands clasped tightly, pleading for something to be given.
What if we do not need to plead?
What if we simply open our hands to the light? Opening to letting the light within us and the light around us swirl into a magical cocoon of love, that will protect us no matter how hard the wind blows.
Winds of Change
A soft ripple through the trees
far away.
Echoes of a distant shore.
Sweeping nearer, nearer, nearer
suddenly roaring with violent intensity,
forcing me to root down
deeper, slower, surer
lest I blow away
leaving my body behind.
The deafening roar
can no longer be ignored,
violently stripping trees
of old branches,
making space
for the new.
Undeniable pain and loss
in plain sight.
Screaming for help.
Demanding our care
to midwife in
the new.
from my book “The Light Between the Lines”
The winds are strong right now. Stronger than they have been in a long time. I can feel them.
It is our job to root down. Slower. Surer. Stronger.
I am feeling the pull that I cannot go on the same as before. We must grow our roots deeper. We must slow down and listen to the still small voice within.
That voice will lead us toward more love and more beauty. It will allow us to grow taller and shine brighter. Bright enough to face what comes. Bright enough to share your truth and love simply,
from the heart.💜🔥,
Last month I had the honor of sharing my voice, my truth, and my book at Prairie Lights Books, the local bookstore that has hosted many famous authors for readings. I am so grateful for that opportunity.
I also sat down last month and improvised a sort of prayer/meditation at the piano and I wanted to share that in case it might be meaningful for you as well.
💜Sending love and light to you💜
Iowa Local Events & Opportunities:
- Starting Wed. March 25th: Next 6 Session Class!!
- Sunday, March 29 @ 5pm: Singing Playground Class
- Sunday, April 19 @ 5pm: Singing Playground Class
- Sunday, May 3 @ 3pm: Concert @Unitarian Church IC
- Sunday, May 3 @ 7pm: Studio Concert @ Riverside
A NEW 6 SESSION VOICE CLASS FOR THE SPRING!
I’m excited to offer a new voice class for non-beginners, running March 25–May 6!
This class is perfect for anyone who has taken sessions with me, completed the beginning class, or feels comfortable with singing and wants to reach the next level. We’ll focus on deepening your knowledge and skills in vocal production and performance.
We’ll sing both as a group and individually, but this class is not focused on choral harmony—our goal is building confidence, technique, and expressive singing. There will also be an *option* (not requirement) to prepare a solo and group number to perform in the May 3rd concert!
This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone who enjoys learning in community or finds individual sessions cost-prohibitive. I’m so excited to offer this, and I’d love to answer any questions you have!
Sunday March 29th: 5pm-Singing Playground Class
Sunday April 19th: 5pm-Singing Playground Class
We had so much fun and learned so much from each other in our fall classes! Three classes offered this Spring!
*Notes about Summer Schedule*
The calendar is ready for you to schedule session for the summer!!
I will be taking four weeks in July off. If you have a subscription, I will pause your payments for the month of July.
I will not be teaching Sundays in the summer but I have added more hours to Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
In June I will be rehearsing and performing in Riverside's production of "Midsummer Night's Dream" in the park so you will not see evening hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Instead for June, I have opened up Monday evenings for those of you that work during the weekdays.
If you have a recurring time that is after 5pm on Wednesdays or Thursdays, I will coordinate with you a different time for the month of June!
And here is the booking link to get your sessions scheduled before they fill up!
As always, please reach out with any questions!
💜Mj
mj@maryjaneknight.com
