berkana spirit
Susan Feiker
spiritual companion, spiritual director
artist
together we'll explore places of sacredness and beauty...
in a space of refuge while new life starts to find breath.
berkana
Berkana is an ancient Norse word for the birch tree. It is a rune which has a symbol in the form of a B. To the ancient Norse, it symbolized protection from evil spirits, comfort from ailments, fertility and cleansing of impurities. Berkana symbolized the mother...and healer.
The birch tree is one of the first trees to grow in a damaged or destroyed forest. It finds life despite the ruins. The birch tree is adaptable and endures in the harshest of conditions. It is fed through it's deep roots and brings nourishment to it's surroundings through the dropping of it's leaves...rebuilding the ecoystem.
This rune symbolizes the place of the cocoon, the chrysallis, the womb...a space of sanctuary, refuge, shelter held in nurturing protection...a refuge for rest while new life starts to find breath...a shelter to create and start on a journey of transformation despite the possible destruction outside...growing deep roots of life that will sustain and nourish.
I love this symbol of safe space to find breath and grounding so that new life can find its way to the surface. There is something so beautiful about not only the branches that grow out with buds, life and movement, but that the roots grow deep and find nourishment from below...from the earth in a space which may have been so damaged beyond seeming repair. It not only finds life and energy for itself, but that by it's thriving it nourishes it's community.
spiritual companionship
Spiritual companionship or what some people might call, spiritual direction, is a space where you can find rest in wondering...where mystery and the unknown doesn't have to be a scary place, but a place of life...where you can question and process all of what you believe about the world, about yourself, about God, the divine or healing energy with another, where you are not alone...and where, in the midst of mystery, you might feel the sacred and beauty surround you.
If you have experienced a traumatic spiritual upbringing and need to process the wounding...
If you are deconstructing and feeling disconnected and unmoored...
If you wonder if there is a God or a Being bigger than us and find yourself questioning how this entity finds you in your pain and joy and life path...
If you desire a space to find your true self and your imagination again...
If you need help in finding ways to feel grounded and calm amidst the
whirlwind of life....
Or if you just need a place to sit with another in your explorations of hope and desire and wonder…especially in the anxiety creating time such as this...
If you find yourself in a season of questions, a season of doubt, a season of wonder, a season of darkness or a season of light…I believe we are not meant to journey alone. I would be honored to create a space with you that holds the questions, gives the doubts breath, gives your soul a space of sanctuary in the chaos and beauty of these times and your life.
about me
I am an artist, a listener, a compassionate soul who is drawn to the beauty of nature. I grew up in a Christian home and dealt with some of my own questioning and wonderings about if I believe in God and if so, what do I hold...what do I feel and know in not just my mind, but my heart. I believe we are always on a journey of understanding and searching to find peace in the complex and uncertain spaces of life and sprituality.
I have a Masters of Theology and Culture from The Seattle School and a Post-Masters Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Seattle University. I am a member of Spiritual Directors International.
I hold a belief in God (I am Episcopalian), but I am progressive, inclusive, affirming and open. I am interested in speaking with you who might hold a different belief than I...or no spiritual belief at all. You are free to explore and be you...whatever that path might be. I'll be alongside of you giving you safe space and companionship as you journey.
What does Spiritual Direction with Susan look like?
We'll start our time with some quiet breaths to find presence and calm. Then the time is yours to talk about whatever you feel like. You can talk about spiritual things or not. This is a time for your heart and mind to express what is stirring within you. I'll listen with presence and ask questions that are coming up in me as you tell me about your journey of life. Together we will explore your thoughts and questioning. This is a safe and welcoming shelter for you to find life, creativity, breath...on whatever path that journey might take.
