Praying with Poppets: Rediscovering the Sacred Art of Doll-Making as Prayer
with Polly Paton-Brown, MA UKCP
Saturday, September 10, 2022
9am-12pm Pacific
12-3pm Eastern
5-8 pm Ireland/UK time
Program Description
Many of us have been brought up to think of prayer in terms of words, be that spoken or written. But there was a time when prayer was often made using our hands. The use of such prayer was considered evil by those in authority and was enough to get you accused of witchcraft. In this mini retreat we will explore the history of poppet making and their use in healing and prayer. Reclaiming this ancient art, we will celebrate the prayer of our hands by making a very simple prayer doll together, using sticks, scraps of yarn, and fabric.
Supplies needed:
- A collection of six to eight sticks, so that you have different ones to choose from. About 6 inches long is ideal for the length of time we have together.
- String or strong yarn for tying sticks together.
- For covering the doll you can choose form different colored yarns, strips of fabric or ribbon, raffia.
- For the head you can use air drying clay, needle felt, some wool, or wrap with felt or a scrap of fabric. I will show each of these options.
- Embroidery thread, needle, scissors, or sharpies if you want to write intentions or prayer on the doll.
- Something to snip the sticks with.
- Any embellishments you desire.
- An intention or prayer that the doll will embody.
The retreat will be recorded and made available within 48-72 hours of the program.
Your Guide for the Journey
Polly Paton-Brown, MA UKCP
Polly Paton-Brown MA UKCP worked for many years as a psychotherapist and trainer in the field of trauma. More recently, Polly’s focus has been on helping people explore their spirituality and prayer, using creativity and connection with nature. Polly has a particular passion for creating healing dolls as a portal to transformation.
Always a lover of nature, horses and creativity Polly now integrates all of these into her practice. She has trained in Nature Based Practice and Eco-pychology, Environmental Arts, Expressive Arts and Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy. She is a licenced facilitator of Chakradance, The Art of Allowing , Creative Awakenings and the Wild Soul Woman Programme.
A member of the Iona Community, Polly was coordinator of their healing ministry for 11 years and when in that role ran regular retreats on the Isle of Iona. She is also a Sister of Belle Coeur. With roots in the contemplative and monastic traditions, Polly also draws wisdom from other spiritual paths such as Druidry and Sufism. She is passionate to help those wounded by the institutional church restore their image of God and themselves.
Registration
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Terms and Conditions
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