Testimonials

Friends talk about their shrine-making process in one of my garden workshops.

Cancer Survivor Amanda Peacock’s Testimonial of Healing Through Shrine-Making

Debbie Roth’s Life Processing Shrine Kit Testimonial

“Having been an oncology nurse for going on 25 years, with my life’s work being in helping patients die with dignity, but just as importantly, being cared for after dead with respect and dignity, with a focus on honoring them after death. I had a research project on this just thing, “Nursing care at the time of death,” which involved a loving, respectful and dignified bathing of our expired patients and the speaking of honoring word and anointing with lavender oil. This work had such an immensely positive impact on the loved one, bringing order to chaos, knowing their loved ones were treated properly. This work was who I was, not what I did.

So on December 31, 2012 on my way to work, I suffered a horrific ankle fracture that turned my life upside down. As I lay on the ground in the worst pain of my life, I realized life as I knew it was over. I ended up having surgery on January 1, 2013 having a plate and 9 screws placed to hold the three broken bones together. I was in the hospital for one week, and then went to the rehab hospital for another week, and then I was home, living alone, in a wheelchair for 8 weeks. You never know how strong you are until you are faced with obstacles as great as this. Over the next 21 months, I had another surgery to remove the hardware, which caused the development of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in that limb. I have since had 13 lumbar sympathetic nerve blocks to try and disrupt the pain cycle I have been in. Who know what the future will bring me, but what it did bring me was the inability to do the work the life blood of my soul.

The level of mourning I have and continue to go through has been immense and painful. Having made three previous shrine boxes, I knew that the process of making one has healing benefits that I was sorely in need of. I knew I wanted to incorporate my hardware from my ankle as a way of letting go of that part of my history. This inside is black and dark, with rocks representing my life crumbling down, and broken twinge representing the breaking of bones. The flakes are for the burning pain I feel in my foot due to my nerve damage from the initial surgery and the broken butterfly which represents my research being ripped away from me (the butterfly is a symbol we used at the door of expiring patients). But as you rise to the top of the shrine, it becomes light and cheery, with stairs rising to a flag stating “this is my life” and above that, “take a leap and build your wings on the way down.” I am still trying to find new purpose in life, and my way back to patient care, which is where I feel most valuable. Pray for me that one day soon I get there.”

-Debbie Roth

debbie roth

 

“Dear Beth,

I wanted to write and include a picture of the box that I made in your class to display my memories. I had just had the celebration of my husband’s life two days before. He was a man with lots of hobbies. He always had a full workshop in every house we owned.  There was always a project going on there.

As I selected the items I would use for the box that I would make in his honor, I gravitated to the things that represented nature. His hobbies were made with leather so at the top, I used a short piece of leather as a hanger. He used burlap so I included a piece as well. He made many crafts, like extremely creative bird houses with wood shake shingles on the roof. He made them look like darling little doll houses. The building you provided for us was made of wood, PERFECT!  His favorite place was in the mountains in the fall. I was able to display that with the beautiful fall leaves. Outside the box, I displayed a set of the wooden trees that he used to make. They seem to tie it all together, I think. My display is going to be a work in progress. I love to look at things and get ideas, for instance, I may look for some cute wooden windows to place on the wooden doors, in front of the building. I may continue to add other items that signify his hobbies.  Speaking of which, I just found one of the sugar pine flowers we used to make. I placed it on the front right hand side of the picture.

Beth, I want to thank you so deeply for providing this perfect and loving experience for me at a time in my life when I needed this lift.

Your movement to connect is outstanding as well. I have been a Parkinson’s patient for about 22 years and have experienced MANY movement classes. Yours is truly outstanding. Thank you for all that you do for everyone, including the self-confidence you implant in us.

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-Barbara Vadetsky

“This Shrine is dedicated to abundance from love, tranquility and peace. It is a dance with the unseen that then brings the unseen into the present moment as I light the candle flame within it.”

-Roxy Angel

“I don’t remember how I first met Beth but I knew that we would be lifelong friends, even if there were gaps when we were apart. My first shrine box came so easy. I have loved day of the dead art for quite some time and it seemed like a great place to start. I found a creative streak making it and was amazed that something that cool could come out of me. My next shrine was to calm my inner soul and an Buddha theme the right path. This one too came pretty easy to me. I was hooked on the little wood boxes. Then after the passing of my grandma (my grandpa has passed a few years before) I took some time to grieve then it came time to honor. I got my hands on this picture of the two of them in a passionate embracing kiss as teenagers. I had never seen this picture my whole childhood until about 3 years ago. It has to be the basis for my next shrine box. I started with the same color palates as the others and it didn’t work. I kept trying to make it for me. After 4 attempts at getting it right I found the dark grays, black and shine I finally came through them to get the final product. It is so beautiful, just like that picture. The picture was the beginning to a love affair, a family and a legacy. The shrine box honors that and I am proud to have been a part of it.”

-Debbie Roth

Debbie’s shrines:

“If you open yourself up to the discovery process of choosing your embellishments for your shrine from all of the wonderful objects that Beth brings to class, you’re allowing your subconscious and right brain to guide you in the choosing process. This spontaneous act

opens you up to real creativity; making a shrine that is very personal, very unique, very sacred to you. This becomes a true exercise in ‘intention’, which makes anything magical. I so loved Beth’s workshop because she let me play and create my magical shrine!!”

– Elba Sanchez-Short

“…these workshops are a fantastic “portal” or opportunity to search within the self and even become surprised at what we find. I know I was. These shrines have nothing to do with artistic ability or what we define as creativity, but have everything to do with the things and desires and passions of our hearts. I love to deck out my second shrine with colorful crystal and hang things from the “ceiling” inside of it. It reminds me of the purity of childhood and the days when I was allowed to be more free. Life is life and many times can bog down on us, for so many years I felt as if I were not allowed to be free; as these years have passed and beautiful experiences and people have touched my life, I realize that my freedom is always there and I need only to consciously recognize it and embrace it. Beth Amine’s workshops and simple conversations with Beth herself were some of the first steps I took to reclaiming me spiritual and emotional freedom. I will always, always be unendingly grateful for Beth the person, her workshops, the opportunity to push something beautiful out of my heart and my shrines themselves.” – K  (excerpt from full testimonial here)

CASA Magazine Article:

Click below for full sized PDF doc of CASA article on Beth Amine Shrine Making

 

 

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