Oct 2026 - Indoor Gathering

Written By Ancient Hearts Collective .

October Message: Befriending the Shadow

Featuring Heart Leader Sam Tetzlaff, Founder of She Rises

Sam Tetzlaff is a certified Mystic Astrologer, Somatic Educator for Women, and has a background as a licensed professional counselor. She has been counseling individuals for nine years, hosting women's circles for two, and offers a monthly astrological membership and 1:1 intuitive, trauma-informed coaching. Her soul's mission is to empower women in remembering their inherent cyclical nature and their own embodied sovereignty. She's based in Madison, Wisconsin, but serves souls globally.

✧ Sam is currently accepting new clients. If you are interested in connecting with Erin to explore any of her offerings, you can reach her in the following ways:

For folks who don’t like social media but want to stay connected, Sam sends thoughtful weekly newsletters with astrological insights, somatic tips, and her events or upcoming offers. To sign up, email her or sign up on her website.

GATHERING MESSAGE

✧ We all have parts of ourselves we've learned to hide. Traits we were told were too much. Feelings we learned to suppress. Desires, gifts, or ways of being we tucked away in an effort to feel safe, accepted, or connected to others.

At our October indoor gathering, we explored what it means to befriend these hidden parts of ourselves so we can reclaim all of who we are.

Our Heart Leader for the morning, Sam Tetzlaff, introduced us to the concept of the shadow, first named by psychologist Carl Jung. The shadow holds the aspects of ourselves that we've pushed outside our conscious identity, often beginning early in life as we learn which parts of ourselves are welcomed and which seem to threaten our sense of belonging.

But the shadow isn't simply a collection of flaws or undesirable traits. As Sam shared, it can also hold positive qualities and untapped potential we've learned to suppress. The confidence we were discouraged from expressing. The creativity we set aside. The strength, spontaneity, or other parts of ourselves we haven't felt free to embody.

What we hide doesn't necessarily disappear. Sometimes, the energy we spend concealing or defending these parts continues to shape how we move through the world, how we respond to others, and what we allow ourselves to experience.

Befriending the shadow invites us to bring these parts into awareness and meet them with compassion and curiosity rather than resistance. Instead of judging ourselves for what emerges, we can become curious about what these parts might need, what they've been protecting, and what they may have to offer.

This work isn't about becoming a better version of ourselves. It's about being willing to see more fully who we already are, including the messy, unfinished, and forgotten parts. As we learn to welcome these parts back, we may begin to reclaim the energy and potential that have been waiting for us all along.

We drew on perennial wisdom through The Prophetess, The Book of Awakenings, and Celtic Way of Seeing, making space for reflection, questions, and shared insights. Sam then guided us through a meditation to help us connect more deeply with the theme and begin integrating what had emerged.

We were reminded that when we truly seek to reclaim our wholeness, we must be willing to bring all of who we are into the light.

PERENNIAL WISDOM SOURCES

✧ DIVINE FEMININE

✧ INDIGENOUS

✧ SPIRITUALLY UNBOXED

SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

✧ Sam led us through a guided meditation to support the integration of the gathering's theme. This practice invited us to turn toward the parts of ourselves we may have pushed away and begin meeting them with greater compassion.

Shadow work doesn't require us to uncover everything at once or force ourselves into difficult places before we're ready. It begins with a willingness to notice what is present and offer it the same kindness we might extend to someone we love.

When a strong reaction arises, or we notice ourselves judging or hiding a part of who we are, we can pause and become curious rather than immediately trying to change what we feel. What might this reaction be revealing? What part of me is asking to be understood? What might become possible if I met this part with compassion instead of shame?

Each moment of awareness offers an opportunity to respond with greater freedom and care.

SPIRITUAL INVITATION FOR OCTOBER

✧ Start noticing when/where/with whom you are wearing “masks” and get curious. Ask yourself, “What part of me do I believe wasn’t allowed in these situations?” Witness that part of you and invite in some love and compassion by saying something like “I see you,” “You belong here, too,” or “I love you.” Whatever feels authentic.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

✧ On What We Hide: What parts of yourself have you learned to hide or suppress in order to feel accepted or safe?

✧ On Untapped Potential: Is there a quality, desire, or ability you've held back that might be ready to find expression in your life?

✧ On Wholeness: How would your life change if you allowed yourself to reclaim and even embrace your hidden parts?

UPCOMING GATHERINGS

✧ Sun. 10/25 | 10 am – Noon: Nature Gathering

  • Location: Rock River Heritage Park | 5801 N River Rd, Janesville

  • Map link here

✧ Sun.11/8 | 10 am - Noon: November Indoor Gathering, Featuring Gabrielle Draxler of Just Bee Wellness & Yoga

  • Location: The Venue | 37 S Water St, Janesville

  • Map link here

ANNOUNCEMENTS

✧ Beginning November 8th, all of our indoor gatherings will be held at The Venue in Janesville!

✧ The Ancient Hearts Collective Wisdom School: We're creating a new home within Ancient Hearts for deeper learning, exploration, and practice. Offerings include courses, listening circles, book circles, workshops, and opportunities to explore wisdom traditions and whole-person well-being.

✧ Wisdom of the High Heart: Join Debra Scott, PhD, on November 14 for a deeper exploration of the wisdom of the heart. This workshop is ideal for anyone who is searching for more understanding and meaning in their relationship to source (God), especially those with a Judeo-Christian background who have long suspected that there is a deeper level of wisdom and inner experience within this tradition and would like to find it.

✧ Giving Back: Our next community service project will be Saturday, December 12, in partnership with Delivering Bags of Hope in Janesville.

✧ Heart Leaders Wanted: Ancient Hearts is growing, and we're looking for co-leaders to help carry gatherings forward. If you're a trained teacher of the world's wisdom traditions, a spiritual director, or a practitioner ready to share your gifts with this community, we want to hear from you. Send an email to contact@ancienthearts.org to inquire.

✧ Founding Members: If this is the community you've been seeking and you want to help sustain us, we invite you to consider becoming a Founding Member in 2026. We hope to welcome 30 Founding Members into our Founding Circle this year. Learn more HERE or reach out to contact@ancienthearts.org for more information.

We are grateful for everyone who continues to show up, share their wisdom, and help co-create this community. Every gathering is an opportunity to remember our wholeness, deepen our connection, and discover what becomes possible when we walk this path together.

Ancient Hearts Collective . https://ancienthearts.org
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September 2026 - Nature Gathering