Sophia's Portico

06/05/2026

"For I am woman and made of
stardust and magic, that ancient,
uncontrollable essence of the cosmos,
simultaneously soft and fierce"

I am a free radical, an energy
you will never see coming

An enigma even, watch me,
learn from me, but do not try
to control or explain me

For I am a creation so ineffable
that man has yet to understand,
describe, explain or appreciate
my complexity

Though he definitely attempts
understanding, trying to remake
me in his image, that too has failed

For I am woman and made of
stardust and magic, that ancient,
uncontrollable essence of the cosmos,
simultaneously soft and fierce

I am the wind and the rain,
the moon and the sun and,
in any given moment, the
cycles of life and death

Do not underestimate or
attempt to control that which
you cannot understand, even
as you refuse the evidence
right in front of you

For, I am Woman,
a cosmic creation
that is both life
giver and destroyer,
a free radical burning
with the fire of a
billion stars and
She who will save us all

__________________________________________________________________
Free Radical, ©Arlene Bailey, Her Sacred Wild
Art, Holy Savage, ©Anna Sun, https://www.konst.se/annasun

06/01/2026

"Sometimes the greatest thing we can give another person is the feeling that they do not have to carry life alone."

Those Who Stay

Showing up for others
is a quiet kind of love.

Not loud,
not performative,
but steady,
the kind that stays
after the conversations grow heavy
and the days become difficult.

It is answering the call
late at night,
sitting beside someone
without trying to fix them.

Most people
will celebrate your joy,
but few will sit comfortably
with your grief.

Real care reveals itself
in moments that offer no reward:
in patience,
in consistency,
in presence.

Sometimes the greatest thing
we can give another person
is the feeling
that they do not have to carry life alone.

We all know
what it feels like
to need someone
and find silence instead.

That is why being there wholeheartedly matters.

Because in the end,
people rarely remember
what was said.

They remember
who stayed.

~ 'Those Who Stay' by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Anne Virlange

05/31/2026

"we cannot command the storm,
only the resilience within us
while passing through it."

Discovering Strength and Resilience Within the Storm

“It’s not what happens to you,
but how you react to it that matters.”
~ Epictetus

I think I carried Stoicism long before
I ever knew its name.
Before the books,
before the philosophy,
before I learned that emperors and slaves
could speak the same truth
beneath different skies.

Marcus Aurelius wore a crown,
Epictetus once wore chains,
Seneca stood among power and politics,
yet all of them arrived
at the same quiet understanding:

we cannot command the storm,
only the resilience within us
while passing through it.

That is Stoicism.

Not the absence of feeling,
not the death of grief,
not hardening yourself
in a world that bruises easily.

It is learning
that pain may visit,
fear may whisper,
loss may hollow the heart,
and still,
your character remains your own.

The Stoics knew
that suffering is woven into life
as naturally as winter follows autumn.

No soul escapes hardship.
No life remains untouched
by uncertainty, failure, or loss.

But strength is not found
in outrunning suffering.
It is found
in standing upright within it.

An emperor may feel powerless.
A slave may possess freedom
no prison could ever take.

Because life is never measured
by the hand you are dealt,
but by the courage,
discipline,
and dignity
with which you choose to play it.

And perhaps that is why
Stoicism endures,
not as armor against pain,
but as a reminder
that even in our darkest hours,
we still have power
over the kind of person
we become.

~ 'Discovering Strength and Resilience Within the Storm' by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art 'Free at Last' by Janice VanCronkhite

05/31/2026

6/3 & 6/17 🪘Drum Circle🪘

05/31/2026

6/4 & 6/18🪷Zen Discussion Group🪷

05/31/2026

6/6 🧘🏽‍♀️Meditation Group🧘🏽‍♀️

05/25/2026

THIS THURSDAY!
Join us this week, (and bring a kindred friend!) as we experiment, explore, and uncover our voices together - making space for the playful and the solemn, the predictable and the unpredictable.

This month we’ll also learn a new song by ear, carried to us from England and resonating beautifully here at the meeting of the Three Rivers.
Come sing, listen, and share in the circle.

It’s so very important to intentionally grant ourselves opportunities to gather with other women on the journey - mothers maidens and crones. Gifting ourselves the medicine, the pleasure, the relief of just BEING together.

Thursday 5/28 5:00-7:00pm
Sisters & Friends,

You’re warmly invited to an Intergenerational Village Supper & Sister Song Circle, held in Fort Wayne every last Thursday of the month. ✨

🌿 This year, our circle will be facilitated in a more co-creative way, rooted in the wisdom that we are the ones we’ve been waiting for. Each woman is invited to bring a short poem, reflection, dream, song, or piece of literature that moved her during the month, should she feel called to share.

🦋 This is a time for being together—to kindle our inner light, explore gentle mindfulness practices, and weave our voices in a safe, nurturing sisterhood.

🦋 All who identify as women are welcome, including mothers with children (all dependents welcome!). No musical experience needed. Together, we’ll share simple songs and mantras from cultures around the world.

✨ Details Below ✨
🌸What: Sister Song Circle + Potluck Supper
*Please bring a main dish to share
🌸When: Last Thursday of each month
🌸Time: 5:00–7:00 PM
🌸Where: Beacon Heights 2810 Beacon Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46805
🌸Contribution: $5 per family

*Children will eat with us, then enjoy a meaningful movie with a chaperone.

🌹 This offering is lovingly supported by three local, female-led organizations: Bridging Worlds, Sophia’s Portico, and Beacon Heights.

🌎 We honor all spiritual paths, respect the ancient tradition of women’s circles, and celebrate music and singing as heart medicine—so deeply needed in today’s world.

✨ Come as you are. Your voice matters. You belong. ✨