A Vision Come To Life
Beloved Goddesses,
As the fall season enfolds us in its colors and cool climate, we at The Goddess Commune want to express our gratitude for the positive energy and support you brought to our work, in 2019. Our year began in January with Medicine Womyn Circles, where we built community among local healers and began to brainstorm some of the ways that we could bring you our very best in education, advocacy and healing. A great deal of thought and strategic planning was done in the spring in preparation for taking our work to the next level and sharing it with the community of womyn in the East Bay.
WALKING IN THE SAKOFA PRINCIPLE
Our inaugural event was held in June. “Walking in the Way of Sankofa”, was a day-long ancestral healing experience that honored the traditions of our ancestors. We focused on womb wellness, energy healing, plant medicine and ancient botanicals.
At the end of the day, each womyn left feeling the power and benefits of medicine practiced by our ancestors, and the wisdom and tenacity of the shoulders we stand upon, today. And each took away their own medicines for cultivating healing in their own homes.
Chef Mieko Scott Teaches Us How To Heal The Body & Soul
August ushered in an experience designed to enlighten us about the benefits of plant-based foods and how organic food sources can sustain our families and communities. At “Food for the Body and Soul: A Cooking & Dining Experience” we began by unveiling a draft of the Black Council on Health's Bill Black Council on Health’s “Bill of Rights”, which speaks to our rights, as people of color, to design our own standards of health and healthcare within a dignified and respectful settings; and our right to have the food sources that build thriving communities. As womyn experienced the art of plant-based cooking alongside Vegan Chef Mieko Scott, the energy and high-spirited output resulted in a six-course meal that was later consumed with wine, laughter and sisterhood. It was truly magical
Healing Through The Arts
“Healing Through the Arts”, our October event, was designed to tap into the power of the arts to heal trauma, dis-ease, and discontentment with ourselves and others. This was our final event of the year. These sessions were led by local artist/healers who brought their magic through music, dance, writing, painting and truth-telling. This was our “day of resilience.” Understanding that the myth of “the strong Black womyn”, carries with it a belief that we must shoulder generational pain and trauma without release, we learned the importance of acknowledging the unspoken trauma in a way where we can release its control through these artistic processes, so that healing can begin. Thus, we were able to find resolve in piercing through that pain for release and renewal. This was truly a celebration of renewal, self-love and resilience.
The fall and winter months will be a time for reflection and clarification of the many ways that we can effect change through the healing experiences we bring to communities. We continue to seek out the most effective ways to change the disparaging health trajectory for womyn of color who collectively tackle issues of medical bias, disparities in maternal & birthing outcomes, lack of social resources and so much more. Our goal is to expand this work to reach as many womyn as possible through education, advocacy and healing experiences, designed with your needs in mind; and to help create a roadmap for holistic practices and respectful care for use by large medical systems. The Goddess Commune’s mission is to change the trajectory of poor healthcare and health outcomes for womyn.
Womyn are the life-givers, the culture-holders, the nurturers and the healers - We are also sisters, friends, aunties, daughters, mothers, care givers, lovers and guardians of Mama Earth. It is our right to heal ourselves in ways that nourish our mind, body and spirit. Join us on this journey of community healing. Lastly, everyone has a story to tell – we welcome you to share yours with us so that we can learn, build community and advocate for you.
The Movement Continues In 2020
In addition to our year of healing events we also began our in research and collecting data through our Holistic Wellness Survey. This survey was an opprtunity to hear from the women in our community about their health experiences and assess the ways that we can provide acessible holistic health resources in the future. Thank you to everyone who participated in our survey. Based on your responses we learned that 20% of our respondents had difficulty finding an insurance plan that suited their needs and 75% of respondents felt that their symptoms had been ignored or minimized by a physician. We also learned that 92% of our respondents have been excercising holistic wellness practices alongside traditional western medicine.
In 2020 we will be expanding on this journey of community healing. We are excited to announce that The Goddess Commune will be having our first Rights of Passage Ceremony to celebrate our girls and to facilitate a loving space where our young womyn can be acknowledged by the elders in their community. We are looking for a birthing doula as well as an end-of-life doula to join our collective. The Goddess Commune is also in the process of finding a permanent space to deliver healing experiences to our sisters. Be on the look out for news about all our upcoming events and workshops! We look forward to seeing you in the new year!
With Revolutionary Love and Gratitude,
F. Olivia Shakir, Founder/Executive Director