Letter from our Executive Director
Passing the Torch
As a student of the earth, I find myself evolving in ways I had not considered as a younger person. I reflect on what the earth’s seasons come to teach us –Spring to warm our hearts and rejoice in the newness of sweet blossoms in unimaginable pigments and shapes. Summer, to lavish us as temperatures rise - browning our skin and nurturing our crops with new life and promise; or Fall , with its gentle sway of sky, sea, and earth – it quietly moves us in preparation for a great shift; the invigorating coolness of Winter, the sweet soft snow - delicate but biting with its tumultuous wind and rain. It replenishes the earth even before the clay has declared thirst. These changes signal the earth’s beautiful rhythm that only the Creator can envision and manifest. I adore and embrace these seasons and I listen to the messages that come with each glorious new offering of Change.
This dazzling life cycle of Change has carried us all here in human form to make plain the best and highest of ourselves and act on this sensational journey we call life, or we call Purpose. And wherever we are in this cycle, we take pleasure in proclaiming the fulfillment of a task and our readiness to begin something new – without regret.
My mission when I began this work was to build community for womyn seeking natural alternatives to wellness as a solution to the health disparities that plague the Black & Indigenous communities. Over time, numerous gifted healers showed up and shared the holistic remedies womyn needed for personal and community healing. We raised funds to support mental health treatment for local womyn, provided education on important wellness topics, and offered events to ensure that a safe space was provided for womyn to tell their stories and feel heard. Everyone’s life became richer through these experiences, and we all were reminded that we are the keepers of our own medicine.
After four-and-a-half years as the Founder and Executive Director of The Goddess Commune, Spirit has now guided me to take a different path. While yielding to that calling is bittersweet, I admit that I’m filled with a child-like curiosity, optimism, and joy.
Honoring and advancing the work of the Goddess Commune calls for someone who unquestionably has the vision, background, and passion to carry the organization to the next level. As such, I am confident that the organization will flourish in ways yet unseen under the leadership of Kehinde Koyejo, CEO of Kalm Korner and Choc’late Mama Cookies, who will assume the position of Executive Director, effective January 2024. Please offer her your warmest welcome.
Thank you for participating in our work to heal, transform, bring peace, support, provide connection, create a sense of freedom, and build a glorious sisterhood.
With Love,
Mama Olivia Shakir