When Women Gather

I was honored to sit in Ceremony with my lovely friend, Annie, a Reiki Master, who now will be my teacher for life. With her presence and the guidance of all the Reiki lineage who passed this on before us, Annie attuned me to Level 1! If you are like what the hell does this mean?, I can break it down for you.

Reiki is a beautiful, universal life force of energy originating from Japan. It is attached to no religion or belief; it just is. It is scientifically backed and has healed many individuals (and animals!) My level one means that I can self-heal and heal others through Reiki with physical touch.

I was telling Annie that since I discovered the birth of my spiritual practice at the age of twelve, all I wanted was to sit with other women, learn, grow, and work together. There is so much magic when women gather together.

If you go deep diving into American history books, you read about hunters and gatherers and that women were usually the gatherers. While some women also hunted, there was no chromosomal requirement; women did all of the community generating. Our ancestors gathered food and herbs, raised children alongside other women, created things together, and taught. They learned and shared skills in weaving, textile, herbalism, and medicine making. Women also spoke more than men did *insert sexist joke here* but women had far more developed language, speech, and overall communication compared to men. Is this a diss to men? No, rather celebrating all the women before us who cultivated much of the likeness of community we can see today.

A well-felt sense of community brings forth collective liberation, which is what we are striving for during this time.

Call to action looks different for all of us, and our beliefs and abilities may impact this, but the shift is here. How are you showing up?

I saw a quote by Yumi Sakugawa that said, “Before capitalism, humans created song, art, dance, sculptures, poetry, rituals- for the sake of creating without any prize of career advancement or institutional prestige and acknowledgment.”

This quote can serve as a great reminder of our true callings here, and your true calling may be in line with your career, mine sure does, but the best ways we connect with ourselves, community, and Greater Than, are when we tap into these juicy creative whirlpools of individuality.

I passed the final phase of my counselor training with the Trevor Project yesterday. For that, I am immensely grateful and feeling open and readier than ever for the softness of life to consume every portal of mine, because this work with Trevor will surely be the sharpness.

Because of all the training and work, my second year of Graduate school (halfway done!) I haven’t had as much time to write for you (and for me). I miss it. Thank you for being patient with me. With that being said, I’m still here if you need me. LY

Abundant blessings ∞

-madison renee katherine