Pieces of My Activism
Post inauguration day reckoning and new recurring segments: Nourishment, Rituals, and Devotions + Rest, Resistance, and Rebellion.
Wow.
When I channeled the idea for creating the recurring essay segments - Nourishment, Rituals, and Devotions + Rest, Resistance, and Rebellion - I had envisioned the opening paragraphs to be lighthearted. Nevertheless, here’s where I’m at right now, and keeping in-line with my namesake - let’s go deeper than shallow:
I tried walking away from Election Day 2024 with my head held high. For a little over a month, I attempted to hope that I wasn’t going to let his second term reach the marrow of my bones - like the last one did…
I practiced my magic and put up my wards and made the commitment to focus on the helpers and to focus my energy towards positive action… I had planned to be unsurprised by the hyperbolic level of his diabolic-ness.
And then inauguration day happened, and I felt everything. I felt the weight of knowing that a wannabe dictator and true sexual predator l i t e r a l l y presides over my life/my body and the lives’ of those that I love the most.
Every cell in my body revolts at the thought.
So it goes to say, I have not been well.
After a few days of energetic thrashing, I am in retreat mode…
If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all - aka, I am off social media. And I have been spending a lot of time at home.
As I have navigated the deep, debilitating sadness and anger that I hold as a spectator of our present political renderings - I have questioned: how/why I am not trying to stop the World?
I question: how/why haven’t you tried to stop the World?
Are you not witnessing the hundreds of thousands of people, often walking painfully far distances, returning to decimated homes - destroyed by bombs that were funded with our tax dollars?
Are you not also witnessing a climate disaster upend the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in LA? And, last year with Hurricane Helene? Are we all not actively witnessing our climate change?
Did you not see that our “president” declared “two sexes”? Truly. WHAT. THE. FUCK. Non-binary lives have existed since the dawn of time. When I think about one person trying to have dominion over the physically non-threatening expression of another being, the only word that comes to mind is disgusting.
I could keep going with the atrocities but I am going to stop so I can go back to my previous questions: why am I not grinding the World to a halt over all of the injustices that are co-existing at this very moment?
And the first thought that came to my mind was: “because your son is sick.”
Silas had the stomach flu two weeks ago and this past week, he was hit hard by a cold. I have spent all of my time holding his sweet, tender body in our warm, safe home. I haven’t had much time for anything else…
I am a mom, and I see every child on this planet as one of my children. And, try as I might, my children take precedence. Always.
I am not grinding the World to a halt, because I am at home, holding my kids. Making their meals. Taking them to and from school. Playtime. Bathtime. All of the time.
I recently saw an activist refer to our modern day marches as “grumpy walks”... In the past, organized marches often led to an act of civil disobedience. That is how change is made - through disruption.
And, in spite of my past, today, I won’t participate in an act of civil disobedience because I would never do anything that would jeopardize my existence as a sovereign, in-person parent.
That said, the days following inauguration, I felt feral…
I felt/feel a real, physical need to “do” something to help. And, I felt/feel trapped in a country ruled by a party that completely opposes my core beliefs: Strict Gun Reform. Women’s + LGBTQIA’s Rights. DEI in all spaces and places. Environmental Protection Above Innovations + Profits.
Benevolent Borders - truly motherfuckers, what would Jesus do? He would 100% say: love thy neighbor as thyself, borders be damned. I’ve read the Bible cover to cover 2x (parochial schools) and I am certain Jesus would have said “fuck your immigration laws and take care of people in need”... Maybe not in those exact words, but I am (beyond) certain that the sentiment would be the same.
On the Thursday after inauguration, I listened to the Post-Inauguration episode of the We Can Do Hard Things podcast with guests Brittney Cooper & Rebecca Traister - and after listening, for the first time in days, I felt a renewed sense of hope.
I believe it was Brittney Cooper who said both of the things that resonated with me: she said something along the lines of - we aren’t solving this tomorrow. And, there are many ways to participate (in civic engagement and political activism).
Right now, I am not an “on the ground activist” nor am I in my “shut the World down” era.
Right now, I am in my “nurturing the next generation of peacekeepers” and “sharing gentle offerings with my community” eras… And, similar to what I shared in my last essay, I am in my “awake to how all of my actions energetically impact the Earth and others” era.
There is space and need for all types of intentional action and activism. And even though this next word is often used in a pejorative sense - woke - the World needs for us to be awake right now. That’s what the World needs: your awakened heart and mind. The World needs for all of us to have an activist mindset in all of the things that we do - the big and the very important, yet small things.
And, even though I want all of us to grind the World to a halt until all people - everywhere - are going to bed safe, respected, and with full bellies - I am going to instead show up as best as I can, in a way that will allow me to continue to be a loving, present, law-abiding Mom.
And even though it feels small in comparison to my true desire to save the World, I am going to love thy neighbor as thyself, express myself in creative ways, and extend my offerings.
And while I know that sharing Nourishment, Rituals, and Devotion and Rest, Resistance, and Rebellion will not “do” much to help, please know that I am writing these segments with the intention of adding good to a World that needs more good.
Everyday, I am consciously nourishing myself, practicing rituals, and sitting in spiritual devotion through plants, prayer, meditation, and contemplation. Each day, I am seeking opportunities to rest, engage in resistance, and rebel through acts of pleasure.
These practices are pieces of my activism…
Nourishment, Rituals, and Devotions
My spin on Eat, Pray, Love.
Nourishment:
A couple of weeks ago, my dear friend Olivia Hughes shared the following photo/recipe to her IG story and I’ve been devouring it ever since:
Yesterday, I ate my avo/cottage cheese/dill toast with my rendition of this Beans, Greens, and Grains recipe from NYT Cooking and I added two poached eggs:
Cooking has never come easy to me and daily nourishment is currently my top priority… So I had to share this weird, yet delicious combo because it was so easy, so delicious, and it left me feeling so, so nourished.
Rituals:
Silas was feeling really crummy the other day and he had barely eaten anything in days. He said he was cold, so I asked him if he wanted a hot chocolate (because at that point, I was willing to offer him whatever would get some calories in his little system).
I grabbed the hot chocolate mix that we bought at our local health co-op over the holiday and I noticed that the first ingredient was “cane sugar” - whoomp whoomp. So, I quickly pivoted and instead of adding the hot chocolate mix to the milk I had warmed on the stove, I put in one tablespoon of Anima Mundi’s Cacao Powder and a heavy squeeze of honey and used my milk frother to make it extra creamy.
His mood instantly lifted and he went from grumpy and lethargic to a muffin making machine in less than a half hour:
I drink a cup of cacao almost every day and even though we weren’t intentionally sitting with the drink, sharing one of my most beloved allies with my kids (and seeing the positive shift in their energy) feels like a blessing. Sloan loved it, too:
Devotions:
In my meditation this past week, I have been channeling the Mother archetype. What does it mean to be a Mother? In Kim Krans’ Archetype Guidebook, she says, “The Mother both nurtures and prohibits growth. She gives, yet clings. She creates, yet restricts.”
Right now, Motherhood intersects with every facet of my existence and I am devotionally praying over and meditating on the Mother and the Mother in me.
As of now, I only have questions and I am certain the real answers will never arrive.
Therefore, I am sitting in devotion to Motherhood – all that it adds and all that it strips away. I am devotionally sitting with the deeply reverent, patient, messy love that Motherhood engenders. And I am learning to give my kids back to God/Source so I can show up more clearly as a Mother.
Tao Te Ching, Chapter 1:
Rest, Resistance, and Rebellion
Rest:
As I previously mentioned, Silas was hit with back to back illnesses. Caretaking a sick child is energetically demanding. This week, I rested in the reality of Motherhood: at times, my ability to produce will be greatly impacted. And, I am certain the resilience, patience, and tenderness I cultivate as a caretaker is far more valuable than any perceived loss of time or production.
An offering from me to you: Go easy on yourself the next time you’re taking care of sick littles.
Resistance:
This week, I donated $22 to Sarah McBride - a congresswoman from Delaware, who is a paid leave advocate. I want this administration to know that I want people like Sarah in office so I donated to her future campaign so they could see public support for Congresswoman McBride in the US House of Representatives:
https://www.sarahmcbride.com/
Rebellion:
I am taking pleasure activism to heart this year. So, on my worst day of the week, I walked a mile to and from Trader Joe’s with Silas to get flowers. Beauty as rebellion:
And wow wow wow, the other night, I sat in a salty, hot, candlelit bath until the water went cold. When I looked up, I realized that candle wax had dripped down the cupboard. I am currently reading Fourth Wing and I never thought I could love romantasy characters more than I loved the characters in ACOTAR. And oh boy, I have a new favorite! It felt so pleasurable to get so lost in enjoyment for over an hour. I can’t wait to do it again tonight.
An Upcoming Offer in San Diego, California:
Please join Lisette Archer and me for Spiritual Alchemy at Sojourn Healing Collective on February 22. Spiritual Alchemy is an evening of (re)connection to the Self through the wisdom shared by the planetary body Venus, the sacred plant medicines Damiana + Rose, Reiki, and Sound Healing. More information can be found here.
A beautiful song I sat with for hours during a tea ceremony at The Eternal Art:
Felt every single word 🙏🏻