recommended viewing

v-day: until the violence stops

you'll laugh
you'll cry
you'll wanna kick some ass.

and if you haven't seen the vagina monologues, that's another highly recommended piece. criticisms duly noted, it can be a good way to get the conversation started.

call for submissions!

the illustrious folks at super hussy media are accepting submissions for a new project.

read on!

The Talk: Women of Color On Sex is an exploration of how self-identified women across the Diaspora came to learn about sex and what it meant to have a sexual relationship. Did your mom, aunty or tia sit you down? Were your homegirls or hermanas responsible for giving you the blow by blow? Was Cinemax After Dark, Youtube or a telenovela your sex ed instructor?

Super Hussy Media seeks fresh and daring writers who can coax the reader into an intimate understanding of not only how they learned about sex, but how that knowledge impacted their sexual exploration. We want submissions that are funny, sad, enraging, and transformational.

The Talk is ultimately about our testimonies regarding how we were taught or chose to learn about our sexuality. How we are continuing to learn, lessons we wish we could share with other women of Color, introspective activities of reflection. This is all about us.

deadline is 7.1.2010. the rest of the information you need is here.

hop to it!

in aint strength

a poem you should read.

a special new year....

december 31st is set up to be a very special evening: a blue moon coupled with a lunar eclipse.

this means a lot of extra power, so before you go out and grab that midnight champagne, try reviving your favorite full moon ritual or create a new one to cement those resolutions, prayers, healings and incantations.

and, as always, it's never a bad idea to review a good, detailed monthly forecast {one of our favorites is astrologyzone.com} to find out what the blue moon has in store for you.

happy conjuring!

quickie!

uganda-based afri-pads is providing resuable, cotton menstrual products to give girls the opportunity to stay in school during their cycles!

Our objective is to produce and distribute low-cost, washable menstrual pads to schoolgirls in rural Uganda. By providing girls with an affordable sanitary product, we aim to empower girls with the confidence to stay in school school during their monthly period.

{thanks to quirky black girls, naija blog and timbuktu chronicles for the heads up!}

a powerful time...

of course, tonight is halloween / all hallows eve / samhain.  

















tomorrow is all saints day.  the full moon falls on all souls day, november 2nd.

dia de los muertos celebrations are ongoing...

so many cultures coming together to celebrate the transitions and power in life and death.












we hope that you are reveling in the ancestral energy and taking time to give thanks to those who came before.  iba egungun!

in search of a powerful eroticism - a digression

typically your proprietress doesn't link to the more personal side of things, but thought this might warrant an exception.

my personal deconstruction of audre lorde's essay "the uses of the erotic" has been on my mind as i navigate a plethora of emotions related to personal healing and transition.

i invite you to read and discuss--either here or on the original post.

read mama audre's essay in full and be open about how the erotic is working in your life. in my humble opinion, this is a conversation that black women--indeed, all women--still need to have, both within their spirits and with those they love.

if it's still too much to discuss aloud, you might want to make it the focus of a journal entry or prayer/incantation.

here's to the promise of ephiphany...

ankh, wedja, seneb


*note: there are some broken links; the karmic connection blog no longer exists.

baby makes me

the woman who brought you the black./womyn. project and fly poet staceyann chin are collaborating on a new project, baby makes me.

here is their call for participants and support, as seen on sparkle's blog...

PLEASE POST ON YOUR BLOGS, SITES, LISTS etc. Help us reach the folks we need.

Many of you have already heard about our film, Baby Makes me. For you, this is an update. But for the folks who have not heard Tiona and I are making a documentary together.

For years, I have wanted to become a mother. But the timing has never been quite right. Either my partners weren’t ready, or I was scared, or I couldn’t find a donor or something. There was always something. By the time I rolled into 35, I was tired of being afraid, tired of waiting for the right woman with whom it would be the right time, tired of watching every Christmas roll over another Birthday, tired of watching my peers get knocked up and months later appear with the most amazing little bundle of potential—I was tired of waiting and ready to make the leap, and I was ready to make it alone.

I began the research with great heart—only to discover that there were little no resources for women who either wanted to, or had to embark on the journey of motherhood in the solo. There were one or two essays and a few books on artificial insemination, and some were even directed at lesbians—but most, if not all assumed that the mother would be operating from inside of a partnership, be that partnership heterosexual or homosexual.

The idea for the film came out of a conversation with Tiona to film the pregnancy/labor, assuming that there would be one—because no one, least of all me, knows if my body will cooperate in doing such a thing as conceiving. I envisioned Tiona asking a couple of heartfelt questions and spinning the light to create a high-end home-movie I could show my child at eighteen. She agreed and we began to flesh out some ideas. That conversation, coupled with the lack of resource material out there spurred the project now known as Baby Makes Me.

Baby Makes Me, a feature-length documentary, will explore the challenges and triumphs of Single Motherhood, particularly in the lives of women of color, lesbians and women who make a conscious choice to be mothers in the absence of intimate/romantic partnerships with men.

The film will use as its narrative skeleton, the journey of activist/writer/performer, Staceyann Chin, as she navigates her personal choices with reference to motherhood. Author of the memoir, The Other Side of Paradise, Chin now brings her talents to the medium of film as writer and Executive Producer.

The Director, Tiona McClodden, is a champion of promoting positive images of women in media. Her last film, “Black./womyn.:conversations…”, garnered much respect in both accolades and awards. She now brings her attention to the issue of women and motherhood.

It is our intent to interview a series of women from all the demographic cross-sections. Issues of financial, ethical, medical, cultural, and political relevance will be fore-grounded. We hope that clinics, hospitals, families, children of Black lesbians, straight Black women who want children, mothers of gay women who lament the loss of grandchildren when they discover their daughters are gay, and anybody who seeks to have a clearer picture of the family that includes gay women will see that our lives go on, that women who are single, be they lesbian, or Black or poor, can and do have babies, and that we are simply another group of people who live and laugh and grow. We hope to paint the subjects in the film as human and likable characters who, though they are dealing with slightly different challenges than the women we traditionally see as mothers, are not very different from any other group of people considering parenthood.

We are going to need all the help we can get. We need help in reaching out to folks who would like to be interviewed; other single mothers, women who have been inseminated, women who are thinking about it, women who work in the medical field, women who work in the administrative world of policy etc. We are on the hunt for the all the voices that could represent our story in the film.

We have recently been awarded a grant from ASTREA Lesbian Foundation for Justice and are set to move forward. We write to you now, in the hope that you will want to be involved in this groundbreaking project in whatever capacity you choose: we need space to host fundraisers and screening and other events connected to the film. We need people to fundraise, to promote the film, to host community talks, to suggest topics for discussion in the film—we need to secure additional investors, we need the help of people who are experts in the business of making films, and we need the counter-perspective of people who have never made a film. We are hoping to make this a community effort; from start to finish we want the ideas to be representative of the various factions in our diverse village of the women who mother our children. If you are sure you are unable to do any of the above, we only ask that you make room for our fliers, questionnaires, invitations, and other promotional materials for the film.

We would be honored if you would join us as we attempt to break more ceilings, level more walls to make room those of us who are too frequently left out of the history and imagination of the world we live in. We look forward to a spirited journey with you, from the opening shot to the ending credits—complete with your name listed among the most stalwart of our supporters.

Thanks again to the women who have already offered assistance. We look forward to your being a part of our process.

Staceyann Chin
Executive Producer/Writer, “Baby Makes Me”
Tiona McClodden
Director/Producer, “Baby Makes Me”

Please send all inquiries and requests to: babymakesme@gmail.com

quickie!

follow the southern honeys on their journey...a powerful collective of sistas creating, traveling and manifesting together!

desire visualization 101

sometimes you gotta go back to go forward.

remember when you were a tween/teen and you had all that crap plastered to your walls? it was only natural to surround yourself with images of the stuff you wanted, your favorite things, music, colors...right?

do you still do that?
if you don't, why not?
too juvenile?

think of this, then: how many of those things did you actually receive in some form?


the illustrious mama gena suggests that women make desire lists, which are fantastic. somewhere along the line, we learned the power in transforming desire lists into a full-on wishbooks.

as an expanded version of your list, a wishbook allows you to visualize and literally put your hands on a two-dimensional version of whatever it is you want.

all you need is a sketchbook, notebook, scrapbook, or pretty journal. you decide the size.

fill your book with anything you like...photos of beautiful dishes and living room sets, inspiring mantras, pressed flowers, prayers, memories you'd like to relive in bigger and better ways--anything. your loves, your choice.

if you have a particular goal or cause, make a themed book. if "wishbook" feels too general or vague, give it a name {naming is power}.

if you use a generic notebook or sketchbook as a palette, make it yours. plaster the cover with anything that inspires you to cover up the boring details {see photo}. if it's safer to keep your wishes on the inside of the book, a journal with a decorative cover may be a better choice.

finally, it's a good idea to keep the wishbook either by your bed or on an altar of your choosing. if you're already building or using a space for abundance/prosperity/wealth, then this is an excellent way to continue concentrating that energy.

one {soft} rule: black out daunting prices. you're focusing your intentions and building energy to create what you love. money, at this stage, is no object. if the numbers discourage you, cut 'em out!

...oh, and have fun!

the word

today's word comes to us from saul williams, shamanic soul poet.

this excerpt is chapter 26 in the dead emcee scrolls: the lost teachings of hip hop. and so we read:

When you say you love me a series of changes begin to occur. First there is a warmth. The warmth generates heat. The heat permeates the cold. The ice melts. Limbs and branches are thawed. Blood circulates. A feeling of comfort pervades.

The body is oxygenated. It becomes limber. It yearns to dance, to move about freely and express its newfound energy. Music is sought through voice or ear. The heart identifies the rhythm of the song and synchronizes its pace. A union is formed between the visible and the invisible.

Song is the invitation from the primordial unseen to become one with that which is seen. To nod your head is to agree that the moment is godly: communion. To dance is to become God. There are many ways of dancing. Follow your heart.

quickie!

the goddess herstory players have some interesting things in the works, including a goddess art museum and retreat center.

if you're in/around brooklyn, check it out!

speed bumps on the road to bliss

morning, lovelies. hope y'all are still hanging tough. it'll be a little while before the 9-5 loosens its cold, cold grasp on your loving author.

{ok, so it's not THAT bad. but i am busy & i do miss y'all!}

today, we'd like to drop some jewels on what you can do when you start to feel like your pleasure cruise is turning into a dateline exposé-worthy shipwreck.

meditate. this is a fantastic way to get in touch with your highest self. on the most basic level, you just sit quietly and breathe. that's it. everything else is icing. every spiritual discipline has different ways of deepening and focusing meditation, so look into it!

bathe. we know, you're in a hurry. aren't we all. but do not underestimate the power of bathing. water is closely related to memory, and modern science is beginning to acknowledge {ahem, how about REMEMBER} this. bathing can also incorporate aromatherapy, crystals, color--almost any energetic healing modality you can think of. soaking in sea and/or epsom salts* is one of the best ways to release not only physical tension, but emotional/spiritual negativity as well. {see: dopegirlfresh and the hidden messages in water by masaru emoto}

ritualize. again, this would depend on your particular spiritual practice, but isn't everything ritual? with women, it's simply natural. we build ritual around just about everything--from preparing for a night out to how we handle our mooncycles. so, ritualize your release. whether it's a holy ghost shout, candle work, opening your palms to the sky, manifesting with the moon, or screaming like a banshee in the middle of a field, work it out, and let it out. always remember to fill the space left by a release with pure light, love and the knowledge that your deepest desires will be fulfilled if you make space for them to move in.

as always, don't forget to check the moon for insight on how you might want to focus your intention.**

feel free to share more knowledge by leaving a worshipful reply, or write about it in your space and link back.

love & light!


*use caution and follow dr's orders re: salt bathing if you are challenged by high blood pressure (hypertension)

**some examples can be found here and here.

you're such a flirt.

greetings, illuminated ones.

it's been awhile, but, to paraphrase john lennon, life is what happens while you're making other plans.

let's take a moment to examine the idea of flirtation, hm?

flirting, like any other skill, is innate for some and learned for others. one excellent treatment of the topic can be found in mama gena's school of womanly arts. one of her best tips, in our opinion, is that we should refuse to confine flirtation to the bar scene or open mic night.

flirt with yourself. turn your most aggravating chore--dusting, for instance--into an appreciative survey of the beautiful things you've surrounded yourself with, the books you love, the gifts you've been given over the years.

flirt with your food. notice the sunny juiciness of fruit. appreciate the labor and love that went into the preparation. smile to yourself as you dig into your dessert.

flirt with the universe! take your desires--no matter how "impossible"--and roll them around in your mind like a cat toys with a ball of string. hear them out. pull them to their logical conclusion and beyond.

you might be surprised at what you discover.

the word

today we will examine a passage from women who run with the wolves by dr. clarissa pinkola estes, one of the sacred texts revered by witchy women worldwide.

chapter: "clear water: nourishing the creative life"
verse: "fire on the river"

it may also be that a woman's creative process is misunderstood or disrespected by those around her. it is up to her to inform them that when she has 'that look' in her eyes, it does not mean she is a vacant lot waiting to be filled. it means she is balancing a big cardhouse of ideas on a single fingertip, and she is carefully connecting all the cards using tiny crystalline bones and a little spit, and if she can just get it all to the table without it falling down or flying apart, she can bring an image from the unseen world into being. to speak to her in that moment is to create a harpy wind that blows the entire structure to tatters. to speak to her in that moment is to break her heart.