I am still buzzing from Lily-Rakia, Visolela, Nesindano, Hâ-tani and her brother’s powerful performance during our opening ceremony on Monday! I’ve since cried profusely and felt unusually uplifted.
I’m astounded by the energetic transmission we were able to experience on a video call. Through my Now What?! experiences, I’m finding that online gatherings can be more honest and forthcoming even than when in person.
If you feel called to support the work of our indigenous family members you can do so through links that I’ve provided at the end of this message.
It’s strange how hard it is for me to ask for money - even if it isn’t for me. Ever since I consciously began my spiritual work in 2016 I’ve had a hard time grappling with paying money for healing. Not only do I associate money with greed and competition but I don’t know how to quantify what feels like invaluable, sacred work. Perhaps it cannot be quantified.
When I think about it - ALL care work (parenting, teaching, nursing, cooking,… you name it) is undervalued yet I am uncomfortable having to pay for it at all -- shouldn’t access to care be guaranteed for all humans?! Why isn’t it? How do you feel about this? Does this stop you from giving or from asking for money for your own service projects?
So - Now What?! [hands on my hip with lots of confident attitude]
Now is when I invite you all to “Fleshing out the Gift Economy for Now What?! and Beyond”
The purpose of this meeting is to explore how we come together as a community so that we can be seen, valued and use the power of our generosity to actualize our dreams. As a community, I believe we can figure out how to thrive in this ‘not quite yet’ post-capitalistic mush.
Everything we will do and discuss will be emergent. I invite you to bring your story, your gifts, your needs and any art that has inspired you on the topic. With that I leave you with these words of wisdom which first opened my heart to the power of gifting:
“From the viewpoint of a private property economy, the “gift” is deemed to be “free” because we obtain it free of charge, at no cost. But in the gift economy, gifts are not free. The essence of the gift is that it creates a set of relationships. The currency of a gift economy is, at its root, reciprocity. In Western thinking, private land is understood to be a “bundle of rights,” whereas in a gift economy property has a “bundle of responsibilities” attached.”
Excerpt From: Robin Kimmerer. “Braiding Sweetgrass.”
We’ll find out how we explicitly and implicitly weave-in, give and receive our gifts and resources when we first meet. RSVP, find your local time, and see Zoom details on the Now What?! Calendar here.
In the meantime, if you are clear that your heart leads you to support our Indigenous Partners, please follow the links below.
www.cccearth.org for donations to Mama Visolela and her family.
*Note the donation site for Mama Visolela’s projects is down. CCC has kindly offered to send them the funds received through Western Union. A possible gift to offer during Now What?! could be to help improve the online presence and donation pathways for Dolam Children Home and Okandjira Gardens.
As for Lily-Rakia Chandler:
Patreon- The Good Mind by Lily-Rakia Chandler
Or Venmo @LilyRakia-Chandler
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