It was winter 2018 when a soul sister planted a seed inside of me.
Over the next two days, I gathered organic materials from the world around me, feathers, rocks, leather, sticks, etc, as well as other parts of my life, including beads from when I traveled the world, medicine bags I had been gifted, and good fortunes.
I already had my staff – a 4.5 foot Pine branch that I had just found on Christmas Day while hiking with my family on Palomar Mountain.
With a glue gun in hand, and gold paint to hide the evidence, I detailed away.
Red leather serpent winding its way up the bottom; healing crystals placed atop and near the palm of my hand; a plumage of morning dove feathers along a top spine.
As winter turned to spring, my work within our community – of providing a space where women and children gather – gained attention. So, I patted myself on my back for doing a good job of bringing people together and holding a physical space where human connection, interaction and contact can unfold.
a Keeper of the Village Space.
P.S. These photographs show my taking up the staff of my life 42nd birthday ceremony, as well as some of the work I have been doing with women in capturing and building a sense of tribe in our shared journey of Motherhood. You can read a San Diego Union Tribune article about my work here, or my bio here.
P.S.S. The first image above is of Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent God from Meso america who was revered as the mascot of the city center – the place where art and culture collide. Throughout time immemorial, women and children have long been the keepers of the village space.