February 26th, 2:00PM to Sunset
April 29th, 2:00PM to Sunset
HOW IT STARTED
Cecilia is offering a safe place for people to gather. A place to share, learn and most importantly, a place to laugh and dance. It started on Grandparent's day since Cecilia's grandparents were the ones that kept the teachings, she is bringing the best of the past into our forward motion in welcoming a universal need of spiritual actions. Come and be ready to unwind. Cecilia and Yoeme/Mohawk Gourd Teacher Jan Cleary are creating a learning center. In doing so, they open a space for a community to develop. Both Cecilia and Jan hope for a space where people can learn Native culture devoid of Western doctrine. Here, both Elder women offer an opportunity to teach their skills without the burden of bureaucracy. Initially the community will include only women, offering a safe place for expression and development of individual talents. Through fire, dance, song, and workshops women will learn as well as have the opportunity to cultivate their own creative talents.
WHAT IS OFFERED
Both the educational aspects and the physical space are flexible, growing and evolving. Each day determines what can be offered, taking into account environmental climate, political climate and what is happening now. While content for the day is not guaranteed, relevancy and common sense are assured. Some of the workshops that will soon be included are pine needle basket making and gourd bowl making. As we move forward we will also include workshops in whatever talent you bring to share.
| • Medicinal plant Workshops | • Chumash songs and dance | • Honoring Fire | • Personal healings |
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Everyone is welcome, bring a friend. These workshops will not only allow you to establish a relationship with Cecilia, but they will also give you an opportunity to better understand what these women have to offer. We are asking for donations from $20 to $100 to create resources for the startup. Please bring a no fuss dish to share, drinks and a good attitude. Dress for outside, bring a blanket and clapper sticks or a rattle if you have them.
A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM CECILIA
I want people to know that the womans circle is not about me, its about women. So for the next few months, I am not going to be there, I will be doing things that I need to get done, so we can share a better time together.MAP AND LOCATION: 930 0ld farm road thousand oaks 91360
Jan has all of the materials and clapper sticks and will be teaching the basics of dance, so when I return in April we can light a fire and really dance. It's important to me that everyone learn to dance, because dance is global, in every tradition dance is what empoweres you, keeps you from getting confused, keeps you from giving up or being run over by anything. You can't play with the medicine and not know that. You're not going to help people just by taking notes at my workshops, once you dance then everything you learn about the medicine makes sense. It's easier to find and it will find you. But without the dance, there's a missing link... and women really need that link back for themselves.
If women aren't balanced, then men have nothing to reflect. This is 2012 where women have to empower themselves without being mean. We have to get back in the place where we enjoy being women, in order for anything to change. Once you get into that comfort zone and you learn to dance you can hit that comfort zone and take that to your home and it will effect your family, your work and your attitude. Dance is the key to knowing the medicine and improving yourself. Its a real important part that will fill the gap that words don't. Dance gives you that without words getting in the way. Dance is all season, year round.
You need to know what it feels like to be welcomed so when you go into another situation and you don't feel that, you know that you aren't stuck there thinking that's what you have to accept, that's as good as it gets. Women need to learn that they deserve more, that they should be safe. When you're safe, you make better decisions, you're a better mother, a better neighbor, a better sister a better worker and things come clearer when you feel safe.
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