A Magical August Weekend…

So often we think of plant medicine as medicine for fixing and working on ourselves! But at Lady Slipper, the plants offered the medicine of connection, acceptance and appreciation.

It was a beautiful weekend. The days were warm and sunny with a caressing breeze. The nights were bathed in the light of the waxing moon. The women came together to sing, laugh, share wisdom their bodies, plants and their hearts carry. The plants rejoiced in being seen and honoured. The food was delicious and nourishing. It was a beautiful weekend.

A gathering of women is a special time. It is a time to become more than a mother, wife, daughter, sister. It is a time to walk with the unique beauty each woman brings to the world. It is a time to swear like women swear, weep like women weep and talk like women talk. There was lots of talking and listening.

I remember walking by a picnic table where a group of women sat and overheard Laura Gilmore, a woman comfortable in the wilderness of the forest, explain how wolves move through the wilderness and porcupines perch in trees with their back to the world. The women at the table listened intently absorbing the knowledge of wild things.

Then there was Christine Denis’ erotic monograph of the Lady Slipper. With the lights twinkling behind her, Christine reclaimed dirty words used to describe female genitalia. In reclaiming these words, Christine banished the shame each women has been made to feel and returned the power and beauty of the female anatomy.

Penny Beaudrow in the meantime, created a safe place for women to connect with the earth. Laying on the ground, each women opened her heart to abundance of life with all its gifts and trials.

Lauri Hoeg offered each women an opportunity to name the medicine they are gifted. She showed them how to make a small pouch to help them remember the medicine they carry.

Mama, unfortunately I was not able to sit with her during her sharing. But, all weekend long we felt Mama’s joy and support. The open acceptance and interest in others was a palpable experience throughout the weekend.

Dayna carried us through the weekend with her beautiful music, and in the background our volunteers, Evelyn, Chelsea, Candice, Charlee, Serena, Red, Debbie and the talented hair braider Rachel, tended to all that needed to be done. Without their efforts, Lady Slipper would not have seemed so easeful and carefree.

Penny and I want to thank all the women who came and helped make Lady Slipper the beautiful weekend it was. Your smiles, laughter, interest in plants and kind words, brought the true medicine to the gathering. Again, thank you.

Yours, Abrah

Photos by Serena Mor