COURAGE
“There are things you've been hanging on to that really are not useful and deprive you of your freedom. Find the courage to let them go.”
- Thich Nhat Hanh
As I sit at my desk on a warm and sunny late August day that happens to be an Aquarius full moon, I consider where courage resides within me. Or rather its absence. What holds me back from pursuing my dreams? What causes me to linger in the shadow of my own light? Fear of truly being free? Being recognized for my skills and unique capabilities? Standing out from the rest? Of course once typed out like this it’s all nonsensical. Day in and day out I remind others of their gifts and what it means to step into their personal power while not always doing so for myself. My body and soul knows that enough is enough. So here goes…
I first encountered the term Nommo a few years back when reading Yeye Luisah Teish’s Jambalaya and paused because it felt like a moment of awakening. Nommo is a concept derived from the Dogon of Mali, meaning “to make one drink.” It denotes the generative power of the spoken word as a force that gives life to everything. Nommo is the process undertaken in Community to foster transformation by naming the current reality and re-imagining a future. The concept involves active participation along with a holistic approach to wellbeing.
In applying the concept more directly to herbs, I find that healing is never a solo act, but continual action that’s employed via communal effort. How do we view and name our ailments? Language is vital in pursuing health! These medicines evoke life force, whether it be tea, tonic, tincture, or bodily fluids, liquid is key, acting as a universal healer!
I practice and embody this concept daily as I gather and craft beautiful medicine that I can only describe as a Higher Power utilizing me as a vessel to preserve plant and earth materials and transfer knowledge to enhance our collective wellbeing. I just spoke these words aloud in order to vocalize my reimagined future and tears welled up as I typed them. For so long I’ve shied away from sharing my light for fear of having it dimmed or misunderstood. I’m stepping out of that because that inherently deprives me of my personal freedom along with our collective freedom.
What better time to explore courage than being deep into Leo season during a full moon and when backed against a wall to test my perseverance? Courage comes from the Heart whose season (Summer) we’re currently in. A centered Heart is expressive and contains Joy and is the seat of our creative fire. Lol @ me describing one of the main intents behind Heart’s Ease which I will now promptly take a dropper of as a reminder of this very message.
I no longer fear New and Different. I inhale gratitude and exhale deep intention.
