Dear One,
 
Big New Moon howls to you wherever you are! Here, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Spring is bursting forth with color and life.
 
Inspired by nature’s fertility and the upcoming Mother’s Day, we have an incredibly rich poem to delve into entitled Mothers.
 
Written by the prolific, ever-evolving, always inspiring, Nikki Giovanni, we will get as close as we can to seeing through her eyes into her complex, dynamic relationship with her own mother. No two mother-daughter relationships are alike, but there certainly is insight & soul-treasure available by looking deeply into Giovanni’s perspective here.
 
As we wander through this poem and we will zoom in on certain lines & ideas in it to inspire a juicy New Moon practice.
 
Okay, let’s see what we find!

Mothers by:  Nikki Giovanni

the last time i was home
to see my mother we kissed
exchanged pleasantries
and unpleasantries pulled a warm
comforting silence around
us and read separate books
 
i remember the first time
i consciously saw her
we were living in a three room
apartment on burns avenue
 
mommy always sat in the dark
i don’t know how i knew that but she did
 
that night i stumbled into the kitchen
maybe because i’ve always been
a night person or perhaps because i had wet
the bed
she was sitting on a chair
the room was bathed in moonlight diffused through
those thousands of panes landlords who rented
to people with children were prone to put in windows
she may have been smoking but maybe not
her hair was three-quarters her height
which made me a strong believer in the samson myth
and very black
 
i’m sure i just hung there by the door
i remember thinking: what a beautiful lady
 
she was very deliberately waiting
perhaps for my father to come home
from his night job or maybe for a dream
that had promised to come by
“come here” she said “i’ll teach you
a poem: i see the moon
               the moon sees me
               god bless the moon
               and god bless me”
i taught it to my son
who recited it for her
just to say we must learn
to bear the pleasures
the last time i was home
as we have borne the pains 

Nikki Giovanni, “Mothers” from My House. Copyright © 1972 by Nikki Giovanni.

YOUR TURN 
After you’ve taken in the poem, in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you: 
Inspired by Giovanni’s words, “we must learn to bear the pleasures as we have borne the pains,” conjure up a sweet memory of your mother or a mother figure in your life & write a poem about it. Don’t worry about making it a great poem, but focus on articulating the memory in detail and feel, as best you can. 
Can’t wait to read them. ♥️
Upcoming Gatherings & Training:
 
↠ In just over 2 weeks, Wild Woman Project Circle Leader Training begins! With hundreds of graduates around the world, this training has been cultivated over a decade to offer our very best in wild feminine leadership training. Join us online, from anywhere, for a 7 Week adventure. Part personal-development, part skill-building, this course is sure to give you a deeper look into the Wild Woman Archetype, Moon Wisdom, Intuition and Inner Guidance & community building. Space is limited. Hear from others who have taken the journey & claim your seat here.
 
↠ This August, we are holding a VERY first retreat since 2019, right here in the Blue Ridge Mountains: Through the Roots: A Restorative Woodland Camping Retreat for Wild Women. We truly cannot wait! Open to those who have gathered with us in Circle Leader Training, Winter Immersions, and/or Wild Woman Fest. Mark your calendars for May 19th when tickets go on sale.
 
↠ You’re Invited to attend a Wild Woman Project Circle. In these New Moon time circles, you can expect Meditation, Intention Setting, Ritual & Sharing, guided by a trained facilitator. Find a list of TeleCircles happening online below & find a circle near you here.
Thank you for listening today. 
 
Wishing you a beautiful first New Moon & a juicy time with today’s practice! 
 
♥️ & Howls, 
 
Chris Maddox 
 
Founder of The Wild Woman Project & Wild Woman Fest 
 

On the Horizon

Join us for an hour-long New Moon Meditation Adventure on December 2nd!

Online, from anywhere.

Using a dynamic meditation journey, we will tune into the New Moon, to your own Inner Guidance, synced up with wild-hearted women from around the world. This offering will include music, storytelling, meditation, journaling prompts & intention-setting.

Can’t make it live? No worries. All participants will receive a copy of the recording with 24 hours of the session.

Claim Your Seat!

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Join the WILD WOMAN UNDERGROUND.

Keep your Spirit Lit with weekly Circles & join an international, intergeneration group of weird and wonderful wild-hearted Women.
The doors to WWU will open briefly in January 2025.

Make your dream to facilitate a Women’s Circle come true in 2025.
 
Join us online, from anywhere. Spring 2025

"The Circle Leader Training Program at The Wild Woman Project was one of the most transformative and healing experiences of my life. I have received many tools, resources, support, and connections that I will carry on with me forever." ~ Hannah Devin, Graduate

Part part skill-building, part wildish personal-development, this course is sure to give you a deeper look into the Wild Woman Archetype, Moon Wisdom, Intuition and Inner Guidance, Circle Facilitation, and community building. With hundreds of graduates in 26 countries around the world, this course has been cultivated over 13 years to be our very best in Feminine Leadership Training.
 
 

We have Wild Woman Project-trained Circle facilitators is 26 countries, and 44 out of the 50 United States.

Find a Circle Near You.