“My name is Patricia, I'm a single mother of two, a boy and a girl. I have a very soft spot for children and for women, and I am a dreamer who likes to make my dreams come true.”
Patricia is one of our Aura Fellows, having completed our holistic nine-module programme designed to nurture and empower female leaders. In this Aura Spotlight interview, we delve into her experience.
I'd love to know a little about your day-to-day work? What resonates most with your heart?
I work at Excelsior Pre-School, at Boschendal. I’m a General Worker, which means that I do cleaning and sometimes cook for and feed the children. What I love most about it is interacting with children — they bring so much laughter and joy. They just make you happy. When you think you are sad, you look at them, then you're happy! I'm also doing a Montessori course with other leaders in the space. Becoming a teacher one day is my future plan.
How has Aura has transformed your relationship with yourself?
At first, if I’m honest, I didn't want to join Aura — I thought it was just a bunch of hippies! But then I joined the first meeting, and it actually changed my whole life. Before Aura, I wasn’t comfortable with myself, but now I am. Hearing other women’s stories changed my heart. Because you always think you have this big mountain on your shoulder, but when you listen deeply to someone else, you realise those people are going through so much — and just look at them! They’re beautiful, incredible women.
So it made me change how I fundamentally see the world. Today, I’m loving Aura, and I’m loving myself: and that’s the most important thing. Aura made me love myself, and feel comfortable in my own body, which I never did before.
Could you share one experience from Aura that felt particularly transformative?
Sure, there's so many. One experience that really changed me was doing bodywork — something which I never liked before. Now it’s something that I would recommend to anyone. It includes some small things such as drinking a lot of water, walking to work, mindful body movements, as well as breathing exercises. It’s very powerful — especially when done as part of intentional group work.
What does feminine wisdom mean to you?
To me, feminine wisdom means understanding what’s happening in the world, while also learning new ways of being within the world. It’s about women always standing by each other — not to judge, but to support and accept one another fully. Embracing different ways of being — that’s what the feminine has taught me — and doing so within a circle of solidarity and close friendships.
One piece of advice you would give to another woman starting her Aura journey?
Be yourself. Don’t pretend to be someone else; don't look at what other women are doing. Just be who you are. Then you will see how the river flows and you’ll flow nicely with the river, into the ocean. That took me a long time to do. But if you trust that — everything else will fall into place.
