By Eve Annecke
Acknowledgment of ancestors, poetry and prayer are woven into monthly Aura circles. These are intentionally themed, the first three being Connection, Food and Patterns of the Feminine. The circle provides the kind of kinship that is beginning to create a sense of community and belonging. Key aspects coming this year are documentation and story-telling. Next year our inquiry will include working with dreams, creativity and flow.
Each fellow chooses three mentors. With microscopic attention to detail, the midwives have interviewed individual fellows, reached mutual agreement on innovative and superb mentoring. The mentor topics combine practical work and spiritual support, ranging from plant guidance to bodywork, from astrological coaching to writing support, process work and strong care of money. Each fellow keeps a journal, and meets with her midwife regularly.
Each year begins and ends with a three-day retreat of bodywork, art and storytelling.
In a world of uncertainty and not-knowing, the Aura Fellowship is a counter-culture. Too frequently the response to a crisis is part of the crisis. Attempts to solve intractable climate problems are often tried from the same mind that created them in the first place. In urgent times, the pressure is on for technical solutions, speed, progress and sure outcomes. Our dream in the Aura Fellowship is to co-create spaciousness, discernment and humour as contributions to the long game.
With disciplined documentation, story-telling and journaling our intention is to develop a training course from this pioneering work of the feminine. Building the kinds of capabilities in young activists of the future to navigate urgent demands of the climate emergency with a gravitas, joyful sacrifice and equanimity way beyond their years.
They will need it.
