FemmSouth Podcast

In this episode, Lindsay, Mette, and Leigh meet with two guests from the Alabama Campaign for Adolescent Sexual Health (ACASH) to hear how the the overturn of Roe continues to shape Sex Education policy in Alabama. Christina Clark Okarmus, the Executive Director of ACASH, and ShaKaya Darrington, member of the Youth Advocacy Group, explain how sex education is a critical component to Reproductive Justice as children and teens deserve age appropriate, medically accurate, comprehensive education about their bodies, how to recognize sexual abuse, how to prevent unwanted sexual advances, how to negotiate safe sex, how to prevent unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and a host of important information that can save their lives. We discuss the history of sex education in Alabama, and the current attempt by Alabama lawmakers to require an “abstinence only until marriage” policy as the only safe option while also prohibiting demonstrations or conversations around contraception. Once again Alabama lawmakers are ignoring expert data that proves just what parents want for their kids and what students need. They are ignoring data and expert medical opinions that prove abstinence only policies are ineffective. They particularly ignore students that have been forced into early sexual encounters against their will, and instead espouse the unrealistic idea that marriage will somehow protect them. Parents and experts agree that our kids deserve better.

Episode 3.3 “Faith Leaders Speak Up for Choice” with Rev. Ginny Phillips Allen and Rev. Renee Adcock. In this session, you will hear our conversations with two local faith leaders talking about abortion rights in lower Alabama. If you attended a protest following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in either Mobile or Fairhope, you likely saw Rev. Ginny Phillips Allen in her clerical collar standing on the streets and even being asked to speak on the steps of the Courthouse in downtown Mobile. She shares her journey from growing up as the daughter of conservative Baptist minister to taking a progressive, faith-based stance and being vocal on this issue in our community. We also hear from Rev. Renee Adcock, who recently founded a new spiritual center in Baldwin county, Spiritual Awakening Center 360, to hear how she has these conversations with her community. One point that she makes that I particularly love is that abortion is not a church or government matter, and one cannot use a spiritual text that is irrelevant to so many people to determine law for our country. Coming from a faith leader, this is an important distinction to make. She also talks about the spiritual leader's role in supporting people in their choices, whatever they may be. When asked about what gives her hope, Renee looks to this next generation of young people who are caring, inclusive, and willing to stand up for change. With these three episodes, we offer hope and supportive resources—if you are in a congregation where your faith leader is not publically or privately supportive of reproductive choice, or if you are a faith leader that feels silenced or ill-equipped, then you may find the resources in our EP 3 show notes helpful for making change in your spiritual community. Every single one of our guests have offered their support, so we hope that you will reach out and connect with them.

In this second segment we talk with Rev. Latishia James, an ordained minister in The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, and the Co-Director of Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity (also known as SACReD) where they advance reproductive justice for marginalized communities through congregations and spiritual communities grounded in a progressive moral framework. Latishia is a Black queer femme, womanist, writer, and facilitator of healing spaces for BIPOC women, femmes, and LGBTQIA folks. Latishia opens this episode by sharing her calling to reproductive justice through several pivotal experiences—her mother's battle with AIDS, her queer identity in a Pentecostal upbringing, and her time working in an HIV/AIDS organization that supports women and girls of color. Latishia walks us through the history of the religious right's anti-abortion movement as well as the inseparable link between reproductive justice and racial reconciliation. We dive deep into questions about what it means to approach reproductive justice from a decolonized, anti-patriarchal lens. Also the founder of Pleasure Principles Consulting, a healing-centered, coaching practice for people harmed by religious rhetoric and patriarchal violence, Latishia talks about her healing work with women and gender expansive people who have experienced trauma and internalized shame because of the false schism between sexuality and spirituality— “Separation is mental. The separation comes from these systems of oppression that have convinced us that there is a separation, but the separation actually never existed. So, it is a remembering of our wholeness and that we have the authority to live into our divine beings” (Rev James). We hope you will be inspired to check out SACReD's website. You can sign up to learn about SACReD's curriculum for congregations and spiritual communities to begin the work of justice-oriented, spiritually-based work around reproductive issues. You can also sign up for any one of their upcoming facilitator training sessions in Nov & Dec to learn how to lead a congregation, education class, small group, or other community through their intentional curriculum.

Across three segments—all guided by ordained faith leaders—we'll shine a light on the patriarchal systems and colonialist histories that lead to trauma, abuse, and violations of the autonomy of pregnant people. We explore the supposed schism between spirituality and sexuality. And we discuss the role of clergy and share resources and advocacy tools for both clergy and members of faith communities. In our first segment, we talk with Rev. Katey Zeh about her call to reproductive justice in seminary as a volunteer supporting people through their experiences at an abortion clinic. She opens up about her struggles with her own abortion stigma, as well as the political origins of the anti-abortion movement, the moral high ground that anti-choice groups falsely claim, and the harm caused by fake clinics. She also shares her work with RCRC supporting clergy to better serve pregnant people in their communities. Here's a link to our shownotes—https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hWiVCJ9kIZvDBAdS8X9G-NZQ84VaUSThybpyLRiR3HM/edit?usp=sharing

What happens when a pregnant person is denied an abortion? How does it impact their life trajectory, financial security, and the wellbeing of existing and future children? And how does it compare with those who are able to access a wanted abortion? In this episode of the “Reproductive Freedom in the Deep South” series, we address these and many other crucial questions related to the socio-economic fallout of Alabama's abortion ban. We are joined by Dr. Diana Greene Foster, professor at UCSF and author of The Turnaway Study, and Vicki Shabo, policy advisor and gender-equity advocate at New America's Better Life Lab. Dr. Foster's landmark Turnaway Study—hailed as “The Most Important Study in the Abortion Debate” by The Atlantic—interviewed 1,000 women to compare the life trajectories of those who either received a wanted abortion or were denied based on state restrictions. The Turnaway Study debunks two myths touted by anti-abortion activists: that abortions are harmful to women, and that the decision to get an abortion is made by “irresponsible” women without careful consideration. Dr. Foster's research shows how it is in fact those who are forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy that experience measurable negative economic, health and emotional consequences over time. We also look at the economic impact to the wellbeing of the child as well as the family that she may already be supporting or gearing up to have in the future (that is, if she even wants to have children at all). As Dr. Foster explains, “We see the benefits of people being able to determine their own decisions about childbearing: We see those kids are less likely to live in poverty if their mom was able to get a wanted abortion; the moms report better maternal bonding with their children. So it's an emotional decision, it's an economic decision—and denying people the ability to control their childbearing actually hurts women and it hurts children.” Shabo's research for New America is about understanding the costs of childcare in America and the impact of paid family and medical leave, especially in rural states like Alabama with a near or total ban on abortion. Shabo shares stark facts about childcare costs and the devastating impact of maternity care deserts and childcare deserts—including the fact that the U.S. has no federal guarantee for paid family or medical leave for new parents, a hardship Shabo has been working to remedy through testifying before Congress for legislation like the Build Back Better Act. As Shabo explains, “The unfortunate reality is that states that have restricted or entirely banned abortion access also do not have paid family and medical leave guarantees for their workers. And that means that people are left to play the lottery, or maybe they're leaving work—and that causes a whole other set of economic challenges. All of this is connected, and none of this is good for women, children and families.” Another fascinating aspect of Shabo's work we'll hear about is advising the entertainment industry on more truthful, realistic story-telling around the ways we parent in hopes of steering cultural narratives towards a more inclusive economy. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and continue to support organizations that are providing care for pregnant people. Check out our Episode 2 show notes, including links to resources and more donation opportunities mentioned within the episode.

This is the first episode in the "Reproductive Freedom in the Deep South" Series where we talk with representatives from reproductive justice organizations with boots on the ground in Alabama. Our special guests are Tish Gotell Faulks, Legal Director at the ACLU of Alabama; Robin Marty, the Director of Operations for the West Alabama Women's Center; and Kelsea McLain, Deputy Director of the Yellowhammer Fund. Each one of our guests talks about the impact of the overturn of Roe on their organizations, the services they provide in a post-Roe landscape, along with the health and safety concerns they are dealing with on a daily basis. Our conversation expands into the full spectrum of reproductive justice to include access to maternal health care, self-managed abortions and safe after-care centers, access to contraception, sex education, and the myriad ways abortion bans impact pregnant people—— "Reproductive justice is not just about will you or will you not remain pregnant? It is about whether or not we as a society, we as communities are nurturing the people who are critical to birthing and healthy family development." (Tish Gotell Faulks, ACLU of Alabama) WHERE YOU CAN DONATE TODAY: West Alabama Women's Center ACLU of Alabama Yellowhammer Fund The POWER House of Montgomery Access show notes, transcript, & links to resources and more donation opportunities——https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r404OP-4ZoarEb15BA25Y71MmRyZFuDKGSwrt2q0bwg/edit?usp=sharing

This is our kick-off episode introducing audiences to the six-part series where we will host conversations with a range of people and professionals who are experiencing first-hand the effects and the fallout of the Dobbs decision here in Alabama. In June of 2022, the constitutional right to access abortion care in the US was revoked when the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, which had been the law of the land for 50 years. On that same day, this judgment—which we'll refer to as “Dobbs”—triggered a state-wide ban on abortion here in Alabama. Ours is among the most extreme bans in the country, with NO exceptions for rape or incest. And while abortion is most talked about, this is not a single-issue struggle. Here is what the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence has to say about the movement for reproductive justice­­: “This intersectional paradigm at the core of reproductive justice acknowledges that systems of oppression simultaneously discriminate based on race, gender, sexuality, class, ability, age, immigration status, language, and other factors. These intersecting forms of oppression and discrimination have historically resulted in power, privilege, and resources for a select few and limited access to power and resources for a large majority, including women of color, women in poverty, women as an overall group, and others. Reproductive justice aims to bring about the complete physical, mental, spiritual, political, social and economic well-being of women and girls, based on the full achievement and protection of not only women's reproductive rights, but their human rights” ( VAWnet). This series is riding on a wave that is already building and growing strong in Alabama. In this introduction, members of the FemmsAct team talk about what they have been doing this last year to build an activist wing of our book club community. We also layout the framework for our series, and discuss the multitude of ways reproductive justice touches our lives. We talk about the data, which already shows that in states with the most extreme bans, women experience the highest mortality rates, teenage pregnancy, economic inequality, poverty, incarceration, and poor healthcare. As these stories unfold, we will build undeniable evidence that reproductive autonomy is central to our liberation. Our mission is to keep this conversation in the public, free of shame and fear. This is just the beginning... *A couple of quick disclaimers: The studies and statistics we'll be referencing in these episodes do use gendered language. And in this podcast we reference organizations and websites that are not a part of FemmSouth. FemmSouth is not responsible for any information they offer, nor is FemmSouth responsible for any actions listeners take based on the information and they provide. FemmSouth exercises its First-Amendment right to provide publicly sourced information. **NOTES: Links to resources and reports mentioned within the episode. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Nb9fR-3OB3CYJtj0ySMeazQ4xAzDMqL2nrm9EbNMMZQ/edit?usp=sharing

This episode is the first of a two-part series exploring financial feminism and impact investing in women. In this first episode, we consider several definitions for the term financial feminism. We explore the barriers women face with finances and investing in a post-pandemic world and examine whether we can actually know if our investments are closing the gender wage gap and securing women a seat at the table. Beyond economics, how do we know our investments are working towards the type of change women care about, i.e., structures and practices in businesses and corporations that do not favor women or support true diversity? How can we put our time and money to work for the changes we want to see in the world? My special guests are Roselyn C. Spaan and Kaitlin “Kat” Williams. Roselyn is a financial advisor who attended Southern California with a full-ride scholarship to study microbiology and philosophy. After graduating she minimalized her life down to her motorcycle and RV, living “free” off the land. Ironically, these experiences led her to understand that her disdain for the monetary system was rooted in ignorance of the rules and “cheat codes” of the game of capitalism. As an advisor, she now equips others with financial literacy and the know-how to become financially independent. Kat works as a credit risk assurance officer for a national U.S. based bank, working in portfolio and enterprise risk management review. She's a published writer, poet, performance artist, and a Foray Leader for the Alabama Mushroom Society. As a disclaimer, neither of my guests speak on behalf of a company, nor do they provide specific financial advice. We hope that this episode provides some food for thought and further exploration into the discussion of financial feminism and related topics. Part II will dive deeper into impact investing. A few links that were mentioned in the podcast are – https://www.ellevest.com and https://equileap.com and https://www.clevergirlfinance.com

For this kick off episode, I have asked two of my favorite FemmSouth bookclub members and podcast guests, Shannon Fountain and Kadine Christie, to discuss their successes, joys, and transitions over the last few months. Kadine, a published local author, has been birthing a new book and shares the ups and downs of transitioning into full-time writing. Shannon discusses balancing motherhood and a new relationship with the increasing demands of pharmaceutical work during a pandemic. What we all seem to have in common is embracing the in-between of mid-life transitional periods. From kids getting ready for college, to discovering our next creative endeavors, we are all seeking assurance that we are indeed on the right path. We also look at arch of the bookclub community over the last six years, along with some of the new topics, books, and events on our agenda for this upcoming year. This episode is a short and sweet taste of what is to come.

Jolene @_thibodeaux_ is a local singer, songwriter, poet, and published author. Her writing and music draw from her experiences growing up in Alabama and time spent with her father in the Pacific Northwest. She is a rich and down-to-earth storyteller with imagery steeped in rural living and a passion for nature. In this episode, Jolene talks about growing up surrounded by poetry both in words and actions. A debilitating spinal injury she suffered as a child opened her to poetry and music as healing arts. Throughout her life she has existed in spaces of rhyme and rhythm to treat pain and promote healing during a near death experience and a more recent comma from which she is still recovering. Jolene also shares her current project to recover and reproduce traditional southern and indigenous lullabies. Lullabies, she says, "can be very dark..." When times are difficult, like during a pandemic, singing to your baby can be a "space where you can be allowed to emote some of the things that are happening." You will not want to miss Jolene reading three original poems and performing a lullaby she wrote for her daughter. True to southern gothic form, Jolene gleaned the lyrics for the lullaby from a love note written by her grandfather to her grandmother that were scrawled on the back of a Rules and Regulation Handbook for coalminers over 85 years ago. You can gain access to her poetry, books, and music at bbroyal.org/artists/jolene-thibodeaux.

We have a new episode release and a very special musical guest, Haley Harkin! Haley is a singer/songwriter of folk medicine music from Austin, Texas.  She joins us to continue our discussion of Women Healers, focusing specifically on writers, poets, and songwriters that use their craft for healing.  In this episode, Haley shares her early struggles with insecurity and anxiety, and how her ability to write songs and perform in front of an audience came after working with plant medicines in ceremony.  Writing lyrics and playing music has been for Haley a journey of transformation.  After five years of receiving the medicine and putting herself in vulnerable situations on stage, her voice finally opened and allowed her to become what she considers a conduit for healing lyrics and rhythms that she now shares with others.   Haley's soothing voice is an invitation to call on nature, the feminine divine, internal creativity, and intuition to activate our own healing powers.  She shares a live performance of two of her songs, Child and Beauty, which you can purchase on her website, https://haleyharkin.bandcamp.com/ We hope that you love her music as much as we do!   You can also find Haley on Instagram @haleyharkin along with her other sites: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4NVY9moD4gj1RJpVfWgz5S https://www.patreon.com/haleyharkin https://www.facebook.com/haleyharkin

In the final episode of our Women Healers series, we are circling back to birth work to talk with our special guest, Pamela Smith, one of the founding members of the Farm community in Summertown,Tennessee.  Pamela tells the story of joining Steven, Ina May Gaskin and the 200+  caravan in 1970 that eventually becomes the Farm community in TN that develops one of the most influential midwifery centers for natural childbirth along with pre & post natal care for mothers, babies, and their families.  The Farm midwives regard child birth as an empowering experience for women, and they provided natural, home births during a time when midwifery was illegal in many states, including Alabama.  Pamela gave birth to her first son on the Farm (shown on the cover) with the help of Ina May Gaskin and the Farm midwives, which began her journey into birth work and her first birth and postpartum doula service in Boulder Colorado. Join us as we discuss the many doors natural childbirth opened for Pamela to become a birth worker, an end of life caregiver, community educator, and grassroots organizer.  Together with her partner, Bob Zellner, Pamela continues to raise the collective consciousness by healing racial and genocidal history. They support youth leaders and grassroots organizations who are building respect for differences of race, gender, religion, and ideology.  Pamela is another example of healers at the forefront of change.  You can contact Pamela at http://smithzellner.consulting/ You can contact the Farm Midwives at http://thefarmmidwives.org/ Intro & Altro music by Emily Ellis Richards Altro music by Emily Stuckey Sellers

Ep 19 Part III of Women Healers with Firestar & Brightheart “Midwifing the soul into wellness” is Firestar’s poetic description of her practice of shamanic healing.  Like our previous class of Women Healers, shamanism is a special calling and an undertaking with a long, rich tradition that spans many cultures across the globe.  In Part III, our special guests are Firestar and Brightheart, two healers that use psychedelic mushrooms and other plant medicines for individual and group healing ceremonies.  Being immersed in both clinical psychotherapy and indigenous healing traditions, Firestar and Brightheart discuss the dichotomy of language around their practice.  Finding a language and a culture that feels authentic and less hierarchical than traditional shamanic practices is important because their purpose is to guide those they help towards their own healing powers.   Firestar and Brightheart  explain how they give special attention to set and setting, creating a fluid, relational connection with the medicine. As Brightheart says, “when you start the conversation with the natural world, its not just one conversation…you are just starting the relationship with this plant” that develops a much deeper connection to a sacred and intuitive healing power.    Plant-based psychedelics are breaking new grounds in mental health and will hopefully continue to push us towards a brighter future, one where we are more connected to nature.   Cover artist @Harelyandj or www.harleyandj.com Intro & Altro music by Emily Ellis Richards Altro music by Emily Stuckey Sellers

Our special guest is Eri Guajardo Johnson (she/they), a queer, bi-racial birth worker, community educator, birth consultant for trauma survivors, and founder of Birth Bruja, which is an online educational platform devoted to intersectional, liberational & decolonial approaches to birthwork, healing, and life. Eri's experience working with sexual assault victims and her study of indigenous Mexican and Indian healing modalities informs her approach to birth work. She also has a master's degree in Women, Gender, Spirituality & Social Justice from the California Institute of Integral Studies, and is an online community educator. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our discussions about the full spectrum of birthing experiences and why an intersectional approach is so critical. In this episode, Eri shares her journey into birthwork as a way to reclaim her ancestral wisdom and join her spiritual, political, and social activism under one umbrella. Working with predominately marginalized communities, doulas like Eri are effective change makers as their areas of focus reach much farther than the birthing room. We discuss normalizing the birthing spectrum, the relational aspects of birthing and trauma, accessibility, pleasure depletion, and isolation, all areas of concern that doulas address with their clients. Doulas and birth workers provide an essential service in advocating and caring for women and their families, and they are at the forefront of reclaiming reproductive autonomy. Visit www.BirthBruja.com to learn more. Follow her on Instagram @birthbruja

The first episode in our series on Women Healers is a lovely discussion with Nafeesah Roberts As-Salafeeya, a Community Labor and Postpartum Doula.  Doulas play a critical role as healers because they provide physical and emotional support before, during, and after birth in ways that modern hospital providers cannot. They are birthing advocates that help women actualize their preferred birthing experiences whether at home or in the hospital.  Nafeesah tells of her journey into becoming a birth worker, and how her home birth experience put her on the path to empower other women with their birthing journeys.  Inspired by her own ancestral traditions, she started the Mbegu Birthing Project, which is a grassroots organization to support birth work in Mobile, Alabama.  We also talk about the legacy of black midwifery in Alabama and Deirdre Cooper Owen's book, Medical Bondage: Race, Gender, and the Origins of American Gynecology, which presents an important history of black women midwives in bondage and their treatment by white, male physicians developing modern gynecology in the American south.  We talk about Alabama's relationship with this history and how new generations of birth workers will be instrumental in advocating for women’s rights and ensuring racial equality in healthcare and birthing.      If you would like to learn more about doula training or Nafeesah's services, you can contact her  at Nafeesahthedoula@gmail.com or access her skincare, tinctures, and teas at NittyGrittySkinCare.com. Nafeesah's businesses and affiliates: Daughters of Daisy Community Labor and Postpartum Doula Services The Mbegu Birthing Project NittyGrittySkinCare One&Strong-United for Quality Reproductive Healthcare Facebook.com/DaughtersofDaisyMarie Facebook.com/TheMbeguBirthingProject TheMbeguBirthingProject@instagram Nafeesahthedreamdoula@instagram

In this introduction, I set up our discussion about women healers. What do we mean when we refer to women healers, and how does this language differ from the language of modern medicine? As Elisabeth Brooke says, "Medicine has always been political," and those with the authority to practice medicine exert a great power over those they deny. Women have always been healers, midwives, doulas, herbalists, witches, medicine carriers, conjurers, invokers, shamans, spiritual leaders, and the many iterations of healing practices around the globe. In this four-part series, I will talk with doulas, birth workers, trauma workers, and medicine carriers about their practices and the suppressed histories of women in these roles. @birthbruja @nafeesahthedreamdoula @thembegubirthingproject @pamelasmith3322 These conversations are inspired by the two books that that we read together in January—Women Healers: Portraits of Herbalists, Physicians, and Midwives by Elisabeth Brooke and Conjure Women by Afia Atakora.

For this episode, I couldn’t be more excited to speak candidly with Jillian and Shannon about all of our personal struggles dealing with 2020 and to acknowledge the accomplishments we did make in our community. As we say in this episode, women are conditioned to find the silver lining in all situations, but sometimes “shitty things can be shitty” and that’s okay. Among the many opportunities for reflection, 2020 has taught us to surrender to what is, which may mean honoring our darker emotions like fear and anger and a whole plethora of unprecedented emotions many of us felt this year. We also reflect on our favorite books and look ahead at discussion topics and book ideas for 2021. Despite all the uncertainties for the New Year, we continue to stay committed to women and to awakening to our fullest potential as change makers. We invite you to do the same by joining our book club and getting involved in our community if you haven’t already.

In Sep, our book club read Rachael Louise Snyder’s No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us for our focus on intimate partner violence, which often remains hidden despite the fact that it affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In this episode, Leigh talks with the executive director of the Lighthouse, Rhyon Ervin, about these alarming stats and what their agency does to help victims. The Lighthouse is a non-profit agency providing shelter and resources for victims of abuse in the Monroe, Conecuh, Baldwin and Escambia counties. With over 26 years experience with the agency, Ervin has unique insight into how the current pandemic has increased abuse cases, but has also limited women's access to shelter, legal assistance, and the many other resources they need to be able to leave an abusive relationship. Rhyon explains what it often takes for people to leave, the safety plan a person should have in place for leaving, why it’s important for women to be believed and supported even when they retract their statements and go back, and how families and friends can support their loved ones in these situations. Leigh and Rhyon also address the more elusive emotional and psychological abuse along with sexual coercion, which many victims may be experiencing without about being able to properly identify as abuse. The Lighthouse needs donations, resources, and volunteers for their daily operations. If you would like to help, you can go to their website—the lighthouseabeacon.org, follow them on FB @abeacon. If you live in our area, you can call: The Lighthouse crisis line—947-6008 or 1-800-650-6522 The Lighthouse sexual assault hotline—1-800-543-5068 The Penelope House in Mobile—251-342-8994 www.thelighthouseabeacon.org www.acadv.org www.alabamacoalitionagainstrape.org www.nnedv.org www.ncadv.org www.rainn.org www.domesticshelters.org

In this episode, Leigh interviews Kadine Christie, a mother in her eighth year of homeschooling her three children. Kadine has her BA in sociology from Kean University and her Masters in Counseling from Capella University. She’s also a writer, has published work in several magazines, and is currently working on her upcoming memoir, I am Home. Kadine shares her own education background growing up in Jamaica and then moving to the United States. Her story traces her tumultuous path through a failing education system and her falling back in love with learning once she was able to take control of it. She discusses curriculum, high school credits, and college prep, questions on many parents' minds. She talks about her daily routine with her children, and how she's been balancing virtual high school with homeschool curriculum while supplementing both. What's inspiring about Kadine's approach to education is how she empowers her children to ask hard questions, to seek resources outside of the classroom, and to push back against an institution that often perpetuates a patriarchal, white-centric, perspective. Because we are also reading Bell Hook's "Teaching to Transgress" and having conversations about new social structures in light of the pandemic, the foundation that Kadine is building for her children may be a blueprint for what Bell Hook's describes as "education for critical consciousness" and "radical self-determination." At the very least, education from home may be a new frontier for parents that have never considered this option or have felt disempowered to do so.

In our commitment to amplify black female voices, this episode is an intimate conversation with Valencia, Clarice, and Wenter, three southern, black women in our FemmSouth book club, about their perspectives on racism and the BLM movement.  Join us as we hear their thoughts on police brutality, speaking out against racial injustice, allyship, corporate integrity, white supremacy, education, and the impact Hollywood representation of black beauty has had on their personal journeys towards self-actualization and self-love.  This episode is longer than previous episodes because so much needed to be said that to trim it down to 45 minutes just didn't seem right.  We feel confident that you will think so, too.   Please rate us and give us some positive feedback!

In this episode Leigh and Amaya interview Anna Swisher, a facilitator for Joanna Macy’s The Work That Reconnects. Anna explains the evolution of Macy’s approach over the last half of the century, the foundational basis of Macy’s work in Deep Ecology and Systems Theory, and walks us through the stages of the spiral through which the workshops are organized. Amaya shares her transformative experiences working with Anna following her own burn out, and how Macy’s work provides a necessary support network for activists and communities built around activism. Anna also talks about what to expect from the workshop FemmSouth is hosting Sunday, May 31st, which will be the first in a series that will connect our community with others around the globe. This particular workshop will look specifically at the experience of being a woman, and how we feel, experience, and make sense of what is happening in the world. We will draw strength and insight from previous generations as well, exploring our unique stories as women in the context of global crises. Where are our gifts, strengths, and joys in this life? What breaks our hearts? What are we motivated and inspired to act on behalf of? How can our emotion serve us in catalyzing change? What resources do we have, where does our true power come from, and how can we make a difference? These are some of the ideas we will explore together. This workshop is open to anyone who identifies as female, and/or is comfortable being part of a group that we will collectively refer to as “women.” Please feel free to invite other women in your own communities. Zoom Workshop Sunday, May 31st 1-3:15 PM (CT) Sliding scale donation $20-25 (€19-24 euros) To register, email Anna Swisher at swishie76@gmail.com. Donations can be made via PayPal, Venmo, or bank transfer. Zoom link will be sent after registration is complete. Check out https://workthatreconnects.org/ Check out https://www.femmsouth.com/

In this episode, Shannon and Leigh discuss Octavia Butler’s dystopian, afrofuturistic novel, The Parable of the Sower and the current coronavirus pandemic. Butler has imagined an all-too-real version of the United States if things like climate change and corporate greed are left unchecked. Much like Butler's imagined crisis, this pandemic has amplified the stark social, financial, and political inequalities that define life for so many of us. It is also shining the necessary light on the people that hold our society together. Uncertainty for the future resides, leaving some wanting to return to “normal” as quickly as possible and some, much like Lauren Olamina, planting seeds for something new to emerge. We discuss important themes of death & resurrection, and how this pandemic is a time to reflect and reimagine a new way of being based on trust, equality, collaboration, and most importantly, agency in creating a future that cares for all people and the environment. Has Butler created a dystopian civilization on the verge of utopianism? Should we all be reading utopian fiction for inspiration to rebuild? We will have to read the second book in the unfinished trilogy to find out. In our episode, we mention the Livestream event, Movement Building in the Time of the Coronavirus Crisis, hosted by Angela Davis, Naomi Klein, & The Movement for Black Lives. You can find this webinar and others on the Rising Majority website.

In this episode, Leigh interviews Reverend Ellen Sims from Open Table United Church of Christ in Mobile and Elizabeth Denham, LGBTQ+ advocate and owner of The Franchise Woman magazine. Both are connected to the advocacy & family support groups, Rainbow Mobile and Prism United. If you've lived in the South for long, you know that churches can have a huge impact on the violence, fear, discrimination and rejection experienced by many LGBTQ+ persons. Despite the fact that many churches espouse an open door policy for all people, LGBTQ+ people are often met with disappointment at the realization that this inclusion does not extend to them or that their inclusion demands that they remain silent about their experiences. In this episode, we discuss what true acceptance and inclusion look like beyond the lip service given by many churches, even ones that profess to be progressive. Ellen shares her congregation's open and affirming statement and how she has intentionally changed imagery and language to expound a non-gendered and non-anthropomorphic representation of God. She also addresses trauma inflicted by society and church and how she is particularly sensitive to reconciling and healing such trauma. As a mother of a gay son and active member of the church, Elizabeth discusses her family's challenges within the church once her son came out and they became more vocal advocates for LGBTQ+ rights. She shares how she had to find a new church and a new denomination to protect her family. That search led her, her husband, their children and her parents to a church where each of them is loved and accepted and where their son is able to fully participate without discrimination. Join us as we open the conversation. Music by Emily Ellis Richards @emilyellisrichards Here are some links for some of the organizations we mention in the episode: Rainbow Mobile---https://rainbowmobile.org/ Prism United---https://prismunited.org/ Open Table United Church of Christ---https://www.opentableucc.org/ The Franchise Woman, https://thefranchisewoman.com/about-us/ The Gift of Struggle, https://www.thegiftofthestruggle.com/ Matthew Vines The Gay Debate...---https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezQjNJUSraY

In this episode, we go out into the community to see how Christian Feminism is being discussed and practiced in the local area. Leigh interviews Judith Comer, an ordained Episcopal Minister, and Jessica Deese, a mother of four children who is active in her local church community and school. In this episode, we discuss the value of Feminist Theology from seminary to the pulpit. Although Feminism and Christianity have often been cast as incompatible, and they certainly have a history of opposition, Christian women (among many others) have been challenging androcentric language (language that is oriented around the masculine) and scriptural interpretation that is both hierarchical and oppressive since the early first wave feminist movement in the 1800's. For example, some may not know that Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote The Woman's Bible, in which she reframes biblical interpretation used to vilify and oppress women for hundreds of years. So, why haven't Feminist & Womanist Theologians made more of an impact across Christian culture in America? What challenges do they face in small, predominately conservative areas like ours, and should women remain in a patriarchal institution when the fight for equality seems so uphill? We also discuss how lay women can advocate equality and justice in their church communities and push back against the more fundamentalist narratives and political agendas that are dominating the conversations about Christianity and Christian values? Join us as we tackle these issues and more. Amazing cover art by Kelly Green @humblepaperartist & @warriorkellygreen. Please check out her work! We love her! Music by Emily Ellis Richards @emilyellisrichards We would love for you to support our work at Patreon @ https://www.patreon.com/Femmsouth You can join our FB Bookclub group @FemmSouthBookclub

In this episode, Leigh and Shannon discuss restoring the equality of the Divine Feminine in Christianity by centering on biblical women and feminine expressions of the Divine in scripture. We look at Christian supremacy and its legacy of oppression. We learn the historical roots of feminism in Christianity, investigate where feminism has already shaped the Church, and identify where feminist theology has failed to reach local congregations. We ask whether women can continue to advocate for change within the institution by using language and liturgy that is centered on a discipleship of equals in the commonwealth of God, rather than a hierarchy that prioritizes white, cisgender, heterosexual men. For this discussion, we draw inspiration from the book, a New Feminist Christianity: Many Voices, Many Views, which is a collection of essays edited by Mary E. Hunt and Dianna L. Neu. As a whole, these essays take an intersectional approach and consider a multitude of issues from many voices in academia and in the church, including women of color, women from various denominations, and the queer community, which is why we chose it. We wanted a text that would explore feminist theology as a way forward, but one that does not fail to directly address oppression and cultural hegemony. Join us as we discuss restoring the equality of the Divine Feminine in Christianity by centering on biblical women and feminine expressions of the Divine in scripture. We look at Christian supremacy and its legacy of oppression. We learn the historical roots of feminism in Christianity, investigate where feminism has already shaped the Church, and identify where feminist theology has failed to reach local congregations. We ask whether women can continue to advocate for change within the institution by using language and liturgy that is centered on a discipleship of equals in the commonwealth of God, rather than a hierarchy that prioritizes white, cisgender, heterosexual men. We recognize the challenge, but we hope at the very least to open a conversation towards reconciling difference. Can feminists find spiritual fulfillment in the Christian faith, and can Christian women feel empowered to question and challenge the patriarchal/kyriarchical structure of Christian institutions to enact change? We say yes, and it's already happening. Artwork--© “St Mary Magdalene” by Br. Robert Lentz OFM, Courtesy of Trinity Stores, https://www.trinitystores.com/. (800.699.4482)

Bonus episode featuring singer, songwriter and musician, Brenda Bledsoe. For over 17 years, Brenda has been writing songs inspired by the people and places that have impacted her life. She's been playing the flute and guitar for even longer. In this episode, Brenda shares her new song, Let Your Truth Out, inspired by the recent violations against women's reproductive rights in Alabama. Brenda also discusses her own journey into speaking and living her truth after years of working in a male-dominated, corporate job. Now she's living her dream, playing folk music and building a farm with her husband. We hope this song inspires others to speak their truths and live fully without fear of oppression. If you want to listen to more music by Brenda or catch a live show, visit her website @https://brendabledsoe.com/ She's also a member of the Gypsy Spark Band, which is a collaboration between Brenda, Jimmy Lumpkin, and Talia Lumpkin. Check out their music @https://gypsysparkband.com/

For the second part of our episode on Trans Feminism, Sarah and Leigh interview transgender friends in the community to talk about coming out in the south. We hear transwomen’s perspectives on living with gender dysphoria, what coming out to their families has been like, how the church has influenced their transitioning, and what they think about passing within the socially constructed gender spectrum. We hear from a mother who is having to advocate for her child in the face of unsupportive family members and trying to build her own support system with close friends. These interviews reveal just how important supportive family and friends are to the mental well being of trans gender and nonconforming individuals. This may seem intuitive for most of us, but discrimination is still rampant and creates barriers to self-esteem, proper mental healthcare and other essential human rights. We are working to build awareness and support in our community by starting a Prism chapter in Fairhope and by talking more openly about trans issues. If you are interested in supporting LGBTQ+ youth in our area, reach out to Sarah Rutledge Fisher @https://www.facebook.com/PrismFairhopeAL/ Let us know what you think, and get into the conversation by joining our online FB Bookclub Group @FemmSouth Bookclub.

Join us as we explore Sarah McBride's book, "Tomorrow Will Be Different," a touching, personal memoir that covers her transition story, her journey into transgender activism, and the tragic loss of her husband to cancer. Sarah's book is also a primer on the many complex issues facing the transgender community through the lens of her life as a transgender woman and LGBTQ+ activist. It's a great way for people who are not already personally connected to the trans world to engage with empathy and understanding. Sarah's story is also an avenue to explore the ways in which the issues faced by the trans community arise from the same patriarchal oppression that we confront in our study and practice of feminism. Since trans issues are feminist issues, we must work to educate ourselves to be effective allies. To that end, we discuss our society's evolving understanding of gender, our problematic tendency to assign value to passing, the Title VII cases currently before the Supreme Court, and other trans-feminist issues. Let us know what you think, and get into the conversation by joining our online FB Bookclub Group @FemmSouth Bookclub.

In part II of Episode 10: Reflecting on Audre Lorde, Leigh is joined by three local women (Valerie Montgomery, Claire Hallblack, and Valencia Wilson) to talk about race and infrastructure in our local community as an extension of our discussion about Audre Lorde's book Sister Outsider. Audre Lorde calls for women to unite and build new paths across difference, but what are the obstacles to building these paths in places where the infrastructure of racism, classism, and sexism still exist? Structural racism, classism, and sexism can be seen in many facets of life in a small town, even in one as seemingly progressive as ours. We see this in the case of our local community that is 93% caucasian and less than 8% minority. With little or no women of color serving on boards, city planning committees, politics, food and health industries, and other important elements of infrastructure, then how effective is a community at providing support systems for the physical and psychological needs of all its members? The racial and gender disparities are also reflected in housing, healthcare, employment, education, and church community, which is a huge network in southern, black culture. When women, and especially women of color, are not landing key positions in community development or taking on leadership roles, then communities cannot advance the goals and values of all its members. An important component to Audre Lorde's call for women to unite and forge new paths across difference, is the equalizing of infrastructure, i.e. the building blocks of community. Join the conversation on FB @ FemmSouth Bookclub Group Listen & rate us on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, & GooglePlay Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.femmsouth.com/ Become a Patreon Member on https://www.patreon.com/Femmsouth

This episode examines Audre Lorde’s collection of essays and lectures in her book, "Sister Outsider." Join Leigh and new cohost, Jillian Rosandich, as we talk about Audre Lorde’s theory of difference, a foundational pillar of Intersectional Feminism that recognizes the particular experiences and issues of women of color and other groups that were being left out of the broader feminist conversation of second wave feminism. As Lorde put it, "The oppression of women knows no ethnic nor racial boundaries, true, but that does not mean it is identical within those differences" (70). These conversations are just as relevant today as we stand together against oppression and injustice and work to uncover our full Herstory. What does it look like to recognize and hold space for difference, especially when building an inclusive community that speaks to the diverse interests and needs of all women? Can we widen our views around race, class, age, sexual identity, and religion, and find new ways of existing and examining the world outside of patriarchal constructs? We are now connected globally more than we have ever been, and so we must stand together in unity through diversity. Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, & Google Play Visit our website www.FemmSouth.com We are on Instagram & FB @FemmSouth Support us through membership via Patreon @ www.patreon.com/FemmSouth

Why is anger a particularly challenging emotion to acknowledge and express for women? Many of us grew up in a culture or a home that discouraged any expression of anger or discontent. We learned to suppress our darker emotions, drive them down deep, and sacrifice our needs to be the peacekeepers in the home and at work. How did women get to this point historically, and what can we do to reframe anger so that we can use it to attain personal and political freedom against injustice, create safe boundaries, & validate our experiences? In this episode, you will hear accomplished panelists discussing the historical supression of women’s anger in literature, art, psychology, sports, and media. This is our special recording of the Anger For Change Panel put together to address women’s hidden anger in our local community. Inspired by Soraya Chemaly’s book, Rage Becomes Her, we confirm women’s anger as a powerful instrument for social and political change. Panelists include artist/LGBQTIA activist-Sarah Rutledge Fischer, psychotherapist-Dr. Katie Penry, and PhD student-Jillian Rosandich, along with FemmSouth hosts Leigh & Amaya. We are excited to announce that we have joined Patreon, a membership platform to connect with and get support from our listeners. For a small contribution, you can join our online bookclub, learn about women’s history and feminist theory, and be a part of our mission to empower women. To join, go to https://www.patreon.com/Femmsouth Listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, & Google Play, where you can rate us and leave comments. Follow us on Instagram & FB @FemmSouth and visit our website at www.FemmSouth.com.

Anger, one of the darker emotions that women have historically learned to suppress & transfer into other more acceptable emotions like anxiety, sadness, and depression, is actually a valid and valuable tool for creating change in our personal lives and in the world. This is not the first time in history women’s anger has been at the front line of activism. Women’s anger has always fueled change. As “the first line of defense against injustice,” (Chemaly) when women get fed up, the world changes. This episode is one of a three-part series on Women’s Emotional Freedom & Transformation. Join Amaya and Leigh as they discuss Soraya Chemaly’s book, Rage Becomes Her, a book about the power of women’s anger. In this episode, we seek answers to questions like--why do we favor certain emotions over others, and how is this limiting us? What are the causes of women's anger, and can we give ourselves (and others) permission to be angry about injustices in our personal lives and in the world? Can we honor our emotions and create the emotional freedom that will open to deeper personal and collective growth? We believe we can and must. So, if you are constantly policing your anger, shaming yourself, or suppressing and redirecting your anger into sadness, anxiety, and depression, you may like what we have to say, and you’ll definitely want to read this book. Cover art entitled, “They Called Her Rage,” by Alabama artist June Reddix-Stennis @flygirljune. This piece was a part of a series of murals entitled, "And Then She," which June created for a public space in downtown Mobile, Alabama in response to the first Women's March in 2017. June says her decision to create this work came about "the same time when the United States was exploding with chaos and hate. I couldn't focus. All I could think about was the black dead bodies killed by police that kept popping in my timeline on social media. I felt like screaming and weeping. All my former female colleagues were out all across the nation preparing for the march. I was at home with a sheet of plywood, buckets of latex and acrylic paint on a tarp set up in my home office." To see more of her paintings visit her FB page @flygirljune. Listen and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, & GooglePlay Follow us on FB & Instagram @FemmSouth Stay up to date with our newsletter by visiting www.FemmSouth.com

Join Leigh as she interviews Matt Myrick, singer, songwriter, and father of two small children, to get his take on the story of the Skeleton Woman in Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ Women Who Run With the Wolves. Skeleton woman is the archetype of the life/death/life cycle, which, according to Clarissa, is the natural cycle of death and rebirth that determines the transformative cycles of all physical and psychological life. When skeleton woman enters into a relationship, she is the gift for both partners of deeper inner knowing and growth. Leigh and Matt discuss the patriarchal structure through which the skeleton woman was first destroyed and through which the fisherman must escape in order to recognize the skeleton woman as a deeper spiritual treasure. As a stay-at-home father, Matt also sees the tangled bones as a metaphor for the reality and messiness of everyday life with children, which requires relating to “something more spiritual, something messier, something invested with much more energy and kind of a forceful will and being able to go along for the ride” (Matt). Matt and Leigh circle back to the final scene in the story where the fisherman cries the tear that initiates the skeleton woman’s transformation into a woman of flesh. The conversation opens to toxic masculinity and the difficulty men have with accepting the “not-beautiful” and expressing vulnerability. According to Clarissa, when the fisherman allows the expression of his vulnerability, cares for and untangles the woman despite her darkness, and gives his whole heart to the transformation, he is able to have the deeper connection with the full woman that he desires. The integrity of the relationship, the deeper union, is derived from both partners accepting the reality of each other and doing the deeper inner work of transformation together. Cover art entitled, “Their Gravity,” by Alabama artist Sarah Rutledge Fischer @sarahrutledgefischer. To see more of her figure drawings and mixed media paintings, visit sarahrutledgefischer.com or find her FB page Sarah Rutledge Fischer Art. "The Western Ride” written and performed by Matt Myrick @cityelectricmusic. To join our bookclub, visit our private group on FB @ FemmSouth Bookclub We are a grassroots effort, and we need donations to keep us doing this important work for women in the south. You can donate on our website, FemmSouth.com or follow and share our fundraiser on FemmSouth’s FB page.

We are continuing our three part series honoring Clarissa Pinkola Estes' Women Who Run With the Wolves. Clarissa connects readers with the archetypal wild woman who sings over collected bones to revive the Shewolf, La Loba. We all possess this wild woman deep inside our psyches, but many of us have forgotten, suppressed, ignored or simply lost connection. In In this episode, Leigh interviews singer/songwriter Emily Stuckey and activist and book club member, Ashley Wix, about storytelling, digging up old bones, collecting & examining them through creative practices, and breaking the silencing that happens when we experience shame around our more difficult experiences. In the first half, Leigh and Emily discuss the chapter “La Loba, The Wolf Woman,” while Emily shares her journey into music, using songwriting as a platform for self-awareness and transformation. Channeling sometimes darker emotions on stage is a way to honor her life experiences and develop deeper connections with her audience. She sings her new song, Redbird, written for her all female band, The Krickets. Redbird just won the Independent Music Award for best alt country song. We are honored to have Emily share her song with us! In the second half, Leigh reads her poem, Buried Deep, and Leigh and Ashley dive into “The Woman With Hair of Gold.” Ashley shares her story about recognizing and getting out of a psychologically abusive relationship that she endured for seven years in silence. This kind of abuse is much more difficult to discuss because the physical evidence may not be visible, and the abuser is well versed in manipulation. Reading Clarissa’s book and getting validation and support from friends inspired Ashley to leave and break the cycle of silence and shame. Now she tells her story to help others gain the courage to end abusive relationships. To download Emily’s IMA winning song, Red Bird, visit www.thekrickets.com Amazing cover artwork created by Alabama artist, Raven Cole @dark_horse_collage To join our bookclub, visit our private group on FB @ FemmSouth Bookclub To Donate, please visit www.FemmSouth.com or follow our fundraiser on FB.

Are we enjoying the full shapes and functions of our bodies, and do we feel at home in our own skin? Join us as we explore the answers to these questions in the second part of a three-part series honoring Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ book, Women Who Run With The Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype. In this episode, Leigh interviews two friends, Lukcy and Kate, about their favorite stories—“Sealskin, Soulskin” and “La Mariposa, Butterfly Woman.” Lukcy is a singer and songwriter who is working on a year-long, collaborative project to create original music with musicians in each state. We caught her as she was traveling through Alabama and were able to record her original song, “Easy Does it Now.” She talks about life on the road and what it's like having a home that is, like the Seal Maiden, contained in the soul rather in than physical, material objects. In the second half of the show, Kate reads her poem “She” and discusses her yogic journey into being grounded and embodied, and how she is learning to reconnect with her body and break out of old patterns of judgement through daily meditation. Clarissa writes, “To confine the beauty and value of the body to anything less than this magnificence is to force the body to live without its rightful spirit, its rightful form, its right to exultation” (200). Kate and Leigh conclude that the body is equipped to heal if we can tune in and listen to its needs, and we are all meant to feel free and authentic in our true selves. Please join us! Learn more about Lukcy’s project on FB & Instagram @myfellowtravelhers Watch her Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0PLmUKE4wA Visit her website https://www.myfellowtravelhers.com/ To see transcript of Kate’s poem “She,” visit our blog at FemmSouth.com Artwork by the amazing Astoria Jellett! See more of her work on Instagram @astoriaJellett Visit her website http://www.astoriajellett.com/ Visit our website at https://www.femmsouth.com/ and follow us on FB & Instagram @FemmSouth.

This episode is the first of a three-part focus on Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ book, Women Who Run With the Wolves, Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype. For those that have not read this book, first let me say that it is one of those life-changing, must reads for a women’s book club. Estes’ writing is poetic, inspiring, and connects with emotions deep and elemental in women. She reaches sympathetically into the starved soul and commands our reclamation of the “innate instinctual Self” (7). In each chapter, Estes retells a traditional folktale, and then uses these archetypal female characters to unearth our individual and collective female psyches—“No matter by which culture a woman is influenced, she understands wild and woman, intuitively” (6). Leigh and Amaya invite FemmSouth bookclub sisters, Brinkley & Alodia, to come on air and discuss their favorite stories: The Doll in Her Pocket: Vasalisa the Wise, all about female intuition, and The Red Shoes, which deals with women’s instinctual creative spirit. Poet and sound alchemist, Adwiti Haffner, reads her two poems “Burning Log” and “Shhh! The Bluebruisepurple Shades of #MeToo” You don’t want to miss her powerful, inspiring voice! To read a transcript of Adwiti’s poetry, visit our blog on https://www.femmsouth.com/ To learn more about Adwiti, visit her website https://www.alivewithadwiti.com/ Follow her on Instgram @Adwitihaffner Cover art by Jeanie Tomanek @everywomanart Subscribe to FemmSouth Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, and Spotify Support Us | Rate Us | Join Us

Motherhood is always a hot topic at our book club discussions, whether we are talking about our own mothers or the challenges of motherhood. In this new episode, Leigh & Amaya tackle motherhood and discuss Kathryn Black’s book, Mothering Without a Map: The Search for The Good Mother Within. This book explores the author's own story, testimonies from other mothers and research from top thinkers in the fields of child development, psychoanalysis, psychology, anthropology, and science, to answer the question: How can women who have been "undermothered" transcend the patterns of their childhood and raise emotionally healthy children of their own? Joining us to discuss this book is Dr. Katie Penry, a licensed clinical psychologist, who has a private practice in Alabama. Dr. Penry helps explain attachment theory, the bond between mother and child, which she describes as “the soil of everything.” She also helps us look at the enormous responsibility placed on the mother for the psychological well being of the child. Is this responsibility a burden to the mother? Is it fair? Can we not extend this conversation to include other parental support and caregivers in the child’s life along with the community responsible for helping resource the mother? We also discuss trauma. What is the full range of trauma, and how can we heal traumas of various levels caused from birth, unavailable mothers and even ancestral, or epigenetic trauma. We discuss the importance of understanding the social, economic, and political circumstances of women so that we can understand and forgive our mothers’ shortcomings. Dr. Katie Penry is the founder of @A Friendly Affair and owner of Dr. Katie Penry, LLC, an eclectic, private practice, serving adults and children on the Eastern Shore and Mobile. You can follow her on Instagram @afriendlyaffair You can find her on http://www.drkatiepenry.com/ And https://www.afriendlyaffair.com/

Modern Witchcraft & Earth Magic Wisdom with Riyana Rose Amaya is flying solo for this episode, on assignment in the San Francisco Bay Area a place for all things mystical, magical and witchy. She interviews Riyana Rose a modern day witch, herbalist, coach, and writer who has been practicing witchcraft in her tradition called Reclaiming for over 20 years. In this episode, Riyana demystifies the term “witch”, by taking it off the flying broomstick and bringing it back down to earth. She shares wisdom about our connection to our indigenous roots, our bodies, what we put into our bodies, how we move through the world, and how we tend to and interact with our innate wisdom, which has been lost through a long history of oppression and violence towards women, indigenous cultures, and the earth. She helps explain how and why we have been affected by the witch burnings of our past, and gives advice about how to heal from this ancestral trauma. She encourages anyone interested in learning more about their inner witch and this earth magic wisdom to start with a personal study of their heritage and the folk traditions of their past, to read books like Spiral Dance by Starhawk, Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler, and most importantly, to “go take a walk in the moonlight”.... To find more information about Riyana, her Reclaiming witchcraft tradition, workshops, and coaching program, reach out to her at www.budblossomhip.com

In light of the feminist uprising that is giving women a resurgence in power and voice, we are still having to hold our ground against dismissal and outright hostility. We still have unanswered questions that history has for too long ignored. Why do we feel disconnected from our bodies and ashamed to seek pleasure? Why do we feel such a deep loss of empowerment over our own bodies as they become more commercialized by mainstream media? Why do we know so little about our own sexual anatomy? Why have women been marginalized in the nursing field for lower pay and criminalized for any attempt to practice medicinal healing outside of the mainstream medical and pharmaceutical industries? The answers to these questions emerge from Anne Llewellyn Barstow’s book, "Witchcraze: A New History of the European Witch Hunts." In this episode, Amaya and Leigh dive deep into the historical trauma of the execution of a hundred thousand plus women over a two-hundred year span in European and American history. This was a widespread and targeted attack on women’s bodies and agency that does not get enough serious study--“It’s a significant moment in [European] history that people don’t talk enough about…there are no monuments really for this persecution” (Leigh). Amaya and Leigh discuss the long history of women’s sexuality being vilified and used against them by the church and then the state to keep women’s sources of power in check. We also discuss women’s reliance on their sexuality for resourcing due to men’s control of resources, and how this still plays out today. Reading through these stories of women being accused, tortured, maimed, and killed is gruesome, but also necessary for women to recognize and heal these old wounds and bring feminine energy and power back into balance.

In this episode, we look back at 2018 and what it was like deciding to do a podcast in the south, the emotional roller coaster that comes with putting yourself out there, and launching successfully to our community and the world. What a tremendous endeavor we have taken on! We reflect on the challenges of speaking so openly about our experiences and putting our voices out in the world for the first time. We talk about our launch party success and the amazing energy we felt from the men and women in our community that have either been doing women's work for several decades already, or that are feeling called to activism for the first time. We discuss true sisterhood and the global, feminist connection. Do we have a responsibility to help women globally and not just ourselves? Of course our answer is a resounding "Absolutely! We can't actually separate ourselves from what's happening in the rest of the world. And the more conscious we become and the more we realize we are all connected, the more we realize we are all affected by what's going on on the other side of the planet" (Beautifully spoken by Amaya). Our spiritual mothers get a shout out as we ask them to think about mentoring young women and women that are new to the feminist movement. We recognize that "having elders that we respect for their wisdom and for their support--we don't really get that in our culture" (Amaya). We then look ahead at some of our upcoming podcast episodes and discuss the topics we are currently interested in exploring like motherhood, emotional intelligence & anger, and individual & collective trauma. We are going to be exploring new books along with these topics. We welcome your thoughts as well. What do you want to hear from us? Please subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, and visit our website at FemmSouth.com. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and FemmSouth@gmail.com. We want to hear from you!

Leigh and Amaya dive into Sarah Blaffer Hrdy's book, "Mother Nature: Maternal Instincts and How They Shape the Human Species." They discuss the female's active role in reproduction across species, they look at allomothers and communal support for motherhood, and they consider reproductive rights, female sexuality, and female choice in alignment with nature. For more information, visit us at FemmSouth.com or follow us on Instagram & Facebook.

Building on Sarah Blaffer Hrdy's concepts of female choice and agency in evolution, Amaya and Leigh discuss reproductive rights with former abortion worker, Anne (pseudonym). They all talk openly about their own abortions in order to break the taboo and shame surrounding the topic, and offer ideas to support women in their reproductive choices regardless of whether to have the baby or not. They talk about the challenges women in Alabama face when making the choice to have an abortion, and how our conversations in the south need to change to allow for open dialogue, support, and healing. For more information, visit us at FemmSouth.com or follow us on Instagram & Facebook.

Amaya and Leigh interview local women that participated in Baldwin County's very own Handmaid's resistance, protesting Roy Moore's campaign for the 2017 Alabama Senate election. Mette McCall, Lyza Davidson, and Hanh Hua talk about their passion for protesting his candidacy and for supporting the #MeToo movement. They question female republican voters that supported Moore despite allegations of sexual misconduct with minors, and they talk openly about the challenges of speaking progressive ideas in a predominately right-wing, conservative community. For more information, visit us at FemmSouth.com or follow us on Instagram & Facebook.

The Handmaid's Tale is the next book on our feminist book club's list, and we discuss its current significance and the #MeToo Movement. We look at how themes in the book are connected to the movement and other current political issues. We look deep into what the movement is really about, and we debunk the myth that the movement has gone too far as we discuss the more subtle manifestations of misogyny and exploitation understood by Atwood when she wrote her book. For more information, visit us at FemmSouth.com or follow us on Instagram & Facebook.

Amaya and Leigh have the great pleasure of interviewing River Blue Lotus, a local Tantrica and Tantric couples coach. River has a degree in contemplative psychotherapy from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, was raised in a Goddess centered community, and has been helping couples go deeper into their relationships through a Tantric approach to therapy. She goes deep into trauma and healing trauma through connecting with, taking care of, and loving the vagina. She also offers her views on porn and talks about helping couples move away from a dependence on or addiction to practices that inhibit presence in their relationships. For more information, visit us at FemmSouth.com or follow us on Instagram & Facebook.

Join us as Amaya and Leigh discuss Naomi Wolf's book, Vagina. We talk about female sexuality and the connection between the vagina and inspiration, healing, and transcendence. We look at the historically repressed and traumatized vagina, the porn industry, and then we shift to the last half of Wolf's book where she discusses the Goddess Array, which is honoring the feminine and bringing intimacy and connection back to the forefront of women's sexuality. For more information, visit us at FemmSouth.com or follow us on Instagram & Facebook.

In this episode, Leigh and Amaya go out into the community to ask people their views on feminism. Listen as they interview men and women of all ages to see what they think feminism means, to discuss their associations with the word feminism, especially in the south, and to find out if they do indeed identify with feminist ideology. Surprise interviewees include feminist writer, Anne Kent Rush and Civil Rights activist and writer, Bob Zellner. For more information, visit us at FemmSouth.com or follow us on Instagram & Facebook.

Amaya and Leigh launch their podcast with this first episode about what it's like being a feminist living in the deep south and how southern women need to become more active in the current conversations. Amaya and Leigh discuss the challenges of being raised in the south and speaking out for women's rights, and their calling for doing women's work and healing the feminine and the masculine. For more information, visit us at FemmSouth.com or follow us on Instagram & Facebook.