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Reflections on “Grief, and other winters of the heart.”

Updated: May 12

A sacred space for alchemizing sorrow into spiritual clarity and ancestral healing.



Thank you to the attendees whose presence, willingness, and trust in co-creating this space allowed the workshop to unfold in full authenticity. Together, we traversed holy terrain: the heavy, the tender, the possible.


As we continue to become more of what we truly are, I am reminded that healing is not linear—it is a multidimensional unfolding. One that invites us into alignment with what is true, balanced, and correct for the expression of our highest good.


Hands gently cradle a white marble mortar and pestle, surrounded by scattered dried lotus petals on a wooden floor, evoking ritual, care, and ancestral reverence. Photographed by Savannah Parker.
Photographed by Savannah Parker.

What We Explored: Key Themes & Ancestral Teachings


In our time together, we moved through:


  • Grief as a sacred companion & intuitive guide

  • Belonging & communion as medicine for collective empowerment    

  • Herbs as healing spirits & allies of harmony & wholeness

  • Preserving ancestral wisdom through embodied ritual  

  • Somatic practices to support nervous system regulation  

  • Sound frequencies as vibrational healing technologies  

  • Storytelling, folklore, & oral tradition as energy healing  

  • The land as living remedy & co-regulator  

  • Traditional rituals to honor loss & transmute pain


These remembrances are gentle invitations to return to that which our bodies and spirits have always known. I pray the gifted Apatheia and Restore medicinal blends continue to hold and nourish you. May they support your capacity to release, rest, and realign with your inner wisdom.


Continued Integration


I invite you to integrate what you received through your own grounding, protection, and devotional practices. Let the rituals, songs, movements, and medicines continue to evolve with you. Remember the liturgy excerpt we shared during the session—return to it often:


“One can know healing is imminent and still make space to grieve what is…hope and grief are not mutually exclusive…grief rests and wakes as she chooses but remains with us across time…May it be so.” —Cole Arthur Riley

Additional Resources


For continued immersion and contemplation, you’ll find a curated list of resources at the end of this post under “Catalysts.” Plus, your free ritual guide “7 Rites for Healing a Grieving Womb” has been sent to your inbox. Let it serve as a companion on your healing journey.


Your Reflections Are Sacred


I would be deeply honored if you shared any reflections, messages, or insights that have emerged since in the comments below. Hearing your experiences helps me deepen my practice and vision. I cherish your voice as a nutritive contribution to my work of advocacy transformation, and the facilitation of wisdom.



a softly lit, warm-toned photograph featuring a woman standing barefoot on a wooden floor, partially draped in a flowing cream-colored garment. in the foreground are scattered dried lotus flower petals. to the left, a mortar & pestle rest atop 3 stacked books: entitled motherless daughters, black liturgies, and gemini. a potted plant & a lit cream candle are visible in the background, creating a serene & sacred atmosphere. photographed by savannah parker.
Photographed by Savannah Parker.

Contemplation


In closing, offer a "Contemplation," from Black Liturgies' chapter on "Lament":

Explore a memory of a time when your pain was co-opted or diluted. What would you say now that you weren't safe to say in that time?

Whether through future workshops, community gatherings, one-on-one guidance, or digital offerings—I want you to stay connected. Grief is not a disruption of life, but a doorway to deeper living.  May the practices, prayers, and ancestral wisdom offered here help you meet your sorrow with softness, and yourself with devotion. 


In remembrance, 

Briona 


Catalysts


  1. Butler, Briona. “Archival: Grief, and Other Winters of the Heart.” YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH62KpFWx_M&list=PLGKBpM_eZezLMrZwi4VzIvjl2tBS9Jyz6&pp=gAQB. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025. 


  2. Gibran, Kahlil. The Prophet. Alfred A. Knopf, 1923.


  3. Gladstar, Rosemary. Herbal Healing for Women: Simple Home Remedies for Women of All Ages. Atria Books, 1993.


  4. Hakim, Rashan Abdul. Basic Herbs: For Health and Healing. Ruddy Duckett, 1989.


  5. Monroe, Amshatar. Women of Spirit share Rituals Divine: Diverse, Personal, and Evolution-Empowering Stories of Our Connection to Rituals and the Divine. Kima Global Publishing, 2022.


  6. Riley, Cole Arthur. Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human. Convergent Books, 2024.


  7. Ritchason, Jack. The Little Herb Encyclopedia: The handbook of nature's remedies for a healthier life. Woodland Health Books, 1995.


  8. Riva, Anna. Powers of the Psalms: 375 Ways to Use Psalms for Love, Power, Revenge, Success, Blessings, Prosperity, Protection. International Imports, 1982.


  9. The Supernatural Bible. Passion/Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group, 2018.

 
 
 

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