NON-EXTRACTIVE BUSINESS PRINCIPLES
WHAT IS EXTRACTION?
Extraction is a perspective, a behaviour / set of behaviours committed by systems of colonialism, exploitation, hierarchy, and homogeny. Non-extraction is a value system that naturally de-centers mechanism of dominance, accumulation, and exploitation, to restore traditional, indigenous, and circular cultures. In the context of business and project creation, here are some principles to return to:
WHY WOMEN STRUGGLE MAKING DECISIONS AND WHY THEY SHOULDN'T CARE
What do these questions have in common?Do I study XXX or YYY?Do I relocate to LA / Tokyo / Shanghai / Paris / quiet place in the middle of nowhere?Do I have a baby? Or a subsequent one?Do I marry this person?Do I quit my office day job in a cubicle that pays fairly well and begin a new career in permaculture?
WHAT IS A HOME?
What is a HOME?
Well, I would say it’s not about the walls, the square footage, the furniture, the styling, the neighbourhood, the property value.
A home is about the warmth that is found there. Home is acceptance. And nourishment. And affection. And a place of allowing. Home is where you can create beautiful memories in solitude and with others. A place where you can let yourself completely fall apart because there are loving arms to catch you. Home is also where a celebration is held for you because you’re you. A home is a place where you can manifest the expansion of your heart by making space for others. HOME is heart.
2018 to 2019: Ring Out The Old, Ring In The New
Empty glasses are scattered around, evidence of the mirth in our home these past few days. Messes were made; every pan, wooden spoon, and bowl in the kitchen was used. Today, with strong tea, was a cozy day in, the kids out to play since Vancouver is having a mild winter so far, and the adults at home (my partner and I), are transforming leftovers into soup, lazily reading new books, and leisurely packing for some days away in the woods, with the laundry machine's hum as a playlist of sorts.
CANNABIS, HEALING, AND SPIRITUALITY
Canada and the USA is nearing its end of another prohibition era. The mass public in recent years, has shifted its perception of Cannabis (mainly known as Marijuana prior to 2010, but as the stigma around Cannabis vapourizes - pun fully intended - the name 'Marijuana' had to go through a bit of a rebranding with its more scientifically acceptable, Latin name, Cannabis, the heroic neo super-herb), partly because the West's established shamanic authority - the westernized medical doctor - has now deemed it worthy - when the old world's doctor - the original shamans, have all along considered Cannabis sativa, indica, and ruderalis, along with other plants, to be great teachers.
INTERVIEW WITH A SHAMANIC INTUITIVE
As mentioned on Instagram, I've been a regular listener on Julie Parker's The Priestess Podcast for quite some time. She curates beautiful, relatable content on mysticism, alternative healing modalities, the Divine Feminine, conscious business, and so many other topics that I care deeply about. It was an IMMENSE honour to be interviewed by Julie on shamanism, plant spirit medicine, and my work here at Ceremonie. We had such a fun time chatting (including my interpretation of how Adam and Eve from the biblical story of Genesis is rooted in shamanic expression, my childhood, and even the unusual name for my favourite doll), that I completely lost track of time!