In Search of Community

Last week I came across an IG ad for a women’s circle event for AAPI and after going back and forth about it in my mind, I ended up attending. Having participated in an online workshop a few weeks back in which I noted that half the participants were Asian women and thought to myself how refreshing that was, I felt even more emotional finding myself in a space with ONLY Asian women. It was a small intimate spiritual gathering centered around a theme, with a lovely host and inspiring guest speaker, and while it wasn’t the usual sort of event I would typically join in terms of spiritual interests, I really appreciated being surrounded by, well, frankly, women who look like me. More importantly, they came from cultural backgrounds and social situations that I could relate to, on levels that I, in the moment, realized I needed to be able to relate.

In most spiritual spaces and communities I have found myself in or started myself locally, I have been one of few BIPOC participants, let alone Asian, and most often I have been the only one. I tried not to let it bother me too much because that was pretty much how I grew up, being one of a handful of Asians in my schools, sports teams, and other communities. There were other common interests that connected me to these communities so it was mostly fine, and I have thankfully never felt not welcome. There were and are still a few exceptional spaces that truly make me feel loved and supported, from which I have forged deep and meaningful lifelong connections that I truly cherish. But there is something really special about being in a space where certain masks I didn’t even realize I was wearing were able to naturally come off, leaving me feeling liberated in a way I haven’t really experienced before. 

I look forward to being in more such spaces and being able to express, share, and relate to experiences that are more particular to our cultural backgrounds. I look forward to learning craft from the wisdom traditions of my Chinese ancestry from people who come from that same ancestry. (I am not the only Chinese witch! !!! For real, growing up before the internet and social media blew up, it certainly felt that way!) I look forward to exploring this aspect of myself more deeply and have community I can support and feel supported by in this particular work. And I also look forward to figuring out how I can also be of service within this particular stream of tradition, perhaps even locally as a community builder and space holder.

So much gratitude to those community leaders and space holders who facilitate these spaces in which I can now play, explore, share, and experience, filling my own cup so that I can then be in better service to others.

Now please excuse me while I go find more witchy Asians to geek out with!