This past season of Liberation Spring titled: Our Spirits, Ourselves was a truly trans formative experience that allowed me to better understand how North American culture attempts to narrow which belief systems are valid while others are kept on the periphery of acceptance. The class allowed me to see how these attempts are a direct assault on my ability to connect to the teachings and practices of my ancestors. I am Mexican American but my ancestral connection is to the land, the skies, and waters that nurtured my bloodline, Before attending this class I hesitant to accept the “accuracy” of my abuelita and abuelitos. However, now I am honored and humbled to revisit their lessons, the use of plants, and connection to the land. I feared being labeled as an atheist or someone that is “making all this stuff up.” However, this class has allowed me to see how these attempts at questioning my spiritual understanding was a result of an attempt to limit my relationship to the land and its energetic influences over my livelihood. This class allowed me to see how important it is for people who are engaged in conscious raising efforts toward liberation to also consider the role spirituality has on our ability to connect with one another through our differences and also our similarities while also recognizing their artificiality.
