In the Dagara tribe of West Africa, women are valued as the source of the world's wisdom. They are valued as dreamers, as diviners, as the backbone of the community; the core of human survival. But what can the teachings of this indigenous culture show us that will transform the way we live?
On Women's Wisdom from the Heart of Africa, Sobonfu Somé, author, teacher, and the first woman empowered by the Dagara elders to impart their teachings to the West, invites you to peer into a world where people remain closely connected to nature, their ancestors, and spirit, and to learn how to use powerful rituals to restore balance within yourself and with those around you.
Secrets of the Dagara Storytellers
Sobonfu Somé, whose name means "keeper of the rituals," was raised in her small village and sent by her elders to continue her education in the United States. With Women's Wisdom from the Heart of Africa, Somé shares authentic spiritual teachings of her tribe that were formerly handed down only within the circle of Dagara village life.
These teachings are founded on a worldview that honors animals, plants, and trees as our elders, and human beings as the newcomers. From this revered relationship with the natural world, we learn how to live in unity with our environment, and create a deeper connection with spirit.
Discover Your True Gifts and Offer Them to the World Through Ritual and Celebration
How do we find this connection to spirit? For the Dagara, ritual is the gateway. Distilling the essential practices of her people, Sobonfu Somé shows you how to check in with spirit to receive guidance, observe the sacred spaces of your home, harness the energy of the elements, strengthen your relationships, create balance in your professional life, and much more.
What are your unique gifts? What were you born to contribute? What can your community do to assist you? These questions are asked of every unborn Dagara child while still in the womb. Now, you have the chance to explore these and other questions, and to discover your inimitable gift as a woman with Women's Wisdom from the Heart of Africa.
Highlights:
- Use ritual to discover power places in nature and in your body
- Form a council of women to initiate growth and change in your community
- How to relate to your life cycles and honor them as times of grace, beauty, and immense energy
- Leadership as seen through the eyes of Dagara women—a different way of using your power
- How to create a shrine in your home to call in the divine
- Your unfiltered intuition—a guide you can always trust
- Call in the spirits of the elements to create balance and harmony
- Reclaim your ancestral lineage to learn who you are and what are your greatest strengths
- Visible and invisible power—tapping into your own sacred energy
- How to use grief and mourning to restore, renew, and regenerate your spirit
- Draw upon your dreams to guide, support, and encourage yourself and others
- Ritual—the key to connecting with spirit and with the people you care about
- Seven hours of rituals, reflection, and stories to immerse yourself in the traditions of the Dagara tribe and expand any spiritual practice