Flowers. Renewal. Vulvas.
Blessed day,
It’s springtime. Flowers are blooming with vigor!
And those luscious petals make me think of vulvas. So today's edition of The Goods is (mostly) about the power, wounds and wisdom of women.
If you're a man reading this, hi! So glad you're here. Read on, because you'll enjoy some of this too; then please forward it to at least one fabulous woman in your life.
🌷 Let's go 🌷
[book rec] The Sita’s Fire Trilogy
WOW. I tore through this entire trilogy in one month. Based on the classic Indian epic The Ramayana, these three books are the retelling of the love story of Rama & Sita, told from the perspective of the female characters. I found it poignant, crushing, inspiring, and expansive. I've heard the audiobooks are great, but I highly recommend the physical books, because the author's mother did all the watercolor illustrations, which are exquisite. The fact that it was a decade-long mother/daughter creative project makes my heart sing.
[film] Sita Sings The Blues
Related. Also a killer and unique retelling of The Ramayana. Oooof. So good. The music, the voices, the visuals... I can't really gush about this film enough. You can watch it for free on YouTube.
[video] Twilight | Contrapoints
Okay, yes, that Twilight... but stay with me. This video has been in my 'Watch Later' YouTube playlist for several months now. The other day I turned it on while taking an afternoon break, and thus far I am very impressed. This woman is a straight up scholar—in the first 35 minutes she had me laughing out loud and highly amused as she laid a well-delivered rebuttle to the narrative that Twilight holds no merit in the realm of literature or love stories. If you've ever been into Twilight (clearly, I'm outing myself here), you will very much enjoy this. It's long. Take it 25 minutes at a time.
[retreat] Divorce + Renewal Retreat for Women
I recently met Shumsha Hanif-Cruz, a bay-area based attorney who is offering a retreat this fall called Journey to Liberation: a 3-day journey of release, renewal and empowerment. This is a beautiful and necessary offering, because the statistics speak—and our grief needs to be honored, as does the love we give ourselves when we take a stand for our needs. I wish for all who are in the midst of a divorce deep healing, validation, and boundless support. Know someone who might need this? Please pass it on!
[program] Spring Rest & Digest: a 21-day challenge
My friend, ally and client Moni Rainbow Hawk is leading a 21-day challenge for women to boost their digestion, soothe their gut and connect with their dreams, superpowered by herbal medicines. Includes two organic handcrafted herbal formulas mailed to you + my book Eat Here Now, delivered in 4x live Zoom calls with amazing guest teachers (myself included!). This virtual journey is plant wisdom meets dreamwork meets sacred practice meets springtime! For women ready to slow down, reset, and bloom into spring. Scholarships + payment plans available. Final day to enroll is April 20th. Use the code BRITTA at checkout for 10% off!
[article] Enneagram for activism
This has nothing to do with women! It's simply a precise instruction manual for how to use your enneagram type to become more aligned in your advocacy and more effective in your activism. Teaser: activism doesn't just look one way!
Lastly, this.
Because, why not make it as beautiful as possible?
To the blessing of getting to exist on a planet with flowers,