The HERSTORY of WeMoon Spirit

The message came to me that there was a space opening up which would be ideal for our purposes. It had been used for many years by a man named Irwin Friedman as a school for young children that he called Full Flower. Irwin had closed Full Flower and the space had been rented by a few people for a few years and was now only partially occupied. Eleanor Cyrce, who had worked with Irwin for the last few years of Full Flower, was looking for someone to take over the space. We talked. It seemed to be the perfect place for our needs, even with all its imperfections. And there were many!

The building was a mess. It was old and damp. It needed a great deal of cleaning, patching, painting, electrical repair, heat and air, and energy clearing. Irwin assured me that it was vastly improved from the condition he had found it in, but it was far from serviceable for our needs. It didn't matter to me, though my husband, Carlos shook his head at the task ahead wondering if I truly knew what I was getting into. Of course, I did not. I was going on faith and will power.

The grounds were also a disaster. The parking area was ill defined and small, the old garden space was totally overgrown with broken down fencing, uneven ground, chest high weeds, vines, poison ivy, and trees that were rotted and ready to fall. Beautiful old camellias and azaleas had been left to their own, wisteria and grape vine were choking the tall trees.

A large area had been used as a playground in which huge climbing structures of thick wood and tires had been erected. They were well made and nearly indestructible. They were also ugly, massive, and not needed for our purposes. They had to go.

Despite this array of seeming impossibilities, I saw the grounds filled with gardens, wind chimes, art, and women enjoying themselves. I saw a building as one in which women gathered to teach each other, to learn, to play, to talk, to make music and theatre, to craft, to care for their bodies, minds, and souls.

I told Eleanor that I didn't have any money for this project, but that I would take the space on faith that it would somehow work out.

In March 2003, I called a gathering of women who had expressed a strong interest in the concept of what I called WeMoon. Thirty of us showed up to talk of our vision. Thirty strong, talented, and amazing women, and a few lovely children. We spoke of how we needed such a place, of the possibilities for classes and gardens, for support among us, for sanctuary. Many there that night spoke up about being able to teach various skills and hold experimental classes.

We agreed that if enough of us pledged $20 a month we could stay afloat for the while that it took to organize and get established. We had a strong vision, but we only had a shadow of a plan.

The next few months were a flurry of activity in getting the place at least nominally clean, and working on the repairs to the building and the clearing of the grounds. We had a general meeting monthly, and various meetings as needed in between. We set up a Wise Woman Council to steer our course and maintain the vision. We established areas of need which we called Circles. These entailed Interior Space, Exterior Space, Communications, Programs, and Finances. Each WWC member was to temporarily stand in as the guide for a circle until a permanent guide could take our place.

The original WWC members were Agnes McMurray, Laura Pasquale, Judy Nalon, Susan Anderson, Mariah Rollins, and my self. We struggled with concepts such as our name, the mission statement, membership, the question of men in our midst, the erecting of a website, the establishment of an email communication network, the acquisition of a non-profit status, the internal structure of the organization, and the future prospects in terms of what programs we wanted to have available.

Andrea Ellinor, of Software Solutions Now! offered to host and set up our website, and has kept us going with her generosity ever since.

Laura Pasquale, with all her intelligence and organizational skills, offered to hold a World Cafe in which groups of women would talk at a table over a designated aspect in question, then move to another table to talk about another aspect, and so on until we had each generated ideas and opinions enough to see a consensus of opinion and to see the needs and visions of the group.

We put out a survey to the email list of women to find the name for us and to discuss issues such as the role of men in our midst.

We began the IRS paperwork for non-profit status.

We held Womanifestation days to do the grunt work of cleaning, repair, construction and landscaping.

By July we had installed some window A/C units and had taken out an old wood stove which freed up 25% of our floor space. Paty Roberts and Bonny Stone patched up the stovepipe hole in the ceiling, put patch and stucco to the ruined walls, and painted the interior walls. Agnes attacked the shelves and windows of the back rooms with paint, and we cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms. Sandy Campbell went out searching yard sales and gathered cookware and utensils.

Outside Carlos, Paty, Bonny, Beth Miles, some young hired hands, Jeremy and Mike, and I did a number on the mess of vines, old fencing, broken brick and pavers, dead wood, tires and frames, uneven ground, and weeds. Carlos dragged off huge chunks of wood and tires. We eventually rented a 50 foot dumpster to haul off the debris and filled it in one day. We had rock dropped to make Eleanor's driveway stable, and Carlos helped to smooth it out. We brought in metal arches to form an entryway from the parking into the gardens.

It was a herculeon effort. But when it was finished, the place was transformed. We had parking space. We had garden space. We had reclaimed an open gathering space from a drive-through mud hole.

Many women came through as financial supporters during the first year, which helped to keep us afloat. Among them were Agnes McMurray, Angie Prather, Ann Macmillan, Becky Hilliard, Bonny Stone, Brenda Moody, Carole Reinhart, Chris Heron, Connie Stockwell, Caroline Summerwood, Cristy Petrandis, Eleanor Cyrce, Gail Dixon, Heather Birck, Jackie Portman, Jane Whitehead, Janis Spitzer, Judy Andrews, Judy Felder, Judy Nalon, Karen Williams, Kelly Keyes, Laura Pasquale, Liz Lewis, Mariah Rollins, Maureen Holtz, Myra Hart, Norma Reesor McDowell, Patsy McCall, Isabelle Potts, Paty Roberts, Robin McDougall, Stephanie Duty, Susan Anderson, Susan Berry, and Willow Shanti.

It was a great vision that we were initially committed to. However, over time the momentum slowed and fewer and fewer women hung in there to do the work at hand. It began to seem as though many women were interested, but were too busy to keep their attention on this project. Without someone putting full time attention to directing all that needed to be done, it proceeded at the pace it could with a few of us working hard to keep it going.

By August we were in a serious financial hole. We didn't have enough programs going and enough participation in them to cover the costs of the repairs, despite all the volunteer hours. Women would make plans to offer classes and then drop out. September was no better, and several of the WWC members had burnt out and thrown in the towel. Susan Anderson, who had begun the process of gaining our non-profit status was seriously ill and couldn't continue. Although we had made great progress and we had all poured our hearts and souls and finances into making the vision a reality, we were all exhausted by the process. October and November continued a downhill spiral.

By December, with WeMoon Spirit in debt to me for nearly $5,000, things looked bleak. We still had much work to do, but our calls for help at Womanifestation days brought only a handful of women together, usually the same few women each time. A dark time descended upon me in particular. I was the one through whom this venture was initiated, who had the full vision, who made the initial leap to acquire this space, who committed to bearing the final financial obligation, and who had steered the ship for nearly a year. It wasn't working as was intended. The community of women who had expressed a great need for WeMoon Spirit were scattered into their busy lives and I didn't have the magnetism to draw them together.

I questioned my sanity. I wondered if my faith were misguided or deficient. I asked myself if the women of the community were ready for the vision or if it was premature. I asked if things had been done differently, under a better guidance than my own, in a different manner, would it have been more successful. I faced the possibility that it might fold completely, that I might fold completely and be forced to abandon the idea perhaps never to erect it again.

My health, my business, my family, and my finances had all suffered while I attended to the birth and unfolding of WeMoon Spirit, and now we both seemed in a desperate state.

My husband, Carlos, was worried about me, but remained supportive. Paty and Bonny, who had poured their heart and souls, finances and physical bodies into the project stood by me saying they didn't see the women's community as strong enough in support it, but that they would stand by me as long as I was willing to continue. In full display of their support, Bonny had begun, with the complete assistance of Paty, the amazing bottle wall art piece/garden wall.

Women such as Laura, Beth, Judy, Susan, and Mariah, who had given so much and who knew the value of the vision couldn't continue as life pulled them in different directions. Agnes, one person who could articulate the vision so well and had been so committed to making it a reality couldn't continue at the rate it was going.

I put out a missive to our email list expressing the desperate state WeMoon Spirit was in. Stefanie Green came to do an energy clearing with me. Kym Gross came to do a psychic reading for the place and for me and my connection to it.

Like a prayer answered, Robin McDougall and Patsy McCall came into the picture and began helping enormously. Their fresh energy renewed the possibility of our survival. Like a wounded bird I watched, waiting to see if it would be enough to revive the vision and keep it alive.

Robin, who has the most easy going and sweet way of communicating to people, took over the Communications Circle and worked to build our list of women receiving our emails. Agnes and Patsy pushed the idea of membership and how to go about making that stronger. We aimed at the first year anniversary to have a Grand Opening celebration which Patsy, with her exuberant and feisty personality, agreed to chair. With this goal in mind we set out to finish the grooming of the place. A series of womanifestation days ensued. The Tallahassee Women's Work Cooperative chose to help us out and a crew of beautiful women came to tear out old electrical wiring and upgrade the situation, giving us motion sensor lights and a porch fan. They helped set parking posts to continue the work of establishing a parking lot. They brought hope and fresh energy to our beautiful space.

Men (among them Patsy's husband Dick, a friend of theirs, and Diane Leiva's son, John Paul) and women worked to further transform the place, painting the bathroom and video room, adding doors where needed, setting up the stereo system, putting up a beautiful lattice arch on the front porch, and further grooming the grounds. Patsy financed and Agnes procured a carpet to transform the back room. Tony Davis brought his welding equipment to add to the structure of the big metal hoop we erected at the entrance to the grounds. Some friends passing through town for a while, Tom and Julie, spent many hours painting the logo for our main building, and stayed to play music at the Grand Opening. The place was finally coming together and looking more and more beautiful. The energy of these people working together was the essence of the ideal. My heart was lifted even as I struggled to physically keep up the pace.

The Grand Opening was a fine event with music by local musicians, food and a glorious spring day. My eyes were glazed over from the effort, but Hope was alive.

During this time Teresa Youngblood appeared on the scene, at first helping out with small painting jobs and such, and eventually deciding that she would begin the gardens. She had little experience with such things, but with her brilliant and focused mind she threw herself into the project and transformed the open space provided into the Spirit Gardens. She opened a "Blog" and website to journal on the gardens and her personal process in connection with it, providing information on gardening and linking to valuable sites for more information. She personified the essence of the WeMoon Spirit ideal with her joyful and harmonious way of going about her work.

Robin, in addition to heading up the Communications Circle, showed her skill at putting on events, giving a personal concert of her own, bringing in other women musicians for concerts, producing the music for the Grand Opening, and establishing an arts and crafts show.

Vicki Combs agreed to be our web tech, which made it possible for us to have a truly functional web page.

By summertime, Vickie Spray and Kelly Greg decided to benefit the WeMoon Spirit the proceeds from the Lesbian Variety Show, which served as an enormous boost to us financially and secured the link with the lesbian community and WeMoon Spirit.

In November, Agnes directed the beginning of the building of a ramp for the handicapped. This was assisted by some able male friends in the construction business, and financed by a group of women also in the construction business. This project was finally complete in the fall of 2005!

In December of 2004 we produced a unique art event called The Living Feast. Like no other venue offered anywhere in these parts, we had teams of seriously talented women decorate three bodies with food for our guests to enjoy.

The year 2005 has been an amazing one.

We re-instituted the monthly Gathering of Women Potluck Dinner on first Thursdays, which is a wonderful relaxing time for those of us who come together.

To help me out, Mary Wakeman took over the accounting work, paying the bills and keeping the records of the finances. What a relief for me!

As the Spirit Gardens progressed, one day a woman named Shelly Gillum came into the area as a graduate student in anthropology and happened by to find out what we were up to. She worked with Teresa and me for a while in the gardens. Eventually she brought up the idea of setting up a medicine wheel in the side yard area where we had originally envisioned a sanctuary of sorts, perhaps a labyrinth. This was something she had done in various places in the U.S. We agreed that this would be a perfect use of the space and made plans to begin in February of 2005. This medicine wheel is a powerful area and is still in the process of transformation. Susan Anderson, with her Native American ancestry and experience, came to offer a workshop on the Southeast traditions with medicine wheels to further our understanding of the care and use of the wheel.

Our second year anniversary party was a sweet affair, with the infusion of the energy of Tina Cobb and Shari Gewanter heading up the spiritual aspect of bringing ritual into the process. We also had our first fire and drumming circle that evening.

A great deal of energy was applied toward our first women's retreat, the Burning Bush, which took place in April of 2005. Among the women who made this event happen, and the one man, Carlos, who gave enormous amounts of time to the effort, were Tina Cobb, Becky Hilliard, Shari Gewanter, Mariah Rollins, Diane Leiva, Jill Welch, Teresa Youngblood, Lauralyn Smith, April Westerman, Clarissa Mickle, Micky Dutey , Deborah Hadar McFatter, Robin McDougall, Elisa Durfee, and Linda Radell.

The Burning Bush was a total riot of fun, a transformative event emotionally and psychologically, and produced a deepening of our community of women. It was also an exhausting process for many of us who were most deeply involved in pulling it off in a short amount of time. However, it taught us a lot about what it takes to create such an event, and also about how important and needed a retreat is for us.

By June we had started a series of Living Room Concerts showcasing local women musicians. This was intended to be a monthly venue and would both benefit the WeMoon Spirit as well as provide some funds to produce a women musicians' CD. We have had wonderful performances from Paula Held, Jan Rosenberg, Minie Brattain, and the Sassafrass group. It is so nice to be in the cozy relaxed atmosphere of WeMoon Spirit for such events.

The Lesbian Variety Show once again was produced in the summer, in July 2005. Vickie and Kelly decided that it would again benefit WeMoon Spirit. We worked with them more fully this time, attending to the food sales, ticket sales, and the silent auction. We also produced some of the material for the entertainment portion. This was such a joint venture that it lent itself to the continuing healing of the rift between the lesbian and straight women in our community.

Robin's Arts & Crafts show was a beautiful success and took place on a gorgeous November day. Jan Rosenberg commanded the women musicians who entertained us so well that day. Many women had a hand in making it a success, among them Tina Cobb, Sersey Young, Mary Wakeman, and Kim Simpson. Like other events which have taken place on the grounds of WeMoon Spirit, when women are gathered together in joyful celebration, the effort that is required to produce such an event is well worth the time and energy involved. There is such a spirit of camaraderie and harmony in such a gathering!

Through all this time women, and a few men, have been giving classes in such things as Yoga, Afro-Caribbean Dance, Financial Planning, Qi Gong, Herbology, Tarot, Belly Dance, Dance Jam, Emotional Freedom Technique, Astrology, Women's Health, Pagan ritual concepts, Let's Play, A Course in Miracles, Family Constellations, crafts, and now the Kitchen Goddess is rearing her head again. As wonderful as these classes are and have been, all of this is a drop in the bucket as to what is possible should women choose to take advantage of this unique opportunity to teach, to learn, and to enjoy each others company and companionship.

The WeMoon Spirit is continually evolving and progressing. We are in the midst of planning the second Burning Bush in 2006 and also looking to produce a Women's Variety Show in the summer.

When I look back at the years we have been alive it is astounding how much has been done! Especially considering that this has all been done with volunteer effort. Much of the time there have been only a handful of women who have kept the vision alive through a lot of committed time, thought, and effort. Occasionally, for big events, there have been more hands joining in for the brief run. We need an ongoing influx of women to take on different parts of the circles in small and large ways.

As we enter the last month of 2005 and things are seasonally winding down, we look to the future and wonder how we will keep progressing, and how that will be made possible. We are in the throes of figuring that out, and can use all the help we can get.

Whatever the future holds, it can be said that there has been no failure here. The beauty of WeMoon Spirit has been given a chance to be a reality. Many women have learned a great deal in the process, and many women have been given the chance to teach, to learn, to express themselves, to challenge themselves, and to join in with other women in a joyful celebration of life and of each other.

WeMoon Spirit is alive and well, in whatever form it takes.

Please come join with us in life's celebration!

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